Disclaimer

I don't own anything. DC Comics, and anything that it publishes, is not in anyway owned by me. It is all owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

Own Society

While Cassandra had avoided being hit outright, she was feeling very rough by the time she reached the factory. She had performed a number of physical feats which had pushed her past her limits, and some of her dodges had involved taking painful dives into concrete to avoid killing blows. Riding out the collapse of a building in its elevator shaft had not been good for her either, leaving her with a headache and an annoying ringing in her ears.

Stephanie was standing outside the factory with an arm wrapped gently around the shoulders of a young girl. The girl was filthy, having lived in an abandoned factory without a chance to bathe for days, but she was in good spirits. Stephanie, on the other hand, was extremely tense.

When Cassandra stepped out into the open, Stephanie studied her carefully for a moment before relaxing. Even without her fluency in body language, Cass would have recognized the powerful sense of relief that went through her friend when she saw Cass unharmed. A moment later she heard sirens, so Cassandra pulled out her grapple and pulled herself to a rooftop to watch what would happen.

The police cars arrived in waves, and from one of the first came the police commissioner. Her daughter ran to her, and the two hugged. Cassandra grinned broadly at the sight, all that they had been through for days on end suddenly worth it. She could tell Stephanie agreed when she joined her a minute later. The two girls disappeared over the rooftops before the police even realized that they were gone.

The next morning, a tired but satisfied Cassandra arrived at her new job. She walked in cautiously, although she grinned at the delicious smells that filled the bakery. Compared to her previous job, which stank of cheap cleaners and unwashed rooms, her nose was much happier.

Anna looked up from the counter where she had been laying pastries under the glass, giving her a warm smile. "Good morning, sugar. Ready to work?"

"Yes," Cassandra said happily.

The work wasn't anything particularly exciting, and in many ways resembled her previous job. However, while before she had been one of many faceless maids struggling to arrest the decay of the ancient hotel, she was Anna's only employee. While that meant more supervision, making it impossible to slack off after a long patrol, she found herself enjoying Anna's maternal air, and her honest appreciation of a job well done.

She was first assigned to clean all of the dishes and pans that had been used for baking since the previous evening, with Anna dropping by regularly to go over everything and reject anything less than perfection. Given her own disciplines, Cassandra appreciated her attitude, and it didn't take her long to get everything shining. She beamed when with a glance she could tell that Anna's praise was actually heartfelt.

The work was hard, however, as after cleaning the dishes she was assigned to clean everything else in the kitchen. Various surfaces needed different cleaners, and the floor was clean enough to eat off of by the time Anna was satisfied with it. She also had to interrupt her work from time to time to wash new batches of dishes as Anna cooked fresh goods throughout the day, as well as things used by customers who ate at the tiny tables in the front of the store.

When it was time for her dinner break, Cassandra was given half of a hot, home cooked meal, including a large slice of fresh apple pie. She ate her food while listening to her employer tell tales about her family, none of whom were interested in being bakers, and who had all moved away for college and various jobs. Once the meal was finished she cleaned the dishes, and continued her other work while Anna returned to baking pastries or selling them to customers.

At the end of the day they locked up the front, and Anna put away the remaining baked goods that would keep before wrapping up the rest and going into the back to begin preparing items that would need to be done before leaving the store that night. Cassandra scrubbed the counters and washed the floors, removing all of the grime of a busy day of customers. When she was finished, she had more to clean up in the kitchen, since Anna insisted everything be spotless before she locked up.

When she made it to the apartment, Cass found that for a change Stephanie had beaten her home, but instead of being in costume Stephanie was wearing a skirt and a short top. She grinned at Cass as she came in. "Whatcha got there?"

"Pie," Cassandra said, setting it down on the counter. "Get to keep stuff not sold."

"Cool," Stephanie said. "Let's save that for when we get back."

"Patrol?" Cassandra asked, looking at her friend's outfit curiously. She suddenly felt strangely warm.

"Actually, I had something else in mind," Stephanie said. "We really tore the underworld apart looking for Burgess, so I don't think it would hurt to take a night off. We should celebrate!"

"Celebrate?" Cassandra asked doubtfully.

"Yup!" Stephanie said. "We saved Carly, so I think we need to let off a little steam. We worked way too hard the last few days."

"Crime doesn't rest," Cassandra muttered.

"Ah, come on!" Stephanie said. "One night won't hurt anything. Besides, all work and no play makes Cass a dull girl!"

Cassandra hesitated for a long moment, her dedication to patrolling crumbling in the face of her friend's hopeful expectation. With a sigh like the condemned, Cass finally answered. "Okay."

"Alright!" Stephanie cheered. "Go change! We're going dancing."

"Dancing?" Cassandra asked dubiously, although she went to her room anyway. Like it or not, she was now committed.

Cassandra looked through her closet, trying to figure out what to wear to go dancing. She didn't have much experience with such things, and for some reason she really wanted to look good tonight. Frowning, she pulled out one of her nicest outfits, a blue skirt suit she had found in her closet in the apartment Batman had given her when he had fired her from being Batgirl.

