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Chapter Text

Timeline prior to Fic/Prologue

• Kori and Dick got together for the first time.
• Dick Grayson was kicked out by Bruce Wayne at 16 and are no longer in contact, aside from hero work. (and that's only when needed)
• Slade adopts Dick. Dick's legal name is "Richard John Grayson-Wilson" but still goes by Dick Grayson.
• Dick and Kori broke up.
• He lived alone in Bludhaven.
• He Becomes Nightwing.
• During the time he was living alone he had a one-night stand with Helena while they were working together tracking down the murder of a young woman. (Dick was 18.)
• Helena gives birth to Tim, but didn't want him because of her dangerous work, so Tim was adopted by the Drakes, she never told Dick.
• Jason Dies at 15. (Dick was 21)
• Dick got back into contact with Kori again and rekindled the fire of their relationship.
• They get engaged.
• They move in together.
• Dick finishes the police academy and becomes an officer of the law with his partner Amy. (Dick was 25)
• The Drake Family DID neglect Tim before they both died when he was 8. He was already stalking and taking pictures of Batman and Robin at 7 and figured out Nightwing's identity then figured out the rest. Tim goes into foster care for a year. He sees how violent Batman has become and decides that he needs a Robin. He forces Batman to make him Robin through blackmail (knowing his secret identity).
• Tim Becomes Robin at 9
• Dick finds out Batman has taken in a new Robin after his brother, Jason's death, and goes to check it out...

Need to know:

Bruce never adopted Dick

Dick and Jason were a little bit closer because Dick more so felt bad about the boy having to deal with Bruce then the fact that he stole his identity. Jason used to come over to Dick’s on days he couldn’t deal with Bruce. Nothing from Jason’s story (before he dies) changes much from canon besides he was closer to Dick.

Joey Wilson is mute

Grant Wilson is dead

Slade has made up for his mistakes and has a close relationship with his kids

Rose Wilson and Joey Willson are Titans

Before Tim is found by Dick, he had been Robin for around 3 months.

Tim did not have a lot of training before becoming Robin. He only had around a month's worth.

Bruce Wayne did not foster Tim. Bruce doesn't know who Tim is because he used the name "Alvin Draper" when introducing himself. Tim didn't want Bruce to be able to find out his true identity because he is afraid Bruce would then be able to blackmail him back. Bruce COULD have figured out Tim's real identity, but he didn't really care. All he cares about is keeping his identity safe. Bruce also continues to mistake Tim for Jason, so he doesn't really separate the two in his mind which is another reason he doesn't really care to find out Tim's identity.

Tim is never really in civies when he is with Bruce. He even wore a mask when he demanded to be robin. He also spikes up his hair to further differentiate himself from his normal look.

Since Tim is de-aged, he never got to see the Flying Graysons live, but he is still a big fan and watches videos online. This is how he was able to put together Nightwing's identity.

Chapter Text

Dick Grayson had everything he could have ever dreamed of, a supportive group of friends, a family that actually cared about him and didn’t treat him like a soldier, an adorable dog, a beautiful Fiancée, and a roof over his head. He truly couldn’t believe that he was getting married in a year and a half. “I just wish you could be here to see it ‘Little Wing’. I would have made you my best man,” he thought. It was the scorch mark in the perfect family photo. His little brother had died at just 15 years old. It had been a long time since then, yet the wound never seemed to heal. Maybe it was due to the fact that Dick was the original Robin. If he would have just pushed harder on Jason not ‘replacing him’ maybe he would have survived. Maybe if he had whisked Jason away from Bruce and kept him in Bludhaven with him. Maybe if he hadn’t gone on that stupid space mission.  He supposed it didn’t matter. Jason had died and there was nothing he could do now to fix it. Jason had died and Robin was supposed to die with him and yet, the news article he was currently reading said otherwise.

New Robin Spotted in Gotham: The Story of the Bird and Bat Continues

In the past three months reports of a new ‘Robin’ have been flooding news outlets all across Gotham. The new Robin has been reported to be younger than the previous as well as a lot less violent. We interviewed multiple Gothamites to see their opinion on the newest ‘Boy Wonder’. “He seemed to be a nice young lad. He rescued me from a bank robbery I was held hostage for,” said bank employee Ruth Moody. “He was so small. I swear he couldn’t have been older than six and yet he’s a better gentleman than my husband,” said another hostage. “I’m happy another Robin is finally around. Batman doesn’t pull his punches without the little birdy on his shoulder telling him to,” said renowned lawyer Dale Dugal.

The new protector of Gotham seems to be doing just that. The injuries on ‘Rogues’ defeated by Batman have gone considerably down in the time that Robin sightings have been seen. A change that is seen as welcome to the citizens of Gotham.

Though I believe the question we are all thinking is “Why now?” Gotham has been without a Robin for around seven years, so why did Batman just get a shiny new sidekick. I have the answer. The vigilante ‘Black Bat’ has yet to be seen for a year now, and with Nightwing not being consistently in Gotham it was time for a new partner. This new Robin has likely been training in secret to prepare for Black Bat’s departure. Now that that training is complete a new Robin soars in the night sky. 

Dick stopped reading. “Kori? What the hell is Bruce thinking?” he said with a sigh. “I fear I do not know love. I cannot imagine why he would put another child in danger after what happened to Jason,” she looked distressed as she replied. She knew how Jason’s death had affected her Fiancé. The raven-haired boy had believed it to be his fault, and his ex- bat boss had shared those sentiments. It had been the straw that broke the camel's back. The reason Dick had decided he never wanted to see Bruce again. “Kori. My Love. The light of my life. My-”

“You are going to Gotham to see him yourself, correct?” she questioned. A sheepish grin from her lover was all the response she needed. “I’m sorry. I can’t let another kid die wearing that suit. I just can’t. I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ll skip patrol tomorrow and we can have a date night then. I know it was supposed to be tonight, but I just can’t.”

“I know love. You have too big a heart. Go. Just promise me you will come back soon,” she kissed his forehead.

“I will try my very best, but you never know with Gotham,” he chuckled. “I’ll go get ready, I guess. Why do things always happen on the day’s I want to spend with you?” She responded with a giggle and all but pushing him out of the room.

After he was in his Nightwing gear he blew one last kiss to the alien princess, rushed onto the ‘Wingcycle’, and made his way to Gotham. It took him around an hour to get there and another hour to find the baby bird. Only he found him battered and beaten on a rooftop with no Batman in sight. “What the hell Batman! Seriously one dead Robin wasn’t enough, so you leave the third out to paint the rooftop red with blood.” Nightwing could not understand what was going on in that dumb billionaire’s head. He made his way to the kid to find him still conscious, but it didn’t look like that was going to last much longer. “Hey kiddo, my name is Nightwing. You are gravely injured so I am going to take you to a clinic I know can help you. Don’t worry about your identity, the doctor you’ll see will keep it a secret. I’m going to pick you up and take you there now. Can you nod your head, so I know you understand me?” The baby bird gave a little nod and Nightwing rushed to the clinic. 

The kid was out by the time he got inside. “Leslie, it's an emergency, please help him,” He begged. He couldn’t let another kid die in his family's colors. “Damn you bats and endangering children. Of course I’ll help him. Follow me.” Time seemed to go by in a blur. Nightwing changed into civie clothes and was seated in the waiting area, though for the life of him he couldn’t remember how he got there. After waiting for an hour or two he was called to the back. “How is he?” he asked. “He’s going to be fine. It looked worse than it was. He has a shit ton of bruises and cuts, but the worst injury he’s got is a broken left arm.” Dick exhaled a sigh of relief. “I wouldn’t do that so fast Mr. Grayson. I had to test his blood to be able to test his type as you know.” He didn’t know, but maybe that did sound a little bit familiar now. That was right he had been a match. He had donated his blood to this little guy. “Crap, how long have I been here for?” he thought while he nodded his head. “Good. Well I also needed to get the kid’s name to be able to contact his family. His name is Timothy Jackson Drake. His parents are deceased, and he’s been in foster care ever since. Unfortunately, since he was about to get switched into another home and didn’t show up two days ago now the system has declared him “lost”. I also ran my own test for curiosity’s sake. Your blood matched his extremely well, so I put your DNA against his and thanks to Wayne tech I got my answer 20 minutes ago. Congratulations Mr. Grayson, it’s a boy.” 

Time seemed to stop for Dick. He had a son. He had a son that according to ‘Tim’s’ charts was (9 years old. How could he have a 9-year-old son? Who was he even with? He didn’t think he was with anyone at that time where a son could be involved. There was no way. Unless. “Oh shit. Helana. Oh. OH. I have a son.”

“Indeed you do.”

He had a son. OH. He had a son that was Robin. Wait. He had a son that was Robin that Bruce left for dead. “I think I’m going to need to be restrained the next time I see Batman,” Dick said, trying to lift the mood because his son was asleep on a medical cot with a broken arm. Dr. Leslie gave a huff of laughter, and that was probably the best he was going to get. “So, um. How do I go about making him legally mine, because in no way is my son going to live on the streets or in the system?”

“That’s a court issue. Not mine, but I can give you the results of the blood test to make winning easier.”

“That would be great. When is he going to wake up?”

“Shortly, but I can’t say exactly when.”

Leslie left the room, and Dick decided to sit down next to the bed his son was sleeping on to wait it out. It took around half an hour before Tim started to stir and sit up. Tim immediately began to scan the room. He only came to a stop when his eyes found Dick’s. Tim’s eyes widened as he spoke, “Your Dick Grayson. The Last of the Flying Graysons. Ex-ward of Bruce Wayne. Though that doesn’t really matter. You are one of the last people in the world to be able to do a quadruple somersault. The youngest one to be able to do so by like super far. Hi. I’m a big fan. I like gymnastics.” 

“Hi. I would introduce myself, but it looks like you already got that covered, so can you tell me your name?” Tim blushed in response and shook his head.

“Okay. I’m going to be honest with you. I know your name Tim. I don’t want to lie to you, but it’s okay you can trust me. I promise I won't spread what I know. I would never want that to happen to me. I’m going to trust you with a secret, okay?” He looked at the young boy.

The boy blinked, tilted his head, and asked, “Is the secret that you're Nightwing because I already know that. Like I said before, you are the only person your age to be able to do a quadruple somersault. You should be more careful.” Tim smiled and tried to point at him before realizing he had his arm up in a sling so that probably wasn't a good idea. 

“You’re a smart kid huh?” Dick ruffled Tim’s hair. Tim smiled again.

“Yeah. By the way ummmm. Where is Batman?” the boy asked innocently.

“Oh! Well, Batman isn’t around. From what I heard on the news He took Two-Face to Arkham. Tim again I’m going to be honest with you. If I hadn’t found you on that rooftop, you would have lost a lot more blood before Batman ever came back. You could have died, Tim.”

“Oh. It’s okay. It was more important,” Tim stated as if it was fact. As if Tim’s life mattered so little that if he died it would be a minor inconvenience for Batman at most. As if no one would miss him, and that was what Tim thought. How could he not? That’s what all his foster homes had taught him. His parents didn’t even want him when they were alive. Tim began to feel tears form and fall down his cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“No. Don’t be sorry. It’s okay. Hey. Look at me, it's okay.” The younger boy did as instructed, and looked towards Dick. “It is not your fault that Batman failed you. It is not your fault that you got hurt. It is not your fault that you got left behind. It’s Batman’s fault for not protecting you. It’s Batman’s fault for not leaving you in proper care. Do you understand that, Tim? It is not at all your fault.” Dick let the younger boy cry while he rubbed circles on his back. They stay like this until Leslie enters the room once more.

“I see he woke up. My name is Dr Leslie Thompkins, and I was the one that patched you up. Don’t worry about your secret identity. I've been patching up the Bats since before Robin was even around.”

“Um okay. I’m Tim.” The boy sniffs and tries to wipe some of his tears away with his sleeve. “Um so what’s going to happen to me?”

“Well, if you’ll have me, I was thinking you could come home with me? The thing is Tim we found out something about your parentage. Did you know you were adopted?” Tim nodded his head. “Great! Do you know who your birth parents are?” A shake. “Okay. Well Dr Thompkins found out who your birth dad is. It’s me actually, and I know how hard the system is. They put me in Juvie just because they ‘didn’t have room’. I don’t trust it. Would you like to come with me?” Dick held a hopeful look in his eyes as he finished explaining.

Tim blinked. Then he blinked again. “I’m a Grayson?”

Dick chuckled, “Yeah. And it feels pretty good knowing I’m not the last one.”

“I want to. Come with you that is. I mean I am a fan of you as I said so I would have said yes anyway, but it’s really nice to know that I have some family that actually wants me. All the foster families always saw me as a burden, and my mom and dad always left on business trips without me. They only paid attention to me at galas. I think they only wanted to show me off. But um yes please, I would really really like to go home with you Mr. Grayson,” Tim replied.

“Good. But please call me Dick I’ve never really liked formal greetings,” Dick smiled.

Tim was beaming. He couldn’t believe that he was getting a permanent family, and it was the Dick Grayson that was taking him in. Then a thought crossed his mind. “Wait, you did tell your girlfriend about this right? The pretty lady you're always in photos with?”

Dick’s face went as white as a sheet. “Of course, but I should call her again right now. I’m going to step out for a little bit, okay?” Tim nodded, and Dick all but rushed out of the room.

“Kori is going to kill me,” He thought as he dialed her number. He almost hoped she didn’t pick up.

Ring…Ring…Ring

“Hello?”

Well so much for that thought.

“Hey Kori. So, I found the kid.”

“That’s good! Are you coming home soon? I miss you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m just about finished up here. Just got to sign a few papers.”

“Dick.”

“Yeah?”

“Papers for what exactly?” She sounded like she suspected something.

“Release papers. For the kid. He was really hurt Kor.”

“Oh, the poor thing. But why isn’t Batman taking care of that?” 

“Because he decided to abandon a bleeding child on a rooftop. Yes, it’s exactly as bad as it sounds.” He sighed. “Kori, he doesn’t have anyone. Batman can’t take care of him. That was proven tonight. There might also be one more thing.”

“What is it love?”

“He might just be my son. Definitely my son I mean. DNA test and everything. Kori, I can’t leave him.”

A laugh is heard through the phone. “I’m guessing I should expect a new member of our family. And I'm also guessing date night is canceled again.”

“Unfortunately. But hey at least we get to go back to the clinic tomorrow to get Tim a hard cast!”

“He had a broken bone and Batman left him?” She sounded beyond pissed.

“Yep. You okay? You sound angry.”

“Of course, I’m angry Batman left our child bleeding with a broken bone on a rooftop!” she paused. “Help me come up with a murder plan when you come home?”

“I love you.”

“I Love you too. I’ll get the guest room ready.”

Beep.

Well Dick guessed him and Kori were parents now. He looked towards Tim’s room. The kid seemed so sweet. He was already attached to the little guy. He thought about his life with Kori. They had always wanted kids. They just started a little earlier than they thought they would. They could handle this. He just hoped no more crazy surprises like this would blindside him.

Chapter Text

Knock knock knock

Dick was playing Legos with Tim. His head lifted at the knocking, and he sat up a bit, “One second Timmy, Dad is going to go answer the door.” Tim nods, “okay, dad.” He continued to build as Dick made his way to the door and opened it. “Hel- what the fuck” he looked confused. The person at the door was Red Hood. He was a well-known crime lord well in Gotham City. One that had severed the heads of 8 people and put them in a duffle bag. Why was he at Dicks door? “Hey, man how are you?” The crime lord responded.

“A little freaked out actually, umm, Timmy! Go get mom!” Dick yelled into the house, but the crime lord lifted his hand. “No, no, no. No need for that.” He reaches up to scratch the back of his head but feels his helmet. “On shit. I still have my helmet on.” He chuckles. “I promise I mean no harm, can I come in so I can take off my helmet without giving my identity away?”

Dick nods cause, that's all he felt like he could do at the moment, and steps back letting the crime lord in the apartment. Which probably wasn't that smart on his part, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight. The crime lord steps in and closes the door behind him and removes the mask. “Hey Dickie Bird.” Jason says. Dicks jaw drops. “What are you a clone? A hologram? A hallucination? What are you?” Dick eyes were widened in horror. 

Jason smiles at his older brother's reaction. “No, no, none of that I was revived by the Lazarus pit. By the League of Assassin's which brings me to my point of why I'm here.” 

Dick nods looking even more confused. “You were… okay that's not important, we can catch up later. Why are you here?” Dick asks. 

Jason nods and laughs softly. “So, umm you remember Talia right” Dick nods and Jason continues, “Well while in the league I found out she had a kid that she treats him terribly. Like shittier than Bruce terrible.”

“Okay, and what does that have to do with me?” Dick asks, confused, about the correlation.

“Well, when I got away from the League, I couldn’t just leave the kid so I may or may not have… taken him with me.” Jason smiles sheepishly.

“WHAT!? YOU KIDNAPPED A KID!?” Dick yells in shock.

“I couldn't just leave him there. When he was four they made em' climb a mountain. He fell and broke his wrist, and they still made em' climb.” Jason explains, “Plus you and Kori were my only option, leavin' em' wasn't a choice, his dad is a piece of shit, and we both know how fucked up the foster care system is, also crime alley is not exactly the best place for a five year old to grow up.”

“Who's the dad?” Dick asks.

“Bruce.” Jason responds.

Dick sighs, “Where is the kid?”

Just then the kid steps out from behind Jason. “Dick this is Damian, Damian this is Dick.”

The boy was small. Green eyes, tan skin, black hair that was messy, he was wearing some dirty clothes that were way too big for him and he was covered in dirt. He also had poorly stitched gash on his right leg.

Damian looks Dick up and down. “Hello.”

Dick kneels to the ground. “Hey kiddo.” He gives a soft smile, “I'm Dick, and it looks like I'm going to be taking care of you for a bit.”

Damian nods, “Very well.”

"You have very good grammar for a five-year-old." The kid nods in response.

Dick looks up at Jason, “Anything I should know? Allergies, medicine, diet?”

Jason shakes his head, “Not really I only ever saw the kid during training and in passing.”

Dick nods, “Okay I'll make an appointment with Tim’s pediatrician to get him checked out.”

Jason nods, “Okay, sounds good, I should probably get going though, but umm here's my number so we can meet up and talk some time.” He hands Dick a piece of paper. Dick nods and takes it as Jason leaves the apartment putting the helmet back on his head.

"Oh and Dickhead?"

"Ya?"

"Missed ya."

"Missed you too Little Wing."

Dick looks at the small child in front of him. “Okay then, let's make that appointment, introduce you to Kori and Tim, and get you some things you need. Alright kiddo?”

“Of course.” Damian says looking around.

Just then Tim runs up to Dick with Kori trailing behind her eyes and hands glowing green. Dick’s eyes widened. “Woah, it's okay Kor.” He laughs nervously. “False alarm, on another note this is Damian we're going to be taking him in for a while.”

“What? Again love, is this also yours from a one night stand?” Kori asks sweetly.

Dick shakes his head. “No, come with me and I'll explain. Tim, acquaint yourself with Damian.”

Tim nods and grabs Damians hands pulling him back to Legos. Dick smiles softly watching the two. He then looks to Kori and takes a deep breath. 

“Bear with me this is going to be a lot.” Dick says softly. Kori nods and floats closer to Dick. “Lay it on me, love.” She smiles, taking his hands in hers. He takes a deep breath.

“Jason is alive, he was revived by the League of Assassin's and while there he found out about Damian. Damian is Talia and Bruce's kid, so bio parents are out of the question and Jason's new identity is Red Hood so he isn't the best option either and I can't watch another kid fall into the foster care system, I just can't watch Kori. But this is only temporary. I promise.” Dick explains.

Kori smiles, “I fear your heart may be too big, my love. But I suppose if it's only temporary.”

They walk back into the room to see Tim playing with his Legos and Damain who is giving Haley, the dog, lots of love and belly scratches.

For the rest of the day Dick and Kori helped Damian settle into the house. Kori and Damian went clothes and toy shopping while Dick and Tim got food and bedroom furniture. Once they went home, they set up Damian's room to his liking and got him changed. Dick then called Leslie to make an appointment for Damian for the next day to get him checked out.

In the morning, he went to the doctors to get Damian checked out. He got proper stitches for the gash in his leg as well as got it properly cleaned. They also found him to have seasonal allergies, hazelnut allergies, and a few different medications that he was allergic to as well. He was prescribed a nasal spray.

On their way home they listened to Owl City (Specifically Under the Circus Lights). Dick looked over to the very silent Damian in his car seat. “So, Damian, what are you into? What are your hobbies or interests?”

Damian looked up, “I fight.”

Dick sighs, “Should have seen that one coming.”

The rest of the car ride was silent except for the music playing. When they got home Dick made dinner. He made a stew and served it to everyone. Everyone dug in except for Damian. Dick wondered if the boy was still being spoon fed. He scooted over and picked up Damian’s spoon and brought it to Damian’s lips. “Open up Damian.” He said in a sing-song voice. However, Damian shut his lips tighter and shook his head, confusing Dick. “Why sweetie?”

“I don't like it.” Damian says.

“But you've never tried it.” Dick tried to reason with the toddler.

“It has murder in it.” Damian says, slapping away the spoon.

“Murder, what do you mean?” Dick asks.

Damian points to the meat. “I refuse to eat meat after finding out where it comes from. I will not participate in the slaughter of innocent animals.”

Dick raises a brow and looks at Kori. He then looks back at Damian. “I see, so you don't eat meat?” 

Damian nods.

Dick smiles, “Okay then looks like I'm going to need to make another grocery run, but that's okay. Let me go find something for you to eat.” Dick grabs Damians bowl and washes it out and grabs a plate, He gets out bread and peanut butter to make him a sandwich. He then cuts it into sections he also cuts up an apple. He then brings that out for Damian. “Here you go.” 

Damian analyzes the plate, “Can you peel the apple and may I have peanut butter to dip them in?”

Dick nods and quickly fulfills Damians requests. He then hands them to him. Damian brings the food to his mouth and chews. He smiles and begins to eat happily. A sigh of relief comes from Dick and he begins to eat his own meal. 

Two months have passed since they got Damian..

Damian fit well in with the family dynamic. He got along well enough with Tim. Yes, they fought and teased each other but didn't all siblings. Kori fell in love with the kid as did Dick, so it was no surprise that they were dressed up formally in a courtroom legally adopting the kid. Damian was happy to join the family.

As they left the courtroom Kori laughed softly. Dick looked over. “What's so funny?”

“Temporary my ass” she remarks. Dick laughs, “Hey you fell in love with him too. You cannot put this all on me” Dick combats and Kori nods happily. “I do love both of our children.” Dick smiles wide. “I like the sound of that, our little family.”

Kori leans her head on Dicks shoulder, “And two weeks till it's official.”

Dick smiles happily and picks up Damian. “Well, I think this deserves a celebration. Who wants ice cream?”

"ME!" the kids scream.

Chapter Text

With Dick

Today was the day. The day Dick had been waiting for since the day he met Koriand’r. They may have had their ups and downs since then, but in the end, it comes to the same conclusion. He was getting married to the love of his life. After months and months of planning the day was here. It was exciting as well as incredibly scary. What if he messed up on his vows? What if he tripped over his own feet and face planted as he got to the altar? Was he breathing? He didn’t feel like he was breathing. Was he dying?

“Jason?”

“Ya Dickhead?”

“What does dying feel like?”

“Bad.”

“Am I dying? I feel like I’m dying. I can’t breathe.”

“Dickie, I think you might be having this thing called a panic attack.”

“Oh. That makes sense. Right. Yeah. That's what’s happening. Help?”

Jason started laughing. Dick thought that was incredibly rude. He was panicking and his little brother was laughing at him. He never should have made the self-proclaimed zombie his best man. Though, that wasn’t true, was it? Dick felt extremely lucky to have Jason by his side. His ‘Little Wing’ came back from the dead and was his best man. Even if he was being a jerk right now.

Wally walked up to Dick and put his hand on his shoulder, “Hey, I get it man. This is a lot. I felt the same at my wedding, remember?”

“You were a wreck,” Dick gave a soft smile.

“Ass. But yeah, I was a wreck. Now it’s your turn, and it’s going to be okay man. We got you. If anything goes wrong, we’ll make it seem like it was all part of the plan. Like if you fall on your face, the rest of us will pick you up and you can do a flip or something. If you mess up, I’ll keep a piece of paper in my pocket and pretend I gave you the wrong vows. We got you, man. Unless you throw up. I’m not dealing with that.”

Dick chuckled and hugged his best friend. “Thanks, Walls. I feel a lot better. Anxiety lessened. Not gone, but way down.”

“No problem, man.”

Dick felt energized. His best friend was right. He had so many people backing him up. He was about to marry Kori. His first and last love. With her beautiful, curly, pink-red hair. Her bright green eyes. Her laugh that, honest to Superman, was the most beautiful sound the raven-haired man had ever heard in his life. He thought about when he was young. He had promised his mom that he was going to marry a princess. She had nodded along, and told him, “For you, anything is possible my little robin.” His Tată had laughed at him and ruffled his hair while saying that, “His royal highness, still has a bedtime and it’s past that.” 

“I did it Mom. Told you both I would marry a princess. And now I’m the one giving out a bedtime,” he thought while looking over to his eldest son. Tim was getting help from Amy. The 11-year-old was struggling to tie his tie correctly. Tim was wearing an orange suit jacket and pants with a midnight blue tuxedo shirt underneath. He also had a deep purple tie and handkerchief to match the sunset theme of the wedding. Dick himself was wearing a midnight blue suit. His jacket had big round bronze buttons that made him feel like he belonged in one of those dumb galas Bruce always dragged him to. He also sported a white tuxedo shirt with a bright orange tie to match his sons. Both Graysons' also wore black dress shoes. 

“There you go, Tim. Does that feel alright? Not too tight?” Amy asked as she finished helping the young boy.

“No ma’am. It’s all good!” he chirped. Dick thought that Tim was about as excited as he was. The little guy couldn’t stop talking about how happy it made him that Kori was officially going to be his mom. With how energetic Tim got this past week because of his excitement, Dick was very thankful for the gymnastics classes the boy was enrolled in. Tim was all but bouncing off the walls, even now he was running around to talk to everyone.

“Definitely your kid huh boy wonder?”

“I don’t know what you could possibly mean by that Donna I have always been the embodiment of calm and rational,” Dick said to his fellow ‘wonder twin’.

“Bullshit,” scoffed Amy, the traitor. The groom understood though. He was constantly told he was the “sunshine of the workplace” always filled with energy and wearing a smile. Honestly, Dick just didn’t like to feel miserable. Why frown when you could stay ‘traught*’ (the opposite of distraught. A made-up word. *) and not make yourself suffer. 

“DAD! After the wedding is mom going to be a Grayson too? Or is she going to be Kory Anders as her civie name?” Yep. Definitely a ball of energy.

“Kory Anders-Grayson is the civie name, but really we’re just adding on the last name,” he plants a kiss on his son's head, “Excited?”

“Yeah,” the pair laughs. The nerves were still there, but they had considerably lessened. He felt a tap on his shoulder. 

“Less stressed?” Joey signed.

“Much less. Thanks. For asking. For coming. I love you. Brother.” Dick signed back.

Joey smiled and hugged his adoptive brother tight. Joey was the little brother that had been put through the ringer and came out kinder. Sure, they had their mishaps, but Dick was glad Joey was around. He was also the only sibling he had that was an extremely talented musician, which is why he was in charge of all music for the wedding. Joey had also been there for him when Dick had believed himself to be poison.

When Dick was first adopted by Slade he had been at a low point in his life. Bruce had kicked him out at 16 with no money to his name, and no idea how to survive. He had been wandering endlessly with no destination. Slade had seen him one of the days he couldn’t stay with anyone. He had been sitting on a rooftop when the mercenary walked up and asked him if he was alright. It had confused Dick at first, after all Slade had never seemed to care before. The man had only ever wanted him as an apprentice. For some reason, Dick decided to tell the truth. All his struggles. All his worries. Everything he had been keeping to himself in fear that he would lose the little worth he had left, and Slade had listened. They continued to ’run into each other’, Dick continued to talk, and Slade continued to listen. Eventually, Slade had given the boy already signed papers and a home. A family. Dick had accepted, and the rest was history.

Joey had been the second Wilson family member to open up to him. He had been by his side the second he found out what had happened to him, and once he realized that Dick was fluent in ASL they became inseparable. Joey had thanked Dick for bringing Slade to his senses. The mercenary had started to make more of an effort to apologize to Joey and Rose after his talks with Dick. “You saved this family. Made it. Thank you,” He had signed.

“Thank you for being my brother,” was his response. After Jason died the Wilson family and the Titans had been his greatest supporters. They were the reason he started going to therapy and talked through his issues. They were the reason he was well enough to be here today with two wonderful kids and a soon to be wife. He wouldn’t be in this room surrounded by people he loves, about to see Kori walk down the aisle, without that support.

“Well how do us groomsmen and women look Rookie?” Amy said, bringing him back to reality. They all wore matching purple suit jackets with a black lapels. A purple low vest was buttoned on their lower stomach which allowed the white tuxedo shirt underneath to be seen. A purple bow tie was on the collar. They also sported black pants and dress shoes.

“You all look amazing! I feel like you and Donna are out staging me, but I picked out the outfits, so I guess that's my oversight,” he laughed.

“Damn fucking right! Me and Amy look amazing! I should wear suits more often,” Donna remarked. She started doing a few poses in the mirror. 

“Hey, no mirror poses without me! I’m the groom. None of you have any respect for me!”

“I do! You're the best!”

“None of you have any respect, but Timmy because he is amazing and the best of all of us.” He placed a kiss on his kid's temple. “I love you so much Timbit.”

“I know. I love you too.” He felt tears begin to prickle in his eyes. Tim was just the cutest, and he had come so far. Just a year ago the small boy couldn’t understand the concept of anyone wanting him around, let alone loving him. Now his baby could accept love and even came to expect it. Dick was so proud. He hugged Tim tight.

“Dad? Are you okay?” He looked at his precious son. He looked just a little worried.

“I’m perfect! I’m just so proud of you. And you just look so cute! I can't. I just want to keep you right here in my arms and never let you go.” Tim began to struggle against him.

“No! You have to go marry mom!” Dick let out a long dramatic sigh then let him go. Tim ran up to Jason.

“You have to keep him away; he still has to finish his hair. He’s stalling.”

“You think so? Dickie, how could you?” Jason said dramatically.

“I’m going. I’m going.” He made his way back to his workstation and went to work. After around 30 minutes of styling until it was exactly how he wanted; he was ready to put on some hairspray and take some ‘backstage’ pictures. Except after he was done spraying his hair, he realized that it was the wrong hairspray. “Shit.”

“Dick, did you want your hair to be sparkly? Because kid you already blind everyone in the room with your smile now it’s just overkill,” remarked his partner.

“It wasn’t the plan, no.”

“You look so pretty! Doesn’t he Uncle Wally?”

“Oh, he definitely does! In fact, I think I might copy him. After all I got your back, remember?” Wally then took the hairspray and went to town on his own hair. Soon after Donna and Amy were doing the same thing. Then Joey who helped Tim spray some in his hair as well. Jason stared at the spray yelled, “Aw fuck it,” and sprayed his as well. Dick was in tears. 

“You guys! You didn’t have to do that! Thank you. I was very much about to spiral again.”

“No problem, Boy wonder! After all, we can't let you upstage us that much,” Donna replied with a laugh. Dick all but threw himself at her arms. 

“Group hug!” Yelled his best friend. And all the sudden he felt everyone close the distance. “Snap.”  

“I set up a camera. I thought this was definitely a memory we want to keep,” the speedster said. Dick couldn’t help but agree. He wanted to remember this moment forever.

“Do you see this, Mom? Tată? I have a family that loves me a lot. I’m okay. I think I can get through anything with these people by my side. I hope you're proud of me. I think you probably would be. I bet you would be ecstatic to add another Grayson to the family. I know I am. I can’t wait to marry her. Only a little bit longer until I get to call her my wife. I hope you are watching because I really want you to see this,” He thought as he looked at the photo of him and his parents that was placed on the hair station with care. For a moment he could have sworn he saw his parents' smile had widened in what almost looked like pride, but when he blinked nothing seemed different about the picture.

“You ready to get married, Dickhead?”

“Yeah Jason. I really am.”

____________________________________________________________________________

With Kori

Kori was just finishing putting on her dress. She walked out and showed it off to her bridesmaids who cheered her on. Roy screams, “You are eating down, queen!” Kori laughed and did a little twirl. However, Damian was sitting in the corner in his suit drawing. Kori noticed her son's disinterest and walked over. “Hey Dami, you okay?” Damian looks up and nods before going back to drawing. Kori sighs, she didn't know what else to expect from the littlest. 

Kori then walked back to the girls, who last time she had checked, were talking about how much work they put into finding everything. The flowers, the dress, the petals, the cake. They were laughing and drinking champagne. It seemed they had now moved on to other topics. Roy was talking about Lian and everything she had accomplished to Rose who had insisted she was not to be excluded from the, "Sweetest girl she had ever babysat." Rachel and Garfield were in their own world. Kori assumed they were speaking in their mind link from the lack of words. Artemis was standing off to the side away from the white couches the rest of the group were conversating on. She seemed to be on her phone, and judging from the smile on her face, Kori guessed that she was texting Jason. She continued to look at all these people around her. She was so thankful that they had all come to support her. She felt the need to capture this moment. "Would it be alright if we all took some pictures?" Kori asked her bridal party albeit a little sheepishly. She didn't want to pull them from their conversations against their will. Luckily, they all seemed delighted by the idea and immediately dropped what they were doing in favor of taking pictures together. They took individual pictures in the mirror, as well as group pictures, and pictures with the bride. Meanwhile, Damian was scribbling away.

Kori frowned at the sight. She walked over again trying to make Damian engage in the celebration. “Hey Dami, want to take a picture with mom?” She said with a bright smile on her face. Damian looked up and shrugged. “If you wish, mother.” She picked him up and brought him to the mirror to take a picture. “Smile!”

She looked at the picture happily. “Okay, now a group one. They all gather around and pose, taking a series of happy and funny photos. Damian smiled and stuck out his tongue but still seemed like he would rather be anywhere else in the world right now. No matter how much the group would tickle him, or say jokes, or throw him in the air to get him excited, his joy, if any, was only momentarily. Damian still didn't seem interested in the event. Kori didn't want to admit it, but her son's obvious disinterest was bringing down her mood. She wanted him to be just as excited as she was. Why was he feeling so melancholy? Did he not understand? Did he not care? Did he not want this? Why would he be so distraught about this beautiful event she and Dick had waited years for. I mean she worked so hard to get here and now her special day, the one each little girl dreams of, and seems like a waste of time to her littlest kid. She wondered if Dick was having the same problem with Tim. She took a deep sigh and told Damian he could go back to drawing if he wanted, which he immediately ran off to do, breaking her heart even more. 

Her party seemed to notice her emotions and Rachel came over with the other girls and Garfield and pulled her deeper into the room to talk while Roy stayed behind with Damian. “Hey, are you okay?” Rachel asked her friend. Kori just nodded. “You don't have to lie, we can see it on your face, it's not rocket science to see you are feeling down.” Garfield said. Kori sighed, “I just wished Damian was a little more involved and excited, but the only thing he wants to do is hide in a corner and draw.” she says before frantically adding, “Not that that's a bad thing or I'm mad at him, he does this all the time, and the kid is a masterful artist. I am so proud of all that he’s accomplished and how much he's grown. I can see him doing a lot with art when he's older. It's just… I wish he would put it aside for a second. If he wants to draw at the reception or needs to keep his hands busy at the ceremony so, be it I just kind of hoped he’d be more involved at the moment. Is that bad?” The others looked at each other and shook their heads. Artemis then walked up and grabbed Kori's hands. “That's not bad at all, I know if I was in your shoes I would probably feel the same way. This is an important day for you, and your son, who is very important to you, is showing no interest at all. That's rough, but in the idiotic words of your future husband's younger self, you should be feeling the aster, everything's going to be alright just get whelmed." She finished with a comforting smile on her face. The others laugh. “I’m pretty sure Dick still uses those idiotic words in his speech.” Rose interjects Finally getting a smile on Kori’s face and a chuckle to escapes her lips.

Meanwhile with Roy and Damian, Roy walked over to Damian and sat down. “So, what's up with you kiddo?” He asks, looking down to the smaller boy. Damian looks up confused to why his uncle was bothering him after finally being freed to draw again. Damian says, “Nothing much, I’m just drawing and waiting to go home.” Roy nods, taking in Damian's words. “What are you drawing?”  Damian picks up his drawing and shows it to Roy. It was a drawing of Haliey, the Grayson’s family dog. The drawing was very well done. The level you would expect from a fifth or sixth grader definitely not this small five-year-old boy. “That's quite impressive, Damian.” Roy complemented the boy's work. Damian gave a nod, “It's not finished yet.” Roy nods, “oh yes of course, of course.”

Roy sighs as he watches the young boy draw. “Are you excited for the wedding?” he asks smiling and without even looking up Damian responds, “No.”

“Why not?” Roy asks, raising a brow at the boy's quick response.

“I don't get the big deal, they already love each other, they live together, they have kids, I don't see the importance of a wedding. Seems to be a waste of time and money to me.” Damian answers.

Roy nods thoughtfully, “You know, A lot of people might think that way, and to an extent they are right. I mean why not just go down to the courthouse and get the papers signed. Live life like it’s a normal day. That’s what I did,” He starts.

Damian nods looking up.

“But then when you look a little deeper into it you find a reason behind all the money and time. Why would you spend so much money to decorate and celebrate a known fact? It kind of seems stupid until you realize the truth behind it. Every little girl dreams of this day, that's partially why it's hard for us to understand. But to the girls that have dreamed of this moment for years, it's a fairytale for them. They get to wear a big, beautiful gown and get married to their charming prince. I mean who wouldn't want that? It sounds like a fascinating fantasy. And now your mom gets to have her fairytale moment, but I'm going to tell you a secret, but you have keep this between us, okay?” Roy looks over to Damian who nods.

 “It's not the celebration or the fact that this is a huge achievement for your mom and dad that makes this night so special to the both of them. It’s not the big party or the fact that their love will be legally bonding that they're excited for tonight. You want to know what makes them so excited?” Roy pulls Damian closer.

Damain nods, forgetting his drawing and looks up. “The thing they are most excited about is your small family becoming official.”

“Huh? We are official, we have adoption papers signed.” Damian interjects.

Roy laughs, “That is true, but only your dad signed those papers, but after today your mom does too. You and Timmy and your mom and your dad will all be official today and that makes your parents very happy, you know why that is?” Damian shakes his head. “It's because they love you and your brother more than anything.”

Damian nods, taking in the sentiment as his mom walks back smiling with the rest of her party and his uncle Roy gets up to join them. He didn't know much about love. Never really experienced it. Most of his life he was told it was useless and a weakness. But if love was worth the thousands of dollars and the countless hours, they spent on this wedding then maybe, just maybe Damian should open his heart a bit to find the feeling. Damian set aside his drawing of Hailey for later and started on a new one. One he found more important. He worked away fast as the others put on finishing touches to their outfits, like adding sparkles to their hair, taking more pictures, and chatting. He had exactly an hour and a half till the ceremony started. He speedily worked on the art. When he finished, he had 30 minutes left. He got up and walked over to his mom and handed it to her. She looked confused but took the paper with a smile.

Damian saw a tear run down her face. The others also saw and got concerned gathering around her to look at the paper worried about what it may contain, but to their shock it was a neatly done drawing of Damian being held by Kori in their wedding attire with the words, ‘I love you mom’ on the top. Kori picked up Damian and held him close, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. “I love you too, Dami.” Damian didn’t understand the feeling he felt, but he knew he liked it. It was warm and comforting like his dads embrace, and gentle and nurturing like his mother's word, and soft and peaceful like his brother when he stroked his hair to calm him down after nightmares. He knew whatever it was he wanted to feel again. Just then there was a knock on the door and Slade entered the room, “It's go time.” he said with a bright smile. Kori put down Damian and wiped her eyes. There were a couple of cheers and whoops from the bridal party and Roy screamed “Let’s do this thing!”  before running off to go find Wally.

____________________________________________________________________________

The Wedding

The venue the couple had chosen was a wooden deck with a raised platform by the altar. There was a squared curtain arch with bouquets containing orange lilies, pink and purple red roses, and white buttercups adhered to each side. The chairs lining the aisle were white wooden chairs with birds of paradise flowers placed on each side. The raised deck itself sported a rail that was made of multiple squares linked together which held a second square inside that had two wood planks in an ‘x’ formation in the middle. The deck faced the west, so the sunset was visible from behind the venue. As the sun began lowering on the horizon the groom party got ready to enter with the bridal party following suit right after. 

The wedding guests were conversing with one another and seemed to be excited for the event to start. Alfred walked up to Dick, “Are you quite ready Richard?” Dick nodded, “Yeah. I really am Alfie. Thanks for walking down with me. With Slade walking down with Kori I don’t really have any other adult that I would want to do this with.” The Wayne family butler smiled at the younger man, “None of that. I am honored to be able to do this for you. It makes me almost forgive Master Bruce for kicking you out. I would not be able to do this if he had not. The honor would have been solely his. That is almost of course.” They share a laugh before their cue is given, and the pair walks down the aisle. 

