A/N: Here's a new story, routing about the relationship between Talia al Ghul and Jason Todd. Because I shipping along the various bat couples also JasonxTalia (because in my head she couldn't do all she did for him only to please/torture Bruce…), here's a complete AU starting from the rise of the second Robin until present day (in pre-reboot terms, of course).
The age difference between Talia and Jason is about four years in this story. I wanted she was a teenager when she developed a crush for him, and however I wanted in this story she conceived Damian when Jason was still Robin. However, but I'm not sure, I seemed to read once she was under legal age (16-18?) when she had that infamous night with Bruce, so I guess after all I not exaggerated with the chronological mistakes. After all, Damian should be conceived or when Jason was Robin or when Dick was in his last years as Robin; this because I have in mind another multi-chapter project when Batman knew since the start to have a son, and intervened with the help of a Dick still Robin and a Barbara still Batgirl… But I didn't spoil too much yet.
In the story I mixed and revisited the events of a Death in the family, Red Hood: The lost years, Superman: President Luthor, Under the Red Hood, Batman and son, Battle for the Cowl, The return of Bruce Wayne, and concluding the story at the start of Batman Inc. The part about their first meeting is a my invention for narrative purposes, of course.
Warning! Not so hidden sexual themes are present in this story! After saying this, enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Batman and co are of DC. Only the toddler present in this story is mine.
Opposite love
" This is the only one worth to carry our legacy on." So the immortal, seven centuries years old father ordered to her young daughter to love Batman.
Bruce Wayne.
But more towards the Dark Knight, Talia started to be more attracted towards his sidekick. Robin, the second of his name.
Jason Todd.
Respect to the first Robin, Richard Grayson, he was different. Sure, he was brave and loyal and capable, but he had something more.
He was a rebel in his heart. He was capable to match Batman on many issues, and he wasn't scared to confront him even if in the end he always lost; but he never surrendered to defend his own convictions. Also, he had a lot a hidden anger which hardly managed to keep. And this intrigued her, because Talia al Ghul was certainly the polar opposite of him, as she was always cold and always obedient to her father.
However, she knew well their relationship will be only based by rivalry, because they were on opposite sides, they came from really different backgrounds, and his father will consider the boy a miserable scum not worthy of their time.
She will proved he was wrong.
They met the first time during one of her visits in Gotham. Batman was chasing his father and Robin received since he worked with him the possibility to move alone, trying to stop her. He presented to her in a very disrespectful way, like the commoner he was.
" Hey, beauty! This fine piece of Robin tonight will manage to put an end to your precocious assassin impulses…"
She felt insulted by his behaviour, so she replied at tone:
" They told me Robin was a educated and noble ward, and not a brat like you are. It seemed Nightwing brought all the charm of Robin with himself…."
Robin started to see red not liking the comparison with his predecessor:
" I'm sorry to disregarding you, "miss assassin of the year", if I am a folk and not a noble prince as you expected; not all had the lucky to live in a palace surrounded by servants, with a pool of immortality where you can washed your millenarian age every time you wanted, old hag…"
" Everyone had a role already preordered from their birth, and they obtained that is theirs by right; to someone to live a life destined towards perfection, to others to live a life into their mud pools to blame ourselves for their imperfection…"
" So, I can't not blame my commoner self if I kick your royal ass, princess."
Later, they both laughed rethinking to their first discussion; more later, Jason will be embarrassed when Talia narrated the tale of their first meeting to a certain person; but at that time, they were both secretly pissed about the arrogance of their respective foe. But also exalted as well.
They started to fight. Talia surely had more experience, but Jason was more determined. At a certain point, he managed to push her to the ground with a simple push instead to use a martial move. Simple, but effective.
He approached her with a great smirk on face.
" So, princess, it seemed your age started to be effective towards you…"
" Probably, it's because of my dated experience." And taking advantage of his lowered guard, with a movement of her legs managed to let lose to Jason the equilibrium and to push him to the ground.
This time she was her to smile. She stood in front of Jason, who was looking to her not believing to be caught in that mode like an idiot.
