so, this is gonna go well.

[insilencespeak.livejournal.com]

WHO: Stephanie Brown (indigo_justice), Tim Drake (123youreit), and Cassandra Cain (insilencespeak)
WHERE: Titans Tower
WHEN: after this post
WARNINGS: n...o?
SUMMARY: OMG it's a Steph! Everyone get in the Cave! ... fine, the Tower's closer.
FORMAT: quickpara? I always say that. DO WHAT YOU WANT.

Over the weeks of their stay, the Clocktower had gotten a lot more homier than it had initially started out as, especially since there were more than Tim and Cass living there -- what with Superboy, Lobo, Impulse, Dick part time, and now Raven, and with the funds Batman had left behind initially, the place was now fully furnished.

It wasn't anything like home, but it was probably better that way.

Comments

[indigo-justice.livejournal.com]

Steph doesn't like being in new places. She tends to get lost and irritated, and all she wants to do right now is find some place familiar and hide.

But unfortunately, she can't.
So she's stuck waiting for Cassie, leaning against a red brick wall, nervous and a bit scared.

[insilencespeak.livejournal.com]

Bless Bat-efficiency; she's prompt, after hearing the landmarks described, and having been able to see a bit of Steph's surroundings on the video. Of course, this means happy awesome grapple line ride, in civvies.

But first! Have a hug. Cass doesn't particularly care if this is out in the open or not.

[indigo-justice.livejournal.com]

Steph is a bit surprised by the hug, given that Cassie doesn't usually do public affection, but she returns it willingly, with a smile.

"Hey, it's good to see you too."

When she pulls back, Steph is grinning.

posting order from hereout tim > steph > cass

[insilencespeak.livejournal.com]

"Good to see you," Cass echoes softly, smiling though the cowl. She hadn't answered the question before, but it's probably easy to tell now that the last time she'd seen Stephanie was at her funeral.

"Let's go."

The trip to the Clocktower that serves as the Titans' tower isn't too long, which is merciful, given the whole uncomfortableness of being carried.

"We're back..." Unnecessary, most likely, but this feels like a Big Thing, a thing that gets Announced.

[notlikeanyone]

Tim is waiting when they arrive, of course, and nods to both of them. "Welcome back." He wonders if Steph has told Cass about what happened yet - or maybe the both of them are going to get an explanation right now, one that will answer things clearly.

He can only hope that Cass isn't as hurt by the idea of Steph leaving them and not trying to get in contact all this time, letting them think she was dead, as he is. But maybe there's a better explanation for that, too.

"Let's all sit down to talk for a bit, yeah?"

[indigo-justice.livejournal.com]

Steph nods quietly, staring at the floor. She doesn't know what to say to Tim...she knows that she's hurt him, badly. What can she say?

"...I owe you an explanation. And an apology. I'm sorry for not trying to find you earlier..."

[insilencespeak.livejournal.com]

Despite being in the dark here, it only takes a glance between Steph and Tim to know there's more going on.

"Find?"

[notlikeanyone]

Ah. So Steph hadn't told Cass about this yet. He folds his arms across his chest, the cape settling over him like a nice, black wall.

"Cass is from before you got back as well, so let's start with the explanations. You can apologise afterwards, once we understand what happened, and why - why you didn't tell us." Why she hadn't told him.

D: late reply is late, sorry.

[indigo-justice.livejournal.com]

"...all right."

Steph sighs before beginning.

"What happened was that Leslie took me to Africa. I didn't realize what was going on until after it had already happened, and she wouldn't let me go back. My identity was out, she told me that going back could put everybody at risk... So I just put up with it. I tried to contact you, I really did. I sent letters, I don't know if they got through...."

She pauses, sighing. It was too complicated for them to understand.

"I'd only been back about a week, I was trying to settle in...and I was sort of following you to see if you were ok. I thought you might not need me anymore."

s'okay! also late reply

[insilencespeak.livejournal.com]

Cass sat down, watching more than listening, as was her custom when stressed. She didn't say anything. She thought she understood, maybe, but it didn't make it any easier to take. For so long, Stephanie's 'death' had driven a wedge between her and Tim, had stopped up so many avenues of emotion in her that imagining Stephanie had saved her life; now it was undone, and it hurt, but Steph was here.

*latest* *also LJ ate this the first time* .___.

[notlikeanyone]

Tim sank down onto the couch with a sigh. He was still angry - at Leslie for taking Steph away and letting them all think she was dead, at Bruce because there was no way he wouldn't have known about this, wouldn't have picked up on something in Leslie's actions by being closer to her, knowing her better than any of them, and investigating until he found out the truth. It was only a question of when he found out, and why he hadn't told them - questions for Bruce, later. Probably not for the Bruce who was here, so perhaps even never, and that thought was as frustrating as anything. But at least it would give him time to calm down and analyse the situation more clearly.

He was still angry with Steph, too, although less so as the conversation progressed. "Steph, with all the crazy things you've managed to do in the past, do you really think you couldn't have come back if you really wanted to?" He shot her a look that was sharp, but sad - the anger was steadily leaching away, like body heat into the cold ground, and taking its place were a bundle of emotions that made his chest feel tight. Sadness, pain... well, he could deal with them. He was an expert in that by now.

"What happened to change things?"

*LJ is a pig.*

[indigo-justice.livejournal.com]

Steph looks down at the ground and sighs.

"Some nutjob came into one of the villages we were working in and started shooting people, including Leslie. Somebody had to stop him, and I realized that I was just running away from who I was. So I came back."

She looks up again, and she looks so tired and sad and...old. Like she wishes this never happened.