Quinn POV

"Bella, what did I just get done telling you? You do not argue with Echo, Quinn or I. I'd have thought you learned your lesson when you were spanked but I guess not. Do you want another spanking?" At this, Bella's eyes go wide with fear and she shakes her head no.

"I can handle Bella on my own thank you very much. Watch and learn. Baby, how about this, if you take your bath and go down for your nap without anymore fuss then you can come with me when I go confront Barbara."

At this Bella's eyes light up. "Weally? You pwomise?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not! I don't even want you going to confont Barbara let alone Bella. It's far too dangerous."

"Do you think I'd let Barbera or her lap dog or anyone else there hurt Bella?"

"Thats beside the point. The point is, it's far too dangerous. Look what happened the last time you tried to confront Barbera. Both you and Bella were shot. I know you want revenge but at what cost?"

"Did you forget what happened a few minutes ago? I flipped you like a pancake. I can take her. On second thought, your right Jeremiah. It is far too dangerous for Bella to come with me."

At this Bella pouts and whines "but you pwomised."

"Shhh." I reply nodding towards Jeremiah. Bella's eyes go wide in understanding. She smiles and lets out a yawn.

"Miah can me go sleep now?"

"Of course, but you probably should get something to eat first."

"Then I best go whip something up. See you later Miah."

Before I am able to go very far Jeremiah grabs ahold of my wrist. "Quinn, might I offer you some advice?"

"Sure."

"Trust no one. That's all that I ask that you remember. Go, avenge your legs. But don't forget, you can not trust anyone not even if you think you know them."

I give a nod and with that I lead Bella to the kitchen. "We will get a quick snack and then be on our way. Shhh." I state as we tiptoe towards the front door.

"You would be trying to sneak out now would you?" Echo asks with a smile as she blocks the door.

"I was going to take Bella to the zoo." I could see the excitement in Bella's eyes and I sighed. I hope she wouldn't be disappointed when she realized that we weren't actually going to the zoo.

"Now, I thought you told Mista J that you were going to go put Bella down for a nap before you head over to confront that Barbara lady. So where are you really going with the little one?" Echo replies and I sigh.

"Are you going to rat us out?"

"Nope."

"What's the catch? I know you aren't just doing this out of the goodness of your heart." I reply warily.

"No catch." Echo replies.

"Alright Bella baby, come on, let's get going. We need to make this quick and get back before your brother finds out that we are gone. Do you remember what I told you the rules were if you were to come with me?"

"Wes Pooh Bea. Me is to do evewything that you say. If you say hide me hide. If you say wun me wun."

"Pooh Bea?"

"Yes Bella?"

"Is we gonna go to de zoo too?"

"Yes. As long as everything goes according to plan we will go directly after I've confronted Barbara."

"Otay."

"But I need you to promise me that if it gets too late and we can't go to the zoo that you won't throw a fit. Do you promise?"

"Me pwomise." When we arrived at Barbara's club we saw the bodies of several men littering the floor each with several bullet holes in their bodies. Probably murdered by the women of the league and by Tabitha at the instruction of Barbara. Bella looked up at the bodies and then up at me in confusion. "Pooh Bea, why dese men nu move? Is they sleeping?"

"No baby, they aren't sleeping. By the looks of it they've been shot multiple times."

"You fhink dat Blond Bimbo told the ladies to make the men go bye bye?"

At this I can't help but chuckle. "Now Bella, it's not nice to call people names."

"But that's what Miah said she is. Miah said she's a blonde bimbo."

"Yes well, just because Jeremiah says something doesn't mean you should repeat it. Anyway, do you remember how you told me that Ra-A ghoul said that you'd make a better leader then Barbera? Well, this is why. These men were definitely members of the league of shadows. I remember them from the night Jeremiah blew up the bridges."

"Why she do dis?"

"Something must have set her off considering those signs that say Sirines turf no men allowed. As to what well, that I don't know."

"Well, why don't you come in and find out? It's very rude to lurk in doorways it's rude. One might question your upbringing. Oh wait, that's right, you were raised by a bunch of circus freaks who probably don't understand the concept of manners. If you will follow me, Barbara is dying to see you."

At this, I gave a mocking bow. "Better then a bunch of crazy cult fanatics, Lady Galavan, or is it Dumas? I forget."

Tabitha ignored me as she shoved Bella and I into a large room. Barbara standing in the front of the room sipping an alcoholic drink. "Well, well, if it isn't the traitor Quinn. This is a lovey surprise. I must say, I am rather disappointed that it took you so long to come visit us. Last I heard you were permanently paralyzed from the waste down. How ever did you manage to defy the odds?"

"How I got my legs back is really none of your business, bimbo. But I will say it's thanks to Bella. Also, this is Gotham after all."

"Tell me Quinn, if you came here to kill me then why did you bring Bella with you?"

"She's here because she wanted to come with me. As for how she cured me, it's none of your business either."

