Come What May

by DC Luder

Sixth story in the Series of Three. Not long after having their world turned upside down, the Family must face the combined threat of an old foe and friend. Chapter 13: When push comes to shove...

6. Come What May: VI

Title: Come What May

Author: DC Luder

Summary: The Family must deal with an unexpected guest and the baggage she brings.

Infringements: All recognizable and related characters belong to DC Comics, not DC Luder.

Author's Note:Tim loosely mentions events that occurred in the Teen Titans "License to Drive" story. Again, since this is technically an AU story, some characters may have alternate fates and may not have encountered one another or events may not have occurred as they have in actual canon.

^V^

Mattie was certain that she was going to beat me to the grandfather clock, to the point where she prematurely declared, "Victory is mine!"

Not five steps from the secret entrance that separated Batman's world from that of Bruce Wayne's, I raced by, wrapping an arm around her waist. Once I lifted her into the air, I pinned her to my torso, fighting back a smile as she complained between laughs. From the very beginning, I had derailed from my mentor's training regimen that had strictly forbid any sort of fun. A young sidekick was not meant to be a carbon copy, they needed to contrast the dark.

I let Mattie down once we made it into the study and she promptly stuck her tongue out.

There wasn't an ounce of darkness in her, a miracle considering all she had faced in her life.

Mattie had made her way to the Cave around three-thirty in the afternoon, ready and willing to work on strength training and reaction time drills with me. She had joked at one point that it was getting too easy, forcing me to up the ante by blindfolding her. Blind for the time being, I had encircled her, randomly reaching out and tapping her with the end of a bo staff. At first, she was unable to deflect any of the gentle contacts and the random directions causing her to spin around to look for me.

"Listen for it, Mattie. You can't always rely on the night vision. Your cowl could be damaged, or missing… the only thing you can rely on is your senses. If you lose one, make the others stronger."

I had struck her behind the left knee with more force, nearly causing her to yelp. By the time she spun around to grab the bo staff, I had already recoiled and paced three strides clockwise, hitting her exposed abdomen. Mattie had leaned forward with a quick gasp and when I reminded her to balance between offense and defense, she snarled.

The quicker and harder I had struck her from varying positions, the better she was able to focus. It had fluidly progressed into a spar, she remaining unarmed and blindfolded. For my final blow, I had faked to the right before bounding left, aiming for the small of her back with a vicious crack. With time to spare, she had turned to face me, blocking the blow, latching onto the staff and using it as a catapult in order to launch herself at me.

Landing flat on my back, I had grinned as she peeled back the fabric covering her eyes.

"Now you see."

She had dropped the blindfold on my face, "Now you don't."

Although she had been pumped with adrenaline from the drill, and subsequently flooring me, I had called it a day for the physical work. She had sighed with disappointment but I was pleased when she had kept any verbal complaints to herself. Although she excelled at both the hands-on and theoretical lessons, it was easy to see which ones she preferred. We had cooled down on the mats with a few minutes of breathing and stretching exercises before heading out of the training bay.

Where she had instinctively headed for the lab area, I had departed in the opposite direction towards a set of small steel steps.

"Where are you going?" I had called out.

"Where are you going?" she had echoed back.

I had motioned her over with a wave of my hand, "Come on. Time to learn about the Malone's Auto Body Shop."

"The what?" she had asked while striding over.

Quickly taking the steps, I had replied, "That's what Dick calls the garage."

She had reached the tier and caught up with me before responding, "Ah, after Matches."

"God rest his soul," I had smirked down at her.

I had explained right away that Batman and his allies weren't exactly able to use mechanics or AAA services. She had smirked as I told her that she needed to be as well versed in maintaining her equipment as with any other aspect of her training. I had offered her a tour of the various models of Mobiles but she had shrugged, "That's okay, Dad showed me a while ago."

"Ah. Any favorites?" I had asked.

She had taken a moment to gaze at the draped vehicles before pointing to the far right.

I had smirked while walking over to one of the earliest Mobiles, earmarked in the histories with its long fins and bubble canopies over the driver and passenger seats, "The Futura… a classic."

"What about you?" she had asked while following me.

"I love the classics as well… but I have a soft spot for this one," I had smirked while backtracking four spots down. Pulling the cover half off, I had continued, "I call it the Mercedes-Bats CLK-GTR."

Mattie had joined me, staring at the glossy black exterior of a car that was older than she was. Although most of the older models had been detailed and primed for quasi-retirement, the one before us bore scratches on the hood, roof and doors, dents in the fenders and side and even cracks in the bullet-resistant windshield.

"What happened to it?" she had asked, running her fingers through a particularly deep gouge on the hood.

"Well, believe it or not, I used to be a teenager. And as a teenager, I was a member of the Teen Titans. And unlike other members, I had access to very nice, very shiny and very expensive things."

"You crashed the Batmobile?"

"No," I had instantly defended myself, "Bart… Kid Flash… he crashed it. Terrible, terrible driver."

"Is he any better now?"

Biting down on my lip for a moment, I had thought briefly of my late friend's unruly hair and devious smirk, suddenly feeling guilty for not attending the JLA meeting earlier in the week.

"No, he… he died a long time ago," I had said while pulling the cover all of the way off and letting it fall to the floor. "He could run faster than the speed of light, but he loved this car…"

I had picked the Mercedes as our learning specimen, joking in order to lighten the mood by saying she certainly couldn't hurt it anymore than it already was. Retrieving the keys, I had pulled it out into the middle of the bay, the seven hundred horsepower engine ripping through the silence of the Cave. I showed her the main points of the engine, the features that had become standard in every Mobile and then moved on to maintenance. She changed the fuel and oil filters, drained and filled the oil and learned to rotate and check the tires for air.

Much like earlier, the more she had to do, the quicker she picked it up.

We had been changing a tire when Bruce had made an appearance, looking as terrible as I had expected him to. Alfred had contacted me on the comm. link in the wee hours that morning, nervous energy breaking through his voice. He had found Bruce unconscious at the base of the granite steps in the Cave, victim to both a fall and seizure. Regrettably, there had been no way of telling which had struck first. Alfred had explained that Leslie had cleared Bruce to be stable enough to go upstairs and that he needed a stronger soul than himself in order follow through.

"I understand if you are busy, lad…"

"I'm never too busy for him," I had replied.

I had called it an early night in order to help relocate Bruce to the master bedroom. Pushing his gurney into the elevator and moving his limp body into bed had brought back buried memories of moving him home after he had been shot by Pasqualle over a decade earlier. It had been just as painful seeing him infirm as a teenager as it was being a man grown. I had checked in with Alfred during the day, relieved to hear that Bruce was up and about, enjoying an afternoon with Selina and the kids.

Hiding my concern, I had greeted Bruce in the Cave as if everything was fine, knowing he would do the same. It was painful looking at him, knowing that I had yet to confide in him, had yet to ask for his insight. Arguing with Dick the weekend before hadn't made it any easier, knowing that both he and Barbara were waiting with baited breath. Bruce's faint smirk had me forcing words out of my mouth, asking to speak with him. He had agreed, subsequently postponing it by telling me to take a break with his daughter.

I had agreed, for Mattie's sake more than his or my own.

"Okay, we have ham… potatoes… ham… parsnips… ham," Mattie joked as she searched the massive refrigerator. After a good six minutes of scrubbing her hands with soap, she had been perusing what was left of the feast we had earlier in the week. Alfred was never a fan of leftovers so no doubt it would be the food's last day before getting tossed.

Sitting on one of the stools at the island counter, I asked, "Any of that cake left? That was really good."

"Yeah," she stepped out from behind the open door with her hands full of glass containers. Setting them down on the counter, she used her rear to shut the door, "Ham first, then dessert."

"Sounds like a plan."

With the potatoes and parsnips heating in a skillet, Mattie went about making sandwiches on slices of wheat bread. Wanting to feel somewhat useful, I poured each of us tall glasses of cold water. I drained and refilled mine before asking if I could do anything else. She shook her head, "Alfred would never forgive me. He told me about the time you did laundry."

"That was like… fifteen years ago… He never forgets anything…" I sighed as the phone rang. With my pupil occupied, I rose to my feet and grabbed it on the second ring, "Hello?"

There was a brief clip of a dial tone, followed by a series of short tones: bip-bip-bip beep-beep-beep bip-bip-bip.

