"I didn't mean to hurt you." Damian awkwardly offered.

Cassandra was still refusing to look at him, pretending he wasn't there. Strangely, he thought this would hurt less if she just beat him to a pulp. Cassandra was always quiet but never… prone to ignore. She looked at people the way you would and open page, she saw things, digested them and filed them in her head. She had a thirst for knowledge, a want to know people, especially her family.

"I've been told that words can be as powerful as knives." His tiny figure approached her, watching her tense at the movement. "I understand if you… don't want to forgive me but I… I'm… sorry."

For a second Damian feared he wound spill some tears, he clenched his fists and blinked fast to prevent it.

Cassandra inhaled deeply, weaveringly. He heard her swallow.

"Jason said…" her voice was but a whisper in the dim lit corner of the cave where she was crouched, "that you talk like… shooting in the dark. You… hit things you didn't mean to."

Damian couldn't breath for a moment. He remembered the helplessness turning into anger and then into a vicious thing taking over him.

"I…" what could he say to her. She'd know if he lied and Damian certainly didn't know how to continue the sentence.

He was disgusted in himself, he… couldn't believe he had mocked her for her talking disability. He had been so angry and he had felt so vulnerable. Lashing out at the person trying to mediate between him and father seemed like a good idea at the time.

Not anymore. Not when she gasped like he had managed to kick her in the stomach and her eyes turned red with unshed tears. She looked so… betrayed. And everyone looked at him like the monster he was. Todd had looked so disappointed when he took Damian, still shocked at his own words, apart to bark some orders and threats.

His bluntness helped Damian focus and follow his command to go and apologize.

"Todd threatened to bleach my hair, among other things." Maybe that'd make her smile. She just sighed. "You could do it. If… if that makes you feel better?"

At that, Cassandra made a weird noise, half snort, half grunt.

"Not only me." She answered.

"What?"

"You didn't hurt… only me." When Damian remained silent she turned to look him in the eye. "You hurt Steph and Jason and Tim. You… called them Fatgirl and failure and… things." Damian swallowed audibly, looking at the ground. "Alfred… understands. But doesn't deserve it. You hurt them, I… saw it."

Her calm words were worse than Father's growls or Mother's sneers. Damian wiped furiously the snot and tears trailing down his face. If his Grandfather could see him now…

Cassandra placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. They would be okay.

He felt such relief that he almost cried again.

"You should say sorry… to the others." She was giving him a chance. A chance to do it right, to learn from his mistakes, even if he would have to swallow his pride.

"I…" Damian cleared his throat and took the hand she offered, standing up. "Yes, I suppose I could do that."

"Good." She finally smiled at him, a devilish glint in her eyes. "And then we'll take the bleach."