Hello, everyone! Thanks for waiting patiently for the next chapter. You're gonna love this one. xD - (10/28/2016)

Chapter 34:

The man kept on staring at Daphne from head to toe. She bit her lower lip, glancing up at Damian. She felt uneasy with the stare.

"Hello…can I help you?" she asked nervously.

"Ah, yes! Well, can I have the honor of dancing with you?" the man asked.

"Umm…" Daphne turned to Damian.

The boy stepped in between them. He kept his sharp glare on the man. The man raised a brow but still kept on smiling.

"She's a little tired, so I think you should find another woman to entertain you," he said coldly.

The man frowned. "I seem to have upset your date. I'm very sorry. Excuse me," he replied, walking away.

"That was rude, Master Damian," the girl sighed.

"Good, you still know who your master is," Damian muttered, smirking.

The girl groaned again. She decided to go back inside, leaving Damian behind. As Damian was entertaining another guest who was excited to meet him, Dick approached him. Tiara was with him. The boy was confused. The older male nodded to the young woman.

"We have a bit of a problem," Tiara started.

"What?" Damian asked.

"We need your help to get Daphne to safety," Dick said.

"That man who had talked to the two of you a few minutes ago, his name is Rick. He's after Miss Daphne," Tiara explained.

Bruce and Luke made an appearance as well. Tension filled the air in mere seconds. Damian was even more confused.

"He's not alone," Luke said.

"He has Arnold with him," Bruce said, showing a picture of Arnold he caught sight of.

Before they could formulate a plan, Daphne's scream was heard. The four males and Tiara rushed back into the hall. Daphne was seen running away from a man. Most people just stared at the scene, ignoring the fact that she was being harassed. The girl caught sight of Damian and the others. She shook her head rapidly, refusing to acknowledge them. She exited the City Hall and disappeared out of sight in an instant. Damian stared at the exit for a few minutes. Bruce suddenly heard an alarming sound.

"Everyone, get down!" he warned.

An explosion came and some part of the walls crashed onto the floor. A helicopter could be seen outside. Aboard it was Rick and his two trusted men. He was smirking. Damian stared in shock. Dick went to help Bruce and Luke. They were trying to get the people to safety. The young Wayne wasted no time. Dahlia confronted Rick and his men. She wasn't afraid at all. At the same time, Damian had rushed out of the building to pursue Daphne.

I don't want to lose you…

Daphne ran into the forest to hide her presence. She knew that the man was Rick from the beginning but she didn't know how to explain to Damian. She never wanted him to worry about her. She ripped her dress so that it would be easier to run. She kept the ripped fabric in her hands, not wanting to leave any trace for anyone to track her. However, she had forgotten about her Phoenix hairpin which was still on her hair. Daphne stopped after she deemed that it was safe. She climbed onto a tree to keep herself well-hidden.

"I'm so sorry…" she sobbed alone.

The City Hall was in ruin. Rick and his two men had fled after finding out that Daphne was not in the building anymore. Bruce, Dick, and Luke had gone back to change into their respective uniforms. Gordon had contacted Batman immediately after he found out about the incident. The explosion had caught Dahlia. Her head was wounded and her two best friends were tending to her wound. She ordered them to tend to the other victims first but they refused to do so. Dahlia sighed, exhausted from helping out as well. She realized her right arm was broken half an hour later.

"I failed her…" she mumbled.

Tiara and Mana glanced up at each other. Mana shook her head. They continued treating her wounds. Dahlia was biting her lips. She was about to cry. She didn't like letting people see her cry. Batman and Nightwing arrived at the scene. Batwing was a bit late.

"Where is he?" Bruce asked Dick.

"I can't get through him at all," the man replied.

"He ran after her. I saw him," Luke stated.

Bruce raised a brow, confused at his son's behavior. Dick and Luke turned to each other. They both shrugged.

"Have him contact me if he did find her," Bruce ordered.

Meanwhile, Damian was still wearing his suit, running around in the forest in search of his beloved. He could feel that she was still in there. He was sure of it. She is good at hiding after all. After hours of searching, he almost gave up when suddenly, he heard a muffled sob. He looked around but couldn't spot the owner. He leaned against the tree behind him.