She put it on before frowning at herself in the mirror. She looked... professional. And dull. Her frown deepened as she mentally compared herself to Stephanie and realized that her clothing wouldn't be appropriate for any place that her friend was dressed for. Unfortunately, she didn't see anything else in her closet that seemed right, either.

Inspiration suddenly struck as she grabbed the sleeves and ripped them off before roughly shortening the suit coat, converting it into a sleeveless vest. A sharp knife taken to the skirt made it the same length as Stephanie's, and she tied the button down shirt high enough to expose her midriff. She added knee high pink socks and some torn white sheets to make arm warmers to cover her bruises from fighting the robot before giving herself another look in the mirror.

Her outfit looked punky, but sort of cute. When she ruffled her hair so that it was a little wild before raking it over one eye, she knew that she had the look just right. She wasn't quite sure what the look was, but it wasn't too different from some of the college girls she had seen partying at night around Gotham, and she knew that she looked good.

When she stepped outside, Stephanie had her feet up on the couch, lazily watching some primetime drama while waiting for her to get ready. "Finally," she said, without looking up. "I thought I was gonna have to go in there after... whoa..."

Cassandra smirked when she saw the shock on her friend's face when she finally looked at her. A multitude of thoughts ran through Stephanie's head in the next few seconds while her jaw hung open, so many that Cassandra wasn't certain how to interpret them. "Cat... got your tongue?" she asked.

"You look... good, Cass," Stephanie finally said. "I've never seen you get dressed up to party before. Where'd you get that outfit?"

Cassandra smiled, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. "Was skirt suit. Changed it."

"You mean that boring thing you found in your closet in Gotham?" Stephanie asked. "I didn't even know you took it. This is way cooler."

The two young women left soon after, walking several blocks to one of the clubs that they had seen while out on patrol. The bouncer took one look at them and skipped them ahead of the line, and in minutes their hands were stamped, marking them as too young to drink, before they were let inside the room. Cassandra paused at the door, suddenly overwhelmed.

"That's... dancing?" she asked. Cassandra hadn't seen much dancing, but what she had didn't resemble the wild, exuberant display the clubgoers were putting on to the pulsing musical beat. Looking around the room, wide-eyed, she could feel the emotions like she had never seen before as everyone gyrated to the music, doing whatever felt right to them.

"It's a kind of dancing," Stephanie said. "Come on... it'll be fun!"

Cassandra didn't have to be asked twice. Watching everyone else's bodies singing their emotions on the dance floor, she felt compelled to join in. For the first time in her life, she was surrounded by people speaking her language, but without true violence.

She had picked up the basic movements being used by everyone in the room by the time they reached the heart of the dance floor, and when Stephanie began to move Cass put together the perfect counterpoint. She grinned, her heart pounding, her body free. She had never felt so happy.

One thing that made it even better was getting to share the experience with Steph. She could tell that her friend didn't understand the things she was communicating, that no one around her really could, but at the same time, they didn't need to read her to feel it. For over an hour she danced, never wanting to even slow down, using her body to intercept and repel anyone that tried to intrude on the bubble of happiness the two partying women were making for themselves. Finally, long before she wanted to stop, Stephanie began to flag, and the two women made their way towards the bar to get something to drink.

Once the two of them had gotten their Soders, they sat down on an empty couch at the edge of the room facing the dance floor. While Stephanie chatted away at her, Cassandra slowly took in the room, really looking around for the first time, having been too consumed by the dance floor to pay attention before. Opposite the door was the long bar, where many patrons sat on stools drinking and talking. Around the edges of the room were couches, arranged to allow small groups to sit and speak while watching the dancers.

Most of the couches were occupied with people sitting and drinking, often in groups of friends who sat and chatted with one another. She could tell that most of the room was interested in romance in some form. Some were looking to find a partner to spend some time, or even a lifetime, while others sought to spend an enjoyable evening with people that they had already found. It was the latter group that drew her attention.

In her life, Cassandra had had little contact with love in any form. Her father raised her alone, only rarely showing her more than approval. Her time on the streets had been even worse, a miserable, lonely existence spent always running, encountering only the worst dregs humanity had to offer. From the moment she had run away she had been without family, and had never even had a friend before she had met Stephanie.

Her time in Gotham had helped her learn so much, teaching her language and giving her a way to use her combat skills to help rather than harm. Sometimes Cassandra had wondered if spending time with Barbara was what having a mother was like. And she had begun to see Batman as a second father. That had all come crashing down, though. Stupid, Barbara had said. Even if she had regretted saying it... Cass could tell that part of her had really meant it. Fired, Batman had said. She had failed him... but had she simply fooled herself, to believe that he had ever cared?

The one person she still had was Stephanie. Her best friend. Her only friend. Even when things were rough between them, when they fought and argued, she still cared. They both did. She looked over at her friend, who was rambling about annoying customers, a small smile playing across her face.

