Post by adrini on Sept 4, 2014 15:28:24 GMT -5
"Hey Mrs. Lance." Kate sat down next to the hospital bed and tried to smile at the awakening woman. Mrs. Lance took a moment, side effects of the medications, but quickly beamed. Noticing Renee by the door she nodded.
"Kate, Renee. So glad to see you." She pushed her self up on the bed. "What have I missed in the tower?"
"We miss you." Kate said slowly. The woman who had stepped in as a mother was now bone thin, pale, and quickly fading. Jade had been invited to come and check on her mentor as well but hadn't been able to bring herself to. Kate didn't blame her. "You'll go home tomorrow, Di and I will be here bright and early. We can grab something if you feel like eating."
"So sweet, my Kate. But only Renee and I know that. I might. But what of you?" The now bald woman sighed and relaxed into the bed. "I want to hear of my birds."
"We're looking after Di, like you asked." Kate said, Renee joined her. "But she isn't doing much, aside from visiting you. Mostly just food shopping, paying bills. Jade is working off the situation at the gym, so she's always there. Gets Di to join her now and again."
"We all work in our own ways, but I'm glad she's helping. What about you?" She grinned weakly. "You seemed stressed last time you came."
"We're having issues with our families." Kate sighed. "Nothing we didn't see coming."
"Not quite up to the twenty-first century I take it?" She said and shook her head. "Life is too short, there's no reason to quarrel like that. I'm so sorry."
"We'll make it, look after yourself." Renee said, even those words betraying the emotion she was fighting. Mrs. Lance had been a mother to her for years, all the way back to New York. The thought of life without her was alien and cold. "We need you."
"All that I have left is yours." The woman grabbed her hand. She was now an out patient of hospice, and though no one wanted to say it, her time was limited. "But trust yourselves. You are stronger then you know, and you won't be alone."
---BOP---
"You're lookin' down, Baby doll." She looked up to see Thomas Blake leaning over the ropes. "More bad news?"
"Officially gave up this morning." Jade couldn't bring herself to walk over and instead sank into the chair. "We're loosing her."
Thomas, with dark hair and tan skin, slid between the ropes and took the chair next to her. Wordlessly she felt him grab her hand.
"I'm sorry. How long does she have? We can put the training on hold and-" Jade shot out of her chair.
"How can you ask that!" Sobs began to rise from her chest, she felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "Like she's a gallon of milk or package of meat!"
"I'm sorry, Babe. I didn't mean it like that." He tried to calm her down but she was shaking and fell to the ground, no longer able to hold back her grief. Thomas watched, helpless, not knowing what to do.
"No, she isn't." Moira sighed. "You can't live in this fantasy forever, and you certainly can't blow your fund because of it. Miss Rich is a fine young woman, not to mention real and-"
"She's real! She leaves things behind, real things." He looked in frustration at his packed suitcase.
"Yes, the candy bar wrapper." She shook her head. "Only she could have left that. No, Oliver. Your Dad and I have talked and you are staying home. We've told Frank not to fly you out and Digs not to drive you."
"I have the right to-" Oliver stood up, shocked. That they were skeptical was known, but to go this far.
"Not with our property." Moira said sharply before reminding herself to relax. "I'm upset, your upset, we'll talk later when we've calmed down."
The young man sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He had gotten a few more clues but they were meaningless without followup. Her house was in one of the suburbs, he had it narrowed down to three areas.
With nothing left to do, now that his trip had been canceled, he pulled out the file and looked over the information. He needed some kind of boots on the ground to fill in the holes but with accounts frozen even hiring someone was impossible.
"You can pay me back," Adrien was leaning on the door, she was smirking somewhat. "It won't be cheap but you can pay me back."
"For the plane?" He looked up, beginning to feel relived. He could still do this.
"For the P.I." Adrien corrected, looking at the file for a moment. "This is a dossier, a good one. Plus your parents would kill me if I let you go."
"It's tracking a hero, this is all I have after three years," He looked over the information, it wasn't much. "Unless you have some awesome P.I. it won't work."
"I have a very awesome one, in fact." She leaned over and looked at the information. "I've never seen you work this hard at anything. This is remarkable, very workable."
"I'll pay it, when can he start?" Oliver gathered the file and handed it over. Adrien walked over to his scanner.
"Now. I'll send these over tonight. But you cool your heels and wait for word." She was sending the information to a number she had memorized. "I'll know when I know."
"Alone, Little Bird?" She smiled at her daughter. Di was lying on the sofa, reading the page in front of her for the forth time. "On a friday?"
