Awkward... [closed]

[Tim Drake]

"Wow, really?" Robin replied, one of his eyebrows arching up at Violet as he digested this new info, and started thinking hard and fast, considering the options.

"Hmm... Well, then let's help her, I'm sure you've already thought of the safe-house you stayed in, so I'll let you handle this for now, I'll make a few calls and see if it's clear, then call you back with the info... You remember where the hidden key is right?" he asked as he started thinking about the next step already, and considered how this could impact Blaze, if it was as big as Violet seemed to think it could be...


He opened a program and connected to the Titans network, and made a note on Will's file before he let the thought slip off into the depths of his mind. "Darkbrand, I want you're read on this when you get back to the tower, just some of your observations and thoughts on how this might impact Blaze, oh and I think I have a lead on the lab, but I'll need some time to get a follow up from a source I have in New York... Take care of our newest guests DB, Robin out."


So someone from Will's past had showed up? And given what Violet had told him, it sounded like she had gotten into a few little things, but nothing that out of the ordinary it seemed, so this could just be a long and helpful trip down memory lane for the angelic lycan...

Or it could be a dangerous distraction for them all...

[William Talbot]

Will smiled at Ruby, his own eyes taking on a soft glow as he listened to her, then looked to Olivia and tilted his head; "Are you sure? You look like you could use a good mean, on top of a long nights sleep... I really don't mind, they give us a monthly allowance, and I hardly ever use mine."

He could almost sense the weakness in Olivia, her aura strong but wavering, as if she was running on willpower and love alone, and she did look it, her frame willowy, but also almost gaunt in places, as if she'd not had a decent meal in ages, which, if Will remembered right, was almost true...

Before his parents had died, Will could remember Olivia was a pretty but skinny young teen, who was always grateful when invited to stay over for dinner, and while she never horked down as much as she could, she did always clean her plate, and was thankful for the meals his mother cooked for her family and Will's very few friends, more than once Olivia had told him that if wasn't for him and his family's kindness, she might not have made it...

Now it was his chance to be the friend she needed again.

[Olivia Levine]

“No no no, its not a big deal” Olivia shook her head. She wasn’t hungry right now. As satisfying as Wills offer was, she needed to figure things out… money was going to be tight, it always was… and with repairs that would be needed, costs of updates, food, the bills that needed to be done… she’d be snowed under. Olivia pulled out a small pad, her phone, and a tiny little calculator that was in her wallet. She started off by writing the rent for the small 2 bedroom apartment- $2000.00 rounded up. She then thought about what she’d have to spend on the fixes, which would most likely be around $7,000.00, add that to the food, electric, gas, water, and tv, phone and internet, it came out to about $12,000.50 give or take. That was about three months of working, not including rent… She then added Rent, on ruby’s expenses, like diapers, wipes, and added an extra hundred for emergencies, this bumped it up to $15,000.90, give or take. She didn’t have that kind of money… At all… This was going to wind up being the death of her…

Ruby looked nervously to her mother. She could sense she wasn’t going to be able make it much longer. She started to fuss, and cry, but before Olivia could change her direction to pick up the toddler, the gorgeous heavenly blue eyes rolled back into her head, and her thin body fell off the chair and onto the floor. Ruby was now scared, crying hysterically, and screaming… did mommy just, die?

[Violet Schultz]

Violet closed the communicator and pocketed it, turning to head back toward the others. Robin had made her decisions very easy, and he had been more accepting than she had expected, but she knew that his thoughts were the same as hers, else he would not have asked for her thoughts on how it would affect Blaze. He was worried that this would distract him from their missions, maybe even cause him to leave the team. She doubted it would come to that, but all the same she would keep an eye on him, especially his attitude and his emotions. The link would certainly help with that.

She was still walking toward them when Olivia suddenly swooned and began to fall over the back of her seat. Hurrying forward on reflex, Violet caught the blonde before she hit the ground. Based on the symptoms, Violet guessed that it was an acute panic attack. Most people just hyperventilated, but there was a little girl she had known in St. Louis who had reacted the same way whenever she was scared. It had freaked her out the first time it had happened, but she had learned how to handle it. Of course, it could also be from severely low blood sugar. It wouldn't surprise her based on the stature of the girl involved. Either way, the reaction would be the same.

"Will, calm Ruby," she instructed, gently pulling Olivia out of the chair and lying her on the ground.

She placed her fingers gently on the side of her neck and felt for the pulse. It was there, dogged and steady. There was nothing wrong with her. She would be fine after a minute or two, most likely. Given the situation, Violet could only guess that the fainting spell was from a panic attack. The eye-roll was the biggest hint. She just needed to breathe; her brain had knocked her out to let her breathe. Propping her torso and head up at a slight angle, she made it as easy as possible to let Olivia breathe and possibly wake up.

