Author's Note: Hello all! :) and how have we been? Good I hope! I'm sorry for not updating fast enough, but you know...life :/ Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I'll update soon enough! :D

Thank you sea-dilemma for beta reading! :D


At 2:57 PM, Juliet was rushing out of the apartment complex.

Today is just not my day! She thought as she attempted to wave a taxi cab down. Alan's school was over 15 blocks away, and yet every cab driver passed by without even slowing down. It had stopped raining, much to her relief, but she had still grabbed a small umbrella before she left; just in case.

Five minutes passed, and she finally gave up and opted to jog the whole way. With all this running, I should seriously consider joining the Olympics! She already knew she was going to get an earful from the boy for being late.


A loud knock had Gregory looking up from his paper work; he froze at the sight.

A man stood, leaning against the glass door as if he'd been there for hours just watching. He held himself with a high stature; he wore a clean grey suit, with his black curly hair combed back with a large amount of gel. His dress shoes tapped against the floor as he began walking towards the desk.

"What are you doing here?" Gregory could smell the expensive cologne from where the man stood, the man was grinning the whole time.

"Visiting a friend." He sat down, the smile never leaving his face.

"'Friends don't threaten the lives of their friend's family." Gregory growled.

"Friends also don't call the police on each other."

"I did what I was supposed to! I didn't go to the cops!"

The man shook his head "Our sources say different."

Gregory's fists were clenched. "Your 'sources' are lying! I ordered a shipment to the warehouse like instructed!"

"If you say so." The man's smile melted away into a frown as he picked up a picture frame from the desk. "How is your son, Mr. Reeves?"

Damn him!

"My son has nothing to do with this." Gregory spoke through clenched teeth. "You leave him out of this!"

"I can't make any promises. The boss believes he can use him as insurance." The man placed the photo back. "I'm sure you understand."

"He doesn't need to do that. What does he want?"

The man smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Make an 'order' today - to this address." He pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it to Gregory. "You should be expecting the package next week."

Gregory skimmed over the handwriting with much reluctance before setting it down. "Fine."

"Good. I'll let the boss know." The man stood up, much to Gregory's relief, and walked to the door. "Don't screw up this time." He paused at the door frame. "Don't want you ending up like your partner." With those parting words, he left.

A lump formed in Gregory's throat at the man's words. The guilt he felt at those words nearly consumed him whole.


Maniacal laughter tore Jason from his sleep with a gasp. For a moment, he forgot where he was until his heart calmed down.

Dick's apartment.

He looked down to see papers scattered on the floor; most likely due to his abrupt movement. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed; he hadn't had a nightmare like that in a while. Must've fallen asleep. He thought as he checked the time on his phone. 4:29 PM, meaning he had slept for almost 5 hours; despite this, he still felt tired. Reaching down, He picked up the scattered pages and photos.

Wonder Boy would be home soon, so he needed to finish studying his 'tasks' before then. He was finished with the 11 year old's profile, and detached the photo. Jason read over the girl's profile, having already detached her picture while skimming through the file earlier. Speaking of which…

Juliet Corrigan; long brown hair with bright hazel eyes. Jason stared at her picture for a long moment; he was looking at her image more often than he should, and yet couldn't stop. The picture, much like the young boy's, was a portrait, most likely taken at a photo studio for families. She wore a light pink blouse in the photo, with small hints of eyeliner and lipstick, her hair was pulled to one side of her shoulder as she smiled. He looked at her picture for a moment longer before forcibly setting it down, all thoughts of his brief nightmare forgotten.

Placing the rest of the papers on the table, Jason stood and stretched. Walking over to his bag, he opened it and pulled out his regular street clothes. His stomach grumbled as he undressed and he wondered what he should get for dinner. He didn't feel like making dinner tonight, nor was he in the mood to order Chinese. He thought back to the cold pizza he had had earlier; its lack of toppings made Jason crave for something more filling.

After yanking on his boots, Jason dug through his bag and pulled out his medicine bottle. Stuffing it in his pocket, he then grabbed his paperwork and hid it under the seat cushion of Dick's couch. No need to tempt Dick into snooping although Jason knew that his brother would do just that. He kept the photos of the two individuals and tucked them in the inside pocket of his jacket.

'Locking' the door behind him, Jason left the apartment and walked down the stairs; Dick will be home eventually - might as well buy dinner.


Alan sat patiently on the school stairs as he waited for Juliet. He wasn't surprised by her lateness; this wasn't the first time he had to wait for her. He saw her silhouette in the distance, jogging her way towards him.

