"On my shoulders,

I could never take all this weight"

Gotham City

July 4 21:30 EDT

Then...

Barbara pulled herself underneath the table, laying on the mechanic creeper to slide with ease. Jay and Dick both groaned. They were getting a lecture from Bruce, well Barbara wasn't. She was working on the new computer system for the cave, Bruce seemed extremely tenacious to get her to work on it rather then himself.

She used the mechanic creeper to get underneath the wires and the overall computer without having to take it fully out the wall.

She unhooked a few wires and cut a few to replace them. The boys had gotten an earful from Bruce. Once again they had tried to hinder Barbara from getting the work done, and Bruce would have none of it.

She finished after a few minutes, all she needed was to place a few systems to keep hackers from getting in easily. She typed a few characters before pressing enter. The screen lit up, she smirked.

"All done Bruce." She said sliding out from the chair she sat on.

Dick smiled, "Finally!" He said, grabbing Barbara and pulling her up the stairs of the batcave. He pulled her until they got into his room.

Her face was covered with a bit of soil from the walls of the cave. Her brows knitted together.

"What the he-" He silenced her with his lips. At an instant her arms wrapped around his neck lazily. He smiled against her lips. They pulled away, their forehead's touching slightly.

"That's-" She paused trying to gather her mind together, "An extremely nice way of telling me to shut up." She said.

Dick picked her up bridal style, nearly scaring Barbara out of her wits.

"Dick!" She yelled. She latched onto his shirt, grabbing tightly in order not to fall.

Dick laughed, "Scared Babs?"

She gave him a slight glare, but that only made him laughed harder. He placed her on the bed, trying to be gentle, but that didn't work well. He had forgot about the headboard and the back of her head hit it rather harshly.

Dick's eyes widened, "Shit! Sorry Babs, I forgot to factor in that stupid piece of shit." He said, rubbing that back of his neck nervously. Barbara sat up, rubbing the back of her head gingerly, trying to ease the pain slightly.

"Get me some ice, Mr. Romance." She said, sliding over to the edge of the bed. He nodded and left downstairs to get her some ice. Once he left, she heard sounds of whispering and giggling.

She opened the door to the bathroom. She spotted a green skinned boy along with a black haired teenager.

She rolled her eyes slightly, "Jason and Garfield. What a surprise." She said sarcastically. The duo gave her wide eyes, then unison they glared at each other.

"It was your fault, Gar." Jason said, crossing his arms.

"My fault? You were the guy laughing his ass off." Garfield countered.

Jason raised a brow, "Well yes, but what made me laugh in the first place?"

Garfield paused, "Well, me..."

Jason smirked, "Exactly, so it was your fault like I said."

Barbara smiled, she reached over and ruffled Jason's hair, "You learn quick Mini-Wonder."

Jason smirked, "Learned from the best manipulator." Barbara and Jason smiled at each other, as if they had spoken a shared secret between each other.

Garfield pouted, "Not fair, how come the new kid gets your respect so easily."

Barbara rolled her eyes, "Gee Gar, maybe it's due to the fact that he didn't try to flirt with me when we met an-"

Garfield opened his mouth to protest, but Jason slapped his hand over his mouth.

"She's still talking." He hissed. Barbara laughed slightly, Jason always cared about what Barbara had to say. Something about her reminded him of someone.

The warm smile, her caring nature, along with her awesome cooking skills, he couldn't place it; nevertheless, he always made sure she was heard.

"You two need to leave Dick's room, before he finds out you were watching us." She said, placing a hand on her hip. She jerked her thumb toward the door, "Go on, don't let him catch you."

BB smiled, "Okay, Come on Jay." He stood and began to walk out ranting on and on about video games and a slice of pizza.

Jason rolled his eyes, then turned to Barbara, "Thanks for not ratting us out B." She smiled before grabbing the teen and ruffling his hair more.

"I'm your sis, Jay I don't rat out my siblings like that." She said. Even though Jason and Barbara weren't related, they had an unmistakable bond that many would envy.

"You might not rat them out Barb, but there is the loud-mouthed monkey." A voice said, Jason and Barbara both face-palmed due to BB being caught so quickly. Dick smiled at Jason, a rather odd smile.

"So little man, care to explain why you were sneaking around, and trying to spy on us?" He asked.

Jason and BB began to blush, "Um, well...I..uh..." Jay tried explaining, but he couldn't, not while Barbara was staring at them with a brow raised.

Barbara shared a glance with Dick, who smirked. "Little pair of pervs..." He mumbled.

Barbara covered her mouth to stop from laughing too loud.

Jason and BB blushed profusely, "That's not why!" Jay tried explaining.

Barbara raised a brow, a knowing smirk etched itself on her features, "Okay, what was it?"

