“Hey Barbara,” Peter said, walking in carrying his school bag.

“Hey, Peter,” Barbara said. She was wearing a bright green patient gown, her legs covered by a blanket. “How are you?”

Barbara noticed he had a serious look on his face and he could barely meet her eyes.

“I’m good,” Peter said. “I’m good. How’s uh, the legs? How’re you doing?”

“They’re okay,” Barbara said. “Doctor said they’ll be a few more check-ups and then probably physical therapy.”

“That’s great,” Peter said, though his excitement sounded pretty forced. “That’s great.”

“Is something wrong Peter?”

Peter pinched the bottom of his nose. “There’s something I want to talk to you about. Something serious.”

Peter turned to Barbara. “That’s if you’re willing to talk.”

“I am,” Barbara said.

Peter nodded. He found a chair and carried it over to Barbara without breaking a sweat.

He sat down next to her. Their eyes met for a while. Peter sighed, scratching his head.

“I uh, I know about your secret,” Peter said. “The Batgirl stuff.”

Barbara felt her heart start to race. She could barely meet Peter’s eyes but she steeled herself.

“Look, Peter I’m sorry,” Barbara said. “I didn’t want…”

Peter raised his hand. “It’s okay. At first I was hurt that you and Dick would… would lie straight to my face but then I met Bruce.”

Peter chuckled. “And you know how he is.”

“Then why do you want to talk?”

“Was it real?” Peter asked. “Was that date real? Did you mean those things you said or was it just an assignment or whatever Bruce gave you so that you’d get close to me? Did you really mean all of that?”

There was a pause.

“I’d understand if you… if you didn’t mean any of it but…” Peter let out a half-hearted chuckle. “I don’t think we’ll be talking for a while.”

“Peter lean forward,” Barbara said

Peter looked confused. “What?”

“I said lean forward.”

“O-Okay.”

Peter pulled his chair forward and leaned in. Barbara shifted in her bed and then kissed him.

The world around Peter swirled. His heart felt like it was on the verge of exploding. So many chemical reactions went of all over his body that Peter wanted nothing more than to run away but at the same time it felt so nice.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Barbara pulled away.

“Is that real enough for you?”

“I uh…” Peter said. “Um… uh.”

Peter shook his head and regained his composure.

“No, it wasn’t,” Peter said. “Can we do it again?”

Barbara punched his shoulder. “Real smooth, kid.”

There was a short silence before Peter’s face looked more serious. “I also wanted to apologise. I uh… your legs. I should’ve been there but…”

Barbara raised a hand. “Shh. It’s not your fault.”

“But I…”

“Peter, the last thing I want is someone to protect me,” Barbara said. “You should know that. I can handle myself. The whole monster/alien thing was unexpected that’s all.”

“I know but…”

“None of us expected this,” Barbara said. “Not me, not you. I should just be glad I’m alive despite all the…” Barbara wiped her eyes. “Scars.”

Barbara cleared her throat. “Look Peter, it’s not your fault. It’s all the Joker’s fault okay so don’t blame yourself for it.”

Peter was silent, his head hung down. She saw that he was tapping his fingers against the bed sheets, Barbara slid her hand over his. Peter’s hand stopped. He looked up.

“Besides,” Barbara said, giving him the biggest smile she could muster. “I don’t want my boyfriend fussing over me all the time. It’s so uncool.”

Peter chuckled. Barbara leaned forward and hugged Peter, trying her hardest not to think about what she overheard the doctor telling her father.

….

“Is she asleep, doctor?” Jim Gordon asked the doctor.

“Yes, Mr. Gordon,” the doctor said, flashing him a smile. “She’s fast asleep, you have my word.”

Gordon ran his fingers through his head. “I uh… I can’t thank you enough Doc for letting me visit this late. I… you know…”

“It’s okay Mr. Gordon,” the doctor said, an assuring smile on her face. “We get a lot of cases here, people who get mugged and victims of random shootings. I can’t imagine how tough it must be being a police commissioner in a city like this.”

Gordon nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Gordon walked into Barbara’s room. She was sleeping on her left, her face much more red and not as pale as it was before when the bastard got her. The doctors had managed to stop the bleeding and she looked much, much healthier than she was before. At that, Gordon couldn’t help but smile. He walked over to her, running his fingers through her hair. What was in the folder he was carrying feeling galaxies away compared to seeing his daughter right now.

“I uh…” Gordon said, moving his hand away and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I… I’m sorry I can’t visit you very often. I get very busy and I can’t really pay attention to the job, y’know? Every second away from you feels like an eternity. But I also don’t want to go home and face your mum, you know?” Gordon tapped his fingers against the files.

“She doesn’t want to see you, either,” Gordon said. “Or me for that matter. I think she blames me for what happened too, can’t bear to see what happened to her little girl. That’s what all these papers are for, she wants to split up and get you out of the city. I don’t know if it’ll fall through. I don’t know if you’ll even want to leave but there’s that.”

Gordon paused and just stared. From the bags in his eyes and how long his peppermint hair was anyone could see the Commissioner wasn’t taking very good care of himself.

“And you might not walk again, Barbs,” Gordon said. “That’s what the doctor said. He said you were paralysed from the leg down. He said that with the right physical therapy, maybe you’ll be able to move around but you might be on a wheelchair for the rest of your life and…”

Tears started forming in the Commissioner’s eyes. “God, Barbara. I should’ve been there and done something. If I was maybe things would’ve been different. I don’t know. All I know is that its my fault, it’s my goddamn fault and…”

“It’s okay dad,” Barbara said.

Jim was dumbfounded for a split second. “You… you heard all that?”

Barbara turned around and nodded. “Yes I…”

“I should leave,” Jim said. “I need to...”

“No,” Barbara said firmly. “No… will you… will you stay with me?”

He could see tears in her eyes. For the first time in a long time Barbara looked like she was about to cry. After all the arguments, after how goddamn stubborn she’d been, Jim Gordon saw a little girl again. Jim saw just how vulnerable she was after many long years of Barbara proving how wrong Jim was to be so goddamn overprotective of his little girl.

“I’m scared, dad,” Barbara said, stifling a sob. “I’m so scared.”

“It’s okay,” Jim said. Though he wasn’t sure if he was saying that to himself or her. “ It’s okay, baby. I got you.”

Barbara leaned forward, feeling the warmth and comfort of her dad’s arms. He always looked so flimsy, so ready to break at a moment’s notice, Barbara never noticed just how strong her dad was until now.

And Jim Gordon held his daughter. Held his daughter so tight and prayed to whatever god out there that she would be okay. Dear god, let her be okay