Yes, I'm insane. Yes, I already have (thinks for a minute) five ongoing stories, with sequels in the near future. Yes, I am starting a new story. But it's not my fault! The idea wouldn't leave me alone, I was trying to clean my room and I kept zoning because it was just so persistant...then I tried to write the next chap for Shadow Creature and this idea kept bugging me...so I gave in.

Raven and Robin have been married for seven years, they have a little boy. Robin will be referred to as Nightwing and Richard when necessary, and although he technically isn't Robin anymore, that will be used as a nickname, so now that we have that cleared up...

Raven glanced at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time, an agitated sigh escaping her lips as she considered calling him...No. World-renowned businessman Richard Grayson knew how to read a clock. He had five minutes to get his rear in the seat next to her or there would be Hell to pay.

A short woman with a good-natured round face appeared on the stage, clearing her throat and adjusting her spectacles. Most of the chattering died down as the woman, Jump City Elementary's principal Rachel Heather, spoke into the microphone. "First of all, I would like to thank you all for being here on this very special occasion. We should be ready to begin in five minutes, so if you would please turn off all cellphones and pagers, it would be much appreciated. Thank you." Ms. Heather smiled warmly and disappeared behind the curtains.

Raven craned her neck around to get a glimpse of the door, hoping against hope that she would see him hurrying along the isle looking for her. A deep frown wrinkled her brow as she settled back into her seat, turning off her cellphone and slipping it into her purse. Why couldn't he have managed to show up, just this once? Couldn't he have left the office ten minutes early to make it to his own son's graduation? Why was that so hard?

The dark red curtains began to part as a playful version of the traditional graduation march drifted to her ears. The stage was brightly lit, while a single spotlight was directed to the right, revealing a short set of stairs leading up to the platform. One by one, the preschoolers marched with practiced precision up the stairs and onto the stage, where four rows of tiny chairs had been set out for them. For the sake of the children's comfort, they were dressed in the clothes they were sent in, the gowns to be saved for the actual persentation of diplomas. The girls were adorned with flowery jumpers, little curls accenting chubby cheeks, the boys with neatly parted hair and slightly disheveled shirts and trousers. Raven leaned forward in her seat, watching for him as midget after midget sat down on the stage, with some tripping but otherwise perfect behavior. And there he was, back straight, hands at his sides, clothes immaculate...but everyone's best efforts had not been enough to tame his wild mop. It insisted on poking up in all directions, though it had obviously been plastered down many, many times. His little face turned uncertainly towards the crowd, and Raven stood up, smiling and waving reassuringly. Her spirits sank slightly as he spotted her, then looked to her right...his face fell and he turned away, straightening his back a little more and holding his head high. Raven slowly sat back down, the look on his face tugging at her heartstrings. She was going to kill Richard.

The graduates sang a few songs, such as The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Timmy knew all the words and actions by heart, thanks to long hours of practice, but his performance was lacking the happy enthusiasm that made him truly shine. He kept darting uneasy glances in her direction, and every time he saw that empty seat, the frown got a little deeper.

The children filed off the stage to put on their caps and gowns, and in the meantime, a slideshow of the year's events was projected on a large screen for the parents' enjoyment. Raven couldn't help but smile as a picture of Timmy lovingly petting a visiting kitten appeared on the screen. He was always so gentle and careful of others' feelings...something that reminded her of his papa. Unfortunately, Timothy was in very few of the displayed pictures, and if the camera did manage to catch him, he was generally tucked away in a corner quietly reading a book or making a miniature city with Lincoln Logs. Raven sighed deeply, running a hand through her short purple hair. Timmy just didn't mesh with his class...he didn't mesh with any children his age, for that matter. He was often teased for using big words or choosing to stay in the classroom during recess...and his eyes, of course. He had inherited his mother's eyes.

The slideshow ended with applause from the parents as Ms. Heather appeared on the stage once again, along with Mr. Shanks, the head teacher. "As we call out their name, each child will step onto the stage and recieve their diploma. Ashley Lisa Barry!"

When about fifteen children had been called, it was finally his turn. "Timothy Allen Grayson!" Raven pulled out her camera as he stepped forward, hands twisting nervously; he seemed so small on that immense stage. Timmy took his diploma from Mr. Shanks, murmuring a barely audible "thank you" and turning to walk off as all the other children had done, but Ms. Heather gently held him back. "Wait a moment, Timothy." With that, she turned and addressed the crowd. "This student has proved himself exceptional in almost every aspect of his schooling with us this year, so much, in fact, that the teachers and myself decided he was capable of completing not just preschool but first grade as well, and Timothy did not disappoint us. He completed first grade with flying colors, as we knew he would, and this method allowed him to finish out the school year with his classmates. Next year, he will move on to second grade, where I'm sure he will perform just as well as he did this year!" Raven beamed with pride as the crowd clapped and cheered, but she knew that Timmy wasn't enjoying this in the least. His face was red, his eyes fixed on the ground. She could almost see his relief when Ms. Heather finally let him go.