After my heart leapt into my throat, I managed to swallow it back down in order to hang up. Mattie asked who it was and I said, "Wrong number…"

Had I wanted to cause her to panic, I would have told her the truth.

The Manor's security and the Cave's security were connected, alerts from below sounding in the house as common things. Alfred had a system in his room that cued him when we returned from patrols and if we needed medical attention. If tests were done in the lab, the phone system would send out a page signal. And in the event of an "in Cave" emergency, a false call was sent out with a Morse code message.

S-O-S.

As calmly as I could, I said, "Hey… I'm going to go down and talk to your Dad… mind staying up here for a while?"

"Are you going to talk about me?" she grinned as she waved the spatula.

I shrugged, "Maybe… But keep on cooking… I'll be back in a few."

Still restraining myself, I quietly strode out of the kitchen and five yards down the hall before taking off at a dead run. Coming to a halt before the grandfather clock, I took a deep breath, preparing myself to find Bruce laying on the cold floor. Moments earlier, I had raced up the stairs in sport, but I ran down them twice as fast, my blood running cold.

"Bruce!" I called out, leaping over the last four steps and taking off to the main floor.

"I'm all right, Tim," I heard him say over the fall of my footsteps and the beating of my heart.

And he was, standing beside the chair in the computer bay, Ace stoic by his side.

But he wasn't alone.

The only daughter of Ra's Al Ghul stood five feet in front of Bruce, wearing black leggings tucked into leather boots. As opposed to her customary garb of combat ready attire and weaponry, she wore a dark gray turtleneck under fur lined vest and dirty leather gloves. Her long hair was loose, dripping passed her shoulders with a trademark lock covering half of her face. It had been fifteen years since I had seen her last and she looked as if she hadn't aged a day.

I came to a stop when I was equidistant between Bruce and Talia, ready to protect him or take her out at a moment's notice. Clenching my fists, I glared at her, "I'm giving you one second to back away."

She smiled warmly, her voice entertained rather than concerned, "My, how you have grown…"

"Second's up," I snapped, taking one step forward.

Bruce spoke softly, "That's enough, Tim."

I shot a look at him for a moment, confused to see how calm he looked. Glancing back to Talia, I demanded, "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Please," she gazed around the expanse of the main tier, "I've broken in more times than you have."

"That wasn't an answer," I lowered my voice.

Bruce stepped forward and started to speak, but Talia interrupted him. She turned to face me, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I am here. That I have defied all odds and lived long enough to find you."

Pulse still throbbing in my temples, I drew a long breath before unclenching my fingers.

Talia looked to her feet momentarily, a look of pain flashing over her delicate face. Tentatively, she reached up, pushing the wave of hair off of her face in order to reveal a rough, pink scar running from her brow to the corner of her jaw.

"I told you… I need you to protect me."

^V^

Raising my wine glass, I exhaled slowly, "To Dad."

"To Dad," Jim repeated as he clinked his glass to mine.

Dick chimed his with ours while saying, "To Jim." When we looked at him, he added, "He never let me call him Dad and anytime I did, he would remind me that it was Jim or… if I was in trouble, Sir."

I laughed before taking a small sip, "You, in trouble?"

Shrugging, Dick sat back into the couch, "You would never know that beneath this handsome exterior is a heart of mischief and wonder."

Jim shook his head, "I may need to switch to something stronger than this if you're going talk like that."

After dinner, I had decided to put a very cranky Ethan down to bed, more than an hour early seeing he had refused to nap during the afternoon. Afterward, we had collected in the living room with a bottle of white wine and second helpings to still warm apple-pear pie and vanilla ice cream. I had concocted it for my father on our first Fourth of July together and he had instantly claimed it to be his favorite. Thereafter, I had made it for him on every single one of his birthdays and whenever things were bad at the department.

It had always made him smile.

Dick, whose glass had only been a third full, drained the last bit of liquid before setting it on the coffee table, centering it on a coaster. He then picked up his dessert plate, smiling before digging into his oversized slice of pie. Frank made a choking sound from between Dick's feet, prompting my husband to elaborately say, "Mmmmm, it's so tasty, Frank."

The dog hacked and gargled, a habit that had guaranteed scraps from my father but hadn't worked once in the time he had lived with us. After setting my wine down, I elbowed Dick and told him, "Leave my step-brother alone."

"Oh, all right… Truce, Frank?" he asked before breaking off a piece of flaky crust and offering it to the French Bulldog. Flews flying, the piece disappeared instantly. After wiping his hand on his shirt, Dick then sighed, "After this week… I may need waist control tights."

Jim shook his head before taking a forkful, "Me too… Mo is going to make me go to the gym with her when I get back."

Sitting beside Dick on the couch, I set my fork down before reaching over and patting his flat stomach, feeling taut skin beneath his tee-shirt, "You're right… I think CVS has them on sale starting tomorrow, two for one."

Dick smirked as he responded, "Hey, you remember when Bruce first stepped down… how Selina used to pick on him that he was getting out of shape?"

"Do I ever," I shook my head before clarifying for my brother, "Even though he retired from being… you know, Bruce toned down his Spartan exercise regimes to be marginally less maniacal. Selina used to pick on him all of the time… made him so mad… One time she joked about it when I was up visiting and he walked right out of the room and went to work in the gym."

Jim smiled, "He does seem to be the obsessive type."

"You have no idea, man," Dick shook his head, "Hell, even with a busted leg he is still at least two hours a day."

Sitting back into the recliner, Jim sighed, "Okay, when I get home tomorrow, I'm getting a gym membership, whether Mo makes me or not."

It was sad to think that it had already been a week since Dick and I had picked him up at the airport. He had a ten-thirty flight the next morning back to Chicago and I knew he was excited to get home to Maureen and Sarah. Since Halloween, they had made a step in the right direction, finally setting a date for their wedding the following May. Nearly a year of postponement but given the reason why, it was understandable.

"Speaking of home, I went to FedEx today, had some things sent to you back in Chi-town."

"Things?" Jim asked, "What things?"

As Dick took a spoonful of my ice cream, he chimed in, "Yeah, what things?"

"Things… for Sarah. For you. For Maureen."

"Christmas things?" he accused.

"Well, I know she wanted you guys to celebrate it out there with her family, so I figured I would get a head start."

"Barbara, you didn't-."

"Shut it… Or you're walking to the airport in the morning."

Setting his empty plate down, Dick groaned, "Damnit… I forgot to send out Roy's birthday gift."

"When was it?" I asked.

"The first of November… Good thing they were pre-order tickets for the Super Bowl… I still have some time.

"He'll get over it, buy him a ten dollar cup of beer when you go," I stopped when my phone sounded from my pocket. Handing my plate to Dick, I retrieved it, seeing a fake number on the display indicating the call was coming from the Cave. I smiled, thinking that maybe Bruce was finding himself feeling sentimental, no doubt sitting in front of the computer and reading ancient articles about his late best friend.

I answered with, "Hey, what's up."

A dial tone sounded, then a series of rapid fire beeps before returning to a long tone.

Hanging up, I quickly moved to my wheelchair, hastily leaving the room. With my mobile device, I started to open the Oracom link, hoping for a voice to greet me from the computer in the Cave. Dick called out to me as I turned down the hall, but I didn't reply until I was certain there was no answer on the other end, "Dick."

Setting the plates down on the coffee table, both Dick and Jim rose to their feet, concern washing over their faces. Where Jim opted to stand back, Dick followed me into the hall and towards the secure entrance, he asked, "What's going on?"

While listening to incessant ringing after dialing Tim's phone, I answered him, "I just got an emergency signal from the Cave but no one is answering. Tim's there working with Mattie… he's not picking up on his cell… someone should be responding."

Dick swore under his breath before nodding, "Okay, I'll call when I get there…" He leaned in and kissed my brow before taking off towards the front of the apartment, telling something to Jim as he passed by.

As I unlocked the door remotely and waited for the wall to recede, I heard my brother's footfalls approaching, "Barbara?"

"Sorry, duty calls…" I glanced back at him.

"Did something happen?" he asked, his hazel eyes widening with worry.

"I don't know… I… If you want, you can hang out in the den."

Jim shook his head, "And do what, watch TV? Hell no."

My eyes never left his face as I said, "Fine… but if you come in here, you don't touch anything. Anything."