"Kate with Renee, Jade with Thomas." The blonde sighed. "Me? Alone. Again."
"Give it time." She leaned heavily on her cane, walking over to her. Her daughter was still trying to keep a level of normal, it was the mother-daughter duo they had leaned on for the years after Lance had passed. "You'll surpass them all. If you're free, there is an old friend of mine I'm going to see. Keep me company?"
"Of course, Mum. Let me help." Di quickly pulled herself off the sofa and hurried over. In the last four months her mother's health had fallen quickly. She hid her now bald hair with a colorful head scarf, the cancer had spread quickly. The aggressive nature of the cancer had made recover unlikely from early on, and the idea of what was to come was all too familiar to her, even if she knew the reality would be a shock.
Di happily let her daughter support her, her fingers greedily holding the healthier skin. She wasn't done yet, she still had a few loose ends to clean up, but these moments had become precious.
There was a soft knocking on the door and the young black canary was surprised to trace it to the coat closet. Her thoughts first flew to a home invasion, some one had snuck in, possibly White Canary herself. She quickly moved to defend her mother.
"It's a friend, my sweet one. Don't worry." She smiled. "Come on in."
The coat closet opened and Zatana appeared, smiling. Di was taken back, it was a weird place for the girl to be hiding.
"Mrs. Lance." She nodded, saddened by her mother's state. "He's back."
"This is for you, my Little Bird. Come see." Di followed, Zatana now also helping her mom move into the closet. But it wasn't a closet, it was a wallpapered hallway, gold and yellow, covered in old portraits.
"I have been keeping a secret, and I'm sorry." She looked at the hallway. "But according to the magical laws I could tell only one, and I chose your father before you were born. I wanted to tell you before."
"Then why am I being told now?" Di looked around the corner.
"You are our new keeper, Miss Lance." A deep, tired voice said. It was sad, but almost excited. "Our Canary made anew, as your mother fades. There is much you need to be told."
He was in his eighties, at least. Thin and frail, with white hair and an old fashioned suit she had only seen in movies before. But he was kind looking, with the look of who who was firm yet kind. Exact and forgiving. She knew the man, she just place from where. Then she remembered.
"You're Dr. Fate. But you can't be, Mom said you were a myth." She looked as Zatana and her mother shared a look.
"I had to lie, you always guess the truth, and you couldn't here." The elder Canary explained. "Hector has been watching us, watching you, all your life."
"You are our ambassador now, and we your allies. As formed before you, and forming through you, fate stands with you." Hector Hall, the phantom man she was told she hadn't seen. "Come, there is much to learn."
Di looked at her, nervous. She smiled and nodding, encouraging the girl to accept the invitation. Di took a deep breath before nodding, and Hector smiled gently.
She watched her little girl follow the man, a walk she remembered herself. It was a wondrous journey, and she only hoped she had prepared her for the road ahead.
Moira opened the files on the computer and sighed, there still weren't enough people to start the new project, and the construction was going to be nearing completion soon. It never took this long to get this to work with earlier ideas. There just seemed to be a misunderstanding that aid work and business management were the same thing for some reason.
Adrien appeared and smiled, but it was weak and she had a grim look in her eyes. That was never a good sign. Her life long friend nodded briefly and walked over, nervously playing with a folder she was carrying.
"I've never liked that look." Moira said. "What is it?"
"Firstly, you own your son an apology." Adrien sat down, looking at the folder she had just put together. "And secondly I don't actually know how to handle this one."
"What did I do now?" She looked at the woman, whatever it was it seemed to be serious. Adrien opened the file and slid it over.
"Dinah Laurel Lance, otherwise known as 'the mystery girl' and better known as Black Canary." Adrien leaned on the chair and sighed. "Very much real. They've been moving in the same circles for years, I honestly don't know how they've missed each other."
"Her Little Bird." Moira said, shocked. "I met them, the mother was fighting cancer. They were at the Kane Casino last time we visited. She's was wonderful, very sweet."
"Ollie will be glad you approve." She turned the page, continuing to read information. "But I'm not sure we should tell him she's been found just yet."
"Oh no." It was information Moira knew too well, she had a file of it from her own mother in her desk. "She'll be devastated, alone. How long do they think she has?"
"Yesterday, tomorrow, maybe next week." She sighed as Moira looked at her, memory of her own grief in her eyes. "She doesn't. Now is not a good time to have strangers show up and try to get involved. Even devoted ones."
