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The lights around the lively tavern always soothes Barbara’s worries. They were dimmed, warm fire lights that flickered freely within the lanterns strung from the ceiling. The scene was familiar, gentle music playing from the band and a line of familiar faces with a scattering of unfamiliar travelers.
Tonight was a Friday, more travellers taking refuge from the biting cold of the night than any other day of the week would see. On Fridays the tavern owners held a special welcome for newcomers, a free bowl of their daily cold den of stew or soup. Of course the tavern owners never barred regulars from the particular special.
Barbara always loved to bask in the warm air. Oftentimes this would be one of the days she met up with one of the street kids she read to in the library. Today, however, there was no sight of any of them. She hoped they were doing alright in the bitter cold autumn had brought. It would only get worse as autumn shifted to winter after that.
Shifting in her seat, Babs bent over her parchment, a quill in hand. She was preoccupied writing a letter of recommendation for one of her pupils to a nearby school. As the niece and adopted daughter of Jim Gordon, the head of the Royal Guard, Barbara had found she had quite a sway when she put her mind to something. This weight her recommendations was given only grew as she was educated and grew in knowledge and qualifications.
She decided to put the bias people directed towards her to good use. Her writing skills and professional handwriting came in great use when convincing the head scholar to take in children of lesser status.
Her current focus was on a bright young boy she had been tutoring and teaching to read for months. Jason had a real hunger for knowledge and an appreciation Barbara has only seen in herself for classic tales bound in rough, old leather. She had tried to start the boy on smaller, easier to read books, but he refused, stubbornly and painstakingly never giving up on the complicated words.
Jason was barely eight, just seven years younger than Barbara herself, and determined to crawl out of the generations of illiteracy that plagued his family one step at a time.
Babs smiled as she ended the letter with one last dot, signing her name off. She would personally pay one of the messenger boys to deliver her letter, not wanting their pay to be cut under their boss. The travel distance to the school was only halfway across the city on foot, Barbara knew a few messengers that had family or friends they might want to visit. A boy of the name Wally comes to mind, red hair and bright smiles, fastest messenger in the Kingdom.
“Babs!” A friendly voice draws Barbara’s eyes away from the letter. “Come eat some food, it’s really fresh.” The woman in front of Barbara had graying hair and a gentle smile. Barbara had known Mrs Lander all her life, practically a grandmother to her.
Putting her letter away, Babs positioned herself on the bar chair properly just in time for a steaming hot bowl of stew to be placed in front of her. It smelt delicious and Barbara muttered a thank you to the tavern owner.
“Let it cool.” Mrs Lander scolded lightly. “Go out the back and grab yourself a glass of water while you wait for it to cool.”
Obeying with a light chuckle, Babs hopped off the stool and padded lightly to the kitchens. Mr Lander was stirring a boiling pot of stew, but gave Barbara a sweet smile as she moved around in the familiar space. She had done this a million times, a familiar routine that had her bringing out two glasses instead of one.
Pouring water from one of the pitchers, Barbara placed one of the glasses next to Mr Lander. “Don’t want to sweat yourself to death.” She teased.
The elder man grabbed the glass and downed half it in one go, smiling brightly at the younger girl. “Atta girl, thank you.”
Pulling herself away and exiting the kitchen, Babs found her eyes wandering the tavern once more. Big groups of travellers told stories with waves of laughter while smaller groups tended to hunch themselves over a round of drinks or cards, talking in lower tones.
Babs hopped back onto her stool, wasting no time in digging into her meal. The Lander’s meals were well known around the city for good reason.
Mrs Lander came back around to the bar just as Babs was scraping the last spoonful of stew into her mouth. The second Barbara looked into the motherly woman’s eyes, a knot of worry settled in her gut.
“Darling girl,” Mrs Lander started, mouth twisted. “I’ve just gotten word from your father. He advises you to come home early. There has been a disappearance of a young boy you read to.”
Barbara felt a lightheadedness overcome her, but she forced herself to push back on it. It would not do to become catatonic with fear when one of her kids was possibly in danger. “Do you have any idea who is missing?”
A shake of her head is the answer Barbara gets, but it doesn’t deter her. The best use of her time would be to head back to her home where she can talk to her father and figure out who is missing.
