Thomas Elliot had become a regular at the Wynne household. Despite the rough start with the couple, he had found them to be rather pleasant company. Mr. Wynne made for pleasant conversation, and a very worthy opponent for the numerous games of chess the two played to pass time. Mrs. Wynne seemed pleased that she now had more than just her husband to cook for, and always had something in the oven, or on the stove to fill the empty belly of her husband and his doctor. Dr. Elliot was pleased with the home cooked meals he received, and always made a point to be on time for dinner when he would stop by.

When he wasn't over there to play games, or eat, he was there to chat. Mr. Wynne was from Gotham City, and it was Dr. Elliot's hometown. That alone gave them something to talk about as they sat around, eating whatever cake or pastry Mrs. Wynne had made, and sipped coffee. Mr. Wynne seemed apprehensive about the topic of the city at first, but quickly warmed up to it when it was obvious that Dr. Elliot wished to speak of his childhood years.

It was during one of these chats that Dr. Elliot confessed that he had lost his mother to cancer years earlier. His father had died in a car accident long before that. Mr. Wynne also learned that the Elliots had been very good friends of the famous Waynes. Thomas Elliot admitted that he had not spoken to his childhood friend, Bruce Wayne, in years. He did, however, tend to keep up with the playboy antics of his old friend.

Both Dee and Eddie had come to appreciate the man for the information he could give them about cancer. Not only medically, but his own personal experience. Because of his willingness to share, the two were able to take preventative measures in keeping Eddie as healthy from other infections as possible.

After a long day at the office, Dr. Elliot decided to stop by and see what sort of conversation he could have, as well as what sort of tasty meal he could get out of Mrs. Wynne. Humming, he strolled up the walk of the house the two had relocated to. Taking his hat off, he rang the bell, expecting to see Mrs. Wynne open the door. He had a cheeky smile on his face, and a barb on his tongue, as he knew her first reaction would be to tease him that he was at a private residence, and not a restaurant. The smile turned polite as the door opened to reveal a slight Chinese woman, instead of the usual housemistress.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said. "I was just stopping by to check on Arthur. Is he home, please?"

The woman smiled at him. "Yes, he is. He's in the den playing Mah Jong with my husband. Won't you please come in? My name is Chu Hua."

"Thomas Elliot," the man said, offering his hand.

Chu Hua gave his hand a delicate shake, and then motioned for him to follow her. He paused to hang his coat and hat on the rack near the front door. She led him into the den, and there, wrapped in a blanket, sipping a cup of tea, sat Mr. Wynne. In a chair opposite him, sat an athletically built Chinese man. Both turned and greeted the doctor with a smile when he entered. Dr. Elliot was not surprised to see his patient sitting up and playing a game. It was rare that the man did not have some sort of puzzle book, or travel sized game to keep himself amused at any time.

"Tommy! Good to see you." He adjusted the blanket around his shoulders, and then took the proffered cup of tea from Chu Hua. "What brings you here this evening?"

"I just stopped to say hello and see how you were doing. I don't see that woman of yours around today. Did she finally get smart and leave you?" he grinned.

Mr. Wynne smiled. "She had some business to attend to out of town." Gesturing to the two Chinese, he continued. "She decided I needed to be babysat, so she had these two come over until she gets back. You've already met Chu Hua. This is her husband, Manchu, who happens to be Dee's best friend. Manchu, this is Thomas Elliot."

"Ah, the doctor we have heard so much about. You are a very brave and patient man to put up with Arthur as a patient. The only one who is more disagreeable than him is his wife!" Manchu teased.

"She is only disagreeable to you, my husband. But she has perfectly justifiable reasons," Chu Hua interrupted, giving her husband's long braid a teasing tug. "Will you stay for dinner, Doctor?"

While he would normally stay, he did not feel like intruding on the man when he had company in town. "Not tonight, thank you. I really should be going. Arthur, are we still on for that rematch?"

