She didn't stay long after what was dubbed, 'the incident'.
Tim being himself decided to walk her home, much to her discomfort.
They stood outside of her apartment door, the white escape hatch being a mere second away from her.
They held each other's eye contact for far too long, unsure of the proper way to say goodbye following what had just occurred.
"Thank you for coming." Tim helpfully filled the dead air.
She nodded.
He seemed unsure of what to do.
Deciding it was probably a good way to go, she wrapped her arms around the man's torso. This created the most awkward hug in Stephanie's life, and evidently, Tim's as she felt him tightened under her arms hold.
"I'm sorry for your loss." She supplemented and immediately regretted saying upon backing away from him.
"She's not dead."
"But she is gone!" She contested.
"Thanks for the reminder."
"Always welcome," She provided an overly confident smile.
He turned to leave her before thinking for a second. "And Steph?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell anyone about Tam."
Stephanie had barely a moment to think about the implications of what Tim had done before she opened her door to an apartment with all the lights on.
"You're home late." The voice of Cassandra Cain called out from across the room.
She was perched in her living room, dressed in her normal clothes. While she stood out against the all black couch, the smile on her face seemed to blend in with her features.
It was nice to see things like this were becoming more normal for Cass, she deserved to be happy.
"Out late with Tim?" Cass questioned, patting the spot next to her for Stephanie to sit.
Stephanie ignored this invitation and instead barreled into her, grabbing the smaller woman in a hug.
He younger woman smacked her back lightly several times in an attempt to make her drop her.
"Cass!"
"Stephanie." Cassandra Cain had an uncanny ability to deadpan during any emotional moment.
"Steph." She corrected her, bouncing onto the seat next to her.
"What in the world are you doing these days?"
The two of them sat on the couch, side by side, laughing as they described their lives to each other. They didn't live lives either one could understand very well but managed to keep the air full of conversation anyway.
There was something about being around her best friend that made Stephanie feel like a younger woman once more.
It as with Cass's curiosity that the two of them finally hit a silence.
The question to see Stephanie's stretch marks.
There was a sadness in the air as Cass's fingers traced over the lightened raised skin on Stephanie's stomach, finding it had almost vanished entirely.
"It's amazing," Cass decided.
Stephanie smiled grimly, trying to lighten the situation. "A pregnant superhero, I was pretty funny— "
"You did everything no one else managed to," Cassandra stated. "You were one of us, but you've gotten everything we never will."
The air felt heavy with silence.
"It's not that you couldn't."
Cass cast Stephanie a solemn smile as she moved to finally cover her exposed stretchmarks. "Stephanie, I wouldn't be able to."
"You could, I know you could." Stephanie continued, "Assassin or whatever you were, you could have a normal life."
"I'd miss it too much," Cass said with a sort of finality.
Ah.
Fair.
Somedays she missed this life too.
"No, you wouldn't, it's easy." Stephanie lied.
"This life is where my friends and family are, Stephanie." Cass clarified, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's where my memories are, I've had good times in this life."
Steph found herself unconsciously pulling her knees to her chin. "I had good times too, but look at me." Her voice faltered. "I'm doing great."
Sensing trouble brewing underneath the skin, Cass changed her topic. "Do you ever miss us?"
Cass's social graces need some work, to say the least.
"Yeah," Steph admitted. She felt like she was going to throw up.
"What do you miss?"
"Everything." Tears threatened to well up.
Cass looked to her, catching a glimpse of her beginning to cry.
Never one for hugging, Cass grabbed her hand.
"I'm sorry." Steph tried to shake the strange feeling overcoming her. "I'm sorry for this."
"Do you ever think about going bac—"
"No." Stephanie lied, obviously doing so as sobs began to rack her body.
"Stephanie…" Cass gave in, finally wrapping her arms around the girl.
"Mentally there's just a lot going on in my head," Stephanie admitted once more.
"Like?"
"I can't tell you, I just promised like four hours ago." Stephanie shook her head. "I can't just throw away a secret in four hours."
She pulled away from Stephanie now, looking at her with seriousness. "Do you want me to call Ti—"
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
"I'm fine." It came out this time as a wail.
"Welcome back to Wayne manor Miss Cain," Alfred's voice filled the hallway as they shuffled in through one of the back entrances. "And friend." The older man tried to make out who was behind her.