Mrs Lander places a shaking hand on her arm, worried eyes. “Dear, please be careful, I know your nature to head straight for danger.”
“Of course.” Babs smiled weakly, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “I’ll be as careful as possible.”
With those parting words, Barbara gathered her things in record time and was straight out the door.
Cold air nipped at her pale face, eyebrows furrowing together as she let the heavy wooden doors close behind her. The cold had always made her feel a little lightheaded, but a dizziness struck her quite violently. Barbara tried to push through it, pulled herself into the nook between the tavern and the neighbouring building, but there was a certain haze falling over her vision.
This isn’t good… I need to find someone, I need to… to…
Babs begins to fall to the side, legs failing under her. Before she can hit the ground, a pair of arms catch her. For a moment she’s relieved, but just as quickly everything falls apart again.
A sack is thrown over her head and the pieces click together.
Her food had been drugged between the time she was in the kitchen. Now, Barbara was being kidnapped.
The darkness that surrounded her vision caved in, sending Barbara into a feverish state of unconsciousness.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Awareness bled back into Barbara’s mind like molasses, not aided by the small hands frantically rocking her by her shoulders. Groaning and shifting her head, Barbara heard a sharp gasp, followed by what she assumed was the same small hands on her cheeks.
Blinking her eyes open, Barbara squinted at the face above her. Messy black hair and bright blue eyes registered and a tug of memories placed the face in her head before her vision cleared up.
“Jason?” She mumbled, her own hand rising to layer over one of his. “Where are we?”
The boy's lip wobbled, his normally determined expression fallen into deep worry. “I– I don’t know.” His voice cracked and a hitched breath cut him off. “They knocked me out and I woke up here.”
Those words had Barbara shooting into a sitting position, gasping as her own memories assaulted her at full force. The weakness in her limbs, collapsing and being taken.
The drugged food.
Turning her face towards the boy, Babs scanned him for injuries. She couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary for street kids, but that didn’t mean Jason wasn’t hurt.
“Did they hurt you at all?” She tried to make her voice calmer than what she was feeling, but it was a losing battle.
Jason winced and his hand automatically raised to his head. “They used some kind of stick to knock me out. It’s not bleeding at all, I checked.”
Mouth dry, Babs still reached for Jason, tilting his head this way and that, eyes landing on a small bump on the back of his head. Jason was being very patient with her, face even melting into the gentle touch on his chin.
Barbara pulled back with a sigh of relief, glad the boy wasn’t too badly hurt. The teens' eyes finally found the room, scanning the decrepit space for any sign of where they were or why they were here.
Four equal sized walls, one door which is in one of the corners and a small window too small for either Barbara or Jason to fit on the opposite wall. The entire space between walls would barely fit Jason and Barbara lying down completely flat, one after the other.
Also, it was in dire need of a sweep and deep clean.
Turning her attention back to the anxious boy, Barbara gives him a worried smile. “Jay, do you have any clue why we were kidnapped?”
A dark expression falls over Jason’s face and Barbara feels another knot of concern. He lets out a shaky breath and explains.
“I was out with Mel and Edwin and we were about to go to the tavern to see if you were there. Before we could go, I heard a suspicious group of people in behind the Blacksmith and I thought I heard your name, so I went to investigate.”
Barbara's forehead creased with worry, mind whirling as she connected what he was saying with where they ended up.
“It was some kinda ransom thing and they were planning to snatch you. I was gonna head over to Mr Gordon’s office but someone caught me.”
A familiar fondness falls over Barbara at the sheepish tone Jason has, a hand cupping the back of his neck as he looks down. She hums encouragingly to him.
“One of them pulled me to the group and they just planned on knocking me out I think, but before that one of them said they recognised me as ‘one of ‘em brats that hang around the girl’. After that it’s kind of a blur, so I assumed they decided to take me with them in case I was able to snitch somehow.”
Humming, Barbara looked down with a frown. “I got a message from my father to go home cause a kid, who I now know is you, disappeared. I wonder how that got back to him.”
Jason brightened, a proud, toothy smile on his face. “Me and the kids have a rule where if the other doesn’t come back from anywhere suspicious, we go find someone. Mel and Edwin must have gone to find a guard or something.”