"No, she needs her friends. She won't be ready for anything new for awhile. You're quite right. What do we tell Ollie, though?" Mrs. Queen looked at the photographs, she smiled at a small one, a college portrait of the young woman in question, and pulled it to keep.
"That we've gotten leads but nothing solid yet. I hate lying to him but there's no way he wouldn't be on the first plane out." Adrien sat down and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe in a month or so, when the worst of it has passed. That might be enough."
"At least, do one thing for me." She looked at the picture for a moment. "See that everything is covered. The least we can do is see that she can morn in peace without all the worries. And tell your P.I. to let us know when she seems to even out again."
"How did you know about the-" Adrien smiled, of course she knew. "And when she does?"
"We release the Ollie, and with any luck she won't need for anything again." Moira grinned a little at the thought. "It'll be a good day."
"Di, it's after three. Let me take a turn." Ted joined the young woman next to the bed. "Or one of the others. We'll get you if anything happens."
Shaking her head Dinah kept her eyes on the still form, at rest not now largely unresponsive. Her hand was still trapped in a tight grip. Ted knew the call would fall on deaf ears, the canaries wanted every second they could get before the end and Di had already told him sleep could come later.
"How is she?" Kate, who had been crashed on the sofa just outside the room, walked up. "Anything?"
"A few hallucinations, heart rate another four points down. Still out, but seems to be drifting." Di said softly, she fixed the blankets with her one free hand. "Not much longer."
"Jade, comon." Kate called her friend. "Don't hide now."
Di made room and Jade walked slowly across the room, and sat close. Kate joined them and the three shared the small bench, waiting was all they had left.
"She's a good woman. You were lucky to have her." Ted took the last chair. "You girls were her last gift to the world, see that's its well used."
"Lance?" It was hardly a whisper, but the three heard. Di swallowed to control herself but buried her face in Kate's neck. "Lance, she's here. She's fine."
"The pulse, look." Jade leaned into Di, Kate was right. It was time.
The monitor slowed, then wordlessly, stopped.
-All yours now, Dad. Keep her safe for me till I get there.-
Meoow
"Yes, it's a shame, Kitty. So sad." Klarion sneered, flashing a mock frown. He closed the window. He was average height, with sharp features, dark hair was sculpted into a a perfect coif. A orange tabby purred and sat next to him. "But our Fate chose a new steward and it would be rude not to welcome her, and her friends are sure to come along."
"Kate, Renee. So glad to see you." She pushed her self up on the bed. "What have I missed in the tower?"
"We miss you." Kate said slowly. The woman who had stepped in as a mother was now bone thin, pale, and quickly fading. Jade had been invited to come and check on her mentor as well but hadn't been able to bring herself to. Kate didn't blame her. "You'll go home tomorrow, Di and I will be here bright and early. We can grab something if you feel like eating."
"So sweet, my Kate. But only Renee and I know that. I might. But what of you?" The now bald woman sighed and relaxed into the bed. "I want to hear of my birds."
"We're looking after Di, like you asked." Kate said, Renee joined her. "But she isn't doing much, aside from visiting you. Mostly just food shopping, paying bills. Jade is working off the situation at the gym, so she's always there. Gets Di to join her now and again."
"We all work in our own ways, but I'm glad she's helping. What about you?" She grinned weakly. "You seemed stressed last time you came."
"We're having issues with our families." Kate sighed. "Nothing we didn't see coming."
"Not quite up to the twenty-first century I take it?" She said and shook her head. "Life is too short, there's no reason to quarrel like that. I'm so sorry."
"We'll make it, look after yourself." Renee said, even those words betraying the emotion she was fighting. Mrs. Lance had been a mother to her for years, all the way back to New York. The thought of life without her was alien and cold. "We need you."
"All that I have left is yours." The woman grabbed her hand. She was now an out patient of hospice, and though no one wanted to say it, her time was limited. "But trust yourselves. You are stronger then you know, and you won't be alone."
---BOP---
"You're lookin' down, Baby doll." She looked up to see Thomas Blake leaning over the ropes. "More bad news?"
"Officially gave up this morning." Jade couldn't bring herself to walk over and instead sank into the chair. "We're loosing her."
Thomas, with dark hair and tan skin, slid between the ropes and took the chair next to her. Wordlessly she felt him grab her hand.
"I'm sorry. How long does she have? We can put the training on hold and-" Jade shot out of her chair.
"How can you ask that!" Sobs began to rise from her chest, she felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "Like she's a gallon of milk or package of meat!"