There was a stunned silence from Jim as he took in not only the technological contents of my lair but also how quickly I had gone from gracious hostess to battle commander. Donning my headset, I prompted the computer system to life with vocal authorization, situating myself in front of the sensor pad that acted as a keyboard and mouse while offering infinite controls over manipulating and designing for digital and holographic display. Neglecting my mobile device, I accessed communication links to Tim's and Bruce's phones as well as the regular line of Wayne Manor.

No answer from any of them.

Without being asked, I explained, "There was a distress signal… it could be that someone is hurt… it could be that someone broke in… I just… it's better to be safe than sorry."

I caught him nodding out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't need to tell Jim about being cautious.

The security system of the Cave had yet to initiate lock down, which generally took place the very second that the emergency call went out. As I opened up the computer's activity log, I was confused that the signal had been sent but when the countermeasures were initiated, an override command had been entered. No software intrusions or viruses were coming up on the scanning program, nor were their any indications that the biometric scanners had been tainted.

Not good. Definitely not good.

"Lights, camera, action…" I said, keying in the command to access the live Oracom communication feed.

"Camera?" I heard Jim ask.

"It's a direct audio-visual link between myself and the Cave's computer," I glanced over my shoulder at him, "It will show whoever is on the main tier of the Cave, but they will see and hear a nondescript version of myself… ."

He nodded, looking bewildered, "Ah."

Taking a breath, I opened up the visual feed, activating the filter that covered my voice and masked my face with my green digital counterpart. I brought the returning image from the Cave up on my main monitor, relieved to see Bruce and Tim alive and seemingly well. Ace was beside his master, eyes focused intently on the third person on the screen.

As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't entirely shocked to see that it was Talia. She appeared to be alone and unarmed, but her sudden appearance certainly qualified as a reason to sound the alarms. Between the encrypted transmission that I had been unable to trace an origin for and the letter that had come from a dummy postal delivery service in Iran, I had been waiting for her next move. She hadn't hesitated in showing fear of her father and his unnamed ally as well as her desire to find safety. The only place she would be able to quell one and indulge in the other was in Gotham, with Bruce.

Then again, she had written and sent the letter to Tim, also showing her doubts in Bruce…

With green light casting over them, each looked up to their monitor, Tim speaking first, "Run a sweep on the sensors in the Cave. I want to know if there is a single bat missing."

"On it," I replied, activating a program Bruce had designed and installed years earlier. With over a two thousand motion, sound, thermal and light sensors strategically placed throughout the Cave, it was possible to search for changes as minute as a rock rolling five inches. With that underway, I allowed myself to join Bruce and Tim in studying Talia, wanting to ask how long they had been standing there.

Somehow, I found the self-control to simply observe in silence.

Even though she looked as stunning as ever, there was something off in her poise and stance. Despite her ever shifting loyalty, she had always been a strong-willed woman, never tolerating insubordination in any form or from anyone. Ace recognized her apprehension and let out a low growl, one that was momentarily silenced when Bruce looked down at him. Although they both sensed the strain, Tim seemed to be siding with the dog by taking an offensive stance with tense muscles and clenched fists.

Bruce, oddly enough, was just standing there as if Talia's presence had been expected.

"Ace," Bruce growled back at the dog. When he quieted and settled back onto his haunches, Bruce spoke with a softer tone, "Talia… Where have you been?"

"Forget where she's been, I want to know how the hell she got here?" Tim snapped.

Talia studied Tim for a moment, her eyes desperate, her voice practically begging, "This is unnecessary… I am the victim, not the vector."

Tim took a step towards her, "Sorry if I can't take your word for granted. Hard to trust someone so willing to stab someone in the back."

Bruce started to speak but Talia beat him to it, "My very being here shows not only how desperate I am for protection, but that I was scared enough for your well being to come and warn you."

"Too little too-."

"Enough," Bruce said, although not with the growl I was expecting. He looked to me, "Where's Dick?"

"On his way, at least another ten minutes until he arrives," I replied. He may have decided to be informal with her, but I chose not to.

Bruce cleared his throat before saying, "You're going to answer Tim's question. How did you get in here?"

She sighed before replying, "I've spent the last six months running from my father's men… entering your Cave was easy by comparison."

"What entrance did you use?" Bruce asked.

"The old barn. I entered on foot through the woods… and I secured it upon passing through."

Having apparently taken over the situation, Bruce continued, "Are you alone?"

She took another step forward, leaving barely a foot between them, "Yes, I swear on my mother's soul. I am alone. I have been for some time."

Tim started to speak, "Bruce..."

Bruce silenced him with a look before asking her, "Are you injured?" He was still using the same soft tone, one that had no place in the interrogation of an individual who had just broken into the Cave. I brought up a vocal analyzing program that evaluated the timber, rate and volume of her voice, as well as monitoring respiration. Knowing how good she was at lying, it seemed pointless but I decided to at least make the effort.

"No… just tired," her lips trembled before she added, "And scared."

There was a long pause before I spoke, "Scan hasn't come up with anything yet. I recommend physical examination of all entry points."

"Later," Bruce said before looking to Tim, "Go upstairs. Wait for Dick, then bring him and Selina down. Tell Alfred to stay with the children."

As the very thought crossed my mind, Tim said it aloud, "You honestly want Selina down here?"

"We need to talk. As a Family."

"I'm not leaving you alone with her," he replied, not even bothering whisper.

"I'm not alone," was Bruce's reply glancing down at the dog, his eyes and ears having never left Talia since I had brought the video up.

Tim looked over Talia once more before casting his eyes to the monitor, "Set phasers to stun."

"Copy that," I replied.

As he moved off screen, I muted my microphone, "Jim."

"Want me out?"

"If you don't mind… I'm sorry… It's not so much of an emergency as it is decades of drama and angst coming to a head."

With one eye on the screen, I watched as Talia spoke softly to Bruce. The other caught Jim nodding, "Gotcha. I had enough of that watching soap operas with Mo when she was pregnant."

After unlocking the door for him, he waited for it to open before stepping outside. I took a moment to glance over, "I'll be out as soon as I can. Promise."

"And I'll try not to eat the entire pie. Promise," he smirked at me just as the door closed.

^V^

I was eight minutes from Wayne Manor when Barbara called. With the speed limit being fifty-five miles per an hour and the speedometer on the Range Rover edging towards eighty-five, it rang three times before I answered, "Babs, what's going on?"

"You better slow down, there's a trooper posted on the right a half-mile up."

"Damnit, Barbara, what's going on?" I found myself shouting out of sheer anxiety.

"First of all, I'm not kidding, he's going to pull you over. Second, the Cave is secure, Bruce-."

"What happened?" I cut in, barely hitting the brakes in time to decelerate to a speed that wouldn't arouse suspicion. Coasting by the hidden trooper at an even fifty-eight, I waited until I was out of his radar's range before picking up speed. She didn't sound concerned, forcing me to be twice as worried. If it had been a fluke, she would have told me it was a false alarm right away, that I could go back home and finish my second dessert.

"As I was saying, Bruce and Tim came up on the monitor… along with Talia."

"What?" I cried, tapping the breaks in order to make the last turn without flipping the SUV. I nearly asked how the hell she had gotten in, but Talia had been able to sneak into the Cave whenever she pleased over the course of her and Bruce's dysfunctional relationship. Instead, I inquired, "How did she get into Gotham without our knowing?"

"Not sure. Bruce wants all of us to meet so we can get everything out in the open. Tim is going to meet you upstairs, he'll bring you and Selina down-."

Sighing, I turned up the private road, "Should have ridden the cycle up… at least then I would have a helmet to wear."

I reached into the center console, taking out what appeared to be a typical garage door remote. Pressing my thump on the key pad, it scanned my fingerprint before sending out the signal to open the wrought iron gates ahead. With the Manor possibly still on lock down after the emergency signal, I wasn't about to have the new car aerated with rubber bullets from hidden countermeasures.

Still driving faster than necessary, I raced through the gates while Barbara explained, "She's admitted to using the old barn to get into the Cave. The security scan revealed she also deactivated a few sensors as she made her way in…"

"Sneaky demon spawn," I muttered as the Manor came into view, "Is she alone?"

"So she says."

I went around the garage, parking crooked before hopping out, "I'm on my way in… See you in a few."

As I made my way through the service entrance, I sighed with relief to find the kitchen dim and empty. Quickly jogging through the quiet halls, I navigated to the study with no intention of waiting for either Tim or Selina. Sending Tim upstairs to meet me was a textbook Bruce move and possibly the first gesture he had made since April that reflected the old him. Talia's presence was obviously a surprise, one Bruce could get to the bottom of more easily if he was alone with her.