The groom analyzes the guests as he walks down the path. His friends and family looked eager and excited. Their smiles were bright and comforting. It made a warm feeling grow in his chest. These people had come from all over the world, Ryand’r (Starfire’s brother) from another planet, all for him and Kori. Because they loved them. At the end of the aisle stood Zatanna, she was beaming. The officiant wore a dandelion suit jacket and pants, white button up blouse, and black dress shoes. When they reach the raised deck, his pseudo-grandfather bows to him and takes a seat at the front. The area for close family, and Dicks heart swells with love. He takes his place and waits. His friends and family begin to converse with each other; voices laced with joy.

The guests quiet down to a hush as Wally and Roy walk to the beginning of the aisle. They wore flower crowns made of bright orange, pink, and purple lilies and baby’s breath woven on an olive-green ribbon. Then the beginning chords to “Come and Get Your Love”, by Redbone, suddenly flows through the air. They open the fanny packs around their waists and begin to strut down the aisle to the beat of the song while throwing flower petals in the air. The petals flutter down with colors of orange, purple, and pink until they get to the altar and spin each other around, throwing up the last of the flower petals, then separating to their respective sections. Wally to Dick’s, and Roy to Kori’s. The song fades out in favor of another. The soft piano chords of, “If You Love Me for Me,” begins to play. It’s a piano cover of the original ‘Barbie’ song. The choice had been a surprise. The couple had been watching “Barbie: The Princess and The Pauper” with the children to push the lesson that no movies should be gender coded. They wished to stop that foolish mindset before it even had a chance of forming, and it had been a favorite pick for the Teen Titan’s when they wished to sing along. Tim had remarked that the love song reminded him of their relationship, and they knew it had to play in their wedding. 

As the groomsmen and woman walked down in pairs with a bridesmaid or man, Dick could feel his excitement rise. He hadn’t been able to see the outfits of the bridal party before. He and Kori had wanted to surprise each other. The girls were wearing hot pink, floor length cocktail-like dresses that trailed behind slightly with a slit in the front up to the lower thigh. The sleeves were off the shoulder straps that complemented the sweetheart neckline. The boys sported a three-piece suit. The suit jacket was a hot pink that matched the dresses, with black lapels. The vest underneath was the same pink with black lapels. The vest’s buttons were double breasted and black in color. The tuxedo shirt was white with a black bowtie tied on the collar. They also wore black pants and dress shoes.  Roy, who had walked down earlier also wore a backwards hot pink cap in which his flower crown was wrapped around the crown of. First Jason and Rachel walk beside each other. They were followed by Joey and Rose. Next came Donna and Garfield. Then came Amy and Artemis. As they all took their positions on the raised deck, Dick felt his anxiety reach its peak. In just a few seconds Kori was going to walk down that aisle.  

Kori was nervous as her and Slade drew closer and closer to the ceremony. Her beloved was only a few feet away in his suit. A suit she had never seen before. She had many different pictures in her mind of what she imagined it to look like. She wondered what type of suit he had on, did it have a pattern, was it form fitting or was it a looser fit, was his tuxedo shirt buttoned up all the way, did he have a tie or a bowtie? Either way she knew her groom would look handsome. Before she knew it, she was at the entry at the aisle about to see how her future husband looked. She took a breath and heard Zannata ask everyone to rise. She hears the music queue to enter. She turned the corner; arms linked with Slade. The golden sun made her skin glow, and her eyes sparkled. He looked to her side to see Tim and Damian in their orange suits kicking their feet. Tim had a smile from ear to ear and Damian had a tiny grin that was barely noticeable on his face. She then turned her head to face the front and saw Dick.

He looked good. No, he looked handsome. The most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She made a note to get him to dress up more. She admired every inch of his form. The way the deep midnight blue made his eyes pop. and the orange tie looked perfect against his tan skin tone. It was not fully form fitting but it definitely did favors to Dicks body. As she got closer, she noticed how the sun made him glow like he was an ethereal being. 

Dick heard the queue for Kori to enter the aisle. His head snapped to the end of the aisle not wanting to miss a moment of admiring his beautiful bride. He wondered what type of dress she would wear, what headpiece she would have on, what color of accessories she was wearing? He wondered if she had a plain white dress or was it colored. How did she wear her hair, was it down or in an updo? But what walked out, what turned onto the aisle, what blessed everyone present eyes was the most beautiful sight. It brought tears to his eyes, his bride, the love of his life, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, the one who made his heart throb looked breathtaking. She had the most beautiful gown on. The top of the bodice was partially seen through. The lace gave it a charming, sweet look, and the dress's fit was enthralling, it emphasized all the right places. A form fitting long dress that flared out at the knees. It was mostly white but had a fade that started to where flaring began. It was a mute pastel yellow into a pinkish orange into a deep purple into a navy blue that matched the sunset perfectly. Her hair was down slightly wrapped around the golden crown she wore to keep it in place. He noticed the blue gems matched his suit. The glitter that filled her hair made all the difference. She had a beautiful three-layered pink veil that covered her precious face. Dick couldn’t stop the tears from leaving his eyes as he struggled to fight back a smile.

When they stopped at the front, Slade pulled Kori into a hug and whispered, “I'm happy you are joining the family officially.” before lifting up the vail. Dick stepped forward and extended his hand helping her up. He smiled, holding both her hands in his. “You look… wow.” he said, not being able to find the words to describe her. She chucked sweetly. “Not bad yourself.” she whispered back. He finally released her hands and wiped his tears. Jason patted his back in support and Rachel gave Kori a smile. As the song came to an end Zatanna cleared her throat.

“Welcome friends, family, and loved ones. We’re gathered here today to celebrate Richard “Dick” Grayson-Wilson and Koriand’r in their lifelong commitment of love to each other. Finding your life partner is a true joy, and the commitment to share in life’s ups and downs as one is no small feat. While marriage will bring its own challenges and triumphs, let this day be a reminder of what your love has already accomplished, as well as the possibilities for your partnership as you grow together for years to come.”

“As our reading today, Dick Grayson has asked his father to recite a poem in honor of their union.”

“As you all know, I’m Slade Wilson and I am the father of the groom. I will be reciting a poem by Emily Dickinson called ‘“Hope” is the thing with feathers”.

‘“Hope” is the thing with feathers-

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.”

Slade finished the poem then returned to his seat. Zatanna then continued, “We will now go to the exchanging of the rings.” Damian and Tim then began to walk down the aisle. They both held opposite sides of the royal purple ring bearer pillow. Tim on the left, and Damian on the right. As they got to the front she continued.

“Dick Grayson and Koriand’r will now exchange rings as a symbol of their love and lifelong commitment,” she paused. “You may now exchange vows.”

Dick looked into Kori’s eyes and began, “Kori, from the moment I first saw you I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the entire galaxy. When I got to know you, I found out that your heart was just as beautiful. It made me nervous to just be in the same room with you, and I wasn’t used to being nervous. I was used to jumping across buildings, going on a trapeze with no net, free falling through the sky. Falling in love with you terrified me, but I was willing to risk it for you. I will always be grateful to my younger self for that courage. You put the stars in the night sky. You brighten my life and fill me with purpose. We have always been seen as star-crossed lovers, but I would really love to cross those stars with you today. I Love you Star, and I will continue to do so for the rest of time.” As he finished sobs could audibly be heard from the audience. Dick himself felt tears forming in his own eyes. Kori was sprouting a bright smile and began:

“Dick, when we first met, I was so new to this world. New to everything. It was hard to understand Earthly traditions and customs. It was a journey, and you were there every step of the way. Every single moment of it. When we got together the first time I remember being on cloud nine, and I know that run didn’t last, but it was important. It was the start. Then when we got back together it was the continuation. And now here we are promising a future. A life of love for all eternity. I could not ask for a better partner, you have always been so kind, gentle, and loving. I would fly to every planet and visit every star just to be with you. You mean so much to me and I intend to show you that in every way possible, as a friend, a wife, and as a mother of our kids. I love you so much. I want our love story to be a tale that will be written in the sky you love so much for generations to come. I hope to spend my eternity with you, Love.” When the vows finished both had tears falling down their faces and love was prominent in their eyes. Zatanna then gave Tim a nod, and the 11-year-old gave his father Kori’s ring.

“Thank you, Baby Bird.” The ring was a simple white gold band with seven diamonds alternating from pink to white. The band would connect to the engagement ring that was already on Kori’s finger which shared the same pattern of diamonds besides the large princess cut pink diamond in the middle. 

Dick held up the ring and began the promise, “With this ring, I promise to love you and commit myself to you for the rest of my life. I promise to stand by your side, be there for you always, and to find laughter and joy even in tough times. I promise to love and accept you just as you are and grow with you for every year to come.” He slid the ring on Kori’s finger with a smile.

Zatanna then gave a nod to Damian who in turn gave his mother Dick’s ring. Kori grinned, “Thank you sweetie.” This ring was a crown shaped white gold ring. It had multiple diamond shaped blue diamonds in it and multiple cleared diamonds adorn it. Its design was so intricate. Kori remembered the price on the ring and vowed never to tell Dick in fear of his reaction. It was custom made but to her it was worth every penny to crown her prince.

Kori held up the ring and repeated, “With this ring, I promise to love you and commit myself to you for the rest of my life. I promise to stand by your side, be there for you always, and to find laughter and joy even in tough times. I promise to love and accept you just as you are, and grow with you for every year to come.” She then slid the ring on her groom's finger. Tim and Damian then walked back to their seats in the front.

“You both will now state a declaration of intent,” Zatanna looked towards Dick, “Do you, Richard “Dick” Grayson-Wilson, take Koriand’r to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you honor and cherish them, continue to deepen your understanding of them, and treat them with love and compassion in joy and pain, sickness and health, and whatever life might throw your way?”

“I super do.” Soft laughter filled the air. Zatanna then turned to Kori, “And do you, Koriand’r, take Richard “Dick” Grayson-Wilson to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you honor and cherish them, continue to deepen your understanding of them, and treat them with love and compassion in joy and pain, sickness and health, and whatever life might throw your way?”

“Yes, I do.” Zatanna then stepped to the side to make sure the pictures taken of their kiss would not have her in it. After she was sure she was out of the way completely she continued, “Thank goodness because if one of you said no I think we would have had a riot on our hands.” Roy and Jason whooped. “Then by the authority vested in me, and with the trust of you all here today, I now declare you joined in love. You may now kiss you crazy kids!"

Kori cupped Dick’s face and leaned in. They both deepened the kiss almost instantly. Dick slowly moved his hands around his wife and dipped her. It was magical the first kiss they shared as husband and wife was filled with passion and love. They stayed in each other's embrace for a few more moments before parting and looked at the crowd of people cheering for them.

Zatanna then walked back to the middle of the deck and spoke, “Thank you all for joining in this momentous occasion for Richard “Dick’ Grayson-Wilson and Koriand’r Grayson! They now invite you to join them for a reception which I will be creating a portal to so don’t worry about transportation. Thank you all! And thank you two for allowing me to do this. I love you guys. Let’s hear it for the newlyweds!” A responding cheer from the crowd filled the air. As the sun’s descent neared its end as did their life apart, for on this day they became a singular entity. They were a married couple.

“Shall we go to the reception Wife?”

“I believe we shall Husband.”

Dick gave a soft smile, eyes filled with love, “Well then come on kids lets go.” Tim and Damian didn’t waste any time, they proceeded to immediately jump their parents. They were finally a family in every meaning of the word.

Links:

Wedding aesthetic:

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Venue:

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Reception Hall:

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Bridal Party;

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Groom party

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Officiant:

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Kori’s Rings:

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Flower Crowns for Wally and Roy:

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Dicks Ring:

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OIP.FTFo7QdVZIi8pb71LF9iAHaHa (474×474) (Diamond shape gem color and white gold)

Poem and Wedding Ceremony Script:

8 Wedding Ceremony Scripts to Borrow & Printables - Zola Expert Wedding Advice

“Hope” is the thing with feathers | The Poetry Foundation

Chapter Text

Zatanna cleared her throat, “Alright everyone besides the Grayson family please come over here so I can teleport us all to the reception hall. I assume the newlyweds want a family moment, so let's give them some space. I’ll come back for you after a few minutes, okay?”

“Tropelet Enoyreve!” Zatanna says teleporting everyone to the reception hall aside from the newlyweds and their kids. Dick and Kori kneel down to Damian and Tim's levels, “Hey kiddos, how are you feeling?” Dick said, smiling. Tim was jumping up and down happily flapping his arms. “I’m so happy mom is officially me and Dami’s mom!” Tim said beaming. Damian was more calm. He just gave a nod and said, “Happy, I think.” 

Dick smiled and pulled the whole family into a group hug. Their first group hug after becoming an official family. “Wait, let me take a picture of this-”

“No. Dad, let me please. I’m really good at it. You’ll make them blurry.” Tim races to get the camera that was set up professionally for photos of the wedding. He turned the stand, pulled up a chair so he could reach the camera, corrected the settings to his liking, then put it on a timer and rushed back to his family.

“Quick pose!” Tim shouted as he wrapped his arms around his mom. Damian took his Dads hand in his and leaned in a little closer. Kori placed her hand on Tim's head. Dick squeezed his littlest son’s hand. “Snap” Tim rushed over to the camera once more and checked the photo. His lips stretched into a proud grin. He beckoned his parents over, “Look! See, it looks super good!” The couple analyzed the photo, Tim was right, the photo looked fantastic. The Last sliver of the sunset was in the background, yet it did not darken the subjects of the photo. It instead outlined them to make the family appear to be glowing. The joy on each of the four faces looked true. They looked like the perfect family. 

“Timmy, that looks great! Aren’t you a little photographer?” Kori ruffled the boy’s hair. Tim sheepishly grinned, “Thanks, but it was just a timed photo. I only really adjusted the settings. I would have taken it for real, but I wanted to be in the photo.”

Dick crouched down to the blue-eyed boy’s level, “It is a good photo Tim, but you shouldn’t have taken it.” Said boy’s eyes widened in shock. Dick continued, “I’m glad we have it because I definitely am framing that and putting it on my work desk, but you didn’t ask for permission to use the camera. That is someone else's equipment. You are going to need to apologize to Jimmy.” 

“I’m sorry Dad. I didn’t think about that. I just wanted to have a good photo,” Tim kept his gaze on the ground. He didn’t dare look up. He knew Logically that his dad would never hurt him, but that didn’t stop his body from tensing up as if he expected him to. Dick took obvious notice of this and pulled Tim into a hug kissing him on the temple, “It's okay, Tim, I’m not mad. I just want you to ask next time, okay buddy.” Tim looked up slightly and hugged him back.

The prominent tension in Tim’s body began to dissipate. Just then Zatanna came back, “Alright newlyweds, are you ready to party?” She asked, smiling. Dick stood up as did Kori and they nodded. Zatanna then teleported herself and the family to the reception hall. Once they arrived outside the door she walked in ushering the kids to their seats and the music cut. Zatanna stood up, “Introducing the newlyweds, Mister and Misses Grayson!” The doors shot open and they ran inside. Guests cheered and whooped for the couple. They then made their way to the middle of the dance floor, hand in hand, and the start of ‘ Kiss me slowly’ by ‘Parachute’ began to play. 

Dick raises his left arm with Kori in hand. She starts to walk around him in a circle before they lower their hands, and Dick spins her to him. Kori wrapped her arms around her husband as he put his own around her waist. “You look gorgeous.” “And you look sparkly,” She replied while moving a piece of his hair out of his face. “We’ll call it a happy accident. Grabbed the wrong hairspray.” Kori giggled, “It looks good.” “Thanks,” he replied as the song got to the chorus. He turned Kori so they were both facing the same direction, she crossed her arms around her waist still holding both his hands. He then spun her till they both spread their arms out in a starfish position, let go of each other, and Kori spun her way back into his arms. Dick caught her, put his arms around her waist again, then dipped her head. The couple could hear Clark’s gasp. The older man had tears running down his cheeks while whispering, “I’m just so proud of them,” to Lois who was rolling her eyes. “Hear that? Superman is proud of us,” Dick says with a chuckle. “Was there ever any doubt of that? He has always adored you. Just as you adore him” Dick blushed slightly, “Kori. Super hearing. He can hear you.” Kori rolled her eyes, “Dick it’s no secret. You wear Superman hoodies frequently,” she booped his nose and continued, “It’s cute.” They share a laugh as the music begins to pick up once again. Dick twirls Kori then she wraps one arm around his neck and lifts up her dress with the other. They begin to turn in a circle until the music slows down once again. “Think we are putting on a good show?” Kori asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement. “As a certified entertainist, I would say yes. But, I don’t really care. I just want to dance with you.” “You are so corny,” she laughed. “Yep! And now you have to deal with my corniness forever. No take backs.” The song picks up for the last time. Dick spins Kori around, into him picking her up in a bridal style. She wraps her one arm around his neck and uses the other to throw flower petals in the air as Dick spins her around to the beat of the song.They spin around until the song slows down again. Dick puts his wife down, and they sway in each other's arms until the song fades out.

After the couples first dance, there were a couple cheers as they made their way back to their seats. As they sat down a mic was set up for speeches. Zatanna smiled as she announced, “Please give a warm hello to Garfield Logan as he starts off our speeches for the night. She stepped down as Garfield made his way to the mic. The audience clapped a bit but quieted down after a while. Garfield began to speak, “I’ve known Kori and Dick for a long time, like a long, long time. Like even before they got together for the first time. Might I just say that that took forever, I mean there were points where me and the Titans just wanted to shove them in a room until they confessed.” He gives a little chuckle. “The point is, I have experience with these knuckleheads. Anyway, I am here to speak about Kori and that's what I plan to do. When I first met Kori I knew she would fit in well to the mix with the Titans. We were young at the time and we needed someone like her. She was kind and thoughtful and helped calm down the crazy just a bit, even if she doesn’t act as such a calming presence now. I guess what I'm trying to say is I hope that you take care of her Dick, like she took care of us. I love you guys.” He smiles and walks to his seat handing the microphone to Jason on the way. The words were simple but sweet. It was nice to hear kind words from their long time friend and partner.

Jason walks up to the stage microphone in hand. He taps it three times to insure that it is working correctly, then he begins, “So I’m not great at speeches, but Dickhead likes torturin’ me so here I am. The truth is I am happy for my brother. Kori has always been good for him even back then. When we were little he was the one I ran to after a fight with B. Dick was definitely not the picture perfect brother. He refused to visit me unless B wasn’t home, though nowadays I completely understand that, and he took me to an R-rated movie when I was 13 for some ‘brotherly bonding’. He wasn’t extraordinary, but he tried. He tried and that was more than I ever had on the streets. I mean we just reconnected two months ago and he made me his best man because he promised me when I was little. Fuck. I don’t know why he took care of me or why he tried so hard to, but I’m glad he did. When I-” his breath hitched, “When I died I thought he would come and save me. I mean I thought Batman would too, but I wanted my big brother to come to the rescue. We would go to Bat Burger and talk shit about B. It didn’t work out that way, but when I came back I almost completely succumbed to the pit rage and the only reason I didn’t go 100% insane was Dick. They tried to tell me no one cared about me, but I knew that wasn’t true. Dick was there for me. He always had his door open, and I appreciated that more than I ever expressed. So, Kori, I hope you can do that for my dumb big brother now. Keep the door open when he needs to talk. He needs someone to help carry the burden of livin’. I hope you continue to give him an extra key so he knows he is always welcome. I love you both and wish you the best even if I’m not the best at expressing that. Thank you.” Jason finished, took a dramatic bow, and walked back to his seat as everyone clapped tears visible in almost everyone's eyes. Clark was full on sobbing. Jason looked a bit embarrassed by the reactions of everyone present, then his eyes widened as he realized something. He brought the microphone back to his mouth, “Nobody here can ridicule me for cursin’ okay? Y'all all knew I would be here so if you brought your kids that’s on you.” Jason walked off the stage and handed the microphone to Rachel.

Rachel walked up to the stage looking uncomfortable. She was not used to this manner of public speaking, but even if she hated it, she would do it for her sister. She brought the microphone to her mouth and began, “Back when my friends and I were the Teen Titans the people I was the closest to were Gar, Dick, and Kori. Me and Dick have a psychic connection that is hard to explain, but even with that I always found that Kori understood me better. She is my sister, my friend, and my teammate. She has always been there for me. She meditated with me and comforted me when I needed it. I was always afraid of being the ‘scary one’ . I didn't believe that anyone could ever truly open up to me, but then Kori tried almost immediately. She welcomed me with open arms. I thank you for that. Dick I know you love her more than life itself, I can tell even without using our connection. I know that you will take care of her, but I also hope that you will always welcome her with open arms like she did for me. I hope you always let her know that she is so much more than anyone thinks. She is brave, bold, fiery, and amazing. Never let her think otherwise, and never let her believe herself unwelcome because of other people's dumb opinions. I wish you both the best. Congratulations fellow Titans. Love you guys.” After finishing she all but ran from the stage and handed off the mic to Wally, who practically skipped up to it.

Wally started by waving to everyone, “Hi everyone! Lots of powerful people in this room huh? If anyone tried to attack I think they might just nope out of here and run with their tail between their legs. I mean if I was a villain that's what I would do,” he chuckled. “When I was asked to be part of the wedding and asked to write a speech I told Dick ‘I don't think anyone will forgive him for allowing me such a privilege , but absolutely bro’ and that's when he realized his mistakes and I told him no take backsies.” he laughed softly. “I met Dick very early. Like day one basically. We trained together, were sidekicks together, and lived through some pretty awful things together. Even so, we got through it and came out stronger. Life tried to put us through the ringer, but we’re still standing. Dude, I really don’t know where I would be without you. You’re my best friend, and I love you man. My advice to you is to just take each day as it is, try not to stress too much, and never go to bed angry at each other. Trust me it just makes you miserable. Also take your ring off before you wash the dishes. Learned that one the hard way. I may be the fastest man alive, but sometimes I don't notice a missing ring until I'm getting questioned.” He laughs. “Dude, you are like a brother to me. One of the most important people in my life and I'm so excited to see you making this huge step in your life. You are my bro for life. I love you dude. Now in most speeches people would say something threatening to the groom if he hurts the bride. But this is no normal speech, so Kori, watch yourself. That's my boy.” He laughs. “I love you guys. Kid mouth out.” Just then Roy ripped the mic from Wally's hand and playfully shoved him off the stage. Roy walked up to the middle of the stage and gave Wally a wink. Wally put his arms up in surrender and made his way back to his seat. 

When he was seated again Roy began, “Hey everyone, thanks for the mic Wally by the way, so the bride and groom decided to not give me a speech. I know it’s sad but luckily I decided that I would be doing that anyway. Me, Dick, and Kori have been friends for a very long time. We were on the Teen Titan’s, The Outsiders, and the Titan’s together. I think saying we ‘work well together’ is an understatement, but those two,” he looks towards the newly weds, “ they are something different. They complete each other. I just want to say a few words to both of you if you’ll let me. If you don’t I’m going to do it anyway so let's just skip that part ya?

Dick, crap dude look how far us ex-wards have gotten. We were the sidekick of two rich assholes that didn’t know how to raise a damaged kid. Now we’re heroes that have saved the world so many times that I honestly can’t keep track. But none of that is as significant as what you did today. You did it man. You got your dream girl. I remember teasing you about Kori all the time when we were kids. Now I still get to do that, but you can’t deny anything cause you married her,” he chuckles. “But seriously man, congratulations you made it. There is not a lot I wouldn’t do for you, so I hope you remember that whenever things get tough and ring me. Love you man.” Roy took a breath before he continued, “And Kori I remember everything that happened in our younger years. You know the team always would make fun of you and Dick because it was obvious.” He laughs. “I have always been there for you. Through the rough, the happy, and the just plain idiotic things we all did together, and that won't stop now. I'm glad you two are finally coming to your senses and now the soulmates that drove me insane cause it was the slowest, most obvious, slow burn I've ever witnessed.” He laughed some more. “Okay, okay I'll stop teasing y'all. I love y'all two so much and I will always be in your corner. I'm honored that I got to be able to watch you two grow together. Now that being said, if you ever don’t let me have a speech in an important event in your life again, I will shoot you. I mean that, and it will be with those glitter arrows that Lian insisted I make. I know you look good in gitter man I mean clearly, but I doubt you want a repeat of the ‘DiscoWing’ suit ya?” To this Dick rolled his eyes and yelled, “It was a statement!” “A bad one!,” Jason yelled in return, to which Dick fake pouted and slumped in his seat. 

After the speeches a series of dances happened. First the ‘Wonder Twins’ danced to “ I Hope You Dance” (By Lee Ann Womack) .  They had done a simple 2-step dance while laughing and crying on each other. This was then followed by Jason and Kori dancing to “Hey Brother" (by Avicii) . They had crafted a line dance to the song which had surprised everyone present. Then came Kori and Tim who danced to “ Unity (acoustic)” (By SAPPHIRE) . That had contained Kori mostly swaying with Tim on her feet and her spinning Tim around which made the boy giggle loudly. After that came Kori and Damian dancing to “Under the Weather” (By Derivakat) . This dance had started the same as Tims, but halfway through the boy had asked his mom if she could pick him up. The rest of the dance was Kori swaying with her baby boy in her arms. Next was Dick and Damian who were dancing to “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” (By Owl City) . Damian had picked this song almost immediately after being asked. The day his dad had taken him to the doctors office they had listened to Owl City the entire ride. This particular song had played on the way there. Damian hadn’t known at the time Dick was going to become his dad permanently, but he had heard the song and hoped for a parent that wouldn’t hurt him. Jason had told him that that was not a normal occurrence in a family dynamic. The thought of no punishment had sounded pleasing to the five year old. This all to say, that song had given him hope so he wished to share that hope with his father. The dance itself had only consisted of Dick holding the young boy in his arms and swaying, but both boys were content and happy. 

The next dance was Dick and Tim who danced to “Will I find my home” (By Juniper Vale and Vian Izak) . This “dance” consisted of both gymnasts spinning each other around and flipping all over the place. The two were laughing hysterically by the end of it, bright smiles evident on their faces. After that it was time for the “Bridesmaids Dance.” The Girls, plus Roy and Garfield, split off into partners and freestyled to “Could Have been Me” ( By Halsey) switching partners every time the chorus started. Lastly, it was time for the “Groomsmen Dance.” They of course do a whole dance to “Don’t stop me now” (By Queen). By the time they stopped their shenanigans every guest at the wedding was laughing including the dancers themselves. They then all joined hands and did a theatre bow then left the dancefloor. After all the dances had finished, everyone present began to converse with each other.

One of these conversations included that of the Teen Titans. “Congratulations to you both. I am glad this moment finally came,” Garth said to which Victor jumped in, “Yeah! You two sure took your sweet time with that. I mean come on how many years has it been?” “Too long. Way too long,” the groom replied. The group laughed. “I suppose this means we are now waiting for the next Titans to tie the knot now,” Kori said looking pointedly at Rachel and Garfield, who now sported matching flushed faces. “Um actually about that,” started the green skinned boy as he bent down to one knee. “Ray, I have been in love with you for an incredibly long time. When we got together it felt like everything fell into place you know? I love everything about you and everything about us. I know our mindlink makes us closer to most couples in the world, but I would like to maybe make that official? So, Raven, will you marry me?” Rachel looked shocked. She looked at Dick and Kori. Could she say yes? She wanted to, but it was their wedding day. The newly married couple nodded to her, a yes. She bends down to her lover's level, grabs his face , and kisses him. “That a yes Momma?” The half demon girl nodded vigorously. “Holy shit I did not expect that. About time though,” teased Roy. To which Rachel blushed, then looked at her new fiancé and spoke, “How did you know that Kori and Dick would be okay with this?” “Yeah that could have gone super bad if they weren't the best. You could have gotten kicked out before the food even got broken out dude. I can’t even imagine. Wedding food is always so good,” Wally chimed in with a curious tone effident in his voice. “I asked beforehand, duh. Though I knew they would be cool with it, I wanted to make sure. Plus, nobody wants to be on their bad side, it gets scary” Garfield answered. “Damn right. I almost accidentally said ‘dumbass’ in front of Tim a few years back. I thought I was going to die just from the look Dick gave me, and Kori is the one with laser-eyes,” Roy shivered at the thought. “Don't cuss in front of the kids. Duly noted. Thanks for your sacrifice dude,” Victor said with a laugh. “Beware the wrath of the parents,” Garth added. “You would be an absolute dumb dumb to try,” Donna said smirking while giving Dick a look that he interpreted as ‘See look I can not curse.’ He replied by rolling his eyes which made the aforementioned woman laugh hysterically. “Oh come on Dick I did good, admit it,” Donna tried while poking the raven-haired man. “Okay! Okay! I applaud you Donna for you are amazing as you are mighty in the ways of not cursing in front of my kids.” “Darn frickity-fracking right!” The group laughed once more before Kori spoke up, “Congratulations Garfield and Raven! I am so happy for you both. I cannot wait to spend that special day with you!” “Yes, marriage is a wonderful thing. You should treasure it. I know I sure treasured mine with Dolphin. I still do, I suppose. There is no one else I would ever wish to be with. I am truly happy for you both,” as Garth finished Dick had taken to hugging the atlantean tightly soon followed by Garfield doing the same. The other Titans showed their support either with their eyes or resting a hand on the man's shoulder. Garth looked extremely grateful as he spoke once more, “Thank you all, but please let's celebrate the union between our friends. Both Dick and Kori as well as Garfield and Raven.” “I’m down for that,” Donna replied. 

“Hey Dick you know what I think this calls for?”

“Oh I think I might have the faintest of ideas Walls.” The two grew wide grins as they yelled, “Group hug,” and attacked their fellow Titans all of which instantly joined in. They were used to their friends' tactics after all these years.

After they hugged the group talked for a little more before the newly weds broke off to engage with their other guests. Kori decided to talk to her brother Ryand’r who had traveled a long way to see her wed, and Dick went to find Slade and the rest of the Wilsons. When Dick reached his adoptive father he found that his siblings were already beside the older man. “What’s hanging everybody?” Slade looked up to see his raven-haired son, “Thankfully not you. I still haven’t fully recovered from the last time you decided to use the support beams on my warehouse ceiling as monkey bars.” Dick’s grin grew wider, “Shouldn’t be called ‘support beams’ if they can’t support me.” Joey rolls his eyes and signs, “Please. Do not force us to listen to your puns.” Rose nodded vigorously in agreement, “Yes, 100% I’m with Joey. Please Dick I already have to deal with them on Titan missions. I don’t want to hear them more than necessary.”

“No one understands my genius!”

“No kid, your puns just suck.”

“Mean! You're supposed to support me! That’s what a dad is for! Why else would I keep you around? For the company?”

“Now who’s being rude! You’re lucky I don’t ground you.”

“As if you could. I’m a big boy. I’m married and everything.” Dick puffed out his chest for added flare. Slade’s eye softened slightly, “I know. I’m proud of you kid. You really made a life for yourself. Come here.” The white haired man pulled Dick into a headlock and ruffled his hair. “HEY! I spent a lot of time on that! We haven’t even taken the wedding photos yet!” The older man just chuckled, “Whoops. Sorry kid. Maybe next time you won’t grow up.” Dick rolled his eyes at his adoptive father’s antics. 

“Soft.”

“No Joey. The word you’re looking for is cringe,” Rose laughed, “Dick really did soften you up. You're a big baby now.”

“Rose. I can still ground you. You still live with me.”

“Do not ground her for saying the truth. You are a baby.  You cried multiple times. I can feel that you were about to cry again.” Slade gave Joey a look in retaliation. “Oh no, that's his shut up face. He means business,” Rose teased. Joey only pointed to his throat. 

“Got you covered,” he signed with a shiteating grin. The siblings snickered. “You all are little shits,” their father said before sighing, “You know if he were alive I think Grant would be proud of you too kid. He would have teased you shitless then probably get mad at you for not letting him pick out the cake flavor.” Dick felt tears form in his eyes, “I’m sorry I couldn’t save him. I wish he could be here.” Slade felt tears gather in his own eye as he held his son close, “Hey, none of that. I never should have blamed you for that. I realized that the second I saw you alone on that rooftop. I realized that you were just a kid. A kid that was abandoned and lost. Dick you need to know that you weren’t the one that killed him. You were just in the wrong place and at the wrong time. You couldn’t save him Dick. I know you. I know you would have done everything you could have possibly done. Okay? You’re alright little bird.” Dick’s tears became heavier at the use of the nickname. It used to be something Slade used to mock him. Back then when he heard it he felt terror rise within him. Now, it filled him with joy because he knew it was said out of a place of love. Dick hugged his father tightly while he sobbed and Slade rubbed circles on the boys back. Joey and Rose put their hands on their brothers shoulders in support as Dick continued to cry. They stayed in that position for a while until Dick pulled himself off of Slade and wiped his tears. “Thanks for letting me get that out. I think I really needed that, although I feel like I’ve been crying all day. I swear I’m not usually this emotional. Usually I’m super stoic.”

“Bullshit”

“Maybe before you had kids. Now you’re constantly crying over all their accomplishments,” Rose pretended to think, “No, even before that you’ve never been stoic. You’ve always been a forever smiling doofus.”

 Dick failed at fighting back the smile that came from Rose’s statement. Which unfortunately for him, proved her point. He loved his family so much it hurt. “And today that family grew,” he thought. He looked over to his wife who seemed to be having a conversation with her brother.

___________________________

Kori walked over to her brother who was sitting alone at a table made for the families of the couple. There were nameplates that accompanied empty seats on the table. Names listed on them included  Slade, Joey, Rose, Jason, and Artemis. Though Artemis was not either of the married couple’s siblings, Dick had insisted she was part of the family because she was dating his little brother. Kori had agreed. Artemis was new to joining their family, only dating Jason recently, but they had known her before. The warrior had taken over for Wonder Woman a while back, and because of the Titans affiliation with the Justice League, they had worked a few missions together. Kori had taken a liking to the strong willed woman. Though the public’s opinion had not been as kind, disliking the change from Diana to Artemis. Unfortunately, the public’s opinion drove Artemis away from staying Wonder Woman, and they had lost touch before they could truly hit it off. After Jason had announced the two had started dating, Kori jumped at the chance to make her a bridesmaid. Kori had hoped that the two would be able to bond through the experience and grow closer.

However, it was not Artemis she was here to see. She was here to talk to her brother. Her brother had been only an infant when she was offered up to the Citadel. They had never gotten to grow up together like they should have been able to. Instead Koriand’r was sold into slavery, and Ryand’r was sent to the planet Okaara to be trained. They spent many years apart. Kori had found her place on earth with the Titans. Ryand’r found his place with the Omega Men. They had only connected after Kori’s political marriage to Prince Karras, and even then it wasn’t a strong connection. However, Kori still had invited the man. She hoped that maybe her brother could get closer to her today. Now that she was married to a man she truly loved, her brother could maybe see the happiness Dick brought her and could possibly understand her love she felt for her husband and his home planet. “Hello Ryand’r. How have you been?” 

“I am well. How about you sister?”

“I am very happy! I have finally married the man I love, and officially become the mother of the children I hold dear.”

“I am happy for you. I can see that you both love each other dearly. May I ask how long you have known him?”

“Dick has been my lover for many years, though we did have a period of time apart. I was with him when Prince Karras and I were wed. Just as Karras was with Taryia when he was alive.”

“I see. I am glad everything turned out alright for the both of you. Those children seemed to be happy dancing with you. I believe that means you are already an amazing mother,” Ryand’r smiled. “Knowing how all these people care for you, it makes me wish I had gotten the privilege of growing up with you. However, seeing how those children love you reminds me that this is where you are supposed to be.” Kori felt herself become flooded  with unimaginable joy. “Thank you brother,” she replied sincerely. Ryand’r nodded then went to speak again, “I’m afraid I cannot stay anymore. I must return to the Omega Men,” he paused, “But I am glad I came. I wish you well.” Kori waved goodbye as he left. She was unsure if she would ever see the young man again, but if that was her last meeting with him she was happy it was here. She was at peace with it. She believed that they had truly connected just as she had wished. She felt like she could finally close that chapter of her life and fully focus on the family she had made herself on Earth. She looked over to her husband who had now moved away from his adoptive family and had begun to make his way to ‘The Bats’ which consisted of Barbara, Alfred, and Jason. He looked over her way and blew a kiss to her. A symbol that he loved her. She returned the gesture as she thought about how grateful she was to live in this moment. To be able to continue to have moments with the people she loved.

________________________________

          Tim was bouncing in his chair. He finally had a family, a complete family that loved him dearly. He had an amazing dad, a sweet mom, and a baby brother that he adored. He had come so far from the broken mess he was when he lost his parents and went into foster care. He had been in such a dark place a couple years ago and now here he was. His foster care family never truly cared for him. He went from bad home to bad home to bad home. Even when he became robin he was left beaten and bloodied on a rooftop. This was finally his time to get the life he dreamed and wanted for himself. The perfect family that he had needed and he had been told he deserved. These were the people who would stick with him through thick and thin. Who would be by his side and defend him against false accusations and protect him no matter what. His mom and dad were married, they tied the knot and allowed Tim, no they wanted Tim to be a part of it and that was so special to him. He looked over to Damian who was drawing calmly beside him. He wondered how the boy was always calm. Tim didn't seem to care though. He was on cloud nine he had a family, he was loved, or maybe it was something else bubbling under the surface.

Damian watched as the crowd doted over the couple. They were congratulating them like this was a huge accomplishment. It probably was to everyone but him. To him it was a big flashy waste of time to show off a known fact. Kori was already his mom. All papers did was allow her to put that on his school roster. And His parents already loved each other, that was a known fact, putting it on paper was just a benefit of living. He sighed unamused by the get together. He didn’t really understand the need for theatrics. Uncle Roy said something about the day his mom dreamed of and finally being with her prince charming and being dolled up and treated like a princess. He didn’t see it though. His mom was a model, she always looked as pretty as a princess, and got booked to try on new beautiful outfits. Why did she need some special costly dress? She could have done the same special event as a barbeque for much cheaper, she could have a pretty dress, lots of friends and family, good food, speeches, and she could go sign the papers at the courthouse. It would be no different to him so why was it different for everyone else? Why was he the odd ball? Maybe it wasn’t the wedding, maybe it was something deeply rooted within Damian, deeper than he could even reach.

  Kori saw her kids in the corners of her eye. She loved the sound of that, ‘her kids’ a bright smile formed on her face as she walked over to her and Dick's kids! She sat down next to them smiling. “Hello Timmy, Hello Dami. How are you boys?” Tim smiled brightly and clung on to his mom. “I'm so happy! We are officially a family! I'm on top of the world!” He giggles happily and that makes Kori smile wider. She hugged Tim back softly. She then looked over at Damian. “Dami?” She said sweetly. 

Damian looked up and gave a smile. It was soft and genuine which is more than what Kori could ask for. She did however notice how timid he seemed, like something was off. She made a mental note to ask about it later. “So Mom? Now that you're officially our mother does that mean you can come to more school events and be more involved with doctors visits and stuff?” Kori nods, enjoying Tim’s excitement about the situation.

Tim was beaming. He was nudging Damian to be more involved in the conversation. Damian notices and softly says, “I'm happy for you and Dad.” and Kori grins. “Thank you Dami.” She gave the kids one more hug before kissing them both and going to find her husband.  

___________________________________________________

Alfred was the first to notice Dicks arrival to the group of bats, “Hello Richard, how are you faring thus far.” Dick smiled at his pseudo-grandfather, “Honestly, It couldn’t get much better.” Alfred gestured for the young man to come closer, “I must say Richard you have made me an extremely happy old man.” Dick raised a single brow, a signal to continue. “I always wished to see one of my grandchildren married. When my daughter and I’s relationship was strained at best I lost hope I would ever get to fulfill that goal of mine. However, when Master Bruce took you boys in, I must admit I believed I had another shot. Then he kicked you out and Jason…well, I would rather not talk about such things in this environment. The point of the matter is, I had lost hope again until I received your call. I gave Master Bruce a notice for vacation faster than I have done much of anything these past few years. This is all to say, thank you Richard for fulfilling this old man’s dream.” Alfred gave the groom a hug and continued, “Now though I would much like to stay and chat with you all, my knees are not as they once were.” 

“Go. Sit down. Please don’t hurt yourself for our sake. You can hang out with Slade, the old men should stick together,” he snickered, “And please tell him I said that. Unless, the real reason you’re sitting down is because you don’t want to talk to us?” The butler let out a small chuckle. “No, I’m afraid my years of serving the army have caught up to me as of late. As for your message to Mr. Wilson, I will personally make sure that it is delivered,” he said as he walked off in the white-haired man’s direction leaving the three younger proteges alone. “So Dick,” Barabra started, “How come you haven’t called me in months? Actually ,how come I had to find out Jason was alive from Bruce and not you? I know he went to you first.” Dick glared at the aforementioned man which was met with hands going up in surrender. “Dickie, it’s not my fault you didn’t tell er’. I didn’t know you decided to be an idiot and keep Babs in the dark. I was just tellin’ her and Alfie that I’m glad I gave the squirt to you, and then found out about your betrayal. I didn’t get you in trouble on purpose,” he paused, “Well not this time.” 

