Bruce had just gotten to bed after a night of patrolling Gotham City as Batman. He knew that the police could take care of any thugs and that all so called "super-villains" were behind bars. He hadn't slept for more than three hours in two days. Scarecrow had once again tried to poison the water supply with the help of Killer Croc. It was overall a disgusting and too long mission. He did have to thank the asylum for giving Joker, as he called her, a bombshell psychiatrist, so he was busy with her there now and not trying to kill him; he could get some sleep.
As he crawled into bed, he heard a small, tentative knock on his bedroom door. "Bruce?" Richard Grayson, his new adopted son asked through the door. Bruce walked over to the door and opened it, looking down to see Richard holding stuffed robin toy with tears in his eyes.
"Richard? Is something wrong?" Bruce got down on one knee so he could see eye to eye with him.
"I had the nightmare again...I was falling and falling. No one was there to catch me and I heard my parents screaming as the rope broke." He burst into tears at the final remark.
"Oh Richard." Bruce wanted to cry at the sight of him, but refrained from it. He opened his arms for a hug and Richard barreled into them, crying harshly into Bruce's chest. "It's okay Richard. I'm here. You're not falling. I will always be there to catch you."
Richard looked up at him with red stained blue eyes and asked, "Promise?"
Bruce crossed his fingers over his heart. "I promise." Richard smiled and hugged him again. Bruce hugged him back, feeling upset for the poor boy, yet happy because he would always be there to protect him. "Hey, do you want some ice cream?" Bruce asked Richard to cheer him up. And it worked; Richard visibly brightened and enthusiastically nodded his head up and down while smiling.
"Yeah!"
"Haha, let's go down to the kitchen and get some okay?" Richard took Bruce's hand as they stood up and pulled him to the direction of the kitchen. Yes, he was exhausted, but right now, his son needed him and that is all that matters.