Good evening, loves. I'm pleased to present Chapter 14 of Holding Out for a Hero. I apologize for the slight delay in chapters. It has been an insanely busy week at work, and this chapter was a bit difficult for me to write. Face a little writer's block along the way. We're are in the later stages of the second chapter of Cassidy's story, so we'll be wrapping up this tale in the next couple of weeks and setting the stage of the third and final part of Cassidy's trilogy. Thank you so much for the support over the years for Cass! It means so much. I hope you continue to favorite, follow and review! I look forward to the next time we meet. Happy reading - trs0010.

Chapter XIV: Rise

John Blake stirred in his bed. Another fitful night plagued with dreams of his missing friend forced him into another restless night of tossing and turning. His head had already given up, knowing it had become a recovery mission; but his heart still desperately believe he would rescue her.

Each night, his heart took another blow. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on to that desperate hope. His nightmarish dreams no longer had Cassidy calling out to him. They all ended the same with Blake finding her crumbled body crushed by rocks.

This image toying with him and driving him into madness woke Blake with a start once again. How many times had he jolted up from the mattress that night? He had lost count after the fifth time.

He rested his head in his hands as he took deep, quick breaths to steady his heart. His chest was covered with sweat. The dreams were too real.

As the sound of heart thudded in his ears, Blake almost missed the sound of his phone vibrating on the bedside table. His head still swarming in grogginess, he didn't trust his eyes. His phone screen light up with Cassidy's photo as the vibration began to sound for the second time.

His breath caught in his throat. This couldn't be real. Could it? He dove towards his phone, almost knocking the lamp over in the process. His fingers fumbled and failed him as he tried to answer the phone.

"Cass!" he all but shouted into the phone. "Where are you? Are you okay? I don't think I've ever been happier to get a phone call this early…"

Blake's jubilant line of questions and comments came to a screeching halt, smacking a wall of dread. It wasn't the bubbly voice of Cassidy Williams that interrupted him.

It was a cruel, harsh, crackling sound with just a tinge of laughter hidden in the tone as if it couldn't wait to get to the punch line of the joke because it was too hilarious.

Blake had never heard that voice or see its owner in person, but he knew whom it belonged to the moment it reached his ears.

His heart sunk to his stomach. Blake felt sick. He promised Cassidy that he'd never let that monster near her so long as he was breathing. He failed her.

"First and Lincoln. Bring a snorkel."

"If you've hurt her," Blake threatened into the phone, his blood boiling. Hatred and anger took washed over him, washing away the wretchedness he felt earlier. "Hell, if you even touch her, I will hunt you down, destroy you. I won't ever stop. Not still she's free of you."

His threats fell on empty ears as Blake realized that the Joker had dropped the phone. The only thing remaining was the sound of his maniacal laughter fading into the background, but that was when he heard it.

The sound of roaring water rushing rapidly and then her voice, desperate and alone, struggling and in pain; she was calling for help, but no one would answer. The clown had left her there to die as she begged for her life to be spared.

Her pleas stirred Blake into action. "I'm coming, Cass." He hung up the phone with force and threw on the clothes he wore the night before. As he stumbled into the kitchen while hastily putting on his shoes, Blake slung his holster around his waist.

He bounded out the door leaving a confused and half-awake Gordon on the couch.

Blake rushed towards the car he commandeered days earlier, screeching out onto the street as he pulled away from the curb, leaving the smell of burnt rubber behind him.

He sped down the empty streets at a lightning speed towards Lincoln, all the way silently cursing himself for not finding Cassidy sooner when she had been so close the entire time.

His mind raced as fast as the vehicle. The Joker wouldn't allow her to die, would he? In his screwed up way, the clown loved her as only the Joker could. Though Blake grimly thought, if Cassidy were going to die, the Joker would only allow it happen one way - by his own hand.

Blake wanted to take his chances that the Joker wouldn't kill her just to prove a point that she was his, but that didn't cause him to slow down or take any solace. He knew he wouldn't relax until Cassidy was safely in his arms.

He slid to a halt in the intersection of Lincoln and First Streets, not caring that he park in the middle of the intersection. With Bane's new world order, everyone was too afraid to leave home. Blake wouldn't be causing any traffic jams.

He spotted a dark alleyway on a nearby side street. His gut told him that was where he needed to go. As he neared the back of the alley, he saw Cassidy. As much of her as he could, Cassidy's arm was reaching out into the dead air, trying to grab hold of anything.

