Sunlit Gotham

New Hearth, New Beginnings

Summary:

Batman gently wraps his cape around my shoulders and holds me as I fall apart.

When I've finally cried myself out I simply lean more into the hug, "Thanks, Bruce."

I feel him tense before taking a breath and relaxing again. He tightens the hug, turning it from comforting to protecting. "Go ahead and rest for a bit. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

Closing my eyes, I let myself give in to the exhaustion and fall asleep.

[Today we wrap up what happened at Camp, and finally head back to Smallville.]

— ☼ —

Voices once again rouse me from unconsciousness. I'm too comfy to move, but hearing Bruce talking to Apollo peaks my interest enough to stay awake and listen in.

"I worry about her." Apollo states, "I worry about all of my children, but Sky and Will... they've taken on so much responsibility, they've seen so much... I'm so proud of who they are and what they've done, but... I wish I could take some of their burdens. Even just for a little while."

"Why can't you?" Bruce's voice comes out as a growl - right, he's Batman right now. "You're a god."

Apollo lets out a bitter laugh. "You'd think that would mean something, wouldn't you? But it doesn't. My father..." he trails off with a sigh. "I wish that my children never feel the same towards me as I do my father. There are rules that even we gods need to follow. Rules that are outdated. But my father is too stubborn to admit he's ever wrong and–"

He's cut off by a distant rumble of thunder.

"There are limits." Apollo admits sullenly, "Even for gods."

The two sit in slightly tense silence before Apollo speaks again. "I wanted to thank you."

I can feel Batman shift slightly as he looks at my father.

"You and your family have been there for Sky when I couldn't be. You have helped her through the deaths of Emily and George, through Nolan. You've given her a support system that most of my children never find in their lives. I know that you are still taking in everything that comes with our world, and I know that you all will be having more discussions about everything, but thank you."

Bruce is quiet, but the arm that is wrapped around my shoulders squeezes gently. "You don't need to thank me for that."

"Maybe," Apollo concedes, "But I'm going to anyway."

They return to silence, and I return to sleep.

— ☼ —

Batman gently shakes me awake as the celebration winds down around midnight.

Artemis and her hunters headed out first. They were called away from the trail of a monster they were hunting to watch the competition and Artemis wanted to find the trail again before they lost it completely. The group had apparently left the party around ten, having stayed long enough to celebrate for a few hours before returning to their hunt.

It sounds like a lot of the gods are going to be continuing the celebration at after parties up on Olympus.

It's just the two of us on top of the climbing wall again, Apollo must have left at some point. It takes me a few moments to fully wake up before we make our way down to the ground.

Batman hesitates slightly once we are both down.

"How long have you known?"

It takes a moment for my brain to catch onto his meaning.