Fic: Shattered Pieces of Her(Cass/Steph)
Title: Shattered Pieces of Her
Characters/Pairings: Cassandra Cain/Stephanie Brown
Rating: PG-13
Words: 930
Author's Notes: Written for greeneyelove's OTP fic exchange, for request #47.
Summary: Stephanie returned from Africa too late, and found Cass broken.
The gun was heavy in Stephanie Brown's hands. It always looked so easy when she saw criminals shoot, like it was second nature. But in her own hands, it felt like a ton. She knew there was no turning back from what she was about to do. She could hear Leslie's voice in her ears, from the year they spent in Africa.
"I know how much you want revenge, Stephanie. After what that monster did to you, I don't blame you. But you just have to look at Bruce, to see how it's eaten away at his soul over the years. You can't let it consume you."
It was a different time, a different monster. Slade Wilson wasn't the one who had tortured her and left her for dead. No, that monster was dead, but the one sleeping in front of her had done his damndest to destroy the only person who ever loved her unconditionally in both body and soul. And he had to pay for that, even if the price was her soul. No, she owed it to Cass to make sure he would never come back to hurt her again.
Stephanie squeezed the trigger twice in succession, and the recoil nearly sent her flying back. It was done. Slade Wilson would never hurt anyone again. And she was sure a little piece of her soul had died with him.
_________________________________________________________
The first thing Cass would notice in the morning was that her punches weren't real.
She always dreamed of fighting, revisiting some of her most challenging battles. Normally, she would wake up in mid-move, kicking or punching at the air. No more. It always took a few seconds before it came back to her. The memory of that night she went after Deathstroke. She had been angry, bitter over the things he did to her when she was under his control. She had betrayed her friends, hurt people she cared about, all while not even being aware of her actions. She wanted to hurt him, but going after one of the world's deadliest assassins alone, with rage in her heart, she knew deep down she had a subconscious desire to be hurt as well. And on that count, she had succeeded all too well. The memories felt fresh every time she woke up...the sickening crack of her neck breaking as she hit the pavement, the feeling of sudden nothingness in her arms and legs. She wished Deathstroke had killed her, but that would have been too easy. It had been three months, but every day was like waking up in the hospital for the first time.
"It's okay, babe. I'm here."
Cass calmed herself slightly as Stephanie gently ran her fingers through her hair.
"You're...still here."
"Of course, Cass. I told you, I'm never going to leave you. I'm here till you get better, no matter how long it takes."
Cass could swear she saw something haunted in Stephanie's eyes, something she had never seen before, but she couldn't identify it. She could swear she had seen it before in her own eyes, though.
____________________________________________________
Cass' head moved swiftly back and forth as she watched the martial arts footage on TV, as if she was dodging the blows on the screen from her wheelchair. Stephanie looked her over with slight concern.
"You know, we don't have to watch this if - I mean, I know it's got to be hard, and..."
Cass shook her head furiously. "No. It helps...to remember."
"Okay, babe. Whatever makes you happy." Steph held a glass of water up to Cass' lips, and Cass took a sip from the straw. There was a moment of silence between them.
"Steph?"
"Yeah, Cass?"
"What...am I?"
Steph gently cupped Cass' chin in her hands and looked her in the eye. "You're Cassandra Cain. You're the girl I love, and nothing's going to change that."
"But...I can't fight. And I don't know how to do anything else. I'm useless."
Steph's heart broke a little as she stared into Cass' distraught face. Being paralyzed was devastating for anyone, but for Cass it was like her very being was destroyed. She wished she could say something, anything to make it better, but she knew she couldn't. All she could do was let Cass rest her head on her shoulder and cry softly.
Cass looked down at her limp arms lying motionless in their armrests. "I miss holding you. It's not fair. You come back, and...I can't even hold you."
"I know. I miss it too. But I can still hold you, Cass. And I'm not letting go, you understand? I'm not going anywhere."
Cass nodded as Steph wrapped her arms around her. Nothing came easy anymore, and Steph knew it would be a long time before Cass felt whole again, if ever. She had been stripped of everything she had ever known. But Steph could see hints of Cassandra buried under her devastation, and she would be here as long as it took to help her unearth them. Cassandra had protected her so many times, and now it was her turn to be the strong one. No, no one else would ever know what she had done that night. Would she be haunted? Absolutely. Would she regret it? Never. The nightmares were a small price to pay to make sure her beautiful broken bat was avenged.