" By the way, I'm only fifteen, my habibi." And kissed him on his front before to leave.
They continued to cross their roads in the next two years; as foes, of course. But the more they fought, the more started to know more about themselves. Both started to believe to be the most worthy foe of the other, and to deeply respect mutually. Her father however didn't see that opposition between the two with favor pushed her to aim to the more high target instead to pursue that common folk.
And she finally did it. She tricked Batman for a night and to bring him into her bed. He was so drugged he will never remember nothing. However, while her mouth was saying "Bruce" in the climax, in her mind was screaming "Jason".
After they divided, Talia accepted to let the life growing into herself to be placed in a tube. His father called him Ibn al Xuffasch, she named him Damian Wayne al Ghul. However, she didn't felt completely her son as hers. Probably, because he was generated from a man he didn't loved. Respected, of course; worthy, she agreed; but loved, never.
Some months later, a bad news was delivered to her, about the death of Robin in Ethiopia by the hands of the Joker during a mission with Batman, who failed to save him; but the worse was his assassin was in that place for a commission received by Ra's in person. Probably it was since then Talia started to hate his father.
That night, she cried for the first time she remembered in all her life. She didn't understood why she felt so really bad.
After two years, in the night of his death remembrance, shortly after the visit of Batman, Talia stood in front of Jason's grave. She heard the need to visit him before left Gotham. To recognize his valor. To obey to her honor. To cry for his death.
Suddenly, she noticed something wrong about the earth under her feet. It seemed like something and someone moved it recently, and with few grass around respect to the other tombstones; it was more fresh she supposed to be. Having a bad feeling, she took a shovel near to her and started to dig, and soon she discovered the coffin was empty; looking better, she saw it was completely broken from the internal…
Her heart jumped. He was alive, somewhere. After her first disorientation, Talia started to reflect where Jason could be. Certainly, not with Bruce (she also guessed the visits to the tomb left him so devastated that he didn't noticed those simple hints); but surely he didn't left Gotham, because he didn't have other places to live. She thought the explosion damaged parts of his body, he lost much blood, he stayed much time in a coffin with a small reserve of oxygen, so he will be brain damaged as well.
She ordered to his affiliates to search a person compatible with the ID of Jason in all the hospitals, shelters and asylums of Gotham and if necessary in all of America. After less of a day, they found a young man similar to the description of their mistress recovered in a sanatorium in the outskirts of the city. Talia went to visit him immediately and she met Jason. He was really changed; his body and this face were that of a adult man, despite the fact he was about seventeen; but from his eyes she noticed he was broken. The doctors informed her that unknown patient had parts of his brain irrevocably damaged, and they were forced to keep him locked in his bed because he was capable of incontrollable, violent moments of wrath; nevertheless, he spent most of the time calm, his eyes lost, to say only three names: "Bruce", "Dick", and sometimes of a certain "Talia". It was the drop who pushed her to intervene.
The same night, she personally lead a group of assassins to take Jason away. When she returned to her father, she had for the first time an argumentation with him because she wanted to use the Lazarus Pit to heal Jason. In the end, Ra's accepted, but he warned her she will be responsible of the future actions of the second Robin from that moment on now.
Talia was the first person Jason saw after reemerging from the Lazarus Pit, after almost two years. His brain was rejuvenated as his body, so his first memories were that prior to his death; they were so terrible in that moment that he lost his consciousness. When he awaked, Talia was on his side, and for the first time since they knew, she was smiling warmly for him. He believed to be in Paradise, at first.
He soon understood he was a prisoner, and immediately wanted to escape, but Talia offered him to rest for now,until he recovered all his forces. There wasn't any more a tone of match in her words; Jason thought the old days of their struggle were done. He understood that, without her, he will be still crazy or however soon died again.
She helped him to rehabilitate his body. He was surprised how he changed; he was tall and muscular almost like Bruce. He noticed his past scars were disappeared, as a side effect of the Lazarus Pit; however, he soon obtained of new, thanks to the training matches he had with Talia to keep him in shape and mind occupied at the same time. However, even if she tested his limits as the possible she could, however he noticed she didn't fight to the point to kill or badly injuring him.