"Daphne…" he sighed, looking up at the sky, "If you're still here, please come out…"

Of course, Daphne heard him. She was right above him, but the leaves were so thick that he couldn't spot her so easily. She bit her lips, holding her tears. She didn't want him to see her this way.

"I don't want to hurt you…" she whispered to herself.

They both froze at their spots, thinking about each other. Rain started to pour down. It was getting cold. Daphne's phone suddenly vibrated. It was a call from her sister. Damian suddenly heard the slight vibration coming from the phone. He looked up. The girl took a deep breath, but she panicked and abruptly dropped her phone.

"Daphne?" he called.

Daphne shook her head, covering her mouth with both of her hands. She brought her legs closer to her chest. She tried to hide. Damian climbed onto the tree without a second thought. He immediately met her widened eyes. He instantly pulled her into his arms. Daphne froze.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

It took a few seconds for her to process what he was doing. She bit her lower lip. Grabbing his arms, she sobbed hard. She didn't want to say anything. The sound of the pouring rain and the feeling of Damian's strong arms around her were more than enough to comfort her. The boy didn't say anything as well. All he knew was that he wanted her to feel safe. It was Damian's phone that rang after that. He kept his right arm around the girl as he took out the phone.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Damian, did you find her?" Dick's voice was heard.

The boy kept his eyes on hers. She didn't respond. He sighed, pulling her closer to him.

"Yeah. I'll bring her back," he replied.

"Okay. Stay with her. Luke is on the lookout along with Bruce. Tiara will be joining them," Dick explained.

"Understood," was the boy's reply.

Daphne tightened her grip, earning Damian's attention. "Don't leave me…" she whispered.

"I won't…" he replied.

Rick kept on hitting his punching bag, angry that his plan failed. He couldn't even track Daphne down. Arnold and his partner stood there, enduring their boss' tantrum and rage.

"Damn it!" Rick shouted angrily.

"I'm really sorry, Boss," Arnold apologized.

"But, we can devise anther plan! She's going to go back to Wayne Manor anyway! She has nowhere to hide!" Arnold's partner spoke up.

Rick stopped his tantrum and thought for a while. He smirked, suddenly getting an idea. Arnold and his partner heaved a sigh of relief. The smiled at each other.

"You're the best spy I've ever had, Arnold. If it weren't for you, I will never get the building at all…" Rick muttered.

"Thank you for your kind words, boss!" Arnold stammered.

He was indeed afraid of Rick, but he never showed it. On the other hand, his partner's expression was showing his true fear. He was afraid of going any further with the two's plan. Ruining the City Hall was more than enough for him. He didn't want to get involve anymore. Rick shot a look at him, making him tremble.

"Well then, let's pay them a visit, shall we?" he asked Arnold's partner.

Then, he burst out laughing. The two started to follow him afterward. Before they could happily celebrate their next plan, a blast occurred on the walls on their right. A woman and two other stood there. They dressed in black with only their gleaming hatred seen through their eyes. Their hair flew in the wind. The woman in the middle was holding a machine gun.

"Think twice before you deduce a plan," she growled.

Damian carried Daphne on his back. They went back to the manor. Alfred quickly tended to her as asked by Bruce. Dick was there as well. He wanted to comfort his baby sister. The girl refused to let go of her grip on Damian's suit. The boy made a decision to bring her to her room. He placed her on the bed and sat at the edge. The butler came back with two cups of hot chocolate. Dick sat at the side of the bed. Daphne didn't say anything. She looked away from all of them. Damian drank his hot chocolate quietly.

"Miss, let's get you into a warmer clothe, alright?" Alfred persuaded her.

"Yeah, you'll catch a cold," her brother said.

"I'll go get change myself," Damian announced.

Daphne reached out for his arm. She shook her head rapidly.

"I'll come back once I've changed," he promised.

