Wow, I'm tired. The whole vigilante during the night and cop during the day may be getting to me. It doesn't help that my alarm is blaring loud and clear next to my ear. Someone should really get that. Now me complaining doesn't mean I don't like my job. My jobs. I love them I really do. I don't like the alarm clock. But there really is nothing better than to put on the spandex and knock some heads then take of the spandex and knock some more. It's my dream.

Speaking of dreams, I was having this great one of a gaggle of giggling girls. Hehe. They were everywhere, I think I was in heaven. They were all around me, giggling louder and louder until they started to sound like a car horn. Or an alarm clock.

"God damn it. I'm up already!" I yell as I proceed to backhand my alarm off the side table. It hit the floor with a thump but kept blaring so I forced myself to get up and unplug it. I'm not chancing that thing turning on again. With a groan I head for the shower.

As I step into the spray all I can think about is how I should invest in an alarm clock that has a radio in it. All alarm clocks should play music. Who doesn't want to wake up to Freddy Mercury singing Bohemian Rhapsody . Though in my case it would most likely be Under Pressure. Another One Bites the Dust. My life is hard. Sometimes I just... Want to Break Free. Yaahhh… You know you need more sleep when you start to crack those jokes.

I really didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Well, less than usual. It wasn't that last night was exhausting, it was but that usually just gets me asleep quicker, but I've been kinda down lately. There have been a lot of suicides this week. Last night was numbers 13 and 14. In one week. The thing is, nothing I can do can help those people. There was no evidence of homicides. They just gave up fighting.

With that thought, I shake my head. No need to dwell on what can't be fixed right? I turn my mind back to my schedule for the day.

Well, step one of my day is done. Shower check. Teeth check. Clothes. I look down at the towel wrapped around my waist. "Nah, that can wait, breakfast it is."

I walk into my spacious kitchen attached to my luxurious dining area. Or my not so luxurious moth eaten couch in my extremely small kitchen outfitted with the only appliance a single man ever needs in his life. You guessed it, the microwave. "Let's see what is on the menu for this morning. Oh yah that's right I don't have a menu. Cereal it is."

I pull out my food choice for the day. The healthiest one I have. Low fat, Sugar Bombs. 25 grams of sugar for every half cup of cereal and not a significant source of protein, but hey low fat. I pour my chocolate milk in my cereal. Bruce says I have a sugar problem but what does he know. He has a lack- of- sugar problem. I bet the guy would be a lot more easy going if he ingested 100 grams of sugar each morning. That, or he'd be in a coma.

With my inner monologue continuing, I dump my empty dishes in the sink to do if I get to them later. The only reason it's not full is because I only have one set of dishes.

I quickly get changed into my uniform while simultaneously tidying up my Nightwing gear I left out last night. You can't lecture a guy about tidiness after he took down three drug operations in one night. Bludhaven and drugs kinda go hand in hand. Not that Alfred would take that as an excuse anyway. I shiver imaging the look on his face if he saw my apartment. But hey, I'm a 25 year old bachelor, I have a reputation to uphold as untidy and unorganized. All part of the cover.

Leaving that train of thought behind I step out of my apartment and lightly jog down the stairs. When I finally get outdoors I realize that it was actually a pretty nice day. The cars were honking, the the sirens blaring and a wonderful haze of smog was highlighting the sky. Yep, definitely one of Bludhaven's better days. Let's see what it has to offer.

Well, today offered, and I being the idiot I am, actually accepted. Great going Grayson, new record of screwing up. Any more, and the department will put your picture on the wall.

"Amy! How is he?" I slow down form my brisk jog to stand in front of her.

Captain Amy Rohrbach, stands against a wall in the waiting room of Bludhaven Central Hospital. "He'll live. If that's what you want to know. A graze to the left side of the head. No permanent damage but he's going to be out of it for at least a week." .

I look at the floor, "Oh, that's… good, I guess." Another mark for Grayson saying the worst, most awkward thing you can say after someone gets shot. "Look Amy, I…"

"No Grayson, I don't want to hear it. i'm sure you had your reasons for charging ahead. you always do, you just can't seem to get it into your head that they aren't good reasons. You saw an opening and took it, even after you've been told to never leave a partner behind. If you want to play the solo hero go put on a suit and prance around like one of the vigilantes" I inwardly flinch at that last statement, " because the police department is a team and i know you are more talented than most of them but that doesn't mean you control the game.'

She's angry, She hides it well but I've been trained to detect any emotion no matter how small or well concealed. That familiar feeling of shame and failure comes over me. This is my fault and I have no one to blame but myself, but I'm not one to give in to my failure.

"I'm sorry, Amy. i really am. You're right. This was my fault. I shouldn't have gone solo. I will change. I'll make it up to you. " Because Amy Rohrbach was one of the few good cops on the force and therefore one of the ones I greatly respected and valued. " I'll go back to HQ and …".