She informed him of all the main events (except of one) since his "death"; about Dick, about Barbara, about the third Robin, about his assassin, about him. Jason felt himself betrayed, sad, and anger. Her father will used those feelings to forge Jason as a future weapon towards Batman, but Talia felt it wouldn't be fair towards a former worthy enemy, and however she knew he will never betrayed him despite his rage; instead, she tried to justify Bruce of his actions, which sounded not false but however hardly credible for Jason considering her career so far. They had so violent debates that it seemed to them to be returned in the old times.
And finally, during one of their usual daily debates, they ended kissing each other; the way to her chambers was short. Jason was virgin, he felt initially inadequate towards her, but Talia reassured him; she didn't care if he didn't have any experience before, because she was with the person she decided to love. She felt free from the first time in her life. Their "first time", despite the various legends flourished later (diffused by a certain vigilante with blue fingerstrips in his suit, who stopped only when he was seriously menaced of castration with a gun at distance zero by another certain vigilante with a red helmet), was more gentle and sweet than expected, and both sincerely enjoyed it. Of course, when later knew better their bodies, they passed to other forms of pleasure, even more radical, but that first time was still memorable from them.
Soon, despite the fact she was sure of the growing love of Jason for her, she understood he was slowing dying; a Robin needed to fly free, no matter all. Talia didn't know how to resolve the situation until she discovered to be pregnant. She knew when his father discovered all, she will be forced to abort and Jason will be killed, so she decided to escape with him. After all, she paid already her debts with Ra's giving birth to Damian. One night, before leaving the manor in Eastern Europe where they stayed (she already transferred the tube in another base), she set ablaze the complex, she woke up Jason suddenly and convinced him to flee with her. While contemplating the manor in flames from a safe distance, he asked for her behavior.
The reply was simple: "Because I love you." And Jason understood it was true and that he loved her too. They kissed passionately as never before.
They travelled all around Europe to escape from Ra's and the entire League of Shadows. At Heathrow, just before Jason bought two tickets to Gotham, Talia revealed her real conditions to him. She decided so because she knew he will put in risk his life to get his revenge in that city. Jason was of course shocked and angry in a first moment, but the realization to become father, at neither twenty, submerged him totally. He felt the priority to protect his "family" even at cost to put in second place his revenge plans.
So, they moved for the more safe Metropolis. The League avoided that place because between Superman and Luthor it didn't have a possibility to expand properly. They settled in an apartment paid with her secret slash funds (neither Ra's knew of them), and for the first time in ages they started to live a normal life. Every day there was something new to learn for them; simple things, like cooking, cleaning their house, paying the bills, buying things for the baby, certainly not great as worldwide crusade against crime and worldwide crusade for human extermination, but still they occupied their days. They were happy.
After few months, she gave birth to a healthy boy. Jason was overjoyed to keep him into his arms (like him, he had a small wisp of white hair in his head, but for his father he was still the most beautiful baby in the world), and Talia felt his son for real, even if her thoughts were also for Damian, still under the clench of his grandfather. She understood to make a fatal mistake with her first-born; but she decided yet to not tell still nothing to Jason, not wanting to give him a new burden or worse to be judged negatively by him.
He decided the name of his son. It was the only one he found worthy for him; Talia at first wasn't extremely happy for obvious and hidden reasons, but the little Bruce Todd-al Ghul become immediately their reason to live despite all was against them, that she passed on the name. It was a good name, after all.
Their new normalcy was disturbed when Lex Luthor decided to become President of the USA. He discovered Talia al Ghul was in Metropolis in disguise and wanted her as new CEO of his economical empire. A particular night, Talia and Jason found their apartment attacked by an assassin squad, and managed to defeat their assaulters with the unexpected help of the select guards of the multi-billionaire. The only positive note of that bad night was the little Bruce awaked, but remained calm despite all looking his parents fighting the evil assassins. They were so proud of him.