Jay began to stutter over his words. The older teens began to laugh much to Jay's chagrin. Barbara pulled the two out of the room.

"Why don't you two go and hang out with the girls who are your age?" Barbara said, staring specifically at Jason, who was merely a few years younger then her.

He blinked, "But you are around my age..."

Barbara sighed, "We may be around the same age, but you're still younger then me."

Jason smiled, "I know I was trying to get you frustrated." Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha." She said emphasizing each word.

Jason led BB downstairs, while Barbara made her way upstairs.

She noticed that Dick had vanished, she shook her head. 3...2...1...

A hand reached out to grab her shoulder, but she grabbed their wrist and used their weight to pull them over her shoulder. A loud thud and groan followed the action.

"I was trying to scare you..." Dick admitted as he watched Barbara dab a bit on alcohol on the small cut on his forehead.

"You shouldn't." She said flatly.

Dick sighed, "Learned that the hard way." His arms folded over his chest, pouting slightly as Barbara reached for a bandaid behind his head.

"This is a nice view..." He said, before getting a hard slap in the face.

"And you called Jason and BB pervs." She scolded. He rubbed his reddening cheek, trying to ease the stinging.

"They are! I'm telling you!" Dick kept his hand on his cheek.

She gave him a look, "Well, who do you think they got it from, Richard John Grayson?"

He gulped visibly, "Uh...I...uh."

Barbara smirked, "Cat's got your tongue."

He shook his head, "N-no."

A sly smile crept onto Barbara's features. Her eyes vivid with mischief.

Richard caught on.

"You little guileful girl..." Barbara laughed at his words. "You really are something, Babs." Dick said, pulling her to him.

"What can I say? I'm just me." She said, their foreheads touched gingerly. Both staring into the other's eyes.

"I wouldn't mind staring into your eyes like this every morning." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, their noses brushing.

"You sly dog, Grayson." Barbara whispered. She didn't know who started it, but their bodies pressed against the wall as he kissed her. Her hands tangled his hair, making a mess of it.

He lifted her up, and pressed against her. Barbara swore that her mind melted.

Then a timid knock made them jump apart. She fixed her shirt while Dick tried fixing his hair.

"I swear if it's Alfred again-" Dick's whispered words trailed off when he noticed that it wasn't Alfred, rather his step-father.

"Oh...I'm screwed." He mumbled, but Barbara caught his words and stifled a laugh.

Bruce glanced at Barbara and smiled, "Gordon."

"Wayne." She said back, a small smile stretched over her features. It was a small game they played, they would only greet each other using their last names, trying to get on the other's nerves. Once either of them conceded, they would have to do the other's will for a week. So far, Barbara had the leading score of 20 to 15.

Bruce sighed, "I'm sorry I can't, neither of us have a single win in two months."

Barbara smiled, "I win."

Dick watched the two and smiled, "So you're not mad that you could hear us?"

Barbara turned and gapped at Richard's words. "Richard!" She threw a quick jab at his stomach, he curled over, clenching his stomach.

"Geez, Babs that was a bit of an overkill." He groaned out.

Bruce and Barbara shared a look, then back to Dick. "It wasn't that bad." They said in unison.

Bruce handed a small package to Barbara. "Your father dropped this off. Said it was important."

Barbara eyed the package, her hands shook slightly.

"This is odd, he could've waited until I got home." She said, she was tempted to wait and open it at home, but a gnawing feeling crept into her stomach.

She sat down on one of Dick's bean bag chairs. Her hands trembling now. She felt that something wasn't right.

Richard's brow creased in confusion, "Well? Are you going to open it or not?"

Barbara's gaze shifted from the package to Richard, "I-I think something's wrong."

Bruce sighed, "Barbara, we don't know that, maybe your dad wanted you to have something?"

Barbara glanced to her trusted mentor, someone she had come to see as a father.

She nodded, "Okay." Her hands were still hesitant, but she opened the package.

Inside was a note along with a small box. The handwriting looked familiar to Barbara, her memory lacked a certain piece. That was until she saw the first few words.

My dearest daughter,

I'm so sorry. I never meant for things to be this way for anyone, for you. But you must understand that I left for the sake of the family.

I couldn't stay, not with your brother exhibiting those signs of psychological damage.

I tried to stay, for you and James Jr. But his behavior was too much. I hope one day you can forgive me.

Sincerely your mother.

A sort of resentment filled Barbara. Her hand crumbled the note. She glanced at the package.

She swallowed hard. A bitter taste filled her throat.

Mom. She thought. No, she's not my mother, not anymore. A fierce look gathered in her green eyes. She stood abruptly. The other two stared at her.

She began to gather her things and put them back in the package.

