Title by Sarah Holland. Not sure how it can be interpreted, but I suppose it depends on each reader. I only know that the first time, it naturally grabbed me.

Chapter Five

Tomorrow Began Yesterday

The catch was that she receive League training, but no one was making her go on blood-spilling missions. No one was indoctrinating her, but giving her the choice of what to do with her life.

Stephanie just hoped she wouldn't regret it later.

Roy Harper went back home to Star City to spend time with his daughter, promising they would keep in contact on Jason's status. Steph also had a timeline of her thought process to dwell further on Talia's proposal. She had a couple of months until she went back to school, so she got to spend her time here in Nanda Parbat. She came to admire this fairytale landscape, but also learn to defend herself from surprise attacks, not that she didn't know already.

Talia oversaw it personally and while Steph sparred with any warrior of her choosing - Talia's choosing, she meant. As the days went by, the lady of the League of Assassins hummed, smiled, and firmly frowned when a slight mistake would be made.

"You are quite the acrobat, Stephanie. Don't take it personally, but I suppose there can only be one Nightwing." The mere mention of Dick was enough to cause her to lose focus and be slammed down onto the floor by her opponent that day. That got a chuckle and a shake of the head from her overseer, followed by a slight trace of guilt before it was gone.

"Excellent use of hand-to-hand and the ninjutsu arts," was also noted. "Nothing sloppy, though imperfect in places. Though that varies depending on your opponent; we can improve that." Steph preened with excitement, proud of herself and also wanting to expand her horizons. "Your stealth and manner of escape are impeccable." And the blonde had responded by saying she did get inside the Batcave, even got through Gotham's sewers unscathed.

"You were trained by the one and only Oracle. I'm impressed with your computer skills when you single-handedly took the first step in crushing Batman's empire. I shall look forward to the entertainment in the field." In other words, Talia couldn't wait to see Spoiler back on the field in the future.

Now, Stephanie was more than capable of throwing weapons, but there was one thing she was mandated to begin with. It was both scary and exciting.

Which brought them to the present day, and Jason and Damian were witnesses to it all.

"Swords?!"

"Yes, it's extremely important, and not up for debate." Talia then picked a sword from amongst the arsenal, throwing one her way, and Steph caught it with one hand. The weight balanced nicely with her body weight and balance. It bore the craftsmanship of a ninja, effective for practicality and stealth. Its beauty was forged within the black leather handle, the scabbard bearing a demon's face.

Damn, the blade was so bright when the light hit it.

Quick as a bolt of lightning, an equally luminescent length of steel etched with a serpentine dragon into its surface made its way toward her throat. Impulsively, she brought her weapon up and defended herself before contact was made like she was made for this. Like a skill that slept for centuries before she knew it existed, and it was finally waking up.

Talia smirked over the rose-gold etched hilt. "Excellent. Boys, there may be hope for her yet."

Didn't that scare her a little? Hell, yeah, it did.

~o~

She sustained some cuts and bruises from the sword sessions, but nothing to warrant weeks of bedrest and intense medicine.

In that time, Stephanie was also given work she was paid for handsomely, much to her delight. She'd refused at first because part of her thought it was a handout that would result in her owing the al Ghuls for the rest of her natural life. Damian was the one who vehemently insisted that they were in debt to her for taking action.

She'd started single-handedly taking down Batman's regime with a mere flash drive.

She was caring for the severely injured Red Hood but was still pondering over the proposal Talia bestowed before she and Jason could even talk about it, and it appeared today was that day. Steph was in her own space in the medical wing of the estate when the lady's advice on guns repeated itself.

"You've never used a gun before, Stephanie? No doubt the influences of the conniving bat, I'm not surprised. But I can tell you that it's not the weapon itself; it's the user wielding it. As for how reliable they are, it's not wholly accurate as the blade. The flaws are a shortage of bullets and the number of times it takes to reload, and the unfortunate jamming of the mechanisms."

When Steph held the sword in her first session weeks ago, she felt powerful and light on her feet, almost like she was walking in the air. Her grip on the sword handle had to be neither too light nor too tight because, with either one, the weapon could be removed from her hold. The strength of the blade to cut through fragile wood and fabrics, the strongest of graplines, to name a few. Disarm the opponent.

She now understood how Damian felt with his katana. The kid showed his appraisal with his cheeks puffed out in his smile, eyes glittering.

And Jason...there was something in his eyes she couldn't place. It was akin to pride and impression, but something a little darker that - no. Too easy and unrealistic. Must be just my imagination.

Day by day, he'd begin walking again, with his leg in a brace though, and his arm in a sling for a little longer. The bandages were removed, but he still sustained damage which meant he couldn't operate as a vigilante in the future, based on her findings: his upper spinal nerves had taken so much damage that he couldn't turn his head all the way around anymore, and he was partially blinded in one eye. He suffered from more migraines than he used to, too.

Night terrors were common for him before, but they got worse because of one Batman.

One thing got better for him, and that was more people being there for him, especially during these times.

Damian was here for the summer, now that his mother was allowed visitation more than before, and that he'd been removed from his father's custody recently - temporarily, and the ones fighting for him were the Kents. Right now, he was staying with Tim.

"How are you doing, Jason?"

"Still like I had just been run over, but at least I'm walking," he joked, and they were in the garden now. It was a glorious representation of Eden itself, filled with lemon and apple trees, vivid fuchsia bougainvillea vines over the walls that protected the florae, succulents serving mostly as the flower life, along with the best roses of every color...and passionflower. Someone had a hell of a green thumb for all this. Jason sat on the ledge of the scalloped stone fountain, the glassy surface rippled with the central spray. "Nice, huh? Being here is soothing. It's helped me during my worst moments."

