Side Chapter : Daughter 4/5

Sandra truly didn't have a good excuse for being absent in her daughter's life, but what would have happened if she stayed around?

Would it have been better?

She may have looked like she was fine, but back then she was absolutely broken. The death of her sister hit her harder than most realized and to this day it still haunts her.

And in her grief, Sandra chased after strength and even craved it to the point where she could drown out all of her feelings and thoughts of the past.

Killing and fighting was her drug to numb all the pain away and it didn't take long to become the feared Lady Shiva that killed hundreds upon hundreds without remorse.

If she had been in her daughter's life earlier she wouldn't have been able to provide the love and care that Cassandra desired.

At least that is what she believes...

However, no one can truly know the outcome if she decided differently as anything could have happened, but now it was all in the past.

She has to accept the consequences of her actions now.

Sandra glanced at her daughter and saw all the pain, sadness, and hate in her eyes as she waited for an answer.

She could see so much of herself in Cassandra and even a little of her father, but then she also saw a bit of her sister.

'Sister...I truly do miss you..' Sandra thought as she lets out a long sigh.

"I have...no excuse." Sandra frowned. "I was weak, extremely weak...and I went down the path I thought was best for me." She said, placing a hand on Cassandra's shoulder.

Cassandra could barely understand what her mother was saying to her and that frustrated her.

Why did she have to be this way?

Did she do anything in the past to deserve this life?

Cassandra at the moment was hanging by a thread and she thought today was going to be the day that she'll find a reason to keep on living, but she didn't expect to see her mother today.

'It doesn't matter if she's here now...there's nothing she could do to-' Suddenly Cassandra started to feel something strong and warm wrap around her body.

'What is this?..' Cassandra looked down to see that there were now arms wrapped around her, squeezing her to the point that it made it a bit more difficult to breathe. However, for some reason, she didn't mind it as it made her feel safe and something else.

What is it?

What is this fuzzy warm feeling rising within her?

As these thoughts formed inside of her head; tears started to fall even more now as she clenched the shirt of the woman who was causing it.

And soon...she started to cry.

She started to cry like a child that had just been separated from their parents at an amusement park. It was a loud and ugly cry that even brought Barbara who had been quiet for a while to tears.

Cassandra cried for what seemed like forever, but eventually, it was reduced to a few whimpers. The traumatized 18-year-old hadn't cried like that since the day she murdered that man and now she felt a bit exhausted.

Still clinging to Sandra's shirt, Cassandra then looked up with her reddened eyes to see gorgeous brown eyes looking back at her.

The eyes were a bit red, but she could see so much within them. She could see that the owner of such eyes had seen so much death. Cassandra knew that the woman known as her mother was a killer just like her father, but then she saw something else in her mother's eyes.

She saw someone that experienced being alone like she has for the past 10 years. Someone that put on a front to hide their problems and vulnerability because they were afraid.

However, Cassandra did see something else within those eyes.

Something that connected to the warm fuzzy feeling that made her feel extremely comfortable.

'What is it...I don't know...but..' Cassandra then laid her head against Sandra's chest and closed her eyes.

Soon after Cassandra was sound asleep in her mother's arms and for once she actually had a good dream.

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Barbara had a hard time talking to Sandra after what happened not too long ago, but eventually, she gave the caped hero the rundown of what's going to happen next.

However, she didn't quite like it.

"So, you want me to pretend like I never saw you?" Barbara asked with a frown.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do. I will take Cassandra away from this city as it's not safe here where the Court of Owls are strongest." Sandra said as she laid Cassandra down on the floor with a blanket on top of her.

Her hiding place was a simple apartment with no furniture as she never stayed in one place long enough to put anything in it.

"The Court of Owls...I can't believe Gotham is being controlled by these kinds of people." Barbara clenched her fists. It was crazy to think a group dating back to the 1600s had Gotham in their back pocket.

Just how much was controlled by them?

Were they even in the police force?

Barbara could barely process the information she was told, but Sandra had no reason to lie to her.

"Believe it...and there are worst things in this world. However, now that we are marked, they won't stop until we are dead. And as you saw...they happen to be immortal. Trust me when I say this...You don't want to be involved with them...However, I believe that is too late." Sandra said.

"Will you take her back to the League of Assassins?" Barbara looked at the sleeping Cassandra.

"No..." Sandra shook her head. "I officially quit being an assassin."

"What?!" Barbara exclaimed which caused Cassandra to groan in her sleep.

"Please lower your voice," Sandra said while glaring at the caped hero.

"Sorry..." She quickly apologized. "But quit being an assassin? The heartless Lady Shiva that loves to fight and kills with a smile on her face? That Lady Shiva is quitting? Will the League of Assassins allow that?"

"Of course not. However, I do not care...I have something more important to do and I'll have no time to be Lady Shiva." Sandra said as a smile crept on her face.

"Is it for her?"

Sandra placed a hand on her shoulder as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks, "Yes...and for someone else."

"Huh?" All of a sudden Barbara saw that Sandra no longer looked like an infamous killer, but a woman that was in love.

'Who would cause her to make a face like that?' And with that in mind, Barbara saw the face of a man which caused her own face to redden.

'No! No! Besides, I'll never see him again and plus we lead different lives...Sometimes I wonder if I should continue being a vigilante..' The caped hero sighed.

"I'm going to contact the Justice League...I won't tell them I saw you and Cassandra..." Barbara knew it was stupid, but she owed the woman for protected her when she didn't need to.

"Good. That means I don't have to kill you."

"You were going to kill me?! I thought you quit being an assassin!?"

"And?" Sandra smirked.

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