"I'm sorry, Babe. I didn't mean it like that." He tried to calm her down but she was shaking and fell to the ground, no longer able to hold back her grief. Thomas watched, helpless, not knowing what to do.
---BOP---
"No, she isn't." Moira sighed. "You can't live in this fantasy forever, and you certainly can't blow your fund because of it. Miss Rich is a fine young woman, not to mention real and-"
"She's real! She leaves things behind, real things." He looked in frustration at his packed suitcase.
"Yes, the candy bar wrapper." She shook her head. "Only she could have left that. No, Oliver. Your Dad and I have talked and you are staying home. We've told Frank not to fly you out and Digs not to drive you."
"I have the right to-" Oliver stood up, shocked. That they were skeptical was known, but to go this far.
"Not with our property." Moira said sharply before reminding herself to relax. "I'm upset, your upset, we'll talk later when we've calmed down."
The young man sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He had gotten a few more clues but they were meaningless without followup. Her house was in one of the suburbs, he had it narrowed down to three areas.
With nothing left to do, now that his trip had been canceled, he pulled out the file and looked over the information. He needed some kind of boots on the ground to fill in the holes but with accounts frozen even hiring someone was impossible.
"You can pay me back," Adrien was leaning on the door, she was smirking somewhat. "It won't be cheap but you can pay me back."
"For the plane?" He looked up, beginning to feel relived. He could still do this.
"For the P.I." Adrien corrected, looking at the file for a moment. "This is a dossier, a good one. Plus your parents would kill me if I let you go."
"It's tracking a hero, this is all I have after three years," He looked over the information, it wasn't much. "Unless you have some awesome P.I. it won't work."
"I have a very awesome one, in fact." She leaned over and looked at the information. "I've never seen you work this hard at anything. This is remarkable, very workable."
"I'll pay it, when can he start?" Oliver gathered the file and handed it over. Adrien walked over to his scanner.
"Now. I'll send these over tonight. But you cool your heels and wait for word." She was sending the information to a number she had memorized. "I'll know when I know."
---BOP---
"Alone, Little Bird?" She smiled at her daughter. Di was lying on the sofa, reading the page in front of her for the forth time. "On a friday?"
"Kate with Renee, Jade with Thomas." The blonde sighed. "Me? Alone. Again."
"Give it time." She leaned heavily on her cane, walking over to her. Her daughter was still trying to keep a level of normal, it was the mother-daughter duo they had leaned on for the years after Lance had passed. "You'll surpass them all. If you're free, there is an old friend of mine I'm going to see. Keep me company?"
"Of course, Mum. Let me help." Di quickly pulled herself off the sofa and hurried over. In the last four months her mother's health had fallen quickly. She hid her now bald hair with a colorful head scarf, the cancer had spread quickly. The aggressive nature of the cancer had made recover unlikely from early on, and the idea of what was to come was all too familiar to her, even if she knew the reality would be a shock.
Di happily let her daughter support her, her fingers greedily holding the healthier skin. She wasn't done yet, she still had a few loose ends to clean up, but these moments had become precious.
There was a soft knocking on the door and the young black canary was surprised to trace it to the coat closet. Her thoughts first flew to a home invasion, some one had snuck in, possibly White Canary herself. She quickly moved to defend her mother.
"It's a friend, my sweet one. Don't worry." She smiled. "Come on in."
The coat closet opened and Zatana appeared, smiling. Di was taken back, it was a weird place for the girl to be hiding.
"Mrs. Lance." She nodded, saddened by her mother's state. "He's back."
"This is for you, my Little Bird. Come see." Di followed, Zatana now also helping her mom move into the closet. But it wasn't a closet, it was a wallpapered hallway, gold and yellow, covered in old portraits.
"I have been keeping a secret, and I'm sorry." She looked at the hallway. "But according to the magical laws I could tell only one, and I chose your father before you were born. I wanted to tell you before."
"Then why am I being told now?" Di looked around the corner.
"You are our new keeper, Miss Lance." A deep, tired voice said. It was sad, but almost excited. "Our Canary made anew, as your mother fades. There is much you need to be told."
He was in his eighties, at least. Thin and frail, with white hair and an old fashioned suit she had only seen in movies before. But he was kind looking, with the look of who who was firm yet kind. Exact and forgiving. She knew the man, she just place from where. Then she remembered.
"You're Dr. Fate. But you can't be, Mom said you were a myth." She looked as Zatana and her mother shared a look.
"I had to lie, you always guess the truth, and you couldn't here." The elder Canary explained. "Hector has been watching us, watching you, all your life."