"No Grayson, just stop." She's exasperated by me. "Why don't you just take any early weekend. i'll see you on Monday."

"Wait Amy, I… ". but she's already turning away and walking through the double doors. I sigh deeply this time and for a brief second let the failure I'm feeling to control my emotions. Stop. You can't do this to yourself. I pause for a second before turning away and walking back down the way I came in.

As I leave the hospital I steel myself. I tell myself I'm moving past this failure and not looking back on it. Forgetting the past has worked for me so far so why stop now. I can use this four day weekend to catch up on some much needed zzz's . Or finish my case files. Or start my case files. What can I say, i'm more of a doer instead of taking notes kinda person.

With this new goal in mind I head back to my apartment. Things were already starting to look up. Sat next to a pretty girl on the bus, got her phone number( no one can resist my charm) and got a bag of free mints from a new street vendor. The minty chocolate kind. Best kind ever.

Back in my apartment I pull up a couch and my laptop and start working on my files while stuffing half the bag of candies in my mouth. I was just finishing the first file when Tim popped up on my screen wearing casual clothes but obviously in the Batcave. He just doesn't know when to stop working.

"Hey Timmy, long time no see! What are you doing out of school so early? " I say with my best grin on my face, truly happy to see him.

"I only have online courses in the afternoon, what's your excuse?" he says with a grin on his own. He must have seen my grin falter after he asked the question because he immediately dropped his smile. Damn detective instincts.

"What's wrong Dick? Did something happen at work?"

Those eagle eyes and high IQ make it tough to hide anything but a splinter from him. Sometimes I think Bruce trained him too well.

"Nothing Tim , just a hard day at work." I say trying to alleviate his worries.

" You don't usually bring your work home with you so come on, spill it, what's wrong?" And that's why we never throw Timmy a surprise party. Tried one time. The only thing he was surprised about was that we thought it would work.

I give a light sigh and resign myself to the fact that I have to tell him something. " It got a little bit hectic during a robbery at a jewelry store. My partner got shot."I leave out the part that it was my fault for leaving him. He seems to buy it, at least for the moment.

"I'm sorry Dick, is he alright?" That's Timmy for you. One of the only people in our messed up family that actually knows how to show emotion and tact.

"Yeah, he's good, just a bit scratched up. He'll be out it for a while but no permanent damage. They gave me the rest of the week off though, so that's kinda annoying."

He nods his head as if contemplating what I said, "Well, since you have all this free time what do you say to six liters of sugary, carbonated beverages and a movie marathon?". He breaks out into an even bigger grin than before and who am I to say no to that?

"You really do love me. " I say dramatically, trying to get a fake tear or two out to enhance the moment. Tim just smirks at my theatrical display.

"Trust me it's not easy sometimes but compared to the other family members…" He trails off. I don't need to guess what he's saying, I was thinking the same thing earlier. Tim has been staying at the mansion for a couple of weeks now until he's set up enough to continue traveling around the world, helping out with Batman Inc. I'm glad he's back and totally ecstatic to be able to hang out with him tonight.

"You bring the drinks and I'll bring the movies."

He looks like he is going to protest but I stop him, " I'm sorry Tim, but we are not having another disaster like 6 hours of the wonder of quantum physics again. There is only so much education a man can take. "

He looks a bit offended but when he sees my smile he knows I mean well. " Alright, but if we are making rules against movie types then I say no black and white movies."

I gasp, "Tim what do you mean? Those movies were awesome! Like Frankenstein and Casablanca and…

"You only like those movies so you could make fun of them while we were watching." He starts to mimic in a high pitched, overly dramatic voice.," Run, old lady! Get away from the monster he's moving slightly faster than a snail. Ahh he's catching up, hit him with your cane!"

"You loved that movie and you know it! And my voice is not that high! I have a very sultry voice!"I brag at the laptop.

"Right, " Tim replies sarcastically," and who tells you that?".When he sees my mischievous grin he cuts me off, "Wait, never mind, I don't want to know. I'll see you later Dick. I got to finish up here but I'll be there in 4 hours around 6ish and then we can go patrolling together afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan Timmy! Remember to bring the sugar!" I call out just before he signs off.

Yah, I totally don't have a sugar problem. With the room once again quiet I lost my interest in my files and turn off the laptop. My mind goes back to the events of the day and I sink lower in the couch. Why can't I get this off my mind? Another sigh and I decide to catch up on those zzz's I mentioned earlier. I lay down and once again take a while to finally fall asleep.