"Just as soon as you're ready to lose again," Mr. Wynne replied with a smile.

Chuckling good naturedly, Dr. Elliot showed himself out.

~ ~ ~

The Jade Tiger Triad provided me with all the information I needed to get into LexCorp Towers. They also managed to provide me with Talia Head's schedule for the day. The Metropolis branch of the Triad had offered me a job as well. As soon as I was through with Talia Head, I was to complete the job. In exchange, I was given a place to stay, as well as a small amount of money. As with any money I made lately, it all went to Eddie's medical bills and care.

In order to gain access to the penthouse that was Talia's home, I had to keep an eye out for her personal maid. Every day the woman followed a set schedule, always returning home laden down with numerous parcels from her daily errands. This was my ticket into the penthouse. Using my ring, I shifted into the form of an Abyssinian cat. No one noticed the slight tawny form that padded quietly into the lobby from the street. No one noticed the cat as it patiently waited next to a potted fichus situated near the private penthouse elevator. Best of all, the maid didn't notice the extra weight in one of the bags from an expensive retail store.

The ride up to the penthouse was uneventful. The maid hummed to herself, carefully straightening her hair on the ride. When the elevator came to a stop, she brought the bags in, setting them down once more as she removed her coat and neatly hung it in a closet. I took that moment to leave my hiding place in the bag, and scurry into the study following the directions I had been given.

Taking a look around the room, I chose my hiding place. As I settled myself under the expansive desk, returning to human form, I looked at the painted portrait that hung over the fireplace. It was of a man dressed regally in a green cloak, edged with gold, and studded with jewels. He had a white streak in his otherwise black hair, and piercing eyes. He could only be one man: Ra's al Ghul. Shaking my head and chuckling to myself, I relaxed in my hiding place, leaning back against the cool mahogany of the desk. I shifted myself so that I had a view of the study door, and part of the hallway. Pulling out the snack I brought, I settled into waiting.

"Later. I will have dinner later," Talia said, as she swept into the office alone, closing the doors firmly behind her.

I watched as she stretched and stood in front of the fireplace. Her clothing was impeccable, her blouse white as virgin snow, and her deep burgundy skirt, tailored to compliment the curve of her hips, emphasizing her petite waist. Her black hair fell around her shoulders like a storm cloud. She stared up at the portrait of her father, sighing. With her attention diverted to the picture, I returned to the form of an Abyssinian, and padded out to a point a good six feet away from her. Out of immediate striking distance, I returned to human form, clearing my throat.

The woman spun, immediately going into a defensive stance. "Who are you?" she asked after a moment of silence. Her eyes flicked, taking in my black outfit, and the hood I had dangling from my left hand.

Spreading my arms, I turned in a circle. "I'm unarmed. I only came to talk, Ms. al Ghul."

Talia's almond eyes narrowed. "How do you know me by this name? Did my father send you?"

"No. I've never met your father. My name is Dee Lemma. Most people know me as Query, partner of Edward Nigma, the Riddler."

"You are a foe of Batman's then. You are therefore not unarmed."

I allowed a small smile. "No. Not quite unarmed. But I have no weapons. I wouldn't exactly say that Batman is a foe. Merely another player in the game of life." I didn't see the need to draw things out, and I was already getting nervous. Talia Head was well guarded by Team Luthor, and I had no wish to run into them. I had to get back to Eddie as soon as possible. "Eddie remembered your face from the night you came to Arkham to take the Joker. He only recently realized you were the same woman when he saw your picture in the paper."

"That does not explain how you know my name," she replied shortly.

I bowed apologetically, something I had learned from the Triad. Politeness and respect got you places where force could not. Talia didn't look like the kind who could be swayed with a threat. "The Joker likes to tell everyone stories. He told everyone at Arkham what happened after you took him."

"The clown should learn to hold his tongue. He will be dealt with," came the hissing reply.