“An idiot is putting it lightly but otherwise that about sums it up,” the redhead girl states leaving Dick to feel even more guilty than he already did. “Babs your right. I was incredibly stupid to not tell you. You knew Jason too. You worked with him, and grieved for him. I should have told you. Having a second surprise kid is no excuse because I still made calls to other people. I'm sorry Babs,” Dick said with eyes filled with sincerity. Barbara’s eyes softened, “then why Dick? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m going to warn you that my reasoning is insane amounts of stupid. At first I was scared, my little brother had just come back from the dead. I was terrified that if I spoke of it, he would get taken from me again,” he paused to look at her reaction. “Okay I can understand that, but I doubt that lasted two months Dick,” She pressed. “You're right. It lasted two weeks. After that I was sure Jason wasn’t a figment or my imagination, a zombie, or only around temporarily. That's when the stupid set in. Babs I didn’t tell you because I was terrified that you would tell Bruce. You wouldn’t have been wrong to. Jason is his son, but I didn’t want Bruce to know. Bruce has a hard time believing anything. He wouldn’t take Jason’s return at face value. He would press, and press, and press nonstop. That wouldn’t be good for his rage. It could set him off. I mean Bruce’s poking around can make anyone lose their shit. And if Bruce saw that side of Jason I’d be scared of what he would do. I want to believe in Bruce. I really do, but the facts keep adding up. He is always going to put the mission before anything else. I couldn’t let Bruce hurt my little brother.” He looked Barbara in the eyes as he continued, “And by the time I realized that you would never put Jason in harm's way especially if I asked you not to, it had been a month. The truth is Babs that I didn’t tell you because by the time I got my shit together I felt like it was too late. I didn’t want to hear you disappointed in me, so I kept delaying the call-”

“Until you didn’t have to anymore. You can’t chicken out if I’m right next to you.” Dick sheepishly nods to respond. “I’m sorry Babs. I just couldn’t work up the courage.”

“Come here Boy Wonder. I’m not mad. I was hurt. I just wanted to know why you didn’t trust me, and now I know,” Dick was pulled into a hug as she continued, “It’s not that you couldn’t trust me. It was that you decided to dedicate the last two months of your life to acting like the lion from “The Wizard of OZ”. The friends both laughed. “So we’re good?”

“Yes Boy Wonder, we’re good. But I’m not sure if your wife is since she seems to be walking over here right now.” Dick looked up to see Kori making her way over to him. The look in her eyes said it was urgent. “Um ya. I’m going to go see what she needs. I’ll be right back. 

Dick sped walked over to his wife, “Baby what’s wrong?”

She looks over to Damian and Tim and back at Dick. “It's Damian, he's been acting off all day, I'm worried something may be wrong with him.” 

Dick nods and looks over to the boys. “What do you mean?” He asks gently.

“Well he was more closed off and less attached then usual. In fact, he avoided most things when we were getting ready. However he made me this adorable drawing and acted happy after the wedding but as soon as I went over to talk to the kids he was distant again. Do you think I did something to upset him?” She was worried that she may have insulted or hurt her youngest by accident.

Dick hummed in response. “I don't know, love. I can talk to him if you want but I think he's probably just processing.”

Kori nodded softly. “You are probably right, I'll let you get back to your family now.”

Dick chuckled, “No problem, you are my wife I will always have time for you.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips before Kori went to talk to other guests while smiling brightly.

Dick began to make his way back over to the bats, when he ran into Amy, who then greeted him with a smile, “Hey Rookie! How are you feeling?” Dick couldn’t help but return it as he replied, “Pretty good! I still semi can’t believe that I’m actually married to Kori.”

“That should make it great, so why is it only pretty good?” For a second Amy had forgotten how much of a dramatic goofball her partner could be, but she was quickly reminded as Dick smiled like a little kid when they got permission to eat a treat. Then he turned his features into a pout while saying, “Because everyone has been bullying me! I can’t take it anymore Amy, it hurts my soul too much.” She rolled her eyes at his antics, and didn’t that seem to be a repetitive gesture at this point. “Amy, I’m serious. You’re not going to be mean to me too are you?” The man batted his eyelashes as he asked. “Depends on if you deserve it, Grayson.” Dick flailed his arms, “But in Amy language that means you absolutely will, and are waiting for the right moment!” 

“Damn straight. I reserve my right to make fun of you at any given moment. But I believe congratulations are also in order. I’m happy for you Dick. You two are good together.” Dick straightened up and his chest swelled with content. “Thank you Amy. Really.” His partner responded by punching him in the shoulder. 

“Rude.”

“I did say I reserved the right to bully you.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to look so happy about it.”

“And how would you like me to feel about it? Whelmed?”

“Exactly! Now you’re getting it! I knew that would catch on!”

“Only because you say it at the precinct at least once a day!”

“Not true!” Amy raised an eyebrow. Dick just continued to smile.

“I say it at least twice a day.” His partner laughed and punched his shoulder again.

“Starting to think that you’re abusing me. Do I need to get my wife involved?” As the words left his mouth he felt a rush of joy. He gets to call Kori his wife for the rest of time. Kori was everything he had ever wanted in a lover. She was kind, strong, caring, independent, nurturing, fiery, loving, smart, and funny. She was enamoring and he truly could never want to live a day with her not being in his life.  He was so helplessly in love with her when he was younger. It had taken a long time to work up the courage to ask her on a date, and when she said yes he had been floored. After they broke up he fell in love with many other girls. He had a fling with Helana, a few dates with Zatanna, and a serious relationship with Barabra. He truly had cared for each one of them. He had imagined marrying some of them, but no matter how much he loved them, nobody ever held a candle to how he loved Kori. They say that you never fully get over your first love, and that rang true for him. He had been living the bachelor life for a while when Kori came back in his life, and as she returned so did his feelings for the Tarmeranian. She must have felt the same because soon they decided to give their relationship another try. That had been one of the greatest decisions of his life because now he was married to the woman that had owned his heart since he was a teen. “You are such a sap,” said Amy, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“How did you know I was thinking about Kori?”

“Well first of all I am a detective, and second of all you have that dopey smile on your face you always make when you think about your family.”

“I do that?”

“Yes, you do. Don’t worry, all your coworkers think it's cute. The baby of the precinct is all grown up.” Dick felt heat rise to his face, but he hid it with an exaggerated sigh, “I wish you would all stop calling me that.”

“Never.”

“Never?”

“Nope. Never in a million years, it’s too much fun messing with you.”

“Bully.”

“As your partner and friend it’s my civil duty to bully you.”

“Well, I guess I can’t do anything about it in that case. Speaking of family. Tell me again why your kids didn’t come? I knew Jim wasn’t going to be here, but I was a little shocked that the little ones didn’t make it. Especially when our kids are good friends.

“Justin and Emmy were going to come originally, but they caught a stomach bug yesterday and I wasn't risking it.

“Gotcha.” Dick looked over to where Barbara and Jason were still waiting on him, well I love you Ames, but I got to go. I promised Babs and Jay that I would be right back, and that was a bit ago. I do not need to dig myself another grave when I just crawled out of one with them.” Amy waved him off, “Go. I think I’ll go talk to Slade.” Dick gave a questioning look, “I didn’t know you were close.”

“We hit it off at that party the precinct threw for us and our families. While you were in your own little world with Kori and the kids, I decided to tattle on you to your dad and ended up liking the guy.” Dick had wondered how Slade had found out he forgot to eat on his shifts more often than not. “Huh.”

“Yep. Well see you later Rookie,” Amy said with a wave as she started to walk in his adoptive fathers direction.

When Dick walked back over to the bats, he noticed that Jason had loosed the buttons on his tuxedo shirt. This was a normal occurrence for Jason. He had never liked the collars on shirts. He always said that the fabric made his neck itchy and he hated how suffocating it felt to have the fabric tight around his neck. What was new was the wound on his neck that was now visible. The cut looked clean, ugly, and deep. There was no doubt in Dick’s mind, that wound would scar. 

“Hot?” Dick asked.

“Yeah, also I fuckin’ hate the feelin’ on my neck.”

“You always have. I can’t imagine it would be more comfortable with um,” Dick points to his own neck. Jason looked confused for a second before his eyes widened, “Shit. I forgot about that. Yeah, I got that a month ago. Guess I haven’t seen you since then.” 

“Jay, you ignored me for a month. You wouldn’t come over, you barely picked up calls, and you refused to be on facetime with the kids. Was this why?”

“And that is my cue to leave. See you boys later,” said Barbara as she rolled away at lightning speed. The two boys stared at each other for a few seconds before Jason decided to respond to Dick’s question, “It was.The reason why I stayed away I mean. At first it was cause I was on bedrest but after that was over, I just didn’t want you to see me like that Dickie.”

“Why? Did you think I would turn you away because of some wound?” Jason looked downcast, “Not the wound Dickie. I went into a rage, and things didn’t go well.”

“You hurt yourself,” the older brother concluded.

“No. I tried to hurt someone else. And not just some rando. I tried to get the Bats to kill the Joker.” Dicks eyes widened, but let Jason continue uninterrupted. “It was the plan that I made while still with the League of Assassins. I kidnapped the Joker from Arkham and made him choose. Me or the maniac that took his son away,” Jason's eyes flashed a bright green but only for a second. “I thought that maybe if he chose to kill the guy we could move on or somethin’,” he sighs.

“But that’s not what happened. It went wrong didn’t it?”

“Yeah. It sure as hell went wrong. B said he couldn’t do it. That he could never kill or else he would find excuses to kill everyone, which for the record is stupid logic, and he refused. That made me more angry, and well I guess he decided that I wasn’t a person anymore.”

“What do you mean by that?” Dick grabbed his little brother by the shoulders rapidly and held on hard. “Little Wing, what does that mean? Did he try to lock you up? You got cut in the process.” Jason shook his head and laughed darkly. “No.” Dick gripped the younger man tighter, “then what?” Jason finally took his eyes off the floor and looked straight into Dick blue orbs. “He said he would never kill another human, so I must be less than one since he aimed a batarang for my throat.” Tears began to pour from both brothers' eyes as Dick pulled Jason in tightly. “Little Wing you are NOT less than human. You are NOT a threat. Bruce is a fucking asshole that can’t see through his dumbass moral code to see that, but I can,” he said urgently. 

“How can I believe that, if even Batman thinks I’m not worth it? Dick I can’t even control my rage anymore. It took my dad trying to kill me to snap me back into reality. I must be some form of fucking monster. He thinks I’m worth less than the Joker.” Jason’s words sounded broken and were laced with fear. If the fear was directed towards Jason himself   believing that he was unsavable or if Dick thought Jason was unsavable, Dick didn’t know. But like hell he was going to let Jason think either option was true. “Jaybird, look at me. You know how protective I am. You know I would never put my kids in danger, so if you're such a monster why did I let you come here today? Why do I let them play with you without supervision? Also I am an amazing judge of character and I wanted YOU to be my best man. Not Wally, not Roy, not Joey, not even Donna was even close to being chosen compared to you. You’re my Little Wing, my brother, and my friend. Jay I love you, and I trust you with my family's lives, so trust me when I say you are not bad you’re just under the influence of something.” Jason looked relieved, so Dick follows up with, “Also trust me when I say that Bruce can fuck off, choke on a dick, and die.” Both brothers’ huff out a laugh that starts out small but then grows into full on belly laughter. 

“What. The. Actual. Fuck. Dick,” Jason says in between gasps for breath. “Can you take one moment seriously holy fuck,” he continues.

“Nope. It’s just not in my power to do so.” Jason lightly punches Dicks shoulder which is followed by a chuckle from the older of the two. “Thanks Dickhead.”

“Anytime Little Wing.” Jason sighed loudly. “Fuck. That is enough emotion for a week,” he turned to his brother, “I think I need a minute. Mind if I go outside for a smoke break?” On a normal day Dick would say something like, “That is going to kill you again you know?” But today he just shook his head and pointed out where the designated smoking area was. Jason had never cried on him like that, much less show that much emotion in public, so he would let his little brother win this one. “Thanks. I’ll be back in a bit,” he said as he walked towards the porch Dick had pointed at. After Jason was gone Dick looked around to see how many people had seen his brother's breakdown, and luckily a bat’s insistence to always be in a dark corner on the far side of a room had shield them from prying eyes. No one but Barbara had been looking in their direction as far as he could tell, though he had been a bit distracted before. Dick would make sure that he told his brother that later to save him from feeling embarrassed. Dick decided he needed a short break too, so he sat down at a random table in the back and watched his wife talk to Artemis.

___________________________________________

Artemis was watching Jason and Dick talk. She smiled softly as the two got along when Kori walked up to her. She looked over and nodded at her to acknowledge her presence. “Hello Artemis.” Kori greets with a big smile. “How are you?” 

“Good, good, how are you”

“I feel we have not talked much.” Artemis nodded in agreement. They look over to their boyfriend and husband. Who seemed to be having some kind of bonding moment. “They are acting like little kids,” Artemis jokes, receiving a small laugh from Kori. “It's true, though I'm glad the two have a moment to relax and be brothers, siblings bonds are important or so I am told.” Artemis seemed confused at this notion, “don't you have a brother and sister?” 

“Yes I do, but me and my brother never bonded, and my sister is in prison.”

“I see, well that's okay you have me now. I may not be married to Jason, but I'm not sure we will ever officially tie the knot, it's not really an us thing.” she paused, “It doesn't help the fact that he is also legally dead.” That made Kori smile and chuckle softly, “it is nice to have a sister that I can trust and that is actually family. I see Raven as my sister as well but it is different then one that is like you and me.”  Artemis nodded in agreement, “I get that.”

The two continued with light chatter about themselves and their idiots. Kori told stories of the kids as Artemis listened and told stories of Jason fawning over the kids. It was pleasant, peaceful, relaxing even. For once it seemed as though the two had a real true family. It was nice.

Just then Jade walked over with her normal sly smile followed by Linda. “So how does it feel to officially tie the knot?” Jade asks, her voice smooth but pleasant. Kori smiles and responds happily, “Wonderful.” Linda gave a comforting smile. “That's good to hear. I'm excited for the both of you. Maybe now Dick will stop calling Wally his husband in public.” That made the group laugh softly. “I know you two will be very happy, married life is wonderful. I wouldn't trade my life with Wally for anything.” Linda spoke with such love and sincerity, “Though it wouldn't kill him to show up on time a bit more often.” They all laugh.

“It's true, I love Roy to bits, he's an idiot by all meanings of the word, but an adorable idiot nonetheless.” Jade says. Kori smiles, “It is good to know that marital life is so pleasant.” Jade nods, “It is but if you ever need to escape from that idiot give me a call and we will disappear like the Cheshire Cat.” 

Lois then walks up to join the other girl's conversation. “There will be no need for that. Dick is a sweet boy, and I'm sure you two will be happy together.”

“I don't know, I don't think I could deal with his bad jokes, idiotic comments, and made up words.” Jade responded and Artemis nodded in agreement. “It takes a special type of person to handle him, and I don't think that would be the deal breaker for me, I think it would be because he's such a short stack, but hey if you like short kings, who am I to judge?” Lois just shakes her head. “I'm so proud of you and Dick ever since you were kids you were so cute together. I'm glad you have finally sealed the deal.” Kori smiled and they shared a gentle hug. “Don't listen to what they say, marriage is wonderful.” 

Kori nods and they separate from the hug as Lois walks off to find someone.

_________________________________________

Dick had continued to watch his wife as multiple other women joined the conversation. They were laughing so loudly that Dick could hear it from the other side of the room. He found himself briefly wondering what they could possibly be talking about that had them laughing like that. Just then Wally and Roy came up to him. “Hey Dick!” Roy looked around, “Where’s Jay?” 

“Outside. He said he needed some fresh air,” he replied. Roy gave him a pointed look, “So he’s smoking because he’s had too much social interaction for today, got it.” Dick rolled his eyes, “Not what I said.” Roy booped the acrobats nose, “But it’s what you meant. Anyways, that's not what’s important.”

“Yeah what’s important is that our wives are making fun of us and we can't let that happen. That’s our thing. Only we can make fun of us and get away with it,” Wally said with a fake mad expression on his face. Dick played along donning a scared look, “We have to put an end to that. I can’t let them talk Kori into a divorce, I’ll never find someone else that will put up with me!” The three laugh as they make their way over to the giggling group of women.  

Wally speeds over and pretends to yawn while wrapping his arm around his wife. “Y'all have been awfully giggly, what are you talking about?” He kisses his wife on the cheek as Roy comes up behind Jade and leans on her, his arms resting on her shoulder. “I believe they were talking shit and didn't think that we would hear it.”

Dick laughs as he finally makes it over and wraps Kori's arm around him and leans on her arms crossed trying to keep up his ‘cool guy ' persona. 

The girls laugh and Jade speaks, “Guilty as charged, we are just warning Kori of living life married to an idiot.” Dick puts his hand to his chest, “Rude, first of all. And also it's a little too late for that because we are married so she’s stuck with me and the kids forever.” Jade responds quickly, “Poor her.” 

Dick gasps dramatically and the rest of the group chuckled. Kori smiles and gives Dick a kiss on the cheek. “It is okay, my love. I wouldn't have it any other way.”

“Well that's good cause there is no escaping now.” Dick replied, pulling her into an actual kiss on the lips.

__________________________________________

Meanwhile, when Damian was drawing a boy walked up to him. The boy looked to be a year younger than Damian himself. He had blue eyes and black hair. He looked similar to Uncle Clark. The boy had a bright smile on his face. “Hi! I'm Jon, I saw you drawing and I was wondering if maybe you would wanna play with me and the other kids our age?” Damian looked up, confused. He has never had friends before. He was told they were a weakness in the League of Assassins. His parents continued to try to get him to talk to other kids in his classes but everytime he refused to do so. Friends had always been a Tim thing. Not that Damian minded. He liked being alone. Had preferred it even. The closest thing he had to a friend was Justin Rohrbach, and the boy was two years older than him. “I'm good, but thank you for inviting me,” he responded. Then he went back to drawing however the taller, yet younger boy didn't move. Damian looked over again confused. “Do you need something?”

         The boy shook his head. “No, I'm just making sure you don't wanna play. We are playing pirates if you change your mind.” The boy then smiled and ran off to the rest of the smaller kids. Damian continued to draw but caught himself looking over at the others a few times. He sighed and got up putting his art supplies in his bag and walking over to the others. The boy from earlier eyes lit up. “You came!” He said happily. A girl with ginger pigtails and a beaming smile walked over. “Hello, I'm Irey.” She introduced herself to him and then pointed to a boy that looked similar to her aside from having black hair and brown eyes. “And that's my brother Jai,” who nodded. Finally the last little girl walked over. She had her hip popped out with hands on her hips and introduced herself as ‘Lian.’

        Damian nodded with an awkward smile plastered on his face. In the League of Assassin's social interactions and making friends wasn't really a lesson they were taught. “I am Damian.” He said his voice was somewhat stiff. The others smiled. “It's nice to meet you” Jai said with an inviting smile and Irey looked Damian up and down. “Can you stop smiling, it's kinda creepy, Mister doom and gloom.” Damian relaxed his face into a slight frown. Was this a mistake? Should he go back to the table? He should leave. He was making everything awkward. This was a mistake. Maybe he should leave the whole wedding or hide till it's over. He was bringing down the mood. Just then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. It was Jon who had a pout on his face. “That’s mean Irey, I think Damian’s smile is nice.” he then gave a thumbs up and grinned. Irey sighed but ultimately apologized.

       The children then found a secluded, less decorated spot to play pirates not wanting to break anything or disturb anyone. They then assigned roles. Damian was voted captain which meant he had full control of the battles they faced as well as got to sail the ship. Jon was first mate which in pirate lore meant he was ranked right below the captain and would take over the sailing of the ship if the captain could not perform his duties, but otherwise had no real power over the crew. Lian begged for the role of quartermaster which gave her the real power to be able to boss the crew around as well as be in charge of the food and water. Irey was the gunner which made her in charge of the cannons. Jai got the role of ‘sailing master’, he was an officer in charge of navigation and manning the sails.

         The five had fake sword fights with imaginary swords and chased each other around the secluded spot. Damian felt himself letting a little bit lose. His guard was still up but it was definitely better than before. They let Damian draw their pirate crew symbols and fed him ideas as they drew how they wanted their ship to look. It consisted of lots of sails, a skull on the front and 13 different cannons. However, to make it more fun it had many colors, water slides and a few ropes to swing on. In other words it was like a child's dream play area but as a pirate ship.

        During a round of face to face combat, he did a quick back walkover. A trick he perfected  in training. He wasn't as flexible or as strong as his older brother and Dad but he knew a few tricks, and had great agility and stamina. The other kids looked super impressed and were clapping. They were all enthralled by the small trick done by the tiniest of the group. They then encouraged Damian to do more tricks which he did flawlessly, exciting the group more about their game. 

        While they were playing Kori looked over with a bright smile and tapped Dick on the shoulder. Dick looked at her first, then in the direction she was pointing to see the younger kids playing. Pride grows within the two seeing their youngest actually making friends and letting loose. It showed improvement in their youngest behaviors.

           Damian enjoyed playing with the others. He liked the energy and joy Jon brought to the group. He liked the spunk Lian had. He thought Jai was sweet and enjoyed his company. And despite himself he enjoyed the sass that filled Irey. It was a good balanced group. So many personalities that somehow mixed together well. Damian might actually like this whole friend thing after all.

Tim was not having the same amount of luck Damian was with making friends. He knew logically that he had many friends outside of the reception hall, but those did not seem to matter inside these walls. He missed his friends. He felt so lonely without them. Steph wasn’t here with her headstrong and upbeat attitude, but he bet that even she couldn’t make this situation fun. His parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles were all busy having their own conversations to play with him. He thought he could force his Uncle Jason to play after he had broken off from Tim’s dad, but the older man had gone to the one area Tim wasn’t allowed to go to courtesy of his Dad’s rules. The 11-year-old boy had accepted his fate to die of boredom. He sat down at the ‘kids table’ and buried his face into his arms, he was in the prime position for ‘heads-up-seven-up’ with no one to play with.The young boy was groaning into the table and wallowing in his self-pity, when all of the sudden he heard someone speak, “Are you doing a Batman impression? It’s really good! You got that whole ‘I’m all alone, and my only friend is justice’ thing down.” Tim looked up to see a girl that looked around his age. She looked caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised quizzically at Tim. She was expecting an answer. “No, I am not impersonating Batman. I’m bored with too much energy to spend.” She laughed, “Not a good combination. I could help you with that, you know? I am also bored with too much energy. I’m Cassie, do you want to do something with me?” Tim pretends to think about it before nodding his head, “Tim. And sure, but what can we do?” They two looked around for anything that looked interesting. Tim's eyes landed on a notepad, “Have you ever played hangman?” She shook her head. “Okay so, it’s a pretty basic game. I’m going to draw a little hook that the hangman is going to go on, and also draw some lines. Then you guess the word one letter at a time. Got it?” Cassie got a determined look on her face and nodded. Tim picked a ten letter word and the game began.

“A?”

“Yep, just one at the end.”

“I?”

“Right again, just before the last letter.”

“N?”

“Correct. That’s the sixth and second letter.”

“H?

“Nope.” Tim drew a little head on the paper. Cassie looked confused, “Wait. Why did you draw a circle?” Tim realized he forgot to tell her what happens when someone guesses incorrectly. “When you make a wrong guess I draw a body part: head, left arm, right arm, torso, right leg, or left leg. If I draw the full man before you guess the word, I win. If you guess the word before the hangman is drawn, you win.” Cassie nodded in understanding, and they continued.

“E?”

“Wrong.” Tim drew a torso, and Cassie pouted.

“O?”

“Yes! Four of them.” Cassie looked delighted as Tim put an ‘O’ as the first, third, fifth, and seventh blank. Tim found himself excited too. He usually hates to lose, but Cassie was so into it. He wanted to root for her. Cassie looked at the paper, “Tim what the hell is this word.”

“Well I can’t tell you. That kind of ruins the game.”

“Fine,” she looked at the paper again before guessing, “M?” 

Tim smiled. “It’s the fourth letter.”

“H?” Tim shaked his head. “Nope,” he drew the left arm. “Come on Cassie you got this!”

“Okay. Yeah! Um….OH! It's P. The word is ‘onomonopia!’ Bam!”

“YES!” Tim put the final letter down on the blank, then gave the page to Cassie. It’s your trophy.”

“Thanks.”

____________________________________________________________________________

_ O _   _ N_   _ O _   _ M _   _ O _   _ N _   _ O _   _P_   _ I _   _ A _

 +---+

  |    |

  O   |

 / |    | 

       |

       |

=========''']

____________________________________________________________________________

The two new friends were about to start a new round when suddenly the photographer grabbed hold of the microphone. “Hi everyone! I’m all set up to do the wedding photos now. Sorry it took so long. I forgot my camera at the venue, so I had to beg Clark to fly me there. Then when we finally got back my camera’s settings were not how I left them, so I had to fix that. I’m rambling, but basically could the wedding party and families of the wonderful bride and groom please meet me outside. Thank you!” Tim had completely forgotten about the camera thing. He quickly surveyed the room and instantly caught his dad’s gaze. “Um, I got to go do photos. Talk to you later?” Cassie nodded vigorously, "Definitely! I have adopted you as my introvert. You’re my friend now. I’m not letting you go.” Tim let out a soft giggle, “Okay. Bye,” he said as he walked away from his friend to the outside area.

“Tim.”

“Oh. Hi Dad! How are you?”

“Tim.”

“Yeah okay. I’m just a little nervous. I really don’t like talking to people I don’t know. I mean it’s been fine all day because I know everyone and I was excited about Mom marrying you, but now I don’t think I can talk to him alone. Please come with me?” His fathers eyes softened. “Of course Baby Bird,” he said while offering Tim his hand, which the young boy accepted immediately. 

“Hey Jimmy! Could me and Tim here talk to you for one second before we start pictures?” The photographer tilted his head in confusion, “Of course. What's the conversation about?” The three walked a bit away from the photo area for a bit of privacy. Dick looked at Tim waiting for him to start. Tim took a deep breath, “I’m sorry-” Tim paused then looked at his dad pleadingly. 

“Olsen.” Tim nodded and continued, “I’m sorry Mr. Olsen. I was the one that messed with your camera settings. I wanted to take a group photo with my family before going to the reception, and your equipment was right there so I took it with that, but I adjusted the settings to the ones I like. I used your equipment without your permission, messed with it, and then made you have to work harder to fix it. I’m sorry.” Tim was looking at the ground by the time he was finished. He was too scared to look up, so he just continued to look at his shoes before something blocked his vision, a card. It was a business card. One for ‘The Daily Planet’ specifically. Tim looked up to see Jimmy Olson smiling, “I was wondering who took that photo. I thought it was one of the grownups, but instead it was a kid in their preteens.” The man laughed, “You have an eye for photography, little guy. The card is for you. When you're older I want you to give the number a call. I’m always looking for more photographers to lighten my workload.” Tim was shocked but took the card and gave it to his dad for safe keeping, “So. You forgive me?” Jimmy nodded and Tim felt immense relief. His dad then clapped his hands together, “Alright now that that's resolved, Let's go take some photos. 

The group walked over the photo area once more and pictures were almost immediately being taken. First Kori and Dick did a few photos together, second was the whole wedding party, after that it was time for the bridesmaids and men, next it was the groomsmen and woman, then it was the Wilson family, then ‘the bats’, then both of those together with Kori and the kids, after that it was the Grayson family, then just the kids, and lastly was a big group picture of all of them.

After the photos were done they all went back inside. Once there, they made an announcement that they were going to throw the bouquet. All the unmarried girls crowded behind Kori who had her back towards them. She lifted up the flowers and made a motion as if she was going to throw it, then turned around and aimed the flowers at Raven who caught it with a surprised look on her face. Kori laughed, “I needed to make sure that you would be the next of us to wed. I am just so excited to see you two be officially united.” Rachel blushed as the other girls congratulated her as Zatanna grabbed the microphone to make the next announcement.

“Alright everyone now that the bouquet toss is done, it's time to cut the cake so, may I have our lovely bride and groom come over here.” Zatanna announced. Dick and Kori walked over to the cake with smiles on their faces. The cake was a 4 tier. It was vanilla with a strawberry filling and buttercream frosting. On the cake there was several buttercream piped flowers in different colors going down the side of it in a diagonal. It started yellow then a pinkish orange into pink into blue into purple. There were different sizes and shapes of flowers, some even supporting a yellow dot in the middle. There was also some piping along the edges of the cake.

They first removed the top layer of the cake to freeze and share on their first wedding anniversary per the tradition, before they grabbed the knife. Kori's hand was on top of Dicks as they sliced the cave and softly put it on a plate. They then each grabbed forks and fed each other a bite of the cake before kissing sweetly on the lips receiving a couple ‘awws’ from the audience. Well aside from Jason who yelled for the two to “get a room” making a couple people chuckle.

Kori then scooped some colorful icing and booped Dicks nose making him laugh softly. He then retaliated by repeating the action on Kori. They then gave each other a look before looking at their kids and then back at each other. Kori whispered to Dick, “should we do it?”

“Definitely, I'll get Dami and you get Timmy.”

She nods and laughs softly waving the kids over to join them. Tim runs over eagerly, Damian not falling far behind. Once they get over to their parents they count down confusing the kids,

“3...2...1…”

And with that they both grab a scoop of cake and smash it into the kids face. They both crack up with laughter as the crowd joins in. Both kids looked stunned. Tim has a betrayed yet playful look on his face as he licks off some icing and chuckles. Damian however looked confused and concerned he was staring at his hand. When he finally looked up he had tears in his eyes, his small hands shaking. “Am I in trouble?” He mumbled thinking he must have done something wrong to get cake smashed in his face.

Dick and Kori's hearts broke at the words they both kneeled down to Damians level. “No,no, that's not it at all sweety, it's a tradition at weddings to show love “ Dick explained. Damian looked confused not getting it. 

Dick looked over to Kori, “Tell Zatanna to open the food while I go wash off the kids”

“Okay.” She replied sweetly walking over to Zatanna to tell her as Dick picked up Damian and told Tim to follow him to the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom Dick asked Tim if he needed help getting cleared up but the young boy shook his head and began to clean his face. Dick sat Damian on the sink and began to wet a paper towel to clean him. He was about to start whipping the cake off when he noticed Damians hurt look. “Aww, sweetie, it's okay. I promise me and mom aren't mad at you. You are in no way in trouble kiddo. It was a joke. In fact you can do it to me.”

Damian tilted his head confused trying to see if it was a set up. Dick kept an encouraging smile on his face and nodded for reassurance. Tim smiled and walked up to Damian with his clean face and scooped some cake off and smacked Dick with it making him gasp. “You little fart, I didn't give you permission.” Damian laughed and finally scooped some cake off his face and smashed it on Dick's.

The three laughed and Dick pulled them both into a hug. “I love you two so much.”

Tim had a beaming smile on his face and replied “we love you too dad.” Damian nodded in agreement with a soft smile on his face. 

Dick pulled out his phone and snapped a quick picture of them with their cake covered hands and faces wanting to remember this moment forever.  After, they cleaned up and returned back to the dining room and served up. Damian and Tim were offered to sit with the kids or with their parents but both opted to sit with their new buddies for both dinner and dessert.

After Tim and Cassie had finished eating they instantly wanted something to do. While Tim was scanning the room for something else to do with his new friend he saw a fair amount of Leaguers discussing something at the far off table. Tim thought about going over there and investigating, but he needed to check in with Cassie first. “Hey Cassie, do you want to play spies?” The grin on her face was all that Tim needed to proceed to sneak over to a table beside the super powered adults. Cassie followed close behind. They both quickly hid under the table and began to listen to the conversation.

Clark looked over to the table he knew the kids were under. He decided to let them have their fun, and turned his attention back to the conversation being had by his fellow league members.

“Ollie. Buddy. There is no possible way that Mothman exists.”

“Barry. Bud. what if, and just hear me out, what if Killer Moth IS Mothman.”

“Wait, would that make Silkie Mothman’s son?” Victor asked.

“I’m sorry, who is this Silkie? To answer the question correctly we must know all the facts,” said Diana.

“Oh I know that one,” Zatanna started, “Silkie is Kori’s pet, but the little guy is a larva that Killer Moth made. So it’s kinda like his son.”

“I feel like that’s more of a creation than a son. So Mothman’s creation,” Dinah concluded.

“On a more related note, what are we gonna tell Batman next week at the league meeting since we were supposed to have one today but conveniently all canceled?” Diana said, her voice carrying a new serious tone compared to the previous playful tone. Oliver and Barry looked at each other, fear evident in their faces.

“That’s easy. We tell him we were dealing with a high level threat,” Zatanna said confidently.

“Did we schedule it in with the villain? Because usually we wouldn’t know about that beforehand Zee,” Victor pointed out. Clark decided to chime in, “I wish we could just tell him the truth. I hate lying to a friend, but Dick.”

“Does not want him to know. Yeah. So back to excuses it is. I actually think the high level threat might work if we say it was magic related,” Barry helpfully stated

“How? Could that possibly work Barry? Vic is right about the whole schedule thing,” added Oliver. Barry smiled, “Well what if it wasn’t exactly scheduled and more like a feeling. The full moon is out tonight. Maybe Zatanna felt that something was going to happen tonight and asked for back up?” Diana decided to latch onto this plan, “It would also account for why we did not ask him for back up. Bruce despises magic.”

“Yes! I could say that I detected the veil between the spiritual world was shaking. A demonic presence was trying to pass in to our plane, but I couldn’t tell where they would end up.”

“And you need us to patrol the most likely areas,” Dinah added helpfully. Zatanna continued, “Exactly! When we finally found the location-” 

“It was too late. They had already hopped on the bus to the mortal realm.” Oliver interrupts. Zatanna rolls her eyes, “Yes, then we all met at that location to take the threat down.”

“But what was the threat? We need to get our story straight,” asked Clark. If he was going to lie to the Batman, he definitely did not want to get caught. “Demon Zombies.” They all looked at Oliver. “Bud. What?” Barry asked his arrow welding companion. “Demon Zombies. The demon puts demonic energy into people that turns them into zombies, and it’s contagious. It’s something so ridiculous that Batman couldnt possibly think that we made up. It’s too specific.” The man's wife kissed his cheek before speaking, “I actually agree with him. It’s so stupid it might work.” 

“Alright, but why were these 'demon zombies' not on the news?’ Questioned Diana.

“Because Zee wiped everyone's memory of it happening and I erased it from the media completely. And we had to do it because the memory of the event was too terrifying to the civilians; it was making them go insane. The videos online could bring back the repressed memories so we had to delete everything,” Victor explained. “That might just work,” The magician cried out happily. 

Just then Slade’s voice rang all across the room. The former mercenary had the microphone in hand and was making an announcement, “My daughter-in-law and my son are about to do the final dance of the night. Then we can all send them off and get the hell out of here. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have a very long drive home.” 

The guests all walked back over to the dance floor. Tim and Cassie were the last to arrive since they had to wait till the adults they were spying on walked away. They refused to be caught. Not soon after they arrived, the music started and Tim’s parents danced once more.

Kori had found her hands in her husbands as soon as the first note of “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman” started to play. Dick led her in a simple two step dance. When the chorus picked up he would spin her in various ways, and she would find her way back into his arms and lean into him. At the two minute and nineteen second mark they stepped it up. They stretched their arms as much as possible while still holding each other's hands, came back together, and Dick wrapped his hands around Kori’s waist. Kori then leaned her head back and spread her arms out wide as they spun. After a few spins she brought her head back up and moved her arms around her husband's neck as they continued to spin. When the line, “It feels Impossible” began, Kori felt herself being picked up by Dick princess style. They continued to spin as they leaned in, closed their eyes, and kissed. They continued to spin, both pairs of lips pressed together until the song slowed down once more and Kori was put down. They stayed close to each other, their chests pressed together as the song came to an end, and cheers rang out across the room. 

As the guests shuffled to the door to prepare for the send off of the married couple, Kori heard Dick whisper in her ear, “I love you so much Kor.” She turned to her husband and answered him with a short, deep kiss. Then they walked hand in hand to the exit doors and shoved them open. They were immediately bombarded with a shower of flower petals and cheers as they raced to the car that was parked right ahead. When they got to the black limousine Dick opened the door for Kori, who thanked him and took her seat. He then went to the other side of the car and hopped in. As soon as they were buckled, the car took off to the airport, their luggage already packed in the trunk as well as a change of clothes in the back, their honeymoon had begun. They hoped the kids would fare well without them for three days.

Chapter Text

Though originally reluctant to have a honeymoon, Dick and Kori were convinced by Wally and Roy to have a getaway weekend stating that they “could handle it.” It was decided that Dick and Kori would be gone for the weekend and come back at the end of Monday. It was the perfect time for the lovers to have privacy, but not long enough to spark fear into Tim due to his abandonment issues or long enough for Damian to become severely self-reliant again. The plan was simple: day one would be Roy and Wally as they had offered to help but also had kids of their own they needed to get back to. Day two would be Slade as he would be the perfect buffer, and the man wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. Lastly, day three would be Jason and Joey as they were the kid’s uncles and deserved some quality time with their nephews. Dick trusted Joey and they knew the kids loved Jason making them the perfect pair. It was also an added bonus that it would force the two to hang out and hopefully get closer. Dick and Kori wanted to be able to have family dinners in the future, and it would be much more enjoyable if everyone was well acquainted with each other.

Feeling confident in the abilities of their friends and family members, Dick and Kori flew off to Florida. However, as they arrived at their destination Dick grew a little worried. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had prepared the babysitters for success or failure. Kori, noticing his stress, told him to, “call his fellow fathers if he was so worried.” So, that is exactly what he did.

“We have it covered Dick; Tim’s bedtime is 8:00 Damian’s is 6:30 but tell him 5:30 so he feels like he’s getting away with something. Damian is vegetarian and has to take his nasal spray once in the morning and once at night. Stay away from all nuts aside from peanuts and pistachios, make sure Damian only takes his special medicine if he gets sick or injured, keep an eye on the vents and dark places, lunch is at 12 and dinner is at five.” Roy says as Wally writes everything down on the whiteboard on the fridge.

“And no shellfish. Tim is allergic,” Dick said, sounding a little worried.

“We have got this Dick don’t worry. You and Kori relax, and we’ll call you if we need anything.” Wally says calmly.

Dick sighs on the other end of the phone, “Okay the doctor's phone number is on the fridge, and you’ll send hourly updates and pictures, right?”

“Right” They say at the same time, “Now take a breath and enjoy yourselves.” Wally finishes as the call ends. Dick now feeling much calmer, was able to finally relax for the first time in what felt like years. Wally and Roy were right; the two fellow Titans had this whole babysitting thing covered.

————————————————————————————————————

Wally and Roy smile after ending the call and enter the living room to see the kids. Tim was playing with Legos as Damian pet Cleopatra, his sphinx cat they found on the side of the road and took in, while watching a cartoon.

“Hey boys, how are you two?” Roy greets a relaxed expression present on his face. 

“I’m good!’ Tim chirped.

“I am satisfied.” Damian said plainly.

Wally nods a smile plastered on his face. “Well, that's good. I'm sure your parents told you me and your Uncle Roy will be babysitting you two today.”

They both nod and get back to what they were doing. Roy and Wally look at each other and smile. This was going to be easy if the two children decided to stay in their own little worlds. They sit on the couch, and each keep an eye on one child. Wally was assigned to Tim and Roy to Damian.

Everything was peaceful in the house. Tim finished his Lego replica of the coliseum that he had been working on, and had it proudly displayed on a shelf in his room. Damian had fed all the animals lunch and played with them appropriately. The youngest had even had time to start a new drawing of his hamster named Severus. Eventually noon came around and Roy left the living room to go make lunch for the group. It was simple sandwiches and chips with a drink, but it still took a while. 

Tim was very picky when it came to food. It had to be made a certain way, or he couldn't eat it. It had to be white bread, then sliced turkey, then pepper, then lettuce, then three tomatoes, and a small amount of mayonnaise. No cheese and the chips can't touch the sandwich. He had lemonade to drink and opted for just classic potato chips.

Damian, however, likes a chicken salad sandwich made with fake chicken. But he was very particular with how much mayonnaise was added and how much pepper was needed. For his chips he wanted sour cream and onion chips. As for a drink he had a pacific punch juice box.

When the food was finished, he called the kids to the table to eat. They both sat down and began to eat their food. Wally and Roy let out a sigh of relief as neither kid complained about how their food was made. They took a picture of the kids happily eating their food and sent it to Dick and Kori. Then both redheads went to the kitchen to make their own food before sitting down and starting to eat as well.

After lunch, Wally began to do the dishes. Roy took the kids back to the living room. “Alright, how about we watch a movie, kiddos?” Damian and Tim look at each other and then at Roy and nod.

“Okay what do you two want to watch?” Roy asks.

Tim yells, “Barbara!” while Damian yelled “Bisney!”

