A week passed. Then two. Dee was getting impatient, and had lost her temper with me at least a half dozen times. She would immediately apologize for her harsh words, and try to make up for her slip.

For the most part, I paid little attention to those moments where she became angry with me. Most of the time it was over nothing, and I knew her short temper was because of how anxious she was becoming in waiting for Talia to contact us. I was also overly apprehensive at the amount of time this was all taking. This, coupled with the toll the radiation was taking on me, caused me to be just as short tempered at times.

The difference was that Dee could go and burn her nervous energy on a job for the Triad. I barely had the energy to get downstairs anymore, spending most of my day napping in the window seat, listening to music. Often, I would awake to find Dee curled next to me. It was a comfort, and I enjoyed the company in those quiet times.

Finally, a full month passed. I was undergoing chemotherapy as well, and the only thing it seemed to be doing to me was making me sick. Every strand of hair on my body fell out, leaving me looking far worse than before. I hated the sight of myself in the mirror as I toweled off from my shower. Dee did everything she could to keep my spirits up, still giving me the same attention she did before all of this, randomly giving me kisses, telling me I was handsome, and that she loved me.

The chemo had other effects as well. My skin was almost the color of parchment, my hands and forearms were covered with little scars from the IV's used during chemo, as well as bruised from the constant blood tests. My nails were discolored, and I had to be careful, as they seemed to be getting brittle. The thing I was most constantly aware of was the smell. The chemotherapy drugs seemed to have been infused into my skin. No amount of scrubbing by Dee or myself could dislodge the odor that clung to me like a veil of spider webs.

One of the things a cancer patient learns very quickly during chemotherapy is that, as thin a layer as it might seem, your body hair holds in a lot of heat. It wasn't long before I had Dee bringing in extra blankets to keep around the house. The weight of dragging them from room to room was too much, so I had her make certain a couple thick, warm blankets were kept each place I spent a lot of time. This also meant one in the bathroom, as the side effects from chemo made me nauseated, and I spent a good deal of time hanging my head over the toilet.

Dee found amusement in my sudden bouts of cold. If I didn't have enough blankets, and I asked her to bring me another one, she would comply, in addition to partially shifting and wrapping her fur covered body around me. She would tickle my chin and chest with her tail. It always put a smile on my face, and when I smiled, she glowed, happy to see it.

This was how we were the morning a black Rolls Royce pulled up to the back gate. We sat together in the window seat as she teased me with her tail, kissing my neck now and then.

"Kitten, there's a car coming up to the back gate," I said, pushing her tail away from my nose.

She changed back to human form, and looked down.

"I'll go see what they want," she said, kissing my cheek, and then lips before untangling herself from me. "And I'll bring you more tea when I come back."

I watched as she appeared on the path below. As she approached the gate, the driver's door opened, and a large man stepped out. I was glad to see she had tucked her bo staff in the back waistband of her pants. He walked up to the gate, pulling a piece of paper from his coat pocket. Dee accepted it, looking it over. The man nodded at something she asked him. He then turned, and walked back to the car. Dee watched him leave, and then turned her face up to my window. She was too far off for me to make out her expression.

~ ~ ~

"Eddie, I don't have time for that right now!" she snapped at me. At the moment, she was making dinner, and was stressed that it wouldn't turn out right.

Though I had only a fraction of the strength I used to, I took her by the shoulders, and gave her a little shake. "You need to calm down! Everything is going to be just perfect tonight, ok?" I wavered on my feet, and she immediately pushed me into a chair. "Sit with me for five minutes, please? You've been going full steam since that man left," I pleaded.

With a sigh, she relented, pulling another chair close to me. I took her hand in mine, noting that it was so healthy and soft compared to mine. With imminent death hanging over my head, I started to appreciate every minute I was allowed to spend with her, even when we fought. I knew she felt the same.

"Now take a deep breath and try to relax."

"I can't, Eddie! What if she says no? What if she says yes, and it doesn't work?! I don't want to lose you! We haven't had enough time together!"

"But the time we've had together has been mostly good. I'm just as worried as you are, but I've had to resign myself to the fact that she might very well say no, and that will be the end of it. As hard as it will be, you need to accept that this just might kill me."

