Hello everybody! I probably should be updating 'Home is where the heart is' but…here I am. I seriously don't know what I was thinking I wrote this. We've been painting my house for a few days now so I think the fumes must have gone to my head, so anyway, I hope you enjoy (at your own risk).

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that right goes to DC

Summary: How Dick came to turn with Jason becoming Robin.

The first stage of loss has been widely accepted as denial. In these early stages a person begins to undergo a state of numbness and confusion, incapable of accepting their new reality. This is then immediately followed by anger. Frustration, anxiety and irritation are common feelings associated with this particular stage, causing one to lash out and be prone to extreme overreaction. Thereafter comes bargaining and depression. A person may ask questions such as "why me?" or "what did I do to deserve this?" The person will often lack energy and become emotionally detached to the situation. After undergoing these stages finally comes acceptance, where the person come to terms with the reality of the situation and look to the future.

Dick went through all these stages in less than thirty minutes.

"Please tell me you're kidding Bruce?"

Dick stared at the extremely unresponsive block of wood he once called his mentor. Bruce's cowl was pulled down, but did nothing to help the former Boy Wonder determine the Bat's true emotions. God, how long had they been apart that he couldn't even read him anymore. They were currently in the Batcave, the two former partners glaring each other. Their audience consisting of a proper English butler and a wide eyed street kid watched in morbid fascination at the train wreck in front of them.

Bruce, with a noncommittal grunt, turned away from his former ward choosing to head over to the Batcomputer.

"I believe it is none of your business Richard."

Dick felt his blood begin to boil as Bruce completely ignored him, choosing to go over what seemed to be witness statements. The two onlookers chose to remain silent and continued watching in horror, as the already cold temperature of the Batcave dropped even more.

Then came the second stage. Anger.

Dick stomped up to Bruce with all the subtleness of a raging bull.

"Not my business? NOT MY BUSINESS? Of course it's my business! It's MY uniform, MY former costume and name you're giving to the kid – a street rat nonetheless. You think I wouldn't care?"

Seeing how Bruce was still avidly trying to ignore him, Dick grabbed Bruce by the shoulder and swung him around to face him, which was very difficult as Bruce was substantially bigger than he was. Bruce directed his bat glare down at his former charge, looking unimpressed. He did not appreciate being manhandled.

"LISTEN TO ME!" roared Dick. "You think putting another kid out as Robin is ok. Did something suddenly change your mind after you FIRED me? What happened to crime fighting not be a place for children?"

"Richard you're being childish."

"CHILDISH! I'll show you childish." What happened next Dick (and Bruce) would forever deny.

Dick punched Batman in the face.

Bruce stumbled a backward, clearly surprised at the sudden attack, with a large darkening bruise around his cheek and eye. Alfred let out a gasp that was quite unbefitting of his usual stoic Englishness, while Jason let out a quite "OMG" and continued watching the scene attentively. This was way better than any sappy early morning drama that would be going on upstairs on television.

Dick looked shocked at his own action, stumbling backwards.

"Oh my god Bruce. I'm so sorry."

Bruce moved his jaw sideways before glaring down, if possible, stronger than before. Dick obviously sensing that his apology was not accepted felt the familiar rush of anger enters his body again.

"Seriously Bruce if your just using this kid to make me jealous or I don't know… just don't. No one deserves the superhero life. Especially a kid who should probably be hanging out with his friends and going on dates, not battling death. Plus the kid is not even trained properly. He doesn't have what it takes."

Dick continued ignoring Jason's indignant "hey, I resent that" from the sidelines.

"Why would you let a kid do this after letting me go? If you had asked I probably would have come back."

So now that the bargaining stage was out of the way, what comes next? Oh, right…depression.

The three other people in the cave watched in horror as Dick suddenly collapsed on the floor with wet eyes, shoulders shaking.

"Is this why you're replacing me? Was I not good enough for you? Everything I ever did, I did it for you."

Bruce's face softened as he looked at his former ward. He should have known how his actions would have affected the young man- boy- currently collapsed on the cold floor. He knelt down and put a gloved hand on the distraught male, lifting his head so that watery blue eyes could look into his own softened greyish-blue ones.

"Dick…I'm sorry I made you feel this way…" Bruce stumbled over the correct words trying his best to sound sincere. Apologies were definitely not his forte. "I never meant to hurt you I was only trying to protect you..."

Of to the side where their audience was watching, Jason's nose was wrinkled in disgust as he looked at the goddamn Batman comforting the crying former Robin. Jason couldn't help but be weirded out by the two men he always looked up to crying each other's arms like some scene from a cheesy rom-com. Jason stage whispered to Alfred who was standing next to him.

"You know this has to be the weirdest thing I've ever seen, like this is coming from me who lived on the street and dresses up in scaly green shorts to fight crime."

Jason paused before looking at the caped crusader running his hand through his former ward hair in fatherly manner. Wow, how did it go from UFC to a scene from the Proposal?

"Seriously is it just me or is there flowers and hearts flying around them."

Jason turned and looked at Alfred who had not answered to see his happy face and misty eyes. Alfred couldn't help the surge of relief that his two charges had finally made up.

Jason sprung back from Alfred head turning rapidly from side to side staring at the lovey-dovey scene of his mentor and his former protégé and the positively jubilant butler.

Jason couldn't help the hurt words that fell out of his mouth, "Alfred… I thought you were the normal one…"

After a few moments of hugging it out Bruce and Dick finally stood up turning towards the positively happy butler and the disgusted teenage sidekick. Dick wiped the tears from his eyes, before turning to talk to Jason.

"I just want to say congrats, on becoming Robin. I know you'll do the name proud and um...sorry if I ever made you feel unwelcome. So...hey, welcome to the family" Dick obviously, did not know how to talk to Jason, but Jason appreciated his effort. All he ever wanted was to have a family, so he grinned.

"I guess this makes us brothers now…"

Jason listened to Dick and froze. He figured Dick was right, Bruce had adopted Jason and Dick was Bruce's Ward. Jason could not help the happiness that filled his body. He had a brother. He had someone who would listen to his problems, protect him (even though he really didn't need it) and to just hang out, as cheesy as it sounds. Plus Dick was like one of the coolest people on the planet (in his head at least).

"It's nice to meet you...you know, officially."

Jason was trying for polite even though it really wasn't in his nature, but he didn't want to scare the older male away. If he did, he felt that Bruce would murder him in his sleep…or worse. Especially because they just made up, literally a minute ago. Jason raised his hand up for a handshake (Bruce taught him it was the polite way greet people).

Dick smirked and knocked his hand, causing Jason's chest to tighten.

"I thought I said we were brothers," was all Dick said before pulling Jason into a bone-crushing hug. All that could be heard echoing around the bat cave for the rest of the night was laughter and Jason's yells and to be put down.

Then came the fifth and final stage. Acceptance.

Bruce and Alfred stood next to each other, watching contentedly as the new brothers play fight around the cave.

"It seems everything is going well, right Alfred?" Bruce turned to look at the old butler with a warm smile, as the Englishman replied.

"I would seem so, Sir."

Author's Note:

Seriously don't know what I was thinking… I also realise this could probably be seen as Dick still being Nightwing but...