Roy tilts his head. He was familiar with the movies from both programs. Him and Lian watched Barbara movies all the time. It was some of her favorites, but it wasn't really a boy's thing. Not that he minded. He was glad Dick allowed the kids to push past gender norms. It was just surprising to him. Though, Lian wasn’t much of a Bisney kid. This was probably thanks to Jade calling their movies too kid friendly. Roy had never got that. I mean take “King of the Lions” for example the guy's uncle gets eaten alive by hyenas. In “The Tiny Merfolk” the big bad gets straight up impaled. And “The Dark Cauldron” spoke for itself. Roy was honestly glad that Lian preferred Barbara movies. He would gladly take watching, “The Princess From The Island” a million times before having to explain that, “Yes sweetheart, that guy DID just eat all those babies.” Dick was on the right track.

“Okay which movie?” He asked as Wally walked in the room. 

“Searching for Demo!” Damian yelled while at the same time Tim yelled, “Royal Charm School!”

Roy rose his brow. “Um, okay, we can watch both but which one first.”

Damian was about to speak up when Tim shot in, “Royal Charm School.”

“Searching for Demo!”

“No, Royal Charm School”

“Searching for Demo!”

“No, Royal Charm School”

“Searching for Demo!”

“No, Royal Charm School”

“Searching for Demo!”

“Royal Charm School”

Just then Damian punched Tim in the gut knocking him to the floor. Tim got up easily, scowled the younger boy, then pushed Damian back for revenge. The pushing escalated and soon, the two began to rough house. Roy walked over to them trying to attempt to break them apart, but it didn't work. Wally on the other hand was freaking out. He had a boy and a girl, and of course they fight, all siblings do, but they never threw hands quite like this; this was a whole new experience to him.

As for Roy he only had one girl, so boys were a whole different story. Hell, fighting was a new experience for him. The only thing that was close was when they used to train a bit rougher with each other as Teen Titans, but that was him doing the fighting not breaking it up. Roy had no idea how to do that, so he did the only thing he could do. “Hey Wally? Call Dick.” Roy said, looking hurriedly at Wally.

Wally ran to the other room and grabbed his phone faster than he had ever grabbed a phone before and dialed his best friend.

____________________________________________________________________________

Dick and Kori were at Destin Beach. They were relaxing by the water with sun hats on and some drinks in coconuts. They were under an umbrella in their bathing suits. It was the most peaceful trip they had ever taken. The perfect breather that they didn't know that they needed. They were in bliss having the vacation they have never even dared to dream about when Dick’s phone rang. He answered quickly. The sound of Wally's frantic voice was quickly heard. “Dick! Your kids are fighting, and Roy can't separate them. We're worried they’re going to hurt themselves or each other."

Dick stifled back a laugh. “Facetime me.” He said calmly. Wally could hear Kori say something and Dick reply, but it was blocked out because the speedster was so frantic. Once he pressed the Facetime button, he walked back into the room showing the scene of the two boys hitting and pushing each other around as they rolled on the floor.

Kori just smiled and said, “Don't worry you two they are simply rough housing. As long as there is no blood and they keep it shoulders and under they are fine. They won't hurt each other that bad, and if they do it's by accident they are merely playing. Plus, they both have a code word to make the other stop if it's too much.”

“Oh, okay.” Wally said, taking a deep breath.

“If you need anything else don't be afraid to call us” Dick said sweetly. “Oh, and tell the kids we love them.”

Wally nods with a concerned look but a smile present on his face, nonetheless. “Alright, bye you two, have fun!”

Kori and Dick wave smiling before hanging up. As soon as they do the babysitters wince as they hear Damian say, “uh oh” and see Tim immediately stop fighting and step back a few steps.

Wally looks over to see what happened and is greeted by the sight of Damian's nose bleeding. It was running like a faucet down his face completely ruining his shirt and freaking out everyone present.

“I didn't do that; I didn't touch him. I swear I didn’t.” Tim yelped, scared of being punished for something he didn't do. He pleaded to the babysitters to believe him with his eyes. Wally had a feeling if the eyes didn’t work, Tim would beg with words through tears. Luckily for the older boy, Damian backs up that story stating, “Tim followed the rules. He never hit my face. My nose simply started bleeding.”

Roy spoke up, “That's okay you two, Tim, why don’t you go turn on something on the TV while me and Wally patch up Damian.”

Tim nods and goes to put on ‘Royal Charm School.’

Roy then picks up Damian and sets the young boy on the counter. He then grabs a paper towel to plug the little guy’s nose. Wally rubs Damian's back comfortingly. “What happened Buddy?” Wally asked.

Damian looks away and mutters something they can't make out. 

“Huh?” Roy says, and Damian just mumbled softly again. Wally and Roy look towards each other confused and Wally speaks up. “Whatever it is we aren't mad we just want to know so we know how to stop it.”

Damian sighs and finally says, “I lied about taking my medicine. I faked it.” The two smiled and gave each other knowing looks. “Okay then, we are going to have to take that when your nose stops bleeding, okay?” Roy asks and Damian nods. The blood continues to pour for a while. Wally starts to wonder if it’s ever going to stop. After a little longer the bleeding finally subsides, and they can help Damian take the medicine. 

His nose started to clear immediately and the pressure that originally caused the nosebleed in the first place lessened immensely. They then took Damian back to the couch to watch the show with Tim. The younger boy looked a little annoyed that Tim had put on his choice first but then realized that he would have missed a lot of his favorite movie if Tim had done otherwise. With that thought in mind he decided to forgive his older brother for his transgressions and sat down next to him. Tim looked over and gave a little smile to Damian then continued to watch the movie.

A few hours later, Wally started on making the four of them Dinner. He decided to make something simple. He didn’t have the energy to make a complicated meal after the fiasco that was Damian’s fountain of blood. He made beanie weenies or in Damian's Case beans and tofu.

After the food was done, Wally called the kids and Roy to the table and served them. While Tim ate his food happily, Damian forced the food down his throat. It was disgusting to say the least. The texture of the tofu was slimy and did not mesh well with the baked beans. The taste was not to his liking either. The food was rather bland in Damian’s opinion. He really tried to stomach it all, not wanting to waste the food, but he couldn’t. He felt like he was going to vomit more and more with every bite. We wanted to insult the speedster for torturing him, because truly he didn’t know what else this could be but a torture method. He wanted to ask what he was being punished for. He really wanted his dad’s cooking. When he truly couldn’t take it anymore, he pushed it back and stood up. “Umm, I have a stomachache. I think I'm going to go to bed…” Damian says softly. He was lying. He felt fine, but he needed an excuse to not eat. Usually, he would simply tell the truth, but his mom had been trying to teach him the art of white lies after he had made his dad cry. Damian hadn’t realized that when someone asks, “Do you like living here?” He was supposed to answer positively. Instead, Damian had told the man that he wasn’t used to how domestic it felt, and that it sometimes made him uncomfortable. He hoped his uncles would not be able to see through his deception. 

Roy and Wally looked between each other concerned. “Well okay then.” Wally says. “Do you need me or Roy to help you get in bed?” Damian shakes his head. “Do you want to talk to your dad and mom before you go to bed? You can if you want.” Damian nods enthusiastically and steps out of the room to sit on the couch and calls his dad.

Dick and Kori were at the hotel room laying in bed together, just relaxing and enjoying each other's presence after a long day, before they left to go to dinner later that night. When he heard the phone ring, Dick reached over Kori who was cuddled up against him and answered as soon as possible. 

“What's up Wals, are the kids, okay?” 

“It's Damian, dad.”

“Oh, hi Dami, are you okay sweetie?”

“No, I'm hungry but Uncle Wally made beanie weenies or in my case beanie and tofu and it's really gross. I can't eat it. I said I had a stomachache to not hurt his feelings like Mom told me to.”

Dick chuckled, would he rather not have Damian lie, yes. But he did it to protect someone's feelings which showed progress which in turn made him proud.

“Okay honey, just wait one second. I’m going to order you food to the house. I’ll get you a veggie burger from that place down the street. Do you want fries or apples?” Dick asks sweetly.

“Fries, please.”

“Okay. It's on the way. I also got you and Timmy a dessert, you boys deserve it. Can you promise me that you will make sure Timmy gets the door?”

“Okay. I promise Dad.”

“Alright. Thank you,” Kori tapped on his shoulder, causing him to pause. She pointed at the time. Dick nodded and continued, “Well me and your mom are going to go eat, call me before bed please.”

“Yes sir.”

“Alright love you Dami.”

“Love you too dad.”

After he hung up, he gave the phone back to his uncle and told Tim everything he needed to know. Tim gave a salute like he was on a mission and waited in the living room patiently waiting for the food to show up. About 45 minutes later the food arrived. Tim opened the door, grabbed the package, and shut the door quickly. They then hid in Damian’s room to eat. Damian got a strawberry shortcake with his veggie burger, fries, and tea. Tim got a lava cake. After they finished eating, they threw the trash away.

That was around the time it was time for Damian to go to bed. Wally and Roy decided to go to Damian’s room to check if the kid was awake. Once they saw he was they got him ready to fall asleep. He was tucked in and given his night medicine plus some tums before they left turning off the light. They then went to Tim who was watching a movie about space. Just then, his face dropped. “Oh no.” he said.

Roy looked over at Tim confused, “Oh no. Oh no what?” He asked worriedly. Tim let out a nervous giggle. “I just remembered that I have a science project due on Monday. I need to make a poster and a model of Saturn.” He spoke. “I would do it tomorrow, but I can’t. Grandpa Slade is coming over and he always takes us somewhere. I won't have any time to work on it.”

Wally's face dropped. “Please tell me your kidding.”

Tim shook his head.

“Well, sh- shiitake mushrooms.” Roy spat. “What do you need?”

Tim made a list of stuff for Roy to get while Wally speed read the requirements and searched the facts he didn't know.

The requirements were simple as it was a sixth-grade project at the beginning of the year. For the poster it needed to know: what the name of the planet was, what galaxy it was in, if it had rings and if so how many, was it an inner or outer planet, was it a gas or a rocky planet, how far away it was from the sun, and what number it came in the solar system. It also needed a printed and drawn picture of the planet.

As for the diagram it had to be 3D and at least three inches tall and three inches wide. It could be made from anything, but it has to be painted realistically.

When Roy got back with a bag full of the needed supplies, they immediately got to work. Wally was given the duty of the printing of the facts. He made sure that they got through every needed question on the list. He also made sure that the font was a good size and was easily read. Tim assembled the model. He claimed he was an expert due to all the Lego sets he had built. Roy was given the honor of drawing a picture of the planet. He hoped that it was good enough. He wasn’t really that much of an artist, but he followed a tutorial online and he thought it looked pretty good. Once they finished printing everything, they glued the pictures and facts on the poster paper and decorated it with star stickers. While in the process of the whole project, Tim had made it his mission to spit out random fun facts about the planet like:

“Did you know Saturn is the most distant planet visible with the naked eye?”

Or:

“Did you know scientists believe it rains diamonds on Saturn due to its atmospheric conditions?”

Or:

“Did you know Saturn is the flattest planet?”

Or even:

“Did you know that Saturn is buoyant and would float on the water if there was an ocean big enough.”

Any other day the two would find this behavior adorable but it was almost ten at night. They were tired and wanted to get home to their wives and kids. They tried their best not to show their slight annoyance, and hoped they succeeded. The last thing that they needed was for Kori and Dick to come home and immediately fry their asses for making Tim’s self of steam worse. So, they plastered smiles on their faces and let the eleven-year-old continue to educate them until they were finished.  Eventually, they did finish decorating the poster and the model. They ushered Tim to bed while putting the model on a high shelf and the poster in a draw so they wouldn’t get ruined. They took Tim upstairs and got ready to tuck him in when he asked for a phone to call his parents. Roy relented his phone, and the boy instantly made the call. While the phone was still ringing Wally and Roy left to wait outside of Tim’s room. The phone rang exactly three times before Kori picked it up. “Hello. I am hoping this is one of my kids saying good night since we have been waiting for that call.” Tim smiled softly when he heard his mom’s voice. “Hi Mom, it's Tim. I wanted to say good night before I fell asleep.” He heard his mother's soft laugh, “Thank you Timmy. I really appreciate that. Me and your father miss you both very much.”

“I miss you and Dad too. So does Dami, but he’s not up right now. He fell asleep.”

“Did he? Well at least I get to speak to one of my boys.” Tim let out a little giggle to that then asked, “Hey Mom? When is Dad?”

“Dick is currently trying to make one of our room keys work again. Apparently if you leave it next to an electronic device it can erase the access to the room. I did not know this.” Tim rolled his eyes, knowing his mom couldn’t see him doing so. Then he heard a door open from the other end of the line. “Dick! Tim is on the phone if you want to say goodnight,” he hears his mother say. Tim assumes his dad all but races to the phone because in less than two seconds he hears his dad’s voice say, “Hi Timmy! Are you about to go to bed?”

“Yeah. I’m tired.” His dad chuckles. “You don’t have to stay up for me sweetie. Okay? You can go to sleep.” Tim felt his eyelids begin to close as he replied, “I wanted to say good night to both of you.”

“Well now you have, okay? Now please get some sleep. You sound exhausted. Me and your mom are about to do the same thing.” Tim let out a yawn before replying, “Okay. Good night, Mom. Good night, Dad. Love you.” Both his parents reply with, “Good night, Timmy,” before he hangs up and calls for his uncles to take their phone back. After the phone is back in Roy’s hands, Tim lets sleep take him.

Wally and Roy leave the room as quietly as possible so as to not wake the boy up. They make their way to the living room where they wait for Slade to arrive. Babysitting might not have been as easy as they thought, but the kids were in bed with full stomachs, so they called that a win.

Chapter Text

Right as the clock hit 11:00, Slade made his way up to the door of the Grayson residence. The man used his key and walked in the door. He was quiet, barely making a sound as he entered the doorway. His grandchildren easily arose from their sleep. Slade had learned the only way to keep them from staying awake for the rest of the night was to not make a single noise. The man refused to be forced to watch “Feral Krats” with the boys until morning.

He successfully locked the door, and made his way into the kitchen where he knew from experience is where Dick always left the reminders and agendas for the kids. He was just about to cross the threshold of the kitchen when an arrow flew past his head. “What the hell was that?” he whisper-yelled. Roy then ran into the kitchen fully intending to attack the man, when he realized just who was in the room. “Oh shit! Sorry Slade I fully thought you were some dumbass intruders about to get his ass kicked.” Slade glared at the redhead, “I hope you haven’t been using that kind of language near my grandchildren Harper. I may be a retired mercenary, but that does not mean that I can’t still shoot you.” Roy let out a huff of laughter, “No colorful language in front of the kids. Don’t worry. I have experience." Now it was Slade’s turn to roll his eyes, “Kid your Lian curses like a sailor.” 

“But I’m not the one who taught her most of those words, and for the record, I have been trying to make her stop. She thinks it makes her sound like a pirate, which is her obsession right now, so she refuses to listen to me.”

“That’s cause you spoil her like crazy Roy,” Wally said as he entered the room. The man then made a beeline for the fridge. Wally felt the other two men keep their eyes on him as he searched for something of sustenance. “Speedster Metabolism, remember?” Wally then found a package of hot dogs and threw them in the microwave, as he sped to the pantry shelf to retrieve buns. “Wallace. Please tell me that you didn’t just put those in the microwave,” asked Slade with a disgusted look on his face. 

“I would love to tell you that, so that I don't break your precious rich heart, but I one hundred percent did. Sorry. I needed food in my stomach yesterday. Desperate times and all that.”

“No matter how “desperate” times are, you should be able to put some hotdogs in boiling water,” Slade argued. Wally only rolled his eyes and put his microwaved hot dogs on buns. “Listen Slade. Buddy. I would, but I’m going to go home after this anyway. It would just leave another dirty dish to clean. I’m nice enough that I’m not doing that to you.” Wally finished his snack then turned to Roy, “Okay! I’m all fueled up now. Ready for me to speed you to the zeta tubes?” Roy nodded and the pair began to walk to the front door. They said their goodbyes to Slade and sped away into the night.

Slade sighed, cleaned up the mess the speedster had left in his rush, then made his way to the guest bedroom. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow. He had a special trip to surprise the kiddos with, something that would entertain the animal loving side of Damian as well as Tim's ever long pursuit of the knowledge of the world. He put his thoughts of the following day out of his head for the time being, got changed into sleep attire, and fell asleep.

____________________________________________________________________________

When Tim woke up to his alarm blaring at him, he got up instantly. This wasn’t normal for the preteen, but he was so excited for the day that he wouldn’t have been able to fall back asleep if he tried. The boy made his way to the bathroom he shared with his brother. Once there he began his morning routine. After he had brushed his teeth, he made his way to Damian’s room. The boy didn’t bother to knock on the door; he simply walked up to his sleeping little brother and tapped his shoulder. That proved to be a mistake instantly. Damian shot awake, jumped out of bed, and pinned Tim to the floor. “Ouch Damian! It’s me! It’s Tim, your older brother.” Damian made a shocked expression and quickly got off of his brother. “You should know better than to shock me awake,” the young boy looked away and held out his hand for the older boy, “You are not gravely injured, are you?”

Tim took the hand and got back to his feet. “Yeah, I’ll remember that next time. Sorry Dami. That was a really good tackle though. Do you think you could teach it to me?” The five-year-old rolled his eyes, “ ‘Tt’ Of course I could. It’s not really that hard.” Tim gave his little brother a big smile. Damian flushed a bit, but thanks to his darker complexion it went unnoticed by the older boy. “I’ll hold you to that later today, but right now it’s time for breakfast. Want to come and find Grandpa Slade with me?” Damian nodded and took his older brother's hand. He would have found this act embarrassing just two months ago, but with all his family being extremely touchy people he had grown out of refusing comforting physical affection.

Tim led Damian towards the guest bedroom and opened the door. “Grandpa Slade? It’s time to get up. It’s 8:00.” Tim looked around the guest room and saw no one. The bed was fully made, no clothes on the ground, not even a phone charger plugged into the wall. The room was undisturbed, and there was no adult in sight. Tim looked towards his little brother, who looked equally confused, “Okay so there is no adult. That's alright we can use the home phone in the kitchen to call Mom and Dad to figure out what to do.” Tim led Damian to the kitchen and was about to use the phone when he saw Slade setting out their breakfast on the table.

“Good morning kids. There is hashbrowns, bacon, and toast ready for you both. Damian yours is veggie bacon, and Tim you can stop making that disgusted face at the eggs. Those are only for me. I know you don’t like them.” The older boy blushed and sat down, “Did you make-”

“Tim, I promise you none of the food is touching,” Slade interrupted. Tim nodded his head and reached for the strawberry jelly and butter on the table to dress his toast that was then set in front of him. Damian quickly sat down as well and spread peanut butter and apple jam on his slices of toast. They began to eat after their grandpa had sat down as well. “Alright kids, I have something big planned for us to do today. However, it does require a lot of walking, so I'm going to need you both to completely finish your breakfast.” The boys nodded, mouths full of food, and continued eating. 

“So did anything interesting happen with your uncles?” As the words left his mouth Tim’s face morphed into a guilty look and Damian’s morphed into one of disgust. Slade lifted an eyebrow. Damian spoke up first, “Did you see that abomination in the fridge? The one with beans and tofu. I was forced to try it.” “Not good I’m guessing.” Damian shook his head, “No, it tasted like disappointment and sadness.” Slade let out a huff of laughter then looked at Tim. “I may have forgotten about a project due tomorrow. I know I could have done half yesterday and have today, but you always take us somewhere. I figured it was better to finish it, and Uncle Wally and Uncle Roy didn’t like having to do it with me. I could tell they were annoyed. I tried to make it better though.”

“Oh yeah? How’d you do that kid?” Slade inquired.

“By telling them interesting facts. That always makes me less bored. I thought it would make up for being a nuisance.” Tim held a smile on his face, but by the end of his sentence there was a bit of sadness visible in his eyes. Slade ruffled the little guy’s hair, “Timmy, you're not a nuisance, and your uncles don’t think you're one either. If they did, they wouldn’t have helped you. Now put your plates in the sink, and Damian take your nasal spray. We have somewhere to go.”

“Grandpa Slade, where are we going?” Tim asked, eyes filled with curiosity. The older man gave a slight smile, “You’ll figure it out when we get there.” 

The ride was filled with small talk and guesses. It was about an hour until they got to their location. When they got there, both boy’s eyes lit up.  “The Shining Sea Star Aquarium,” Damian read, eyes filled with wonder. The 5-year-old had never been to an aquarium before. He was excited to see all the wonders it held. They walked to the door, excitement rising the closer they got to the first exhibit. When they finally saw the first row of tanks, both boys rushed to find out what was in it. As they entered the well-lit room, they were greeted with music. The tune was slightly ominous, yet it did not sound gloomy. In fact, it sounded hopeful, almost magical. It was mostly composed of piano, harps, and soft hums. The walls of the room were painted a deep blue at the top fading into a teal starting at the middle. There was different sea creatures painted as well. A pink sea star, blue jellyfish, and some yellow and orange fish were scattered on the walls. In the center of the room, there was a large sign over a large cylinder tank that read, “Gulf of Mexico.” 

Tim and Damian rushed over to the tank. The tank held large rock formations, sea grass, and pebbles decorating the sand filling the bottom of the tank. The creatures that flooded the tank were many different types of fish. Damian was entranced, the fish swam gracefully in the tank. Some swam alone, while others seemed to like the company of others. As he watched the fish make their rounds around the tank a small, genuine small grew on his face. He wished he knew the names of each creature in the tank. As if by a miracle his older brother spoke up, “That one with the black stripes and the reflective scales is called a sergeant major.” Damian looked to Tim in awe, and the older boy gave him a grin as he spoke up again, “You wanted to know their names, right? I can tell you the names of a few fish.” Damian nodded rapidly and pointed to a fish that had a more tube-like nose, a black stripe vertically over its eye, and bright yellow fins. Tim gave a relieved look and spoke, “That one is a spotfin butterflyfish,” he directed Damian's hand to another species, “And that guy with the weird looking face and the sharp looking pelvic and anal fins, or at least I think that’s what those fins are,” Tim sounded less sure by the end of his sentence, but continues, “ That is a lookdown.” Damian’s eyes widened with excitement, and he pointed to the last larger fish in the tank. It was mostly gray in color, but the tips of its anal and pelvic fins were a blue-green. The fish also sported black vertical stripes down its sides. “That is a Palometa fish.” Damian nodded and stared at the four specimens. He vowed to never forget their names. He wondered how Tim, who to his knowledge was not an enthusiast of marine life, knew these facts. He looked to his Grandpa Slade, not grandfather he had been told that was too formal, begging for an answer with his eyes. The man just shook his head and ruffled Damian’s hair as they moved on to the next section of the aquarium. 

The room was darker and much larger than the first. The side “walls” were tanks. The tanks were filled with kelp and rocks, which the sea creatures were swimming in. The lighting was dim, and the music filling the room was more mysterious. It featured less harp, replaced with deep hums and the notes of the piano were in a deeper octave. It made the room feel darker, like they had traveled deeper into the ocean. The walls were a darker blue background with dark green kelp drawings covering most of the color. In the center of the room were three large individual tanks. The largest tank was minimalistic, housing only a few strands of kelp, a decent sized rock formation, and sand. The second tank was filled with fake sea sponges, a singular strand of kelp, and many different rocks. The last tank was significantly darker than the rest. It housed only rocks all up the back and sides, making only the front visible. Once the trio walked into the room and looked back to where they came from, they saw a sign that said, “North Pacific.” They turned back to the tanks. Slade led the way, opting to go to the middle tanks first. 

“Well would you look at this little guy,” Slade said referring to the creature in the third tank. “I’ve seen one of these in the wild before.” Damian’s attention snapped towards the older man. Slade looked towards the youngest and continued, “It was when I was doing a mission in Japan. Can’t really tell you the details, but I needed to be underwater for a bit and saw the thing. Honestly, it was a little freaky looking thing.” Damian shook his head, “No, they are not creepy. They’re interesting.” The youngest looked around to see what this specimen was called. He found a screen with information about the creature displayed.

Japanese Spider Crab  

(Macrocheira Kaempferi)

This crab has the largest leg-span of any arthropod. They are the biggest marine crab that live in the water around Japan. They are easily recognized by their large spider-like legs. 

Fun Fact: The Japanese name for this crab is taka-ashi-gani (Japanese name: タカアシガニ) which translates to “tall legs crab”.

Damian analyzed the crab. It was red on the top, and white on the bottom. It looked rough to the touch. Its legs were long and spindly like a spider. Damian supposed that was why the crab got its name. It didn’t move much, merely perched on a rock, but he still felt fascinated by the crustacean. 

Tim then drew his attention to the second tank where on the fake sea sponges and rocks, large sea stars rested. “Look Dami, they’re huge! I didn’t even know that starfish could grow that big!” Damian shook his head and corrected his brother, “Sea stars. They are not referred to as starfish anymore because of the term's inaccuracy,” the younger boy flushed a little, “I heard that in a nature documentary that I watched. I was interested after watching ‘Demo’ for the first time.” Tim smiled and playfully elbowed his younger brother, “That’s cool Dami. You don’t have to be embarrassed for liking animals. I think it’s amazing you know all your facts.”

“Thank you, Tim.”

“No problem Dami,” replied Tim earnestly before he looked around the tank a little more and found the information on the sea stars and began to read:

Giant Pink Sea Star

(Pisaster brevispinus)

These are one of the largest species of sea stars In the world. They are known for their pink color as their name would suggest.

Fun Fact: These sea stars like to live on calm sandy or muddy sea bottoms. They can not tolerate being out of water.

Damian thought this creature was rather interesting as well. Like the crab, it didn’t move much. The critter laid flat on the rocks. It looked like it would have about the same texture as the crab as well, bumpy. Unlike the crustacean, the sea star was not red. It was pink, like the name suggested, a light pink that appeared more purple outside of the tank due to the lights. The boy looked at the way it curled around the rocks and wondered if it would do the same to him if he were holding it. He looked to where his grandpa and brother were just standing only to find both family members staring at what the biggest tank held. Damian walked over to see what the two were staring at. His eyes met a large, red octopus. The screen read:

East Pacific Red Octopus

(Octopus rubescens)

This creature is an expert in camouflage. In fact, it mimics its environment so much you will rarely see it in its natural color. This animal is carnivorous. It is also known as the ruby octopus.

Fun Fact: This animal has astounding intelligence. It has displayed problem solving behavior as well as incredible long and short-term memory.

The octopus was a deep orange-red color not unlike rust or brick. It was using its tentacles to stay attached to the glass allowing Damian to see the white underneath of the animal as well as its suckers in plain view. It was a stunning sight when the critter swam to the other side of the tank and stuck to the glass once more. Damian could have stood there for hours, but the need to see the rest of the animals he had never been allowed to see before overwhelmed him, and he moved on after only fifteen minutes to see the giant tank on the walls of the room. At first Damian was afraid he would not be able to see any of the creatures that lurked in the man-made kelp forest, but that fear was quickly diminished as he saw a shark through the aquatic foliage. As he looked closer, he saw two other types of fish in the coverage of the plants. Both fish were owners of spinous dorsal fins and rays on their backs as well as anal and pelvic fins on the underside of their bodies. They both also sported rather large eyes on either side of their bodies. Their structure was so similar in fact that Damian guessed that they must be a related species. They looked like they only differed in size and color. The first type featured bright orange and white horizontal stripes all along the creature. The pattern reminded Damian of a simpler version of a clown fish’s scales. The second critter was a bit bigger and mostly a deep gray with black speckles focused on the top and bottom of the animal. Its pectoral and tail fins were also blacker in color. Damian looked around to find a screen that displayed the names of the fish. He found it in the farthest left corner of the room mounted on the back wall. On the screen was a picture of all three creatures in the tank next to their names. It occurred to Damian that this was how Tim knew the names of the fish in the first area. He was curious as to why his older brother had pointed out each creature to him instead of simply directing him to the sign, but he could ask that question later. Right now, he wanted to know the names of the creatures much more. The first fish displayed on the screen was the orange and white organism. It was called the flag rockfish. The next was the black and gray fish which was apparently named the black rockfish. Damian felt a tinge of pride for guessing correctly, both fish were the same genus, ‘ Sebastes’ . The last specimen was the shark that Damian had seen a glimpse of earlier. It was called a banded hound shark. The younger boy went back to the tank to further analyze the animal. When he finally saw the creature, he realized that it was a slender shark mostly grey in color with darker gray saddles, black spots and a white underside. They had a short, rounded snout that made it look cute rather than scary. 

Damian continued to watch as the creatures waved in and out of the kelp. Tim on the other hand got out his camera that he had brought just in case. He snuck a few photos of his little brother. Damian looked starstruck looking at the marine animals. The boy held a bigger smile on his lips then Tim had thought possible. It was kind of adorable, and Tim knew that if he failed to take these photos no one would ever believe him aside from his parents, who would be disappointed that he hadn’t captured the moment. As he was about to take another picture of his little brother, he felt a hand ruffle his hair. Tim looked up to see his grandpa grinning at him, “Timmy you better print those photos before Damian burns that camera.” Tim felt alarm raise through him in an instant. Damian wouldn’t do that to the one of the only things he had from his adoptive parents would he? The Drakes might have not been phenomenal to Tim but gifting him this camera was one of the good memories he had of them. Slade recognizing Tim’s mood drop instantly retracted his statement, “Hey kiddo relax. Damian wouldn’t do that to you. I was just joking with you.” Tim nodded, but the way his grip on the camera tightened made Slade doubt that the boy was fully convinced. “Tim, I promise if anyone tries to harm your camera I will stop them. I won't let a single finger touch it if you don’t want them to.” The boy relaxed after hearing Slade’s promise, and he gave his grandpa a loose hug before going back to taking pictures of Damian until the youngest made his way to the next room. Tim and Slade followed close behind. The hallway to the next room was curved like a tunnel and lined with wood. It had fake seaweed and barnacles attached to the wood to mimic a sunken ship. It even had port holes where you could see the fish from the previous room at the beginning. At the end of the tunnel was a new section of the aquarium.

The room they walked in was closer in size to the first room, however this one had two connecting sections besides from the one they had just come from. One was the continuation of the aquarium, and the other was a side room labeled with a large sign above the opening that read, “Ocean Oddities.” The main room had a large formation in the middle. It was made to look like rock and sea sponge but was actually painted concrete. The structure was short, wide, and filled with water. It almost resembled a tidepool. Over the ‘tidepool’ was a sign that read, “Caribbean.” On the back wall was a medium sized tank with the words “Surge Zone” painted just above it. When Tim turned his gaze to the floor, he realized that it was not the same plain black carpet as before. That had been replaced with a grainy looking textured plastic floor the color of sand. The floor also had sea star and seashell shaped 3D molds attached to it. He supposes his previous observation about the fake tide pool was more intentional than he had previously thought. Slade noticed the potential tripping hazards and warned the boys immediately. There was no way he was going to let any bodily harm come to the boys if it could have been avoided. Tim and Damian watched their steps as they walked to the Caribbean section. Next to the tank was a screen that displayed all the names of the animals in the untouchable touch pool. This screen, unlike the previous ones, changed between two displays of creatures. The first display showed the pictures and names of the neon goby, yellow head jawfish, and the Hawaiian cleaner shrimp. The next display showed the slate pencil sea urchin and the chocolate chip sea star. To Tim’s pleasant surprise, there was a description on the sea star that was in the tank:

Chocolate Chip Sea Star

(Protoreaster nodosus)

This sea star is easily recognized by the rows of “horns” that reside on their dorsal side. It is due to these “Horns” that this creature is also referred to as the “Horned” sea star. They are usually red or brown, but some have a “cookie dough” tan color.

Fun Fact: These amazing creatures can regenerate their arms! 

Tim rather enjoyed reading all the descriptions and fun facts about the animals. It made them a character in his mind, which made photographing them much more interesting. He decided to take a picture of the sea star. All the sea stars in the tank were tan in color with black horns along their arms. Luckily since the critters didn’t move often, Tim was able to get extremely focused pictures. He looked at the other animals in the tank. The sea urchins didn’t impress him that much. They just looked like spike balls, and were not that pretty to photograph. The blue neon fish and yellow head jaw fish were interesting in color, but the jawfish kept hiding every time he pointed the camera at them, and the neon fish were zooming around the enclosure making it really hard to get a picture that wasn’t blurry. As for the shrimp, Tim refused to take a picture of the animal that could kill him. In conclusion, only the sea stars were interesting, and he could only take so many pictures of an unmoving organism. So, Tim moved on to the “Serge Zone” tank hoping the animals in that tank were more interesting.

The screen next to this tank said it housed Kelp surfperch, Plumose Anemone, and Bat Stars. The bat star seemed to be the star of the tank because next to a picture of the animal there was a description. It read:

Bat Star

(Patiria miniata)

Bat stars are detritivores and scavengers. They collect dead animals as well as algae from the bottom of the sea floor. Bat stars can be many colors such as red, yellow, green, and purple. They can have 5-9 legs!

Fun Fact: This species is closely related to ‘patiria pectinifera’ also known as the ‘blue bat star’.

Tim couldn't understand why the creature was called a bat star. It didn’t look like a bat. However, the colors of the creature were interesting, so Tim took a few photos. As he did, he thought about whether or not this tank could be ‘Sea Gotham’. He also thought that this tank must be the most protective tank in the world with all the bats in it. It was a dumb little world he made up in the tank. The ‘BatStar’ took down the crazy ‘Clownfish’ with the help of his sidekick ‘Sea Robin’. Tim laughed at his own antics. There was even a ‘Catfish’ that sometimes fought beside BatStar. He imagined the animals throwing seashell batarangs and fighting for justice until Slade tapped his shoulder. “Come on kiddo we’re moving to the side room.” Tim nodded his head and followed his grandpa.

The opening of the room was made to look like the entrance to an underwater cave. It had fake stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the room itself. The whole thing was made to look like the inside of a cave with fake rock covering every surface. The music that filled the room wasn’t much different to the kelp forest part of the aquarium, the only difference being that it was more echoey and had a bit of a deeper pitch. In the middle of the room were two tanks. Two columns made of glass on opposite sides of the room. The one to the left is filled with sand and kelp standing tall. The one on the right has only sand, small pebbles, and seashells piled up at the bottom. In the first tank, seahorses cling onto the vegetation. There is a screen beside it with a large picture of the animal next to its description.

Pot-bellied Seahorse

(Hippocampus abdominalis)

This is one of the 53 types of seahorses in the world. These types of seahorses are recognized by their big bellies and size. This is one of the larger seahorses of the world. The pot-bellied seahorse will eat up to 250 times a day, this is because they do not have lower intestines. The heart of the sea horse is behind their pectoral fin.

Fun Fact: According to myth if you find a seahorse washed up, you will find your true love!

The fun fact made Tim extremely interested in the creature. Something that could help him find true love. It made him think about his mom and dad. They must have found something similar to this because they completed each other like no one else could. He took pictures of the seahorses as they swam to their families and hung on the foliage together. When the camera got close to the males they tended to hide, but when it went close to the females they began to show off. They got close themselves and almost began to puff out their chests in a way. It reminded Tim of his mom, always courageous and bold. She didn’t seem to be scared of anything. As Tim continued to take more pictures, he looked over at his little brother who seemed to also enjoy the contents of this area. However, Damian seemed more interested in the other tank.

The screen by the second tank featured a picture of a gorgeous creature along with facts about it. Damian read the facts with an intense interest.

Flamboyant Cuttlefish

(Ascarosepion pfefferi)

This type of cuttlefish is a highly poisonous mollusk. It is a very beautifully colored animal. Its strikingly vibrant colors of yellow, brown, white, red, and maroon are used to warn predators to stay away. 

Fun Fact: The cuttlefish's flat body allows it to hover near the ocean floor. This is where it hunts for food.

Just as the description read, the colors were very bright on the creatures. Which is very common in poisonous animals. Damian liked the critter very much. However, he was curious as to why its name was so close to ‘cuddle’ it made the dangerous organism sound cute. And while that was an admirable deception tactic, the creatures that share its home do not know its human given name. Therefore, there is no point to its name. The name made Damian think of his dad. The man always attacked him with hugs when he least expected it. It was the only training Damian was receiving at the moment, be wary of your surroundings. Perhaps the fish was like his dad, dangerous looking and sounding to outsiders. Of course Damian saw through the clever ruse of ‘Nightwing’. His dad was truly extremely loving and kind, which he preferred to show in tactile ways. Damian decided he liked this cuttlefish a lot.

As Slade watched the boys, his phone began to ring. He picked up, “Rose, what do you need? I’m watching Dick’s kids right now.” He heard a sigh from the other line. “I know that dad. This is urgent. Where did you put my stuff? I’m trying to get ready for a mission, and low and behold all my gear is gone.” The tone she used was accusing, which Slade was not a fan of. “Rose I really don’t know. I didn’t move anything. Did you ask Joey if he moved it?”

“I asked him first.”

“Did you ask Wintergreen?” The silence that followed answered his question. “Did you forget that he always puts things up when you kids leave them around?” More silence. “Rose.”

There was a pregnant pause before his daughter finally spoke up, “I may have forgotten that detail. Thanks dad. Tell the kids that their Uncle Joey and their Aunt Rose say hello. Also, if you hear from Dick before me, tell him that next time I’m babysitting whether I had a mission planned or not.” Slade let out a chuckle. “I’ll be sure to deliver both of your messages. And Rose?”

“Yeah?” 

Slade took a deep breath, “Be safe.”

“Always am.” He heard the click, and the call ended. He looked back to the kids, or at least he tried to. Both Tim and Damian were no longer in sight. Slade felt panic begin to rise, but he pushed it down as he always had. Knowing Damian, he must have decided to explore the rest of the aquarium and brought his older brother with him. The kid never meant to run off, but he was so used to being self-sufficient he tended to forget to tell an adult where he’s going. Tim was the same in a way. He sometimes forgot that people cared about him, so he just does whatever he wants to. Slade should have known better than to take his eyes off of them for one second, but Rose had needed him. He was trying so hard to make up for his past actions against his kids. He knew they mostly forgave him, but he still felt he needed to work hard for their love. He cleared his thoughts and went to go look in the next section.

The next section was more of a glass tank than a room. The side walls and ceiling were completely translucent. The only part of the room that was not see-through was the floor. The other side of the glass was filled with creatures, rock formations, a fake shipwreck, plant life, and pieces of wood. The music that flooded through the room was tranquil and soothing. It was filled with the sounds of water drops, piano keys, and a soft humming. On the back wall the words, “South Pacific "were written. Slade scanned the room and found Damian and Tim almost immediately. He thanked his past mercenary lifestyle for giving him the ability to pick out anyone in a crowd. “Damian Thomas Grayson.” Said boy flinched at the use of his full name. “Was your idea to have your mother and father kill me, or did you just want to go for a plain old heart attack?” Damian shook his head vigorously, “Neither was my intention. I don’t understand why either would happen.”

“Do you understand that you need to tell an adult when you decide to venture off somewhere?” Realization formed on the five-year-old’s face. “I forgot. I apologize,” he stared at the ground, refusing to look up. “We can go now,” he said while shaking ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable, but Slade had trained himself to look out for these signals. “And where would we be going Damian?” Slade heard a small sniffle from the young boy as he replied, “Home. Because I was disobedient.” Slade grunted in understanding, “Home would be a punishment because you like it here, right?” The boy nodded. Slade continued, “Damian I’m not going to punish you. I know this is something that was trained in you. I just want you to remember that when you pull off a disappearing act like that, it scares the people around you.” The small boy finally looked up, his eyes full of disbelief as he spoke, “I’m not going to be punished?” Slade shook his head, “Now come on give your grandpa a hug. I think it’s well deserved. I was already planning my funeral.” Damian let out a huff of laughter and hugged the man. After they split Damian pointed to the screen that listed the animals that resided in the tank. It seemed that this tank had the most information when compared to the previous. It listed a laced moray eel, unicorn tang, and a white-spotted puffer with no information but the names, but then it laid out many facts about the sharks. 

Whitespotted Bamboo Shark

(Chiloscyllium plagiosum)

This shark is a type of carpet shark. They are a nocturnal species that is completely harmless to humans. They are usually recognized by their white spots.

Fun Fact: This type of shark is occasionally kept as a pet in home aquariums.

Spotted Wobbegone

(Orectolobus maculatus)

The spotted wobblegone is a type of carpet shark. They can be yellow, green, or brown in color. They are easily recognized by their distinctive spots. This animal is nocturnal.

Fun Fact: This species of shark is a master of disguise. It has very impressive camouflage abilities.

Blacktip Reef Shark

(Carcharhinus melanopterus)

These are easily recognized by the black spot on the tip of their dorsal fin.

Fan Fact: They are one of the only species of sharks that can swim backwards!

This was why Damian had been excited. When the boy had found out about ‘Shark Week” he was entranced. The fire-year-old loved learning about all the different kinds of sharks that live in Earth’s oceans. Dick had made a whole night out of it. He had invited all of the Wilsons and bought a red velvet cake decorated as a shark, gummy sharks, and crab cakes. He also made little sea urchin treats. They had been cake balls with pretzels stuck in them that were fully dipped in dark chocolate. He had also concocted a squid ink pasta with optional calamari on the side that could be added. When Slade had asked him why he had gone through all the trouble, the man had simply replied, “This is one of the first things Damian has shown interest in. I make it a big deal, so he knows that I care.”