Tim's POV:

I arrive at dick's apartment just after 7. I'm late I know but when I tried to leave earlier, Bruce called me up and asked for some research into a new gang's operations. They have only been in Gotham a few months and already they are making a name for themselves. Bruce got a tip that the gang has been focusing on creating new types of illegal drugs. I needed to give him a full list of any drug dealers they may have contact with to give him a start.

I shift the bags in my hand start climbing the stairs. Why did Dick have to live in a place with no elevator on the fourth floor? Who wants to climb all these stairs every morning? Dick probably loves it. A picture of my 'older' brother sliding down the stairs railing every morning comes into my head. Yep, that's Dick, never a dull, unhappy moment.

I smile to myself. He has a way of brightening any room and that is saying something when he's lived with the Batman for most of his life. And the Demon, hard to forget Damian when you are living under the same roof as him, checking around every corner in case he's lying in wait because he's got no better hobby than to try and cause chaos.

I don't know how Dick does it. The biological Waynes are bad enough separately and now its seems Dick is also handling them well together too. The only one with more determination to stick with them would be Alfred but he's in a league of his own when it comes to dealing with extremely stubborn and sometimes volatile vigilantes.

I let myself in the door, having gotten a key from Dick if I ever need a place to crash. It's just what Dick does. "Dick? " i call out, "I'm here. Sorry I'm late."

I hear a kind of incoherent grumbling coming from the next room so I suspect i might have woken him from an evening nap. I head into the kitchen/ living room and place the three 2L bottles of the sugariest drinks I could find on the counter. It was only then that I noticed the beer bottles.

To packs of beer lay next to the fridge, all empty. I didn't realize Dick drank so much during the week. I didn't peg him for the couple beers a night guy. Then I notice the smell.

A heavy smell of alcohol too strong to be coming from the beer bottles alone. I finally turn around to see the living room in a mess. Beer bottles lay strewn about the floor, and several bottles of what could be wine or tequila, half empty. I didn't remember seeing this mess while talking with dick earlier today so i can only conclude that he drank them since.

As for Dick himself, he was lying sprawled on the couch. One arm hanging off the side still holding a beer bottle, while the other was flung over the back of the couch. He was currently trying to lift himself into a sitting position and failing miserably. Dick was completely drunk.

"Dude, what happened? You almost never drink! "

Dick opens his eyes and spurs himself more into a sitting position. "What are you doing here?" He asks in a slurred and gravelly voice. It sounds like he's been at it for a while.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? We were going to watch a few movies together." I explain in an irritated voice. Because hey, it seems Dick would rather get drunk for no reason than hang out with me. "I was only an hour late and you decide to trash the night and drink yourself dumb instead?"

Dick's eyes suddenly turned hard. Having reached a sitting position and discovering he was still holding a beer bottle he proceeded to drink it.

I stand there flabbergasted. " Dick, what's up with you? Enough with the alcohol already!" I'm beginning to get angry.

Dick just stares at me and raises his drink again finishing it without losing eye contact with me. It was like he was taunting me!

He speaks in a voice as cold as his stare, " No. I don't care what you say or anyone else says.".

This is so uncharacteristically Dick I try to snap him out of his stupor by mentioning patrol," What about Bludhaven? Who's going to patrol tonight? "

"To hell with patrol! We can't save anyone anyway. Let them kill themselves off if they want to. The city doesn't want me anyway. I'm a failure. "

That statement is followed by a long silence. Dick took it as a chance to down another beer but I just stood there in shock. What's wrong with dick? This isn't him!

I decide to go for the direct approach. "Dick, what the hell is wrong with you? I thought you were okay?" I shout angrily.

He gives a humorless snort. " Yeah, I'm okay," He replies in the same sarcastic voice with a growing dark edge to it, "I'm always okay right? I'm the golden boy, the first, the best. Nothing gets to me. I take care of myself! I'm not worth looking after. I'm a failure and a screw up!".

He's practically screaming at me now. I don't know what to do, I've never seen him like this before. " Dick, calm down okay, no one believes any of those-".

"Shut up!" He yells, now standing still with a bottle clutched tightly in his fist., " I don't want to hear what you say! Get out! "

"Like hell I'm leaving! I'm just trying to help!" I'm desperately trying to help.

"I said GET THE HELL OUT!" He screams as he chucks the bottle in his hand at me.

I dodge the bottle and it hits right where my head use to be. The glass shatters against the wall and showers the floor. A tense silence once again falls over the apartment.

Dick is standing perfectly still, staring at where the glass hit and ultimately where my head would have been if I hadn't moved. I continue to stare at him with a growing expression of shock and horror on my face. We wait in silence for the other to make a move.

I see his expression change to one of realization and I instantly bolt to the door. He tries to follow but being so heavily intoxicated he is nowhere need my speed. I'm out the door and down the stairs before I can hear any more pleading shouts or see his utterly horrified expression.