On the way out to the car, Raven hugged Timothy and ruffled up his hair, sticky from trying to be flat. "You were great, kiddo." She smiled down at him, but he looked away quickly, nodding in acceptance. Raven sighed gustily, unlocking the car and helping him with the seatbelt. "I know what's bothering you, so you might as well give up the ghost."

Timmy looked over at her and smiled unconvincingly. "I'm fine, nothing's bothering me."

Raven rolled her eyes and revved the engine into life. That was one of Robin's traits she would have rather not seen in her child. She sighed again, feeling like she had to excuse his absence somehow. "I'm sure there was a good reason. You know how busy Papa is at work."

Timothy turned away and leaned his head against the cool window. Of course he knew. Papa was always busy.

Nightwing pulled into the driveway of his small but beautiful home, noticing that Raven's purple Malibu was already in the garage. She had insisted on a sensible car, though he had managed to convince her to at least choose the color she wanted. He wiped a hand across his mouth, opening the door and stepping out carefully, wincing with every other movement as he noticed the dark red stain on the green towel. Hopefully it didn't seep through to the seats...

He limped to the door, slightly surprised to find it locked. Raven usually left it open for him, even if she went to bed before he got home. Undaunted, he removed the loose brick and fished out the emergency key, unlocking the door and stumbling inside. He was feeling lightheaded, and it wasn't all that surprising, what with the blood loss.

The living room light clicked on, and he blinked in shock as the colorspots slowly died away to reveal Raven sitting on the couch and glaring coldly at him. "Forget something, did we?"

"Wha..." Nightwing cursed as it hit him: Timmy's graduation.

"Well, it's something of a surprise that you remembered at all, but you're about ten hours too late," Raven said, her voice low and monotone as it always was when she was furious.

Guilt coursed through him as he made for the hallway. "Is he awake? I have to talk to him..." He stopped dead in his tracks as shimmering black energy surrounded him and pulled him back into the living room.

"It is three o'clock in the morning. Why on Earth would a five-year-old be awake?" Raven hissed, finally rising from the couch to stand in front of him, the anger crackling around her making her intimidating despite the twelve-inch difference in their heights. Her next question caught him completely off guard. "What's his favorite color?"

Nightwing froze, racking his foggy brain for the answer and knowing that it should have been an easy question. "Red...?"

"Blue." Raven's gaze was icy. "What pet has he been begging you to buy him for a year now?"

A year? He didn't remember that... "What's the point of--"

"A kitten. Who, in his opinion, is his best friend?"

"Raven--"

"You!" Her eyes were fiery as she levitated a foot off the ground and ripped off his mask. "But you wouldn't know that, would you? Far too busy with your company to talk to him during the day, and at night you're gone 'til all hours of the morning playing the hero! You don't even know your own child, but hey, I'm sure the mayor thinks you're just great!"

Raven's feet touched down with a soft thump as she seemed to deflate, sighing and massaging her temples. "You're bleeding," she informed him, a hint of worry escaping her heavy tone.

Robin squinted at the ground, vision blurring and doubling as he made out a dark red stain on the cream-colored carpet. With a muttered curse, he stumbled backwards in an attempt to save the carpet, but that made the world spin and whistle as he swayed. Raven caught his arm before he could fall, helping him over to the couch which, thankfully, was of a darker shade than the carpet.

She sighed heavily, getting a wet washcloth from the kitchen and gently cleaning the blood, dirt, and sweat off his face before locating the wounds and healing them, as she did almost every night. Fortunately it was only cuts and bruises this time; the broken bones could not be fully healed by her powers. A frown fixed to her face, Raven studied his eyes as she so often did, losing herself in the ocean conealed within them. His eyelids were half-mast and somewhat glazed, no doubt from exhaustion. Brushing a stray lock of jet-black hair out of his eyes, she whispered, "He loves you, Robin. We love you. Don't leave us all alone."

Richard leaned forward slightly and kissed her softly, then looked deep into her eyes, showing her the promise there. "I won't, Rae. Never."

Ok, so what do you think? Good? Bad? Weird? Boring? Let me know, cuz your reviews determine whether or not I write a second chapter. Trust me, there is a lot more to the story, if you want to hear it. Hurray for my seventh original character! What do you think of Timmy, eh? Review! -Dusty