He could hear her voice through muffled coughs, gasps, and gurgles. As he sprinted towards her, Blake saw the water dangerously close to overtaking her completely. It was inches away from totally engulfing her. He grabbed her hand to let her know he was there.

He wasn't sure she could see him through the blinding morning light that spilled in the back of the alley or hear him over the roar of the rushing water, but she could feel him. She gripped his hand tightly until her knuckles were white.

"Hold on, Cass," Blake called. He let go of her for just a second, using every ounce of strength and adrenaline he had, he pulled the steel cover away.

To this day, he could no say how he ever lifted it away. Blake doubted he could ever do it again. He could only guess that the fear of seeing the woman you love battle for her life gives you the strength of fifteen men.

Blake grunted as he pushed the cover away just enough to squeeze Cassidy out. He firmly grabbed her forearm, lifting her to safety. She coughed and sputtered for breath, bracing herself up with her hands as she lay on the ground. She was completely soaked; her hair shielded her face.

"You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid," Blake spoke as he came down from his high, leaning against the back wall of the alley as he sat. She finally looked at her savior through her dripping wet hair. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized her hot head delivered in her hour of need.

She didn't say a word. She only threw herself towards Blake, clutching his t-shirt for dear life and burying her face against his chest. Blake wrapped his arms around her shivering form tightly, cradling her in his arms trying to keep her warm. He didn't mind her drenching his clothes. He was just relieved beyond measure she was back by his side.

"Please don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered as he held her, rubbing her back gently. "I thought I lost you for a minute."

"So did I," she mumbled into his chest. She rose up to look at him. Something changed in Blake's eyes. He bit his lip as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

Cassidy arched her eyebrow in confusion but decided to dismiss it. She knew she looked worse for wear. "As much as I complain about you always showing up, I sure am thankful you pulled through one more time," she half-heartedly joked.

"It's my job," Blake laughed as he kissed her forehead. "I'll always show up and annoy you."

He let his head rest against hers for a moment, relishing one of the rare, vulnerable moments that Cassidy allowed him to be so close. Life and death situation brings out emotions. "Don't tell, Blake," she whispered to him with a lopsided grin, "little does he know, I love it when he does."

"As much as I enjoy you sitting in my lap and your soaking-wet clothes sticking to you," he smiled devilishly, "we need to get you home. With Bane's new world order, it isn't safe out here. Not to mention you're practically frozen."

Blake stood up first, extending his hand to pull Cassidy to her feet. She felt the sharp pain shoot through her leg as she put weight on her foot. She stumbled into Blake's chest.

"Shit," she grimaced. "I almost forgot about that." Blake easily scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the car. "Don't get used to this, Williams," he cut her off as watched the sarcastic comment form in her mind.

She rolled her eyes with a pout, causing Blake to smile. He couldn't imagine what he would have done if he lost her that day. He gently placed her in the passenger seat before settled into the driver's seat, making the slow trek back to the apartment.

"I thought he was there," Cassidy spoke after a long pause. "I don't know if it was the blow to the head, dehydration or I'm just that insane, but I heard him as if he was down there with me, mocking me, toying with me."

Blake's face darkened. He took a deep breath, knowing that he was the one that had to confirm Cassidy's fears. "He was."

She stared at him, too shocked to even comprehend. She had almost convinced herself that she had made it all up. Fear trickled down her spine as she realized it wasn't a dream.

"He couldn't have been," Cassidy tried to argue, but she knew she wasn't convincing. She knew deep down that the Joker had been with her.

"How do you think I found you, Cass?" Blake explained. "He called me on your phone." He tossed her cell phone into Cassidy's lap. "That's impossible," Cassidy whispered as she pulled her cell from her pocket.

In the light of day, she realized that the cell phone in her pocket was not, in fact, hers. She tossed the dead phone aside and held on to the phone Blake had given her. It was her phone.

She gripped it tightly. The Joker must have switched the phones while she was unconscious. Cassidy's skin crawled at the thought, wondering how long had he watched her.

"There's something else…" Blake began. He didn't want to point it out because he knew the damage it would cause, but she would see it sooner rather than later. It was better that he told her. "Your face."