She trembled, convulsing as huge, silent tears poured from her eyes. Wiping at them with her sleeve, she began to curse them, demanding them to stop.

"It's about time," I said, pulling her into my arms. "You've been holding that in since day one, all for my sake. Rather a stupid thing for you to do, as you would tell to me in the same situation. While I appreciate the effort, and why you've been holding this all in, you need to let this out. Just because I'm the sick one doesn't mean that you can't come to me when you need comfort. We both said we would go through this together. Every step of the way."

She shook her head against my shoulder. "No. You're already doing so much in fighting. You don't need the added stress of having to worry about me."

"Do you really think that I haven't been worried, knowing that you cry about me in the shower, or when you think I'm not able to hear you?" I laughed softly. "I can handle me, and you've been taking care of me. Why do you deny me the chance to take care of you when you obviously need a little something?"

"I don't want you wasting your energy," she sobbed, still trying to control herself.

"It's my energy. I'll spend it whatever way I see fit."

~ ~ ~

Shortly after sunset, I went back down the garden path to the back gate. The black Rolls Royce was waiting, silent and dark. Once more, as I got close, the driver got out. This time, he stepped to the back passenger door, opening it, and handing out Talia Al Ghul.

"Welcome, Ms. Al Ghul," I said, opening the gate for her.

Talia gave a polite nod, a soft greeting, and said nothing more. I led her up the garden path, and through the back door. Taking her coat, I hung it on the coat rack next to the door.

"Eddie's already in the dining room," I said, shooing back the tigers who had decided to come see who was coming to dinner.

"Then we shall not keep him waiting," she said.

Eddie was just putting the last of the glasses down when we entered. He had insisted on wearing one of his green silk suits, despite the fact that it no longer hung properly on his emaciated body. Still, I had to admit that even with his current appearance, and the still healing surgery site, he looked dapper.

"Eddie, this is Talia Al Ghul. Ms. Al Ghul, Edward Nigma."

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Al Ghul. Please, call me Eddie," he said, shaking her hand.

"Eddie. You may call me Talia. You as well, Ms. Lemma."

"Dee, please. If you two will just have a seat, I'll be right back with the soup."

I quickly ladled the soup into the silver tureen I had found among the kitchen items, and placed the lid on it. From the dining room, I could hear Eddie opening the wine and pouring it.

And then it happened.

Just as I entered with the soup, Eddie's eyes rolled up into his head, and his legs gave out. With a scream, I dropped the hot soup, and rushed to where he convulsed on the floor. Taking his tie, I placed it across his teeth as a means of keeping his tongue down to prevent him from swallowing it while he rode out the seizure. He frothed at the mouth, and it was all I could do just to keep him from thrashing out of my arms and smashing his head on the hardwood floor.

"It's ok, Tiger. Everything is going to be ok. Shh! Shh!" I whispered, rocking him back and forth in my arms when the most violent of the tremors had stopped.

"Is there anything I can do?" Talia asked, standing over us.

"No thank you. He just needs to ride this out, and rest," I replied, wiping away the foamed spittle around his mouth.

I could smell it before I noticed it. His bladder and bowels had released. A wet stain was spreading over his groin. Once he returned to his senses, I knew he would be terribly embarrassed. At the door of the dining room I could see the tigers poking their heads around at the commotion. With a few quick clicks and whistles, I sent Rebus off to get the stretcher I had rigged together for just such an event. Talia insisted on helping me get him onto the litter, and up to the room, using the elevator.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine from here. Please. I'll be back downstairs in a little while," I insisted.

She nodded and left the room. By now, Eddie's seizure had ended, and he was becoming aware of his surroundings. He was exhausted, and found it hard to move. I helped him out of the suit, and washed him down with a warm washcloth. Just by the way he was making an effort to be silent, I knew that I was right, and that he was embarrassed by the latest betrayal of his body.

"There you go, Tiger. Just rest now. I'll bring you some dinner in a bit, ok?" I said, tucking the blanket securely around him. I leaned over to kiss him, only to have him turn his face from me. "It'll be ok, Eddie. It wasn't your fault."

