The Cave

Authors note. Hey, just saying. Wish I did, but I don't own the characters or the story of batman at all! DARN! I should save up! Ha-ha! Enjoy the story!

Oh. BTW If you don't like pain or love, don't read this! Anyway! On with THE CAVE!

Darkness surrounded the cave. Robin had been unconscious for an hour or so. Lifting his head from the stony, cold, rock floor, he grunted and tried to sit up. He was trying to remember what happened when it all became so clear.

"Babs!"

"Robin? Is that you?"

"Babs!"

"Robin, say something! I need to find you!"

"I can't move."

"I think I found you!"

"OW!"

"Sorry…."

*grunt* "That's ok"

There they lay, the two of them in a very dark, cold cave. They had just somehow escaped the biggest underground explosion that Gotham city has ever known. But that was somehow just the very beginning!

"What hurts?"

"Honestly. Everything."

"Here, let me help you."

She reached her hand forward and it landed on his firm hard chest. She tried to run her hand up to feel his shoulders. She was blushing hard and also glad that they were blinded by the cave's darkness. Once she got to his shoulders she whispered, "Tell me where it hurts."

"Right here"

"Where?"

"Here" He reached his hand to hers and tightly held on. He moved her hand passed his heart and to his side. She felt down and knew it was blood seeping through the ripped and tattered costume.

"I'm so sorry"

"It's not your fault"

"Yes it is. It's my entire fault. If I hadn't…"

"No."

Silence quickly filled the cave. It wasn't awkward, but neither anger. It was more of a confused and upset silence that had Batgirl worried to a pulp. She knew that Robin was hurt. She knew Robin so well. Just by the tone of his voice she knew that all he was doing was hiding the real pain he was going through. She wasn't really sure that he was hiding it to maintain some kind of manliness or if he was trying not to worry her. All she knew was that neither of his attempts was going to work.

She jumped back into reality. She took her glove off and pressed her hand to his side again.

"Tell me if I hurt you ok?"

"I doubt you will. But ok."

She traced her hand to the tare of his vest and put her hand under. She glided it back to the spot he had just showed her and was trying to see if it was broken or just bleeding. She felt a hard bone under the skin that didn't seem to belong. She was no doctor, but she had a feeling that this was a broken rib of some kind. She was worried.

"I think I feel a rib out of place. How bad does it hurt?"

"Bad"

"Is there any other pains?"

"uhhh, *grunt* Leg"

"Stop trying to move."

She had to find his leg. Carefully, she traced her hand down his waist, to his outer thy, past his knee and...

"OWW!" He screamed.

"Broken, I can feel it"

"So can I. I can't sit here any longer. Please help me up" Batgirl noticed that he said this in a week tone. He was in pain. There was no use hiding it. He had also come to this conclusion and just forgot about trying. He needed help.

"Sure. Here."

Batgirl put her arm under his and around his waist. She had never held him like this before. He mind wandered. It quickly jumped back when he put his weight on.

"Uff"

"You ok?"

"Yes. You're heavy. But you're still so thin."

"Muscles?"

"Right….."

"Reach into my belt."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"Calm down. Third pocket from the buckle, right side."

"Oh…. Ok" She was blushing three times as hard as before. She reached in and pulled out a little object.

"Hit the top button."

She did and it turned on. It was a little flashlight. Smart. She used it to scope out the cave. They had no idea where they were. The room was very big, damp, cold and full of very old mining stuff. She helped Robin over to a slab of rock suitable for a type of chair. They both sat with a thud. Silence filled the cave as the two looked around with the light. After a while Robin spoke up.

"Gotham Caverns."

"What?"

"We're in Gotham Caverns. It's an old mining business that used to be owned by Bruce's great uncle. He told me once when we were on the way to some sort of business meeting that I had to attend. The mine actually went under the year you were born."

"And what year would that be?" She was testing him.

"October 30th, 1994."

"Impressive. But I can do much better." She said in a mocking tone.

"Really?"

"Yep. Febuary 10th, 1995. You were born in Minnesota. You're grandparents lived there before they died and your mom and dad were visiting them when you were born."

"Very nice"

"See, I pay attention to these types of things too!"

"Apparently"

Batgirl stood up and used the light to look at the piles of different equipment. She thought that somehow it would be used for their escape, or maybe Robin's injuries. She figured she'd tend to Robin first so she walked over and was going to look for a brace of somekind. She knelt down and set the light on the floor. There were many old rusty things that she couldn't really make out. She knew that that wouldn't work for a leg brace either. Then she found a piece of old wood that looked the best. She picked it up and carried it back to the chair/rock thing.

"What's that?"

"The best medical attention I can give."

"Mmm-Kay?"

"This will hurt. I'm so sorry."

"Fine, it has to be done anyway. Right?"

"Yes." She stated with a frown.

Then she put the piece of wood against his leg. He sucked in a huge breath and she ripped off her cape and tore a couple of strips off. She took the first strip and tried to put it under his leg without causing much pain. That didn't work. He yelped. Robin was not ready for that. She pulled the cape bits and started to drape it over his thy. Then back under. And over. And under again. Before she knew it, she was at his knee. That's where the big break starts. She knew that his shin was the worst of the injuries. He knew this too. She paused and looked at him, as if she was asking for a signal to continue. He sucked in another breath and gave her a nod. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. She started quickly. She wanted to make quick work of this and she had his foot propped against her stomach. She draped and draped and he was in so much agonizing pain. When she was finished, she took the second piece and repeated the same thing. When she finished that, she was done. He was almost whimpering. She slowly set his leg down and got to his side. Then she saw that there was one single tear that went from his mask and down his cheek. She reached up and slowly kissed the tear away. She had never seen him cry before. She had never even kissed him either. She liked it. A lot. He turned his head toward her.

