~.: Nightwing's P.O.V :.~
/She kept my own child a secret from me...? How did I not know about my own kid..?/ My thoughts were spinning around frantically as I put my head in my hands, rubbing my temples. My head was spinning in disbelief. /Surely Acacia would have told me if she had gotten pregnant with my child... Right..?/ I didn't know what to think of Acacia anymore. She'd changed so much. She never kept anything a secret from me. But then one day, she ran away with not even the smallest note to let me know she'd be safe and sound wherever it was that she was going.
A soft groan of frustration escaped my lips as I looked out the window beside me. /Is she okay without me? Is she safe..? Based off of what De had explained to me earlier, my ex girlfriend seemed to be managing just fine, a daughter that looked like me at her side, along with a new boyfriend in tow./ I had been so preoccupied in my thoughts about Acacia that I barely heard the footsteps that sounded at my door. Nor did I hear the knock that followed.
"You okay, Dick..?"
I raised my head, turning around to see my childhood best friend walking into the room. I smiled somewhat at him as he came over to where I was standing. One of Wally's eyebrows raised as I ran a hand through my messy hair.
"Why would she keep those kinds of secrets from me, Wally...?" I murmured softly, looking outside once more, swallowing slightly, "It doesn't make sense... something doesn't add up- Acacia ran away and reappears two years later. With a child that's apparently my daughter as well as some stranger I've never heard of before-"
"Dick, you've kept some pretty big secrets too, y'know? Maybe Acacia felt like you were hiding one from her and this is... I don't know- maybe payback or something..?" Wally cut me off, looking outside as well before glancing at me as I rubbed my face.
"What secrets did I keep from her, Wally? I never kept anything away from her. I trusted her, if anything. Why would Acacia possibly want to act this way for? And hiding a child from me, Wally? My own child? For years? Why would she do that to me?" I balled my hands into fists, working hard to control my voice from raising from the frustration I was feeling right now.
The ginger speedster shrugged slightly, rubbing the back of his neck defeatedly, "I don't know, Dick..." He said softly looking at me as I hung my head, letting out a stressful sigh, "Acacia could have thought you and De were having some kind of hidden affair. I mean, did you ever notice how much Acacia always glared at her when you were speaking to her?"
I looked at Wally, my eyes narrowing, "De didn't do anything to Acacia. If anything, she's at least tried to be friendly- As for a hidden affair? Why would I even do that? I would have told Acacia!..."
Wally frowned, "I know, Dick. But the way you would mess with Deanne all the time, even when it was just teasing, Acacia probably viewed your teasing as flirting. But like I said, I don't know what Acacia's true intentions were. All I know is that she has changed, Dick. She's not the same person you remember from when you first met her," I looked away from him, scowling at the street lights below, "She wasn't healthy for you to be around... always questioning you and acting absurd. She wasn't stable. And, now she's a bad guy, ambushing your teams with that new teammate of hers."
I couldn't speak. My mind was in too much of a storm to come up with even the slightest remark to say. /This is such a mess.../ Wally sighed stressfully, putting a hand on my shoulder as I glanced at him.
"Look, Dick. I know you're frustrated about how things just got pulled out from under you," He began, his eyes narrowed, "but you've got a sister in this cave that needs you. She's upset as well and she needs you now after what's happened tonight." And with those words, Wally walked out of the room, leaving me by myself.