Cassidy slowly reached for the visor with a shaky hand, pulling it down to see the mirror. Her stomach churned. He had painted her face in harlequin fashion. He had marked her. The makeup was runny from her encounter in the sewer, but it was crystal clear that it was his handy work.

She felt violated, terrified, and angry. What else did the Joker do to her in the dark? She wiped at her face vigorously, trying to wash it all away. "Cass…" Blake sought to comfort her.

"Take me home," she almost sobbed. The tear caught in her throat. Blake firmly swiped her hand away from her face and held it tightly, not letting the entire ride.

Neither said a word the remainder of the trip. Both were trapped in their own thoughts as they tried to work out what to say to each other. Just as their relationship was beginning to grow, a traumatic experience put everything in perspective in different ways. Now the waters were even harder to tread.

"Is this your place?" Cassidy questioned as they pulled up to the brick building.

Blake nodded as he got out of the car. "We were planning to move today," Blake explained. "Thought it was best not to keep the commissioner in one place for too long. We'll stay here tonight. You need to rest up."

Cassidy began to hobble towards the entrance. "You're too stubborn for your own good," Blake called as he rushed to her side. He placed her arm around his neck as he supported her weight to help her into the lobby and the five flights of stairs they had to maneuver.

"I forgot to mention Gordon, and I have another roommate," Blake said with a smile. Cassidy shot him a questioning look as they stop in front of his door.

As Blake unlocked the door, a large, furry dog immediately tackled Cassidy to the ground. "Hudson?" she questioned through laughs as he desperately licked her face, whining in happiness that his owner was home. "Easy bud," Blake tried to calm the energetic pup down. "She's not 100 percent."

She looked up at Blake in awe, as best she could with her dog trying to get in her lap. "You got my dog?"

"Of course, I did," he answered nonchalantly as he helped Cassidy back to her feet. "He needed someone to look after him until we brought you home. He's been sleeping in my bed. We, bros have hit it off."

Cassidy's heart swelled, as she looked at Blake, touched he thought about her pet while she was trapped underground. After all these years, he kept surprising her.

Blake locked the door entirely once he ushered her inside and helped her towards the living room. "Williams," Gordon stood as they entered the room. "Thank Christ you're alive."

His face darkened similar to Blake's as he noticed the makeup on her face. He should have known that the likes of the Joker were now free thanks to Bane. "He didn't…?"

Cassidy shook her head no as Blake helped her towards the bedroom. There would be time to get everyone up to speed and strategize their next move, but it wasn't now. Cassidy needed rest, and Blake was ensuring that would happen.

"There's the bathroom," he motioned towards the door connecting to his messy bedroom once inside. Cassidy laughed to herself as she took in the typical "guy" room with clothes tossed in every corner.

Blake left her side for a moment to dig through a drawer. He came back with a t-shirt and shorts. "I don't have anything that'll fit you, but this should work for now. You need help with the shower?"

Blake winked at the last part, causing Cassidy to roll her eyes with a smirk. "Think I can figure it out," she scoffed.

She hobbled towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Stripping as quickly as she could out of her wet clothes, Cassidy turned the hot water on as high as it could go, letting the scalding hot water cleanse her body and soul.

She scrubbed furiously at her face, watching the colorful water pool at her feet as she washed away every trace of the Joker. Cassidy couldn't wrap her mind around why he didn't try anything more?

He could have easily taken her then and there, locked her away wherever he pleased. No one would have known she was gone. No one would have known where to look. Instead, he chose a psychological game, banking on Blake's need to save her.

It was only just beginning. Cassidy knew that. The Joker was setting the stage. He wasn't ready to reveal himself and his grand plan, not yet. This was just the first move. Cassidy dreaded with every fiber of her being what was coming next. What price was she going to pay for getting too close the clown? Cassidy had already paid so much. What did she have left?

She knew the answer to that. She had two things left: Blake and her life. She was only willing to sacrifice one of those things. She would give it up in a moment to save the life of the other.

Cassidy exited the shower; quickly toweling off and tying her wet hair up in a bun, not ready to deal that disaster. She dressed in the clothes Blake let her borrow, laughing at how comically large they appeared on her frame.

She took a moment to lean against the sink, just to let the hundreds of emotions flood through her for a moment, to let the exhaustion truly set. She studied her scratched and bruised face. She'd been through hell.