He didn't answer, and refused to look at me. Sighing, I let him be. Eddie would remain moody for a while. As much as I hated to do this, I needed to end this all too short dinner and get Talia out of the house so I could deal with Eddie and his mood.

When I returned to the dining room, I found the tigers had cleaned the soup up for me. There wasn't a trace of any wontons, or meatballs anywhere. Nor Talia. I picked up the tureen, and went into the kitchen. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of soup, and a plate of stirfry, rice, and potstickers.

"So you can cook. This is very good. I haven't had Chinese food like this since I was last in China."

"Thank you." I paused, putting a plate together for Eddie. "Look, I know you came a long way to talk to us tonight, but as you can see, it didn't turn out so well. I really hate to ask, but would you be able to come back another time? Eddie's really embarrassed about this, and he won't even talk to me."

Talia shook her head. "I came all the way from Metropolis to speak with you two, and he will see me. I will talk while you feed him, yes?"

I nodded, knowing that this was probably a really bad move. He was already miserable, and I couldn't read Talia to figure out if she was bringing us good or bad news. She followed me up the stairs, carrying the wine Eddie had poured for her.

"Just give me a minute, ok?" I left Talia outside of the room to see if Eddie had calmed down a little. He was still grumpy, and unwilling to see her. The problem was that he was unable to get out of bed and get far enough. So I brought Talia in.

"Hello, Mr. Nigma. I am Talia Al Ghul, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, extending her hand. She definitely had breeding. What she was now doing was not something that was often taught in American culture anymore. She was being diplomatic, willing to act as if this was the first time they had met.

"Please, call me Eddie," he said, a look of knowing on his face. Of course he knew what she was doing. He had seen me do the same thing a million times when he sent me to deal with people, or when I was dealing with the Triad.

"Then you may call me Talia. I will be brief, Eddie, seeing as you are not feeling well this evening." She stood at the end of the bed, her wine glass delicately balanced in her fingers. As she spoke, she rolled the stem between her fingers. "As you know, your concerned mate, Dee, approached me a month back. She told me that you were requesting information that has been kept secret for thousands of years. I could not answer her question the day she came to me. For me to do so would put all of us at risk, and caused more trouble than it would have solved.

"When she came to me, I had to wonder just why I should allow a person like you access to such secrets and power. I know of your struggles against Batman, and I know that you exist to break the law and cause chaos." She paused, taking a sip of her wine.

"However, I also know that, unlike the Joker, you have some respect for human life. Maybe you don't care about humans, but you do not make it a point to kill and physically harm them. Granted, you steal from them, making them feel insecure, but they live to see another day, and might even appreciate living more.

"I did not base my decision on your actions, however. My decision was based on you. Would it surprise you to learn that I have had you watched for the past month?"

I looked at Eddie, who gazed flatly at me. Shaking my head, I said no, as I offered him another potsticker. He pushed it away, and I set the plate aside. Both of us had seen people trailing us from afar, but did nothing about it, putting it down to paranoia.

"It is not everyday that I meet someone who, despite known criminal actions and connections, is as human as you are. The reports that came back to me on your daily activities told me how you were fighting this disease with every fiber of your being, regardless of the diagnosis. I was curious as to if this woman was telling me the truth about you. At first I didn't believe that you being who you were, with your reputation, could truly love, and appreciate a woman. But all of the reports I received told of how you both took care of each other, making certain that the other was comfortable. You return each other's affections equally. That is rare today.

"Your humanity is what led me to the decision. I will give you the information." She held up a hand to quell our reactions. "However, you must realize that what I tell you will cause you grief, and put you at risk of my father's assassins."

"I'm willing to risk that," Eddie said, speaking for the first time since his seizure. He took my hand, squeezing it as he looked at me.

"I'm willing as well. Tell us what we need to do, and how to repay you."

Talia shook her head. "When we first talked, I told you there was no price for the use of a Lazarus Pit. They are far to valuable to have a sum of money placed on them. I know you wish to settle somehow, and in the future, I may just call in the debt."

She put her wine down and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Now you must listen to me, and listen carefully. Take notes, for once I give you the information, it will be up to you to get to the pit and prepare it."
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