Silence

Chapter 39

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My memories are hazy. I sift through them, trying to separate fact from falsehood. Everything felt so real. I can't be sure anything I see or feel is true.

The room is different than where I was after the Team saved me from Cadmus. The hallucination hasn't revealed itself yet, but I'm not taking any chances.

I've been fading in and out of sleep, how long I don't know. When I wake up, Nightwing is always there. He says a few comforting words, especially when I wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares that hardly differ from the hallucinations. After that, he remains silent, waiting. I can't decide what drives him to keep sitting here, and why he stays anywhere near me.

I don't get a chance to think of an answer when the door opens. What I see sends my mind and heart racing. M'gann and Batman enter, followed by two familiar faces. I sit up and shake my head. They can't be here. Out of all of the hallucinations, the ones that include them are the worst to endure.

My parents rush to my side, but my dad stops my mom just as they reach the bed. He looks at her, and she nods as if remembering.

"Willow, sweetheart," Mom says. She slowly takes a step forward. "Are you alright?"

I look at both of them. The compassion in their eyes is almost too much to bear. I can't hurt them again. They should just leave, forget about me.

"Hey," Dad says. He kneels next to the bed and looks me in the eye. "It's really us, Willow, I promise."

I look between the two of them again. Why isn't the hallucination surfacing? It never takes this long for the dream to warp into my worst fears.

"You take as long as you need to heal," Mom reassures. "Don't feel like you have to rush on our account. We just want you to feel safe, okay?"

She reaches out her hand, and I instinctively pull back. Mom stops and our eyes meet. She's calm, waiting for me to move. My brow furrows as I try to relearn her face. I shake my head. Hallucination or not, it's still not safe for them here.

"Go," I tell them. "Go away."

"Why do you want us to go?" Mom asks softly.

"It's not safe," I say. "You're not safe here."

"This is the safest place you could be," Dad reassures. "The Joker is back at Arkham. He's not going to hurt anyone for a long time, okay?"

"She doesn't mean the Joker," Nightwing says as he approaches the bed. "She means herself."

"What do you mean?" Mom asks.

"She..." Nightwing looks at me, and a sadness crosses his face that causes me to look away. He still trusts me. Why, I'll never understand. I'm dangerous. I hurt him, and he tried to hide it. Nightwing pulls my parents aside. I try to listen to his whispered explanation that I'm sure isn't right, but his back is turned to me.

"Hey, Willow," M'gann calls. I know she's trying to distract me, but I ignore her. "If you want... I mean, when you're ready, I can set up a telepathic link, like before."

With my eyes still on Nightwing and my parents, I shake my head. The last thing I want is more people in my head. M'gann still tries to get my attention, but my sole focus is on my parents' faces as Nightwing speaks to them. My mom gasps, and after a grumbled complaint and a sideways glance at Batman, she rests her thumb and forefinger on the bridge of her nose. The only words I catch are "sedative" and "recovering from the hallucinations".

I suddenly have flashes of a memory. I remember trying to escape and everything going dark. They didn't trust me, and for good reason. I thought my powers would make them safer, but they've only made me dangerous.

My parents look back to me when Nightwing is finished, and come back to the left side of my bed.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Mom says. I almost pull away as she places her hand on my cheek. I close my eyes, waiting for the worst. Nothing happens. I look at Mom again.

I examine her face, marveling at every detail. I see the slight graying of her hair, the circles beneath her eyes from long nights at the hospital, the deep dimples on either side of her smile. If this really is a hallucination, it managed to capture everything about her perfectly.

Suddenly, the room seems to settle. There are no disjointed images and shifting dreams. The world isn't spinning. I realize how exhausted I am, and how much my body aches. As I look into my mother's eyes, the room feels firm and real.

Real.

I turn to Nightwing, hoping against all hope for confirmation of my suspicions. Our eyes meet, and I can tell he understands what I need to know. With a small smile, he nods.

I face my parents again, and I see the same hopeful gaze in their eyes. Maybe...

As soon as I indulge the idea, I begin to realize the truth of it. The nightmares aren't here yet, maybe they won't come at all. I've been rescued before. Maybe they did it again.

Slowly, I reach my hand out to touch hers. I gingerly hold it, and she squeezes it gently. I feel dad's calloused hands grab mine. I see the eyes that match mine and the auburn hair that's never quite where it's supposed to be.

I can almost feel my eyes glazing over as all other thoughts grind to a halt. Tears fall onto my cheeks but the feeling is distant and numb. As I begin to grasp the reality of what I'm seeing, I feel like my body is a thousand miles away.

They're here.

I'm here.

Somehow, someway, they saved me. The hallucinations are gone.

I exhale as relief and disbelief flood my body. I pull my parents close and embrace them. I breathe in their familiar scent as my mom heaves a sigh. I only pull back when memories start to resurface.

"What happened?" I ask.

"How much do you remember?" Batman asks. His voice isn't harsh or cold, but I can still detect the edge that I doubt ever leaves his voice. I hesitate for a moment, trying to recall the events before my mind was tampered with.

"I remember... the art gallery, Joker was there. He-"

I stop short when I remember why I was at the art gallery. Suddenly, I feel like sinking into the floor, which I could very well do if I wasn't exhausted. My breathing becomes shallow. I bring myself to look at my parents for the briefest of moments and instantly look away. My parents know, and something tells me they're not the only ones.

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Hello, my lovely patient readers!!!!!

Thank you for putting up with my slow updates. My summer has been crazy, getting ready for college and such. 

Did you enjoy this chapter? How will Willow react to her family and the League knowing her secret? How will her parents react? Should Nightwing have revealed her identity? What will happen next? Leave your thoughts and prediction in the comments! 

Feel free to vote and follow if you like this story! Your support means the world to me. 

Hope you enjoyed this belated chapter! See you all next chapter!!

TTFN!!!

~ Mocha