Lost Stars

Chapter Thirty Three

-Dick's POV-

I returned to my apartment shortly after Athena had walked out. I ripped off my mask, tossing it across the room. Pulling out my escrima sticks, I hurdled those through the air in anger as well. They knocked against the couch with a bang.

Why wouldn't Athena ever corporate? I had low expectations of her already, but her refusal to give us any information only further dragged her down in my eyes.

I collapsed into the love seat, letting the cushions slowly eat me as I sunk into them. Letting out a loud sigh, I closed my eyes in the darkness.

"That bad, huh?" Barbara's voice called out. She flicked on the lamp and focused on me. I jerked my head up to see her. She was sitting across the room from me. I guess I hadn't noticed her in the dark when I came home.

I slowly went back to my reclined position. "You have no idea."

Barbara stood up and sat on the floor in front of me. She looked like a mess. Her red hair was messy and tangled and her red lipstick was smeared. She was wearing a satin dress that hung off her frame. Unusual for her nowadays, her glasses dangled off her nose, threatening to fall off. It always bothered me when she let them hang like that. Acting on instinct, I reached forward and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

A soft giggle bubbled out into the air. She pressed her cheek into my hand as I cupped her gorgeous face. "Tell me what happened," she cooed, kissing my finger tips. I could feel all the frustration slowly draining out of my body. It was amazing how Barbara could do that to me.

"We finally caught Nightingale and brought her in for questioning about her alliance with Red Hood," I explained, sitting up and bringing Barbara into my arms, "but she out right refused to give him up. She only said that she still loves and cares about the family."

"Maybe she does," Barbara said, looking up at me, "just because she cares about someone else now as well doesn't mean she ever stopped caring."

I knit my eyebrows together into confusion. Was I the only one who remembered what happened two years ago? "I think she stopped caring when she left me on that helicopter pad!"

Barbara sighed loudly. I felt her chest rise as she was pressed against me. "And it always comes back to here."

I groaned. "What do you mean?"

"Anytime we talk about Athena, and those times are rare, it always comes back to the fact that she left you behind," Barbara's voice sounded calm, with a hint of accusation and hurt, "when she left, we get it, it hurt you. But, it hurt all of us too. And we forgave her. Why are you still holding onto those feelings?"

"I'm not holding onto any feelings for her, Babs," I rolled my eyes, "how may times do I have to reassure you that there isn't a single ounce of love for her in me?"

Barbara turned around so we were face to face. "Dick, I know you really liked her and I know what she did really messed you up. But, for this to work out, you're going to have to let it go."

"I have let her go!"

"Dick," Barbara's emerald eyes bore into mine, "I'm tired of all the negativity that you are harboring. You need to move on. I thought us dating would help you with that. But, if you really care about me and the future of our relationship, you need to let Athena and everything she did go."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but Barbara's face stopped me in my tracks.

When we first got together, everything was so perfect. We told each other everything and we spent our days full of happiness and bliss. But, when Nightingale returned to Gotham, everything had went downhill for us. We talked less. The problems that consumed me were kept hidden from Barbara, especially the ones concerning Athena. I felt guilty when I talked to her about it. Fights between Babs and I were more frequent and we both went out more nowadays, rarely having time for each other.