(no subject)

[alwaysroomforhope]

First, Babs and Steph had a conversation that's been coming for a while.

Then Sokka said he was going away. Just for a little while, but still - going away.

Now, Steph is out on the outskirts of the farm, running laps of the entire property as hard and fast as she can, just outside the border of the fields that marks the edges of the farm.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

All three of the Frays are available to watch these laps, busy in one of the fields that Mel's set aside for planting this week.

While Mel does the heavy farm work, Hana decides that a running Steph needs to be intercepted, and sets out to do so.

[alwaysroomforhope]

A running Hana definitely needs to be intercepted too. Steph swerves around to make sure of it and swoops Hana up without breaking stride.

"Oof, you're getting heavy, Hana-boo!"

[slayer_fray]

"I'ma biggirl," Hana says proudly, against all the available evidence.

Mel stops her work enough to look over, and grins as Loo wanders forward to join the hugpile

[alwaysroomforhope]

"You're a huge girl," Steph agrees, and oofs again when she collects Loo. The three of them tumble in a pile at Mel's feet. Steph grins up at her.

"Hi. ... Did I just land on your seeds?"

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah, but they'll prob get worse," Mel admits. "I don't think you guys rolling on them'll stop them growing."

Anyway, it's made Mel grin, so it can't be bad.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"You never know," Steph says cheerfully - cheerful because Mel is, and they need all the cheerful they can get.

"Can we stop the plants growing?" she asks Loo solemnly. "If we're real good at trying?"

[slayer_fray]

Loo nods, because she thinks she's supposed to.

"Hot!"

It's still her solution to everything.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph agrees, rolling her head back to face Mel. "See, we can too."

She sits up, brushing dirt off herself and the girls, and grins at them both. "What're you fine ladies up to out here? Need a hand?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel has already thrown her hands out and grabbed Loo's before she can set fire to the field.

"Yeah, you can sow, or you can play with the girls. Company's enough."

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

Sup, lap-running buddy?

Sonia does the catching-up thing.

"Something happen?" Steph is not exactly her usual self.

[alwaysroomforhope]

But she's trying! She turns to grin at Sonia. "Hey, no fair catching up that easy, weren't you just having a baby like a second ago?"

Superpowers!

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"Babysitter," she explains. Hey, if Steph wants to avoid talking about things, Sonia is not going to pry! "He's kinda loud and it gets hard t' keep my balance proper."

Oh, wait, you meant HAVING the baby. "Yeah, he's like..." quick (for Sonia, which means several moments) calculation, "five months old? I guess?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Oh wow." Grinny Steph is grinny! "Csn I babysit sometime? ... sometime when I'm not babysitting the twins."

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"...how good are you with like banshees and all?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Banshees? They scream, right?"

Learnings, Steph has them!

"... they're not real, are they?"

Sorta.

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, an' it hurts, an'..." Whoa, hold on, no tangents!

"Well, they are, but I ain't seen any here. I meant, y'know, 'cuz Ralphie's tryin' his best to be one, lately." (He is all, FUCK YEAH I MAKE NOISE!)

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Oh, right." Steph laughs, adjusting her step to be more in time with Sonia. "Yeah, I kinda know what you mean with that.

"And I should know better than to say things aren't real, too."

[not-robin.livejournal.com]

A rather ludicrus Batmobile happens to idle by, Tim in the drivers seat. Yes, it's the one from the TV show. Yes, it looks funny. But, damn does it get good mileage.

[alwaysroomforhope]

...









... Steph's totally not laughing. No. No way.

"Are you kidding?"

[not-robin.livejournal.com]

Tim pulls the car to a stop, and hops out, grinning despite himself. Big bad Batman, in his car with fins.

Tim leans back against the car, arms crossed over his chest. "You work with what you're given. Believe it or not, this thing is faster than the car I'm used to."

[alwaysroomforhope]

He's a lot taller than her, and definitely has a lot more muscle, and Steph's not sure why she's vaguely uncomfortable with him being on her turf and Sokka not being around.

She makes up for it by standing as tall as her (diminutive) height will let her and folding her arms, smirking.

"I'd argue, but I drive a refitted farm bike we wouldn't even have used for parts back in Gotham."

(we and back in Gotham. It's been a long time since she was 'we' with Tim and ... Gotham's a long way away.)

[not-robin.livejournal.com]

"So..." He arches an eyebrow at her. "Wanna ride?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

She wipes sweaty hair out of her eyes.

"Where to?"

[not-robin.livejournal.com]

Tim doesn't have to look around to know no one is nearby. But he does it anyways, for the theatrics. "The Bat Cave."

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph considers it, grinning because of the theatrics.

He's creepy and uses a gun. But ... well, she's got no room to complain about that any more.

Nobody knows where she is, or that she's gone. Well, big whoop. Sokka won't be back for weeks, months maybe, and Mel's busy, and the Birds will probably be glad to have her out of their hair.

And finally: she's a big girl now, damn it.

And the Bat Cave.

"... okay."