"What about me being here?" Stephanie asked, stopping in front of him.

He turned to look over his shoulder, which made her frown. "It's a bonus."

She wasn't sure how to feel about that, much less think. On one hand, she was flattered, but on the other, did Talia already tell him about the proposal she had yet to talk about with him? Embarrassment began to rise, and the heat reaching her cheeks didn't come from the sun and arid temperature.

"Did you know that gardens like these were built to enjoy the natural beauty God gave us?"

Religious texts weren't a personal favorite, so no, she didn't know, but it was nice finding out. "Too bad people take it for granted," she said bitterly because she'd kill to have a garden like this even if it would be on a smaller scale.

Jason looked at her again, a tight smile easily forming despite feeling just a little bit of pain. "Everyone takes something for granted because they cling to the stuff that exists only in their heads," he said, tone matching hers. There was a heavy pause before he went for the throat just as she was thinking it. "Like Bruce did."

Now that the name was out there... "I understand if you want nothing more to do with him. He banned us both."

"Not surprised with me, but you, Blondie?" Jason narrowed his eyes at her, the swollen black one barely even closing all the way. "Let me guess: you stood up to him for me."

"Hell, yeah. You should be up to date. Everyone's on his ass, and Damian's being taken from him."

"What?! How did that happen? Demon Spawn never said a thing to me."

Steph shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want hopes up, but so far, so good. Clark's taking him in, because of...you know who..." She found she couldn't stand anymore, sitting down beside him and looking at her reflection in the water behind them, his face joining. "If we'd known sooner...if he'd stayed away in the timestream after you died because he...got worse after you..." She shook her head. "I knew a lot of stuff never added up, a lot of the things he said, but I was a damned coward. We all were. Then maybe Dick also would have adopted Damian if he'd known. None of us would be here now. I'm sorry I never got to know you before, Jason," she croaked finally, squeezing her eyes shut and scared to look at him.

"...that man was never my dad. Neither was Willis, but the difference between them? Willis knew he was a bad person in several ways, wanted to make things right, but Bruce wouldn't. I should have realized it from the second he cut my throat and everything after. He's dead - and dead to me," Jason spat. "I never want to see him again."

Abuse was never easy to escape from, and she knew that herself. It was very easy to say you never wanted to see that person again, but it was like the circumstances to bring the paths together again. "What if you do?" Steph dared to ask, and she may or may not have seen the response coming, chilling her to the bones.

"I'd kill him myself. For what he did to Dick, to Timmers, Damian...ME. You think the world kicking him out is gonna be enough? We know him, Steph," Jason said through his teeth. "Batman will find a way to finish me off, and not just Arkham again."

Not a total loss. She barely felt anything positive towards that man anymore; she was also scared of the consequences for Jason, especially with everything he said about them and the others being true.

"I should tell you that this is a good time to mention that Talia and I've been talking about that. It'll take some time because you come first, and no one's forcing you into it, but it could help us both."

Jason raised an eyebrow at her, both of them raising their gazes from the water simultaneously.

~o~

Jason said he never thought of marriage being on the agenda. Not right away, at least. Neither did she. At least they agreed on that.

After she and Talia got together and explained everything to him, it was now time to tell everyone else in their little circle.

Tim's expression, safe to say, was an understatement of shock when he asked her if she really wanted to go through with this, even though it was common in the world if on a much smaller scale in America. He did get that Gotham would take to both her and Jason, being more in touch with the forgotten people than the privileged assholes.

Cass flashed two thumbs up as her support, awkwardly grinning.

Roy came close to saying something smart to Jason even though he was on their side, and he did earn threats to his ears once his Jaybird was fully out of the sick bed.

And that left the little prince himself: he approved of their pulchritudinous partnership. Steph had to burst out laughing, Jason guffawing and coughing at the same time. Dare she say her stomach flipped over and back again because it was now becoming a reality after weeks of looking after Jason, bonding with him, and now this?

It felt like she had known him forever when she wished it had been much sooner.

Jason had made it clear despite sheer embarrassment in his pinkish cheeks that he appreciated her blunt humor and determination, her love of small things that mattered, and no need for flashiness. He told her never to change anything about herself. He was proud of her for saying "screw you" to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and swore they would get his ass once they returned to Gotham someday. Steph realized that she couldn't think of anyone else she'd have as a husband. Even if we're still strangers, kinda.

This was one hell of an opportunity for them to change things. The stuff that was going on back home would only count as riots against the Batman and the bastards who still supported him despite seeing what he really was.

Jason Todd's emerald eyes flashed with vengeance toward that. It reminded her of one of the greatest love stories where the eventual couple shared a common enemy who ruined their lives. He might be someone she'd known through exaggerated lies, but he was actually smart and tactical, willing to do everything his failure of a former foster father wouldn't, and that counted for something. They could learn a lot from each other.

Except our story isn't a romance.

The Koran, or Quran, is an Islamic religious text, the equivalent of the Holy Bible.

In the eighteenth chapter of "Good Grief" by lysiabeth on AO3, there's a paragraph in a flashback where Talia explains to Jason that guns tended to be unreliable, due to the fact they run out of bullets and jam, whilst the sword itself is far superior.

It's been very difficult to do Stephanie's League training, but I knew for sure it wouldn't be many months since she's had training from the best: Batman and Oracle (the OG Batgirl). Having not read many fics or ANY comics, I found the stuff on DC Wiki. :) I'm confident it came out nicely.

Can someone tell me if they know what Stephanie's birthday is if it's listed? Nothing on DC Wiki like Jason's is. :(

While you leave lovely reviews as usual, can someone give me an idea as to how many months it should be before Jason fully heals, and they return to Gotham, but the rest is all up to me? :D