She slowly loosened her hold. She gave a nod and then, looked to the other side again. Daphne was left alone after she finished her drink. She hugged the stuffed penguin that Damian had given to her. She was scared. A knock was heard and the door opened. Damian stood there in his black pants, a blue jacket, and a white undershirt. He approached her without a word. She gave out a small smile to him.

"You should change your clothes," he said softly.

"Alfred had prepared me one…" she muttered, pointing towards it.

"I'll wait outside," he replied.

"No," she whispered.

"But…" Damian stopped what he was about to say when he saw her trembling.

He sighed. He shut his eyes. She got out of bed, took off her wet clothes and grabbed the dry ones. She put on the nightdress. Then, she approached Damian. Feeling a presence in front of him, the boy involuntarily opened his eyes. His gaze fell onto her bare legs. He kept his composure and gazed at her eyes instead, but he couldn't really keep his cool. Daphne was beautiful in his eyes no matter what she did. At the moment, it looked as if she was submitting herself to him.

"Are you okay?" she suddenly asked.

"I should ask you. Your body's still cold," he replied.

"I'm okay as long as I'm with you…" she whispered.

"Close your eyes…" he said.

She blinked confusedly at him. Even though she didn't quite respond, Damian didn't waste any second. He stood up, pulled her hand and slammed her onto the bed. Daphne was surprised at his sudden attack. He hovered over her, grabbing both of her arms and locking them above her. His eyes were on her lips, her soft, pink lips.

I never want to lose you… You're MINE!

Damian could hear his mind screaming for her. His right hand cupped her cheek. Then, his thumb traced her lower lip. Her hair was scattered on the pillow, a big mess, her eyes were swollen, and her skin was paler than usual, yet she still looked magnificent in his eyes.

"Master Damian?" she asked.

"I love you, Daphne," he confessed.

Daphne was surprised at the unexpected confession. They kept their gaze on each other's eyes. Damian played with her hair, patiently waiting for her response. The girl held her tears.

Biting her lower lip, she asked, "Are you sure?"

He attacked her lips before answering, "Yes."

"I'm weak…unlike Raven," Daphne's voice crack.

"I love you," Damian repeated.

His right hand grabbed her waist. She shuddered at the touch. Damian didn't mind. He kept his hand there, while his left hand brushed away the bangs hiding her eyes.

"Are you really sure...that you love me?" the girl asked, tearing up.

"Your worries, your fears, your sadness, your weaknesses…I'll accept all of them," he vowed.

He planted a kiss on her forehead. She bit her lower lip, avoiding eye contact with him. She started to cry.

I love you too…

Bruce came back from his patrol. Three women were waiting for him in the Batcave. Bruce knew who they were. They took off their masks when he got out of his Batmobile.

"What's up?" he asked.

"We found their base," Dahlia explained.

The man stared at her broken arm. She noticed and took a look at it too. She brought it up, moving it back and forth and smirked.

"It's perfectly fine," she muttered.

"We turned Arnold and his partner to Gordon," Mana continued.

"What about Rick?" Bruce asked, confused.

Tiara and Mana turned to look at each other. Dahlia's smirk turned into an evil smug. She took out her gun as an explanation. The man shook his head.

"The body?" he asked.

"Handed to Gordon as well," the Aldrin muttered coolly.

"You're a demon," Bruce mumbled.

"Don't tell Daphne about this. She'll cry her eyes out," Dahlia sighed.

"We'll be going back tonight," Tiara announced.

"So soon?" Alfred suddenly made an appearance.

Nodding once, Dahlia said, "I leave Daphne in Damian's capable hands. They're made for each other, but they just don't see it."

Bruce chuckled. "You have no idea…" he replied.

"We won't be monitoring her anymore. The company is as good as hers in three months," Dahlia explained.

"If she was to get married?" the man asked.

"Don't invite us," the oldest Aldrin muttered, clenching her fists, "I've tarnished the Aldrin name."

Bruce patted her shoulder once before taking off his mask. Alfred gave out a sad sigh. Damian entered the cave. He could feel the tension in the air. He acted cool. Bruce and the others noticed a sudden change in him.

Damian was smiling.