"Barb, wait. What's going on?" Bruce tried to stop her by grabbing her arm, but he missed.

"Nothing you should worry about Bruce." She said coldly. It took everything for the two males not to flinch at the harsh tone.

"Babs, we are only concerned." Dick tried to get in front of her, but something stopped him in his tracks.

There was an aura coming from Barbara. Dick didn't understand how he knew, he just could feel the waves of anger rolling off of her.

"While I appreciate it, this is a matter of family." She says before she grabs her jacket and heads to her motorcycle.

Pulling on the helmet, she tucked the note into her pocket.

Dick ran out to catch her, maybe to knock some sense into her.

"Babs! Wait!" He yelled. But he was too late, the motorcycle had already sped off. He sighed deeply, his heart flattered. A hand landed on his shoulder.

"She's just in shock, that's all. It was probably a note from her mother." Bruce said. Dick turned to stare at him.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"I may not notice subtle things, like your feelings for Barbara or Alfred's resentment of me prowling about at night, but I've noticed Barbara's way of shutting out anything related to her mother." He said, glancing down at his adoptive son.

"Why does she hate her mom? I'd give anything to get mine back, it's just selfish of her to hate her mom when I don't even get to have any type of relationship with mine." Dick says, folding his arms over his chest.

Bruce shook his head, "To Barbara, what her mother did was the worst thing anyone could do to her. She left them suddenly, without a word nor trace. Since the Commissioner was often gone, Barbara stayed alone with her younger brother."

Dick stiffened beside Bruce, "You mean..."

"Yes." He said silently, "If you don't think that's reason enough for Barbara to hate her, then you should see what happened during Christmas."

Dick shook his head, "I'm not one to pry, even if it is my girlfriend. She'll tell me when she's ready, I can wait." He said, leaving Bruce to go inside the mansion.

"That's a nice thought, but I'm concerned over your safety and hers with James Jr wondering around." Bruce said, muttered under his breath.

Gotham City

February 14 22:45 EDT

Now...

"BARBARA, NO!" Richard screamed.

The gun cracked, the silence overwhelmed them. The thud of her body hitting the ground, had his throat hoarse by the amount of screaming he had done. He knocked out the men who had trapped them, though it wasn't that hard considering how shocked they were.

He sprinted to her side, he took in how she was having difficulty breathing. Or rather acting as so.

"Babs..." He asked imploringly. He felt his heart shrinking as he watched her.

"Hey...Boy Wonder..." She strained. Her acting may not be the best, but it's believable.

"Don't strain yourself..." He said.

"You do realize that the suit is Kevlar weave...right?" She whispered. He leaned closer next to her ear.

"Just let me finish the damn scene before you blow it.." He whispers. She smiled faintly. Maybe there is still hope for him. She thought.

"Babs please don't leave me...I can't live without you..." For once, Richard was glad he went to Barbara's old theater auditions. It helped a lot.

"Listen to me.." Barbara placed her hand on his cheek. "I need you to make sure my dad never finds out...he can't know...about me..." Her words were strained, of course not from the fake bullet wound, no from trying so hard not to laugh.

"I won't...and we won't have to...just please..." He pleaded.

Dusan watched silently. Her hand slipped from his cheek and her body slumped.

"Babs...Babs...no...you promised.." He whispered.

A few moments of silence passed before Babs groaned, "Okay, okay can you get off of me now?"

Dusan's eyes widened in shock, "But the b-bullet hit you..."

Barbara stood with ease, "The bullet never hit me." She point off to the side where one of the assassins were holding their wound. The others began to notice, their performance was believable. "From what I can tell your aim changed at the last minute."

Dusan relaxed, "Okay, so no more playing with guns, when I'm on my man-period..." He held his forehead, a dull ache coming back. "I wasn't going to kill you, the demon..." Dusan began.

Barbara cut him off, "Ra's was controlling you using the Lazarus pit."

Dusan nodded, "I've been having blackouts, and I knew that I had to get help from someone. The only person I knew would be you, Barbara."

She nodded, "The only way I can, is if you get me a sample of your blood. I could see its effects and compare it with a clean version of your blood sample."

Dusan sighed, "My body has already been contaminated."

Barbara raised a brow, "A girl is always prepared for anything, Dusan." She pulled out a vale of blood.

Dusan nodded, he turned to Richard, "If you don't marry her, I will."

Richard stared blankly back before his face flushed red in anger, "Excuse me?"

"Enough." Barbara said, the mere tone was enough to get them for freeze, but the look in her eyes was absolutely terrifying. The two males pouted.

"Yes ma'am..." They said in unison.

"Let head to the labs." She said.

"What labs? Batman won't let you borrow them." Richard tried to reason with Barbara from not going into the batcave.

