Back in Gotham (RP with Dinah)

[oracle_knows]

Babs had only been back in her dimension for ten minutes. But that was enough time to start a security test, to scan the headlines for the past couple of months (she'd thought she'd been away longer), check the random number storage to see that it was probably the right dimension, run a security test, and security scan of her shiny rebuilt Clocktower, and hack into four separate diaries. Dinah's unfortunately was depressed enough that Babs had invited her over (technically Dinah had asked), so Babs had disabled the relevant security settings.

Catching up on international finance could wait until tomorrow. Even if it did look as if bloody idiocy while she'd been gone had done more damage than Vandal Savage, Lex Luthor, and Ra's Al Ghul could have done between them.

When the security cameras caught sight of Dinah approaching the clocktower, she wheeled herself to the elevator and headed down to meet her (a gesture that was rare, but she had missed Dinah even if she would probably not admit it in so many words).

Comments

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah knocked on the door. She had no doubt Babs knew she was coming, but it was polite, after all.

She almost couldn't believe Barbara was back.

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

Babs came out of the elevator and opened the door almost nervously. At least she could admit that to herself although she wouldn't even admit it to Dinah. And she was glad that Dinah hadn't got back together with that twit who shot phallic symbols. Again.

"I've only just arrived back. But the layout's almost the same as the old clocktower. Come on up." Babs wheeled herself back into the elevator, and threw a glance over her shoulder indicating that Dinah should follow. Of course she hadn't turned off the sensors, and even if it was Dinah she was being subjected to passive scans of her DNA, her size, her respiration rate, and numerous other factors to establish her identity. There'd (of course0 be slightly fewer when Babs felt she was entirely home, but never none for anyone.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah followed her. "Barbara, I thought you were dead, she said. Or... I don't even know! You vanished!"

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"Dinah, I'm sorry. But there was no time to tell anyone." In fact Babs delay of thirty seconds to deactivate her deadman switches had cost a couple of hundred lives as it was. Although that was almost certainly less bloody than giving her entire blackmail database to Lois Lane (and a few others) and revealing a few things to the world would have been.

She managed a grin. "Now you know how I felt when you were on Dinosaur Island. Or on your Viking expedition." Babs glanced at a panel in the elevator, seeing with relief that Dinah's identity was confirmed.

The elevators opened on the top floor of her Clocktower, and Babs wheeled herself out, stifling a yawn away from Dinah. "Come in."

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah frowned. "When was the last time you slept?"

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

Babs replied brightly "I got three hours of sleep about sixteen hours ago."

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

"Babs!" Dinah said, walking over to her. "You need sleep!"

She sighed and pulled out a stool in the kitchen. "So, you saved, what, the multiverse? A different dimension?"

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine. I often got by less sleep than this when I was Batgirl. And possibly only a couple of Earths, but probably prevented an invasion of here that would have made the Domination War look like a picnic. _{Stupid flying pepper pots.}" And even more stupid that two of the three different simultaneous invasions were hackable. "What's happened while I've been away?"

[OOC: Domination War = Invasion!]

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah nodded at Babs' explanation. "Sounds fun," she said dryly. "What's happened? Well...the Joker's dead, for one thing."

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"Really? Lethal injection, The Chair, or 'Shot While Attempting to Escape?'" Babs could scarcely conceal the glee from her voice. "And what happened to the body? He's appeared dead before."

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

"None of the above," Dinah said. She grinned back at Barbara. "Jason Todd shot him when the Joker attacked both him and Robin. The police have the body. Not sure what they've done with it, though."

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"I'll find out. And he doesn't need a lawyer, does he? I've still got a favour to call in I'd got prepared after the Catalina incident." No need to mention she also has a favour to call in from a red hot prosecutor that was going to be the Joker - making sure he couldn't get off on diminished responsibility this time. Barbara yawned.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

"He's not in jail. From what I heard, Tim and the cops basically didn't arrest him. Which is good. Isn't he legally dead?" Dinah asked.

She frowned at Barbara. "You need to get some sleep," she said.

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"Jason? Not under the 'Habeas Corpses' act*. And I just need to check a few things, then shower and bed."

* The Metahuman Resurrections Act (better known as Habeas Corpses) was written to allow Superman to reclaim his title without lengthy legal procedings. That the Superman in question turned out to be Hank Henshaw is pretty much irrelevant.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah shrugged. "I have no idea, but Batman's been pretty annoyed about it. You know he and Clark and Diana were having secret meetings?"

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"He would be." Barbara rolled her eyes. "He's deliberately saved Joker's life a few times. And they've been having meetings and discussions as a group for years now. Batman's annoyingly good at finding my attempts to bug those meetings. I only found out they were undermining you just before I vanished." And promptly yelled at Batman, but no need for Dinah to know about that.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

"I snooped around and broke into the meeting room and yelled at them," Dinah said. "In theory, they'll start actually listening to me now."

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"Two of them will anyway." Oracle suppressed a yawn and tapped a few keys. Suppressing another yawn she turned back to Dinah. "You're right." In the next room the bath started running.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'll take what I can get," Dinah asked. "I'm right?"

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

"Coffee isn't going to help me stay awake much longer. And I need a bath first." Babs rolled in to the bathroom, her glance making the invitation her words didn't explicitly.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah smiled and followed her. "Want a hand?" she asked.

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

Babs smiled back. "Please." She lifted her t-shirt and bra off over her head and started undoing her trousers, her wheelchair parked right by a large and very deep bath covered in bubbles.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah dropped her jacket on the ground and started pulling off her own clothes. "I've missed you, Babs," she said, stepping into the tub.

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

Oracle shimmied out of the remainder of her clothes and slid in to the tub. Her response, rather than words, was to wrap her arms round Dinah's neck and draw her down for a passionate kiss.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah kissed Barbara back, feeling over Barbara's skin and reassuring herself that Barbara was really there.

[oracle-knows.livejournal.com]

Babs twisted and reached round Dinah, holding her tight against her. Her tongue slid over Dinah's and started to explore her mouth.

[screamingbird.livejournal.com]

Dinah hummed into the kiss and wrapped her hand in Barbara's hair. She blinked back tears. It had been far too long.