It made sense to Barbara, a clean motive and matching story. The only issue remaining was how long would it take for her father to find her. Hopefully the kidnappers had been sloppy, leaving evidence to trace back to wherever they were keeping the two.
Settling back on her arms, Babs smiled tiredly at Jason. “We should get some rest, Jay. Come here.”
Jason does as he’s told, scootching closer to the teen. He hadn’t been nearly as trusting just a few months ago, but with consistent meals and reading, Barbara had wormed her way into his trusted group. That’s why he didn’t protest as Barbara pulled him half into her lap, his head resting against her chest as she wrapped her arms around him.
Babs closed her eyes, hoping a little rest would do them both some good.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
A loud thudding jolted both dozing figures up, Jason scrambling to his feet quicker than Barbara could, still half disoriented from what wasn’t quite sleep.
Barbara gulped as her eye landed on a burly man, face covered with black fabric and eyes glaring directly at Barbara.
“You.” He growled, taking a menacing step forward. “Why hasn’t your bastard father responded, huh?”
Before Barbara could register what was happening, the man was angrily stomping towards her, only for Jason, tiny and stupidly brave Jason, to step in front of her.
“Fuck off! Leave her alone you miserable scumbag!” Jason’s voice trembles, he stands barely half the man’s height and Barbara isn’t able to move fast enough.
The hit lands square on Jason’s eye, sending him near flying into the wall. His back hits the brick and he slides down, completely limp.
With a horrified noise, Barbara rushes to kneel at his side, but is stopped when a hand pulls harshly at her hair, a cry of pain exiting her lips. Barbara is pulled face to face with the masked man, his face red with anger.
He’s yelling something at her, but between the hand tugging painfully at her hair and the boy passed out against the wall, Barbara isn’t listening to a single word.
This could have lasted for a few seconds or a few minutes, but eventually another figure enters the room, pulling the man away from her. Barbara is dropped, knees crashing to the floor as her hands come up to cradle her scalp, just for a moment. In the next, she’s scrambling to Jason’s side, not caring to see what the commotion between the two adults is.
Her hands cradle Jason’s face, checking it over in an imitation to her actions when she first woke up. There’s a redness on one of his eyes and raised skin around the colour. Babs can tell it’s going to become a painful bruise within the next two days, not to mention the headache the poor boy will suffer with.
The moment her evaluation of the child is finished, she looks up to see the room is empty once again. Letting go of a shaky breath, Barbara scoops Jason into her arms and positions herself in the corner of the room, furthest from the door.
Just a little longer, her father would find her.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
A whimper draws Barbara away from her mindless staring at the wall. Her eyes snap to the now shifting in her arms, heart thumping faster as she peels her coat from the bundle in her arms.
Blue eyes meet green and Barbara manages a shaky smile. “Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling?”
Despite the soft tone, Barbara catches the wince Jason can’t hide. He blinks sluggishly, and raises a hand to rub at his forehead. “I feel awful.”
“Yeah, I can imagine.” Babs mutters, running a hand up and down his arm. “You got hit pretty hard back then.”
Back then being a few hours ago.
The boy’s eyes land on Barbara’s messed up curls, calculating in a way Babs had only seen triggered when he was reading mystery books. “Did you get hurt at all? After I was hit?”
She thought about lying, about saying she was fine, but Jason was a really smart kid and she had a feeling he already figured out she had been hurt in some way.
“Just a little bit, but I’m okay now. You took the really hard strike.”
Jason’s bottom lip starts trembling and head bowing. Barbara can’t tell if it’s the pain or the shock he got hit in the first place, but she could see the signs he was about to cry from a mile away.
“Hey hey, you’re okay.” Barbara soothed. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again, I promise–”
“No!” Jason burst out, head snapping up as tears and snot flowed freely. “You got hurt! I was supposed to protect you and you got hurt!”
Oh. Oh buddy.
Once again, Barbara is reminded of this boy’s heart of absolute gold, shining to every person he passed.
Running a soft hand over his cheek, thumb swiping away tears, Barbara leaned forward to press a kiss to the boy’s temple. When she pulled back, she caught his eye.
