Overdose Delusion

55

Being in the house on her own, Willow pottered around. Everything was as it was left. Running a hand along the back of the sofa she sighed. Sue had stuck around for a while before travelling home. Willow wouldn't be lying if she said she wished for her to stay. It wasn't nice being here on her own. It was a little scary. Hearing a cry from upstairs she turned and shuffled off. "Oh come on little chap," she scooped Xavier up. Holding onto him tightly she walked over to the window. Sitting down on the window seat she turned the baby to look out of the window too. "This is the night sky, Xavier." Willow whispered. Leaning her chin on the top of the infants head she sighed. "I first saw it when I was ten. I remember I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." She turned the infant around so he was looking at her. Willow smiled, Xavier had ceased his crying. "Listen little one; I had an awful beginning in this world, and although I am slightly jumbled in the brain department, I will do everything in my power to bring you up right." Willow stood and placed him back in his crib. "Just like Sue and Kev did for me." Tucking him in she eyed up Tabitha who wriggled around. "You're doing that because you're jealous! You see Xavier getting all the hugs and one to one conversations, and your little mind wants a piece of that. Fine come here you little dumpling." Willow picked Tabitha up. Returning to her window seat she leaned against the pane of glass.
Tabitha was the slightly smaller of the two, and although Xavier was the one who had sleeping problems, Tabitha was the fussy eater who refused to eat at all. Eventually after wrestling with tiny waving arms and a bottle, Willow got her to have something. This alone seemed like some sort of achievement.
"Hm, what to talk to you about? You're clearly the silent one out of the two." Willow yawned and settled to get comfortable. Her fidgeting caused Tabitha to whine. "Oh shush, shush. I find it selfish that you can be comfy and I can't." Willow said jokingly and patted the baby gently on the back. She let out a giggle. "You're gonna so be a daddy's girl! Oh that's funny, if you understood the joke you'd laugh too. But seeing as you don't and all you want to do is sleep, then I shall just tell you; it's funny." Willow yawned again and hummed, Tabitha gave a small squirm and clutched onto a stray curl. "Ow, can you not do that?" Willow reached up and gently uncurled the tiny fist. Rubbing her finger over the small ones which had enclosed around her thumb, Willow smiled and looked up at the stars.
----
Finding Jonathan on the best of times was annoying. Annoying and awkward and often pulled off through sheer luck. Bruce knew of seven locations which Jonathan had used. Considering Willow had searched three of them with no luck that only left the other four. Bruce had searched the others with one place left. Hitting the brakes he jumped out of the car.
He hated this part of the city. There were certain parts which were just horrid and screamed dangerous. Looking up at a tall but crumbling building he walked forwards. He could see faces peering out from the darkness of alleyways. It was a rarity for Batman to visit the slums. The slums with its rather minor crime was often left for the police.
Pushing open a chipped door he looked around. Hearing growling he lowered his head. Bruce narrowed his eyes, seeing as how his target hadn't moved the dog whined and backed off. Walking into the room it had disappeared into, Bruce looked around. "You're a hard person to find, Crane."
Jonathan lifted his head up from his arms. He was sitting in a battered chair, his legs were pulled to his chest and it seemed he'd drifted off to sleep like that. "Batman, what a pleasant surprise. What do you want? You've finally decided to hand me over to the incompetent police for blowing up the warehouse?"
"No." Bruce answered unmoving from the doorway.
Jonathan stretched out his legs and stretched his arms. "No?" Carefully he rubbed his eyes. He was still healing from the attack which happened in the clinic.
Bruce turned to face him fully. "I had a visit, a call from someone. A mutual friend as it were." Jonathan looked up at him. "Willow's back, she's been looking for you."
"She sent you out to find me? This is ironic. I try and get you to do something, and you don't. Yet she asks you to do something, you do it. Seriously, I wonder why this is." Jonathan smirked slowly.
"I can tolerate Willow, I can't tolerate you." Bruce answered and watched with inner pride as Jonathan's smirk vanished. "She's been trying to find you apparently. I have to admit I am grateful for her not coming to this area of the city." Bruce looked out of the partially curtained window. From his disappearance into the building, all the dark and shady characters had reappeared on the streets again. "Any reason you're hiding?"
Jonathan stood up and frowned at him. "I am not hiding."
"You're in a dark building, in the slums of the city, to me that's hiding."
Jonathan ran a hand down his face. "To become a father I'd have to give up my hopes of breaking your mind. Not only that; I didn't have any good role models when growing up. I'm sure you know this from peering at my Arkham patient files."
"Yes, you'd have to be unselfish for once there, Crane. As for role models, I don't think it's a must. Just do what you think is right."
"Am I getting parental advice from Batman? I guess you've had trouble with your flock, especially Robin, oh I mean Nightwing, and you two did part on sore terms."
"Crane." Bruce said darkly.
"Did I hit a nerve?"
"Crane, your family is waiting for you at home. You either go to them or I'll take you to them. You step out of line, and I will be there."
"You're basically saying I have to live a life of normality now?"
"Since when have you ever thought or acted or even lived as a normal person?"
"Valid point that, Batman." Jonathan noted and looked up at him. "I'm not making any promises, just so you know." He smiled.
"I know, and I mean it; I'll be there to stop you." Bruce turned. He'd answered the warning Jonathan sent his way as simply as possible. Bruce knew deep down that the likelihood of Jonathan returning to a slight life of crime was highly possible.

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(Edited: 4/Nov/2019)