“He’s starting to wake,” a nurse told me before I stood up and ran to his room. I opened the door and a tear slid down my cheek when I saw Xavier lying in the bed, looking up at me.

“How are you feeling?” I asked him, sitting down by his side.

“Really good, considering what I’ve been through,” Xavier said with a light laugh.

“Richard’s going to leave us alone now and he’s paying for the bills,” I told me and a smirk came to his face.

“You told him, didn’t you?” Xavier asked. I looked down at the ground and whispered,

“It was the only thing I could think of. I’m sorry.”

Xavier then took my chin in his hand and brought my eyes to level with his.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of, we have nothing to be ashamed of. I got you this way and I’m going to stay with you. Kori, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” Xavier asked and the breath was stolen from the lungs. I felt like I was soaring through the clouds, not a worry in sight.

“Yes,” I said, smiling as tears began to form in my eyes, but I blinked them back.

“I have to go now, but I’m not leaving the hospital. I promise,” I said before kissing him lightly on the lips and going to the nurse that stood at the door. The nurse went inside and changed his bandages while I went back to the waiting room and Rachel.

“How is he?” she asked as I joined her on a bench.

“He asked me to marry him,” I said, grinning uncontrollably. Rachel smiled before hugging me tightly.

“I’m happy for you Kori,” I heard a man say from behind me. I turned around and saw Richard, standing there.

“Thanks,” I said. Richard’s face brightened because I hadn’t sworn or yelled at him yet. I was talking to him like a person would talk to another person.

“Why are you here?” Rachel asked.

“Do you want me to pay the bills or not?” he asked with a smirk. I nodded before he went over to the desk.

“Put all the bills of Xavier Red under Richard Grayson. I’ll be paying for them,” he told the nurse at the desk before returning to Rachel and I.

“I guess this is good bye then,” he said, looking down at me. I stood up and hugged him.

“You never know,” I whispered into his ear before letting him go. Richard then gave us a nod before leaving the hospital.

“You handled that really well Kori,” Rachel told me.

“Thanks,” I said.

“I’m gonna go home and check on Garfield and the baby. Is that okay with you?” she asked, standing up.

“Yeah, tell them I said hi,” I told by best friend before she left.

Two Months Later:

“Hurry up Xavier! You’re going to miss the movie!” I yelled into the kitchen.

“Do you want your popcorn or not?!” he yelled back. I laughed to myself before getting up and going to the kitchen. I then grabbed Xavier in one arm and the popcorn in the other.

“You know I don’t like to be picked up by you,” Xavier complained. I then turned around to get his crutches and while my back was turned to him I mouthed along with him.

“It makes me feel weak and you seem like the dominate one. I don’t like it. I wear the pants in this family!” he said and I laughed.

“That is until I take them off,” I said to him, sitting down next to him and placing his crutches off to the side.

“You never told me what movie we’re watching,” Xavier said as I played the movie.

“It’s a surprise,” I told him.

“Please not Gone With The Wind again?” he asked. It was when it finally went to the menu that he smiled at me.

“Thank you,” Xavier said before I pressed play.

“It has romance and action. Enough to satisfy me and you,” I told him. I had chosen King Kong, because like I said, “It has romance and action.”

During the movie, I was hugging Xavier’s arm when the bug scene came along with some other parts. Half way through it though, my stomach began to feel funny.

“I’m gonna go get some fresh air,” I told my soon to be husband before standing up and heading to the back yard. Once outside, I took in a deep breath and placed a hand on the slowly growing larger stomach. When I looked around, I saw a figure on Richard’s roof. I waved down at him with my free hand and saw the faint outline of him waving back. After a few minutes I went back inside and sat back down with Xavier.

“The baby kicking again?” he asked, staring at my stomach.

“A little,” I said before Xavier placed his hand on my stomach and smiled.

“I think it’s going to be a boy. Putting up quite a fight,” he joked.

“Hey buddy! Girls can fight too!” I protested.

“I know, but I’m hoping it will be a boy. If not, I’ll just have to get you pregnant again in hope of one,” Xavier said, smirking at me.

“Okay, just be ready when I start craving things and get all emotional again,” I said.

“No, that’s when I’ll leave for a “business trip” and come back a little while before the baby is born,” he said.

“You really are truly evil,” I said, giggling.

“I am Red X, you can’t forget that,” Xavier reminded me and then it struck me.

“Xavier, we can’t still be villains with a baby,” I said, my voice trembling.

“Yeah, I thought of that last night too. I could always try to get a job somewhere… with the occasional steal,” he said.

“Where will you get a job. Every place will ask for references and past jobs. You don’t have any of that and you sure can’t say, “I used to be Red X, now about that job?” They’ll turn you into the police for sure,” I told him.

“What about Wayne Enterprise? I could always ask Richard to get me a good paying job in there that’s decent. We all know he owes us, even Rachel said so,” Xavier said.

“That’s using him! Come on Xavier, you can’t always do a villain thing. Try to be good to someone for once and be fair. Don’t hold something over their head,” I chastised him.

“I’m good to you aren’t I?” he asked. I nodded before saying,

“Yes, but it’s time you expand that circle.”

“Alright, once my leg is all fixed up, I’ll go over there and try to get a job. If that doesn’t work, I’ll only be out for two hours ever other night,” Xavier said before picking up his crutches and making his way up the stairs. Sighing, I stood up as well and helped him up the stairs.

“You know I don’t like to get picked up!” Xavier complained.

“Oh get over it you big baby,” I said before continuing up the stairs.

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Epilogue:

After that day, Xavier and I went on to have a great life together. The baby was born on November 23, a Thanksgiving Baby is what I called her… Xavier calls her a Butter Ball, but her real name is Jenevieve. Yes, it was a girl so we’re going to try again for a boy, but he’s giving me some time off first. Xavier ended up getting a job over at Wayne Enterprise and it pays very well. Speaking of which, we ended up being quite good friends with Richard and his soon to be wife Kitten.

We all get together for Christmas Eve over at his house because it’s the biggest. When I say, we all, I mean we all. Rachel, Garfield, their baby Andrew, Karen, Victor, their toddler Katie and their new born baby Brian, my family, Bruce, and his girlfriend Diana. So it’s a really big group of us on Christmas Eve.

Xavier and I got married a month or two after the baby was born. Rachel was the maid of honor and in her arms was Jenny. Since Xavier wasn’t close enough with any of my friends to have them be the best man, he called up his father, Wilson. He was a black and white old man. Now, when I say black and white, I mean two attitudes towards people. He was either mean to a person or nice… never both. Luckily for me, I was on his white side, along with Rachel and of course Jenevieve. He was very pleased to have a grand child. Though for Richard, Garfield, and Victor… he wasn’t too nice to them.

“Your father-in-law is out to kill me!” Richard told me once. I just giggled and told him not to be such a baby. I was really happy Wilson was there, my parents died a long time ago. It was good to have a dad and a grandpa for Jenny. When she’s old enough though, Wilson demands that she calls him Grandpa Slade. Besides that, he’s always been nice to the family.

So our life was going nicely. Xavier recovered, the baby is healthy, Richard and I are finally friends again, nobody’s dead, I finally had a father figure, I couldn’t be happier, and it was like a dream come true… just took some time to get there.