"It so happens that I know exactly how she was able to obtain a cure. Tell me Quinn, how would you feel if I were to tell you that in order to obtain your cure she went against your wishes and talked to the very people
you told her to stay away from?"

"Why should I listen to you? You don't know anything about Bella and I've changed ever since I was cured. Besides, I told Bella to stay away from that monster Hugo Strange and she gave me her word that she would. Have you been spying on us?"

"No. I may not know much but I do know that Bella went against your wishes in order to obtain your cure. Isn't that right Bella?" Bella shifted nervously avoiding my gaze. "In fact, one of the members of the league of shadows happened to see her with Jarvis and finding it odd, she followed them to make sure Bella was ok. How would you feel if I were to tell you that we have video footage of Bella talking with Dr. Strange?"

"Does it matter? Even if I said I wasn't interested You'd only rub it in my face anyway."

"Bella is there something that you'd like to tell me before we watch this recording?" Bella shakes her head no avoiding my gaze. I can tell that she is feeling uncomfortable as she shifts nervously in place. "Bella I'm going to find out the truth sooner or later so are you sure you don't want to tell me anything?" Again Bella stays quiet and avoids my gaze keeping her eyes to the floor and I sigh in disappointment.

As the tape plays I glance over at Bella with a frown. Barbara wasn't lying Bella had deliberately disobeyed me. The longer I watched the recording the the angrier I became. "Would you excuse us for a moment Barbra. I need to have a word with Bella alone."

"Uh-oh." Bella whimpers.

"I am very disappointed in you Bella. You deliberately disobeyed me. Do you even realize the danger you placed yourself in? What on Earth were you thinking?"

Instantly Bella's eyes filled with tears. "Me only wanted to help you."

"You broke your promise to me Bella. Jeremiah was right, I never should have brought you here!" I hiss at Bella who is blinking back tears.

"You is mean."

"Why? Because I'm disappointed in you? You deliberately disobeyed me. Hugo Strange is a very dangerous man Bella. He experiments and tortures people for fun. You are very lucky to have escaped him. When it comes to his excitements he is obsessed. He could have knocked you out and done terrible experiments on you."

"I could have lost you Bella. How do you think Jeremiah would react if he saw this video? Knowing that you not only deliberately disobeyed me but him as well? Who do you think he's going to blame when he finds out that you left the safety of the compound on an reckless mission that could have gotten you killed?"

"Miah know dat me went. He was mad at fiwst but den he stawted laughing. He was amused. He said dat me was just as stubbown as he wememba. He said he wasn't happy wifth me fowa leabing but since me went wifth Echo it was Otay. Me sowwy. Me nu mean too bweak..." I raised my hand and cut Bella off mid sentence.

"I don't want to hear it Bella! Once I'm done dealing with Barbra, I'm taking you home and we are going to have a long discussion about this. For now, sit down in this chair and think about what you did wrong. You are to keep your eyes to the wall until told otherwise. If you move from this spot your time out will restart. I don't want to hear a peep out of you for the next five minutes. I am so disappointed in you Bella." Quinn said with a sad sigh.

I couldn't help it my eyes filling with tears and I began to cry. I knew that I deserved to be punished for disobeying her but her words hurt. "Me weawwy messed up Dolly. Me only wanted to help Pooh Bea. She stopped smiling afta she was shot and it is all me fault. If she didn't have to wescue me dat day, den she wouldn't habe gotten huwt."

"Me just wanted ebewyfing to be like it use too be. Like when Jewome was awound. Pooh Bea was awways happy and smiling back den. Me should habe listened to Iby's wawnings dat de woot might change Pooh Bea. Pooh has neba punish me befowa. She nu twust me nu mowa. What am me gonna do Dolly? Me me scawed. What if me lost Pooh Bea's lobe cause me talked to dat bad man?. Me don't wanna loose Pooh Bea she's me Mommy. Me lobe hewa." I said tearfully.

Translation:
I really messed up this time dolly. I only wanted to help Pooh bear. She stopped smiling after she was shot and that is all my fault. If She didn't have to rescue me then she wouldn't have gotten hurt. I just wanted everything to be like it use too. Like when Jerome was around. Pooh bear was always happy and smiling back then. I should have listened to Ivy's warnings that the root would change Pooh. Pooh's never punished me before. She doesn't trust me anymore. What am I going to do dolly? I am scared. What if I lost Pooh Bear's love because I talked to that bad man? I don't want to loose Pooh Bear. She's my mommy. I love her."

Quinn POV

I could hear Bella sobbing in the background and it broke my heart but she had to learn that her actions had consequences. She could have gotten really hurt. When she told her doll that she was afraid that I didn't love her anymore my heart broke in two. I just wanted to rush over to her and take her in my arms and assure her that everything was going to be ok. That nothing she could ever do would make me stop loving her. I knew that I had to remain strong. So I turned and walked away.

WC 2113