Espera | R. Grayson ✔

[09]

She was standing in the balcony, taking in deep breaths of the night air. It felt deliciously pleasant to be alive and free right then. 

Barbara felt relieved that her plan had worked and those thirty girls had been freed. But she also knew it could not have been possible without Richard and Helena's help.

The two had proved to be an excellent team and made it possible for the plan she had thought initially on her own to reach completion. 

Richard knew some of the most dangerous tactics, including an insider's view on the criminal layers in Gotham. Helena was just as useful as her connections had made it possible for the news headline to be put up at the right time and all the other background work as well as the precautionary material had been provided by her.

In fact, through them spending time together due to that plan, Barbara had found out a lot of things about her best friend that she hadn't initially known.

Such as the fact that Helena had been sent to the juvie when she was young and that was where she had first met Richard, forming a close bond with him shortly after.

"Everything okay, Miss Gordon?"

She spun around immediately to see Richard leaning casually against the doorframe, his shirt covered the bruises and he looked at her as if asking whether he could join her.

"Yeah," she smiled, shifting to the right and he stepped in the balcony as well.

His blue eyes softened to see that smile and he visibly relaxed, knowing that he was in no trouble right then, "so you've talked to your Dad?"

"Yeah. Helena had told him already that I was fine but I called so that he wouldn't worry further."

He nodded but said nothing in reply.

"Hey, Richard... I am very thankful for your help," she spoke up, breaking the silence at last, "if it hadn't been for you and Helena, those girls would never have been freed."

"It was nothing," he replied, still wondering that she had called him by his first name so it could be a sign that she was gradually accepting him as a friend or a tolerable acquaintance at least. but he knew better than to dwell on it. "In fact, I am glad I showed up that day you involved me in this case. A thrilling adventure it has been since then."

She laughed lightly, "adventure? You almost got killed..."

"Twelve at a time without a single cut," he reminded her, "and you yourself said I could handle more."

"Now that's no reason for you to inflate your ego," she remarked, "but still... You were good."

"Am I getting a compliment from Miss Gordon?" He looked at her, pretending to be very shocked, "what is the world coming to?"

She laughed again and he found himself raveling in the rare sound of it. She had never laughed openly in front of him but right then as she did, he could only describe it as beautiful. 

"Oh come on, the world's as it is and it is going to stay the same or perhaps it might get worse," she replied, turning her gaze back to the stars that had started to become visible in the purplish pink shades of the sky.

However, those words triggered the thoughts he had had earlier when they had rescued the girls, "though I have been thinking... The world is as it is and could get worse but can't one person make a difference?"

Barbara paused, pondering on what he had just said, "care to elaborate?"

"It's just a thought as of now," he mumbled, "but all this rescue mission made me think of a lot of things. I might have to take one whole night off and think this through."