Chapter 1: Destiny's Play

Genre: Friendship/Angst/Drama

Characters: Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth.

Summary: AU. A little bird lost his nest and the other flew away. Stephanie and Jason meet as children looking for a place that they can call home. Will they ever find it?

"You okay, kid?"

Stephanie has never really seen a boy her age take down a man that big. She could see blood dripping on the man's nose and a few teeth were knocked out of his mouth. The young boy in front of her didn't even have a scratch on his face or anywhere. The big guy didn't even stand a chance.

"Hey toots, I asked you a question." She startled as the boy came to touch her shoulder. She backed up a little away from the boy. She looked up to see if she offended the boy.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well gee, you're welcome." He said, walking over to the unconscious man. He pulled out his wallet and took his money. "I'll be taking this, off your hands." He grinned, slipping the wallet back to its former place. "Thanks."

He stashed the dough in his pocket jeans. He glanced over at the still terrified girl. "See ya, toots." He salutes before taking his leave.

The little girl Stephanie dazed off, watching him go. It took a few minutes before she found the strength to stand up and follow after him.

~x~

Whenever Jason is in the sight of trouble, it usually means that there was his next prey. Some scum comes over and tries to kick a sorry guy's ass, he goes to the rescue. And he every time he did, he takes the scum's wallet and leaves the innocent man to fend for himself. It's a way of making him less guilty about stealing.

He never expected them to pay any sort of gratitude toward him and most people would be smart enough to stay away from these parts of the streets. Save this girl who's been following him around for almost three nights. The first night he didn't really pay attention to her or he did but he just didn't care. Second night, it was really creepy, he tried shaking her off but damn, she always manages to find him. The third night she's been following him?

"-It's as annoying as fuck!" He yelled at her. She just looks up at him with a smile on her face. Jason growled. "Look kid, quit following me. Don't you have a house with a family somewhere?" The little blonde girl looked at him keeping her smile. "Yup, as a matter of fact I do!" she said with a grin.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Well ain't that just precious? Why don't you just go home then?" Stephanie looked up at him with child-like defiance. "I don't want to." The boy groaned. "Look kid, this place ain't for dainty nitwit blondes like you, okay? So why don't you just go home with your precious little mommy and daddy and quit following me!"

"I'm not going back home and I'm not a nitwit, whatever that mean.." Stephanie said with a pout. "Besides," She smiles a bit, running over to Jason and hugging his arm. "It's fun to be with you!"

Jason blushed. "Quit it!" he says, trying to push her away. When he succeeded on doing just that, Stephanie hit her shoulder on the wall. "Ow!" She cried out, putting her hand over her shoulder. "It hurts." Her eyes started welling up with tears. She slips down and leans against the wall.

The young boy suddenly felt a pang of panic, seeing how the little girl reacted. "Sorry! I didn't mean that!" He runs over to try helping her out, she brushes him away. "No don't touch it!"

"I—" Jason started but was quickly interrupted. "Daddy hit me there."

The young girl tried to bite back her tears, whereas Jason stood next to her, a little stunned.

"I saw her like that," Stephanie said, referring to the man who Jason knocked out to save her. "There was blood, blood everywhere and I knew…I knew that I was next." She started sniffing and sobbing, she pulled up her legs and hugged them close to her chest. "So I ran away." She started crying uncontrollably, unable to hold back her tears.

After little Stephanie has had her moment to cry, Jason walked over to her side with a paper bag tucked in his arms. He sat down. Stephanie looked up with her face stained with tears. He pulls out something from the paper bag.

"Want a waffle?"

~x~

"Jason…" Her voice was as soft as a whisper.

The young boy blew on his hand for warmth. The winter can't be that damn cold can't it?

"What?" He said, his teeth chattering in the cold as he tries to keep the girl warm. She huddles closer to him, finding bodily warmth with his body. "It's so cold."

"I know that, Steph." Jason said, wrapping the blanket tightly around them. He took her hands and rubbed it against his own. Stephanie coughs in the cold, she huddles closer to him. "…Jason?" She whimpers, feeling weaker by every moment. "I don't feel so good."

"Don't crap with me Steph!" He raises his voice, trying so desperately to hold back tears. "We're going to be fine, so suck it!" Stephanie's lips were turning blue and the pinkness of her fingers was starting to fade. She closed her eyes, her head hung low against his chest.

"Steph?" He tried shaking the girl conscious. "Steph! Come on! Wake up! We gotta keep hangin'!" He was frantic, the girl isn't answering. "Steph? Steph! STEPH!" Her hand was cold. The young boy cursed and wrapped the little girl with the blanket.

"Shit!" He walks into the freezing winter.

He walked to look for a warm place for him and Steph to stay in. He walked for a long time. He walked for hours and hours, he's lost the sense of time. How the fuck could the winter be this cold?

He fell into snow with Stephanie on his back. He can't feel the muscles in his legs going to numb and he's pretty sure that he's going through a severe frostbite. He could drop dead at any moment now. It would be easy and he wouldn't have to worry about having to have to fend for himself for another day. He could just simply die in the snowstorm. Except…

"Jason I…" The little girl's voice rung through his ears and it warmed him up inside. He pushes himself up before taking another step into the storm. "Yeah, toots?" He felt her arms around his neck, she wrapped it with every strength she could muster. "…want to keep eating more waffles with you."

There was a moment of silence before Jason could answer back. "Me too."

~x~

"Good heavens, this year's winter is certainly horrible, Master Bruce. I do hope that Master Richard is keeping himself warm." Alfred said, as Bruce Wayne put on his winter coat.

"That maybe, Alfred but that doesn't keep me from a business meeting." He said, sipping the last drop of his coffee. "Besides that, the kid can handle things on his own. You know what he said. Can you please start up the car?"

The old man rolled his eyes. "But of course Master Bruce." Just as Alfred open the door, a strong gust of wind howled into the mansion. And although the thick falling of snow clouded a bit of his vision, he was sure of what he saw.

"Oh good Lord." The English man exclaimed. "Master Bruce!"

"What is it, Alfred?"

Bruce walked over and looked out of the door. He squints his eyes, trying to see through the storm. When he saw what he had to see, he runs out into the harshness of the cold. A few moments later, Bruce went back inside with two unconscious little children in his arms. Alfred closed the door behind him.

"Both of them are experiencing a serious frostbite and the girl's got a severe fever." Bruce said, laying them near the fire place. "We need to keep these kids warm Alfred"

"As you say, sir." The old servant said, already on the go to save the two children when suddenly, the phone rang. "Sir?" The old servant looked at his young master.

"Tell Lucius that I'll be late for today's appointment."