Tim also enjoyed learning new things, so he assumed that Tim would be right where he had last seen him. The boy had just been taking pictures of the sharks. He even saw Tim snap a photo of the hug while trying to be secretive about it. Tim wasn’t the type to run off twice. He sometimes forgets to tell people things, but as soon as the mistake has been made, he is extremely careful to not repeat it. It was usually a few weeks before he slipped away again. Slade turned to Damian, “Did you see where your brother went?” Damian's eyes widened. The boy probably hadn’t even noticed he was gone, too entranced by the sharks. A guilty look settled on the young boy's face. “Hey now it’s not your fault. I didn’t see him take off either.” Damian shook his head, eyes filled with fear, “Tim never runs off twice. Something is wrong.” Unfortunately, Slade couldn’t help but agree.

He hadn’t meant to run off. He never meant to leave without warning his grandpa, but it had happened so fast. Tim had been taking a ‘selfie’ of himself next to one of the blacktip reef sharks when an older man had bumped into him hard. Tim couldn’t keep his balance and fell to the ground. As he hit the hard floor he was reminded of the times, he was invisible to his adoptive parents. The same thing had happened. His father, nose deep in research, bumped into him so hard he fell. The first time it happened Tim thought that his father would apologize and help him up, but the man just continued to walk to his study. He had never even noticed him. After the twelfth time, Tim made sure he was never in the way. The old memories brought out panic. He didn’t want to be invisible again. His mom and dad had promised him they would never forget him or abandon him, but his grandpa was talking with Damian. They pair hadn’t even noticed him fall. He knew logically that the incident had just happened, and there were a lot of people in the room. It would be hard to see him, but in the back of his brain a voice was sure that he was going to disappear. He tried to quiet the voice with the breathing techniques he had been taught in therapy, but then he heard a yell. “God, can you just shut up. I’m serious. I know your mom spoils you rotten, but that doesn’t make you lack common sense!” He knew it wasn’t directed at him, but his panic heightened.

“Stop crying. I know you miss Daddy, but you're going to have to deal with me.”

“No! I’m not dealing with your tantrum.”

Stop.

“Baby no! We don’t touch the glass.”

“I’m going to count to three!”

“Don’t you use that tone with me!”

“Three.”

It’s too loud.

“You are seriously the worst! I wish I never met you!”

“Screw you. Like you’re any better.”

“Two.”

Please. He couldn’t handle all this yelling.

“Don’t cry. Daddy can’t come back right now. It’s me and you.”

“I said we don’t touch glass!”

“One.”

He ran.

Tim ran and ran past exhibits. He just needed a quiet place. He needed to be alone to calm down. He needed to be alone so that no one could see the tears streaming down his face. He came across a room with a soft, simple melody coming from it. The tune was filled with the piano, harps, hums, echos, and the ripples and drops of water. The lighting of the room was turned completely off. It was a side room shaped like a cave not unlike the “Ocean Oddities" exhibit. This new cave had little glowing stars on the ceiling with glow in the dark jellyfish hanging from strings. The floor tracked footsteps and left a disappearing trail of glowing tracks. There were five individual tanks in the room. Three were cylinder tanks that were more towards the center of the small room yet still spaced far apart from each other. Then there were tanks built into the walls. The built-in rectangular tanks were on the left and right walls. Each tank, rectangular or cylindrical, had led lights that made the tanks glow bright against the dark room. The lights seemed to be on a pattern, each changing from a different color at the same time. On the back wall was a large screen. It displayed all five types of jellyfish, their descriptions, and a fun fact about them. This was the first room where all organisms that resided in it, had large amounts of information about them. Tim walked to the back of the room. He hoped that reading the facts might calm him down. He decided to read about the jellyfish that occupied the tank on the left wall first. The jellyfish looked like swimming lightbulbs to Tim. They were also mostly see through, so Tim could see all the string like insides the creature had. The lights underneath made the ‘strings’ light up. It looked like electricity was coursing through the creature.

Comb Jellies

(Ctenophora)

This species of jellyfish is known for the groups of cilia they use to swim in the open sea worldwide. They are also known for their “egg” like shape. 

Fun Fact: They are the largest animals that use cilia to allow them to swim known to date.

He found that reading about the creatures was calming him down if only just a bit. He could feel his breathing even out a bit, but he was still shaking. Tim decided to continue to read the facts. Maybe by the time he was done, he would be completely calm. He decided to read about the jellies that reside in the tank on the wall to the right.

Blue Blubber Jellyfish

(Catostyus mosaicus)

These small jellies hold a big secret as well as a big appetite. Along their arms they have hundreds of small openings that all act as individual mouths. This allows them to consume large amounts of zooplankton daily. They are easily recognized by their beautiful blue color.

Fun Fact: If this species’ habitat undergoes a rapid change in salinity, it could impair osmoregulation which will cause the jelly to shrink or swell rapidly.

The color of this jellyfish was gorgeous and made for a beautiful picture taken by his camera. Though the color also made Tim miss his dad a bit more. The blue was nowhere near ‘Nightwing blue’, but any shade of the color always made Tim think of the man. He wished his parents were home already. If his parents were here, they would be able to completely calm him down in a matter of minutes. They would hug him tight, whisper comforting words, and rub circles on his back. Unfortunately, his mom and dad would be gone another day before they returned. He decided that he would take many pictures of the creatures after he had calmed down. If he tried to take photos now, they would be blurry due to his shaking hands. He moved on to the next creature.

Australian Spotted Jellyfish

(Phyllorhiza punctata)

This species of jellyfish is known for their “clubs". These structures are located below their oral arms and are used for pulling zooplankton near their oral arms which is where filter feeding occurs. They are also known for signature white spots.

Fun Fact: The largest recorded size of this species of jellyfish was 74 cm. It was found on Sunset Beach in North Carolina in October of 2007.

“It would be so cool to find the largest or smallest ever recorded size of a species,” Tim stated. If he found something like that he would be recorded in history. There would be published books that held his name and discovery. He would never be forgotten. Animals had never been as big of a thing to Tim as they were to Damian, but he still found them fascinating. He decided he would put “find a record-breaking animal” to his bucket list that his dad had forced him to make. His dad had said that having goals that seemed out of reach or would take a while to accomplish could help Tim realize that he didn’t have to dive headfirst into everything. It was supposed to help Tim with patience and his perfectionism. So far there were only six things written on his list at home.   

Tim’s Bucket List

• Create a scientific method for time travel that doesn’t include speedsters

• Visit the moon and get a rock from it

• Build a life-sized Lego model of Nightwing and Starfire then get it in the Lego Museum

• Meet a dragon Genetically create a dragon then tame it

• Become a world-renowned gymnast or trapeze artist (The Grayson name will live on)

• Become a world-renowned hero like Mom and Dad

Tim would need to remember to add on the new seventh item on his future agenda, but for now he continued to walk around the jellyfish enclosures. He also needed to add an eighth: Figure out how to not break down in public. If that proved to be too much of a struggle, he could change it to: Learn how to deal with a breakdown in public.  He was feeling a little better now. His breathing was under control, and his hands were steadier. Tim let out a sigh and decided to read the next facts.

Moon Jellyfish

(Aurelia aurita)

Moon jellies are almost entirely translucent. They are recognized by their four “U” shaped gonads that are easily seen through the top of the translucent bell. This species of jellies uses their tentacles to bring food into their body for digestion. They feed on mollusks, medusae, and plankton.

Fun Fact: The sting from their hundreds of fine, short tentacles have no effect on humans. 

Tim liked the sound of a jellyfish that couldn’t hurt him. Maybe he could touch this type of jelly if he ever saw it out in the wild. Could he befriend a jelly if he found it in the wild? Probably not since they have no brains, but it was fun to think about. Tim had friends. He had Bernard, Cassie, Emma, and Steph. It took him a long time, but he made them. He was happy, yet Damian was able to make so many in one day. He needed to stop thinking like this. It would only make him feel worse. He needed to be calm. He needed to think about what his mom or dad would say. They would probably tell him that he was loved beyond measure. That they couldn’t imagine a life without him. Tim took a deep breath. 

1…2…3...4…5…exhale.

Tim was fine. So many people loved him. He regulated his breathing. His shaking calmed down. His eyes stopped watering. And finally, his panic was mostly calm. Tim found himself extremely glad that he had worked on his panic attacks in therapy. At first, he hadn’t wanted to have anything to do with the meetings, but after his parents had begged him to try, he put in a bit of effort. Then he started putting in more and more as he realized that it was working. He was glad he had people in his life that truly wanted him to get better. They wanted him to succeed. He was finally able to take out his camera, but first he had one last jellyfish to read about.

Pacific Sea Nettle

(Chrysaora Fuscescens)

Sea nettles get their name from their “nettle” like sting. This sting is used to capture prey such as zooplankton and small species of fish. This specific type of jelly is recognized by its long dark brown stinging tentacles which can grow up to 15ft long.

Fun fact: This species is quite popular for aquatic exhibits due to their tendency to be low maintenance.

Tim didn’t think it was very nice to call the sea nettle low maintenance. In his experience that's what parents call children in order to be able to explain why they can leave them at home. That's what the Drakes had called Tim every time they went to an event. It was always their excuse for why they didn’t need to spend time with him. It was why they never had to be home. It was why they never had to give Tim affection. His early childhood was cold and lonely all because he was low maintenance, and when it seemed like everything was going to turn around after his adoptive dad married Dana the man had died. Tim became all alone again. Then came foster care. Once again, he was low maintenance. Not one of his foster families ever cared enough to check on him. Not one of the families gave him the time of day. Sometimes they forgot they needed to feed him or give him any proper care at all. He was able to go wherever he wanted at any time of the day simply because no one would notice he was gone in the first place. That was how he was able to be Robin. He would sneak out at night, and as long as he was back to the house with enough time to get ready for school he was never caught. It got scary when he got caught. He never knew what to expect. Some families grounded him, some hit him, and some berated him. The last one was the worst to Tim because it always meant he was about to be sent somewhere else. They would call the worker and say, “He was supposed to be low maintenance. I didn’t sign up for a kid that I actually had to watch.” Tim looked back at the Jellyfish and decided that this was his new favorite aquatic animal. “It’s okay. I found a family that always makes sure that I’m taken care of. It looks like you have a lot of friends and family with you too,” the boy smiled, "That's good. You get all these people visiting you all the time, so I guess you’re not lonely. I’m going to tell my dad that I want to visit the Aquarium more often. I'm going to make sure that the workers treat you well. People always seem to think that low maintenance means self-sufficient but that's not true. I’ll make sure that you thrive, and if the aquarium does a bad job, I’ll take you home. Damian always gets to take home pets so I’m sure it will be fine,” Tim said to the jellyfish. The creature continued to swim in its enclosure, but Tim liked to believe that it had heard him. 

Tim continued to take pictures of all the creatures in the room. He only looked up when he heard a familiar voice shout, “Tim! Kid, we thought you got kidnapped!” Tim looked up to see his grandpa and his little brother barring distressed looks on their faces. He felt guilty and if he was being honest, a little embarrassed. Tim looked to the floor wondering how to explain what had happened without sounding pathetic. Then he felt someone run into him at full force, but this time it didn’t make him panic, it made him feel loved. Tim looked at his chest to see Damian wrapping his arms around him. Damian looked up into Tim's eyes and spoke, “I was worried. I thought that you were gone. That I had failed to protect you.” The boy looked a little nervous while he continued, “I thought that by distracting Grandpa Slade, I had doomed you. I thought I killed you.” Tim felt tears prickle in his eyes. He bent down to the boy’s level and pulled him in closer. The tears in Tim’s eyes began to fall down his cheeks as he whispered in the boy’s ear, “I’m sorry Dami. It’s okay. I’m okay. You’re okay. Everyone is okay. You don’t need to worry anymore. You didn’t do anything. I’m good at disappearing." The young boy snuggled his head into his older brother’s neck, “But why did you disappear? I don’t understand, was it my fault?”

Tim pulled Damian back, and as soon as he could see the look in the older boy’s eyes Damian knew whatever Tim was about to say was the truth. Not only was it the truth, but it was the absolute truth. It left no room for pondering. It was a truth that would ring true for the rest of time, as long as the world continued to spin this truth would withstand time itself. “Damian. You could never be at fault for something like this. I promise it had nothing to do with you. I left because of my own insecurities and panic. Dami, nothing you do could ever make me leave you of my own vialation. I love you. You’re my baby brother, and I will always be there for you as long as I breath.” Tim held a small, genuine smile on his face by the end of his speech. Damian on the other hand, was crying. The young boy almost never cried. He had been taught for so long that crying meant losing. Crying meant that he had failed to keep his emotions in check. Crying meant that he was nothing more than a little kid barely able to keep his own. Crying meant that he would be punished, but for once in his life he didn’t fear it. For once he knew, tonight he wouldn’t be hurt for the water that leaked from his eyes, he would be praised. He would be held tight, he wouldn’t be left alone, he wouldn’t be a disapointment…he would be a little boy that felt a love so intense and large, he couldn’t help but show the giver of that love just how much it moved him. Damian then realized another fundamental truth, he was loved. His family that Damian had once thought was temporary would never let him go. He would never return to the cold that was the League. The Grayson family was so warm and comforting, and he was now and forever a part of that. Perhaps that was what his mom had been trying to convey to him at the wedding. This is how she had felt. His family was together, whole, and loving. He would forever be staying with the safety and warmth that was the Graysons. He looked to his older brother and came to another realization, Tim's intention: His big brother had the heart of a Grayson, one that was so full of love that it was overpouring and needed to constantly be given to others lest it overfill to the point it hurt, and he had just gifted Damian not only a portion of that love but also a part of the heart itself. A part Damian could fill up however he may choose. The young boy whipped the tears from his eyes and returned Tim’s smile. “Thank you.” Tim shook his head slightly, “It was no problem at all.”

Slade watched the boy’s interaction. He watched silently and without interruption. It was important that the two had this moment. They were confiding in each other in a way that only brothers could. Perhaps it was more than that, they were confiding in each other in a way only they could. It brought tears to the man's eyes. These kids didn’t deserve the hand life had tried to deal to them or the trauma that it inflicted onto them. They deserved the endless love that they were now receiving, the kind only Dick Grayson and Koriand’r Grayson could provide. He was so proud of his son. Dick was dealt horrible cards himself and yet, he had shaped his life to be one filled with endless devotion, tenderness, and safety. Dammit, Slade was so damn proud of his son. 

Slade walked over to the kids after both their tears dried, “Hey kiddos what do you say to petting some stingrays, hitting the gift shop, and heading home. The boys nodded and stood up from the floor. The family walked out of the room and headed to their next location. Slade saw Tim wave to the room as they left.

When they got to the petting area excitement filled the boy's eyes once more, and they ran to the hand washing station. They were eager to start. Slade smiled at the boy's antics, “Damn it all my kids are right: Dick did turn me soft.” He decided to simply film the boy’s while he stood to the side.

Damian looked pleadingly at his elder brother, who seemed to be reading something, before leading him to the stingrays. Both boys walked over to the enclosure, excitement raising with every step, till they could finally see the animals up close. The enclosure was a large, glass half circle that was attached to the wall. The portion of wall that connected to the glass was made of rock. The rock portion of the wall seemed thicker than the rest of the wall, this was evident by the way it peaked out a little more than the drywall. It seemed that it was most likely built into the floor, and the drywall was added after. It was either that, or the drywall was cut out and the rock took its place in that area. On the sides of the rock there was a small opening, covered by a waterfall, connected to a larger portion of the tank. Stingrays could be seen entering and exiting the semi circle through these openings. The bottom of the visible part of the tank was filled with sand, as well as a few small pebbles scattered around. The room that the enclosure was located in was unassuming. It was quite small and empty. A soft, melodic song filled the air which was the only interesting thing the room held besides the main attraction. 

Damian locked eyes with his brother, “Tim, do you know anything about these creatures?” He knew that Tim must have been reading information on the stingrays earlier. He also knew that he could simply read the facts himself, yet he asked. He asked because he knew Tim had tried to read it in secret because he wanted to tell the facts to Damian himself. His brother had given him a gift that Damian would never forget, so in order to begin to repay that debt he supposed he would allow Tim to appear smart. As he watched a large smile erupt on the older boy’s face, he knew he had made the right decision. 

“That is called the common stingray. It usually inhabits sandy or muddy habitats. They use the sand or mud to bury themselves for camouflage. They’re usually identified by their diamond-shaped pectoral fins and basic, plain colors. Damian nodded, which Tim took as a sign to continue, “Females usually bear four to five babies twice per year in shallow waters. They also can inflict a painful wound with its venomous tail spine, but don’t worry as long as we don’t touch their tails we are going to be fine.” Damian could tell that Tim was reciting the facts listed on the screen about the creatures almost word for word, but he let Tim believe that he couldn’t. “You know many interesting facts.” Tim giggled softly, “I study.”

Damian looked at the open tank holding the stingrays and put his hand in to touch the closest one to him. The first thing he noticed was that the water the stingrays resided in was extremely cold. The next was that if there had not been a step next to the outside of the tank, he would never be able to reach the critters. The last was that stingrays felt weird. The felt smooth and, for a lack of better words, a little slimy. Damian lifted his hand up before he touched the tail of the constantly swimming animal. Tim clapped his hands, cheering for Damian’s accomplishment as well as the fact that the younger boy had taken his advice to heart. Tim followed suit and also put his hand in the cold water. Damian watched as the older boy jumped a slight bit when his hand met the cold. Tim did not let the cold stop him, he continued to put his hand further in the water till he made contact with a stingray, he like Damian, also lifted his hand before his fingers grazed the tail of the critter. Tim looked towards Damian before speaking, “That feels so weird yet also cool.” Damian agreed, nodding his head to show Tim that he felt the same. “You should name one,” Damian’s brother suggested. Damian was confused by the statement as well as where it came from. “What?” he questioned. Tim smiled as he responded, “You should name one. One of the stingrays. It’s fun.” Damian decided to amuse his brother, though he felt the practice was ridiculous.  “Then I shall name the one I touched Peter.” Tim raised a singular eyebrow, “Peter? Why Peter?” Damian rolled his eyes while responding, “Peter is Uncle Todd’s middle name. I named the stingray after him.” Tim’s eyes widened, “Oh.” 

“Thomas,” said Tim. Damian gave him a questioning look before replying, “I’m sorry?”

“Thomas. That’s the name of my stingray.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s your middle name,” Tim said whilst smiling and looking directly into Damian’s eyes. “Oh,” was the only verbal response given, but Tim could tell by the small, growing red on Damian’s cheeks that the sentiment was appreciated. 

The two boys continued to pet and watch the stingrays until Slade made his way over to them and spoke, “Alright I think it’s time we finish this up. We need to leave soon to get lunch.” The boys nodded and went to wash their hands once more at the hand washing station. Once Slade observed both boy’s hands being washed, he led them to the “Coral Cove Gift Shop”. 

“Alright, you can both pick something then we can head out,” Slade informed the boys. He watched Damian and Tim disperse to different sides of the room. While the boys looked for a souvenir, Slade himself looked for a place near the aquarium to pick up food from. After around five minutes of searching he finally settled on a taco place that had multiple vegetarian options for Damian. He then felt a tug on his shirt. He looked over to his side to see Tim. “Grandpa Slade, the rule was one thing per person correct?” Slade raised a brow and cautiously answered, “Yes.” A smile grew on the boy’s face, “Great so then this should be fine,” He said while raising three different stuffed animals. The boy held a seahorse, a stingray, and some sort of jellyfish in his hands. “Timmy, I know you can count.”

“Correct. I can in fact, count. The rule was one per person. The seahorse is for Mom, the sea nettle is for me, and the stingray is for you. It’s so we all match. I was going to pick one for Dad too, but Damian said he had that handled.”

“So all this was a group effort huh?”

“Yes but, A group effort in order to make nobody feel left out.”

Slade sighed, but let the boys win this time. They had a rough last few minutes. He also may have felt a tad bit touched that they had included him in their scheme. Damian made his way over to the two as Tim pumped his fist to celebrate his victory. He noticed that Damian was carrying two creatures. One seemed to be some kind of shark while the other was something in very bright colors. “What do you have there Damian?” The boy looked up, “A nurse shark and a flamboyant cuttlefish.” Slade let out a short laugh, “It definitely is flamboyant.” The younger boy nodded, “Yes, that is why it carries that name.” Slade had thought Damian had been making an observation, but to know that it was the name of the creature made the fact that it was most definitely going to Dick even more perfect. “Alright then kids, let's check out.” The boys followed him to the till. 

“Is that going to be everything for you three today?” asked the cashier while ringing them up. “Yes. I do believe it is,” he side-eyed the kids before continuing, “Unless I’m blindsided again.” Tim had the decency to look a little guilty, Damian had no such shame and just shook his head. Slade rolled his eyes at the boy's antics and paid the girl, “Alright then I'll just bag these up and you can be on your way!” She put all the animals in the bag besides the jellyfish and the shark, which the boys insisted on carrying themselves, and gave them to the man. “Thank you! Have a nice day,” shouted the cashier as they left the gift shop door, which led to the outside. They walked to the car and buckled their seatbelts. Slade started the drive to the restaurant while the kids talked in the back.

“Sorry they were called what Dami?”

“Clown Frogfish. It is a species of marine ray-finned fish. Like a praying mantis, the female frogfish are known for killing or eating their mating partner if they stay too close after the act of fertilization. They are supposed to have a solitary lifestyle.” Damian sounded a tad bit ruffled at the end of his sentence.

“Supposed? Not have?”

“Correct Timothy. There were multiple frogfish in the tank I saw them in. I am not positive if this counts as animal abuse, yet considering how most humans tend to forget that fish are animals that deserve to be respected, I would not be too surprised.”

“Oh. That sucks.”

“Yes. I will need your computer to research if the aquarium is committing animal abuse. If I found out that it is a form of animal cruelty I will see to it that the aquarium is punished appropriately.”

“Huh. Makes sense. Why did I never see the frogfish?”

“It was part of the “Indo Pacific” exhibit of the aquarium. You must have missed it in your panicked state.”

“Oh. Probably.”

The car settled into silence. A silence that lasted until they arrived at, “Ben’s Terrific Tacos”. Slade turned to face the kids, “Alright kiddos what do you want?” Tim looked at the menu for about one second before making his decision, “Chicken please.” Slade nodded and turned to Damian, “Potato.” Slade gave him a thumbs up before pulling up to the drive thru and ordering the food. Once he received the tacos, he passed them out to the kids and began the journey to the boy's home.

When they finally arrived, Slade noticed that there was a very familiar bike parked outside the apartment complex. Slade sighed and led the kids to their apartment. He opened the door and was instantly assaulted by the voice of none other than Jason Todd, “Hey Grandpa, what took you so long?”

“You know that’s not an insult when I actually am a grandpa right. It just sounds like you're one of Dick’s kids.” Jason made a disgusted face and opened his mouth to reply when he was tackled by both boys while yelling, “Uncle Jason!” He hugged his nephews, “Hey squirts! How has your day been?” 

“We went to the aquarium. I had never been to one before. It was surprisingly fun,” Damian said with a small grin on his face. “That sounds amazing, bud. Why don’t you both go tell Joey everything. He’s in the kitchen making somethin’ for dinner. I’m gonna talk to your grandpa for a sec okay?” The boys nod and run off into the kitchen, and Jason faces Slade once more, “Alright so we’re gonna take the squirts for the rest of the night okay? We decided you deserve some alone time. I bet it was tiring for your old bones to be out and about that long anyways.” Slade glared at the self proclaimed zombie, “I’m going to ignore that last comment. Alright since you both are so eager to watch the kiddos I'll say my goodbyes then head out.” Slade walked to the kitchen and saw Joey quietly listening to Tim and Damian explain how “cool fish are”.

“Hey kiddos and Joey I’m going to head out now. Give your grandpa a hug for the road?” Tim and Damian rushed into Slade's arms and said their goodbyes. “Bye Joey I’ll talk to you later alright?” Joey nodded and made the sign for “I love you”. As Slade made his way to the door he saw the stingray on the coffee table and took it. “If you two have any problems-”

“We’ll call,” Jason interrupted. Slade gave him a grin and headed to his car. Jason closed and locked the door after him. “Alright time to do this babysitting thing for the first time in a month. Thank fuck for Dick’s list,” he whispered to himself before making his way to the kitchen to talk to his nephews.

The Fact Store:

• My own brain
• The Moody Gardens Aquarium
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rockfish
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_stingray
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warty_frogfish
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Pacific_red_octopus
• https://smartaquariumguide.com/pet-octopus-species/
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider_crab
• https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/flamboyant-cuttlefish
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespotted_bamboo_shark
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_wobbegong
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patiria_miniata
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_blubber
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllorhiza_punctata
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysaora_fuscescens
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_aurita
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenophora

Chapter Text

Jason gets to the kitchen and is immediately assaulted with the smell of something burning. “This is what happens when I let anyone but me cook. I fucking can’t,” He thought to himself as he rolled his eyes and made his way to the stove. It was some sort of soup in the pot.. He honestly couldn’t tell what the hell it was. “Joey, get the hell out of my kitchen, and take the kids with you.” The fellow neck scared individual stuck out his tongue as a modulated voice came from his subvocal mic, “This isn’t even your kitchen. It’s Dicks. ” Joey didn’t quite like to use the device unless he was near people who couldn’t understand sign language or it made communication easier on missions. Meaning he would use it until the kids were completely fluent, which Dick was working on. Jason spoke up again, “I don't give a shi- crap about who’s kitchen it is as long as you’re out of it.” Joey raised up his hands in mock surrender then ushered the kids out and into the living room. He got them settled on the couch and was about to sit down as well, when his phone started dinging. He looked at the contact and raised a brow, 🔥Flame Princess🔥.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dick's Leash

🔥Flame Princess🔥: I’m going to need you to kill your father

 Jeri-cool🎸: Why? What did he do?

🔥Flame Princess🔥: Other than leaving my kids alone? Nothing.

 Jeri-cool🎸: ???

 Jeri-cool🎸: When did he do that?????

🔥Flame Princess🔥: Right now. Me and Dick saw the alert on the camera. He took them inside then he left. WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION

 Jeri-cool🎸: oHhhHh! No No nO. Kori. He left them with us.

 Jeri-cool🎸: Me and Jason I mean.

 Jeri-cool🎸: Well more like we waited for them to get here so we could kick Dad out. We wanted the kids. 

🔥Flame Princess🔥: …

🔥Flame Princess🔥: …oh. Then I suppose I may have left a few voice messages on Slade's phone for no reason.

Jeri-cool🎸: LOL! Just tell him to keep them for when he pisses you off. Do you want to talk to your kids? They looked over and found out I'm texting you.

🔥Flame Princess🔥: Yes! We had quite the scare. Hold on. Dick will call you. Thanks Joey 💗

Jeri-cool🎸: Np

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joey waved the kids over and projected his thoughts into his subvocal mic, “Your parents are about to call. Do you want me in the room?” The boys looked to each other for a bit then ultimately shook their heads, a ‘no’. Joey gave them an ‘okay’ motion with his hands, gave them the phone, then went back into the kitchen. If he chose that room because it was closest to the kids, and because it would piss of Jason was for him and him only to know.

Damian and Tim were excited to be able to tell their parents about all the amazing creatures they had seen. They would probably leave out the whole running away part of their trip in order to not worry their mom and dad half to death though. After a few seconds the phone finally rang, Tim picked up and requested it be a video call immediately. When the request was accepted, Tim and Damian saw both their parents in their hotel room resting on the bed. They looked like they had just been in a rush. Their suitcases could be seen in the back with clothes shoved into it with no organization. “Why are you vacationing at the beach if you're never there?” asked Tim. After a moment of silence, laughter was heard from the line. “I guess you always call when we just happen to not be.,” Kori said with laughter evident in her voice, “We were the first time you called.” Tim rolled his eyes, “So you went to the beach one time and that was enough?”

“No Tim. We were at the beach earlier, but we had to rush back to the hotel room for something,” Kori avoided her children's eyes while she answered. It was a slight bit embarrassing that they had rushed back, leaving all their beach equipment behind before checking the facts. They were in such a rush the thought of simply calling Jason or texting Joey did not appear until they had haphazardly thrown everything into their bags. Dick had not been able to stop his hands from shaking enough to be able to make a single call or text, which is why Kori put the task upon herself. Looking over to her husband now he seemed calmer than before. His nerves had settled immensely. He was back to smiling as always, but Kori could tell he was still not fully recovered. Kori tapped Dick on the knee and held out her hand. He immediately sought out the method of comfort and laced his fingers in hers. Kori could tell he still didn't trust himself to speak, so she decided she would drag the conversation on until he found his voice. “So how was your day with Slade?”

“Good! I found a new favorite marine animal, and me and Damian bonded!”

“It’s Damian and I,” was heard from Jason. The man can hear grammar mistakes from three rooms over, but if you ask him to do something he doesn’t want to even if you're right next to him…talking to a wall could be considered more productive. “Uncle Jason is right, and we did not ‘bond’ Tim.” Tim rolled his eyes, “Yes we did. We hugged and everything.”

“Momentary weakness”

“Bonding.”

“A lapse in judgement.”

“You love me.”

“Do not.” (He did.)

“Sure. I’ll let you pretend today. Mostly because I’m emotionally drained, but also because I know the truth.” Damian just looked away from his brother rather than giving a verbal response. Damian only looked over in his direction again when he heard his mom’s voice say, “Sounds like you too had fun. I’m so glad. I hope there are pictures.” Tim nodded vigorously. 

Kori looked over to her husband, he still looked a bit pale. He had been terrified for the two. Kori was not calm either, but her emotions had gone straight to anger when they thought their kids had been abandoned. “One moment.” Kori looked away from the phone, completely setting it down in favor of comforting her husband. “Love, are you alright?” Dick only shook his head and leaned into her for a few minutes before he was able to speak, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to laugh and shrug it off like normal, but I don’t know it's like something is blocking it.”

“What do you think is blocking you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. When I saw him just leave them there I thought something had to be wrong. I know Slade. He wouldn't do that. He keeps his promises. Always. Even before, he never lied to me. I was terrified because if he left then…” he trailed off.

“Then something went wrong. Then he was in trouble and thought leaving the kids was safer.” Dick nodded, “I thought I was losing him.” Kori held the man tighter, “Oh Dick. You thought you were losing another father figure and here I was just yelling at him. I’m sorry.” Dick pulled away just enough to look into Kori’s eyes, “No. Don’t say sorry. I’m fine. You’re fine. Our kids are fine. Slade is fine. I’m good. I just needed a moment. Thank you,” Kori finally saw a genuine smile grow on her husband's face. She felt relief wash over her. “Alright then, are you ready to talk to the kids?” The man put an arm around her while saying, “Yeah. I want to see them. Freak out mostly over.” Kori smiled and lifted the phone back to where they could see Tim and Damian who were still ‘fighting’ (read: tickling each other). Giggles could be heard from the other end of the line. “You two having fun?”

“No! This should be considered psychological warfare or torture. Damian's little fingers are painful! He’s digging them into my ribs!”

“You started this battle.”

“I didn’t hurt you!”

“Pain is an illusion.”

“Pain is the activation of the nervous system warning you of harmful stimuli, therefore very real.” Damian stared at Tim for a few seconds, then just shrugged his shoulders. Tim  opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the sound of Kori clearing her throat. Both boys then straightened themselves out and looked towards the screen. “I think Tim was right, you two definitely bonded,” Dick said smugly. “HA!” 

“Anyway, anything else you two want to tell us?” The question was simple. There was no ulterior motive, but when Tim and Damian exchanged wary glances…Dick and Kori grew curious and a little concerned. Tim spoke up first, “Nothing that we need to report. We had a fun day at the aquarium, spent time with Grandpa Slade and Dami, then went home.” Damian nodded along to his brother’s story, which made the married couple even more confused. A call would definitely be made to Slade later.

Just then, Jason walked into view of the camera, “Alright dinner is ready. An actually edible one at that.” Jason looked at the phone then added, “I’m stealing your kids now, if you have an issue with that you shouldn’t have gone on a vacation. Bye,” Before hanging up and leading the kids into the kitchen.

The rest of the night was calm and peaceful. The pair of uncles watched movies with the kids until it was time to go to sleep. Once the kids were tucked away the pair called the night a success and fell asleep themselves, not waking up until morning. It was a school morning for the kids so Jason and Joey made sure they were ready with everything they needed (They double checked that Tim brought his project at the request of Roy.) and sent them on their way to the bus stop. It was an early bus that the two couldn’t miss. It was the only bus from Bludhaven to Gotham that let its passengers off right where the bus to ‘Gotham Prep’ took off. If the kids missed it meant Jason or Joey had to take them, and neither one of them brought a car. Why would they when Jason owned a perfectly good bike, and Joey had a suit that made him able to fly. Luckily, they made it to the bus stop right on time. The two uncles watched the boys join their friends Justin and Emma on the bus then left to kill some time before the school day was over.

Joey decided to use this time to help the people. He suited up and ‘Jericho’ was helping his fellow Titans in an instant. Jason, on the other hand, already had some of his people doing the work in “Crime Alley” for him today, so he took a different approach on how to spend his day. Jason was going to spend the day doing normal household chores that needed to be done because none of the other babysitters seemed to know how a house should be cleaned or how to restock a fridge. Jason knew that Dick would have bought a shit ton of food so that nobody would be inconvenienced, so he had a sneaking suspicion that a certain speedster might be at fault. The sheer amount of food that speedsters had to eat made Jason want to vomit. He couldn’t imagine having that fast of a metabolism growing up on the streets. Hell before Bruce picked him up he couldn’t imagine that amount of food in the first place. The thought of his former mentor made him feel even more sick, so he decided to focus on the tasks at hand. His first stop was the grocery store. He had already decided that he was going to make burgers for the kids at the park later in the day. That way they could get all that pent up energy out of their systems, get tired, and go to bed easier. An added bonus was that Jason got to grill and he didn’t really have to interact with anybody that much. He loved his nephews, but sometimes he needed a moment to think. The park was perfect for that, he could just sit on a bench and read. He looked at his list:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Buns
• Hamburger Meat
• Impossible Patties
• Cheese (American and Pepperjack)
• Corn
• Onions

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a small victory that Dick still had condiments. Fuckin’ speedy vacuum. He took out his phone to type a few messages:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bat Bros and their Red-Haired Dumbasses

Zombie: 🖕

Robin-Hood: ???? The fuck did I do????

Zombie: Not you.

Dickhead: Does saying I’m sorry help?

Zombie: Not you either.

Dickhead: Oh thank goodness. I was SCARED. I thought my house offended you in some way.

Robin-Hood: How does a house offend someone? Did it curse him out?

Wal-Man: Stop trying to be funnier than us Roy. It’s never going to happen.

Robin-Hood: 😿

Wal-Man: Wait…wth did I do?????????????

Zombie: Do you know what a store is?

Wal-Man: Yes???

Zombie: Could've fooled me.

Zombie: Thanks to you I have to interact with society. Next time if you use something, replace it.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jason turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket. He went to the vegetable aisle first since it would knock out almost half of the list in an instant. It felt the most productive. Then he got the meat, “meat”, and buns. Lastly he went to the dairy section to get the cheese. It was his process, always get dairy items last. While in the dairy section he decided to grab some brownie batter ice cream and cones as well. He didn’t know what the kids' favorites were, but when he was younger he had been a firm believer that chocolate was the best thing ever. He figured that was good enough and made his way to the self check out line. There was no fucking way he was going to socialize more then necessary. As soon as the groceries were paid for he rushed out of the store and put them in a box he had attached to the back of his bike, and made his way back to the house.

Once there, he put the groceries away and started to clean the house a bit. It was relatively clean, but there were some places that needed to be dusted. The kitchen counters also needed a wipe down. After that was done, he could finally relax a bit. He turned on a random cooking show for background noise and started to read. Eventually however, that background noise became the focus of his attention because he couldn’t believe the audacity of the judges. Janet should have been able to make it to the end, but one mistake and they let Abby stay. “Fuckin’ garbage decision. Take the most talented and delightful person off the show because of blatant favoritism.” Jason looked at the clock. The kids would be back in about an hour. He decided to get up and get everything ready to travel to the park. If he watched one more second of this show he was probably going to punch the TV anyways.

Meanwhile on the bus:

“I don’t know how you can just start a project the day before and somehow still get the highest score. You suck Tim.”

“First of all it was two days before Emma and second of all, because I’m smart.”

“You had our uncles help you.”

“Damian! That was only because they wanted me to finish earlier.” Daiman rolled his eyes. Justin, who sat beside him, was laughing while saying, “He called you out!”

“I have a lot going on right now!” Tim looked at his friend for help. “Oh right! Your parents just got married didn’t they?” Emma supplied helpfully. Tim nodded, “Yep! Homework was the last thing on my mind honestly.”

“Thats a first.”

“Justin I swear you make one more comment.”

“Timothy, stop threatening my friends.”

“HA!”

“Thats my job,” Damian had a smug look on his face when he finished. Tim couldn’t help but laugh along with Emma. Damian had really come out of his shell after the wedding. Tim supposed that his little brother had only needed to realize that he really was friends with Justin. He found himself extremely thankful to the new friends of his brothers, and by the look in Justin's eyes, he felt the same. (Even if the boy also feigned a betrayed look. Hand on his chest and everything.)

“Alright, here's the stop everyone please walk out in a single file line. You will go by your row’s number. No skipping, I’m looking at you Justin,” announced the bus driver. The four kids followed the instructions and exited the bus. They were greeted by Amy and Jason. “Mom!” Justin and Emma rushed to their mother. Tim and Damian simply strolled up to their uncle in comparison. They waved bye to their friends and walked alongside their uncle Jason. “So how was school?”

“Boring.”

“I got a high score on my project, 110%.” Jason raised an eyebrow. “Did you get extra credit?” Tim nodded, “Yeah, I added extra facts and I didn’t stutter during my presentation.” Jason wondered if Roy or Wally was aware that the kid made them do extra work, probably not. He felt a slight bit happier with that knowledge, that’s what the speedster gets for not going to the store. “Cool,” Jason turned his gaze to Damian, “Nothing at all that interested you?” Damian thought for a second before replying, “I liked art.”

“What were ya’ doin’ in art?”

“I drew a cat.”

“What color?”

“It was a pencil sketch so grey.”

“That’s great.” They got to the apartment complex soon after Jason’s response. They got to the correct door and while unlocking it Jason relayed his plans to the kids, “Alright, so we're goin’ to the park in a few minutes. Get what you wanna bring and meet me at the front door in ten minutes.” The kids nodded and rushed off. Jason got the cooler he had packed before as well as the bag filled with the condiments, buns, paper and plasticware, and the cooking utensils he needed. Then he waited by the door.

After a few minutes passed Tim was holding a large bag that was filled with a bunch of different things for park activities. Jason could spot a basketball as well as a skateboard poking out of the top. The kid was never going to be able to carry that all the way to the park luckily, Joey walked through the door at that moment. He saw his struggling nephew and grabbed the bag from him. Tim looked a little upset at the fact he wasn’t able to carry it, but seemed to think better of asking for it back.

“I didn’t know you had a skateboard.”

“It’s something I’ve been working on,” a pause, “The activity not the board. I didn’t make that.”

“I think he knew that Tim.”

“Whatever Dami. I was confirming.” Damian responded to that with a roll of his eyes and a hand motion that screamed, “You’re stupid.” Jason clapped his hands to get the group's attention and spoke, “Okay lets get a move on. It’s already three and I do not want to be at the park when it’s dark.” Everyone shuffled outside and they made their way to the safest park in Bludhaven.

Once there, Jason led the way to a picnic table, next to a grill ,and started to put everything on it. “Jay, are we going to take one kid each or?”  

“After we eat, yeah. If we leave everythin’ here it’s gettin’ stolen. You have fun with them for a bit. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.” Joey nodded and decided to take the kids to play basketball while Jason handled the food. “Is there any game in particular that you two want to play?”  

“Do you know how to play ‘knock out’? It’s pretty easy, and we have the right amount of people,” Tim suggested. Damian didn’t complain about the suggestion, so Joey took that as a sign the littlest was fine with it. He confirmed with a nod and they got to it. The basket they decided to play with was shorter than the others to make it easier for the kids. The first round was Tim and Damian. Damian was allowed to have two shots before Tim started because of his height disadvantage. This was found out to be a mistake because on the second try Damian got the ball in the hoop, knocking Tim out. Tim walked a few feet away from the basket to avoid getting hit while mumbling, “Stupid advantage. How does he even do that?” Then it was Joey’s turn to go against the littlest. He once again let Damian have an advantage but this time with only one shot, which he missed. Joey picked up one of the balls and made a shot, but it missed as well. Damian perked up at this then tried again. Miss. Joey and Damian then took a shot at the same time and when it seemed like Joey was going to lose, Damian’s ball knocked his into the basket. Joey walked over to the five year old, “Good Game. I thought you had it.”  

“I did until my ball betrayed me.” Joey stifled a laugh. “You’ll get it next time. Want to try again?”

