Fences

Not Partners

('Tis' August 16th,
Happy Birthday, Jason Todd!)
When she woke up, I decided maybe I should have a talk with Alex.

She can't stay anymore, I've decided that much.
She doesn't belong. She never will. She's a kid- I remember living the life she would.

I looked towards a nearby building, and there was a sudden pain.

"This. Is. AMAZING!" The black haired, green masked boy cried, swinging off the building.

I shook my head, and the image went away, groaning as I rubbed my eyes.
"Jason?," she asked suddenly, "are you ok?"

"Eh? Oh... yeah just uh... thinking."

"Liar." She said, her eyes narrowing a bit, making me look at her from her seat beside me.

We are currently at the park, since I was for sure the kid felt suffocated with all the DNA samples, surgeries, and lack of being able to leave the apartment for days.

I arched a brow.
"Excuse me?"
"Your lying," she licked her strawberry ice cream, "I can smell it. When people lie, they smell...salty?"

'Is that how she knows when I'm annoyed?'
"Is that how you know when I like someone or not? You can smell it? That's just weird."

"I smell lies, not feelings, silly," she laughed, then paused and looked down at her ice cream, "I dunno. I kinda just feel it. It's weird. I just feel like you don't like people."

"Hey, now. I wouldn't say all people."

"No," she smirked a bit, "you like Alfred! And so do I! He smells like clean clothes and mint!...," she looked at me suddenly, right in the eyes, "why are you nervous today?"

'Shit. I didn't even think she'd sensed that.'
"Um..."

"Now your sad," she said with a frown, throwing the ice cream in the garbage beside her, "why?"

For the first time in a while, it was like someone actually cared about how I felt.
Alfred and Bruce were the only ones to ever act like that- on the rarest of occasions.
I had a slight 'moment' or whatever with Damien once after he died and came back again. Though, I'm not sure if that was him caring, as much as it was about learning how I dealt with my... past.
And let's be honest, Dick is an emotional ball in itself, and Tim's not been around enough for me to know much aside from that he's my replacement and was smart enough to ditch this hell hole we call a home.

"I uh... I'm just tired-"
"Lies."
"No, it's not."
"Yeah it is!," she hopped yo, slamming her foot down on the concrete with a frown on her freckled little face, "I can smell your lies, Jason! Trust me!"

I didn't see her when I heard her say "trust me", no, I saw someone else's eyes.
"Why can't you just trust me?!"
"Do as I say, Jason!"
"Why won't you listen," the big hissed, "We're supposed to be partners!"

"-Partners!" She grinned, arms behind her back, seem much more cheerful now.

'What did she just say?'
"What?"

"We're partners!," she grinned, "you can trusts me!"
"WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PARTNERS!," I screamed, "AND YOU LET ME DIE! WORST OF ALL, YOU LET HIM LIVE?!"