Chapter 1: A Little Boy in the Graveyard

I look out the large window that is in my study. I look out to the graveyard. I look at a small gravestone that I know has the words 'Martha Wayne and Thomas Wayne' engraved into the stone. I look at a grave that once held the body of Jason, but is now empty. I turn away at the thought of what that man has become. That I turned him into the way he is now. I look back and find the tall gravestone the now lays atop of my only true biological son.

I see a form out there with it. I step out of my study and shrug on a coat. On days like these in Gotham, even if it is in the summer, you need a coat. It may be eighty-nine degrees outside, but with the wind it makes it feel sixty degrees. I walk out and the form gets bigger and turns into a shape. A man. No a boy.

I see a little boy that is nine years old. Doing back flips in the backyard. Handstands on the lawn gnomes. Making Alfred laugh at his antics. I get closer and see my older son, Dick Grayson, on his knees in front of the grave. I reach out to put a hand on his shoulder, but I falter. When my hand finally reaches his shoulder he doesn't jump like some people would. He knew I was there even before I put my hand on him. He looks straight ahead. I see tears stain his cheeks.

This is the first time I've seen him here in a month. He said that the reason he hadn't been here lately was because he was on a case. A Nightwing case. I know that's a lie. He can't really handle stuff like this. He barely went to his parent's grave when they died. In fact I don't think he even visited his parent's grave at all when they died.

Damian...Damian had gotten to us all. When he died it was like a dagger to all of our hearts. Not even eleven years old and already dead. Dying a hero's death. I never wanted that for him. I never wanted for him to be Robin. I didn't want him to turn out like Dick or Tim or...or Jason or me. But that wasn't really my choice in the beginning. Talia bred and trained him to be like me so he could turn into Robin, and when I die turn into Batman.

I get on my knees as well. Dick reaches his hand out and traces the engravement on the tall pinnacle. The words that read 'Damian Wayne 2003-2013 A Boy Who Fought Evil Every Night and Won' was inscribed into that stone forever, and now inscribed into our minds and hearts. I reach out as well and touch the marble, only the best for my little boy, but I don't trace the words like Dick does. I can feel the slight movement of Dick underneath my hand. He is sobbing for is brother. I would be too, but I've cried all that I have cried for this little boy and I know if he was here right now he wouldn't want me to cry for him.

"Dick." I say.

"I'm not ready yet Bruce."

"Ok son take your time."

We stay there for a couple more minutes before he speaks up again.

"Damn it Damian. How could you do this to us you little demon? You weren't supposed to die first. You were supposed to pass us all. Not end up like Jason. You were supposed to kill him, not have him kill you. It wouldn't have mattered to me or Bruce if you would have just blown him to smithereens. You know I've let it by a time or two when it endangered our lives when we were Batman and Robin. It would have been ok as long as you came back home to us."

Dick reach forward making my hand slip off his shoulder. He hugged the Gravestone. He hugged his little brother.

"You were right Damian. We were the best. You were my favorite partner. Even when we crashed that wedding and you told me I had too much joy in me to be Batman."

I turn my head away from him, as I start to tear up.

"I was always there for you and you were always there for me. We had each other's back. You always had my back. I had your back too until the end. I didn't have your back that last time and you died, because of me. It's all my fault. If I would have been conscious-"

"Dick this is not your fault."

"Yes it is Bruce. If I would have been more careful I wouldn't have been knocked out, and me and Damian could have stopped the Heretic together. Instead I thought with my fists instead of my head, and because of that I cost Damian's life."

"Dick this wasn't your fault at all. This is mine. I chose my city over my son. If I could have a redo I would pick Damian every time over this hell hole. I wasn't fast enough. When I got out of that safe, I came as fast as I could. fast as i fe, i ether. I…I just wasn't … fast enough. I hate myself for that."

At that point I duck my head and start to cry. I couldn't help it. Just the thought that I could have saved him but I didn't sent me over the edge.

"Bruce it's alright. We are both to blame. But we shouldn't be mad at ourselves we should be mad at Talia and the Heretic. The only good thing that came out of this though is that they are both dead."

I look up at him and pull him into a hug. Except when I hug him I don't hug the man that took my place when I was 'dead'. Instead I hug a little boy who used to crawl into my bed when he had nightmares. I hug a little boy that used to always end up under my arm asleep when we were watching movies.

I pull away from him and hold him at arm's length and again I see a little boy. I see that same little boy with tears streaming down his face when his parents died.

I look into his eyes and not only do I see a little boy, but I also see myself in him. I see myself when I was eight years old in that alley crying for my parents. I see myself when Jason died.

I can't turn out like I did when Jason died though. I can't let Dick turn out like that either.

"Come on Dick lets go inside. Alfred is almost done with lunch, and you know how he hates us being late for any kind of 'family gatherings' when everyone's here." I said as I got up from my kneeling position. I hold out my hand and he takes it and I pull him up.

"I think the only reason he wants us early is because when we're early we're crankier and when we're crankier we fill up the swear jar really quickly." Dick said. We both laugh, because we both know it's true.

We get half way to then manor when Dick stops.

"Oh I almost forgot." Dick said pulling something out of his jacket. He runs back over to Damian's grave and placed a picture and a video game down. The picture was of Dick and Damian. Dick had his arm around Damian's shoulder trying to hug him and Damian had a disgusted look on his face. In the corner of the picture you can see Damian taking out a knife from his pocket. I assume from that picture that that was how Dick got that nasty cut on his forehead.

Dick runs back over to me and I smile at him.

"Me and Dami planned to play the new Swordwalkers game. I thought it was only fair I put that down on his grave instead of just flowers that he would've hated and that would have died anyways." Dick said as I take my hand from out of coat pocket and put it around his shoulder.

"Dick."

"Yes Bruce."

"I want to say this before it's too late. I love you. I never said that to any of you before, but now I am. I love you."

"Bruce I know. In fact we all knew. Even Damian and Jason knew. And you know what?"

" What?"

"We love you right back."

I smile and stare up at the window of Jason's room. In the window I see a man cleaning off his guns. He walks away from the window. I know he is going down stairs. Even Jason is scared of being late to lunch.