“Obviously.”

The next round Damian did win. Joey had found himself knocked out first, then Tim started calculating exactly how to shoot the ball while Damian just threw it in on his first try. After that his advantages were taken away from him at the request of Tim. Damian didn’t mind, in fact he said he liked the challenge better. The next round Damian won again after knocking both Joey and Tim out on the second shot. The third round Joey finally knocked Damian out who then ‘whispered’ to Tim to, “Destroy our uncle by all means necessary.” Tim carried out Damian's wishes, he knocked him out on the first shot. In the fourth game the goal seemed to shift to let nobody make a shot. Every ball was trying to hit the other. Joey ended up winning that round though only through luck. The fifth round was Damian’s win once again. And during the sixth round Joey's phone began to ring. He held out the sign for ‘time out’ and picked it up.

“Food’s almost ready,” was all that was said before the line was hung up. They decided to finish the round quickly then head over to the table. Tim was soon declared the victor so, they picked up both balls and made their way over to Jason. The skunk haired man ushered the group over as soon as he saw them. Jason had already put everything on the table. He had opted out of forming every burger himself due to the pickiness of the kids. It was not going to be his fault that they didn’t eat. He directed Damian to his specific patty then put his own plate together. 

The food was devoured rather quickly; everything was eaten in a matter of minutes and the kids became restless as they began to clean up the mess. “Uncle Jason, will you come with me to the skate park over there?” Jason looked at the eleven-year-old, “Tim I know ya' have a skateboard, but that doesn't automatically make ya’ an amazing skateboarder.” 

“I know.”

“I’ll take ya’, but only to watch.”

“But-”

“Unless you're some sort of skate genius, that's what we’re doin’.” Tim narrowed his eyes, “Fine.” Jason and Tim locked eyes for a moment then Tim grabbed his board and ran to the flat rail* (A horizontal metal bar that is raised off the ground.*) and grinded on it, landed and then proceeded to do a kick flip while glaring at his uncle. “TIM!”

“You said I could if I was a pro. What do you call that.”

Jason looked at his nephew. In all honesty Jason was impressed that an eleven year old could do that, but he didn’t really know if that was a hard move to learn or not. He was mostly impressed with the kids' confidence. He looked into the kid’s eyes and knew he was not winning this battle; Tim had a determined look on his face that Jason knew his older brother had worn many times while working under Batman. It was a look that meant the person couldn't be dissuaded. It was the look he gave Batman anytime he asked Dick to join them in the Batcave after a shift when he said, “No, you lost that privilege. Send me what I need to know.” It was a look that made Jason look to Dick in wonder and honestly, admiration. Therefore, Jason instead of trying to argue just grabbed Tim’s red helmet and threw it at him. “At least don’t crack your head open kid.” Tim gave his uncle a wide smile and put on the helmet and tightened it up appropriately so his dad couldn’t yell at him if he got brain damage.

Jason watched as Tim did a bunch of ‘sidewalk tricks’ as he called them. The only one Jason caught the name of was an “Ollie”. He also performed the two tricks from before giving Jason the names of the tricks this time around. He already knew names of those specific tricks he wouldn’t tell Tim that. The kid looked so proud. “Uncle Jason I’m going to go over there to the half pipe alright?” Jason nodded and took to sitting on a bench nearby. The kid was fine, he was good. He decided this was when he could start to read a little. He pulled out “Northanger Abby” by Jane Austen. He liked what he liked. He looked up to make sure Tim was alright after every page. He was able to get through quite a few chapters before he heard a sound no babysitter ever wants to hear, “OW!” Jason slammed the book shut and left it on the bench, place be damned. He saw Tim at the bottom of a hole on the far right corner of the skatepark, the “bowl” as Tim called it earlier. He rushed over, “Hey Baby Bird you alright?” He looked at the kids' knees, they were scraped to hell and bleeding quite a bit. It looked like Tim fell off his board and slid the rest of the way down. Tim’s bright blue eyes were full of tears as he shook his head and held his hand out. Jason decided to instead scoop up the injured boy. He knew it would be embarrassing to the guy, but  his knees would hurt when he walked and pain took priority. Tim didn’t protest, he just pointed to his board. A silent request for Jason to get it, which he obliged to. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” Tim shook his head at first then his face hardened, he looked straight at Jason and said, ‘Actually I do. You see that group of boys laughing over there?” Jason looked to where Tim was pointing and saw a group of three boys. They looked around seventeen years old all wearing “skate wear” type clothing with the baggy pants with a thousand pockets to the black long sleeve shirt underneath a tee. “Yeah. I see em’.” 

“They pushed me down when I was about to go down.”

“They pushed you?” Jason felt his blood boil as Tim nodded once more to confirm. “I was going to let it go, but they did it because they don’t like how young I am. There is a ten year old girl over there. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” Jason rolled his eyes internally of course Goldie’s kid was a fuckin’ martyr just like his dad. This kid was going to become a hero when he grew up. Jason just knew it. Dick was gonna combust when that conversation came up. Jason walked over to the bench he sat at earlier and sat Tim on it. “Alright you are going to stay here while I teach those kids a lesson on manners,” then he walked away ready to make some teenagers cry. He put on the most menacing look he could muster as he walked across the park to where the group of mini assholes were huddled. “Hey! You three know the term ‘don’t pick on someone that can’t defend themselves’?” The three’s laughter stopped abruptly as Jason towered over them. “Cause’ I don’t think ya' do. Ya’ three hurt a tiny kid, so I don't think there’s anythin’ wrong with me hurtin’ you.” The three boy’s eyes widened in fear. Jason was pretty sure he saw one of their pants darken. “Or ya’ can promise me that ya’ won’t do that again.” The Three boys quickly nodded their heads, ushering out apologies faster than a college student gathers student loans. “Good. Oh and if yer’ lyin’ I’ll know.” He left after that and made his way back to his nephew. “Did you make them sorry?” Jason smiled, “Kid I made em’ piss their pants for scarin’ you.” Tim started laughing uncontrollably and Jason couldn’t help but join in as he picked the boy up once again (Who was clutching his skateboard as tight as he could.) as well as his book. He started his walk towards the picnic table they had sat at earlier. As he got closer he realized that Joey looked worse for wear, he was sweating and had his head in his hands looking extremely defeated. “What happened to you?” Joey looked up to him, his eyes looking more glossy than normal, then signed, “Ask him,” while pointing to Damian. Jason looked over to the apparent offender, “Well squirt wanna tell your Uncle Jay what happened to make Joey look like that?” Damian sighed that started his tale, “Well-”

After Tim had rushed off with his Uncle Jason he wondered what he could possibly do to pass the time. Normally he would draw, but he had forgotten his sketch book at home. He looked towards his Uncle Joey who was tapping on the table to get his attention. Joey turned on his subvocal mic, which he had turned off while he was eating, and asked, “Dami would you like to play another game? I heard you're excellent at hide and seek.” This interested Damian immensely. He enjoyed using his assassin training to disappear. He had never been found before, and he enjoyed allowing other people to realize his expertise. “I would enjoy that. I will hide.” Joey smiled and gave him a thumbs up. “I’ll count to twenty. Remember you have to stay in this general area. You can’t go too far away and the street is off limits. Ready?” Damian nodded showing that he was ready and accepted the rules. Then he sprinted off. Damian looked around for the perfect spot before deciding on a tree. He expertly climbed to the branches and waited. As he waited he saw a squirrel sitting on the branch opposite of his. He watched the furrytailed creature jump from branch to branch while looking for food. It was an adorable sight that truly delighted the young boy. He had never seen a squirrel this close before. They always seemed to scurry away when Damian got close, but this one didn’t seem to mind. He looked around the branches again to see if any other creatures were hidden in its branches. He saw a bird. A blue bird had a nest higher up. It was hopping around setting up every stick just right. It caught sight of Damian, tilted its head, and made one small chirp. Damian liked to believe that was the creature saying hello. He waved to the bird, and it turned its attention back to its nest. The squirrel was still looking for food when Damian looked back to it, but it had gotten even closer. It was still a few branches away yet, Damian felt excitement rise up in his stomach. The squirrel seemed to find something because after a few seconds it scurried down the tree, picked something up, then raced to its original position once more. Damian realized it was a nut the squirrel had found as he watched it pry away the outer shell. It was so peaceful in the tree as the wind raced through the leaves, rustling them. The sound was soothing. Damian closed his eyes to listen to the sounds of nature without his eyes. He heard the cracking of the nut, the rustling of the leaves, the howling of the wind, the chipping of the bird. He could hear everything, and soon the lullaby of nature made him drift into the realm of dreams. When he opened his eyes once more he saw the sun setting lower in the sky, “How long have I been up here?” he wondered. He looked below the branches to the ground below to see if his uncle was waiting for him. As he did not see him he decided to leave the warm embrace of the foliage and trot back into society. He found his uncle soon. He was crying on the very table they had eaten at not long ago. “Uncle Joey?” His uncle's head shot up and was turned toward him in an instant. The blonde raced out of his seat and wrapped his arms around Damian. “Where have you been? I was so worried I lost you! I thought someone took you. I’m so glad you‘re safe.” Damian felt guilty. He hadn’t meant to worry the man. He only wanted to show his uncle his skills. “I apologize. I did not mean to worry you.”

“Well you did! How could I not be worried? Dami, you and Tim are my nephews. You are family. I care about you so much. I was terrified. Not to mention how I thought I lost my brother's baby. He would have never forgiven himself, and it would have been my fault. Don’t ever do that again.” Damian felt the weight of the guilt double after his uncle's response. “I did not mean to disappear or worry you. I apologize.” His uncle shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re safe. I am curious why you decided to stay hidden for so long though. It’s been half an hour.” Damian felt his eyes widen. He hadn’t realized it had been that long. “I did not mean to stay away this long. I-” he trailed off. He felt shame radiate from his body. He had fallen asleep like some common child. His uncle clearly did not realize his reluctance because he motioned for Damian to continue as he pulled Damian onto the seats by the table. “I feel asleep,” he whispered. He didn’t want to speak any louder. He honestly hoped his uncle hadn’t heard at all, unfortunately the universe did not hear his plea. “You fell asleep?” His uncle put his head into his hands….

“The squirt fell asleep in a tree!? Actually better question: Joey, you thought it was a smart idea to play hide n’ seek with an ex-assassin baby?” Jason busted out laughing. Joey squinted his eyes at the six foot man, “like you’re any better mister I’m coming over with a bleeding child!” Jason tried, but failed to respond due to his laughter. He was hunched over, full belly laughing at Joey's misfortune. Joey decided to just let out a huff of air signaling he was not pleased and started to pack everything up. The sun was low in the sky, and it was best to not walk in the dark. As soon as Jason’s laughing fit was over they left the park. Joey holding onto Damian’s hand tight, refusing to let go, and the cooler in the other hand. Jason was carrying a bag in both hands while Tim was having a piggy back ride on him.

Once they finally got inside the apartment once more they set everything down on the kitchen counter and collapsed onto the couch. Jason got up after a few seconds of rest, “Alright Baby Bird we gotta clean up that wound come on.” He picked Tim up princess style and walked into the bathroom. Joey watched the two disappear from sight then he tapped on Damian's shoulder. “Is there anything you want to watch?” Damian nodded his head and took the remote from the side table. He decided he wanted to watch a movie about birds. He scrolled through the selections until he found one about a blue macaw going on a journey in Brazil. The movie started and Damian relaxed into his uncle's side. Joey smiled and leaned into his nephew.

After a few minutes Tim emerged from the bathroom, eyes teary and knees bandaged. Jason followed shortly after, and they both took their places on the couch. They barely made it through the movie before Jason and Joey found that both boys were fast asleep. The two laughed and removed the kids off of them. “I’ll get em’ a blanket. If we try to move em’ to their rooms they’ll complain. Dick and Kori are coming home tonight.” Joey nodded and moved to turn off the lights to make the kids sleep more comfortably while they waited. Joey looked at the peaceful faces the kids had in their sleep and was already planning the next time he could watch his nephews. He looked to Jason who, going by the soft look on his face, was probably wondering the same thing.

Chapter Text

When Dick and Kori got back from their trip they entered the apartment quietly taking in the familiar surroundings. As they walked deeper in the apartment they found Jason and Joey talking in hushed voices in the kitchen.  Well more of Jason talking and Joey thinking and his voice box being turned down. They were both downing coffee and looked like multiple years had been taken off their lives.

They smiled at the two. “Hey Jay, Hey Joey, thanks for watching the kids. I know it's a little longer than you were wanting to.” Dick says in a quiet voice. Joey shakes his head and Jason says, “It was no problem, the kids were great. However, I'm gonna go home because my bed is calling my name. Love ya.” He said before hugging Dick and Kori and making a quick exit. Joey hugged Dick and Kori as well before waving and heading to his own place. 

The two then walked into the living room area, as it was next to their room, and saw the kids fast asleep on the couch. They were cuddled up and looked like they had been up waiting for the pair to get home. Their hearts warmed at the sight.They grabbed the kids and took them to their respective beds. They tucked them in and gave them goodnight kisses before going to their own room to finally sleep themselves.

The next morning, Dick woke up early to his alarm and walked up to Tim’s room. He turned on the lights as he spoke, “Rise and shine, baby bird.” Tim’s eyes flutter open and a huge smile appears on his face. He runs over to his dad hugging him. “You’re back!” He yelped. Dick squeezed his biological son tightly. “Hey Timmy, how are you sweetie?”

“I’m good! I missed you so much. I liked our uncles and grandpa watching us but I really missed you and mom.”

“We missed you too. I’m glad it wasn’t that bad though. Now go get ready for school.”

“Okay dad!” Tim then runs to grab his uniform to get ready for school as Dick smiles and exits.

He then walks over to Damian’s room. He opens the door and smiles. “Wakey Wakey, Dami.” Dick says softly.

Damian's eyes opened slowly, stretching his arms slowly waking up. He paused and then his eyes shot open and he leaned into his dads arms who caught him effortlessly. “Dad, you are back. Never leave us again, especially with uncle Wally and uncle Roy.” 

Dick laughs and hugs Damian tightly, giving him a little kiss on the forehead. He then placed him down on the floor. “Alright I'll make note of that, time to get ready for school. Need help?” Damian nods. Usually he would refuse, he didn't really need help. In the league he was dressing himself at the age of three, but he missed his dad so any bit of extra time with him he was gonna take.

Dick smiles and walks over to Damian closet picking out his school uniform and helping him into it and helping him tie his shoes. He then did Damian's hair the way he liked. Damian then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and Dick went to go cook breakfast.

When the kids finished brushing their teeth they ran downstairs and waited for food. Dick gave them cream cheese bagels and fruit. Tim's was a lightly toasted regular bagel with strawberry cream cheese and some blueberries. While Damian’s was half a blueberry bagel with cream cheese and half a cut up apple and peanut butter. Dick ate the other half of Damian’s food. However, he didn't use peanut butter and used strawberry cream cheese.

After they ate Dick checked their bags to make sure they had everything and put in their lunches before the three headed out the door to the bus stop that took them to Gotham Prep. When they got there there was an older girl standing alone, another student they never got the name of and Amy, Dick’s partner in the police force, and her two kids, Justin and Emma. The kid went to their friends to chat and Dick went to talk to his partner. “Welcome back to town Rookie.” She greeted me. Dick gave a bright smile. “Hey Amy, did you miss me?”

“Nope, but there's a murder case I need your help on.”

“Oh, Well that's not a fun greeting.”

She laughed as the bus driver pulled up. The bus door opened as all the kids entered. He greeted each one. The driver then waved to Dick and Amy before speeding off. They saw their four kids wave before going back to whatever conversation they may be having. The two then started their walk to the coffee shop that they did each morning before work as a little debrief before the storm.

When the kids arrived at school they all headed inside breaking up to go to each of their grade levels. Damian was in first grade he had skipped a year. He was offered to skip more but he had made a acquaintance in his art class and wouldn't be able to keep it if he moved up so he refused. Though he would never tell anyone that. He simply said that he wanted better chances at being the best. 

He had made the acquaintance of the girl a few weeks ago. Though, he was yet to consider her a friend. Maybe in due time it would come but today was not that day. She was simply someone with talent and he didn’t hate speaking to.

Damian entered his first class which was English. He didn't have any friends in it but he enjoyed the class as it was quiet and he loved reading and writing. A trait he probably got from all the bedtime stories Jason and his Dad always read him. Jason had been telling him about a book he wanted to show him when he was older, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ if he remembered correctly. It sounded intriguing to him; he hopes for an interesting plot line. He expects it to be very intense with a lot of fighting scenes.

Damian had a fairly normal day at school excelling in all his classes and having lunch with Justin and Skyler, the girl from art, and having recess and then going to his least favorite class, History. It wasn't like it wasn't interesting or that it was hard. It was just new to him. In the League of Assassins, American history was never a focus. I mean what does he care about this fraud guy, Christopher Columbus.

He had just moved up this grade about a week ago. His teacher had made him take a test to see how much he already knew, and how much she needed to catch up on. Turns out it was a lot as when she threw his desk on the table it had a big red 58 on it that was circled. Damian nearly passed out when he saw his grade. How could he have possibly failed a test? This was going to ruin him. What would his parents think? He was supposed to be perfect. This was not that. This was a failure. He was gonna get punished for this. Worst of all he had to get it signed to know his parents saw it. 

“How could this have possibly happened, I am far from incompetent. I mean I was offered to move up three grades. This must be some sort of mistake or miscalculation.” He ranted as he exited the class with Skyler. She was laughing softly. She had gotten used to Damians obsession with perfection. It made her strive to be better. It was one of the reasons they got along so well. 

“Damian, it's not even going in the grade book, it's just a placement test. The whole class took one the first day of school, actually you did considerably better then most of us." She attempted to comfort her friend. Skyler definitely saw Damian as a friend. She believed he did back but even if not should would earn the title one day.

“While our classmates' lackluster abilities may be far worse than mine, all my parents will see is that I'm a disappointment.”

“I'm sure that's not true, they know you're plenty smart, I mean you've tutored kids in our class before.”

“That does not matter, this is serious, this is my future Skyler.”

“It's first grade Damian.”

“And your point?”

“Never mind, I'm sure it will be fine, take a breath, I'll see you tomorrow.”

He nods and walks to the front of the school where Kori was waiting for them. He was happy and excited to see his mom, however, he needed to prolong the disappointment in him so he opted to walk over slowly to avoid his punishment as long as possible. Tim however might as well have been able to fly with how fast he ran and jumped into her arms.

“Hello Timmy, " she said sweetly, holding him tight in her arms as Damian walked up. She bent down to Damian and pulled him into a hug. “Hello Dami.” Damian hugged back.

“How was school today, boys?” She asked as she buckled up Damian and Tim hopped into the back seat. 

“It was really good, but I missed you and Dad so it was kinda bad too. But that's okay I don't mind! I'm so happy to see y'all.” Tim piped up. Kori laughed softly at his little chater. She loved his little tangents he would go on.

“It was satisfactory, I suppose.” Was all she got from Damian though that was nothing new. 

She got in the front seat and buckled up and began to drive them back to the apartment. Once they arrived back at the apartment Damian rushed to his room not even taking a second glance at anyone. Kori looked hopeless as he ran off like his life depended on it. Tim just walked to the kitchen to make him an after school snack and Kori followed, opting to leave Damian alone for the time being. 

Tim made himself a small fruit salad and went to the couch to turn on a movie. He decided to watch “The Lego Movie” . Kori smiles and sits with him, letting Tim cuddle up to her side as they enjoy the movie together. She debates inviting Damian, staring at his closed door but decides to give her son privacy as he seems to be in a bad mood.

She listens to Tim as he rambles about the cool female character in the movie and how her style is cool. As the movie ends the door to the apartment opens and in walks an exhausted looking Dick Grayson. Tim runs over to his dada and hugs him, Kori following him and giving a quick kiss. He smiles holding Tim before he notices Damian's absence. “Where is Dami?” He asks Kori while looking around for the littlest Grayson.

“He seemed to be in an upset mood.” Kori responds, “He’s in his room.” Dick nods and walks deeper in the apartment. Tim runs off to go build another one of his Lego sets. Dick sets down his stuff and makes way to his youngest son's room. He knocks on the door a few times and hears a soft “come in” from inside the room.

He opens the door to see Damian writing in his notebook. He walks over and sits next to him. “Hey baby, are you okay, mom said you seemed kinda tense.” All Dick received was a gentle nod. He obviously knew his son was lying; it didn't take his detective or hero training to see the stress radiating off his son. Of course he didn’t want to push the issue but at the same time he didn’t want Damian to suffer in silence while everyone else acted like things were perfect.

“What happened, you don’t have to tell me if you really don't want to but I'd like to know.” 

Damian’s head dropped to his desk and he groaned softly. He looked up at his dad and pulled out his test. “I need you to sign this.” 

Dick looked at it and signed the test. “So this was because you didn’t do well on a placement exam.” He asked, not in a judgemental way, but in a curious way. Damian nodded, looking ashamed of himself. Someone would have probably thought he had just committed a war crime, but no he just failed a no count placement test.

“There it is all signed and ready to go.” He said with a smile, “good work buddy, i’m impressed, you knew stuff before you learned it, that's quite the brain to have on your shoulders.” Dick knew both of his kids were highly intelligent and strived for the best so he made an effort to always tell them he was proud of all academic achievements they made. Dick was a smart kid too, but Bruce was never someone to celebrate a passed test or a high score on a placement exam. Damian's mood seemed to brighten a bit after that. He could see some stress dissipate.

“Feel free to Join us in the main area when you're ready, I'm gonna start on dinner. I’m making a beef pot roast. Do you want that with just the vegetables or do you want me to make you something else?”

“The roast is fine.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“Love you too, dad.”

Dick then exited the room to make his way to the kitchen. He Started to grab his ingredients and peel and chop the vegetables. After a while he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and someone lean on his back, their head resting on top of his. “Need something, Kor?”

“No, I just simply wish to cuddle with my husband, Do you know what was wrong with Damian?”

“He got 58 on his placement test, you know how he is about his grades, the little perfectionist.”

“I knew he had a test coming home. I did not know that he failed though.”

“Doesn't surprise me, I had to pry it out of him.”

“I see.”

And with that Kori left the room seemingly in deep thought. Dick was concerned by the behavior as Kori was never one to act like that. He decided he would ask later and continued to cook. Once he was finished he served everyone and they ate. The table was quiet. Only the clatter of silverware was heard. For another family this could be normal or even comfortable, but for the Graysons this was tense.

Tim looked around to see what was wrong with his family. They never were like this and it was starting to make him uncomfortable. “So mom, dad, how was your trip?” he asked innocently. 

“It was good Timmy, but we missed you two so much, how was your time with your uncles and grandpa Slade.” Dick asked glad someone had finally broken the silence.

“It was good, I like Uncle Roy and Uncle Wally, they helped me with my assignment and it was like you weren't missing because they are really good at being parents and stuff. I mean i missed yall but the house flowed normally and stuff like that. As for Grampa Slade we had lots and lots of fun. He took us to the aquarium and I got really good pictures and learned interesting facts about fish. He made a really good breakfast and was super careful to make sure my food didn’t touch. And I enjoyed Uncle Joey and Uncle Jason’s company. They also started getting along better which was a plus. So I really enjoyed it. But I missed you and mom a lot, a lot.”

“We missed you too, Tim.” Kori said.

Damian remained silent, a prisoner of his own thoughts until Tim spoke up. “Oh! Me and Dami got you gifts, isn’t that right Dami.”

Damian snapped out of his trance and nodded happily for his brother's assistance in getting him out of his mental battlefield. The two kids ran off and grabbed the toys from the aquarium and gave them to their parents.

Kori smiled as Tim handed her seahorse plush. It was a yellowish sea horse with spots. It had a chubby stomach and was huge. It was adorable. She smiled brightly. “Thank you Timmy. Thank you Dami.” 

Tim had a smile from ear to ear. Damian's little arms reached up to his dad, the flamboyant cuttlefish plush in hand. Dick grabbed it, tears in his eyes at his kids sweetness. “Aww, this is so sweet boys, Thank you.”

A small smile pulled on Damians lips. He hugged them softly. The boys hugged back happily. The Family then split up. Kori went to do dishes and Dick led the kids to the living room as he went to the bedroom to get them their gifts they got them. When Dick returned Kori was done and was sitting on the couch in between the kids, however, there was a noticeable distance between Damian and Kori, all while Tim was glued to Kori’s hip.

Dick sat in the gap to make them feel closer. He then handed Damian and Tim a bag. Inside of Tims bag was a beach Lego building set. As for Damians he got a watercolor paint set that included brushes, the paint, and the special paper for the watercolor. Dick had remembered Damian talking about wanting to discover different types of art styles.

The boys were both ecstatic at their new gifts making Dick and Kori proud of a job well done. Soon after it was nearing the later hour and was close to Tim’s bed time. The parents decided to tuck their kids into bed. They then made their way to their own room and laid down for the night falling asleep peacefully in each other's arms.

The next morning they followed the same routine: wake up the kids, help them get ready if needed, make breakfast, walk them to the bus stop, go to coffee and debrief, get ready for work, go to work. It was a simple schedule Dick never missed or went off of unless they were not in town, he was off work, or the kids didn’t have school that day. Dick always liked being organized with the kids, he found it made life a lot more simple as a young dad with two boys.

The boys schedules were also pretty routine, most days were the same repeat aside from if they had a test or quiz or what they were learning. Damian was currently in art class, this was the one class he shared with Shyler and Justin. They were making friendship bracelets. Damian found this ridiculous as he didn’t have any friends in the school. Though Skyler and Justin for some reason saw him as a friend so he settled on making one to give to them. They were tolerable and he found himself to even be enjoying their presence as of recent. However, their group was a trio so they decided to just assign who made a bracelet for who. Skyler made one for Damian, Damian made one for Justin, and Justin made one for Skyler. 

When the bell rang they exchanged bracelets and went to lunch. The bracelets looked nothing like eachother but in a way that fit their group they were all different. Justin was a class clown, he liked pranks and making people laugh, which is why most people wondered how he got the most emotionless, stuck up, annoying rich kid to be his friend. To the school Justin and Damians friendship was an enigma. His academics weren’t the best. He wasn't failing any classes but he was a straight C student. Skyler was a kind person, she was artsy sweet and cared about everyone. Her academics were moderate, maybe a bit higher, she did good in her classes but by no means was she a genius. She alway cared for some warmth with her in the hallways, a bright smile was always on her face. As for Damian he was weird. He was silent, incredibly intelligent and rich. I mean most people in the school were but Damian parents net worth would make even some of the rich kids feel poor. The kid seemed emotionless to most and his attitude was pretentious to most to say the least. His face always held a scowl or a frown. His posture was perfect and his dialect would make an English professor cry from the advanced words he used. So, yes they were perfect for them.

The bracelet Justin made for skylar was definitely the worst. The colors clashed and the charms he used made little sense to someone other than the three sitting at the table, not to mention there was no pattern, it looked random, unplanned. The bracelet had light teal, midnight blue, pastel yellow, and burnt orange beads. Not to mention the randomly placed sparkle or heart or star shaped beads. The charms he used were a calico cat, a bird, specifically a Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo, or at least that's what Damian told him it was, and an earthworm. Each of course had a meaning. It was animals to represent the group. Justin was the worm as he liked insects and just really enjoyed the funny charm. It was fitting for him, different and made people laugh. Skyler was the cat. Cats were cute and cuddly. They were sweet but can easily turn mad or sassy, and if you asked Justin that was accurate to Skyler's personality. That left the Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo to Damian. Damian liked birds, I mean he liked all animals but for some reason his family had a strange like towards birds. The group said it suited him. The Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo was a beautiful bird, yet it was dark. The tail feathers were different to most birds, it didn’t look real, it looked made up, a cartoon. This was kinda like Damian in a sense most people saw Damian weird, an outsider, someone who didn’t fit in a crowd, they saw him as dark and mysterious. However, that's not why the group decided on the bird because of its beauty, yes it was dark, and so was Damian but behind all that he was different and beautiful. Hre had a Different personality, not many stuck around to see, some didn’t even try, some just judged, stood clear, stayed weary of his presence. But not this cat or earthworm. They would stand by this bird for as long as he would allow them, because they had no fear of his darkness; instead they were captivated by his inner beauty, the small, fragile child behind the tough exterior they both saw and were slowly picking at the cracks to get through.

The bracelet Damain made for Justin carried the same three animal charms. They were an ombre of a deep blue into a pastel yellow, the worm in the middle and the cat and bird charm being the break before the color change. The colors and design was bold, yet meshed together perfectly. The beads were consistent; the last two surrounding the worm were a sparkly yellow that fit the ombre and brought more attention to the bracelet.

Lastly, The bracelet Skylar made for Damian, Of course it had the three animal charms. It also carried an ombre pattern. It was black then gray then into a forest green to a lime. The charms were spaced out evenly on the bracelet as well. The huge difference that made it so special and different from just a normal bracelet were the two pink heart beads that surrounded the bird charm in the middle.

The group truly liked their bracelets and wore them with pride around the school hallways. It was a symbol to them not only of their potentially growing friendship but of their growth as a whole, their ability to break free from the norm. A chance they only go because of the weird quiet new kid who showed them a new way of affection, which was simply being there. An affection most people forgot.

The rest of the school day went in a haze. Nothing interesting learned. Just Damian navigating through his classes, doing assignments, and turning in his work. He got a study guide from his history teacher that he worked on in class, a scowl present on his face, he disliked this woman, gravely. He did finish it before the class ended though.

When the bell rang Damian bolted to the exit and onto his bus where Justiin was waiting for him most likely to blab about some prank he pulled or mischief he got into. And though Damian would tease him and call him imbecilic for his actions, he found his friends rambling, peaceful.

Once they arrived at the bus stop Kori waited for them. They both got off and waved to their friends as they exited the bus and started their walk home. Kori asked about their day and Tim rambled on and on for the entire walk home. Damian didn’t mind; he didn't have much to say. When Tim finally stopped and Kori looked at Damian for a response he simply said “it was nice.” This was a new response for him. Kori smiled from ear to ear.

Once home both boys made themselves an after school snack. They then ran to the couch and turned on their gaming station. They grabbed their controllers and logged into their accounts. They browsed through their options and decided on playing Mario Kart. They picked their favorite characters, Damian chose King Boo and Tim chose Princess Peach. It was then when Damian realized the transgression against him.

“Hey why do you get to be player one, I want to be player one.”

“Ummm, because I'm older.”

“So that doesn't mean anything.”

“Yes it does.”

“No it doesn't.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes!”

No!”

“Yes!”

“No. It. Doesn't,”

“Yes. It. Does.”

“I should have it, I was wanted by mom and dad. They had to keep you.”

“Excuse me, they love me, unlike you, yes they may have chosen you originally, but they regretted it!”

Just then Damian pounced on Tim. He threw a few punches, Tim fought back of course. They fell off the couch and rough houses on the floor. Kori watched rolling her eyes. She was used to this argument. It would be over in no time with Damian giving up and letting Tim have player one after he got tired and just wanted to play.

That was until she saw Damian throw a punch above the shoulders and a Tim let out a “ouch!” Kori’s eyes shot over as Damian got off Tim and Tim sat up a small cut on his cheek that had blood coming from it. Tears filled Tims eyes. Damian was about to apologize when he heard kori yell his full name.

“Damian Thomas Grayson!”

His body froze. His movements became stiff, his body moved with practiced repetition and fear. His knees went to the floor as he sat on his ankles, his hands fell to the floor and he threw his head to the ground making himself as small as possible. A small weak, “Yes, ma’am.” escaped his lips, he dared not to make any bit of eye contact with his mother. His body shook slightly, but he did his best to hide it knowing it would only make it worse.

Kori was shocked by the behavior, she had never seen Damian do that before, she wanted to comfort him. Tell him it was okay but she had to stay strict. She couldn’t help but see how scared he was, like he was scared she was gonna hurt him. He knew she would never do that… right? She would talk to Dick about it later.

“Damian apologize for hurting your brother then go to your room and think about what you’ve done young man. I will collect you in thirty minutes, and don’t you dare even think of doing something you aren’t supposed to be doing.” She said sternly.

He nodded, keeping his head down. “I’m sorry for hurting you Tim.”

He didn’t wait for a response, he just rushed to his room as fast as he could. 

Kori then walked over to Tim taking a deep breath. “Let's patch you up, okay sweetie.”

“Okay, we should also patch up my knees again.”

“What happened to your knees?”

“I was pushed off my skateboard when uncle Jason and Uncle Joey took me and Dami to the park.” Kori nodded. “I see.” She was gonna give Jason and Joey a friendly call later to remind them on propper reports and babysitting protocol, but  for now she was gonna patch up her eldest son. She moves quickly and efficiently, washing his wounds and putting antibiotics on them. She then adds bandages to them.

She then brings him back to the living room and turns on his favorite show. He sits happily watching the show. She sighs as the door opens and In walks Dick. He had a smile present on his face. He hugged Kori giving her a kiss before he looked around and realized the bandage on Tim’s cheek and the absence of Damian. “What happened to Timmy, and where is Dami?”

Kori took a deep breath. “Damian and Tim were rough housing again and Damian hit above the shoulders and made Tim bleed so he is in time out for another 10 minutes.”

Dick nodded, shocked slightly by the revelation. It was rare for one of his kids to break the rules, let alone Damian. Damian was always listening, he was observant and always triple checked to make sure it was alright to do something in fear of them twisting wording. He always made sure people were specific and their voices lacked any trace of sarcasm.

“I’m gonna go talk to him. It’s unlike him to act that way.”

Kori nodded and walked over joining Tim on the couch. Dick made his way to Damian’s. He knocked twice to make the youngest aware of his presence before entering. He walked over to the still boy sitting on his bed staring at the floor. His eyes were red and he looked…sad and maybe, ever so slightly… scared?

“Hey Dami, I heard what happened with you and Timmy.” He started and was about to continue when Damian spoke up softly. His voice was quiet and weak.

“I didn’t mean to, it was an accident.”

“How so?” Dick asked, looking at his son knowing there had to be some sort of explanation.

“I was play-fighting Timmy and I threw a face punch that was supposed to hit the ground but I didn't account for my new bracelet and it scratched his cheek.” He paused before speaking up frantically to defend himself. “I got off and put my hands up as soon as I saw blood like I'm supposed to.”

Dick nodded, to any other parent, from any other kid this would sound like a well thought out lie, but this, this was Damian, and Damian didn’t like it. Especially not to Dick. Especially not with something that hurt someone else he cared about. Damian was also never one to lie or hide the truth in general, he was an honest kid. 

“Then why are you in trouble, it was an accident.” 

“Mom told me I was in time-out so I listened.”

“Well we’re gonna go get out of here. You did everything right and it was an accident, and we don’t punish accidents.” He smiled and got up grabbing his son's hand and walking to re-enter the living room. “If it had not been an accident the punishment was fair and me and your mom would have enforced it, but that was not the case.”

Damian nodded and followed Dick. As the pair emerged from the Kori looked up and saw Damian giving Dick and him a confused look. “What is he doing out of his room? He still has 5 minutes Dick.”

Dick looked at Damian then at Kori then back to Damian. He whispers for Damian to go play and that he would handle this, however, Damian was still glued to his side. Dick allowed his son to do so. 

Dick then explained the situation to Kori who felt bad for punishing the youngest for no reason. She got up and hugged Damian softly. At first he flinched but eventually melted into the touch. Kori noticed the action and it broke her heart, she didn't say anything about it though.

“I’m so sorry, Dami, you should have told me sooner.”

He just nodded painfully silent, he was watching, highly analytical fearing what was to comel. He was cautious. Watch, waiting like at any moment something was gonna happen and it was all gonna go wrong. Kori felt awful for making her son feel as though he needed to walk on eggshells in his own home.

By the time they put the kids to bed Kori sat awake staring at Dick as he changed into pajamas. She was in deep thought as she twisted her hair and flattened out her nightgown for the hundredth time that night. Dick noticed and walked over crouching in front of her and cupping her face. “What's wrong?”

“It’s Damian, he's been acting weird since the wedding. I don’t know, maybe I'm overthinking it, but I'm worried. It's like he doesn't like me or doesn't trust me. I don't know what i'm doing wrong, nothing has changed in the way i've been acting from my knowledge, or was he always like this and i just noticed it now, am i doing something wrong. I mean he flinched when I hugged him, Dick.” She felt tears well up in her eyes. 

“Kor, Dami loves you. I think he’s just still adjusting. This is new to him. Loving parents and positive role models that care for him for the first time. That's overwhelming.”

“Okay, so what can I do to help him?”

“Nothing really, just give him time, show him 7you care and you're not giving up on him.”

“And the rest?”

“The rest will come naturally, trust me.”

He wiped her tears before giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “Let's get to bed okay?” he offered in hopes to clear his wife's mind. She smiled and nodded. The two then crawled into bed and wrapped their arms around each other falling asleep peacefully in eachothers arms.

Kori made it a goal to make Damian trust her and to be less fearful towards her. She knew he would still be reserved for a while. Kori didn’t mind. She took what her husband had said to heart. She just had to wait for things to fall in place. She didn’t care how long it took she would succeed.

Over the next weeks she stuck to it. Within that time period she saw small, yet noticeable changes in her youngest. An encouragement to keep going and that it would work out in the end.

One morning she had an earlier photo shoot so she decided to help get the kids ready for school and that she and her husband could drop them off at the bus stop. She woke up the boys and went down stairs making both her and Dick coffee. When the kids got down she helped Damian take his medicine and Dick handed out their food.

Damian seemed paler than usual. He was also quiet and more stuffy. She wondered if he was sick or if it was just her imagination. Dick seemed to be having the same thoughts. He spoke up and in a soft voice said, “Hey Dami, are you feeling okay?”

Damian, who was picking at his food, just nodded and in a more congested voice than usual replied, “I’m just not hungry this morning.” Dick nodded, seeing no reason why his son would lie about not being sick. Kori just accepted the answer, trusting he would speak up if he wasn’t feeling well. Not to mention he was young and it was a school day not many kids his age would hide not feeling well.

So off to the bus stop they went. Dick, Amy, and Kori talked about their kids. The kids joked around with each other, delight evident on their faces. Today was gonna be a good day. When the kids got picked up Kori went home to get ready for her shoot and Dick went with Amy for their usual morning routine. They offered Kori to join but she had declined saying she needed time to get ready.

As Damian exited the bus he felt a dizzy spell wash over him. He opted to ignore it. That was what he had been doing since this morning and it had worked out just fine so far. He had a pounding headache, felt nauseous, his stomach was upset, and he was now dizzy. However he powered through and walked into the school Justin by his side.

In the League of Assassins sickness was seen as weakness, an excuse to get out of obligations, and that lesson being all Damian ever knew agreed, he would get through his school day and extracurriculars and then he would go home and take some medicine and lay down for a bit. He would be fine. 

As soon as Skyler saw him she pointed out the obvious. “Um, Damian, you don’t look so good, are you feeling okay?”

Skyler and Justin had finally earned their place on Damians friends list about a week and a half ago. When he told them they both smiled and acted like complete idiots. Damian thought he had made a mistake for a moment but he didn’t take it back.

Damian looked up at his female friend. “I am feeling exceptional, I'll have you know. My allergies are simply acting up. Nothing I can't handle.”

Skyler didn’t seem to buy it but she also didn’t push which Damian was grateful for. Justin and Skyler kept a close eye on him the whole time they were together. Damian saw this as them thinking  it was an obligation to do so and if he felt better he would tell them to stop and that they were being ridiculous. However, he was too tired, too sick.

As the day pushed on Damian’s condition got worse and worse and by art class he was laying his head down clutching his stomach in pain. His art teacher, a kind lady, walked over to him and asked if he was alright. He tried to defend himself but as soon as she reached out and touched his burning forehead there was no going back. She told Skyler and Justin to escort him to the nurses office. As soon as Damian stood up he lost balance as his dizzy spell worsened, tumbled to the floor and threw up. Damian’s teacher looked mortified, she wondered how the young boy was still at school or why he was even there in the first place.

Skyler looked disgusted as did Justin who was holding the classroom trash can in the case Damian threw up again. Skyler supported Damian as they walked so he wouldn’t stumble again. When they got to the nurses office Nurse Nancy, the school nurse, a kind woman that every student loved, looked at Damian with concern. She helped the boy to a bed to lay down and took his temperature asking his friends what happened. Damian was running a 103 degree fever.

Upon hearing what happened and seeing his temperature she immediately called Dick. She sent the kids back to class as she listened to the phone ring.

Dick was in his office area filing paperwork on a case and talking to Amy when he got the call. As soon as he read the school's number he got concerned. He rarely got calls from the school especially during the school day. He excused himself, stepping out of the room to take the call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, This is Nurse Nancy for Gotham prep, may I speak to Richard Grayson.”

“This is him.” 

“Ah, yes, I have your son Damian Grayson in my office. He is running a high fever and is throwing up. We need someone to pick him up from school as soon as possible.”

“Oh, oh my goodness, okay, I can be there in 40 minutes.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you when you get here, sir.”