"You are our ambassador now, and we your allies. As formed before you, and forming through you, fate stands with you." Hector Hall, the phantom man she was told she hadn't seen. "Come, there is much to learn."
Di looked at her, nervous. She smiled and nodding, encouraging the girl to accept the invitation. Di took a deep breath before nodding, and Hector smiled gently.
She watched her little girl follow the man, a walk she remembered herself. It was a wondrous journey, and she only hoped she had prepared her for the road ahead.
---BOP---
Moira opened the files on the computer and sighed, there still weren't enough people to start the new project, and the construction was going to be nearing completion soon. It never took this long to get this to work with earlier ideas. There just seemed to be a misunderstanding that aid work and business management were the same thing for some reason.
Adrien appeared and smiled, but it was weak and she had a grim look in her eyes. That was never a good sign. Her life long friend nodded briefly and walked over, nervously playing with a folder she was carrying.
"I've never liked that look." Moira said. "What is it?"
"Firstly, you own your son an apology." Adrien sat down, looking at the folder she had just put together. "And secondly I don't actually know how to handle this one."
"What did I do now?" She looked at the woman, whatever it was it seemed to be serious. Adrien opened the file and slid it over.
"Dinah Laurel Lance, otherwise known as 'the mystery girl' and better known as Black Canary." Adrien leaned on the chair and sighed. "Very much real. They've been moving in the same circles for years, I honestly don't know how they've missed each other."
"Her Little Bird." Moira said, shocked. "I met them, the mother was fighting cancer. They were at the Kane Casino last time we visited. She's was wonderful, very sweet."
"Ollie will be glad you approve." She turned the page, continuing to read information. "But I'm not sure we should tell him she's been found just yet."
"Oh no." It was information Moira knew too well, she had a file of it from her own mother in her desk. "She'll be devastated, alone. How long do they think she has?"
"Yesterday, tomorrow, maybe next week." She sighed as Moira looked at her, memory of her own grief in her eyes. "She doesn't. Now is not a good time to have strangers show up and try to get involved. Even devoted ones."
"No, she needs her friends. She won't be ready for anything new for awhile. You're quite right. What do we tell Ollie, though?" Mrs. Queen looked at the photographs, she smiled at a small one, a college portrait of the young woman in question, and pulled it to keep.
"That we've gotten leads but nothing solid yet. I hate lying to him but there's no way he wouldn't be on the first plane out." Adrien sat down and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe in a month or so, when the worst of it has passed. That might be enough."
"At least, do one thing for me." She looked at the picture for a moment. "See that everything is covered. The least we can do is see that she can morn in peace without all the worries. And tell your P.I. to let us know when she seems to even out again."
"How did you know about the-" Adrien smiled, of course she knew. "And when she does?"
"We release the Ollie, and with any luck she won't need for anything again." Moira grinned a little at the thought. "It'll be a good day."
---BOP---
"Di, it's after three. Let me take a turn." Ted joined the young woman next to the bed. "Or one of the others. We'll get you if anything happens."
Shaking her head Dinah kept her eyes on the still form, at rest not now largely unresponsive. Her hand was still trapped in a tight grip. Ted knew the call would fall on deaf ears, the canaries wanted every second they could get before the end and Di had already told him sleep could come later.
"How is she?" Kate, who had been crashed on the sofa just outside the room, walked up. "Anything?"
"A few hallucinations, heart rate another four points down. Still out, but seems to be drifting." Di said softly, she fixed the blankets with her one free hand. "Not much longer."
"Jade, comon." Kate called her friend. "Don't hide now."
Di made room and Jade walked slowly across the room, and sat close. Kate joined them and the three shared the small bench, waiting was all they had left.
"She's a good woman. You were lucky to have her." Ted took the last chair. "You girls were her last gift to the world, see that's its well used."
"Lance?" It was hardly a whisper, but the three heard. Di swallowed to control herself but buried her face in Kate's neck. "Lance, she's here. She's fine."
"The pulse, look." Jade leaned into Di, Kate was right. It was time.
The monitor slowed, then wordlessly, stopped.
-All yours now, Dad. Keep her safe for me till I get there.-
--BOP--
Meoow
"Yes, it's a shame, Kitty. So sad." Klarion sneered, flashing a mock frown. He closed the window. He was average height, with sharp features, dark hair was sculpted into a a perfect coif. A orange tabby purred and sat next to him. "But our Fate chose a new steward and it would be rude not to welcome her, and her friends are sure to come along."