Characters/Pairings: Cassandra Cain/Stephanie Brown
Rating: PG-13
Words: 930
Author's Notes: Written for greeneyelove's OTP fic exchange, for request #47.
Summary: Stephanie returned from Africa too late, and found Cass broken.
The gun was heavy in Stephanie Brown's hands. It always looked so easy when she saw criminals shoot, like it was second nature. But in her own hands, it felt like a ton. She knew there was no turning back from what she was about to do. She could hear Leslie's voice in her ears, from the year they spent in Africa.
"I know how much you want revenge, Stephanie. After what that monster did to you, I don't blame you. But you just have to look at Bruce, to see how it's eaten away at his soul over the years. You can't let it consume you."
It was a different time, a different monster. Slade Wilson wasn't the one who had tortured her and left her for dead. No, that monster was dead, but the one sleeping in front of her had done his damndest to destroy the only person who ever loved her unconditionally in both body and soul. And he had to pay for that, even if the price was her soul. No, she owed it to Cass to make sure he would never come back to hurt her again.
Stephanie squeezed the trigger twice in succession, and the recoil nearly sent her flying back. It was done. Slade Wilson would never hurt anyone again. And she was sure a little piece of her soul had died with him.
_________________________________________________________
The first thing Cass would notice in the morning was that her punches weren't real.
She always dreamed of fighting, revisiting some of her most challenging battles. Normally, she would wake up in mid-move, kicking or punching at the air. No more. It always took a few seconds before it came back to her. The memory of that night she went after Deathstroke. She had been angry, bitter over the things he did to her when she was under his control. She had betrayed her friends, hurt people she cared about, all while not even being aware of her actions. She wanted to hurt him, but going after one of the world's deadliest assassins alone, with rage in her heart, she knew deep down she had a subconscious desire to be hurt as well. And on that count, she had succeeded all too well. The memories felt fresh every time she woke up...the sickening crack of her neck breaking as she hit the pavement, the feeling of sudden nothingness in her arms and legs. She wished Deathstroke had killed her, but that would have been too easy. It had been three months, but every day was like waking up in the hospital for the first time.
"It's okay, babe. I'm here."
Cass calmed herself slightly as Stephanie gently ran her fingers through her hair.
"You're...still here."
"Of course, Cass. I told you, I'm never going to leave you. I'm here till you get better, no matter how long it takes."
Cass could swear she saw something haunted in Stephanie's eyes, something she had never seen before, but she couldn't identify it. She could swear she had seen it before in her own eyes, though.
____________________________________________________
Cass' head moved swiftly back and forth as she watched the martial arts footage on TV, as if she was dodging the blows on the screen from her wheelchair. Stephanie looked her over with slight concern.
"You know, we don't have to watch this if - I mean, I know it's got to be hard, and..."
Cass shook her head furiously. "No. It helps...to remember."
"Okay, babe. Whatever makes you happy." Steph held a glass of water up to Cass' lips, and Cass took a sip from the straw. There was a moment of silence between them.
"Steph?"
"Yeah, Cass?"
"What...am I?"
Steph gently cupped Cass' chin in her hands and looked her in the eye. "You're Cassandra Cain. You're the girl I love, and nothing's going to change that."
"But...I can't fight. And I don't know how to do anything else. I'm useless."
Steph's heart broke a little as she stared into Cass' distraught face. Being paralyzed was devastating for anyone, but for Cass it was like her very being was destroyed. She wished she could say something, anything to make it better, but she knew she couldn't. All she could do was let Cass rest her head on her shoulder and cry softly.
Cass looked down at her limp arms lying motionless in their armrests. "I miss holding you. It's not fair. You come back, and...I can't even hold you."
"I know. I miss it too. But I can still hold you, Cass. And I'm not letting go, you understand? I'm not going anywhere."
Cass nodded as Steph wrapped her arms around her. Nothing came easy anymore, and Steph knew it would be a long time before Cass felt whole again, if ever. She had been stripped of everything she had ever known. But Steph could see hints of Cassandra buried under her devastation, and she would be here as long as it took to help her unearth them. Cassandra had protected her so many times, and now it was her turn to be the strong one. No, no one else would ever know what she had done that night. Would she be haunted? Absolutely. Would she regret it? Never. The nightmares were a small price to pay to make sure her beautiful broken bat was avenged.