Focused though he was, Violet had time to think of how strange it was that she would be the one doing this, rather than Blaze. Well, she'd gotten there first....

[William Talbot]

Will shrugged; he had tried, and he also figured that Olivia would would eat once she was sure Ruby was taken care of, so he began to figure out how he could help with that, and he started by turning to shush the small girl, his hand reaching out and gently patting her back and leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek, but a split second before his lips touched her soft hubby little cheek, he caught a flash of surprise from Violet via the link and he could feel Olivia's aura flicker tiredly and almost panicked like, his hear spinning around in time to see Violet catch the passed out Olivia, before she crashed to the tiled floor...

"Livvy!" he cried out, his eyes wide and glowing, jaw slack, as he turned at the waist and moved forward, only to pause at Violet's instructions, and rapid nod towards her before he turned and picked Ruby up, and hugged her closely, whispering softly into her ear as he rubbed her back; "Shhh, Violet's going to wake mommy up okay Rue? Shh, it's gonna be okay..."

Looking to Olivia, then Violet Will turned and got a glass of water off the tray of a passing waiter, and set it next to Violet on the floor; "As soon as she's awake, giver her that... Waiter, bring us more water and a pan of garlic bread, and hurry!" the surprised waiter nodded and rushed off to get the food Will knew Olivia desperately needed. Now he just had to find the other half of the equation; reassurances.

Which he could have used himself about now, since he was worried more than ever about his friend, despite the fact that he could sense that she wasn't dying, it still worried him and had a sense of panic slowly growing deep inside, a feeling he was most certainly NOT accustomed too at all...

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia didn’t feel the people rushing around her, She heard the panicking, but felt helpless. She was fully functioning. Everything was according to plan, and then this happened. This thing happening just made her want to curl up and die. There was too much shit going down. Too much money that needed to be paid, not enough time to make it or pay it… She needed an out. Some way to just get a clean slate… completely. Olivia finally took a deep breath, and started to cough. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking wildly as she attempted to bring her body back to consciousness. She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes. “I’m fine” the blond said softly looking around. She was in the pizza parlor. Ruby’s screaming cry could be heard across the galaxy, and Olivia’s head felt like it was about twenty two pounds, and the room would not stop spinning. She needed food, water, and lots and lots of sleep. Olivia never had a good night’s rest. Normal sleep hours were spent working, awake hours were spent with Ruby, and Ruby’s nap time was spent cleaning and doing housework. The blond only got one or two hours here and there. Technically, it was really unhealthy. The only thing missing was smoke and alcohol, and Olivia would be on the road to early death. Coffin here she came.

The blond couldn’t die though. Ruby would be fucked in plain English if Olivia wasn’t on earth. She’d grow up in the most horrendous place on the planet, and Olivia would have no power over it. No, Olivia needed to be here for Ruby, and Ruby needed to have everything she needed. The numbers just never worked. The teen propped herself up on her elbows, and sighed heavily. “I’m fine, I’m fine, don't worry about me, is Ruby ok?” she attempted to pull herself up. Ruby, though calmed down enough, needed her mommy…no matter how much pain it caused to breathe.

[Violet Schultz]

"She's fine," Violet soothed, handing her the water. "Will is getting her calm."

She kept the garlic away. Violet knew from experience that someone recovering from a fainting spell wouldn't be very fond of a strong smell. If anything, it would make it worse. Violet scooted backward to give her a little room to breathe. She really needed food and somewhere to sleep. What was really distracting Violet was the emotion that she felt creeping over the link. Will was on the edge of panic, and it was really starting to get on her nerves. He had never seemed even remotely frightened when they were facing down armies of robots, but a girl faints, and he starts to lose it.

Get a hold of yourself, she grumped over the link. She's going to be fine.

"Robin told me to make you comfortable in the safe house on the other side of town," she told Olivia, her eyes soft. "You and Ruby can stay there as long as you need. We'll provide food, shelter, and whatever else you need."

Her tone was soothing, showing no signs of the irritation she was feeling toward Will. He probably knew by now that she had extremely well-honed self-control. What she was thinking very rarely showed on her face.

[William Talbot]

Will took the hot plate of bread and set it on the table, a look of irritation on his face as he stared the water down then went back to soothing Ruby, his large strong hands gently pulling her out of her seat and into his lap where he gave her a gentle hug before reaching down and helping Olivia into the chair next to them.

"Wow, you gave me a scare there Olivia... just take it easy for a few, then eat something, please."

