"You can" Bruce interrupted her, "you can, and you will. Continue on, stay strong, be who you are and don't let anyone interfere with that. People come and go in your life, you never have to say goodbye forever but things change. The trick, is to not let them change you."

She had a good cry. Just let it all out. She shook her head as she calmed down. "...I can't take him away from her. She was there first... Even if I tried, it won't feel right... I mean, if I was in her shoes..." She said softly. This was it. The final straw that would truly make up her mind.

Bruce just stood there and nodded, "That's that then. Red wire to white and you're done"

She smirked a little at him, "You just wanted me to get that off my chest so that I would focus on the job at hand." She reattached the wires as he explained.

"I would never do such a thing" Bruce replied with a smirk. A few hours later and everything was in good a shape as it was going to get for now.
"Take a break, you need some rest and I need to recharge. I'll come back online in the morning" Bruce explained.

"Alright...Goodnight Bruce." She said before raiding an emergency cabinet for a blanket and curled up in the chair in front of the computer.
'Horatio....You got to come back...You have to... Please be alright.' She thought to herself, getting comfy.

The next morning came around but it was hard to tell so far underground. Logan was still passed out next to Itsu, his head rested on the bed as he leaned over the side of it, his hand still loosely holding onto hers. She hadn't moved.

Ciara came in and checked on the two. She draped the blanket over his shoulders. She was stable... but just barely. They needed to get her proper help. She switched the bags and stood over her with her eyes closed; Moving her hands just above her, trying to see if she moved any liquid if it would help her/ see if there was a problem she could fix.

From what Ciara could tell, the woman had gotten sick, very sick but it hard to see exactly what it was that was ailing her.

"She's not going to make it" whispered an older Horatio from behind Ciara.

"She has too... It's too cruel to be reunited and then torn apart again." She turned her head to look at him, a sad look in her eyes. "Can we do anything? There must be something!" She whispered loudly, not wanting to wake Logan.

Horatio shook his head, his sightless eyes staring blankly towards the ground, "He didn't give her the serum before taking her through time. She's dying of every disease that he body can't handle from ever era he dragged her through. Max made sure that no matter what happened here, I would lose."

Ciara shook her head, "No....No! I won't let him win." She rushed around the room, disconnecting her IV and attaching a needle to the end and driving it into her arm. "She's going to be fine... I won't let him win...He can't win...Can't you just go back in time and give it to her before she disappears into time?" She whispered, shaking a little from the fact she stabbed herself with a needle without thinking about it and was now thinking about it.

Horatio grabbed Ciara, "STOPIT!" he snapped at her quite suddenly, causing Logan to stir. "You think I haven't thought of it? You think I haven't tried?" tears formed in his eyes, "You think I haven't spent my entire life trying to find a way to fix everything I've done to her?! There is no solution." his hands trembled and he began to sob, "if I save her... it's a chain reaction... All of earth will turn into Gotham. I'll destroy everything... everything" he could feel his legs give out and he dropped to his knees.

"...That's how it'd all end isn't it? The moment Max is trying to prevent... he caused himself..." She said softly before kneeling down and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." She held him protectively, the tube still in her arm giving blood to his mother.

She comforted him, "I wish I could had the power to make this right...If I could I would... Cause I can't bare to see you cry." Or Logan for that matter. She held him.

Horatio tried to open his mouth to respond but his throat was choked with tears and he could only whimper as he felt his heart fall to pieces. Logan looked like he was barely holding together as well. Itsu let out a weak cough as her breath became more labored.

((You know what would be really sweet? If Ciara's blood prolonged the effects of the diseases. Like gave her a year or something like that))

"Shhh.... Hush now. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry" She said gently, brushing Horatio's hair. She looked over at Logan and gave him a look that meant she was truly sorry for acting like a drama lama.

((Interesting Idea, but how would that work?))

Horatio clung to Ciara as if she were the only thing worth holding onto as he let out his sobs. Finally he managed to calm himself enough to pull away although his eyes were raw from the tears that he tried to rub away.

Logan sat in utter silence, his body was as ridged as stone and his eyes never left Itsu's face. They were distant eyes, seeing her and only her in all her past glory.

The quiet of the room was deafening until Logan finally spoke. He hadn't shed a tear but his voice did sound a touch strained and carefully measured, "Horatio" the man whispered, "Tell me he's dead"

Horatio's unseeing eyes stared straight ahead a moment, a look of nervous knowing in them, "This was the oldest I had ever seen him." he spoke carefully in reply, "The devil Max is dead."

"Did you see it?" Logan questioned, still unmoving.

Horatio hesitated, rubbing his eyes again, "No" he admitted, "we had gotten separated in the blast I think. I barely remember anything of this day. If I had not been told of it, I would not have known to come here for you." he looked to Ciara, "this close to Gotham, the me that exists after this day, I cannot hear your call. I can barely function here. We'll have to move far away before I can take you home-"

"Itsu can't be moved" Logan stated, "not like this"

"I know" Horatio replied, "We can wait."

"So that's your solution?" Logan finally snapped his eyes up to glare at Horatio, "Wait for her to die and move on? A few tears and that's it?"