She looked down at the phone by her hand. Her phone. The phone the Joker stole. She flipped through it for a moment, reading the countless missed texts and calls. They were mostly from Blake, but an unread message from a number that was not programmed in her phone. Her heart sped up as she read the short message.

Call for a good time – J

Her finger hovered over the delete key. She knew she should remove any trace of the Joker from her phone, but something kept her from doing so, a pang of something in her heart stopped her. Instead of doing the smart thing, she left it. She'd regret that later, she thought.

She read the numerous texts Blake had left her, clearing out her notifications, smiling to herself as she thought of how much he had cared and how hard he tried to find her.

He had left about ten voicemails. Out of curiosity, Cassidy played one.

Hey, Cass. It's me again. I feel like I keep calling you just to hear your voice on the answering system. Each time I think you'll pick up. I'm a mess right now without you. It's pathetic really how much I miss you. Just know I'm spending every second I can to find you. Just hold on a little longer. Be safe.

Cassidy felt the tears stream down her face. Blake sounded so defeated and pained on the phone. She could hear how upset he was that she was nowhere to be found, and he couldn't help her. She could hear how much he truly cared about her.

She swung the bathroom door open, finding him in the bedroom with a plate of food sitting on the nightstand. "Didn't know what you wanted, so I made a few things. You need to eat," he instructed.

Forgetting about the pain in her sprained ankle, Cassidy ran to him, the force of her hug dropping the two on his bed. She kissed him hard; everything that she needed to say was at that moment. Everything she had been holding back from him, she let out in the kiss.

When they broke, she didn't move. She laid on Blake's chest, her head resting against his. He held her tightly to him. "You need to be trapped underground more often," he sighed.

"When I was fighting to stay above water," Cassidy whispered, "I truly thought I was going to die there. They say when you hit that moment, you see your life flash before your eyes."

"Did you?" he asked as he stared up at the ceiling, gently rubbing her back. He couldn't recall a moment in his life when he had been happier than he was now. "No," Cassidy answered. "You see the things that are most important to you. All I saw was you."

"Cass, I…" Blake stopped himself. He wanted to say how he felt, but he couldn't. Not yet. She had just shown him the most affection she had ever shown in the last eight years. He didn't want to shut her down completely after such a huge break through in their relationship. "I'm happy you're home."

Blake rose up, resting against the headboard with Cassidy still snuggled on top of him. "We need to check out your injuries. See what I can do to clean them up."

"Not yet," she pushed away his hands as he prodded her head to find the source of the once matted, dry blood. "I need you to know something."

She straddled Blake, so they saw each other eye-to-eye. Blake felt his heart race at the proximity, trying to keep his cool at how close they were. All he could think about was despite bruised and scratched to pieces; he had never seen Cassidy look more beautiful than in that moment wearing his clothes.

"He'll be back," Cassidy began with a shaky voice. "He didn't make a move or revealed his plan because he is setting up a game. It's a game that only he knows the rules. He'll stack the deck because it is a game that only he will win."

"Cassidy," Blake looked at her determined. "Anything I have to do to protect you, I will. He doesn't scare me. The only thing that scares me is losing you."

"I know," she smiled as she placed her hand against his cheek. "Whatever happens, I need you to trust me. It is the only way we get through this alive."

Blake nodded as he placed his hands on Cassidy's hips. "We? No more pushing me away?"

Cassidy climbed off of Blake, snuggling into his side. Her eyes closed as she melted into the safety of his embrace. "You're not going to stop, are you? You're a mess without me," she yawned. "The truth is, I need you too, more than I realized."

The two fell asleep in each other's arms. It was the best sleep either one had had in a very long time. She finally accepted it. She loved Jack. She always would, but she could never be with Jack.

He would never be free of the Joker, and it was too painful to wait for someone and something that would never be. The Joker would consume her until there was nothing left. He had almost did that the last time, but Blake saved her.

She was falling for Blake. She had been for a very long time, but she could finally allow herself to embrace it. He had proven for years that he would never hurt her, never abandon her. He was crazy about her. She was brave enough to take the risk of seeing what a future, what real love was like with him.

It started with that kiss. She could see herself loving him for the rest of her life though with the Joker on the prowl, the rest of her life may not be that long. All the more reason to take every chance and moment she had with Blake while she was still breathing.

But a small thought kept creeping in the back of Cassidy's mind. If she was so sure about her feelings for Blake, why did she not delete the number left by the Joker?