"I could care less about myself, but I can't loose her Vi, she's the one and only link I have to my past, the only one who can help me fill in the gaps..." He fired back at her over the link, his tone more even and direct, than he truly felt, but he also couldn't be mad at Violet, she was handling it all quite well, much better then he felt he was dealing with everything right now...


However at Violet's good news, he had to beat down the urge to scoop Violet up and giver her a bear hug while he shouted for joy; Olivia was going to be taken care of, and most likely, he'd be the one to help with all of the arrangements. That meant he would be able to spend time with her and talk about the past, the ever elusive ghosts and shadows of his mind where growing annoying for him and he not only wanted answers, but needed them...

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia nodded, her head dizzy from the fainting spell, and her stomach growling at her to get a hold of herself and eat something. It was hard to let this all just fly away, the numbers were there, and they caused her to feel like she and Ruby were buried alive. If this continued, Olivia would almost have no choice to give Ruby up for adoption. Olivia did not want to do that to Ruby. The blond looked to Ruby, feeling horrible that her daughter had to see that. She knew how it felt to watch the girls in the club get hit when she was younger, it never faded from your memory. It stuck with you until you were understand the situation, and even then, you blamed yourself. Olivia never blamed Ruby for anything though. Ruby didn’t ask to be born into this situation. And Olivia had to make the best of it. Ruby deserved what Olivia never got. A real family, un conditional love, and a mom who cared.

The blond smiled when the darker girl mentioned living in a safe house for as long as she needed. This would help build up income. Ruby needed a lot of stuff she didn’t have, Olivia needed a meal and some food, and both blonds liked the sound of the word safe. Safety , to them sounded like a month long island vacation, where Olivia would be able to do her own thing, as well as care for the petit blond whenever she wanted too. It sounded better than anything at the moment. “Thank you, so much, it really means so much to Ruby and I. We really cannot thank you enough” she ran her hand through her hair, before Will helped pull her up to a chair.

Olivia wasn’t used to being worried about. She blushed when Will had spoken. “Don’t be, I was fine” she said, taking Ruby once she was sitting, who sniffled her three fingers that were stuffed into her mouth, the usual spot where Ruby was found. She pet Ruby’s head, and kissed her forehead. “Shh, hush Ruby doll.” Ruby cuddled into her mom, and relaxed.

[Violet Schultz]

"We can go whenever you like, but I'd prefer if we went now," Violet said, her ever vigilant eyes watchful in the periphery.

She didn't like hanging around in broad daylight. The nighttime was her domain, where she felt the most comfortable. She could move silently and unseen in the shadows of the night. During the day, she felt exposed and open to attack. Like anyone who had spent time on the shady side of the law, she preferred a place where she could easily melt into the scenery. Being out here as they were, she felt less than at ease. The full moon was almost a week away, so she had no reason to fear exposure, but just the same, she wanted a shadow to hang around.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason that she wanted to go now. The other reason was that she needed to talk to Robin as soon as possible, and she couldn't until they were settled. She hadn't really made her decision about what to tell him regarding Blaze's attitude and likely course of action, but the sooner she talked to him about it, the better. They could decide what to do, and they could avoid unpleasant conflicts with him later on if they careful considered how he might react. If his priorities changed, they might not be able to rely on his help when raiding that laboratory in New York. And she might lose one of the only friends she had.

[William Talbot]

Will let a small sigh of relief out as he looked from Olivia to Violet and then back again then leaned in and gave Ruby a tiny pat on the back and smiled at her mother; "It's okay Livvy, things are going to be easier, and get better, you have friends now, and I'll back you up."

He looked up at Violet and tilted his head slightly in question at her slightly strange need to rush off, after all, Olivia had just fainted, and looked half starved, and Ruby was still upset. But then they could just get a pizza or two to go right?

Standing, he turned toward Violet and spoke softly, his eyes gesturing as he talked; "Uhh, okay, but lets grab some food for them first, do you mean the brick house on Henderson Way across town? Robin told me about it, you stayed there a bit and know where it is, so maybe you should get a cab for Liv, and Rue, and then ride on ahead and meet the there, I'll grab the food," he looked back to Olivia and gave a small smile; "And meet you all there, sound good?"

He looked back at Violet and arched his eyebrows in question, as he nudged a menu towards Olivia, hoping she'd take the hint and order something...

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia rocked back and forth, hugging Ruby tightly as she tried to calm down the tot. Ugh? Another mode of transportation? Olivia was getting worn out from all this travel, back and forth, and this way and that way. The blond, though young, was exhausted, and just wanted to sit, and relax, just for a moment. Olivia, still pale, looked to the two, sensing the relationship, and felt it best just not to get involved. Olivia stood, taking hold of a chair to steady herself. “I’m just going to get a drink” Olivia sighed, holding the baby blond close. She was just going to get an iced tea… and maybe some breadsticks to go. Something for Ruby to chew on.