"Who said anything about the batcave, Boy Wonder?" She said, grinning.

It took him a moment to realize what she meant, "Wait you mean..."

She nodded before launching herself over the building, "Hurry up boys, don't keep a girl waiting too long well ya?"

"She's something else isn't she..." Dusan claimed. Richard nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but I met her first so she's mine." Richard said before taking off after Barbara.

Dusan shook his head, "Tsk, Heroes believing they always get the girl..."

~Timeskip~

It didn't take long for Barbara to develop a cure.

"Remind me again why we broke into GCPD?" Richard asked as he eyed a few containers.

"They have a pretty decent lab, it's just manned by morons." She said as she handed the cure to Dusan.

"Did you just call your dad a moron?" Richard asked. His head was angled over her shoulder to see Dusan drink the substance.

"You are incredibly in need of a hearing aid, I meant the lab techs. They don't really understand what they're doing, honestly they're stray off of their research so much, I'm sure they've forgotten which experiment they began with." She said, waiting for Dusan to drink the mixture.

"And you know this how?"

"I'm the daughter of the commissioner, it's not hard to gain access to certain data." She said.

Dusan drank the serum rather quickly, he sighed, before his pink eyes turned green for a second then vanished.

"Do you feel anything? I don't know, um lighter? Or at ease?" Barbara asked.

"Yes, I feel peaceful." Dusan answered.

"So he doesn't get to die? Damn..."Richard crossed his arms. Barbara gave him a glare.

"Be nice." She hissed. She turned to Dusan, "Well looks like you're all good."

Dusan nodded, "Thank you."

Barbara smiled, "It was nothing." Dusan smiled back. Before he glanced toward Richard. The exchange only lasted a second, but even then Richard could see just how much he cared for Barbara.

Dusan retreated, taking his men with him. He could've stayed a bit. Barbara thought.

"I see that look in your eyes." Richard said, Barbara turned, a confused look in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Richard ran a hand through his hair, "You wanted him to stay. You like him don't you?" His gaze questioning.

"I don't like him that way." She lied, Dusan had a kind heart, his actions were driven by love and his concern for others, something that not many have. It appealed to her, and he was easy on the eyes.

"You're lying to me." He said. Jealousy was something he hardly dealt with, but with Barbara, he dealt with it a lot.

Barbara sighed, "And if I do like him?" It was a rhetorical question, yet Richard seemed to take it literally.

Richard nodded, "I see."

She turned to tell him just how she felt about him, but he was gone.

Her emotions raged through her, she realized that she needed to get home before anything else happened.

The way back was uneventful. As her arms swung her body around the building, her mind raced.

She needed to find him. To tell him exactly what was going on between her and the heir of the demon.

Yet, she couldn't. She couldn't go to him, even if she knew where he was. So instead of searching for him, she opted to go home.

When she arrived, she noticed someone at the door, she quickly got inside via the back window. She changed quickly. Her hair was a mess, but she hoped that whomever was at the door would believe she was sleeping.

She opened the door to find Stefan.

"Oh, Stefan." She tried so hard not to sound disappointed. Stefan turned and saw Barbara wearing pjs.

"I'm sorry to wake you, I needed some help with the assignment."

"So you come at 12:30 AM, to do the assignment?" She asked.

"Okay that was a lie, I merely wanted to check up on you, the past few days at school, I'd hardly see you besides in class. I was worried." Stefan admitted.

"I'm fine, Stefan. I've just been through a lot these past few weeks." She said. That's an understatement. She thought.

Stefan nodded, "Well, I hope whatever you're going through will pass, I need my friend back." He said.

She smiled, "I appreciate you coming to check on me."

Stefan waved his goodbye and left. Once Barbara closed the door, a wave of exhaustion flowed over her.

"I'm done." She said, walking to her room. That was until she noticed the cupcake sitting on her table.

She smiled, "Yes!" She grabbed the cupcake, unaware that a gas was being cast into her apartment. Her mind muddled, and her action were unclear.

Her body hit the ground harshly. She faintly heard yelling and screams from the neighbors, but they sounded disoriented, as if she had been submerged in water.

"Look fellas it's the commish's kid." A goon said, he has a metal bat in hand. Another a machine gun. And the last a grenade launcher. She lifted her head, trying to see who was capturing her.

"Let's go, grab her, Bruce Wayne likes this girl, gave her a scholarship for Gotham University. Let's hope daddy dearest notices his daughter vanished." A cackling voice said.

A familiar white face and green hair appeared. "This my dear, will be a fun night." A name, she thought. I need a name.

His obnoxious laugh echoed throughout the apartment, and Barbara lost the fight against the gas.

Darkness surround her as her eyelids shut.