The next day, Luthor requested to meet them. Jason and Talia immediately understood he was the real culprit behind the nocturnal assault, nevertheless the bald man acted as the most innocent person in the world; he was however interested to know how the daughter of the leader of the League of Assassins was with the presumed dead ward of Gotham's most rich man, and with child included. Jason mixed truths and lies, saying he remained in Ethiopia after the "incident" which divided him with Bruce, trying to search his mother not believing she was died; then, he moved across South-East Africa, until in Egypt agents of the League recognized him as Wayne's ward and kidnapped him to use him against his mentor in some way. He met then Talia, after a while they felt in love and when she remained pregnant they escaped in America; they feared Gotham was the first place Ra's searched them so they settled in Metropolis.
Luthor offered to Talia to be CEO of his industries and protection to all the family. Both accepted, because they understood in case of refusal he will sold them to Ra's and co. For some time, all continued as it was normal, besides the fact Talia was now a public person and Jason and Bruce Jr. were forced to assume false identities. In truth, they were a sort of prisoners, but they passed on that fact seeing the safety of their son was guaranteed. However, both Ra's or Batman never approached them; Bruce Wayne tried to approach her during a party in the White House, but with the help of the president she avoided him. Then, Luthor's crescent desire to destroy Superman and Batman led him to his fall, and all the family left Metropolis the same day he was arrested.
That time, they arrived finally in Gotham. Jason decided finally to put end to his forced inactivity and to fight crime in his style, and to obtain his revenge towards the Joker; the love for Talia and Bruce Jr. didn't compensated yet his anger, or to better say he justified his anger with the decision to protect his family by erasing forever one of the most evil criminals of all time. To lure that bastard on his trap, he adopted his first identity, that of Red Hood; with the help of Talia, he managed easily to submit large part of the Gothamite criminals.
Of course, both Batman and Joker started to pursue him, for different motives; Jason tried to avoid the first the most possible and to force the second to fail into his net. The situation started to precipitate when also the first and the third Robin intervened in that complicated situation. Jason knew of Tim only from the news Talia had at her disposal, nevertheless he only saw red the first time they met. Because he was his replacement. The boy to stole his right at the point to obtain the surname "Wayne". Tim was really beaten hard and surely that time will become a dead Robin if Dick will not intervened in time. During that rescue, Nightwing however was assaulted by doubts. Red Hood knew well their techniques and he was sure he knew their identities. Also the voice was familiar to him, even if older and the helmet confounded it.
Of course, Bruce at first didn't want to believe to Dick's report. In truth, he hoped to believe Jason even if he was logically impossible; but when Batman tried to stop personally the Red Hood, during their fight that doubt become suddenly strong, and then it was a certainty when later digging in a certain tomb he discovered a empty coffin. He suspected Ra's and the Lazarus Pit were responsible in some way, but he suspected of Talia as well. He was sure Jason made all to catch the Joker, and so followed the psycho criminal until the Red hood caught him. Jason tried to kill him at the same mode he was killed years ago, but Batman intervened in time. A second fight more violent of the previous however escaped from their control and Jason was trapped in the warehouse where he placed the explosive to blow up the joker. He thought he was the end, when Talia entered in the building and helped him to escape, but the explosion however involved the same the couple.
When he woke up, Jason was surprised to be still intact, but he immediately froze in horror seeing Talia unconscious, losing blood, her back showing signs of burn, but still breathing.
They met again really soon than expected, at the Gotham Central Hospital. Jason brought Talia here, because he couldn't give the cures she needed. Her conditions were not good but still stable. She entered in pharmacological coma and he could only wait for her awakening. Since the second day, Jason brought the little Bruce hoping his presence helped his mother to feel better; and he cursed himself to be a complete jerk to almost make his son orphan of his mom in name of revenge, and himself of the woman of his life. The fifth day, Bruce Wayne entered in Talia's room, clearly surprised to see her in the bed, Jason to his side and a toddler with a wisp of white hair on his legs. Batman was controlling all the hospital of the city hoping in effect to find him after the warehouse explosion, until he was attracted during his search by the name of a female patient: Talia Haywood. He naturally knew that Haywood was the real surname of Jason's mother, and with that name along… He decided to pay her a visit, but in civilian disguises; and it was a good choice, because that time Jason was less… hostile towards him as Bruce. All the past rage was vanished, or at least controlled; and the young man understood that, with or without Batman, he will never hate Bruce. They were still father and son, after all.