Reaching the closed oak door, I swung it open to find they were in fact waiting for me. Tim waited until I was in and had closed the door before checking, "Barbara call you?"

Where he appeared only slightly tense, Selina was pushing into the red zone. The furrowed brows, pursed lips and electric gaze belong partially concealed by a mask, not in the soft lighting of Bruce's study. Stepping closer, I nodded, "Figures something like this would happen today."

"Today?" Tim asked.

Selina looked to Tim, "It's the twenty-seventh."

It took a moment for the date to sink in, the look on his face suggesting it was the first time he thought of Jim Gordon's tombstone that day. Tim shook his head and sighed, "Shit… I totally forgot."

Setting a hand on his shoulder, I offered, "It's okay, we've got a bigger problem right now. How the hell did this happen?"

"Contemplate all you want, boys," Selina turned towards the open clock entrance, "I'm going to get answers."

Before following, I leaned over and whispered into Tim's ear, "I'll put fifty on Selina."

He shook his head, leading the way to the stairs without saying a word.

Blood still pumping, I barely felt the change in temperature as we descended into the Cave. Tim and I had to practically jog down the steps in order to keep up with Selina. As far as I knew, Selina had never encountered any of Bruce's former significant others. Vicki Vale and Julie Madison had moved on, Silver St. Cloud had disowned him and Vesper Fairchild was in Gotham Cemetery.

Jumping the last two steps, a bad feeling started deep in my gut. Having Talia as the first one she encountered had me wondering if it would leave the Cave floor bathed in blood.

Walking over towards the computer bay, I first noticed the large green visage of Oracle as opposed to Barbara's concerned face. Next, I spotted Talia dressed in boots, leggings and a fur lined coat over a dirtied long-sleeved tee. A fraction of a second later, I realized she had a hand resting on Bruce's chest and that no one was standing between her and Selina. Realizing company was approaching, Talia let her hand drop slowly, making no effort to look embarrassed.

Standing in a loosely formed circle, I decided to cut through the steely glares and palpable tension, "Did we really have to do this today?"

She appraised me with an odd smile on her face, "Richard."

"Talia," I nodded.

Bruce looked to Selina, almost looking apologetic before introducing her, "Talia…this is my wife, Selina."

"The one who stole your heart," Talia said, her smile seeming out of place given the icy look in her hazel eyes.

Not wanting to waste another second, Bruce approached the computer, remaining on his feet while saying, "Breaking in aside, I need you to clarify a few things. Oracle?"

The green face on the screen nodded before the monitor opened up a small audio window. Before it played, Talia moved to stand beside Bruce, "Right to business, then. Good to see that even after all of these years... that hasn't changed."

Instinctively, Tim and I both looked to Selina who was still silently sending daggers from her eyes and into the back of Talia's head. With Bruce occupied, he was less likely to see any possible attack from behind, prompting me to step closer to her, "Listen, Selina…"

The look she gave me urged me to keep my mouth shut for the next decade.

Tim, being slightly braver than I, spoke up, "Let's just take this one step at a time. Bruce wants to work first, let him."

Ignoring us, he cued the enhanced transmission to play, "I have only moments… but I needed to contact you, to try to warn you… These last fifteen years… my father hasn't been in hiding… he's been preparing… for something dire, something that involves you. And your family."

Talia crossed her arms over her chest, seeming to relive the words that played over the speakers. Having heard it dozens of times, I practically moved my lips with it, word for word. There were a number of questions that were born from the transmission, but I knew the most important one came from the very last line.

"Beloved… I can't even begin to explaining the things he has done to me… holding me captive… his new ally is a vile man… I need your help, I need you… My father has spent these last years training him… he wants me to wed him but I can't… he's… I couldn't do it to you, beloved, I couldn't… marry an abomination… I could barely look at him without thinking of you, and what you endured for him… before and after he died… Beloved, please, I-."

There was a moment before Bruce turned to stare down at Talia, "Who is he? Who is the man working with your father?"

She shook her head, a hand rising up to cover her gaped mouth. She reluctantly withdrew it to say, "There was more to this… I… I don't know what happened to it."

Tim said, "This message was encrypted and bounced off of a dozen satellites before Oracle found it."

Bruce repeated his question, his voice finally starting to take an edge, "Who is he? Is it Bane?"

"Beloved, I-," Talia started, tears brimming at her eyes. Selina tensed between us, a low growl sounding when the other woman continued, "He never meant for you to know. It was a mistake… from the beginning-."

Out of nowhere, Bruce grabbed her by her wrist, twisting it behind her back before pinning her into the side of the chair, "Who?"

The tears slipped over her cheeks as she whimpered, "Jason… Jason Todd."

"Don't lie to me, Talia," he leaned in closer, the growl matching the hardened face.

"I swear to you…" she whispered, her lower lip trembling.

The thumping in my chest came to a sudden stop.

No.

Not Jason…

Releasing her, Bruce took and awkward step sideways, practically collapsing into the chair. Talia knelt before him, finally letting the words come willingly, "After Jason died, my father wanted to make amends… When I came to Gotham looking for Qayin… my father sent men to collect his remains…"

Bruce was shaking his head, but had yet to say a word.

She reached up and touched his forearm, "He wanted to spare you of your suffering, of your pain…"

Selina suddenly moved by us, swatting at Talia's hand, "Get the hell away from him!"

"I beg your pardon-."

"Don't make me ask twice," she hissed, putting her hands on Bruce's face. We watched on as she said his name softly as if trying to reassure him.

It was then I noticed his right hand was trembling on the armrest. I moved forward as well, "What do you need?"

"Nothing, it's just a petit mal… Bruce, it's okay…" she proceeded to rub her hand over his chest.

Talia shook her head as she stood on the other side of the chair, gently rubbing her wrist, "I am so sorry, I didn't know it would-."

Selina glared at her, "One more word and I'll rip your tongue out."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Tim approaching Talia, guiding her away while talking quietly. With Bruce sitting before me, I was unable to focus both on his well being and what they were whispering about. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if he was telling her that Bruce didn't know about the letter, or if he was warning her that Selina was capable of much worse than just ripping her tongue out. I thought how quiet Barbara was on the screen above us and how hard it was too be eye level with Bruce as his neurological system failed him.

Twenty seconds later, Bruce stilled, blinking slowly before looking up at us, "We have to exhume..." his words failed him, leaving him shaking head while he tried to get up.

I put my hand beside Selina's on his chest, "Fine, but you need to sit for a second."

"Wh-," he started to inquire. Looking up at Selina's concerned face, he as able to answer his own question. He then grumbled, "Fine… Oracle, I need security logs for all of August, '94... Look for any suspicious alerts, air space activity…"

"Consider it done," her image replied.

I glanced up to see Talia stepping forward despite Tim urging her to stand to the side, "Beloved, I am so sorry…"

"Don't be… And don't call me that," he glanced up at Tim and then back to Talia. Exhaling slowly, Bruce noted, "Take Tim the way you came in. Fix the deactivated sensors. Secure the old barn entrance."

"Okay," Tim nodded.

"Dick and I will go upstairs and-," he cut himself off short, unable to say the words. Bruce looked up at us as we hovered over him, "Do you mind?"

Although I backed away, Selina held her ground, "Yes, I do. You're pushing it as it is by having that succubus here… But one more and you're going to the hospital."

"It was only-."

She cut him off with a low growl, "Only a precursor to your third strike."

Tim cleared his throat, "Let's go… I need to hit the lab first, get some supplies."

He took two strides before realizing he wasn't being followed. Just as he went to call out to her, Talia offered once more, "Bruce… I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault…" he said, looking to her.

She shook her head, the lock of hair waving back and forth over her cheek, "No… I… for Jason… I'm… I'm so sorry it had to come to you this way…."

He finally made it to his feet, "If you're lying… you will be sorry."

^V^

Despite how it had started, it was quite possibly the best Saturday I had spent with my Family in a long time.

Even after a long day in the city, I had spent Friday night at the movies with Angie and Katarina, Kat's mother taking us out for a light meal as well. We had shared appetizers and indulged on milkshakes despite the cold air outside. Her mom had dropped me off at home a little after ten, and I had been worried that I would get in trouble for being late without calling ahead.

