Candy's Sweet Tooth

Something Wrong, or Everything Gone

'The Doc told me a few things when they grabbed me. I was a little freaked out, as you can probably imagine, so I sorta knocked out everyone I could get my hands on. He told me you were dead, ST. And I felt like I already knew, but was just denying it- trying to hold onto you. Then he said that you couldn't love.' Candy stopped and looked up to the mirror, and saw Sweet Tooth staring at her.

'And you believed him.'

'No. Not for a second. He said that love was... not that, not us. But I knew in my heart what love was, SweeTart. Every time you cracked or snapped, you came back to me. But when you wouldn't even look at me, I had to get your attention. I felt like I'd die without it- so I did what I had to. I was always yours, SweeTart. I always will be.'

Sweet Tooth continued watching Candy as she nervously stared into her lap. She managed a weak giggle, attempting to pull a lame joke out of nowhere.

'But there's somethin' else that's yours.'

Sweet Tooth went rigid. He had been waiting for that moment- he always knew it would happen. 'What are you saying, Dove?'

'I'm pregnant, ST.'

Sweet Tooth understood why Candy was so afraid- If I beat her so badly, what could I do to a child? To our child?

Candy's lip trembled, and Sweet Tooth slipped his arm around her back and pulled her into his arms. She leaned awkwardly, but was comfortable as she sobbed lightly into his chest.

'It's okay, Candy.'

'No. It's not.' She pulled back quickly, raising her shirt. Her stomach was still almost completely blackened, and Sweet Tooth could see the odd shapes from tools and weapons he had used.

'I did that?'

Candy nodded. 'The Doc said the baby was dead at first, tryin' to scare me. But then he threatened us... and asked me to hand you over in a week, or else he'd kill it.' She placed her hand on her stomach and twisted around, lying completely on Sweet Tooth. 'That's why I need you, SweeTart. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here. He was gonna kill me, and I didn't care. I just wanted to be with you.'

Candy tilted her head back and looked at Sweet Tooth. 'ST, what are we gonna do?'

'Whatever you want, Dove. I'm at your command.' He kissed her forehead, and Candy closed her eyes.

'Why did you send me back there? To Arkham?'

'I wanted someone to take care of you if I couldn't. I'd been thinking about it for some time... I knew I was probably going to get you killed, and you are the only thing in this world I care about. Not the Batman, not revenge... just you.'

Candy's heart started to beat faster, and Sweet Tooth could feel it as he held her hand.

'You care about me?' she asked quietly.

Do you? When was the last time you hit her or grabbed her or... Is that what I've become? From what I was to this?

'Stand up.' Candy scrambled to her feet nervously, and Sweet Tooth stood up in front of her. 'We need to take over Gotham. And we can start with those cops that are roaming around our palace.'

Candy grinned, and pulled a remote from the drawer behind her. 'All ya had to do was ask, SweeTart. They ain't gonna bother us again.' A menacing giggle escaped her, and Sweet Tooth stepped forward.

He kissed her hard on the lips, surprising Candy just enough for her to press the button and let the remote fall to the ground. Her hand moved to the back of his head, and her fingers twirled into his hair.