With a shrug, I added, "We don't generally believe his stories. Especially the more outrageous ones."

"Then why have you come?" She asked coolly. From her body language, and facial expression, I heard the unspoken question: And tell me why I shouldn't call security right now?

"I came to find information on these Lazarus Pits the Joker spoke of. We're willing to pay generously for it."

"What makes you think I have that sort of information, and that if I did, it would be for sale?" she asked without hesitation.

"Because sometimes the Joker's stories are true. He said that the pit could bring a person back to life. Cure them. Joker said that you shot him, and he died. The pit revived him and healed his wounds. I'm willing to risk everything in order to find and use one of those pits, Ms. al Ghul."

"You seek this information for your own use?"

I shook my head, unable to keep the emotion out of my voice as I replied. "No. Not for me. For someone else."

The softening of her voice caused a lump to rise in my throat. "Your beloved."

"Yes. He's very, very sick," I replied, quickly casting my eyes to the carpet. Not knowing how he was doing at this minute worried me, and made me want to start crying in frustration at having to be away from him on this crazy chase. Had he eaten yet? Did he need me tonight? I touched the hard lump of the question mark shaped communit in my pocket Eddie had made for me. He had the twin. It was useless in Metropolis, but I had brought it anyway.

"I have seen how your kind gets 'sick'. But it is not like the Detective to..."

"Batman had nothing to do with this! He knows nothing of it!" I snapped.

One of her perfectly manicured eyebrows lifted in interest, waiting for me to continue.

"We left Gotham in secret over a month ago. We've been living in Philadelphia. If we had stayed in Gotham, it was possible that the doctors might not give Eddie the proper treatment."

Talia waved me over to a seat near the fire. I hated that my voice had become panicked and emotional. But I couldn't help it. I tried to keep myself strong while I tended to Eddie, avoid the tears so that he didn't have to worry about me. He had too much on his mind. I accepted the seat, and took a couple of calming breaths.

"He said that if you didn't believe me, or wanted to talk to him about it, you were welcome to come see us in Philadelphia." I pulled a card out of the top of my left tabby boot, handing it over. "Ms. al Ghul, Eddie isn't ready to die. I know no one is ever really ready, and everyone has a time when they have to go, but..." I paused, breathing deep once more. "I don't want to lose him. It's too soon!" I wanted to be sick at the very thought of seeing his lifeless body.

"Then it is for your personal use," concluded Talia. She sat across from me in an identical chair, sitting so regally she made the simple high-backed leather chair appear to be a throne.

I was out of any words to use. "Please. If the Lazarus can truly cure him, I will pay anything. Name your price."

The woman shook her head, her dark hair swirling around her shoulders, sharply contrasting with the white of her silk blouse. "There is no price that can be set. Once a pit has been used, it can never be used again. There are consequences from using the Lazarus as well. And there is my father. He is the one who uses the pits. He is the one who collects the rare herbs and minerals that must be added in order to give the Lazarus potency."

"But will it cure him?"

"The Lazarus will cure everything. What is it that is killing him?" she asked out of curiosity.

"He was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The doctor said that with treatment, he might live six to eight months. He couldn't be certain of how long without the treatment." I waited a second before asking, "I... I can help your father gather some of the herbs and minerals. I have connections that might help him find all that he needs, in exchange for using the Lazarus."

A smile appeared on her face, and she shook her head. "It isn't that simple." Standing, she walked to the middle of the room. "I will need to consider your request. I cannot answer you immediately, you understand."

"Yes, I understand." I hadn't expected her to say yes immediately. But she hadn't said no, and that made me feel better. She had confirmed the existence of the pits, and their ability to cure. It was far more than I expected.

"I will be in contact with you shortly. During that time, I would like you to realize that if I do grant your appeal, there will still be much suffering that you will go through before the Lazarus can be used."

"I understand. And thank you for thinking this over." I stood to leave. "Should you allow Eddie to use the pit, I will be in your debt. I'm sure you have all the resources you need, legal or otherwise, but I would like to offer my abilities to you, should you wish to work outside your normal means."

