Author's Note: I knew about half way through Ignorance is Bliss that I wanted to write this, but I never got around to starting it. However, I finally was in the mood to write and I wanted to write this soooo, I did! You can obviously tell I've matured and grown better in my writing (I hope) since then. Anyway, I bring to you the sequel! It will follow the alternating POV's style, and be hella sad. Anyway, enjoy! :)

Warning: Mentions of Depression, Canonical Character Death, Referenced Violence, and Language. Also this is a slash! M/M. Don't like it? Don't read it.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately these characters aren't mine. :(

Bruce's POV

I had found him; my youngest son. He had been buried under a pile of rubble, broken and limp in my arms as I cradled his body close. All because I had been too late, too slow to save him; it was all my fault. As I walked away from the collapsed building I stared at him in horror and disbelief. Crying in agony, I had no choice but to bring his body home with me. The worst part was Dick. He wasn't here, wasn't even on Earth, and I didn't have the heart to tell him while he was gone, but then he came back a few days later.

Bounding into the manner, I was horrified to hear him call out for Jason. They had been together for almost two years now, and Jason had just turned eighteen, Dick being twenty. Alfred stepped into my office and gave me the most scared look I'd ever seen on the man as my son ran up the stairs, and I could hear him looking for Jason. It crushed me as the guilt came pouring back in, right now I could lose both of them. I called Dick into my office and sat him down, flinching when he asked where Jason was and I didn't know what to say but the truth.

The look on my eldest son's face when he found out will forever haunt my dreams.

He was hollow, his vibrancy dying as his smile slowly faded. Then his skin turned white, whiter than I thought possible as he grew shaky saying I was kidding and asking again where his boyfriend was. No matter what I said he didn't believe me, or even Alfred, until we showed him the body. By then it had been cleaned up, but I never wanted to show him how I had failed our family. How I had failed him, and Jason.

As I opened the door to where Doctor Thompkins had examined Jason, we stood there in the doorway until Dick caught sight of his body. Immediately, he ran over by Jason's side and grabbed him by the arm and then shoulders, shaking him and screaming. Pleading for him to wake up, to look at him. Except Jason wasn't there anymore. He was gone, forever.

Grabbing Dick around the waist, I pulled him up and away as he kicked and screamed, wailing and crying out for Jason as tears began staining his face and shirt. Alfred stood silently, crying in the corner and unsure how to help before I wrestled Dick out of the room and Alfred tried to help me get him away from there. He could see Jason later if he wanted, but not until he had calmed down.

We didn't make it very far before he collapsed into a heap on the floor, sobbing so brokenly that tears of my own were now falling. Without a word I sat down next to him and grabbed him, holding him close as he cried into my chest. Alfred watched for a few moments before excusing himself, and I didn't blame him. These were the most heartbreaking sounds I had ever heard and they were from my son, being in so much pain that I had caused.

I will never forgive myself.

It took a long time before Dick had calmed, and Alfred gave us tea, until he wanted to go see Jason alone. I nodded and let him, understanding what he was going through, except I could never begin to express those feelings like he did. As I sat alone in my office, doors closed, I cried. I cried for my sons who had been torn apart, and I cried for having lost someone once more as my head spun and I felt sick to my stomach with the overwhelming sense of guilt.

Slowly, the news spread throughout the superhero community, and many friends came to the Manor to give their condolences. Most of them didn't know about the extent of Dick and Jason's relationship, but the ones that did took extra time to visit with him. We held the funeral a little over a week after Dick had returned home. It was a dark, gloomy November day that's typical of Gotham. Clark, Diana, Dick, and I carried Jason's casket as Hal spoke the eulogy for us.

Quietly, I stood there, holding an umbrella over my head that I shared with Alfred. Our eyes were downcast, but every now and then I'd glance up to take in everyone's faces, especially Dick's. I was extremely worried about him. He was staring at the coffin, eyes cloudy and filled with tears. Barbara and Koriand'r stood at either side of him, clutching his hands and crying themselves as the rest of the Titans hovered near by.

When the service was over we each placed a flower on the casket, and everyone watched in silence as my now only son placed the last red rose on top before it was lowered, and then buried in the ground by myself, Dick, Barbara, and Alfred. When it was done, I ushered everyone to leave as Dick lingered behind like I knew he would. We were all inside by the time I saw him fall to his knees, and I knew he needed it so I let him be.

That night after everyone had left and Dick was in his room, I left as well; dressed as Batman and on a mission. It merely took me three days to find him, and when I did I didn't hold back. The Joker simply laughed as I let myself go. I let all of my anger and crippling anguish release through my fists as I beat him into a bloody pulp. Imagining how Dick and Alfred would feel however held me back from finishing him though, and I promptly dropped him off at Arkham before returning home, not noticing I was crying until I took off the suit. I climbed into the shower and sat on the floor, sobbing as the water washed over me.

