Dangers in the Dark

Missing War 8.3

Third Person POV

The morning after, while Holly was rushing around the Penthouse trying to get ready for school, Jim was reloading the spare gun he had taken from Barbara the night before. He had the intention to take it with him to work to make sure they didn't have another repeat from last night.

Just as Jim was placing the gun into the back of his belt, he got a waft of coffee coming from the kitchen.

"Holls, you making coffee?" Jim called through to the kitchen.

"Yeah, you want one?" Holly called back.

"If you wouldn't mind," Jim replied.

"Well, I do mind so..." Holly teased, making Jim smile that Holly was starting to get back to her usual self.

"Can you make it to go, though?" Jim asked. "We need to be going in a few minutes."

"I'm not making you one," Holly insisted though she was already getting out his favourite flask.

He didn't know though that Holly had spent the night going over all the things she could've done to comfort Barbara in the time she needed her or all the things she wanted to be able to do to help them both.

As Jim straightened up his jacket, Barbara came through to the room, her hair a mess as though she had only just woken up, which in theory she had.

"Morning," Barbara said, walking over to Jim.

"Hi. I didn't think you were up," Jim replied.

"Last night was just nerves... and way too much to drink," Barbara admitted quietly, hoping that Holly was too distracted to know she was up. Barbara didn't want Holly to see her in a moment of weakness when she was the one that needed to be strong for them both. "I said I wanted half your life, and I've got it. Leave the gun."

Jim hesitated for a moment before he took the gun back out from his belt and put it into the box it had originally been in. He looked up at Barbara who was nervously playing with her nails. It broke him to see her like this but once again, he wasn't sure what to do.

"I wish it wasn't like this," Jim sighed, walking over to Barbara.

"Do you really?" Barbara muttered sarcastically before she could stop herself. She quickly recovered herself and shook her head apologetically. "Ignore me. I'm just tired. Go. Catch some bad guys."

"I'll go get them," Jim chuckled quietly before giving Barbara a quick kiss. "Better go make sure Holly's actually ready."

As if on que, Holly walked into the room balancing two flasks, a cup of coffee and her school bag between her hands and a slice of buttered toast that was half in her mouth. When Jim and Barbara saw her, they smiled at how hard she was trying not to spill the cup of coffee.

"I made you some coffee," Holly attempted to tell Barbara but it came out muffled due to the toast. She held out the mug to Barbara, who took it with a smile.

"Thank you," Barbara smiled.

Now with a hand free, Holly took the toast from her mouth and handed the flask to Jim.

"I'm ready to go," Holly smiled before taking a bite of her toast.

"Let's go then," Jim said.

With a wave of her hand to Barbara, Holly followed Jim out of the Penthouse, neither one of them seeing the sadness and tiredness in Barbara's eyes as she watched them leave.

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Surprisingly, the previous day of school for Bruce had gone fairly well. Not many people spoke to him but he wasn't complaining. He just sat in class, head down and focused on getting through the day. Of course Alfred was over the moon about this and had practically flung him out of the car door when he had arrived for his second day.