"What abilities do you have?" she asked.

"I am a skilled fighter, I'm fluent in Chinese, I know how to safely work with explosives, and I can burgle with the best of them."

"No cooking?" asked Talia with a note of amusement.

"I cook as well. Nothing like what you would be used to being served, though."

She nodded. "I have heard rumors that you have the ability to take on the form of felines. Is this true?"

I hesitated. This wasn't part of what I was allowed to talk about. It was rumor, myth, on the streets. People assumed that it was said because of my fighting skills, and ability to disappear like a cat. But it could be the key to getting what Eddie and I wanted.

"Yes. It's how I got into your home without being seen."

"Demonstrate."

Nodding, I shifted into the same Abyssinian that I had been using all night. She said nothing, nor did she react. I changed back.

"Very well. As I said, I will be in touch." With a wave of her hand, she added, "Return to that cat form. I will take you out of here, but you must not change back until you are away from here. There are too many spies around me, and I do not wish to have my more shady associations known."

I nodded my understanding, changing quickly. She scooped me up, and left the study. Throwing a coat around herself, she hid me in the folds. Letting the maid know that she was stepping out for a moment, she entered the elevator. Down in the garage, she set me down. Without a word, or glance, she turned and strolled back into the elevator, closing the doors.

~ ~ ~

Father would be furious with her if he knew about the conversation that had just taken place. Had he been there, the woman would not have made it out of the building alive. Her lover would be dead just as quickly. That Talia was now considering the request would have infuriated him to no end. He was always trying to keep such a tight rein on her, and part of the reason she had taken the offer to run LexCorp was to show her father that she was more than he knew. Talia was quite aware that he had tried sneaking spies into her staff both at home and office. She had caught each, dismissing them and sending them back to her father.

Just by talking to this woman, Talia was able to understand just how deeply the girl loved this criminal. There was no argument she could make against that. She, herself, was deeply in love with a man. Though she wasn't certain of the sincerity of Edward Nigma's feelings toward this woman, she knew that her Detective did not love her the way she did him. Every now and then, he showed what seemed to be a sign of affection, but these were brief and fleeting.

Even knowing she didn't hold the Detective's heart, Talia loved him. He had the strength and determination she had come to admire in her father, but without the penchant for destruction. Love. What a fickle and strange master. She realized, of course, that most of her love for the Detective had been fueled with her father's insistence that he would be the heir to the al Ghul Empire. Not only that, but Batman would sire Talia's offspring.

The longer she was away from both of those men, the more she realized her true feelings about each. She loved them both, admired them for their strength, both physical and mental. But she had come to realize the power each held over her. Father, always demanding absolute perfection and loyalty from her. Bruce, demanding perfection from himself; expecting nothing from her in any form. After all this time away, she realized that she hadn't really loved Bruce in the way her father wished her to. But she did love him.

Like everything else in her life, Talia had blindly followed and believed her father's words. "You love the Detective. He is the only one for you. You will marry him," he had told her. So she loved. Blindly. Her mind fought against the idea. How could she love a man she didn't really know? Certainly, she knew all about him, but not one on one, in an intimate manner. There were men among her father's organization that she had loved more than she loved Bruce. She never dared speak of this to her father.

However, now that she was thinking about him, Talia found she still wished to love the Detective, but on her terms. That she now worked for his biggest rival in the business world did not help her case. All she could hope was that her independence from her father, and that she happened to be doing an excellent job in running LexCorp, would show Bruce that there was more to Talia al Ghul.

Talia laughed derisively at herself. Was she telling herself the truth? Did she really still love the Detective, or had she listened to the lie for so long that she actually believed it to be truth? The thought of him made her pulse quicken, and a flush warm her cheeks. Perhaps her feelings toward him had really become love, beyond the mere blind love that her father wished.
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