I was fucking vexed. Wrathful. Vengeful. Pissed.

Food was served and I was left to talk to a soon-to-be-intoxicated Dick Grayson and a grumpy teenaged boy.

Tim was at another table occupied by some others his age.

And my dear, lovely boyfriend has chosen to keep his back to me in favour of talking to that Arabic slut. When dessert is brought out, I beckon Damian in and lean down to whisper.

"What does waqihh mean?" I ask.

His little innocent eyes stare up at me in shock, as if I had just said a bad word. Oh...

"That bad, huh?" I say with a small smile. I've been called everything under the sun, but the fact that it has come from her makes it feel worse than it should.

"It is what you would call a woman with a... sexually ravenous reputation," he explains. She called me a slut?

Then again I just called her a slut.

At the end of a dessert neither Damian or I touched, due to the dairy content which is not in a vegan's diet, the dance floor begins to fill.

I notice Bruce with a familiar looking woman. Truly beautiful; with sharp cheek bones and an elegant, dark short pixie cut. Obviously muscled with a nice tan.

It takes a minute for me to pin who she is. Selina Kyle. Catwoman. In my eyes, far more beautiful than Talia and far more suited to Bruce than her.

Suddenly, Jason and Talia stand up. I keep in my position; turned toward Damian and Dick. I wait forJay to say something, but they've already left.

They're on the dance floor, dancing together.

"I need some air," I get out, jumping up (with my champagne glass) and walking to the external doors, out onto the balcony. There are small groups here and there, but I stand alone, leaning over the railing to look down at the grass.

Maybe I should have seen this coming. Jason doesn't understand relationships; can't perceive what will hurt me and what is okay.

Perhaps we were bound to never work.

"Um... Excuse me, DA Meadow?" A voice suddenly says. I look over my shoulder, to see a nice looking guy in a burgundy suit. Young, muscular, cute. Clean-cut, reminding me of Dick.

"Can I help you?" I smile politely. I really just want to be alone.

"No I-... Well, I just wanted to thank you, for everything you've uh, done for the city. I know people you've helped," he says nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smile at him. He really is cute. Short, dark blonde hair and as far as I can tell, grey eyes. Very handsome indeed.

"What's your name?" I ask, fully turning towards him and leaning back against the railing.

"Detective Ryan McCaulie, ma'am. Newest detective on the force," he says politely. 

"A detective and a gentleman?" I say slowly, sipping some of my rink. He grins, looking down at the ground. "I assume you know my sister?"

"Ginger. Yes, she's uh... she's something," he says, stepping a little closer. I laugh and his words, until I spot Jason over his shoulder, still dancing with Talia.

They're turning slowly, but his gaze seems stuck on this interaction between Ryan and I. Good. He can taste his own medicine.

My attention flips to Damian striding over suspiciously, holding something behind his back. When he reaches a yard behind Ryan, he clears his throat.

The detective looks over his shoulder, then back to me, smiling.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope we work well together," he says, holding his hand out. I beam back, taking his hand. His hands remind me of Jason's; (weird, I know) rough and calloused, but gentle.

"Same to you, detective."

He nods with one more charming smile, before leaving.

Damian watches him go, before turning back to me. He looks emotionless for a few seconds before he decides to speak.

"Looking for a replacement for Todd already?"

I roll my eyes and push at his shoulder slightly.

"What do you want?" I ask. He sighs heavily, before presenting what he had been holding behind his back. A gift, wrapped in green and red.

"This is for christmas," he says, holding it out with a downcast gaze. I smile and bend down, kissing his cheek. I meet Talia's eyes for second. She and Jason are sitting again.

I look back at Dami.

"Why didn't you give it to me at the party?" I ask. He doesn't look up at me. It's okay; I know why.

The gift is heavy and rectangular. Smiling at Damian, I begin pulling the paper off. It reveals a large, vegan cookbook; the next edition to the one I already have.

Damian looks about ready to bolt, as though he were afraid that I would not like it.

"I love it Dami. It's exactly what I need," I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. He nods sharply, before Tim is reluctantly approaching, telling him Bruce has more people for him to meet.

Sighing heavily, I walk back to the table where Dick sits, alone again. 

"Venus!" He cheers as I sit down. I laugh at his drunken state; drunk people are the best.

"Drinking to forget something?" I say lightly, leaning over and grabbing the bottle of champagne. I fill it to the brim and sit back, secretly seething over Jason and Talia, whom are dancing again.

"Your sister. You?" He says quietly.

"My boyfriend ignoring me for his slutty, bitchy whorebag ex-trainer," I reply.

Dick giggles at my words. "He doesn't like her all that much you know."

"Bullshit."

"It's true. He doesn't like any of Ra's Al Ghul's company. Why him and Damian don't really get along, you know," he explains.

My fingers drum mindlessly on the table, mulling over his words.

Suddenly the chair next to me is moving and Jason slips into it. I fold my arms and lean back.

"The fuck was that?" He says. He sounds drunk. He smells drunk... He is drunk.

"What?" I snap, probably less intoxicated than he is.

