Romero Donnelley hadn't been expecting anyone to come to visit him ever since Timothy Drake had left in a hurry the last time. So when he was told that he had a visitor that day, he refused to go to the visiting cell.

He thought it would be Tim again and even though it was fun for him to rile up the young man whenever he came to see him, right then he just didn't feel up to it.

"Tell them I don't want to see anyone."

But the guard did not pay any heed as he continued to open up his cell and gestured him to move.

"What? Can't you see that I don't want to go?"

He glared at him and replied, "you have to. You will be taken back to Ireland soon anyway."

Romero looked flabbergasted at that remark, "wait, what? Why?"

"Don't waste my time and move."

He followed the guard out of the cell to the visiting area where he had met Tm and Roxanne earlier at different times. But as he was about to step inside, he froze, his face draining of color to see the person who had come to visit him.

"What are you doing?" The guard looked quite annoyed as he stopped him from leaving.

"I can't let him see me in this state," Romero's eyes were frantic, not wanting his son to see him in handcuffs and being treated as a prisoner.

He hadn't expected Colin would be there so he had panicked.

"Dad?"

He stilled to hear that very familiar voice but did not turn around to see the boy standing by the door of the cell.

"Please don't go. I came all the way here just to see you, don't leave," Colin reached forward, gently placing his hand on his father's shoulder.

Romero was in a conflict. All his life, he had done things he should be ashamed of but never felt an ounce of regret. But knowing that his son was finally seeing him for the man he was instead of the perception he had built for him shook him a great deal.

He felt he wasn't ready to see that perception breaking down in his son's eyes. But it was too late for that. He should have thought about it back when there was still time for him to fix things.

Now there was nothing he could do.

"Dad, please come," Colin's voice shook him out of his thoughts, "I have a lot to tell you."

Reluctantly, he turned around to face him, dismissing the guard as he trudged to the visiting cell and sat down on the chair right across from Colin's seat. The guard took his position outside the cell while both father and son were in there.

"I never wanted you to see me like this," Romero spoke up at last, looking at the young boy whom he treasured more than anyone else in the world.

"I know," he nodded, his green eyes reflecting the pain and sorrow he was going through at the moment, "but a lot has happened that neither of us wanted. Seeing like you this is nothing compared to it."

"What happened?" Romero seemed to have grasped the urgency of the situation, recalling that the guard too had told him that he would be sent to Ireland soon. Something major had happened that he was unaware of. "Did Roxanne come to you and your mother? Did she say anything about me?"

"Auntie Rox came to us," he took in a deep breath as he began to tell him everything, "and she shouldn't have..."

"I warned her not to go," Romero mumbled, recalling the last time she had come to see him in prison, "but she never listens."

"Did you know about Uncle Adrian?"

He paused, "uncle?"

Colin looked as if he was about to tell him that Adrian was Anya's brother and that she had helped him escape and make it out alive that night three years ago. but then he bit his words off, not knowing how his father would react if he found out that his wife had betrayed him.

"I mean Auntie Rox's ex-boyfriend, Adrian Castellan. He didn't die three years ago, instead, he claims you and Auntie Rox were responsible for his attempted murder and he tried to take revenge for that." Colin omitted the fact that his mother had a huge part to play in that revenge plan as well. He did not want to put her in any sort of danger or suspicion. "He set our family home on fire. With Auntie Rox inside..."

"What!" Romero couldn't control the shock he felt upon hearing those words. The guard had come to the cell immediately to see him standing and clutching the table tightly. Colin waved his hand to silently convey that they were both fine and he should go back.

But Romero Donnelley looked far from fine. His dark eyes were wide and staring at his son in a mix of disbelief and worry.

"Where is Roxanne?" His voice was unsteady as he asked, "she's alive, right? She can't have di..."

He couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence, the morbid dread filling up every inch of his being.

"Yes. She survived but not without damage," the boy grimaced, recalling the burnt-up and battered Roxanne whom he had met with prior to leaving for Gotham, "she will be taken to Dublin for the reopening of this case but until then she is being treated at a burns rehab center."

Romero sank down on the chair in defeat, his eyes welling up with guilt and grief. Things had never been easy between the two siblings but he couldn't overlook it that because of him, Roxanne was suffering far worse than he could have ever thought of putting her through.

"That's why I am here too. The Garda will reach soon and then you will be taken to Dublin as well," he told him, knowing there was no way to lessen the shock his father was going through, "the case has reopened and the trial will be held again. Ma and I will also have to attend."

"How... How did this all happen?" Romero could sense there was a huge chunk of the truth that his son wasn't telling him, "even if Roxanne came to you and your Ma, Adrian couldn't have found her. Unless..."

Unless Colin or Anya gave Adrian the location themselves. Romero's eyes narrowed on his son but then he looked away, knowing he wouldn't do such a thing.

The boy was very fond of his aunt, surely he wouldn't think of harming her to such an alarming extent.

That only left Anya as the person who could have helped Adrian get to Roxanne. And the fact that Colin too wasn't telling him the full truth perhaps in order to protect his mother made Romero suspicious.

"The time for your visit is up," the guard informed them, bringing their meeting to a halt, "Mister Donnelley, you must return to your cell now."

Romero wanted to ask the question that was plaguing him but Colin stood up as if thankful for the reminder that the meeting was over. It was almost as if he had been looking for an excuse not to answer his question.

"Dad, I will come again with the Garda. I have to make a call to Ma, she will be getting worried. Take care."

Romero didn't say anything in reply, only nodded his head as he stood up to go back to his cell with the guard who was waiting outside.

But he had gotten certain about one thing; Anya Donnelley was just as much involved in Adrian's return and his revenge ploy as he had initially suspected Roxanne to be.

***