“Jason, I need you to hear me when I tell you this. You have done such an amazing job protecting me. Please, now let me protect you because we protect each other. We’re stronger if we take turns making sure the other is safe, okay?”
Jason’s tears hadn’t stopped, but they slowed with every word. He seemed to understand her point, nodding and looking down at his palms. “Okay.” He mumbles.
Barbara smiles and opens her mouth to praise him when a loud commotion makes itself known as someone on the other end screams.
Bolting up, Barbara holds Jason on her hip, eyes locked on the door with tense anticipation.
The sound of something ramming into the door makes both kids flinch, and in a split second, Barbara has Jason down in the corner, Babs curled around him with her back to the exit.
Wood splintering fills the room with a cacophony of shouts and calls. Barbara looks back just in time to see a familiar caped man rush in.
“Your Majesty!” Delight coats Barbara’s words, relief sagging her shoulders.
King Bruce, a man Barbara has talked to many a time at meetings and balls growing up with a usually stoic demeanour, raced over to Barbara’s side, a warm palm against her shoulder. “Miss Gordon!” He sounded almost breathless, worry clear in his eyes as he checked her over.
It wasn’t rare for the King to be involved in his Guard, but it almost surprised Babs that he was here, clearly attending a rescue mission. Although, as memories of her childhood surrounded by the man, her Father’s position and all the time she spent with the Prince, she really shouldn’t be.
Bruce’s attention caught on Barbara’s lap, and she also looked down to see the owlish eyes of Jason, hands curling into Barbara’s clothes as equal parts wonder and fear swirled in the boy’s eyes.
A gentle smile Babs knew so well made its way onto Bruce’s face. “Hello there, what might your name be?”
Blush crept onto Jason’s cheeks and he leaned closer into Barbara’s body as he answered, unusually shy. “J-Jason.”
The smile on the King’s face turned somehow softer and an idea struck Babs. “Jason here was incredibly brave, he protected me at every turn and put himself in front of a really scary man just to keep me safe.” She caught Bruce’s eye, giving him a knowing smile.
The King let out a gasp, eyes widening. “My goodness! You really did that? Do you know what that means?” Jason’s eyebrows furrow in confusion and he shakes his head. Bruce grins, properly this time. “That means as the protector of a very important figure, I’m going to throw you a big feast where I can tell everyone about your amazing show of heroics, how does that sound?”
Jason’s eyes light up and his back straightens with something like pride. He’s silent, but he nods. Babs held back her giggle, but it was cute to see how happy the praise made Jason.
“Jason, do you mind if I pick you up?” Bruce asks gently and Babs is secretly impressed at how good he is with kids. He doesn’t just reach for Jason like other adults might have or assumed Jason wouldn’t want to be touched. He even takes care not to move before Jason answers.
The younger boy only hesitates a moment, but quickly agrees. Bruce wastes no time in scooping Jason up into his arms, using his fur lined cape to wrap around the boy like a blanket.
Barbara uses this time as she stands up to peek out the door. Unsurprisingly past the splintered door are moving figures in familiar armour. She managed to catch sight of soldiers marching a few other figures out of view, arms behind their backs.
Good, Barbara trusted Bruce’s men to find every last traitor against the King’s rules and people.
Once again, Barbara found herself observing Bruce with Jason. Barbara narrowed her eyes at the man, a flash of suspicion striking her. Not in anything bad, but because Barbara had a certain black haired, blue eyed friend who happened to be adopted by the King. Not to mention the familiar, adoring look Bruce was giving the brave little boy, cradled in his arms and wrapped in his cape.
The letter of recommendation to the school suddenly turned to scrap paper. She knew Bruce would give this child anything he desired, especially education.
A hand on her back brought Babs’ attention to the figure that had slipped into the room while she was watching the sweet interaction. The worried eyes of her father made her heart pull and a lump in her throat form.
Arms wrapped around Barbara as the urge to cry grew stronger. It had been a terrifying few hours, worrying for the little boy she cared so deeply for set an achingly bone deep tiredness in her.
“Let’s get home, love.” Her father whispered, pressing a kiss to her curls.
Barbara smiled into her father’s chest, eyes fluttering shut. “I’d like that.”