Guilt and self hatred left me incapable to do much for a while. It wasn't until a few days later that I found out the Joker was in a full body cast, and Alfred helped me to get over what I had done. That month was the worst month of my life. I never saw my son, considering he was locked up in his room suffering from an incapacitating depression. The guilt intensified with every passing day and I couldn't bring myself to face him.

Eventually, I came to accept the fact that my second adopted son was gone and that I couldn't bring him back. Eventually, as time ticked on and the seasons changed Dick did too. Alfred hurried me to a window one day and we both watched on in silence as Dick knelt in the grass, placing flowers on Jason's grave and began talking to him. Tears of relief wet both of our faces, knowing right then that we hadn't lost both of them, and that somehow our family would survive this.

Then a few days later he told me he wanted to leave Gotham, and I knew the reason, so I accepted it. He needed a change, needed to leave the place where everything hurt because everything had a memory with Jason. I began making arrangements for him to move to Blüdhaven which was only an hour away, and we had both agreed upon it. Of course he wanted to escape, but I couldn't let him go too far.

I couldn't lose another son.

As spring brought new life to the world, it brought back health to Dick and I. Even when he moved away, I could tell he was doing better. Although, now I'm not so sure whether it was actually true or whether he simply bottled everything up. Either way, I had begun to move on until another young boy was once again brought to my attention; Tim Drake.

He approached Batman one night, claiming he knew Nightwing and I's secret identities. When he was in fact correct, I asked Dick to come back and we talked about him. Tim wanted to be the new Robin, and although I had reservations, I knew that I needed one and that I missed the companionship. Of course Dick was hesitant, which was to be expected, and I knew how he felt about the Robin persona and costume.

While he was there at the Manor he continuously slept in Jason's bedroom, and it tugged at my heart painfully. Silently, I made a present for my son to hopefully ease his troubled mind and make him happy. I had both his and Jason's Robin costumes sealed in a glass case, side by side. When I showed him what Lucius and I had built he burst into tears and hugged me. Silently I patted his back, unable to stop tears of my own as he thanked me.

Shortly after that we agreed to let Tim be the new Robin. I trained him for a few months before I deemed him ready enough to take up the mantle. Although hesitant, Dick would come to patrol with the new Robin and train him sometimes as well since he had an incredible athleticism that even I didn't posses. A few times Tim asked me about the second Robin, and I tried to answer as vaguely as I could, uncomfortable from his questioning.

I saw my oldest son slowly bond to his new adoptive brother, and I couldn't have been happier. Even if in the back of my mind I felt like I was replacing the son I had already lost, but I never told anyone that. Tim was an excellent Robin. Incredibly smart and well adapted, we made an excellent team, and family. One night Dick and Tim went to patrol, and when they returned Tim pulled me aside and asked if what Dick had told him about Jason was true. Did they date? Did he die by the Joker? I assured him it was all true, and later I thanked my oldest for accepting his new brother.

At that life moved on and we all grew to be content with our lives, even if we still missed Jason, and then a whole year had passed by.

Then The Red Hood showed up. I don't know who he is or where he came from, but all I know is he is persistent on trying to kill Tim and I. Also, I can only assume he designed his costume to mimic the Joker before he turned into the clown prince of crime. Then suddenly, just as strangely as he appeared, he was gone. For a few days there was nothing, and then he was in Dick's city.

We all tried to put the clues together and combed over every scrap of evidence we could, but nothing turned up. Dick told me how differently the villain acted around him and although it was strange, I had no answers. While he had attempted to kill me, he almost seemed hesitant to harm Nightwing. Then one night Dick vanished, without a trace. Frantic, Tim and I went to Blüdhaven to search for him but all I found was an empty warehouse with a pool of old blood.

I began to search for him everywhere I could, desperately needing to find my son.

Well okay, first things first I'm so sorry for how depressing this is. I was just in the mood to write this (I wrote two chapters in one day so expect an update soon) and they just came out so sad. Although I think it works well with the story. This is of course the sequel to Ignorance is Bliss (which I'll probably rewrite someday) so the story continues on from there. Of course this starts up two years after the last one and at the end of the chapter when Red Hood comes its been another year, and after Jason has died if that's not clear enough. Jason was eighteen when he died and Dick was twenty. Anymore questions let me know and expect this to update quickly because I'm in love with it. :) Also be prepared for more sadness. As you can tell I mashed up a few different comics and Under The Red Hood the animated movie together to get my setting, so I'm not following any specific comic line I've just made my own. So if you enjoyed this don't forget to fave, follow, review, or all 3! Please and thank you. ;)

Coming Up: Dick's POV