Stephanie was shocked that Tim hadn't argued when Nightwing gave orders that he was to take the night off and stay in. He didn't even protest a bit, just meekly shrugged his shoulders and trudged back upstairs.

"Little brother sad." Cassandra said as she and Steph returned to the manor, "Um… mad? Doesn't like just waiting around."

"Frustrated." Steph supplied and Cass nodded, "I mean we all are, but usually he fights even harder when he's hit a wall though, Tim is like a pitbull with locked jaws, he doesn't ever let go of things."

"Can't change what is. He knows." Cass replied.

"You're right." Steph sighed, "As always." She offered a smile, as they reached Cassandra's room, "Guess this is goodnight, see ya in the morning." She gave Cass a tight hug and then stepped into the room that she'd procured years ago.

She crawled onto the bed and sat for a moment, winding down. The night hadn't been exactly hard, but it had been rough. The sheer volume of criminals out there was just astounding and it had been on the rise since Batman was out. Its like they know, some weird criminal instincts…She pondered, laying out on her back, looking at the whitewashed ceiling. She sighed, wondering how long they were going to have to wait for Bruce to get back. Because he was definitely coming back. He was just like Tim, never ever just let go, or rather Tim probably got the trait from B or at the very least refined it under him.

And its not like you can just get rid of the Batman, not in any absurd way. Hell Bruce had had every bone in his body broken at least once, even his whole spine. He'd been lost in time, and there's no way his heart hadn't stopped once or twice. Plus the knife and bullet wounds that always got so so close to those lethal points. He had to come back.

She breathed, closing her eyes, and letting herself relax into the bed. Trying to remember what her world used to be like without Batman. The daughter of a villain and a depressed woman nursing an addiction, there wasn't much else to be said.

She remembered her first time donning her spoiler costume and actually feeling like she was making a difference- feeling like hey, maybe she could have a place in the darkness too. Especially when she was used by her own father, and then she was face-to-face with the original terror himself and it was inspiring. She remembered thinking 'yes, that's the power I want', power like the Batman, some weird ability to hold yourself in a way that commanded respect and fear. Of course, she wasn't going to let him leave her behind that night or after…

And then after everything with Tim and…her baby…and Batman was the one who came to her and offered to train her; because if she was going to keep doing this, then she was damn well going to be trained for it. Of course there had been troubles there with the identity stuff, but it was worth it to become closer to what she wanted to be; plus there was the added bonus of meeting Cass.

And then wow, being Robin. There was something just…remarkable about being Batman's Robin, there's a side that only Robin sees. And truthfully, she still misses seeing that side sometimes. Its this weird gentle and protective dad side that just wants to build you up, wants to teach you, and…wants to actually share some of himself with you (which isn't that just like the most anti-Batman thing ever).

And, oh god, dying. She never thought of how it must've just crushed Bruce to lose her. He lost so much stuff in life, it was no wonder he was so emotionally broken. And after she'd come back, how he'd like put tabs on her. Someone on his behalf was always checking in, and more than once, she'd been nursed at the manor, rather than at home. As Batgirl, she had as much equipment as Cass ever did.

She had officially become family for him in that weird Bruce-way where he didn't actually tell you anything, but suddenly your birthdays were celebrated, you were expected to be there at Christmas and Thanksgiving, and if you were starting to fail one lame geometry class- Bruce barked about school and grades. How if it was even mentioned that she couldn't afford a book for college, or this really soft cashmere sweater from the mall- all books, cashmere sweater, and matching fucking socks would show up the next day.

Oh Jesus she missed him. Missed his assholery, because hey, that was his 'in-charge' personality, and his fakey Brucie, because, even though it drove the boys crazy, she found it hilarious. And, wow, even though they very much denied it, avoided it, and pretended it didn't exist, he was like her father now. Even if he disapproved, he always had her back, would always come to her rescue, and would always have a home for her.

He is definitely coming back. Steph thought, because I won't be able to handle it if he doesn't.

"You know, you guys all look alike when you frown…" The voice said to Bruce as he watched Stephanie in her fitful sleep.

I hadn't noticed. Bruce thought back dryly. It was somewhat strange to see Steph out of it, he rarely saw her unconscious as it was, but she was just so…alive by nature. Like fire. A fire in the fireplace that could be volatile but could warm the whole house.