There had been no one on the ground floor, the lights out in every room and the corridors dimmed for the evening. I had quietly made my way upstairs, pausing on the second floor landing to look down the east wing. Finding another barely lit hall, I had reasoned that Alfred and Leslie had already called it a night, leaving me to climb the remaining flight in the clear.

The third floor had been equally quiet. I had practically tiptoed the entire way to my door, not even taking a chance to wake my parents by peering into their room. It had been a long week for them, especially for Dad. By Wednesday he had been exhausted, not even feeling well enough to join the Family for dinner. I had hoped that they had gone to bed after tucking Nathan in and wouldn't know of my delayed return.

After changing into cut off sweat pants and a long-sleeved black tee, I had collapsed onto my bed, reaching to my nightstand in order to drag my laptop over. I had chatted online for a bit, checked my e-mail and looked at the new pictures on my old stable's website. As much as I missed riding and spending time at the barn, it had still been the right choice to leave it behind in order to pursue my other interests. With no concrete plans for the weekend, I had thought that maybe I would convince Mom to take a drive over, even if it was just to groom Coltrane and Rusty.

Putting the computer back on my bedside table, I had heard my cell phone chirp from my dresser. Rolling off of the bed, I had retrieved it, smiling to see a text message from Terry: how was girls night?

I had decided to call him back, greeting him with, "It was awesome."

"Awesome, hunh…"

"Yeah, Kat's mom took us to Charlotte's after the movie."

"Tell me you didn't get the chicken pot stickers," he had sighed.

"I did. And they were amazing," I had laughed quietly.

We had chatted until nearly one in the morning, catching up seeing how we hadn't spoken to one another since Wednesday. He had flown out with his father and sister to Arizona Tuesday night, visiting his grandmother and his aunts and uncles that lived out there. Between the three hour time difference and our equally busy schedules, we had relied on texting one another for most of the break. Unfortunately, he wasn't due back until Sunday afternoon, essentially spending his entire school break away. As long as he wasn't too tired, but we still had planned to hang out when he got back, hopefully something fun.

Girls night was great and all, but you couldn't hold your friend's hand walking into the movies…

Turning my alarm clock off, I had finally crawled into bed, petting Taffy while fighting yawns. Since I had spent Wednesday and Friday volunteering and Thursday at the Clocktower for Thanksgiving, Saturday had been the first day of my vacation that I had a chance to sleep in. Listening to my calico purring beside me, I had finally fallen asleep, leaving my body tell me when it wanted to rise.

When my eyes had opened, they first found Taffy's colorful face, still peaceful with slumber. I had rolled over to find my alarm clock, surprised when it had only read five after seven. Getting out of bed, I had proceeded to stretch out my arms, back and legs, exhaling as my muscles relaxed. It wasn't often that I had eight hours of sleep and I had no intention of letting my body get accustomed to it.

Alfred said that Dad had spent most of his life living off of three or less hours of sleep at night. Although, he was certainly catching up on all of those hours he had missed…

Even thought I had intended it to be a lazy day, I had decided to get ready for the day, taking time to straighten my hair. I had picked out a pair of jeans and a dip-dye fitted sweater that was white at my shoulders, changing to violet at my waist. Before heading downstairs, I had peeked into my parents' bedroom. Dad had been sleeping on his back where Mom had been on her side, her arms wrapped around him and her face pressed into his neck.

It had been nice to see them together for the week, out and about instead of staying in. I had even caught them on Friday sitting together at a table at the youth center's gymnasium while holding hands. I knew it was wrong to sneak around, but sometimes I couldn't help myself as they always seemed the closest when they thought no one was looking.

On my way out, I had quietly opened Nathan's bedroom door, finding him sprawled on the bed with Ace. Smirking, I had called out, "Nate?"

"Mmm," he had replied.

"Nate, want to help me make waffles?"

At that, he had managed to pick his head up, "Chocolate chip?"

"Sure."

I had expected Alfred to have already taken up his post in the kitchen, but we had found it to be empty. Being nearly eight in the morning, I had wondered if Dad had told him to take the day off given how much he had worked throughout the week. After washing my hands, I had started the process of collecting ingredients, the mixer as well as the Belgian waffle maker. Nathan and Ace had arrived and after he had taken the dog out, I had asked him if he had seen anyone else that morning.

"Mom was up, she said she'd be right down," he had answered with a shrug. He had gone about preparing Ace's food, evenly measuring out three cups from the pull-out cabinet and pouring them into the porcelain bowl.

After directing him to also wash up, I had him help me measure out the dry ingredients while I took care of the vanilla, butter, milk and eggs. Just as I had him pouring chocolate chips into the large bowl, I had heard my mother say, "And what are we doing in here?"

Nathan had answered "We're making waffles, Mom, with chocolate chips."

"Sounds delicious," she had walked over, kissing the top of my head before leaning over and doing the same to my little brother. I had turned around to look at her, confused to see she had make-up covering the dark bags beneath her bloodshot eyes. My assumption that she and Dad had gone to bed early was obviously wrong and I couldn't help but wonder if she knew about me getting in late.

She had joined our efforts, making a pot of coffee, a carafe of chocolate milk and bowl of sliced up bananas. I had asked about Alfred and Leslie and she had said that we could bring a tray up to them seeing how they were taking the day to themselves. When I inquired about Dad, she had smiled sadly, "He's still sleeping, kiddo."

"He went to bed before I did," Nathan had said while watching the waffle iron intensely.

I had glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was nearly nine.

Something had turned in my stomach, making the smell of sweet waffles turn pungent.

I had offered to take Alfred and Leslie their breakfast but Mom had insisted she take care of it, seeing right through my ruse to go check on Dad. Nathan and I had eaten breakfast alone, Ace patiently laying at our feet in the nook. Mom had returned after a few minutes, smiling and asking about what we wanted to do that day, promising that we could pick anything we wanted.

"Can I get a new controller for the Wii," I had asked, "I think one of mine isn't working right."

She had nodded, "Sure… we can go to the Palisades mall, before it gets too busy. Then maybe we can have lunch out."

"What about Dad?" I had asked.

"He'll probably want to stay in, kiddo, he's had a pretty long week."

Before we had headed out, Alfred and Leslie had made their way to the ground floor, thanking us profusely for breakfast. I had inquired about their day and Leslie had explained that they had a luncheon to attend at the Clinic. Once I had put the waffle iron away, I had pointed out, "Well… Dad can't be here alone."

Mom had nodded, "You're right… we'll do lunch here then."

Once we had left the house, I had found myself relaxing. We had made it to the mall in time to find the perfect parking spot. Rather than simply head straight to the video game store, we perused the first floor, stopping in at stores randomly. Rather than simply buy a new controller so we could play Mario Kart with four people in my sitting room, Nathan and I left with a number of bags. Mom had bought us new jeans and sweaters, new sneakers for Nathan and a pair of suede boots for me. On the way home, we had stopped at the coffee shop, Nathan choosing a mint hot chocolate while Mom and I ordered lattes.

Making it back home, I had been surprised that it was only eleven in the morning. We had followed Mom upstairs and she had ushered us to put our things away. I had watched her from my door as she headed to the master bedroom, causing her to glance back, "I'll see what he wants to eat."

He had been in bed since nine the night before…

New clothes in my closet, I had gone to their room and pressed my ear against the door, hearing both of them talking with raised voices. Having been so focused on making out the words, I hadn't noticed Nathan approaching, "What are you doing?"

"Shh," I had said.

"Just go in," he had countered, opening the door without hesitation.

I had promptly headed to the elevator, making my way to the ground floor and to the kitchen. If they were arguing about what to do about me getting home late, I wanted to be prepared with bribery in the way of foodstuffs. As quickly as possible, I started to make lunch, grilling ham and cheese sandwiches and baking steak fries. Anything I could do to keep my hands busy and my mind from overflowing with questions.

Mom had found me ten minutes later, "You are right out of control today."

I had looked over at her once, "Where's Dad?"

She had nodded, "He's getting washed up, be down in a few."

Still looking at her, I had asked, "Am I in trouble?"

Mom had joined me at the stove, forcing a smile to her lips before nodding. She had then explained that he had gone down to the Cave the night before and had a seizure and had fallen. Leslie had kept him downstairs for observation until nearly four in the morning, waiting for Tim to return to help move him into bed. When I had bit down on my lip, she had offered, "He's fine… he just needed to rest."

I had refused to believe her until I had seen him walk into the kitchen, offering me a smile with, "Nate said I missed waffles… sorry about that, kitten."