Jason presented Bruce Jr. to Bruce. Naturally, he was almost shocked to discover his second Robin, his middle son, to be father at just twenty and to have a family with the daughter of one of his most deadly enemies. But he remained silent.
Bruce had then one of his worst moral crisis since before. As Batman, his duty will be to arrest Jason for his criminal actions; but Bruce didn't want to antagonize his son more they both already suffered. Then, he considered the fact he will be an hypocrite persecuting him while he was more indulgent towards Dick, Stephanie and Selina; and neither Tim was immune by errors, after all. He offered them to live in the Manor, without any obligations of sort, and he promised protection also for Talia, when she felt better; however, Jason refused at that time. It was too early still to return to home; however, a connection was established again. His heart sank when the older Bruce smiled taking the little Bruce on his arms.
The next to come was Alfred. He brought a bag of his cookies for them, and he said two rooms will be already ready in the Manor when they decided to live with them, one for him and Talia and one for "the little master Bruce" .Jason then asked him if he made the right choice to call his son with that name, but the British butler reassured him it was a worthy decision and that the "older master" (so he said) was already fond of his "greatchildren."
Then, arrived Dick; he came with a nervous teenager who Jason supposed to be Tim Drake. The first Robin adopted a tone between serious and joking, but he already pardoned him. Tim was more cautious, because of their first encounter; for him, it was like a myth was dissolved ( later, Dick explained to Jason he used to talk with his old costume in the cave as a sort of support during hard moments), and suspected of his fiancée as well, so their relation remained quite cold.
The encounter with Barbara was more touching; he suffered to see her in that condition, because she was also her Batgirl after and considering who was the responsible, and in that same period, he blamed initially him and Bruce another time for not having stopped the Joker forever, but she intuited his thoughts prevented him that it wasn't his fault neither of Bruce, and she didn't wanted to risk life to pursue revenge. He admired her determination, but he understood she had more deeply wounds which regarded the first Robin. Jason didn't know much about the rollercoaster which was the relation between the two, but he invited her to search the happiness with him, because with the right person it will worthy to live each other unless the end of their life; and he was sure Barbara and Dick were the right person for each other like Talia was for him. Barbara promised she will reflected on that. She reflected for at least a month, then she finally decided to visit a certain person in Bludhaven. The next day, she moved her headquarters to that city.
And then, after two weeks, Talia finally awaked. Her most two important things or her life were with her. It was in that moment that Bruce said his first word: "Mo…mother."
They requested time to take a definitive decision, and to stay far from Gotham for a while. Bruce gave the keys for one of his residences in New England, and respected their privacy. They felt fine, and surely it will be a good place to raise the little Bruce, but in some way they missed their old lives; they lived for action, to feel the danger on their skins, but at the same time they feared for their son. They however reflected on the fact a child could died for other things like a car incident, a fall from the stairs, or an incurable disease. Gotham is not less safe of a country town, but at least there was still Batman to protect them.
Jason was oriented to return and to take again the way of vigilantism, and even under the strict rules of Batman (because he wanted only peace with Bruce), but he feared about the thoughts of Talia in the matter. But also her changed in these years: old values that when she was young seemed taboos now were like ruins for her. She wasn't any more proud of her past actions, and now she found inacceptable the projects of his father, if their realization leaded to the death of Jason and Bruce Jr. She felt the needing too to write a new page in her life, along with her partner and in order to make his son proud. So, they packaged their things and traveled towards their "home".
