Jason was hurt. That much he knew. He knew he was bleeding but he wasn't sure where. His right leg and his side both hurt. He should have known something like this would happen. He thought he could take on Slade by himself and now he was badly hurt.

"Hood, are you still there? Can you hear me?" He heard Tim's voice through the com. He struggled to get up but that didn't seem to be an option. "Jay? Answer me. Say something." His little brother's voice was filled with concern and worry. Jason wanted badly to reply but the pain was almost too much. "Tim, I'm here." Jason managed to say. His voice was weak and Tim could tell something wasn't right. He knew he had to get to his brother soon. Jason heard Tim say something else but he could barely make out what it was before he passed out.

Minutes later he heard a familiar voice talking. "Stay with me little wing, I'm here," he felt relief at knowing his family didn't forsake him. He felt his older brothers strong arms pull him up and he was out again. He drifted in and out of consciousness on the way to the cave.

———

Jason was laying in a hospital bed in the medical area of the bat cave . His brothers toke turns sitting by his bed and it was Dick's turn to stay with Jason. Dick was strong but he was about to break seeing his little brother in such a terrible state. Jason had been stabbed in the side and also had a concussion. It wasn't easy seeing someone you love hooked up to machines, seemingly fighting for their life. Jason was tough but he was only human and they had lost him once. Dick wasn't sure he could stand loosing his brother again. He remembered what it had done to Bruce. All the pain it had caused. The family wasn't that big back then but Jason's death had made an impact on both Bruce and Dick. Not to mention Alfred.

"I don't know if you can hear me Jason but I need you to know I'm here. I'll always be here and so will the rest of the family. We love you and we can't loose you again." Dick began to tear up.

Dick had always been a soft hearted person and many people admired him for that. His family meant everything to him. He swiped at the falling tears and began again.

"Listen, you may think that it doesn't matter if you die but I won't loose my little brother again, do you hear me?" He said raising his voice a little. "Don't you dare leave us again. I don't think B can handle loosing you again either. He gets angry and frustrated with you but it's because he loves you and he just wants you to do what's right."

"If there's any chance you can hear me, please little wing, I need you to come back. Come back to us. This family needs you." Dick sniffled and looked down at a very still Jason. He hadn't moved at all. His heart was still beating but that was about it.

Sometimes he still saw him as the punk kid who thought he could take on the world. That was Jason. Always thinking he could take on something no matter how big it was.

Dick toke Jason's limp hand. "I know you're a pain the ass sometimes but Bruce never gave up on you and neither have I."

Suddenly Dick felt a grip on his hand and looked down to see Jason slowly opening his blue eyes. His smiled through his tears.

"Jason?"

"You think I'm a pain in the ass, Dickie?" Jason replied

Dick laughed. He was just happy to see his brother finally awake.

"Welcome back to the world of the living Jay."

"Jason?" Dick looked up to see Bruce had walked in the room. "He just woke up." Dick said

"How are you feeling Jay?" Bruce asked concern lacing his voice. If Jason didn't know any better, he would have sworn he saw tears in Bruce's eyes.

"Like I've been hit by a train."

Bruce placed his hand on Jason's head. "I'm glad you're awake. You scared us."

"I've been through worse. I think I'll live." Jason replied

He noticed Bruce and Dick share a look of relief. "See, you had us all freaked out." Dick said

Jason gave his dad a half hearted smile.

"I'll be ok old man," he said and that was enough for Bruce to relax. He wasn't going to loose his second oldest son again after all.

Later that night Jason was laughing with his brothers on his bed. The four of them was talking and laughing which was music to Bruce's ears. Bruce had walked past and heard his sons voices and smiled to himself. There as a time Bruce had thought that he couldn't be happy but he had realized that having his boys in the manor and knowing they're all safe is all he needed to be happy.

"I'm happy you're ok Jay," Tim said. He sat beside Jason with Dick on the other side and Damian lay at the foot of the bed at Dick and Jason's feet.

It felt good to just relax. It wasn't until that night that Jason had realized just how much his family truly cared for him.

"The way all of you are acting, you would think I was about to die." Jason said

"You almost did," Dick replied.

"That was very foolish Todd. You should have known not to go after someone as dangerous as slade on your own." Damian said.

Jason rolled his eyes at his little brother. He knew he was right though. Jason had been reckless and it had almost cost him his life. Again

"Just don't do anything like that again. We can't loose you Jay" Tim said. "You can't just go risking your like that."

"I risk my life all the time Timmy ," Jason said

"Yeah but you have a family who loves you." Dick stated. "You have no idea what it was like when you left us."

Jason knew what Dick meant. The sadness in his big brothers voice made Jason feel guilty.

A chill ran down Tim's spine when he thought about what happened on the com. Jason had been in mid sentence when he was suddenly cut off and then an agonizing scream filled Tim's ears. Tim feared loosing his older brother.

"Thanks for being here guys. It means a lot." Jason told his brothers

Dick smiled. "That's what brothers are for."