The remainder of the day had been picture perfect. We had lunch in the den while playing Monopoly for nearly two hours, finally resulting in a showdown between Nathan and my father. I had wanted to ask about the bandage on his hand but didn't want to bring it up seeing how Nathan hadn't seemed to notice. During our capitalism adventures, Leslie and Alfred had departed for their luncheon, both offering Dad curt nods and smiles.

I had wanted to spend some alone time with Dad seeing how he had slept the morning away but after the game, he had headed back upstairs while we went back out for ice cream. Returning from my second venture of the day, I had spent some alone time in my room, once again calling Terry. I rehashed my productive day to him and he had joked that it was midday there and he hadn't done anything at all. Hanging up, I had finally decided it was time to do something actually worthwhile, something in the Cave.

Thankfully, Tim had been there and more than willing to put me through my paces. He drilled me in combat exercises, increasing the level of difficulty with a blindfold. Form there, he had decided to test my mind, introducing me to the world of automotive care. Working on the Batmobile with him had been more fun than I had anticipated, and I couldn't help but think that the boys in my class would be jealous.

Jealousy. That was the first thing I had thought when I spotted Dad approaching us in the Cave, the look on his face…

"Miss Mattie?"

I glanced over at Alfred and faked a smile.

Not long after Tim and I had come upstairs for a snack, he had gone back downstairs to talk to my dad in private. Before I could sneak down and see what the topic of interest was, Mom had found me in the kitchen for the third time that day, asking me to follow her.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing… just… I was thinking of ordering in for dinner, no need to stretch these leftovers, Alfred's going to give what's left to Ace."

I had explained that Tim and I were going to have sandwiches and a hash and she had smiled, "Here, let's clean this up… I'll get what everyone wants then I'll order…"

Kitchen spotless, we had navigated to the entertainment den where Nathan was watching a movie with Ace. Just as we had entered, Alfred had appeared, whispering something into Mom's ear. She had looked to me for a second, "Stay here with Alfred," before turning and leaving.

I had tried to follow her but Alfred had blocked me, "Nothing to fret over, my dear. I assure you."

I had joined my brother, pretending to enjoy whatever was on the screen but my mind was racing. I could have sworn that I saw headlights coming up the drive but Alfred had made no note of it. After thirty minutes, I honestly couldn't take it any longer.

"Alfred, I have to take my medicine," I said suddenly. It wasn't a lie seeing how I did have to take not only my pills but my inhaler dose.

He mulled over it silently, sitting upright in the chair adjacent to the couch. Finally, he nodded, "Very well, but try not to make and adventure out of it."

I immediately headed to the study, quickly entering and shutting the door behind me. Just as I made a move to the clock, I heard it clicking and saw it start to move. I dove behind the couch on the far side, covering my mouth as I listened. Dick's footsteps sounded, followed shortly by my mother and father's.

"I can do this Bruce, you should rest," Dick offered quietly.

"I've been in bed all day… and this is my responsibility. Not yours."

"Bruce," my mother cut in.

He responded, "It's not open for debate. Have Alfred prepare the room on the second floor. He'll know the one. It's already outfitted with locks and sensors."

Dick sighed, "You're always prepared, aren't you?"

I peered around the couch to see them staring at one another, each of them tenser then the next. Dad shook his head, "I'm not prepared to defile his grave… or to find it empty."

"She's wrong," Dick put a hand on my father's shoulder, "She has to be… Let me take care of this."

Dad shook his head, "I buried him. I'll dig him back up."

I sat back against the couch, my blood suddenly running cold. Hearing those words come from my father was not how I had wanted to end my perfect Saturday.

^V^

Passing Master Tim in the hall had been by pure accident. I had greeted him with a soft smile and an inquiry as to how his day had been but the look on his face had me asking, "Master Tim, what's happened?"

He had swallowed before asking his own question, "You haven't seen anything odd today… strange cars… anything out of the norm, have you?"

"No, sir. Although I was away for good portion of the afternoon."

"But they were home, right, Bruce and Selina?"

I had hesitated before replying, "Ms. Selina stepped out with the children briefly this afternoon, for no more than a half of an hour."

He swore, shaking his head, "That would have been more than enough…"

"Sir, if I may…"

Master Tim had finally found the will to look me in the eye, "Talia is in the Cave."

"I'll fetch my Winchester," I had offered with a nod.

"No… It hasn't come to that… not yet… Is Leslie here?"

"In my… our quarters, sir, reviewing grant proposals."

"Good… Bruce is down there with… her, in the Cave… Dick is on his way. I'm going to take him down when he gets here… I need you to send Selina to the study as soon as you see her."

"Very well, sir… and what shall I tell her?"

Shrugging, he had answered, "The truth."

I had immediately sought out Ms. Selina, catching her as she and Miss Mattie were entering the den. They both had recognized the worried look on my face, although I had only explained myself to Ms. Selina in a quiet whisper. Adding to Miss Mattie's growing concern, her mother only said for her to stay with me. As expected, the young girl tried to follow after her, but I had stepped in front of her, offering, "Nothing to fret over, my dear. I assure you."

I had told her mother the truth, but had blatantly lied to the girl's face.

Ms. Talia and her father's interactions with Master Bruce over the years had been a conglomeration of deceit and betrayal. They had kidnapped him, made many attempts on his life and those of his allies, and had used him as a pawn in numerous global schemes. Their last encounter had been fifteen years earlier, in which Ms. Talia had stolen encrypted files from Master Bruce in order to use his protocols on the members of the Justice League. It had resulted in once more losing track of Ra's and his daughter and also the Justice League voting Master Bruce out for having compiled the files in the first place.

Fifteen years of silence until Ms. Barbara had received the transmission of Ms. Talia begging for protection from her father and his unnamed ally.

Outwardly, I had appeared calm while enjoying a quiet moment with the children, but on the inside I was anything but. My mind had raced nearly as fast as my pulse, however my growing concern was not with how Ms. Talia had infiltrated the Cave. Instead, my thoughts had fluttered with concerns as to what her sudden presence meant for the safety of the Family. If she had escaped her father's control and had made it to Gotham, surely he would have been able to find her.

I had hated to admit it, but I was beyond the age where fighting off League of Assassin members was appealing.

For the better part of twenty minutes, Miss Mattie fidgeted on the loveseat, looking to her watch, the door, the bay windows and in my direction. Master Nathan's only movement had been slipping off of the couch to lay on the floor, using the dog as a pillow.

"Alfred, I have to take my medicine," Miss Mattie announced.

Remaining seated on the couch, I mused that she was most certainly going to investigate matters. There was no stopping the genetic will in her to seek out the facts, meaning there was no point in keeping her in the den. The Manor wasn't on lock down and the Cave contained her parents along with Master Dick and Tim.

Finally, I nodded, "Very well, but try not to make and adventure out of it," remaining silent as she departed.

Master Nathan looked up, "Where'd Mattie go?"

"To take her medication, sir."

He stuck his tongue out, "Gross," before looking back to the television.

Another painful twenty minutes passed before I heard footsteps approaching and hushed voices. The first to come clearly from the corridor belonged to Miss Mattie, "I said I was sorry."

I rose to my feet upon hearing Master Bruce say, "You were told to stay with Alfred and you didn't. There is no apology for that."

As they entered the den, I instantly became aware that Master Tim and Ms. Talia were not present. Given the angry look on her father's face, I began to cover for her actions, "I beg your forgiveness, sir. I had sent Miss Mattie to take her medication and to fetch a book for us to read… for when the movie ended."

"Don't cover for her, Alfred," Master Bruce snapped, ushering his daughter over to the couch, "Sit down, stay put." She planted herself heavily, crossing her arms over her chest.

Master Nathan sat up as did Ace, "What's going on?"

"You, too, tiger, up on the couch," Master Bruce patted the space beside his other child, watching quietly as the boy did as he was told.

Ms. Selina and Master Dick took to standing beside me, each of them clearly upset but to a varying degree. Master Dick appeared to be distraught while I sensed that Ms. Selina was fighting to hold back her temper. Whatever had transpired in the Cave had clearly been disturbing to both, and yet Master Bruce seemed only concerned for his daughter misbehaving.

Remaining on his feet, he waited to speak until all eyes were on him, young and old, "We have a visitor. She'll be staying with us for a while."

"Is it Dr. Shondra," Master Nathan asked.