Jason, Talia and Bruce Jr. arrived in the Manor just in a middle of a storm: when they crossed the door they were invested by the wrath of Bruce who just discovered to have a son from her. In fact, Ra's arrived in Gotham with Damian, now a ten year old and heir of the League of Shadows after her mother left years ago, and with the intention to kill all of them, and Tim was badly injured by him and he even took Jason's old Robin costume during an ambush in the bat cave. Jason was clearly shocked too, since that moment he didn't knew she had a son from him. Talia didn't denied nothing, but she tried more to justify towards Jason respect towards Bruce. However, the young man was really angered towards her in that moment he decided to retire in his old room with him son.
That same night, Talia left the manor in secret, towards the League's base in Gotham, with the intention to discuss with her son and her father; in the process, she was captured having a moment of weakness while fighting with Damian. Jason and Bruce discovered she left, and went to her research, but Ra's already left for Gibraltar, invaded by the forces of the League, and all became worse because while Batman and Red Hood were busy for their research, Damian sneaked again in the manor and kidnapped his brother.
In a crescent turn of events, while Gibraltar was in flames Jason managed somehow to save Talia and Bruce Jr. while Batman had a dramatic confrontation with his son and Ra's in a submarine. After all these events, Damian was really confused and seemed oriented to come with terms with his father, but his grandfather made so the submarine exploded, forcing them to temporally divide.
The last turn of events brought Bruce and Jason if not to a total conciliation at least to the normalization of their relationship. There were still some issues to solve, like the acceptation of the fact the Joker will live despite all, or closing an eye over the past actions of Red Hood. They discussed a lot along with Talia, Alfred, Dick, Barbara and Tim, and in the end Jason decided to assume a new identity, that of Red Robin. His partner in life decided too to help her new family, and she claimed the helmet of Red Hood promising to stick with the "no kill" policy as well.
And finally, they signed the papers remained blank for over five years, and Jason Todd became Jason Wayne ( he abandoned a surname which brought him only sufferance), and his son Bruce Wayne Jr.
Both fatigued quite a lot to keep their impulses down during their patrols and to be accepted in the caped community, but things nevertheless proceeded well. However, they still had a issue regarding their future together: the marriage. They spent most of their lives together, they had a beautiful son, and a family, but they still avoided the matter so far.
They had fear to make that step. Jason, because he never thought he will be the first in all his family, he didn't feel mature yet for that, and Talia because she felt inadequate to enter in the mechanisms of the marriage.
Also, to complicate the situation was again Damian. After the submarine incident, he received bad injuries and was forced to receive a new bionic spine, but he was rejuvenated as well; the problem is also Ra's received bad injuries in the explosion, and that time the Lazarus Pit didn't seemed to heal his body completely. It was clear his body was starting to betray him, and that he needed a new corpse soon. Damian sensed the danger, he wanted to live, and with the force of desperation managed to escape from the grips of the League, and to reach the only place in Earth where he could be safe.
His father naturally welcomed and recognized him; but the tensions in the manor risen exponentially, as the boy was in constant war with almost everyone, especially with her mother and his fiancée. With general surprise of all, the only one who managed in some way to keep a normal relationship with Damian was his little brother. Bruce Jr. didn't fear him and that pleased the young boy.
Dick came in help. When Damian entered for the first time in their world, he wasn't at Gotham, so he was a more neutral party in the complicate relationships of his family; he managed to create a link with the boy and proposed him to become his partner. Damian in a first moment refused, not wanting to be the sidekick of the first sidekick of Batman, but Dick was so obstinate and made breach in his needing to attention and to be trusted by someone that in the end accepted. Bruce, Talia and Jason accepted too that solution, because they trusted Dick (and Barbara, who was with them) and they considered it will be beneficial for Damian, who assumed the identity of Little Wing.