Cassandra looked past Stephanie for a moment, her eyes locking onto a couple sitting on the next couch. A man and woman, a few years older than Cassandra at the most, smiling and looking into each others' eyes. She had rarely seen love, but she knew that was what she was seeing. She could almost taste it, how happy they were.

When she looked at Stephanie, who was waving her hand to explain some complex anecdote about an overcooked burger, something suddenly clicked. Cass stared, stunned, at her friend, as she realized what she was feeling wasn't simply friendship. She felt the same thing that all of the happy couples around the room were feeling.

She didn't simply care about Stephanie. She loved Stephanie. She was in love with Stephanie. All at once she felt as though she had been simultaneously plunged into an ice bath, and yet a warm heat burned in her stomach. She had no idea what to do... what to say... if she should do or say...

"Hello! Earth to Cass!" Stephanie said, waving her hand. "You awake over there?"

"Yes," Cassandra said, blushing. She was glad that the dim lighting of the club kept it from being noticed.

"Come on, let's dance some more!"

Cassandra was more than happy to return to the dance floor, leaving her weighty thoughts behind as she did. Once she began to dance again, she let herself go, feeling the music flow through her as she let her body say all the words that her mouth couldn't. With every step and motion she shouted her revelation to the world.

Stephanie danced with her, happy in a bubble that was just the two of them. While Stephanie couldn't read body language like Cassandra could, she went along with the slightly changed atmosphere, her dance serving as an answer of its own. While Stephanie was unaware of what was happening, her body reacted, her heart pounding from more than exertion as the two girls danced for the rest of the night.

When they finally tired, a confused but hopeful Cassandra led an exhausted Stephanie back to the apartment. The blonde hummed happily to herself, the music from the club still in her head as she walked close to her friend. Unlike every other time that they had walked next to each other, Cassandra found herself aware of Stephanie, her every motion and breath, the tiny hairs on the back of her arm standing up whenever her companion moved close.

When they got inside, Stephanie grabbed plates while Cassandra served the pie that she had brought back from work. "This is so good," Stephanie moaned with her first bite.

Cassandra bit her lip nervously before digging in as well. "Like new job," she said quietly.

"It's great," Stephanie agreed. "Although if you keep bringing stuff like this home, I'm going to turn into a blimp!"

"Not after that much dance," Cassandra disagreed. "And spar. And patrol."

"Well, we have to do two of them," Stephanie agreed. "Maybe we should add the third more often."

"Okay," Cassandra said, smiling shyly as she poked at the crumbs left on her plate.

"So, you enjoyed it?" Stephanie asked smugly.

"Yes," Cassandra agreed, nodding. "Like dancing... with you."

Stephanie suddenly gulped, the silence stretching between them with her words. Cassandra looked into Stephanie's eyes for a long moment, her heart pounding in her ears. A thousand subtle gestures bubbled up from her mind, a hundred ways to say how she felt, all in her native language. She tried to find some way to transform those moves into words, to tell Stephanie, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her mind froze, all words lost, as she could only read what Stephanie felt.

Which was an avalanche of confused feelings. She could see in the subtle way her face twitched her confusion, the tilt of her head her happiness, the angle of her neck her excitement. She could read in her eyes and posture Stephanie's own interest, her own passion, and as she continued to stare at her... she could see love there. Not just the love of a friend. Not even the love of family. But the love she felt, mirrored in Stephanie's blue eyes.

Cassandra swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry and her heart pounding in her chest like it was trying to escape. She couldn't find words, but she had never needed them. She might not know much, but she knew what she wanted to do, and it wouldn't take any language skill to make her point.

Cassandra began to lean forward. Everything slowed down, the distance between herself and Stephanie seemingly miles, and yet growing steadily closer. A swarm of butterflies seemed to take purchase in her stomach, and she licked her too-dry lips. Her heart nearly stopped as she watched Stephanie's eyes flick down to follow the motion, her pupils dilating in response.

Unable to breathe from tense excitement, Cassandra moved in, her own gaze locking for a moment on Stephanie's pink lips. She looked back up into Stephanie's eyes as the blonde began to lean forward as well. They were only a foot apart when it happened.

A car backfired in the street outside, both vigilantes glancing toward the source of the sound as they processed it, glancing back once they were both certain that it wasn't a gunshot. Cassandra prepared to finish the move, to lean in for the kiss... when Stephanie suddenly froze. Cassandra could read the confusion return to her friend ten-fold, and with it came a wave of panic.

Stephanie jumped to her feet, her face flushing and her heart pounding. She was confused by what she was feeling, and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere that hung between them. Stephanie looked anywhere but at Cassandra as she backed out of the kitchen towards her bedroom. "Oops, look at the time. Got to work hard tomorrow, right? Can't get fired. And patrol. Yeah. We have to patrol. Can't take every night off. So... yeah. Goodnight!"

"Steph," Cassandra said quietly to the empty room. She swallowed thickly, confusion and fear beginning to fill her as well. Without another word she quickly cleaned up and went to her own room for the night.