42 - Audio - I have the strangest dreams...

[ichoosefight]

[ Audio ]

Have you ever had one of those dreams, where you think you've woken up, only you wake up later and realize you didn't?

...

Yeah, me neither.

[ Private to Bruce ]

So was it a dream or not?

Comments

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Everything still in one piece?

Private

[batmanschmatman]

He's pretty low maintenance. [When he isn't telling Dick he's a terrible warden or detoxing or relapsing. >>]

I met Hoffman right after Amanda killed him when he first got here. I got his body up to the infirmary, and pretty much immediately, he started talking about how he didn't regret what he'd done and didn't get why he was here. Call me crazy, but I'm not really ready to just call it a day and say he's a decent guy.

Private

[ichoosefight]

Because people are totally cognizant when they've just been through something traumatic. I was totally in my right mind when I decided to pretend I was dead for a year.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Did you think what you did was right?

Private

[ichoosefight]

For a long time, yeah, I did. That's what I was trying to tell you, before.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

Even after everything went to hell, you thought you made the right decision?

[Talking gang war, not Africa. :x]

Private

[ichoosefight]

Nothing went to hell in Africa... well, okay, maybe it went to hell after Africa. And I can see what I did wrong, but I still think... I still think that for me at the time, it was the right decision.

Private

[batmanschmatman]

I thought you meant the gang war and got. Really concerned.

And I get it. You needed some time away.

Private

[ichoosefight]

I didn't-!

That's not why I left.

I left because...

Because I thought it would be better if I died in action than if I killed myself, and I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. Okay? I was being selfish, and stupid, but if I went back I'd do it over again and again.

Private -> Spam you have no choice

[batmanschmatman]

[There's a short pause. That was honestly not what he was expecting at all, and there's a moment of having literally no idea what to say.]

Steph, I -

[I totally understand, I ran away from everything for the same reasons but I didn't get far enough away and fucked everything up worse then it already was, I'm sorry we weren't there for you when we should have been, I'm sorry any of it happened in the first place.

... It's easier just to head down the hallway and knock on her door.]

Spam!

[ichoosefight]

[ Lucky for you the door isn't locked, because she's just huddled in the corner of her bed, trying to hide from the fact that she actually just said that out loud. It just sort of happened, she didn't really mean for it to. She was so frustrated, and sick of him making excuses for her when she was trying to be strong and take responsibility.

It just happened, but it sort of scared her. ]

Spam!

[batmanschmatman]

[After another knock at the door - or, more like pounding on the door - he tries the knob, finds it unlocked and opens it, immediately spotting Steph and without further preamble or warning, he walks over, sits down and pulls her into a tight hug. Good luck trying to escape.]

Spam!

[ichoosefight]

[ She just sort of squeaks and tenses up. What is this and why is it happening. What are do. 8| ]

Spam!

[batmanschmatman]

[You are being hugged. Dick is glad you're not dead and didn't kill yourself and needs to do this because he cares about you. Let him have his moment. :|]

Spam!

[ichoosefight]

[ She'll let him have it, but it will mostly be her sitting there, waiting for some sort of explanation. ]

Spam!

[batmanschmatman]

[After a moment, he more or less finds his voice, even if it's kind of a little shaky.]

Steph, I'm so sorry.