His father shook his head, "No… this is… someone else. Someone I've known for a long time…" he glanced to his wife before continuing, "She just… she needs a place to stay."

"Why here?" Miss Mattie inquired once she found her voice.

"Because… she's scared. And she doesn't want to be alone."

Master Dick stepped forward, crouching in front of his younger brother, "If she went to a hotel. She'd be alone, wouldn't she?"

"That makes sense," the boy shrugged, "What's her name?"

Hesitating, the boy's father answered, "Her name is Talia."

"That's a funny name," Master Nathan remarked.

Miss Mattie, on the other hand, remained silent, her eyes growing wide. Master Dick noted it immediately and smiled, "It is a funny name… but don't say that to her… wouldn't want to hurt her feelings, would you, Nate?"

Ms. Selina shook her head, barely noticeable out of the corner of my eye, but I knew it wasn't out of agreement with Master Dick's words.

Staring up at her father, Miss Mattie asked, "Where is she?"

"Tim's showing her around," he answered, blatantly a lie. "Now… Your mother is going to take you two out to dinner… I'm going to stay here and help her… get settled in."

A solid cover for young Master Nathan, but I had considerable doubt that it would work as well on Miss Mattie.

When Master Bruce looked to his wife, she nodded, "Let's go upstairs and wash up. Then we'll go. Nate, why don't we go let Ace out first."

"Okay, come on, boy," he had patted the dog's head before leading the way into the hall. Ms. Selina hesitated, sending her husband an icy look before following her son.

Taking his absence to her advantage, Miss Mattie asked, "What's really going on?"

"Exactly what I just said," he replied, "And it doesn't change the fact that you didn't listen to your mother. Consider the rest of your weekend accounted for."

She shot to her feet so quickly that it caused Master Dick to jump, "That's not fair! Terry's been gone, I haven't seen him at all this week!"

"And you're not going to," he barked back, "You should know by now that your actions have consequences!"

"Bruce," Master Dick tried to interrupt.

"Don't," Miss Mattie retorted, walking towards me and the door, "He won't listen. He never does."

Master Bruce grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back to face him, "Mattie, trust me, this is not the time to test my patience. I tell you to do something, your mother tells you, you do it. You've tested enough boundaries already."

Before my eldest charge lost his temper in its entirety, I stepped forward, "Sir, allow me to take her upstairs. Come, Miss Mattie."

Ushering her to the door, I heard Master Bruce say, "Prepare the second floor bedroom for Talia."

"Very good, sir."

I led the way to the elevator, not certain as to the best way to approach Miss Mattie's apparent mood. She had read of Ms. Talia and her father's activities but I doubted she had any knowledge of the personal details not in the reports and logs. As we reached the elevator, she finally broke the silence, "Who did Dad bury?"

Caught completely off guard, I pressed the button for the third floor before replying, "I beg your pardon?"

"When I snuck into the study, they were coming up from the Cave… talking about digging up someone that he buried... Who is it?"

My heart had navigated to rest in the middle of my throat, keeping me from responding until the elevator doors opened. Stepping out warily, I finally managed to say, "Master Jason… your father and I… we buried him."

Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head, had lived for centuries, resurrecting himself and others using the coveted Lazarus Pit.

Master Bruce was going to-.

My chest grew tight as she asked, "Why would he dig him up?"

Feeling tears welling, I looked back to the elevator while speaking, "You best get ready for dinner, my dear."

"Alfred?" she asked as I depressed the second floor button.

"Please, Miss Mattie," I offered, still not able to look back.

Arriving on the next floor down, I quickly walked to the secure bedroom Master Bruce had put into place many years earlier. In the event he had an unsavory guest that needed monitoring, the room was outfitted with audio and visual recording devices, motion sensors and a impenetrable locking system, supported by lead lined walls, floor and ceiling. Despite all of the effort that had been put into it, the times it had been used were reduced to hiding gifts, from the Family and from Mr. Kent.

Stopping at the linen closet, I retrieved fresh bedding and towels before making my way to the room. My quarters were on the far end of the hall, fifty yards away. Entering the room, I set the materials down before taking a seat on the bare mattress, my hand rising to cover my mouth. Even without knowing the reason behind exhuming the late Master Jason, it still resonated as being vile and traumatic. Not eighteen years ago, we had laid his broken and battered body to rest, and I had desired nothing more than to leave him in eternal peace.

"Alfred? What's wrong?"

Glancing up, I spotted Leslie approaching, instantly taking a seat beside me. It was only when she reached up to wipe my cheek that I realized I had been crying.

I was the rock…

"Leslie…" I managed before letting the words pour out of me, explaining that the Family was at unrest once again. Her face grew concerned as well, although it was difficult to say whether she was more upset to learn about Ms. Talia's presence or Master Bruce's intentions.

"He must have a reason, Alfred, you know he wouldn't even think of it he didn't."

"You're right," I exhaled heavily, trying to regain my composure, "There must be a reason… I just hope whatever lie that woman has fed him is true."

She rubbed my back, "Go… I'll take care of this."

Much like Master Bruce, there was no persuading Leslie to drift once her mind was set.

I saw the children and Ms. Selina off, wishing them a pleasant evening despite the foul taste in my mouth. From there, I had slowly donned my coat and gloves to prepare for the cold, night air. After stepping outside, I had looked to the starlit sky and muttered, "Please, lord… give him strength."

In the mere thirty minutes we had been apart, Masters Bruce and Dick had already retrieved the backhoe from the grounds keeping shed and had driven it to the family cemetery. I heard its growling engine long before it came into view. Each step I took up the hill had been torture, my body spent from physical and emotional duress. Reaching the knoll, I expected Master Bruce to be running on his last straw as well, compiled from his spill the night before and the week that had preceded it.

Instead, I found Master Dick standing by the massive mound of dirt, his eyes finding me in the darkness, "I can't get him to stop, Alfred…"

Coming to stand beside him, I looked down into the tattered remains of the grave to see Master Bruce frantically shoveling away spent dirt. He had pulled off his shirt and sweater, his back glistening with sweat in the light from the backhoe. I called out to him, but he only shoveled more quickly.

"You're not thinking straight, Bruce," Dick said over the engine.

Only heaving breaths came from below, along with the sound of metal cutting through dirt.

"That's it," Master Dick jumped down, landing two feet behind Master Bruce, "I'm not carrying you back to the house when you collapse. Just-."

Metal hit metal.

"Bruce, you need to calm down," he started again.

Master Bruce looked to his eldest for a moment but said nothing before returning to clearing off the head of the stainless steel casket. Even still mostly covered in dirt, I recognized the glossy dark blue surface, instantly sending me back twenty years to the horrid day I had purchased it.

Master Bruce straddled the lower half of the coffin, proceeding to clear the edges with his hands, the dirt sticking to the sweat covering his arms and torso. Before Master Dick could further urge his mentor to regain his bearings first, Master Bruce took a deep breath before breaking the lock open with the blade of the shovel.

He drew in a long breath before pulling back the top panel.

We each responded differently to the sight before us. Master Dick swore loudly, turning to look away. I found myself staring down, mouth gaped in utter horror. Master Bruce simply sat down on the lower half of the casket, shaking his head while pleading softly, "No, no… Please… no."

^V^

I vaguely recalled Alfred leading me back to the house, leaving Dick behind to check for two decade old evidence in the empty coffin of Jason Todd.

The elevator ride to the third floor had not even registered in my mind, leaving me to suddenly enter the master bedroom without warning. I felt him undress me and usher me into the shower, all a fog until I realized I was sitting on the bed, wearing my robe and flannel pants. Leslie was there, injecting something into the crease of my arm and telling me to lay down. I was drowsy, but remained upright, staring through the faces that passed before my eyes.

I heard Dick's voice asking me if I was all right, but I wasn't sure if I had responded or not. He stayed with me, sitting right next to me, talking to Alfred and Leslie and eventually to Tim when he arrived. Although I knew Selina had taken the kids out, I kept asking where she was. Someone said something about Talia being secure for the night but I didn't respond.

Talia had told truth.

Her father had taken Jason's remains, resurrected them and then proceeded to keep my dead son to raise as his own. He had turned him into a monster, one frightening enough to scare her to run half way around the world.

… His new ally is a vile man…

"Sir?" Alfred called quietly.

I could barely look at him without thinking of you, and what you endured for him…

"Bruce?" I felt Dick shift beside me.

