Suite 138.

[i_spoiled_it]

Suite 138 is large, airy and light. The far wall is entirely windows, opening out onto a balcony that overlooks the lake; the others are mostly white, punctuated with pictures and postcards. There's a series of photos blu-tacked up of a three-year-old girl with red hair and Steph's blue eyes, just below a large, slightly dog-eared poster of

Comments

[someboywonder]

I take a good deal of time coming up to the room, and even once I'm up the stairs, I pass Steph's door once and enter a minute later upon doubling back, once I'm sure nobody at all is in sight. I slip in, close the door around me, and put my bag by the door. Promising myself I won't snoop around, I sit down on the couch.

And then I go into detective mode and before I know it, I'm combing over the entire place so thoroughly and so quickly even Bruce would be proud. No trace left, nothing obviously disturbed. I check out all the rooms, the picture frame on the floor, how unused everything that doesn't belong to Steph seems to be.

It takes me about eight minutes. I time myself, worried Steph will show up, and then I'm back to the couch.

Sneaky, I know. But I can't help it.

[i_spoiled_it]

It's only a couple of minutes later that Steph slips into the room, eyes bright. "You found it okay?"

She's grinning as she shuts the door behind her.

[someboywonder]

Steph's smiling. She's alone with me, and she's smiling. I take that as a good sign, and I smile back.

"No problem for a guy like me; I mean, I was trained by the world's greatest detective you know."

[i_spoiled_it]

"I think Alvin's a bad influence on you, Tim." She grins at him. "So -- what now?"

That's the question. She can't keep Tim locked in her room -- whether she'd like to or not -- and she can't really spend time with Tim Drake, because everyone knows Stephanie Brown is Robin and questions would be asked that might endanger Tim.

Steph hasn't had to worry about secret identities for years. It's ... making her smile, a little, because it reminds her of home.