Dick hung up the school was an hour and ten minute drive but he could speed. He walked back in the room, explained the situation to Amy and signed out for his lunch break racing towards the car to pick up his son. He also sent a quick text to Kori to make her aware of the situation.

He sped to the school breaking multiple traffic laws on the way. He ran in the building as fast as he could and signed Damian out before making his way to the Nurse’s office. Damian was curled up into a ball on the bed. He looked awful. He was obviously more pale now and his cheeks were flushed red from his temperature. He looked like he was in pain.

Dicks heart broke at the sight of the young boy. He had a quick chat with the nurse about what happened and his raised temperature before picking up his son and taking him to the car. He wrapped Damian in a cooling blanket and strapped him into his car seat. He made sure he was comfortable before starting to make his way to the corner store to get some supplies to get him through until he could get Damian home. Dicks boss sucked and refused to let him have the rest of the day off so Dick was forced to bring his sick baby into work with him.

When Dick arrived back in the station, he picked up his son and carried him to his office area. He placed him on the other chair in his office, luckily the boy was so small and liked to curl up, giving him plenty of room.

 Dick then warmed up the potato soup he got him and mixed the electrolytes packets Damians water bottle. He handed both to his kid. He watched Damian take small sips of the water and a few small bites of the soup before shaking his head signaling he couldn’t take any more. Dick didn’t argue, he just put the water and soup in his mini fridge, gave Damian some medicine, put a cool rag on his head and got back to work.

Damian fell asleep pretty quickly after that, the soft snores filling the office area. Dick continued his filing and told Amy he was back. He also heated his lunch and ate as he worked. Every 30 minutes or so he checked on Damian to make sure he was still okay. He worked quickly finishing up his work an hour early, making his boss let him leave early for the day. He grabbed his son and rushed to the car. He brought Damian home. He arrived home the same time his wife and older son got back from the bus stop. He smiled, whispering a greeting as the youngest was still asleep in his arms. 

He placed Damian in his bed letting him curl up and sleep. He then went out to properly say hello to his family. He hugged Kori and gave him a kiss and ruffled Tim’s hair giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Tim looked at his dad with disgust as he did so. “You better not have gotten Damians gross germs on me. Justin told me he was throwing up and I do not wish to follow suit.”

Dick laughed softly at Tim’s response. “Don’t worry, I don't think you are going to get sick.”

“Better not.”

“Why don’t you go watch a show?”

“Okay!” he piped up.

 Tim went to watch his favorite show, his eyes were practically glued to the screen. Kori and Dick decided to join him cuddling up on the couch next to Tim. While watching, the couple alternated turns to check on their little guy.

As Dick began cooking dinner there was a knock at the door. Kori answered and Jason was standing there. She was momentarily confused until she remembered they invited him over today cause he couldn’t make it to their usual sunday dinners. She smiled and let him in. “hello Jason, sorry i forgot you were coming over, it has been a hectic day.”

“Oh, is everything okay?”

“Yes , everything is fine, Damian is just running a high fever so me and Dick have been all over the place.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

They made their way to the kitchen when Dick greeted Jason as he cooked a tomato basil soup for them tonight. It was the same recipe Alfred used to make for him when he was sick and Dick swore it was magical. 

As it was finishing they heard a door open and out walked a very sick and very unbalanced looking Damian. The three adults' eyes darted to the small boy who was walking, or more likely stumbling around.

“Damian, baby, what are you doing out of bed, you're sick?” Kori asked softly.

“I know, but I've rested long enough that I need to get back to work.”

“No sir, get your tiny self back to bed, there will be none of that.” Dick chimed in.

“But-”

“Nope, Bed. Now.” Dick was firm.

“Okay.” Kori scooped the boy up and took him back to bed.

Once the dinner was ready they all ate together. Well minus Damian who Kori was gonna feed after he finished eating himself. It was a simple tomato basil soup and a grilled cheese. The four chatted softly so as to not disturb Damian. Tim rambled for most of the dinner about his day and how tiring it was and how his teacher was unfair by docking points off of his project for his creative interpretation apparently didn’t follow the curriculum.

When they finished eating Tim decided to call it a night so Dick followed him upstairs to tuck him in. Kori plated Damian some soup and crackers. When she walked into the room the boy saw her and started to shake. He hid under the covers. She got confused but still walked over kneeling at his bedside. “Dami?”

“Go away, please don’t hurt me, I'm sorry.”

“Dami, I-I’m not gonna hurt you, I would never do that.”

“Please leave me alone.”

Kori sighed but relented walking out with tears in her eyes. Jasin noticed her expression and walked over. “You okay?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

“My son thinks I’m gonna hurt him, that's what happened.”

Jason looked confused and then seemed to have a realization. “Here let me try.”

She nodded, giving Jason the food. Jason walked in the room and sat beside Damian. The boy emerged from the covers, saw Jason and snuggled up to him. A small “red?” escaped from his lips. It immediately clicked what fever trick was playing with damians mind. Red was the nickname Damian used for him while in the league. Jason debated whether or not to use his name or the nickname he used for Damian in the league. He opted for the latter as the first could scare him or make him think he was in trouble or being watched. “Hey, little D.”

Damian seemed comforted by the nickname. Jason seemed satisfied with the response and smiled. “I brought you some food, I'm gonna need you to eat it all up so you can get better sooner. Can you do that for me?”

Damian nodded, “yes, can you guard the door please, i don’t wanna get hurt.”

Jason nodded his heart breaking slightly. He then began to feed the youngest. After he finished he wiped Damians mouth, ruffled his hair and let the youngest sleep again. He also made sure to give him some medicine.

As Jason exited the room he saw Dick and Kori on the couch chatting. Kori looked distraught and Dick seemed to be worried Jason washed the dishes and walked over. “He ate.” He said hoping to bring any sense of comfort to the couple.

They nodded but still seemed to be hurt. Jason sat down. “Is something wrong?”

They looked at each other before Dick spoke up. “Damian has been acting weird around Kori. At first we thought he was just adjusting to a new environment but since the wedding it's gotten worse.”

“In fact, he’s like this to all the women he’s around.”

Dick nodded in agreement. “We are getting worried about it. And now he won’t tell us when he is sick. It makes us wonder what else he may be holding back from us.”

Jason nodded along listening to both parents speak. Jason had a sneaking suspicion of what might be wrong. Dick saw the look on his face and immediately looked at Jason. “You know something, what is it?”

He was caught. He took a deep breath and spoke in the kindest voice he could manage. “I think Damian might have PTSD from the league.”

They looked at each other and then at Jason. “Elaborate.” Kori asked.

“Well the league isn’t exactly the nicest.” he started, “and he didn’t really have the best female role models either.”

“So what are you saying?” Dick asked, he knew what he was saying logistically but he was holding on to any bit of hope he had in him that he was wrong.

“Damian had a tough life in the league. His mom was never really bad to him. She was strict, don't get me wrong but she didn’t hurt the kid. She loved Damian.”

“But you said-” Dick started.

“I lied. When I brought Damian to you I lied. I wasn't saving him from Talia, I was saving him from everyone else. You see, Damian had multiple trainers and people who took care of him. And truth be told not all of them were as good to him as his mother and me. The worst was definitely…”

Kori and Dick looked at him expectantly.

“Nessa, Damian's aunt, she was super strict and would hurt and yell at Damian for the most simplest mistakes. It got so bad that I started blaming myself for some of his mistakes so he could get some peace from the beatings.”

Dick was in tears by that point and Kori was holding him hand over her mouth. Jason looked like he was in pain even to speak about it.

“I wasn’t gonna take Damian with me originally. As much as I loved and wanted to protect the kid, I wanted the best chances of escape. I only changed my mind after a particularly hard beating Damian went through. That's also part of the reason I didn't immediately bring him to you two, I needed to nurse him back to health.”

Kori was also now in tears. Both parents looked destroyed at the revelation that their youngest had been through all of that pain and they had no clue. Then Dick remembered something. Damian never showed his back to anyone. When he found out he would have to change in front of another boy for P.E. he begged his dad to write a letter to the school explaining that Damian couldn't do that due to severe insecurities that caused him panic attacks when mentioned. Dick didn’t question it at the time, he thought he was shy, or it was a phase he would grow out of. Now, he was mentally beating himself up for being so blind.

He didn’t want to ask the question but he knew he had to. “W-what did these beatings entail?” he asked as he held back sobs.

Jason shook at the questions a rush of memories of the sight of Nessa hurting Damian and him just having to sit there and watch, unable to do anything. “It depended on the severity of the offence in her eyes.” He started. “It could be anything from a lecture and degrading words with a slap on the wrist to finishing it to beating him till he bleeds from every inch of his body.” he continued, “Different beating included different weapons, some of her favorites were swords, whips, knives, and just her bare fists and legs, though those were only a few…” Jason shuttered at the thought.

Kori spoke up this time, “Our poor baby, he went through all of that?”

Jason nodded solemnly. “I'm sorry i never told yall sooner, it hurt me to speak about it cause i was there every single time” Jason now felt himself break down. “And I could do nothing to stop it. All I did was watch as he cried and screamed.”

Tears fell from the three’s faces as the words settled in. Silence filled the room. It stayed that way for a while. Finally Kori spoke, her voice breaking as she did. “So, is he scared of me because I'm a girl?” Dick pulled her closer to comfort his wife.

“I don’t think he’s scared of you, per say. I mean I've seen that kid around you and he loves you so much, Kori. I should know he looks at you Dick and Tim like he would kill mass groups of people to protect you. I think it's more PTSD acting up and making you look like who he actually fears as you have a few similarities having green glowing eyes, being tall, and being a woman, his brain hasn’t processed fully that you aren’t a threat to his safety, he’s too young.”

Kori nods the thought not comforting her fully but comforting her enough.

“It’s getting late, I should be heading home.”

Dick and Kori nodded and hugged him. “Thank you for telling us Jay, we’ll see you soon.”

Jason nodded and exited the apartment complex driving away into the night. Kori and Dick cheeked one Damian one more time before going to their own room and laying awake for a few more hours before exhaustion finally caught up to them.

Damian was sick for the next two days, Dick took care of him first and Kori the second. They made sure to be cautious and gentle while doing so. Tim was also a huge help making sure to take care of Damians animals for the time being since Damain was too sick to get out of bed. Damian appreciated the gesture immensely as he wanted to make sure his fur babies were happy and healthy. 

Once Damian was fully recovered Dick and Kori had a sit down chat with him in which they discussed starting therapy. “Dami, we think it would be beneficial if you started therapy, it doesn't have to stick, but we would like you to give it a try. We think it could help you feel safer and process some emotions.” Dick said, Kori nodding beside him.

At first Damian had not wanted to but when he saw the desperation on his dad and moms faces he agreed as long as he didn’t have to stay committed for a long time if he hated it. They agreed to the terms instantly already knowing an amazing therapist he would love. It was the same one Dick, Tim, Jason, and most of their friends that had therapy used. Dinah Lance or Black Canary.It also made it easier for Damian to agree as Black Canary was his favorite hero of all time.

After the conversation Dick made a visit with her for Damian. It was scheduled for next Thursday after his school day. In the meeting Damian was evaluated and was found to have severe trust issues, social anxiety, depression, and PTSD. After getting the diagnosis they could say that they were surprised but they really weren't. With Damian’s permission Dinah in private went over some options to help the young boy.

Some of these options included trust exercises, an increased amount of family time, and others were simply just watching him for things that triggered him and avoiding them as much as possible. She said supplements would be an option when he was older but unfortunately it was against the law till he was at least 8 years old. Kori and Dick implemented all ways to help Damian into their everyday lives as much and possible and it did help ever so slightly.

They were also given one more option. “Service dogs are also excellent options for young children. If you are interested I can start some paperwork and contact local training agencies. I know Damian is an animal lover, this could honestly be his best bet.”

“Do you really think it would work, Dinah?” Dick asked skeptically.

She nodded, “I believe so, a psychiatric service dog might be exactly what Damian needs. There are many that specialize in young children.”

Kori looked at Dick, “what do you think?”

“I mean we have been talking about moving somewhere bigger and Damian has said he wanted another dog for a while now. If it can help, I think we should give it a try.”

“Excellent, I will file the papers and get in contact with you when I find a match.” Dinah chirps.

After a few weeks Dinah pulled them aside after one of Damians visits saying she had found the perfect trainers who just had a batch of Great Danes ready for bonding. Kori and Dick were thrilled, they were a little worried that the puppy would be a Great Dane as they were huge dogs and Damian was so small but they trusted Dinah's judgment.

Dick reached out to the shelter that night and made plans to visit with Damian the next morning as it was the weekend. Dick woke Damian up in the morning telling him they were gonna go meet puppies. Damian was thrilled to meet puppies.

After they got dressed and ate breakfast the two were on the road. Dick had called ahead to tell the trainers it was a surprise. When they got there they walked in and were instantly taken back. As soon as they entered one of the great Dane puppies ran over to Damian, their tail wagging violently. The Great Danes coat was black and it had brown eyes. The dog's name was Titus. Damian instantly fell in love and began to pet the dog. The dog was a year old and had finished its training quickly. It was still a large dog, bigger than Damian, and apparently not even done growing yet, but Dick knew then and there he had made the right choice and whispered to the trainer they would take him. He stepped out of the room without Damian noticing and signed the papers.

For the next 3 months Damian went to Visit Titus unknowingly training and bonding with him so that he could be his service dog. One day, when Dick picked him up and didn’t take him to the trainers he got confused and a little bit sad. “Dad, are we not visiting Titus today?”

Dick looked down at his smallest. “Sorry Damian, I forgot to tell You Titus was taken home today, we won't be visiting him anymore.”

Damian looked heart broken but forced a smile on his face so he wouldn't make his dad sad. “Okay.” was all he mustered out.

Dick’s heart shattered at his son's sadness. Luckily he knew the truth or else he might have shut down feeling bad for making his youngest upset. EWhen they got home Dick opened the door and made sure Damian walked in First. As soon as he did he was tackled by Titus. Damian's eyes lit up as he hugged the dog. Dick and Kori both smiled saying, “surprise!”

Damian was bouncing up and down a huge smile on his face as he hugged his parents and thanked them repeatedly. Dick and Kori had never seen the boy so happy and it made their hearts swell with pride. Tim watched from afar with a small smile on his face. He was happy to see his little brother so happy. He was eventually pulled into the hug by Dick as well, which Tim didn’t mind one bit.

Once they broke from the hug they explained everything to Damian, Why he had the dog, what the dog's purpose was, what the alerts signified, why they decided this was the best option for him, and where he could bring the dog, and what this meant for him. Damian listened intently. He was ecstatic to have a furry friend that could help him with his mental health.  He promised to take good care of him. 

Dick and Kori smiled happily. They celebrated with Damian's favorite meal and dessert that night. It was an accomplishment of how far they had gotten and the first step in Damian’s new found desire to recover. And that, that was no small accomplishment for them. It was the start of their family. One step closer to being complete.

Chapter Text

“Greetings Mr. Wayne, I am sorry to disturb you, but my name is Damian and I believe you may be my biological father, due to this I desire a DNA test.”

“What?” Bruce said a nervous chuckle escaping his lips as he looked down at the small boy looking up at him. One moment he was excited to see one of his ‘daughters’ get home, and now a small child is claiming to be his biological son. “I can see this revelation has caused you much distress. Let me explain how I came to this conclusion.”

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Incident #1:

Damian was tying his shoes while two boys that were two grades older than him, looked at a magazine and started pointing at him and laughing. They were being obnoxious and whispering something Damian couldn’t make out. He did his best to ignore the behavior. He put it up to probably just some kids bullying him trying to get under his skin. It had been a month in a half since he got Titus, and four and a half months since he started therapy. He didn't remember in what lesson or what had even brought up the subject of bullying, he did remember the advice Ms. Lance told him: to ignore bullies because most of them were either jealous or struggling with their own personal life so they take it out on others. Damian didn’t know if he believed this. It seemed rather dumb in his opinion. Bringing down others made people happy? He had escaped the life that trained him to bring others down and that had made him happy. But he supposed everyone was different.

When he finished tying his shoes he noticed the boys walking over with a page from the magazine torn out. He prepared himself for the insults he expected to come out of their mouths, but instead they handed him the page and the blonde one spoke, “Holy crap dude, you look like Bruce Wayne but younger, are you his secret love child or something?” The brown haired moron next to him nodded vigorously.

Damian looked down at the image of this ‘Bruce Wayne’ fellow. He had to say, he saw no resemblance between himself and the man in the picture. He simply responded, “Not to my knowledge.” and walked away as the boys chatted about how it must be some crazy coincidence. Damian just rolled his eyes annoyed, though he supposes that he would rather that interaction rather than being made fun of. He shoved the picture in his backpack and headed to his next class.

____________________________________________________________________________

Incident #2:

Damian was just arriving to school. He hopped the bus, waved to his brother, and entered the building with Justin by his side. Skyler was waiting for them in their usual meet up spot. They walked up and started a normal conversation about their days: tests they were dreading, projects that were due, annoying teachers, bothersome classmates, the works. As they were talking, Damian told them about the two boy’s comments from the day prior. He pulled out the page and showed it to them. He let out a laugh stating how he found it ridiculous and how there was no resemblance at all, but when his statement was met with silence he looked at his friends confused. 

They were looking in between the image and Damian. Their eyes were comically wide as if they had seen a ghost or in this case a resemblance.

“Actually, Damian you kinda do look like a miniature Bruce Wayne aside from the green eyes and darker skin.” Skyler commented cautiously.

“I have to agree with Skyler. I mean you are adopted, it's a total possibility, right?” Justin added.

“You two are simply ridiculous. I’m not from anywhere near Gotham. How do you expect me to be Bruce Wayne's biological son? Plus even if I did look like him which I don’t, it would just be an insane coincidence. Simply just one of those cases of celebrity look-alikes.”

“I guess that could be true Damian, but people can move.” Skyler suggested. Justin nodded, obviously not believing in any case that this could possibly be a coincidence.

“Unlikely, my biological mother lives in the middle of the desert in the Arabian Peninsula, where my family has lived for hundreds of years.”

The two just nodded seemingly not convinced. Damian rolled his eyes as the bell rang and he made his way to his first period class of the day. His friends parted ways to head to their respective classes. Damian scoffed, Skyler and Justin were clearly watching too many dramas and using “soap opera logic” where it did not belong: real life.

As Damian arrived to class, he found he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. He could be possibly related to a billionaire, but he decided to ignore it for now and just pay attention to the lecture, the thought lingering ever so slightly in the back of his mind.

____________________________________________________________________________

Incident #3:

When Damian got home, he sat at his desk trying to do homework, the conversation with his friends echoing in his mind. Did he really look like Bruce Wayne? He truly couldn't see it, but then again he did remember people saying you look different to others than you do to yourself. As he was deep in thought about his mysterious look-alike and possible biological father he remembered the day Jason brought him to the Grayson’s establishment.

Dick nods cause, that's all he felt like he could do at the moment, and steps back letting the crime lord in the apartment. Which probably wasn't that smart on his part, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight. The crime lord steps in and closes the door behind him and removes the mask. “Hey Dickie Bird.” Jason says. Dick’s jaw drops. “What are you a clone? A hologram? A hallucination? What are you?” Dick’s eyes were widened in horror. 

Jason smiles at his older brother's reaction. “No, no, none of that I was revived by the Lazarus pit. By the League of Assassin's which brings me to my point of why I'm here.” 

Dick nods looking even more confused. “You were… okay that's not important, we can catch up later. Why are you here?” Dick asks. 

Jason nods and laughs softly. “So, umm you remember Talia right” Dick nods and Jason continues, “Well while in ‘The League’ I found out she had a kid that she treats terribly. Like shittier than Bruce, terrible.”

“Okay, and what does that have to do with me?” Dick asks, confused, about the correlation.

“Well, when I got away from The League, I couldn’t just leave the kid so I may or may not have… taken him with me.” Jason smiles sheepishly.

“WHAT!? YOU KIDNAPPED A KID!?” Dick yells in shock.

“I couldn't just leave him there. When he was four they made em' climb a mountain. He fell and broke his wrist, and they still made em' climb.” Jason explains, “Plus you and Kori were my only option, leavin' em' wasn't a choice, his dad is a piece of shit, and we both know how fucked up the foster care system is, also crime alley is not exactly the best place for a five year old to grow up.”

“Who's the dad?” Dick asks.

“Bruce.” Jason responds.

“Bruce.” 

              “Bruce.” 

                           “Bruce.” 

                                          “Bruce.”

He felt a headache form as the thought echoed in his head. There was no way this could be true right? This was all some sort of joke. A big joke that had been planned for a while and finally was put into play. A huge coincidence. Damian had no interest prior to this in ever knowing his biological family. He was happy with the Graysons'.

No.

He was a Grayson so what was going on with him. Why now was he being tempted to go on a wild goose chase to find out if Bruce Wayne was his biological father. 

To ease his mind?

To put everyone's suspicions to rest?

For entertainment amongst his boring school life?

To get answers about himself?

To see where he came from?

To find where he belonged?

Scratch that last one. He knew where he belonged. He belonged with his friends and family. He belonged with the Graysons'. With his mom and dad and older brother. But still his desire for answers to his questions was growing. And it was growing quickly.

____________________________________________________________________________

Incident #4:

Damian tried to distract his mind with many things. He tried focusing more effort on his art and his studies. He even went as far as to spend more time on his social skills with his family. He did his best to forget what he was starting to uncover. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. If it was important his dad would have told him right?

Unless there was a reason why he wanted to keep Damian away from his biological father. I mean after all his dad had responded by asking ‘where the kid was’ and taking Damian in when Jason told Dad his biological father was this Bruce guy. It made him wonder what his biological father had done.

Why did his dad and uncle not want him around this man? There had to be some kind of explanation or reason behind them hiding who he was and not mentioning the man like his name was poison. 

Damian was pulled from his train of thoughts when he heard the bell ring. He sighed and got up from his desk as the thoughts slowly cleared his mind. For a moment he forgot where he was, but he quickly remembered. That's right he was in math and he finished his work early giving himself time to once again get lost in thought. Though, he hopes this time they won’t call home about concerns with his behavior and need for better social skills. That had happened far too many times. He didn’t understand why, he had friends. He just simply didn’t share all his classes with them.

As he exited the classroom, he looked up to see a glass case with math awards in it. In the center was a picture of his Dad. He walked over looking at the picture. He had seen it many times before yet never paid much attention. It was Dick Grayson in a nice suit with his hair slicked back. He was holding a trophy that said ‘ #1 all district mathlete competition’. However,  this time it spoke out to him in a way it never had before. While analyzing the picture he saw the stand and the name under it. It was Richard Wayne . Damian took a double and triple glance to make sure he read it right. He had. The inscription made no sense. His dads name was Richard Grayson. Not to mention he has always preferred Dick compared to his full first name. His dad always said that Richard sounded too pretentious. There should be no reason for that name to be on the photographs stand, but it was. He knew that his dad was the ex-ward of someone, but he had never known who. This was starting to make sense. If his dad and Uncle Jason lived together with this “Bruce Wayne”, and something went wrong…that would explain why they didn’t want Damian to know. Perhaps Mr. Wayne had made a mistake that made his dad no longer trust him.

He shook his head. He looked at the clock and realized that he had been staring at the picture for much longer than he had realized. Damian sprinted to his next class only having a minute to get there before he was late. This revelation had opened more questions and more ideas to Damian but one thing was for sure. He had questions for his Dad and he was going to get answers for all of them. For now though, he was simply glad his next classroom was close by. He made it just in time. He sat down in his assigned seat and began to conduct a plan on how to get his dad to answer his questions honestly.

____________________________________________________________________________

Incident #5:

Damian waited on the couch for his dad to get home. He said little things to his mother and his brother. It was actually starting to freak them out. “He’s been sitting there staring at the door since he got home.” Tim said, staring with wide eyes at Damian. 

Kori nodded, “Yes, it's a bit alarming, no?”

Tim copied the motion. “I think a bit is an understatement.”

“Dami, sweetie, are you okay, why are you staring at the door? You're barely blinking honey. It’s honestly scaring me just a bit. I don’t want you to strain your eyes, you're being worse than Tim.”

Damian's eyes didn't leave the door when he responded to his mom, “I am waiting for Dad to return home.”

“Oh, well okay, do you want a snack?”

“That will not be necessary, Mom.” 

She nods, her eyes going from her youngest son to her eldest. Tim was looking at her with a face that could only be described as a failed attempt to look annoyed. It was simply just hilarious. Kori loved that Tim couldn’t pull off an angry face. She knew he would learn to someday, after all her husband had a pretty good one, but for now it was just adorable. Kori fought back laughter. “Tim, what's with that face?”

“I do not have a staring issue.”

“You do sweetie, you really do, but,” she drew out the last word and wore a large smile directed at her eldest son, “How about we get you some pudding?”

His face faltered for a moment. It then stiffened again. “What flavor?”

“Swirl.”

Tim pointed at her dramatically before saying, “That will be satisfactory,” and marching towards the kitchen. Kori laughed and grabbed her eldest son's hand, and walked with him to the kitchen, grabbing a pudding cup and spoon for him then handing it over. Tim quickly forgot his grievance and started to shove pudding in his mouth. Kori smiled. She watched as Tim kicked his feet happily under the table. He was so adorable she couldn’t contain herself. She placed a kiss on the top of his head. Tim looked up at her and smiled. 

“Love you Mom.” 

“I love you too Sweet Pea.” Kori looked back over at her youngest. Damian's eyes were still glued to the door. She let out a small huff, that was going to be Dick’s problem and she could already feel that it wasn’t going to be an easy one.

When Dick got home he looked dead. He seemed to be exhausted. He gave Kori a kiss, ruffled Tim's hair and went, and kissed Damian's forehead before heading to the bedroom presumably to change into something comfier. When he reemerged Damian was looking up at him in front of his door. “Oh my!” He jumped, “Hi Dami, need something?”

“I am so glad you asked, I have a series of questions I require you to answer.”

The exhausted male just nodded and said, “Shoot.” Unknowing of the huge mistake he had just made by encouraging his youngest in his schemes. Damian began a rapid fire of questions going faster with every one answered.

“Excellent, Number one: What is your favorite color?” 

“Blue.”

“What's your favorite drink?”

“Strawberry da-... I mean hot chocolate.”

He raises an eyebrow to the response, but continues. “How did you and mom meet?” 

“She was getting attacked and we saved her and she kissed me.”

“Who is your best friend?”

“Wally and Donna.”

Damian nods, “Not uncle Roy?”

“Nope, I love him and he is one of my close friends but those spots are reserved for Donna and Wally.”

“You used to live in Gotham, right?” 

“Yes.”

“You're Bruce Wayne's ex-ward and I'm his biological son, right?”

“Yes.” Dick paused processing what he just said and looked down at Damian who had a shit eating grin on his face. “What the- how did you- what?”

“Well it was quite easy to piece together and you just gave me final confirmation.”

“I see.”

Dick stands there for a moment thinking on what to say to continue this conversation. His son's beady eyes staring up at him. He sighed defeated. “Say what you want to say Damian?”

“I'm not sure if I should.”

Dick kneeled down to his youngest and gave him a soft smile. He looked more awake. “Just ask baby.” 

“C-can I meet him? I have questions.”

Dick groaned and just put on a soft smile. “Y-yeah, sure Dami if that's what you want, you can meet him.”

“Can we go tomorrow?"

“Uh- you know what, sure.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Present:

“And that is how I got here.” He finishes looking up at Bruce. The man nods and looks in-between his ex-ward and possible biological son. He sighs and though he doesn't believe there is any chance Damian is his, he invites them inside and leads them to the couch. He tells himself he doesn't know why he did it but he knows deep down he misses his ex-ward and if it means playing into this kids fantasy for a minute so be it. “Alright, so you want a DNA test?”

Damian nods eagerly. Bruce nods and calls for Alfred to get him his paternity DNA test. “Do you know what a DNA test needs?” He asks the young boy in front of him. He shakes his head and looks up to his dad. He couldn't tell what his father was feeling. On the outside he looked normal with a slight bit of even happiness but his eyes, posture, and the overall energy radiating off of him was screaming that he was angry and annoyed. Damian wondered why that was the case. Did he do something wrong? Was his dad mad at him? He brushed it off for now and looked back at the man in front of him again.

“I'm going to need a mouth swab, a blood draw, and some skin under your finger nails. Same for me. Then I will put it in the test and it will take about 30 minutes to an hour to read.” He explained and Damian nodded. 

He then realized what he said and looked at his dad horrified. Dick laughed softly at the expression. Damian hated needles and had a pretty bad gag reflex. “The mouth swab is in your cheek sweetie and as for the blood draw it will be quick and I'll hold your hand the entire time.” Damian nodded although he was still scared.

Alfred quickly did the test to both Damian and Bruce and put them in the machine to read. They stayed in silence for most of the time. Damian was kicking his feet looking in between the man who may be his biological father and his dad. He knew there was tension in the room but couldn't decipher what the cause was. Just then there was a knock on the front door and chatter between Alfred and a young girl. The voice was familiar to Damian but he couldn't tell why or who it sounded like. Alfred called out that ‘Miss Stephanie’ was here. Bruce let out a grunt and said “Entertain her until I finish up here.” 

Soon after that the test dinged signifying it was done. He walked over and grabbed the sheet of paper reading it. His eyes widened in horror. “It's positive, Damian is my biological son.”

Damian’s eyes lit up and Dick's face fell. He knew it was going to be positive but part of him wished it would be some kind of joke and that the results would end up negative and that they had been wrong. However, when he looked at his son's delighted expression a small smile cracked on his face.

Damian spoke, “So can I ask my questions?”

Bruce sighed and sat down, “Of course but I have a few myself.”

Damian nodded. He then asked the first question, “Did you know about me?”

“No.”

Damian nodded, that made sense. He didn't know if it made him more or less comforted about the situation though. Bruce spoke up. “Do you know who your mother is?”

“Biological or adoptive?”

“Biological.”

“Talia Al Ghul”

Bruce sucked in a deep breath and muttered “Damn it Talia” under his breath. Luckily Damian didn't hear. Damian then continued with his questions.

“What was your relationship with my mother like?”

“It was nice, short but good. She was a strong willed, amazing woman and I think about her a lot. Not as much as I used to, but I definitely did at the beginning."

“I see, how do you feel knowing you have a son with her?”

“Surprised obviously but not opposed. You seem to be a very smart and insightful kid.”

“He is.” Dick cut in. Bruce looked up at him, a questioning look in his eyes, and nodded before returning his attention to his biological son.

“Why did my mother and you break up?” 

“We were just not cut out for the long run.”

“Do you have other kids?”

“Yes, four.”

Dick's eyes widened at this revelation. “What?”

Bruce responds, “I have Stephanie, she lives with me part time. Then there is Cass who lives with me full time. Jason of course, and you Dick.”

A bitter laugh escaped Dick's lips, “I am not your kid. Also who the hell is Stephaine and Cass?”

“My daughters.”

“What the fuck Bruce!” His eyes widened when he remembered exactly who was in the room, “Damian, do not repeat what dad just said.”

Damian looked in-between the two. He didn't know what to say to that. “This is great and all but you both can talk about that on a later date I still have questions.”

Dick held back a spat of laughter and Bruce nodded and said, “Of course, Damian is it?” 

He nods and finishes with his final question, “Do you believe I'm like you?”

“I do believe you may be. You did what I think I would have done in this situation.”

“Oh, that's… interesting.” Damian wasn't a huge fan of this revelation but he was satisfied with the responses.

“If I may, I have a few questions for you Damian.” He asks, looking at the young boy. Dick was about to step in when Damian nodded. “Okay then I guess my first question is who has taken care of you?”

“Mother, Dad, Mom, Uncle Jason, Uncle Roy, Uncle Wally… unfortunately, Grandpa, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Jason again.”

Bruce nods and starts again, “And who is your mom and dad?”

“Umm, my dad is right here.” he says sounding annoyed and a little concerned for how stupid this man must be. He leans over to Dick and whispers, “I obviously didn't get my smarts from him.” Dick erupted with laughter. Damian spoke up again, “My mom is Koriand’r Grayson.”

“Dick and Kori are your parents?” he said, his tone sounded questioning but it was rhetorical. Damian did not catch this however, or more likely he did but didn’t care. “Duh, I just said that.” 

Dick was now hunched over laughing and Bruce looked unamused.

“Do they take good care of you?”

“Yes they take excellent care of me and my needs, both emotional and physical.” He responds. Dick starts laughing again. Damian did not know why as he didn’t even say something funny or sarcastic or at least he didn’t intentionally do that.

Bruce nodded. “That's good to know, Did they tell you about me?”

“Nope not really, well Uncle Jason kind of did in his wedding speech but that doesn’t really count.” Dick froze at those words and Bruce looked stunned. 

“Wedding speech?”

“Yeah at my dad and my moms wedding Uncle Jason made a speech as he was my dads best man. He talked about you a little.”

“You’re married, Dick?” He asked.

“Yes I am, and to the most beautiful girl in the world.”

“Jason was at your wedding, and there were kids there. You know he's The Red Hood right, he’s dangerous Dick. Why would you allow something like that to ever happen.”

“Jason is not dangerous, I trust him with my kids' lives.”

“Kids?”

“Yes, kids. Plural.” He says sassily, “I have two. Tim.” He pulls Damian into a tight, loving, and inescapable hug, “and Dami.”

“I-” He was cut off by Damian, “Do you have any more questions?”

“Oh, um yes, did your mother ever talk about me?”

“Yes she did. She spoke of you all the time. She told me about your work, how you were strong and going to be an excellent mentor, how I had to train every day so I could be worthy of meeting you. Stuff like that.” he said with a deadpan expression. Dicks grip on Damian loosened but he still held the boy close. It broke him every time to know the traumas Damian went through.

“What else did Talia teach you?”

“She taught me many things, To read, to write, to fight, to lead, to win, to…” He took a breath. “To expect betrayal, though now a days I know that is inaccurate”

“What did he teach you?” He said looking at Dick.

“I taught him to be a child. To laugh, to sleep, to just breathe and take in the moment. Everything you failed to teach me and Jay.”

“You also taught me love, true familial love.”

Dick smiled and felt his eyes water at that comment. “Yeah that too Dami, that too.” He pressed a kiss on the littlest head. Bruce then spoke up again:

“Has anyone ever hurt you?”

Damian flinched at the questions, his eyes dropping to the floor. A flood of memories rushing to him, years of pain and suffering he had to endure all playing out in his head at one time. “Yes” was all he said, refusing to elaborate any more than that.

“Do you get scared at night?”

He just nods. He seemed to be afraid. He looked vulnerable, breakable even. Dick hated seeing his baby like this. He wanted to tell Bruce off but kept it in not wanting to scare Damian or make him feel like he did something wrong. Moments when Damian was like this meant he was one slip up away from shutting down completely and if that was going to happen Dick sure as hell was not going to be the cause.

“Do you feel safe?”

“I do now”, he mumbles out softly.

“What makes you feel safe?”

“My animals, especially my dog Titus.”

Dick face drops to a frown before Damain continued, “and my family.” Dicks ears perked up and a shit eating grin appeared on his face. “Especially my dad, mom and brother.” Dicks heart melted at that. Bruce cracked a small smile before going back to his neutral expression.

“What are you good at?”

“I’m good at art and have been told I am highly intelligent. I also am really good at playing hide and seek. So good that no one will play with me anymore.” Dick let out a chuckle at his son's response.

“What are your interests?”

“I like animals and art, I also enjoy music. I can play the violin and at school I recently joined the choir.”

Bruce nods, “Those are some good choices. I have one more question, would you like to stay with me?”

Dick let go of Damian at that moment and Damian crawled off of him before he shot out of his seat. “No. No. No. No. Absolutely not. Damian is staying with me and Kori.” He pauses looking at Damian, “That is what you want right, Dami?”

“Yes, I want to stay with you and mom.”

Bruce nods and speaks again, “Damian, Alfred and my daughter Stephine are in the kitchen. Would you mind joining them while I talk to your dad for a minute.”

Damian nods and walks off to the kitchen. When he enters, he is shocked to see none other than Stephine Brown or Tim’s best friend from school and gymnastics. Steph looked just as shocked to see him. “Dami what are you doing here?”

“I found out Bruce Wayne is my biological father. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, that's so cool. Mr. Wayne is my dad, well kind of he takes care of me sometimes. He isn't my biological dad or even my adoptive one, but he is basically my father figure. Wait! Does this make us siblings?”

“I suppose it does.”

“Cool.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Back with Bruce and Dick:

 “Why didn't you tell me about him? Was keeping him from me to protect him or to punish me?”

“I didn’t tell you because I hadn’t spoken to you in years, and it wasn’t like I was never going to tell you I was just waiting for Damian to be ready, as for keeping him from you, a mixture of both and my wanting to make sure Damian was prepared.”

Bruce nods and speaks again, "That's not your decision to make.”

“Yes it was! You want to know why Bruce, when I saw him, I saw you Bruce and when I saw you I could only think about how much you fucked up with me and Jason and how I would never let that happen to another kid.”

Bruce felt anger and guilt rise in him at Dick’s words. “Don’t look at me like that. It's not my fault, we, me and Kori, wanted to teach him family over vengeance, a lesson you can't teach.”

“That is not true.”

“Isn’t it? He’s happy Bruce, are you here to preserve that or to ease your guilt?”

Bruce was silent, "I'm here because I've changed, and I want to prove it. To you, to Damian, maybe even in time to Jason.”

Dick scoffed, “That will be the day.”

“Could we have dinner maybe, discuss things away from the kids.”

“Fine, let me call Kori and ask Jason to take Damian home.” Dick narrowed his eyes, “But know that I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it because Damian deserves to be able to have his biological parent in his life if he chooses to. I’m agreeing to this because if Damian decides that he wants to get to know you, I need some ground rules laid out and I don’t want to yell at you in front of impressionable kids.”

Bruce nodded, he was a bit conflicted over Jason being the one taking Damian home, but he put that aside. Dick got up and called both people. Within ten minutes Jason was ringing the bell on Bruce's gate. Alfred let him in and Jason looked disgusted as he entered the house. 

“Never thought I would be back in this shit hole again.”

Damian heard Jason's voice from the kitchen and ran out with a huge smile on his face latching onto Jason's leg. “Uncle Jason!” Jason smiled and bent down to Damian's level pulling him into a hug. At that moment he could see something flicker in Bruce's eyes quickly before vanishing again. Dick spoke. “You can take my car Jay, thanks for doing this.”

He nods, “No problem, Dickie. I’ll drop your car back here after I drop him off and have Alfred hold on to the keys.”

Dick nods, “Sounds good.”

“Alright, ready to go, Squirt.” Jason asked Damian with a small smile on his face. Damian nodded enthusiastically, obviously excited to get some one on one time with his favorite Uncle.

“Alright then let’s go.”

And with that the two were out the door and on their way to Dick and Kori’s apartment to drop off Damian. Leaving Bruce and Dick alone. “Alfred, Me and Dick are going to dinner to discuss our situation. Could you please make sure Stephine gets home on time?”

“Of course Master Bruce.” Alfred said his voice carried through the house and Dick and Bruce exited to head out for their dinner. Dick was already regretting his decision, but he carried on for the sake of his son.

Bruce led Dick to his car garage. Dick looked around at the many cars Bruce owns. He honestly felt a little jealous, he never really cared about the gold, the marble statues, the quartz countertops, the silk sheets,  but he had always been a car nerd. He must have stolen these cars for joy rides a million times before he was even sixteen. He was a rebellious teenager who was mad at his guardian for not paying enough attention to him, stealing the cars was honestly one of the better things he did. Dick looked at Bruce, “So what car are we taking this time Bruce?” He was really trying to stay civil with the man. He didn’t want to yell. He hadn’t meant to earlier honestly, his anger just got the best of him and…well it hadn’t turned out pretty. He just couldn’t help it sometimes. The man infuriated him. How he replaced him, took his mothers name and gave it to some random kid (He loved Jason now, but come on.), left Tim bleeding out on a rooftop (Which Dick honestly still couldn’t believe.), and was not the greatest father figure known to man. Bruce looked at him, “The Porsche.” Dick rolled his eyes, Bruce had always been more of a luxury car type of person. The name of the brand mattered more than the engine or how vintage it was. Dick had always liked vintage cars. His favorite car that Bruce owned was the sleek, black impala Bruce never used. It was practically a federal offense. Nevertheless Dick walked towards the bright red Porsche, a 2016 911R to be exact, and hopped in the passenger's seat. He watched as Bruce sat down in the driver's seat and off they went. 

Dick stared out the window, watching the people on the sidewalk. He didn’t want to talk to Bruce more than necessary. It was always hard. On one hand the man kicked him out and hurt his brother and son, but on the other hand he used to tuck him in at night, call him “Chum”, and built an entire acrobatics course in the gym just for him. When Dick was younger, Bruce was a great dad. He was kind, thoughtful, protective, and always there for him. When he got older and started to talk back however, everything changed. He didn’t know if it was because Bruce stopped seeing him as a kid, didn’t like his attitude, or simply just stopped loving him but either way it hurt just the same. Being kicked out by the person you called “dad”, the person that took you in and dried your tears after you witnessed your parents' death hurt. It hurt like nothing he had ever felt before. 