"You know what. The pretty boy," he replies, nodding across the room. I follow it, expecting to find Damian but instead seeing Detective Ryan McCaulie.

"He wanted to thank me for what I've done for the city, like everyone else on this night has. At least he's acknowledged my existence, unlike you!"

"Oh he's acknowledged you alright," he says. I pull back in shock, eyes widened. "I haven't spoken to you tonight because of the things you said to Talia! You sounded like a crazy, jealous psycho!"

"You accuse him of that and me of saying the things that Talia said to me!?"

"Why would she say any of that to you!?" He growls back, catching the attention of at least six people around us. I glance at them nervously.

Jason starts to stand up.

"You really believe the shit she's told you?" I ask, trying to filter out the disappointment in my voice in favour of rage. "After these past few months you're going to believe her over me? Someone you slept with once against someone you love?"

"What's the difference!?" He snaps roughly, standing up abruptly and marching off. I breathe heavily as I sink in my chair, pushing my hair back.

What's the difference?

The words echo in my head for a while. I chance a look at him. He's talking to her... I can't handle this.

Little tears spark in my eyes and I keep my head down as I turn to Dick, who is trying to act like he didn't hear the conversation.

"Do you think Alfred would drive me home right now, if I asked?" I say softly, trying to keep strength in my voice.

"Uh yeah. He would. Come on," he responds quietly, going to stand.

"No no, don't bother. It's alright," I say, grabbing my clutch, book and evening shawl. I stand and begin walking out as quickly as possible. 

I'll apologise to Bruce, Damian and Tim for not saying goodbye later.

Alfred is commanding the staff around when he spots me coming towards him. Immediately he looks concerned and meets me half way.

"Alfred, could you take me home?" I ask, softly and sheepishly.

He glances over my shoulder, probably spotting Talia and Jason.

"Yes of course DA Meadow," he says kindly. He looks over his shoulder and yells at his staff, before holding his arm out to me.

With a tiny smile, I take the offer and he leads me out to the car. He opens the door for me and I climb in, bag and book in hand.

"Master Damian searched far and wide for that gift," he says when he starts the car. I laugh and look down at the cookbook, opening the cover page.

"I love it," I say.

"He hoped you would. I'm sure you know by now that you mean a great deal to him."

That makes me smile properly, before I remember what that had brought on. Extreme hate from Talia.

"Alfred. What was Jay like, when he was younger?" I ask after a while. Alfred takes time in responding.

"He was brute, rash and rough. Nothing like Master Richard. Yet he was also gifted. Bruce loved him. Still loves him, truly," he admits. "And if I'm not mistaken, I have never seen Jason with such a sparkle in his eye, as when he looks at you."

My smile drops away. If that were really true...

"Yes?" Alfred questions.

"Yeah," I reply, raspy. I paw at the small tears falling down my cheeks.

~

He regretted it the moment it slipped out. Saw the light in her eyes fade. Saw her question everything about their relationship in that moment.

It scared him enough to run. Evade the situation. He didn't want to see her in pain.

And so he found himself facing Talia again, who was saying words he didn't listen to.

Yes, he had been with her all night. Partially because she had information he needed that he was slowly getting out of her.

Also because he hadn't seen her in a long time and part of him missed something about her.

And maybe, part of him believed what she had said. That Venus has teased her over her relationship with Jason. That she waved Damian's love for her like a flag.

The more he considered Venus saying it, the more unlikely it seemed.

Maybe if he had not drunk so much, he would have been in the right mind to reject Talia all together.

"Lover's quarrel?" She caught his attention. Jason rolled his eyes, done with her. It seems seeing the pain in his girlfriend's eyes had snapped him out of Talia's mental embrace.

"Look, do you have what I need or not?" He says. Her smirk doesn't fade at his abruptness. Instead, she swaps hands with her glass and looks him up and down, like a piece of meat.

"I like it when you get all dominating," she says, biting her lip. Jason didn't feel anything for her but annoyance now.

"Don't play. Tell me where the shipments are now," he says, stepping closer. Talia keeps her smirk, sliding the hand not occupied by a wine glass up his chest. Jason shoved her wrist away, turning to make sure Venus had not seen.

But Venus was gone.

Tim was in her place, a disappointed Damian standing to the side. Jason added it all together in his head, as he began walking towards them.

He drove her here. She can't have left.

"Where is she?" He asked, sounding desperate. He could have killed the four boys for the looks they gave him, but Dick informed him of the inevitable; she had left.

Uncaring of how it looked, he went sprinting out into the dining hall, where waiters rushed around with little guidance. Where was Alf-...

He realised, hopelessly. Alfred had taken her home.

Jason had made her leave and he felt awful.

~

ABOVE is my interpretation of Det. Ryan McCaulie (the beautiful Will Estes from Blue Bloods), who believe me, we will see a lot in the near future! 

I WANT TO REMIND YOU; GET IN YOUR ENTRIES FOR THE ONE SHOT COMPETITION!

Grr Talia >:(

Love you all,

Stay magical!

Be safe.

-Kaido Xx