"Thanks"

"No Problem"

Silence.

The next morning Robin woke up to Batgirl pressed next to him. The cave was so cold. They slept like that the whole night. There were goose bumps all up and down his arms. He moved his arm behind him, trying to prop himself up but then a sharp pain from his ribs stopped him from doing so. He grunted and laid back down with a thud. Batgirl heard this and jumped.

"Are you Ok?"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, please, go back to sleep."

"Not tired anymore"

"You sure, because if you're not, I could-"

"I'm fine Dick."

"Don't use my real name!"

"Who's going to hear, that rat! Ohhhhhhh, you better keep it down, that rat might tell joker!"

"You never know"

"Fine then Robin, I guess I will call you that from now on."

"Thanks, it keeps me feeling safe, you know what I mean… right?"

"Yes I do Robin, yes I do."

And with that, Batgirl got up and walked to the other side of the cave.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hungry"

"Here, let me help"

"No! I got it. You're NOT getting up!"

"Ok, whatever you say doc."

"Yeah, that's right… Hey can you pass me the flashlight?"

"Sure, here"

Robin twisted his torso for his belt and SNAP! He felt his rib split in two. He screamed in pain and collapsed to the stone. He grabbed his chest and screamed again. Batgirl ran over and cupped his cheek.

"Robin!"

No answer, only screams.

"Please tell me what's wrong!"

Gripping his chest he tried to say something but he only let out another streak of pain.

"Dick, please. I need to help"

"MY CHEST!"

Batgirl looked at his chest and saw a huge bump. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'that can't be good'. She started to take off his vest. She pulled it open and saw it. I really would make anyone gag, but she couldn't. This was Dick, her best friend, the one person who really knew her the best. And she knew him best too. She saw his rib. It was showing right through his chest. He had a compound fracture and it was starting to bleed through. She ran over to where she wrapped up his leg and grabbed the left over shreds of her cape and ran back quickly.

"Dick, I'm so sorry. But I have to do this."

She grabbed a shred and pushed it to his chest. He screamed again… loud. He thrashed his arms as they smashed against the ground, screaming louder than ever. He couldn't take this much longer and he started to cry. Not loudly, but enough for streams of tears to flow from behind the mask. He just let go, he didn't care what anyone would think or what he would look like because he was past his caring limit. It was just too much pain. Batgirl saw this and cupped his face with her hands. The blood had stopped and she reached up to him. She looked him in the eyes and whispered to him.

"You're the strongest, bravest, smartest and most kind person I've ever met. There is no one who could ever compare to you and I know that we will get through this together. You just have to trust me."

Robin opened his eyes and ripped off his mask. He then painfully reached up and took off hers. He put his arm down and cupped her face too.

"I will always trust you"

Then he reached up and pressed his lips to hers. She deepened the kiss and moved her lips around his. They slowed and both pulled away, looking into each other's eyes. He put his head down and she placed her hands on his bare chest. He closed his eyes and let out a small whimper and slipped out of consciousness.

When he woke up he was numb. He didn't know what was going on and he had no idea how much pain he was going to feel. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Batgirl talking into a box. She was mumbling but he couldn't hear it.

"…batma….elp….need…Robin….injur….cave….."

He was laying flat on the ground. His head was resting right next to his cape. He slowly turned his head to the left and looked over to Batgirl. He looked down at his chest and saw that Batgirl had wrapped it up. It looked like she wrapped his whole torso about four or five times. The pain started to kick in and Robin let out a groan. Batgirl snapped her head up and ran over to him. Looking up, her eyes connected with his.

"You had me so scared."

"I had myself scared too."

"Dick. Not funny!"

"Please. Don't use my real name!"

"Dick! This isn't some stupid game and I know this sounds stupid but I can't stand to see you in so much pain! I care about you too much and every time you wince in pain or groan I just want to cry or take the pain away. I'm not desperate and I know that this sounds like I am, but… Dick Ithink that I love you."

Those three words: I love you. They hit Robin like a ton of bricks.

"Babs. Oh, God Babs I…"

"See! I knew it! You think I'm stupid! I should have never kissed you! God, so stupid! I just don't understand…"

"BABS!"

Batgirl froze momentarily, eyes glazed over. She quickly snapped out of it and locked eyes with Robin once more.

"Babs. Please don't beat yourself up. You're too beautiful to do that."

"But its true isn't it?" whispered Batgirl, her voice quiet and confused.

"Barbra, you are the most wonderful, kindest, toughest girl that I have ever known. You are so beautiful and you remind me so much of my mother."

"Dick…"

"No Babs. Let me finish. There is nothing that I would change about you and I don't think that you'll ever understand that because you are so thick headed and that is one of the many things I love about you."

He paused. Then, he reached his injured hand up to cup her face and blinked.

"I love you more than you could ever imagine."

She was frozen and couldn't even move. He decided to lift his other hand to her face and cup the other cheek. Holding her in his hands, he pulled her down to his own face and locked his lips together with hers.

They stayed like that for a while, both not even caring that they were stuck in a cave without food, water, or help. Nothing mattered because they knew that they had each other. And they both knew that as long as they had each other, they could get through anything.