She ordered the breadsticks, and the can of Arizona, She came to sit back down, balancing the food and beverage perfectly in her one free hand, She got it down on the table, before putting Ruby into her stroller, “Ok, so what’s the plan, because I can just give her these on the road. “ Olivia opened the box, ripping the first bread stick in half, then wiping off everything on it. Ruby wasn’t old enough to experience real flavor. She let her half linger in her hand for a moment before taking the smallest of bites. She knew from experience not to scarf down food after a fainting spell. She smiled to her tot, trying to portray that everything was going to be just fine. Another small bite was taken, and Olivia then focused on the task at hand, staying focused enough to pay attention to what was going to be happening to her.

[Violet Schultz]

"Will is going to stick around for the food, and I'll get you two there and settled," she promised Olivia, her words partly for Will. "The accommodations are worth the trip, trust me."

She wasn't an emotionless person, but her preference for discretion when it came to showing what she was thinking gave others the wrong impression. They might think that the warmth in her eyes was manufactured, rather than sincere, but they would be wrong. She admired this young woman, who had obviously been dogged by forces beyond her control, but was keeping her values straight through it all. Her love for her young daughter was evident in her reverant tone, the look in her eye, and the esteem in which her daughter held her. Violet didn't know if she would have been capable of raising and loving a child in those circumstances.

She was aware, as all females seemed to be, of the eye that Olivia was keeping on her, figuratively. She seemed quite fond of Will, and Violet sensed that she was trying to gauge what kind of relationship they had with each other. Violet was no closer to figuring that out for herself, so she didn't know what conclusions Olivia would draw from her indirect observations. It kind of made the wording of her previous sentence seem a little odd, since neither of them had likely decided whether Olivia trusted Violet.

[William Talbot]

Will nodded, liking how this was working out, and sure that Olivia was relieved on some level that she and Ruby would be safe now, much like he was himself.

"Okay, I'm guessing you'd like something a little less heavy for lunch, any requests?" he asked Violet as he glanced at the menu and debated on what to get, hmm, he seemed to remember that Olivia liked the chicken and spinach alfredo pizza, because it was simple and actually pretty healthy...

Will of course was going to get himself a classic stuffed crust pepperoni, and of course pick up whatever Violet wanted as well.


He looked down to Ruby as she nom'ed her bread-stick and smiled softly, she was a sweetheart, and it seemed to him, Olivia's whole reason for living now, and while a part of him was angry at fate for taking his parents and Destiny away, and for ruining what might have been Olivia's one true chance of getting away from Nick and the kind of life he promoted, but it seemed that Olivia had taken a bad situation and made the best of it, and was slowly fighting her way out of the vice trade Nick had tried to chain her too.

Looking back to Olivia he moved from Violet's side to the blond for a moment, kneeling down so he could be at eye level with her when he spoke to her; "Hey, you can trust Violet, I trust her with my life and I know she'll look after you two okay?" he gave Olivia a tiny quick wink before he stood again, "So is the Chicken Spinach Alfredo still your favorite kind of pizza?" he asked, making sure before he went out and bought something that wouldn't be eaten and made Livvy feel bad.
He did remember she hated to be a burden, or think she was, not that she was now, not at all...

[Olivia Levine]

Olivia shook her head to Will. “No” she said. “I never liked that pizza, I’m more of a plain, no cheese, or pepperoni person” she shrugged as Ruby looked confused to Will. Pizza? What was that? Olivia had never let Ruby have junk food, it wall all organic and good for her, Ruby had most likely never heard of pizza, popcorn, soda, or the names of many popular candies. The little girl believed that fruit puffs were candy, and that veggie puffs were snacks. Olivia did a good job at keeping most junk from her. The blonde had a pretty slim diet as well…

“I’m not hungry” the elder blonde said. She started to pack Ruby’s diaper bag re checking that she had everything about three times over. She as she packed up everything else, her mind started to run and make lists of what she would need for just this week. Ruby needed; Diapers, new bottles, formula, new onesies, more fruit puffs, more veggie puffs, as well as new bowls and spoons for the girl. Babies weren’t inexpensive, you needed a small fortune… whoever said it took a village to raise a child was dead wrong.

“Ok, lets go” Olivia said, catching a whiff of the pizza being cooked. She put Ruby back in the stoller, feeling as though food would come later. Once Ruby was relaxed and fine, she’d take care of herself. That would be at Ruby’s nap time… which was, how far away again?