"For me, yes" Horatio replied with almost the same bitterness, "You forget, Father. I have spent a lifetime to rival yours fighting this fight. This is the end of it for me, I do not expect the same of you. I know how long you anger from this, I know where you path leads you and there is only so much I can do for you now. Mostly, I just need to let you live it, and you have no idea how much that pains me. But for me, the moment I take you back is the moment I am finally finished with this. Leave me in peace and I will leave you to yours."

There wasn't much Logan could say to that so he turned his stoney gaze back to his dying wife.

((Well her blood does have Horatio's anti-disease stuff in it. Maybe it holds off the effects of all the diseases but slowly breaks down and leaves her body... like it doesn't stick. Like she changed the timeline by giving his mom her blood. Like she'll still dye but she'll have some time with him...))

Ciara patted Horatio on the back and guided him to the other side of the bed so she could comfort them both. She removed the needle from her arm and plugged the I.V. back in. She rested her hand on Logan's shoulder. "I'm sorry... you have to see her go again." She said softly, wishing she had something to at least ease the pain for her.

Logan closed his eyes and grasped Itsu's soft hand with both of his rough ones, "Least I know what's happened this time" he sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry mother" Horatio whispered, taking Itsu's other hand and giving it a gentle kiss before he turned away. He placed his hand on the wall, using it as a guide towards the door. He felt guilty enough about what he had done to his mother already and now it was twice that Horatio felt he had killed her. He did not want to be there.

"Horatio?" the woman's voice was but a whisper in the still air of the room but caused both males to startle. Logan gripped he hand tighter and Horatio hesitantly turned back towards her.

"you waken?" Horatio questioned, astonished, "mother? Was that your voice?"

"Of course it was me" she coughed, drawing in a heavy breath before speaking again, "I thought I would never see you again child. You've grown" her eyes turned to Logan, "but you haven't changed at all" she reached up to touch his face. Logan was speachless, he finally looked like he might actually cry.

"You're awake" Horatio repeated, completely by surprise, "If I had known you wake, I might have visited sooner-more-this moment-I need to tell myself, younger-you're awake!"

"Of course I am" Itsu smiled at him, although she tilted her head, looking a bit confused herself, "you speak gibberish my son... and your eyes, what's wrong with your eyes? You're not looking at me-and I thought they were golden..."

Horatio paused, "I... I'm blind mother... I always have been, except when I stop time."

A look of understanding crossed her face, "I've only seen you as a babe, trapped in a world of black and white. My husband a statue" she touched Logan's cheek, "and my child with eyes of the sun. It must have been nearly a month before you disappeared and I now I see you full grown in the strangest of worlds. This is madness."

"Itsu" Logan attempted to interrupt but she wouldn't have it.

"My life has always been madness" Itsu coughed again, "ever since I met you Logan-san. A madness I fell in love with and could never shake."

Ciara put a hand on Horatio, "But if you were met to see her when you were younger, wouldn't you already know that?" She asked, trying not to rain on his parade too much.

Ciara approached the bed, quietly looking her over.

They spent the next little while going over the past events, working out what had happened and finally piecing together the bits of the mystery. Shortly after Horatio had been born and placed in his mother's arms, the two of them had disappeared. Logan was left alone and obviously bewildered while Itsu struggled to try and take care of her boy in a world of frozen time. When Horatio disappeared it was impossible to tell how long before Max showed up and took her away here.

After some discussion, they decided it was best to try and let her rest. Itsu was actually looking a bit better, although still very weak from her ordeal. After all, from her point of view, she was only months ago giving birth the the aged Time Reaper that stood there now.

((I think it would be kinda funny if Future Logan showed up and was all like *smirk* You're jealous are you? *poke poke*))

It was rather puzzling to listen too. How had Max found her? Did he use the pocket watch just as he used it on her? How ever Max found Itsu it didn't matter... cause he was died; hopefully.

She pulled a chair up for Horatio, so that he could sit as well and excused herself from the room. This was their moment not hers. She looked up toward the ceiling and whispered a soft thank you before looking around for Yoda Bruce. She tapped the computer lightly. "Wakie Wakie Brucey."

There was a bit of a rumble of the old motor and Alfred popped up on the monitor, "System three is down, p-p-please check the outside terminal" and then a map appeared on screen, showing where the problem was in red. Curiously enough the map showed all the tunnels in and around the batcave. Apparently it had many convoluted ways in and out, ones that used to lead to the city and other to where Bruce's mansion had been. Some of them were blocked off, showing cave-ins and the like but all together it was rather impressive. Apparently there was tunnel to any part of the city you could want to go, if you knew where to look. Things that would have really come in handy during a certain earthquake.

Ciara narrowed her eyes at some of the paths. 'You little bugger.' She thought before smiling up at Alfred, "Don't worry Alfred, I'll go check it out!" She declared, hurrying off to investigate.

It took her back to the surface, digging out some of the old equipment to fix up. The sun was shining but through heavy clouds, every now and again they would part and the warmth would warm her back.

Once she was just about finished, something caught her eye, off to the side there was a hand sticking out from a small pile of ruble. at first look it was probably dead, but then it twitched and there was the faint sound of a muffled whimper as the person tried to move but failed.