It was a perfect moment of pure peace and happiness but like all moments it came to an end.

Robin's comm went off. "Robin report." Cheshire went stiff but luckily Robin's reflex saved them the suspicion

Robin reflexively answered. "All clear on my end."

There was a pause. It barely deserved to be called a hesitation but for people like Batman and Robin that split second meant everything.

"Whose with you?" Batman demanded.

Cheshire's eyes widened then hastily made a silent retreat.

"No one." Robin lied. Never before had so much ridden on a lie. Robin was definitely feeling the pressure but he kept his voice steady and smooth.

"You're a terrible liar." Batman accused.

"Which is why I'm telling the truth." Robin replied. "A little trust would go a long way."

"I'll trust you when you stop lying to me." Batman responded.

"I'm not lying to you!" Robin protested allowing appropriate amounts of frustration to enter his voice.

"You're getting better but not enough to fool me." Batman ordered. "Batcave now."

Robin sighed. "Fine."

Robin grappled away. He was going to have to play his cards exactly right if he wanted to fool Batman. He needed a strong primary defense, deny, deny, deny. Secondary defense, distraction the unusual quiet of Gotham. Tertiary defense, offensive strategy target Batman's only flaw without enraged state, his love life. Quaternary wall, silence. Last line of defense, false story involving a very willing if somewhat drunk fan girl. It wasn't the prettiest of fall backs but it would be the only one to justify any changes or inconsistencies in his person. Should everything fail. Robin shuddered to think about what would happen to him. Belle Reve would look like heaven compared to the league's solitary confinement facility or worse Martian Manhunter would screw with his mind until he actually believed the crap Bruce shoved his way.

Robin suppressed a shiver. No, he would commit suicide long before his mind no longer was his own and unlike before he would succeed.

Cheshire was free of the pain that constantly haunted her life. Free of the pain that was her life. It was beautiful. The eternity of freedom though only lasted a moment, a long moment but a moment nonetheless. Robin's communicator sounded.

That accursed sound broke the sacred moment. It remind Cheshire of the pain waiting patiently for it's opportunity to reclaim it's favorite chew toy. It remind Cheshire of the fragility of the sanctuary and how much she stood to still lose. It wasn't fair. What could she possibly have done to be born into a family of assassins? What could she possibly have done to warrant the pathetic excuse for a childhood that she had? What had she done to lose her innocence of the world so young? What had she done to be forced to live when she was far better dead?

Subconsciously, she became aware of the need for a silent but quick retreat. Cheshire didn't question her instincts. She merely obeyed.

She simply obeyed. That thought struck a cord. She obeyed and obeyed. She obeyed her father and became an assassin. She obeyed Talia and left her home. She obeyed the shadows and killed relentlessly. She obeyed her desires and denied Robin's bid for happiness. She obeyed. That was what she has been doing since birth.

Cheshire looked up in time to see Robin swing away. Her Robin was swinging away from her.

Pain swooped in finally rewarded for it's patience and pecked away at the feast of joy that was Cheshire not moment's before. Cheshire resisted the urge to cry out. It wouldn't make a difference, all it would do, all it would every do would be to bring more pain.

Gingerly, Cheshire curled into a ball then cried herself to sleep.

Cheshire was in pain.

Barbra attacked the dummy with worried ferocity. Dick had been getting worse despite Alfred's reassurances of a speeding recovery and considering Dick's already problematic state there wasn't a whole lot of cushion between stability and insanity. He once told her that he felt like he took Atlas' spot in holding the world and that no matter how hard he tried the sky keep getting closer and closer. In truth, Barbra suspected that not even Atlas could hold up to the pressures Dick handled. Dick had to be an A+ student. Dick had to be the star mathlete. Dick had to be one of greatest acrobats in the world. Dick had to be the ultimate lady's man. Dick had to be the perfect ward of a playboy billionaire. The pressure of that alone would crack most men but he also had the added pressure of being Robin the boy wonder, the bright part of the dynamic duo, the first protégée, the role model and idol every little boy and girl looked up to, while trying to deal with the death of his parents almost completely alone in a none supportive home environment with as much as two to three hours of sleep a night. It was too much and in Barbra's mind the fact that Dick failed to crack for three years only meant that when he finally does crack he will shatter. All of the indicators were pointing towards that shatter but she was powerless to do anything since her dad was home on a rare night off from work.

It was frustrating beyond belief, hence the practice dummy.

What could she do? She had been his only ray of sunshine for years(his words not Barbra's) but it simply wasn't enough. Alfred did nothing. She couldn't trust herself to even be in the same room as Bruce for fear of completely losing her already fragile temper. She couldn't tell her dad unless she wanted to put more pressure on Dick by forcing him through an even bigger media scandal than Bruce adopting him. So far as Barbra knew no one was a close friend of Dick other than herself. There was absolutely nothing she could do and it frustrated her. Dick was such a great person and friend. He didn't deserve the weight of the world. He didn't deserve the pain. Why was the world so screwed over that the precious few who do the right things are the ones who are treated the worst?

Barbra tore the head off the practice dummy off in one particularly vicious right hook. She forced herself to calm down.

It was true. She hated the feeling of helplessness; it was one of the reasons she strove for perfection, but it was also her biggest button. If anything was going to be the end of her it would be that weakness. She actually had it mostly under control but when it came to Dick, it was a completely different story, hence the headless practice dummy.

Just then her cell phone rang. It was Dick.

Something was wrong. Barbra just knew it. "What happened?"

There was a hesitation. "I had a revelation."

"What kind?" Barbra feared the answer.

"The world altering kind." Dick replied. "I finally found my purpose, Babs."

The floor dropped out from beneath her. She knew where he was going with it. "You're leaving."

"I'm sorry, Babs." There was a desperation in his voice the kind Barbra had not heard since he told her about his extracurricular activities. "I have to do this and I have to do this alone."

Like hell. "Oh no you don't. I'm going with you even if I have to fight you."

"You have always been the one protecting me Barbra. Now, let me protect you. The places I will be going, the things I will be doing, they aren't exactly…how do I put this… Moral. I'll be making enemies on both sides. I will become the most wanted person on Earth. I don't want you to get sucked into that."

"What happened?" Barbra demanded.

"You should be getting an email in the next minute. I'm sorry but for now this is goodbye."

Barbra could feel Dick's tears on the other line as he hung up. She didn't have time to redial as her computer indicated a new email.

She watched it, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She had to find Dick but first, Bruce going to pay.

So there you have it a little late partially due to the fact that i couldn't find my laptop and partially due to the fact i have almost no free time now.