Dick snuck a glance over at the man he used to call “Dad”, he knew better than to think of him like that anymore. A father doesn’t kick their child out over a disagreement. When he was younger, he thought Bruce kicking him out had to be his fault. If he had only been a better son, never got shot, never spoken against him, never got a bad grade…maybe he would still be living in the manor. He thought differently now. He would NEVER in a million years kick out his sons. He would die before putting Tim or Damian out on the streets alone with no money like Bruce did to him. Well okay, maybe Bruce didn’t go that far. He had thought Dick was living with the Titans in the tower, but Dick had too much pride to live there full time. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know how bad it was. That's why he hopped from house to house. Only staying at the tower for a week at a time at most. He knew it was stupid now, but back then…his rep mattered way too much. He also did have money. Bruce had given him an account when he was younger, and Dick had never used it. He hadn’t needed to. Bruce was always buying whatever he needed. So, yes he had some money to his name. Then when he turned twenty he got even more. His parents had apparently left everything they owned to him and only him, but had locked it until he was an adult. On his Twentieth birthday he got a text from Alfred with the name and code to the bank account as well as the storage number for all the belongings of his late parents. The account was mind blowing numbers to Dick. He knows he lived with the richest man in the world for eight years, but that was never his money. This money was his own, and it had gained interest over the years. His thoughts were drifting, the point was that Bruce had kicked him out. He clearly thought that he had probably given Dick the resources he needed, but that was far from the truth. Dick was sixteen with no experience of a normal life. He had grown up in the circus then got swept up into a wealthy lifestyle. Dick had no idea what to do, what to buy, what to eat, what to avoid, hell he didn’t know how to live. He had been a stubborn kid that refused to rely on others. He refused to use the money for as long as he could. He only used it when absolutely necessary. He wasn’t going to let the man that kicked him out think that he had done good by him, absolutely no way. 

His stubborn thinking made him cold, homeless, hungry, thirsty, and tired most days. He was running purely on steam. He was so grateful for Slade. His real dad. The one that picked him up and showed him love even if the older man had hated him previously. Or maybe hated is a strong word. The man wanted him to be his apprentice, but also blamed him for the death of his son. It was complicated. The point is, Slade saw a suffering child, thought “What the hell have I been doing? This poor thing didn’t deserve that. I’m adopting him effective immediately.”, and promptly made him a Wilson. Dick was damn proud to hold the name as well. He was never a Wayne. That life wasn’t for him. The chaotic life as a Wilson though, that was right up his alley. Dick smirked while he thought about how his friends had reacted to that titbit of information. That had made up for an interesting meeting.

Dick continued to watch people go about their everyday lives out the window. He wondered how many other people were on their way to a lunch with an estranged relationship of theirs. He sighed probably zero were as complicated as his. I mean come on, needing to talk to your ex-guardian about how you are raising his biological son because he is too emotionally incompetent to handle a child as burdened as Damian. A child that is damaged because of his assassin training, he was essentially kidnaped from his home by another estranged son of said child's biological father. That was a can of worms that nobody ever opened besides Richard “Dick” John Grayson-Wilson. He would open it again though, every time. He loves his kids more than anything. He just really wishes he didn’t have to talk to Bruce because of it.

Dick cursed the name of every god he had ever heard about as they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. He was half way hoping the car would shut down so he could avoid this and go home, but alas no such luck. He sighed, unblocked his seatbelt, and got out of the car as soon as it was put in park. He looked at the building and instantly got the feeling that he was not dressed for the occasion. It was an early 1900s neoclassical building on a corner lot. That old Gotham style was present from miles away. It had Black stone columns on each side of this giant window in the middle of the front of the building. The window was sort of dipped into the structure of the building making a sort of ledge where the columns resided. The rest of the windows were tall and slim. The type that was always seen with iron window bars with some sort of pattern. What really made Dick focus on the windows before anything else, was that though those types of window rarely leave room for visibility in the first place, the restaurant had also decided to frost them. It made the place look secretive. Above the columns was a simple but dignified entablature and cornice frame that flared off the wall. It added to the unique look of the building. Above that was the last little part of the building. It was a blocky look. The sides were built out in a square shape that wrapped around the corners of the building around an inch or two off the rest of the wall. The corners led into other small slivers that were built out, but a little less than the large squares and in more of a skinny rectangular shape. Then in the middle was a wide rectangular window with columns lining the sides. On the lip of the roof he could see the silhouette of gargoyles that resided there. He looked at the door. It was a wooden door, a dark chestnut color with decorative iron bars covering its surface. There was also a small staircase leading up to the door with half columns on either side. The building itself was a dark gray color, not too attention drawing. The building, though beautiful, somehow didn’t stand out. It was easy to miss if you were not aware it existed. All of the old Gotham buildings had this style, it didn’t stick out, that was maybe what made Dick a tad bit uncomfortable. He knew that Bruce could only go to high end restaurants if he was not in some sort of disguise. It wasn’t because he was afraid to look poor or unkept, it was because the paparazzi tended to crowd him. If he stuck to places that many high end people would be, that at least split the focus. Bruce got out of the car and locked it. Then they began their journey to the entrance. As Dick got closer, he was able to make out an inscription on the blocky half columns by the stairs. It read, “Vesper & Co.” Dick took in a deep breath as they walked inside. He hoped his outfit wasn’t so horrible that they turned him away.

Dick was wearing a nice button up plain white shirt, dark gray dress pants, some black dress shoes, and a dark grey blazer. It was a more fancy looking outfit, but the place seemed like more of a place where you wear gold pocket watches, ivory cufflinks, and major designer brands. The kind of place where if you don’t look like you belong to the 1% they will state that they are simply fully booked for the rest of the evening. He knew that his H&M-chic probably would not meet the cut, but hey at least he didn’t wear the polka dot shirt he was originally planning and he was having a really good hair day. So he guessed it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Bruce went up to the host stand and soon Dick was following him to a private room on the third floor. Dick took his seat and waited for the door to the room to close, leaving only the two of them. “Alright Bruce lets talk.” The man raised a brow, “Bruce not ‘B’. You used to only refer to me by that nickname.”

“And when was the last time I did that? I didn’t call you that earlier. Your detective skills are lacking today. Long day?” Bruce ran his fingers through his hair, “You could say that.” He looked directly at Dick, “Lots of surprises. I have a biological son, you’re married, you have two sons, Jason is in your life,” Bruce looked down and whispered, “...I’m not.”

“You made that choice.”

“I know.”

Dick let out a sigh. He was going to need a drink for this conversation. He really, really didn’t want to be here. He sipped his water and waited for Bruce to start. Which after a few tics, he finally did, “So Damian said he was highly intelligent, does he do well in school?” Logically Dick knew that Bruce was trying to break the ice, but his first question was so normal. It was the most normal question for the most insane situation. I mean they were about to talk about the biological son of his ex-guardian, that he adopted. To add on to that the actual adoptive son of said ex-guardian dropped the biological son with the ex-ward (A.K.A. him). The situation is crazy. One of a kind. This kind of thing could only ever happen to the one and only: Dick Grayson.

“He’s smart. Really smart. He skipped a grade actually,” he huffed a laugh, “I actually can’t believe how smart both of them are.” Dick smiled fondly as he continued, “Damian had a little bit of a hard time in history at the beginning, but that was mostly due to him not growing up in America. Now nothing is holding him back. He insisted on studying it outside of school. He’s a bit of a perfectionist."  Bruce’s lips were tugged slightly upwards, the closest to a smile the man got most days. “You sound very proud of him.”

“I am. I’m proud of both my boys. I love them with all my heart. It’s crazy. I used to think that I had to earn people's love, but now I think differently.” Bruce gave him a questioning look, “How so?” Dick looked Bruce in the eyes. He wouldn’t shy away from this reaction. He needed Bruce to know his truth. He needed Bruce to believe it too. “I would love those boys if all they did was breathe. All they have to do is exist, and I love them.” Bruce's gaze softened, and Dick felt a bit lighter. Maybe Bruce had changed a bit. But that didn’t mean he was done testing him, because that's what this meeting truly was, a test. Dick was seeing if he wanted Bruce within a hundred feet near his kid. He knew Damian might want to know the man. He knew Talia probably talked him up, but if Dick didn’t trust him? He didn’t care. Damian would never see this man again. Dick was not about to risk Damian’s well being on a man that wasn’t worth his devotion. 

“I actually have a few questions myself if you don’t mind me asking them,” he challenged.

“Why do I feel like I’m not being asked?” He smirked, “Because you're not.”

Bruce slouched back in his seat in a way that looked cool in movies, a signal that he was open to answer, but all Dick could think of is that Alfred would have a heart attack seeing  this “unsightly behavior”.

“So, Dick began, “You have two daughters. Tell me about them.”

“You’re probing me for information. Subtly, gently, but I know the strategy.”

“I know. You taught it to me after all.” Dick took a breath. “I don’t care if you are aware of what I’m doing. I care that you answer honestly anyways.” Bruce nodded then put a hand to his chin, pondering. “Cass doesn’t talk much. She has selective mutism, but to me that just makes every word she says hold that much more value. She loves to dance, Ballet. She actually just had a concert two weeks ago. She’s sweet and mischievous, though she pretends not to be, and incredibly thoughtful. Stephanie is mischievous and does not under any circumstances try to hide it. She is a raging ball of chaos and energy. I’m lucky that she likes gymnastics because she gets some of that energy out that way. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy her company, she is incredibly infectious. When I first met her all I wanted was for her to stop talking, but within the next few days, I changed my mind completely. I find her chattering fills the empty space. I enjoy the warmth it brings. She’s not my daughter in the way Cass is. I adopted Cass. On paper and in heart she’s mine, but Stephaine is different. She has a mom, but we like to joke that it’s shared custody since she’s over so much. Legally that's not the case, but I call her my daughter and Cass calls her ‘little sister’. I hope that answers your suspicions about them.”

It did, and yet it made him have so many more. The way Bruce openly talked about his love for these kids was insane to him. Bruce never said the word love, but it was clear he meant it. It reminded him of how Bruce used to talk about him. Before the arguing. Before they became strangers. Dick had honestly thought he would never see that man again. He saw a glimmer of him when Jason arrived, but all hope of the man fully becoming Bruce Wayne again faded when Jason died. That's how Dick differentiated the two, Bruce and Batman. 

Batman was cold and calculating. He only ever saw his children as soldiers, pawns to be used. To be fired when they failed. He was brutal and unforgiving. Could only ever see his side of the story. His word was God and his orders were unbreakable. Dick fought with that man.

Bruce was a caring father. He made sure you gained no injuries in battle. He always wanted to hear how you were feeling. He got off work when you were sick because he worried. He let you crawl into his bed when you had a nightmare. He was kind and loved unconditionally. That was the man Dick had loved and saw as a father figure. 

Dick had always wondered where that man went over the years. He wondered when Batman became the truth and Bruce became the mask. He wondered why he wasn’t enough to stop it. But now, he wondered if he judged too harshly. Maybe he should have tried harder to make the man see what he was doing…what he was becoming. But on the other hand, that responsibility didn’t belong to him. Dick had been a kid. A child shouldn’t need to tell their father when they're going too far. Dick was happy with his life now. He shouldn’t get hung up on what if’s. He needs to be here in and now. He knew what his next question was going to be. Something that he had questioned for years, and depending on Bruce’s answer…would either end civilly or with Dick throwing a stake knife at him.

“Why did you do what you did with the third robin? The boy.” He needed to know why the hell his baby bird was left all alone. He needed to know how Bruce could possibly let that kid bleed out on a rooftop. Let his son bleed all alone and forgotten.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You left him on a rooftop Bruce. You left him to bleed out. You left him alone and scared. He could have died.”

“I left him on a rooftop?” How the hell could he not remember?

“You don’t remember?”

“I remember leaving him to put Two-Face away, but leaving a child injured and alone. You know I wouldn’t do that.” Dick did know that. It was why the whole situation had disturbed him on a fundamental level. Part of it was because Tim was hurt, but another part of him, the detective part of him, couldn’t put together a reason Batman would act so out of character. He figured it had to do with Jason’s death, but that couldn’t be all.

“That’s why I’m asking you about it.”

“I don’t know.” And wasn’t that the most lackluster response in the universe.

“You know what I think? I think you were so fixated on putting the villain away you forgot who helped you. You forgot him, that’s what I think.”

“I think you’re right. I-I’m awful. I can’t believe I did that. I never saw him after that night. I thought it was because facing a big name rouge scared him. I never even thought of the possibility that it could have been because I failed him.”

“You thought he ran.”

“I did. I was even glad about it. He was eager to be Robin. It scared me. I hated how he followed my instructions to a tee. I thought that’s what I wanted, but it wasn’t. I could see him becoming a soldier in the future. One that only knew how to follow orders.”

“That’s why you didn’t look for him afterwards. Because you were afraid he would come back.”

“Yes. I was also not in a good mind space. I often looked at him and saw Jason. I knew it wasn’t him, but I couldn’t stop replacing him in my mind. It was a coping mechanism, one I’m not proud of. I didn’t even look into the boy. He gave me a fake name and I gave him a cape. I saw potential.,” Bruce faltered, “Is he alright?”

“He is. I found him that night. He made a full recovery. “

“I’m glad.”

“You should be. If he hadn’t we would be having a different conversation. One that ended with one of us dead.”

“He’s your other boy.”

“Yes. He is.”

“I’m glad he has a father like you. I can tell you’re a good one. No. An excellent one.”

“Thank you. I don’t forgive you for that. I don’t think I ever will. But I understand your side. I understand that it was a mistake, and that you are regretful.”

“But you can’t forgive me because your little boy was in trouble and it was my fault.”

Dick nodded.

“I understand. I’m sorry.”

“You should say sorry to him.”

“I will. If you’ll let me. If he wants me to.”

“We’ll see. That’s definitely a future conversation. Right now I have other questions I need you to answer.” Dick hated that he felt like he had to brush aside Bruce’s apology to Tim, because the boy deserved it. Needed it, but that was Tim’s decision to make. Tim needed to be the one to ask for it. That was his healing, and no matter how much he wanted to drag Bruce to his house to ease the boy's pain, that wasn’t his choice. 

He had other questions he needed to ask anyway. More incidents that he needed insight on. One in particular was his Little Wing. If Bruce could enact that amount of violence on his adoptive son, what could he do to his biological one. One that he never asked for. (Not that Dick saw Bruce as Damian’s father. That was HIS title.)

“Jason. We need to talk about him. Just- just why Bruce? How could you hurt him like that? He’s your son. Your real son.” He saw the way Bruce faltered when he said that, but it was true. Dick wasn’t Bruce’s son. Those papers were never filled out by him. Jason’s were.

“Strike him you mean?”

“I wouldn’t call a Batarang to the throat a strike. I would call it an execution.”

“I knew it wouldn’t kill him, but I’ll admit I think I went too far. I didn’t at the time. I thought he was irredeemable, but today- ” he trailed off.

“Today you saw his good side and it made you question everything,” Dick finished.

“Yes.” Dick tried not to think about how Bruce lit up knowing Dick still knew his thinking process. Dick did. He also knew what every single grunt meant. He could never forget. The information was too important to forget, but Dick could never make out why. Maybe he anticipated he would need the knowledge one day, or maybe he was simply nostalgic. 

“You should. He’s amazing. I trust him with my life. I trust him with my kid’s lives. That’s saying something. He didn’t deserve what you did to him. He’s struggling, yes but he’s not a monster.” Dick could never forget the way Jason broke down.

“I never saw him as a monster. I saw him as a kid, the evil of the world broke.”

“He’s not broken. He’s hurting. You hurt him more, but that’s not my story to talk about. I just want to know that you regret it. You regret hurting my little brother. You regret that you picked the Joker over him. You regret putting him in that amount of pain.”

“I do. Regret it, I mean.”

“Good.”

“I mean it. I never should have done that. I saw that something was wrong with him. He seemed to have so much rage. It was unnatural.”

“Ever the detective. Yeah. His revival has side effects. Sometimes he snaps. You don’t need to punish him for it…you need to remind him to take control.”

“I really messed up with him didn’t I?” Understatement of the year.

“I don’t need to answer that one. You already know you did, but you regret it and that’s the first step. The next one is working towards being better.”

“What’s the third?”

“Showing him that change. The fourth is putting forgiveness in his hands. I know you don’t like not being in control, but in this case you can’t be.”

Bruce looked at him. Really looked at him as he asked, “Is that what I have to do for you?”

Dick blinked. “What?”

“Is that what I have to do for you?” He repeated. “You resent me. I can see it in your words. Your actions. Even in your eyes.”

“I don’t resent you. Not fully at least. There is a part of me that does, but mostly I’m disappointed…maybe even a little angry.”

“Because I failed you.”

“No. I'm hurt that you failed me. I’m angry at myself.”

Bruce’s eyes widened. He looked distressed. “How could you ever be mad at yourself?”

“For not being good enough. You're well you know. You're larger than life. You’re a symbol. A legend. If you kicked me out it must mean I’m at fault. I’ve tried to get over the feeling I really have. I know I was a kid and I didn’t owe you anything. I know that logically it was you that failed, but a part of me doesn’t agree,” Dick hesitated before continuing. “I need to know something.”

“Anything,” he answered, and Bruce looked like he meant it.

“Why wasn’t I enough? Why couldn’t I be enough for you? Why was I such a failure that you couldn’t even look at me anymore,” his voice cracked at the end and he could feel tears threatening to fall. Dick thinks that he could see Bruce’s heart break a little at his words. A few minutes ago he would have thought that was impossible, but now…he thinks he really might have broken the man’s heart.

“You were always enough. You were always enough Dick. I just wasn’t prepared to love as much as I did. It scared me. I tried to protect you, but ended up hurting you more than anything else ever could. I didn’t see it as throwing you away. I saw it as saving you. I saw you get hurt over and over again and I couldn’t take it. When I realized that I had just lost the most important thing to me I regretted it. I didn’t contact you though, another regret of mine, because I thought I deserved it. I never deserved you or Jason for that matter. I’m so sorry that I made you feel like you weren’t enough because you were. I was the one that was never good enough for you. The way I hurt you I will never forgive myself for that. I’m sorry Chum. I really am. I can only hope that telling you this will give you the closure you need.”

“Thank you,” he paused, “And it does.” He couldn’t believe that he had just heard everything he had ever dreamed of. He felt a burden he had been carrying for so long, finally lifting off his shoulders. He felt a little bit freer. He felt like if he tried, he could fly a little bit higher and smile a little bit brighter. But now came the hard part, his decision. Bruce had passed his test with flying colors. He had said everything he wanted to hear and more. Dick could tell that Bruce was reforming (Not reformed. He still had some work to do.) It should have made Dick’s answer easy, but it didn’t. He had fully expected to yell at the man. He had expected to tell him that he never wanted Damian near him again, but now he didn’t know. He knew logically he should allow Damian to see the man, but the years of hurt he went through wouldn’t let him. His brain was in shock from the sincerity he had been shown. 

“I think I need time. A week. Maybe longer.”

“I understand that. This was an extremely emotional conversation.”

“It was, and I’m the emotional one. I can’t imagine how you must feel.” He cracked a smile. 

Bruce returned it. “Winded, and a little anxious.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

“I haven’t said no to that this entire conversation, I’m not going to start now. Go ahead.”

“You knew I only agreed to this to test you didn’t you?”

Bruce let out a rare burst of laughter. (But maybe it wasn’t as rare as he thought it was. He couldn’t be surprised at this point.) “I did. How could I not?”

“Ha! I guess that’s true. You aren’t called the detective for nothing.” He paused, “Thank you for agreeing anyway. I’ll let you know my decision as soon as possible.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Just then a waiter walked into the room with a tray filled with food and drinks. Dick shook his hands and tried to explain that they hadn't ordered anything yet when Bruce stopped him.

“I ordered ahead of time so he could have this conversation in private. I wanted it to go uninterrupted.” Dick gave him a confused look, “But I didn’t even give you my order? How could you possibly know what I would have wanted?” Bruce just smiled at him as he answered, “Dick there were only really a few things on this menu that you would eat. You always got so annoyed when the portions were small. I only had to choose between three options and only one of them was chicken.” Dick loathed to admit Bruce was right. How dare he guess exactly what he would want. How did he even guess he was in a chicken mood anyway? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “And the drink?”

“I figured after an extremely emotional conversation we would both need a relaxer. I just picked the most fruity and sweet drink for you.” Dick couldn’t even hide his grimace. 

“I hate that you know my ordering habits.” Bruce lifted an eyebrow. Dick explained further, “It means that I haven’t changed since I was sixteen. That’s bad. I mean I know I’ve introduced more foods into my diet, but to know that my favorites haven’t changed since I was a kid…yeah that’s disheartening.” 

“I find it comforting.” Now Dick was raising a brow. “It means that there’s still a part of that eight year old boy I took in. It means that you're still you no matter the hardships you faced.”

“You don’t even know the hardships I faced.” Bruce looked down. The waiter placed the food in front of them.

“I don’t. Not all of them. I hope one day you’ll tell me.”

“Maybe, but that day isn’t today. How about we just eat.” Bruce nodded, “Good idea.”

By the time the meal was finished Dick was a bit more hopeful. He snuck a glance at Bruce and could tell that he was even more hopeful. Dick still didn’t know his decision, but at least he could finally put aside some of his worries. He could finally forgive himself for never being able to fully hate this man. He could finally breathe a little easier.

Dick started to walk away. Jason was waiting for him outside in his car. He had texted him so earlier that he changed the plan. He had said, “If you two end up yelling like you usually did, that will make for a really awkward car ride. I know you, and I know that you would rather walk to the manor than endure that. I’m just picking you up to avoid the hassle. I don’t want to have to plan your funeral when you inevitably get shot for exiting a fancy restaurant.” That basically translated to, “I’m picking you up because I’m worried,” in Jason speak. He was just about to exit the room when Bruce called out, “Dickie. Whatever decision you make, I’m glad I got to see you again. Really see you. Not as. Nightwing, but as Dick Grayson. I-I love you.” Dick smiled and did a solute, “I’ll see you later Bruce.” Then he left.

A few days later he made his decision. He texted:

__________________________________________________________________________

Dick: It’s his choice on whether he wants to or not.

Dick: And he can back out at any time.

Dick: Also you have to be supervised by Alfred. I trust him completely.

Dick: And if you ever mess up I will never trust you again.

Dick: It's not going to be a lot. It’s going to be every one in a while. When he wants to. 

Dick: Do you agree?

Bruce: Of course I do. They’re very reasonable terms. I wasn’t expecting them to be so reasonable.

Dick: I’m full of surprises. I’m even surprising myself right now. Just please don’t let me down.

Bruce: I promise you that I am going to try my hardest to never do that again.

Dick: Okay.

Bruce: Thank you. For giving me a chance.

Dick: It's for him. Damian deserves to know you if he wants to. He’s been stripped of choices for long enough. This is me supporting him in every way I can. He wants to get to know you, so I’m letting him. This isn’t about you and me. It’s about him. Okay?

Bruce: I understand.

Dick: Good.

____________________________________________________________________________

And it was good. It was the start of healing a wound he never thought he would be able to heal. It was the start of something new for Damian, he would be able to better understand himself. Kori could stop hating the man with everything she had. She wouldn’t stop hating him fully, but maybe Bruce could have a chance with leaving with his life if he was ever in the same room as the Tamaranian. Maybe it would be even better for Tim if Bruce ever gives him an apology. Dick didn’t kid himself with thinking everything was going to be alright. He didn’t believe that. He couldn't believe that, but maybe it could get 1% better and he’d take what he could. 

That is if Bruce doesn’t mess up. If he ever hurt his kids…Dick would NOT be easy to calm down. He might have to employ one of his friends to dissuade him from murder. (He knew Kori would just enable him, if not join in.) He hoped he wasn’t making the wrong choice.

Chapter Text

It was recess time for the 6th graders. Tim was with his friends Emma and Stephine. They were on the swings laughing and talking about gymnastics. They were going over the tricks they were learning critiquing their teammates' forms. They had a competition coming up and they wanted to win. Eventually Emma had the bright idea to make flower crowns. Steph was down immediately. Tim had never made a flower crown before so when his friends suggested it he was down, he liked building legos so why would making a flower crown be any different.

When they sat down the girls taught Tim how to weave the flowers and find which stems were best for the craft. Steph made a one with yellow and white flowers and gave it to Emma, where Emma made a one with purple and white flowers for Steph and gave it to her. Tim saw his friends exchange their flower crowns with each other and looked down at his messy disaster. He made one yellow and orange flowers. Tim’s also had a few clovers in it as he had accidentally woven those in as well and ended up really liking it so he kept them. A pout formed on his face as he realized he had no one to trade with. He looked around the playground and saw his friend Bernard sitting by himself on a bench. He seemed lonely. Tim got up with his flower crown and walked up behind Bernard plopping the crown on his head.

“Hi Bernard, mind if I join you?” he asked politely.

Bernard's hand reached up to his head to find out what Tim put on it without warning. When he felt the soft petals he took it off to look at it before smiling brighter than Tim had ever seen him smile before, and put it back on. He then looked up at Tim and patted the spot next to him. “Always.”

“Sick! What are you doing?” he said as he sat down looking at the other boy. 

“I was writing ideas for a D&D campaign I want to do.”

“You play D&D?”

“Yeah, it's my favorite game.”

Tim's eyes lit up with excitement. “I play too, me and my family have a campaign we are doing. My dad is the DM. My little brother, Uncle Joey, Aunt Rose, and I are the players. We invited my mom but she said the game was too confusing. You should join us some time, as a guest or full time.”

“I would like that a lot.”

“What do you play? I personally like Wizards, in my current campaign I'm an elf wizard, though I have the idea for a changeling wizard.”

“That would be super cool, I like archers and paladins. Maybe you can join my campaign and be your wizard changeling.”

“That would be super duper cool!”

The boys smiled and laughed as the bell rang- and the teachers began to collect the kids to take them back to their classrooms. Bernard and Tim walked together as they were in the same class. Emma and Steph walked behind them glaring at Bernard as Tim had ditched them for him. (Rude - Steph)

At the end of the day Tim walked to his bus with Emma and sat down, Justin and Damian joining moments after. Emma had a pout on her face. Tim looked at her confused. “Hey are you okay, you seem pouty.” 

“Thank you for noticing, I am upset with you.”

“What why?”

“You ditched me at Steph at recess for that blonde boy.”

“He has a name, it's Bernard, use it.” He said pretending to be annoyed. “And I didn't ditch you. I talked to you guys later, Benard was just sitting alone and he is my friend. I couldn't just leave him. He's shy so I didn't exactly want to drag him over to you and Steph and potentially make him feel left out because us three are so close.”

Emma nodded, not fully satisfied with the answer having wished her friend would have communicated this more earlier, but it was good enough. The rest of the bus ride was their usual playful chatter. Once they arrived at their stops they parted ways and went home with their parents and brothers.

As they walked Tim just spaced out. He thought of Bernard as he walked to his house and stared at the flowers. It wasn't till his mom was somehow crouched down in front of his face waving her hand in front of his eyes calling his name that he noticed he had spaced out. 

“Tim, are you okay, you spaced out there for a bit sweetie.”

“Yeah, I was just thinking. Did you need something?”

“No, I just asked how your day was and you didn’t respond, and I got concerned that's all.”

“Oh. My day! It was good. I mean my classes were boring and I had a pop quiz in Mrs. Winchester’s class, but overall it was super good. At recess I made flower crowns with Steph and Emma. It was super fun. I gave the one I made to Bernard and then we sat and talked for the rest of recess about D&D. I was extremely excited he knew what it was because none of my friends do, well except him I guess but it was cool. Actually, Bernard is making a campaign and asked me to join. I said yes of course and I'm really excited."

“That's great Tim, I'm glad you had such a wonderful day, how about you Dami?”

“It was uneventful.” Kori just gave a smile to that. Uneventful was Damian’s co-word for it was a bad day and I don't wanna talk about it. 

When they arrived home they made and ate their after school snacks. Then they dispersed to do their own thing. Damian went to cuddle with Titus, who had heeled at his side since he entered the house, to decompress from the day.  Kori was watching Damian to make sure the boy was okay. As for Tim he started doing some homework.

The next day, when Tim made it to his first period and sat down, he reached to grab his notebook in his desk cubby to do the warm up. When he pulled it out there was a single yellow flower on top. Tim stared at it for a while wondering where it came from before gently putting it in his bag so he wouldn’t forget it and doing his warm up. He wondered where the flower had come from, but however it got there…it felt special.

This continued for weeks, each day a new flower was neatly and gently placed on his notebook. It got to the point where Tim had so many flowers his dad got him a notebook made to preserve the flowers knowing how much his son loved them and how they brightened his day. Tim kept the mystery flowers to himself mostly. The only people who knew was whoever was putting the flowers there, his dad, his mom, Damian, and his Uncle Joey, as he was over one day when Tim ran excitedly in the house yelling about the pretty purple flower that had been left for him that day, and himself.

Tim tried every trick he knew to figure out who was giving him these flowers and why. His Dad and mom were convinced he had a secret admirer, though Tim was so sure.

Tim kept note of every flower, and their meanings in a note pad. He tracked which one he got the most and least. What days he got each one, searching endlessly for a pattern or a trend. However there seemed to be none. That was, until one day. Tim arrived to his class, he was basically skipping to his desk to see what flower awaited him just to find it empty. There was no flower, no note, no gift, nothing. Tim frowned. To make his day even worse Bernard was out sick. They had planned on talking more about the campaign that day, and now Tim couldn’t talk about his hobby at all.

Tim walked slowly through the halls, his day ruined. Steph and Emma tried to cheer him up but it didn’t work. No matter how many jokes they made or conversations they tried to start they were met with a silent, sad Tim. When his mother picked him and Damian and asked how their day was he simply said, “I don’t wanna talk about it.” and when she asked about the flower of the day his frown only deepened more. He skipped his after school snack and opted to just sulk in his room all day, face engulfed in his pillow. Kori was distraught to say the least. Her normally energetic, hyper, loving son was acting so depressed and empty. It simply broke her heart.

Kori and Dick tried their best to engage him in things to bring his spirits up but nothing worked. They watched his favorite movies, played some of his favorite games, Dick even changed what he was cooking to be Tim's favorite meal but to no avail. Their son was still down in the dumps. Dick finally sat him down after dinner and asked him “What happened?”

“I didn’t get a flower today, and to make it worse my friend Bernard was out sick today.”

“I’m sorry sweetie, that sounds like you had a rough day.” He thought for a bit and decided to try a new take on cheering up his son. “So Bernard is that blonde boy in your class right, the one who likes D&D?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“You two are ‘super duper trouper’ close right?”

“Yeah we are, like Steph is my best friend, but I care about him a lot a lot, like in a different kind of way then Steph, where he’s my favorite person to be around but Steph is too, like…I like them in different ways… does that make sense.”

“More than you know buddy.”

Tim smiled widely at his dads response.

“So tell me more about this boy.”

“Okay! Well he's super smart and he likes to write. He is also a huge fan of heroes and vigilantes like me. Like we have a lot in common. His favorite color is yellow, OH! And his favorite food is pizza. He’s also a huge D&D nerd like me which is cool.”

“That sounds amazing buddy, he sounds like a perfect fit for you Timmy.”

“He is.” Tim said plainly. 

“I’m really happy you have such good friends Tim-Tam.”

Tim smiled brightly and for the rest of the night the family had a movie marathon till both kid’s bed times.

The next day, Tim walked slowly to class. He was wanting to avoid his flowerless desk for as long as he could. However, when he inevitably got there and pulled out his notebook there was a four leaf clover and a white flower waiting for him. Attached was a little note that read:

  Sorry there was no flower yesterday, I hope this makes up for it <3

-Secret Admirer

Tim smiled, a soft red on his cheeks. He couldn’t explain how he felt but it felt good. To make his day even better his favorite blonde boy was back in class and sitting at his normal desk. Tim walked over to him after putting up the flower and clover into his book. “Hey Bernard.”

“Oh, Hey Tim, sorry I wasn't here yesterday. Unfortunately, I was sick.”

“Do not worry about it. I missed you though. I'm glad you are feeling better.”

Bernard smiled and gave Tim a hug before the teacher walked in, and Tim had to return to his seat. He sat down, his mind focused on the blonde. It seemed like all he could think about was his mystery flower giver, and the blonde boy he cared so deeply for. One thing was for sure, he did not learn a single thing in that class today. 

At recess Tim and Bernard spent the whole time swinging and talking to each other about random things. Shows that they watched, jokes they made, D&D, their families, anything that really came to mind. It didn’t matter the topic, they just wanted to spend time together. Their conversations were fluid and happy. Tim made it a personal goal to get Emma and Steph to like the boy so they could hang out even more.

A few days went by and it was Valentine's day. Tim walked into his class and saw a tiny box of chocolates on his notebook instead of flowers. It was snickers shaped like hearts. Snickers were his favorite. Tim wondered how his mystery person knew that. He opened the card that was placed beside the chocolates, and read it. It said:

I saw a tulip and thought of your smile,
The kind that makes my heart race a mile.
You're smart and funny and kinda cool—
Way cooler than anyone else at school.

I picked some daisies, soft and sweet,
Hoping maybe one day we’ll meet
Under a tree or after class—
I’d say “hi” but my nerves won’t pass.

So here's this note and a flower too,
Just something small to say: I like you. 

-secret admirer

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Tim.exe has stopped working due to processing unknown emotions.

Error code: 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101

Recalibrating…. Please hold…

Rebooting system…

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“What just happened?” Tim spoke his thoughts aloud. His face felt warm, his stomach felt like it had one hundred birds fluttering around in it, and he felt a bit light headed. He sat down and did his class warm-up, his mind on the poem. Once he finished up he put the chocolates and the note in his bag delicately. He had a huge smile on his face the entire day. Then right before recess a boy walked in holding the school valentines. They were carnations with the iconic ‘your special’ and ‘Love ya!’ and ‘you're important’ stuff. They were two dollars each and Tim found them incredibly stupid. I mean you could sign your name and write a small note on them but honestly they were cheap and meaningless. Or at least that was the case until he got one signed by his secret admirer that said “here is your daily flower, sorry it is late” in the same writing as the poem.

He started at the flower and smiled. He found it sweet that his admirer got him one of these flowers rather than ones they picked outside. Not that he minded them. He loved each and every one, but this one felt more special. He was the most careful he had ever been putting the carnation in his book of flowers. The carnation he got was beautiful. It was yellow with some orange fading towards the tips of the petals, a thin line of red at the very end. 

As he stared at the flower, Bernard appeared beside him. He was looking over his shoulder at the book of flowers Tim was holding and a slight blush was present on his cheeks. When Tim noticed him he looked up and said in a shy voice, “I have a secret admirer, they keep giving me flowers. I appreciate them and find them super pretty so I keep note of them and my dad bought me this special book to keep them all safe.”

Bernard looked like he was pondering something, his cheeks were a little flushed, when Tim spoke those words. However he seemed to push past it quickly and asked, “Do you wanna walk to recess together?”

“Sure, that sounds nice.” Tim responded. Bernard took Tim’s hand as they walked outside together chatting. Tim felt his heart speed up when the boy took his hand. He didn’t understand why it would do such a thing. If he wasn’t so out of it he probably would have freaked out or said something by now, but his mind was otherwise occupied.

When they got out to the playground Emma and Steph walked over to them. “Hey we were playing tag, do you two want to join?” Emma asked.

Tim looked at Bernard who looked back at him and shrugged. Tim looked back at his friends and nodded, “Sure that sounds fun, who's it?”

“Me!” Steph claimed herself the chaser first every time. She turned around and counted to ten as the other three ran in all different directions. When she finished counting she chased after them. They played together the entirety of recess and Emma even asked Bernard to join them at their table for lunch. Both Steph and Emma were taking a strong liking to the nerdy boy they used to resent for taking their friend away.

The quad spent their whole day together. They even made plans to invite Bernard to one of their hang out days in the near future and even talked of inducting him into their little group. Tim was happy that his friends liked Bernard, and that there was a possibility of him joining the group making Tim able to see him more often. Bernard was happy as he had gained more friends. The boy didn’t have any friends other than Tim before this so he was overjoyed when he was invited to be a part of a group. Especially one that was so close and had Tim in it.

When they were walking out to their buses at the end of the day Bernard ran up to Tim and gave him a tight hug before running to his parents car. Tim could feel it as face went red. He pulled up his hood, tightened the strings, and ran to his bus. Emma teased him the entire way to their stop. When he looked over at his little brother for help it seemed he was too busy making fun of Justin for some reason. Tim wondered why but figured he could ask Damian later about it.

When they hopped off the bus they were surprised to see their Uncle Joey waiting for them rather than their mom or dad. He waved to the kids with a smile on his face. The kids waved back as they walked up to him. “Where is Dad or Mom?” Tim asked as they made their way back to their house Joey turned on his speaking device and replied, “Getting ready for their date night, I am taking care of you two.”

“Huh, oh, okay. That makes sense.”

Joey nods and smiles and looks over to Damian who is silent. He ruffles Damian's hair making the boy look up at him. “What's up with you?” his device speaks.

“Nothing.”

Joey nods and holds his hand to his mouth and giggles soundlessly.

Once they arrive back at their house both boys open their backpacks and Tim pulls out his flower book, chocolates, and card. Damian dumps out what must be 10 different carnations of all different colors. Each with notes. Dick made his appearance at that moment. “Thanks for picking up and watching the kids Joey. Jason wanted to do something special for Artemis. Wally had a date with Linda planned. Roy wanted to spend the day with Lian and Jade. And our beloved, baby sister Rose, said she had a date with her couch and a- cover your ears kids.” They do. “Wine bottle. Donna’s joining her.” Dick gives his kids a thumbs up to let them know they can uncover their ears. “And we are going to be out too late for Dad to be able to come over.” Joey lets out a soundless laugh and signs “It’s no problem. I love the kids.”

Dick smiles and focuses his attention on Tim and Damian. “What did you get there?” He smiles while finishing tying his tie. He kneels to his kids' levels. Tim with a blush on his face hands over the chocolate, flower, and card. Dick looked at each one and squealed. He then composed himself and looked at the boy. “Did Gretchen Wenniers get any flower grams?” Tim was too out of it to respond, not that it mattered. Both Tim and Damian were too young to understand. Joey however playfully rolled his eyes. Dick smiled at that. He then waved his hand in front of Tim. “Earth to Timmy, are you in there?” Tim snapped back from his daze and nodded.

“This was super sweet of your admirer Timmy. They even know your favorite chocolate."

“Or they made a good guess.”

“I suppose that is true but still. This is adorable, and it seems that you weren’t the only one.” He turns his attention to Damian. “Thats a lot of flowers.”

He nods looking at Dick then grabs two and throws the rest away. Dicks face drops to one of shock. “Dami? Why did you throw those away?”

“I only want these two. This one is from Skyler and this one is from someone I don't know but I find funny.”

Dick just sighs and nods. “Okay bud.”

“Let me get a picture of you two before me and your mom head out.”

The boys hold up their gifts and put on smiles and pose. Dick takes a few…. thousand photos.

A couple more days went by and Tim was sitting at his desk staring at his notebook. His flower was missing again. Bernard also had a doctor's appointment that day and would only arrive right before recess. He sighed, opened his notebook, and did his warm-up. Tim worked through his assignments quickly, almost as if he believed the faster he finished the faster Bernard would arrive. Finally around 10 minutes before recess, the class was having free time as the teacher didn’t wanna start something new right before kids went out to play, Bernard walked in the classroom and gave his late slip to the teacher before walking over to tim and placing a yellow flower on his desk. “Sorry it's late, I had my doctor's appointment.”

Tim looked down at the flower then up at Bernard then down at the flower then up again. His cheeks warmed and a shocked expression filled his face. “You are my secret admirer!”

Bernard laughs and smiles nodding, “Yes, I thought you knew, Timmy.”

“No! I had no clue.” Honestly, Tim should have put it together. Looking back, it was obvious.

That made Bernard laugh more. A bright smile, that lit up the room in Tim’s opinion, formed on the boy's face. “Suprise.”

Tim smiled giddily. “Suprise indeed.”

Tim put the flower in his collection before the teacher called for recess. Tim grabbed Bernard's hand and they walked out to the playground together. Steph and Emma met them outside and the quad decided to make flower crowns again. Steph made one for Emma and vice versa, while Tim made one for Bernard like before. Bernard worked on one for Tim, and was extremely focused on making it perfect before he handed it over right as recess ended.

The group wore the flower crowns throughout the school for the rest of the day. When the day ended Bernard gave Tim a bone crushing hug and ran off to go show his flower crown to his parents. Damian laughed watching Tim’s face flush at the hug. Dick had come to pick up his kids as a surprise and saw the interaction “case closed.” he whispered to himself laughing softly before walking over, hugging his kids, and bringing them to the car.

Tim spoke the whole car ride home about his day and how Bernard was his secret admirer and how he had no clue. Dick laughed along acting clueless, even though he knew the whole time who it was. Damian acted annoyed but had a small smile on his face obviously happy his brother was happy.

After that day Bernard still gave Tim flowers he just delivered them in person. Tim continued to cherish them just the same as he had before, maybe even more.