A familiar blonde head came into shape.
"Ah, Miss Brown, we've been wondering when we would see you."
Cass nodded a greeting at Alfred, trying to make it more so into the house than into one of the wings. Stephanie Brown lingered for a bit longer than her, pausing to smile blearily at Alfred.
The man shook his head to himself, following the girls through the many winding halls of Wayne Manor. "I must warn you, Maser Todd is present today-."
Cass scoffed, Stephanie made a noncommittal noise.
"He's back from another one of his spats, 'unknown' to Master Wayne."
"Is this a common thing?" Stephanie asked him over her shoulder as Cass took them down what seemed like yet another pointless turn.
"Monthly." Answered Alfred. "I must admit, I was beginning to believe I would never see you again, Miss Brown."
"I was beginning to think the same," Stephanie replied as Cassandra took another hard turn and ended up in the secondary kitchen.
At least, what Stephanie knew as the secondary kitchen. The main kitchen, as she was convinced, would be the larger kitchen that was constantly filled with the many hired help of Wayne manor.
The secondary kitchen was more of the 'desperately starving and unable to wait for five-star cooking to be presented' kitchen.
Of course, in the center was a shirtless Jason Todd drinking milk out of the carton.
All three entrants held the same displeased expression.
"What?" He asked before returning to finish the cartoon. "Never seen a man drink milk, Blondie?"
Cassandra shook her head and grabbed Stephanie's hand, leading her further into the room to the displeasure of Jason. Alfred stayed to chide the man.
In their walk they hit another person, struggling to make it through the hall with his massive shoulders blocking the way, a big book obscuring his face until he passed by Stephanie.
"Wait was that-?"
"Damian," Cassandra replied.
"Try to keep fatgirl away from the kitchen," His monotoned voice sounded from the end of the hallway.
Cassandra's hand tightened grip on Stephanie's arm, leading her through yet another room.
The foyer, Dick was sleeping on the couch in a t-shirt and sweatpants.
"His home is on the other side of town now, he spends some nights here out of convenience." Cassandra supplemented.
Stephanie managed to ruffle his hair for a second before passing out of the room, his snoring turning into a strange choke breathing.
Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw him dart up.
Stephanie's laugh carried down the hallway.
They had finally reached it, deep within the labyrinth know as Wayne manor.
"A gym? You took me all the way to Wayne Manor for a gym?" Stephanie questioned. "Cass, I know I'm getting fat but-."
She could understand wanting to go to this gym, however, as it was the state of the art health center that Stephanie and everyone worth their salt had been trained it.
But still.
What a horrible reminder of her muffin top.
"Adrenaline, it'll give you a rush to just run around here." Cass shrugged. "I figured it might help a little."
Stephanie looked from a springboard back to Cass.
Then from a bar back to Cass.
From a dummy back to Cass.
"I am not fit enough to use any of these."
"But you're going to."
"Is this what you do when you're sad? Exercise? Because let me tell you, I visit my friends Ben and Jerry—"
"It's either this or you going out in the suit." Cass deadpanned. "What do you want?"
She turned back to shoot a disgusted face at Cass only to see her wrapping her hands across the room.
Oh god no.
Lord almighty, please no.
Cassandra made eye contact with her.
"Come on, it'll do you good."
No no no.
"Either the equipment or you're dealing with me."
"I want to go back to room number one," Stephanie attempted to joke, "The one with the shirtless guy."
Cass shook her head at her, smirking.
Stephanie hardly knew what was coming when Cass charged at her, causing the blonde to scream in slight fear.
She stuck out her arm and managed to clothesline Cass, who easily recovered and ducked to kick her legs out from under her.
Stephanie landed on the ground with a resounding thud.
Cass held out her hand to her in a moment of friendship, Stephanie took it.
She pushed the blonde back with a combination of her hand and her knee and pinned her to the floor.
Stephanie shrieked in pain.
"Come on."
What a bitch.
Stephanie managed to shove her head in Cassandra's abdomen and daze her.
She used this advantage to throw her off.
Cassandra grabbed her arm as Stephanie tried to roll back to her feet.
The fight only lasted for an hour before Cassandra's unseen transmitter went off.
She sent her home with Alfred, saying rather nonchalantly.
"Something big's going on downtown."