… Before and after he died… Beloved, please…

"Bruce…" Leslie finally brought me out of it.

I jumped to my feet, "I need to talk to her."

They all stepped back, surprised at my sudden movement. Dick rose to his feet while nodding, "Okay… I'll go with you."

Shaking my head, I responded quietly, "No. I need to talk to her alone."

"Bruce," Tim started, "That's not a good idea, and you know it."

"If she was sent here to kill me, I'd be dead," I paused before asking, "Has Selina returned?"

"Down the hall, sir, with the children… playing in Miss Mattie's room."

I nodded, drawing the robe tighter around me. Despite the climate controlled air and the warm material, I still couldn't shake the cold feeling that had set into my bones. Stepping into the hall, Dick proceeded to follow me, all of the way to the elevator. As I waited for the car's arrival, I allowed myself to glance over, assessing the worried look on his face.

"Bruce… I'm… so sorry."

I quickly directed my eyes straight ahead, "You didn't do it."

"You know what I meant."

Changing the topic slightly, I asked, "Have you told Barbara?"

He nodded, "Yeah. And she's brought Cass up to speed, said she was going to start patrols early… Babs hasn't found anything on record in August, are you sure it was-."

"Yes. I'm sure…. The date Talia was referring to was around Jas… his birthday." When the doors opened, I stepped in and added, "Don't follow me."

Although he opened his mouth to speak, he sighed and nodded.

Stepping off on the second floor, I hesitated before walking towards her room. Every step I took was agony, making me wish I had swallowed my pride long enough to grab my cane from the master bedroom or at least had the sense to take a dose of Ibuprofen. After frantically digging, my back shoulders were already tight and unyielding, leaving me to knock lower on the door than usual.

There was a pause before the door was pulled back, revealing Talia in a dark blue, silk robe. She had washed her face clean of makeup and pulled her long hair back in to a loose bun, leaving the lock loose to cover her scar. Upon realizing it was me, a sad smile made it's way to her lips.

Without saying a word, I stepped into the room, letting her shut it behind me. As she turned to face me, I heard the questions echoing in my mind but I was unable to pick which one to start with. Observant as ever, she had recognized the turmoil, gesturing to the bed, "Please, sit… you look terrible."

"I'd rather not."

"Very well," she sighed before sitting alone, adjusting the robe around her figure.

I stared at her for a long, silent minute. Then finally, "Jason Todd's grave is empty."

"I know. And I'm so so-."

"You said your father's men took… the remains when you came after Qayin. Did you know that was his plan? Is that why you brought me to your father?"

She nodded, her eyes already glassy.

"When did he…" I inhaled, unable to even say the words aloud.

"It was after my father killed Qayin… after you had returned to the States. He wanted to be certain before proceeding."

"Certain of what?" I asked, my eyes glancing to the bed with my leg throbbing nearly as badly as my back.

She stood, "He wanted to be certain how badly it had affected you, the loss of your protégé." Talia hesitated before reaching out and touching my chest, just as she had done in the Cave earlier, "My father decided that after what had happened… between us… that it was necessary, to bring him back to life, to bring him back to you."

"Your father has known me long enough to know that I would never want that, for myself or anyone."

Tears slipped over her cheeks for the second time that night, "I tried to talk him out of it, you must believe me. I knew it would only upset you, that it would make you suffer more than you already had."

I leaned over, putting my face inches from hers, "You just told me my son is alive, after I buried him twenty years ago. I had dig up his grave and look down at his empty casket… And yet you waited all this time to tell me…" Her tears came more freely as I pushed her hand away, "You have not spared me an ounce of suffering, Talia."

"Beloved, I-."

"I told you not to call me that," I reminded her in a cool tone.

She nodded, muttering an apology.

I wanted to demand every detail from her, for her to recreate every day Jason had presumably spent at her father's side. I wanted her to answer the thousands of questions still flashing in my mind. Why had Ra's not sent him to me? Why had Ra's never flaunted it in my face in our final encounters? What had she meant by his training Jason? To be in the League of Assassins or to one day rule the empire of the Demon's Head? Did Ra's intend to marry them as a means of getting back at me or to simply reward Jason for his accomplishments?

Had Jason dealt her the scar that marked her face or had her father?

Somehow, I managed to keep them contained. When I didn't ask her anything more, she inquired, "Is that the end of my interrogation?"

"For tonight. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, Alfred-."

"Then you're set until morning. I'll activate the locks once I'm outside," I announced while heading to the door. At the rate my body was protesting, I was barely going to be able to make it back to the elevator.

"I would feel safer if I wasn't trapped in a cell," she said, delicately wiping her eyes with her hands.

I paused after opening the door, turning back to face her, "This is as safe as you'll ever be in this house." Closing the door behind me, I moved the oil painting on the wall, revealing an access pad. Placing my palm on it, it scanned and approved before waiting for the vocal clearance and accompanying command, "Locks on."

The deadbolts slid home, deafeningly loud in the quiet corridor. When I pivoted to make the long walk back to the elevator, I stopped mid-step to see Selina waiting for me, holding the car doors open. She watched as I approached, doing my best to move as normally as possible. The second I joined her, she let the doors close and pressed the button to head up. In silence, we arrived at the third floor and proceeded down the hall, bypassing our bedroom.

Forcing a smile to my lips, I went into Nathan's room and kissed him goodnight. He asked where Talia was and I explained that she had already gone to bed. The answer seemed to sate him and he promptly asked, "Can I watch TV?"

"I think you've had enough TV for one day, tiger," I nodded to the book on his bedside table.

He sighed and reached for the paperback copy of The BFG. Selina kissed him as well, "I'll come back and read with you, Nate, why don't you get started."

Following her out of the room, I paused at Mattie's door tentatively reaching for the knob, grasping it. The unforeseen events of that evening had clouded my judgment, yelling at her when I should have been putting her worries to rest. Exhaling, I let go of it, walking away without even knocking.

When I passed into our room, Selina stopped briefly to close the double doors behind her. The claw marks on my hand burned from being aggravated and I stepped into the bathroom to dress them with more antibiotic ointment. As expected, Selina followed, remaining in the doorway, still silent, still staring.

As I grabbed the tube off of the counter, I noticed for the first time that there was dirt under my nails. Looking more closely, I spotted the soil embedded in the cracks between my thumbs and forefingers along with tiny pieces of grit caught in old scars. My catatonic shower had rinsed off the grime and sweat, but hadn't been able to wash away everything.

I set the tube down, opting instead to turn the faucet on, letting the warm water spill over both hands. As I lathered a bar soap between my palms, Selina finally said, "I don't want her meeting my children."

"Our children," I corrected her, turning the hot water on enough to bring forth steam.

"They don't need to have any dealings with her."

Without looking up, I started raking my nails into the soap, feeling the pressure in the cuticles, "I don't know how long she'll be here, Selina. Could be days, weeks… and if what she said is true, then we need her here for as long as it takes to get every detail. Where her father is, what his plans are…"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Selina paused before pointing out, "And you're just going to let her stay? Just like that?"

"She's safer here, just as we are safer with her here," I sighed, my hands pink from the heat and friction.

There was another pause before she sighed, "The way she looks at you… that's the way I look at you."

I glanced up briefly before directing my eyes back to my hands, starting to scrape my nails over my skin in order to get the dirt out. "She meant something to me once, yes… now she's a way to get to the bottom of things. Nothing more."

"Bruce," I watched her step forward.

"It was a mistake. She loved me but she loved her father more… I was weak. Jason had just died, Tim had yet to come forward… I had no one…"

"Bruce, stop it," she put a hand on my forearm.

I snapped my head up and continued, "No… you want to know… She was there, she made me feel… for the first time since Jason died, she had made me feel human."

"Bruce, stop it, your hands…" she tried to pull them from the sink, where I had scrubbed and clawed enough to rip the scabs off of the scratches.

Thinking of Jason's blood on my hands, I held my ground, scouring even harder as a tightness started rising in my throat. Somehow, I choked the words out, "I can't… wash away the dirt. Should have… There's just too much… too much… blood."

My body finally gave in, my legs literally buckling out from under me. Selina did what she could to keep me from falling, but ended up going down with me. Sitting against the counter, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around me, letting me bury my face into her neck. I was bleeding all over the bathroom for the second time that day, although I made no attempt to staunch it.

She whispered words into my ear, kissed my brow, rubbed my back.

Anything to get me to stop crying.

^V^