After few months later, the unexpected happened: during the last crisis, Batman died to save the world. The Bat family was in disarray, and failed to keep order in a Gotham falling in anarchy as never before. Tim insisted as one of them become the new Dark Knight, but both Dick and Jason refused for various reasons; so, the actual Robin decided to take that role for himself. However, the death of Bruce along with the other people he loved pushed him on the verge of insanity, and started to realize his own plan to restore order in the city in any way in mode nobody will suffer anymore, even at cost to kill criminals; that new Batman however slowing started to instaure a sort of dictatorship of terror. Dick and Jason agreed that Tim had gone too far and tried to stop him, but he was more fast of them and abducted both Bruce Jr. and Damian, posing his conditions: he wanted Dick as his Robin and Jason and Talia exiled from Gotham with their children. They obviously refused and Nightwing, Red Robin and Red Hood were forced to fight with him, with great difficulty because Tim was a great planner and he knew the weakness of everyone, forcing them to split and bringing to impotence one after another.
When all seemed lost, Damian managed to escape (it was however impossible for him to free his brother in that moment) and ran to save Jason from his prison. The two putted away their divergences and cooperated to save also Dick and Talia; and despite the gravity of those moments, Jason asked to Talia to marry him when all was over. She didn't had any hesitation and accepted; Damian seemed pissed to the news, but they knew he will accepted their marriage.
They however had to defeat still Tim. The final struggle was more violent respect to the previous skirmishes, but that time despite all his genius he failed to stop the determination of their foes, especially of Jason. Desperate to win, Tim ran towards the little Bruce Jr., he tried to escape with him and when he ended in a dead end he menaced his father to kill him if he didn't surrended. Jason smiled, because he understood he had the victory in task. He matched him if he was really capable to kill an innocent as Batman and to cross the line imposed by his predecessor, because he was going towards him the same. Tim hesitated and pointed instead the gun towards Jason, who was too fast for him and punched him in the face. Tim lost the equilibrium and he was going to fall, when he was caught in save by his foe. When he asked "Why?", Jason replied: " Because it's the same thing our dad will did." When Dick, Talia and Damian arrived they found Jason embracing with an arm his son and with other his brother, who was crying.
All together in the Batcave, the coronation of the new Dark Knight was sanctioned.
Jason Wayne become officially the second Batman. Dick, still Nightwing, became his second in charge (but more like as a partner than a simple ward) with the possibility to act as substitute Batman in case of particular crisis, while Damian became his Robin. Tim was pardoned, and obtained the cowl of Red Robin, but nevertheless he was put under strict surveillance for a while, unltil he stopped at cost to risk his life the new attempt of Ra's to destroy all the family trying to seize the Wayne Corporation, where Talia, still Red Hood, was charged as new CEO.
Tim however suspected that Bruce was still alive and was travelling along the time, according to some hints he found across the world for his search. Jason didn't obstacle him, because first he feared Tim could lost his reason again if stopped and then turned against them another time and second he hoped into his heart his dad was still alive. For this reason, he still delayed the marriage with Talia. And he was right, in the end.
When Bruce returned, they weren't surprised but nevertheless the joy was indescribable the same; they were surprised instead to see him accepting the new status quo into the Bat family, allowing Jason to keep the cowl seeing he was doing an excellent job. During his return to home, Bruce finally understood that Batman will never was and will never be alone in his crusade; and seemed his son understood already this quite well.
They discussed about the future of their mission and all agreed to extend it to a more global dimension. The night before the wedding of Jason and Talia, Bruce Wayne announced during a great party the foundation of "Batman Incorporated", with the objective for Batman and his partners to fight the crime out of their original city. While the sky of Gotham was illuminated by numerous Bat-signals, Jason was looking towards Talia, with Bruce Jr. in his arms. Both smiled; for once, their future seemed really brilliant.
A/N: About the point when Bruce decided to pardon Jason in the hospital scene, when he thought of his "indulgencies" towards his other relatives, I'm referring to the cases "Blockbuster" (Dick), " Black Mask I" (Selina), "Wargames" (Steph); as for Tim, the error in question is his attempt to clone Kon when was died (because I thought Bruce will found it morally unacceptable and offensive regard the others who already lost someone of important in their life, him for first.)
I have in projects some one-shots related to this story, it depends of course from many factors as time, the other works in course and the interest showed with our reviews, so let me know if you are interested!