(Untitled)

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph has been in Kenya for months and there is a number she hasn't called.

Well - okay, there's a lot of them, given that she hasn't kept in touch with anyone from her former life.  But one in particular. One that she keeps worrying at, like a sore tooth.  She knows Barbara knows she's alive, she knows Barbara knows where she is.  Babs knows

Comments

[twiceahero]

There aren't many people who have the number that flashes on Barbara's screen when her earpiece chimes an incoming call. And only one of them is currently in eastern Africa, much less rural Kenya.

She's been keeping pretty close tabs, after all. Because just saving the Steph in her world was never the whole plan, and Barbara's beginning to worry that the rest of that plan is going to fall apart. So: a more careful eye than usual. Even for Oracle.

But she hasn't called because... she's been there. And sometimes the last thing you want is someone with good intentions butting into your recovery.

All of that flashes through her mind in the half-second it takes to hit the key to open the line. "Hey, you."

[i_spoiled_it]

"Um ... hi."

Steph hesitates. She's actually talking. To Babs.

For the first time, really. She doesn't know how influential Babs was in that whole rescue thing, but she's pretty damn sure she was heavily involved.

"... um, thank you."

[twiceahero]

Barbara snorts. "Hey, fake identities are easy. I have dozens just lying around, so it was no big deal."

Because Oracle really thinks that what she's being thanked for is the help in faking Stephanie's death and getting her out of the country.

Yep.

Really.

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph sits down on the ground, because she still doesn't have much stamina, and leans her back against the earthen wall of the house.

"Well ... thanks. For ... everything." She's still hesitant. Maybe this was a stupid idea. What would Babs know about crazy dreams, anyway?

(apart from knowing everything about everything.)