Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, nor do I own Toyota.

I hope you enjoy.

For the most part, the drive to the Blüdhaven Airport was silent, the only pervading sound being that of the road around them. Both of them had their eyes straight ahead of them, focus on the road instead of each other. As the old Toyota Sienna turned into the Airport parking lot, Barbara finally spoke, still looking through the windshield.

"Does Bruce know where you're going?" she asked.

The boy next to her took in a deep breath and combed his hand through his jet black hair. "No. He wouldn't let me go if he did. He knows that I'm going abroad for the year, but I told him I'd be in Europe, trying to get off the grid." In retrospect, Bruce was a little eager to let his "son" wait a year before college. It was very atypical for a 16-year-old to be a college freshman, and Bruce didn't want Dick to stick out more than he already would as a veritable genius. He even volunteered to pay for the trip.

"Are you sure I can't talk you out of this?" Barbara sighed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Barbara saw Dick shake his head. "Sorry, Babs. I'm dedicated to being a hero, and since Bruce refused to train me after I ditched the Robin gig, I have to look elsewhere. Besides, maybe in the process, I'll be able to take him down, too."

As she pulled into a parking spot, Barbara made one final attempt to change her friend's mind. "Why couldn't Black Canary train you? She wouldn't be deterred by Bruce."

Dick lifted up his head and let out a short humorless laugh before getting out of the car. "Do you know who trained Dinah, Babs? We're both already beyond her skill level. I need training by a master, the best-of-the-best. As skilled as she may be, Black Canary doesn't have to face the kind of threats that Batman faces, the kind of threats that we face."

Resignedly, Barbara went to the Toyota's trunk and helped Dick pull out his suitcase. "Who else knows?" she asked.

"No one. The team just knows I'm taking a leave of absence, for an unknown period of time. Wally knows that I'm doing further training, but not the full of it." Dick slung his bag for the trip on his back and pulled his travel bag under his arm. A while back, Zatanna had enchanted the backpack, so it could easily hide hero equipment.

Barbara's curiosity got the better of her, even though she knew the answer would hurt. "Then why did you tell me? You could've just taken a cab."

Back to Barbara, Dick let a mischievous smile break out across his face, before returning his facial expression to blank and turning around. "'Cause, Babs, I thought I would give you a final chance before I left to give me your undying love."

Immediately after he said it, Dick regretted every word of it. For a second, Barbara flinched, letting down her facade to reveal a core of pain and hurt. Dick quickly changed his demeanor and walked over to his friend, dropping his bag along the way.

Babs looked so vulnerable and took in a deep breath before speaking. "Sorry, I-"

"No, it's my fault," Dick insisted as he rushed to give Barbara a hug. How could he be so stupid? Their breakup was still recent, and even however hard they tried, friendships take a while to recover fully.

The next thing Dick was soft so that only Barbara could hear him. "I told you because I trust you, Babs. I trust you more than anyone else in the world. I couldn't keep this secret from everyone, or I would break. So I turned to my best friend, the only one who keeps me sane." As he said the last statement, he pulled away and attempted a smile. Barbara did the same, swallowing to hold back tears.

"Just stay safe, okay?" Barbara pleaded.

"You know me, Babs. When was I ever safe?" Dick chuckled.

Barbara snorted. "At least don't die, then," she suggested.

Dick seemed to ponder the proposal for a moment. "I can settle for not dying," he concurred, a smile overtaking his face.

Dick pulled Barbara into a final embrace, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be fine, you know."

"I know."

And with that, Dick made his way to the airport, grabbed a quick snack, persevered through the boredom of the customs line, and left on a plane headed towards Nepal.

Sorry for the lack of action, but I needed a setup chapter.