Despite the cold weather, Juliet's brow was covered in sweat and her cheeks were flushed by the time she reached him.

"It's about time, Julie!" Alan called as she stopped in front of him, hands on her knees.

"Not – my – fault!" She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

Juliet playfully glared at the boy, taking a step towards him. "That's right, whatever I say." She gently nudged him to the side, dropped her purse next to him and plopped down on the steps; Alan laughed. "So, how was school, squirt?"

Alan squirmed as she ruffled his hair. "It was ok, I guess. I was hoping to go to the club meet, though."

"Yeah? What kind of meet was this?" Juliet asked, her breathing returning to normal.

"The student council was supposed to talk about the Halloween party this Saturday."

"Oh." She leaned back on the steps. "I see… So does that mean you'll need a chaperone?"

Alan nodded. "I was going to ask Dad, but I don't think he would want to go…"

Juliet eyed he young boy as he frowned. Gregory did all he could to make sure his son was taken care of, and yet didn't even have time for him. Juliet draped an arm around Alan's shoulders, determined to lighten the mood. "I'll be there, kiddo, don't worry."

"Thanks, Julie." He mumbled, still sad.

The two sat in silence as the school yard emptied of its students. She stared at Alan as he watched the other kids leave with their parents, a sympathetic smile on her face. It was in moments like these that she missed her own father; mind set, she stood up abruptly.

"So, you've got two options;" She pulled Alan up. "We can either, A, go straight home or B, go get hot chocolate with EXTRA whipped cream." She smiled at him and grabbed her purse. "What do you say?"

Alan's eyes lit up with joy. "B!" He exclaimed, already descending the steps two at a time. Juliet laughed as she followed him out of the gates of the school.

"Wait for me! I'm the one paying, remember!" At her words, Alan stopped in his tracks and waited for her to catch up.

The two continued their trek to the nearest coffee shop, one which they often frequented. The door jingled as they entered; Alan sat at a nearby table as Juliet went to the cashier to place their order.

"So," Juliet sat down across from Alan, receipt in hand. "What are we doing for Halloween night? Trick-or-treating?"

He nodded. "I still haven't decided on what to be, though. My friends want to go as superheroes."

"What are you thinking, then?"

"I'm leaning more towards Green Arrow."

"Hmm, yea, I can see that…" She held her chin in thought. "You definitely have the looks." Smirking, she reached over and pinched his cheek. He held up his hands and pushed hers away, making her laugh.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Hmm…I haven't really thought about it." She feigned resignation. "I guess I'll just go as myself." Just then, the cashier called out her order number and Juliet went to retrieve it.

"Does it matter, what I wear?" She set the cups down. "I'll just be following you and your friends around the streets." She finished, taking her seat.

"True," Alan grabbed his hot cocoa with towering whip cream and chocolate sprinkles. "but, you dressed as Wonder Woman last year."

Juliet groaned, remembering the tight-fitting costume. "Which, I will never wear again. It ripped, remember?"

"Only when you tried to pick up your bag of candy!"

"Yes! And all your little friends laughed about it the whole night! Not to mention the other kids in the neighborhood!"

Alan laughed. "Then don't get a small size!"

Juliet rolled her eyes playfully and sipped the hot beverage. "I'm still not dressing up." She could see Alan roll his own eyes as he drank his drink. "Wipe your nose squirt, you got cream all over it." Her phoned beeped in her purse as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. She looked at the screen to see a text message.

I need a favor.

It was Gregory.

What is it? She texted back.

I need you to stay the night.

Juliet pursed her lips at this; she had work tomorrow.

"What is it, Julie?" Alan asked, noticing her expression.

"Your dad wants me to stay the night…" She quickly texted him back.

Ok. What's the occasion? Juliet waited for his reply, yet none came. Odd.

"Cool! So, we can stay up late?" He asked hopefully.

"I don't think so kiddo, it's a school night." Juliet stood up from her chair, drink in hand. "Let's go, we need to stop by my place first, ok?"

"Fine! Let's go." Alan hopped out of his chair and led the way from the coffee shop.


Stomach full and showered, Jason lay soundlessly on the couch. The nights were getting colder and Jason was thankful for a warm place to sleep.

He was glad that he had come to Dick's apartment. At first, Jason was sure that Dick had told Bruce where he was; to his surprise, Dick promised he hadn't and wouldn't tell. Jason knew that Dick didn't trust him completely; who would trust a vigilante with 'psychological problems'? Earlier, while in the restroom, Jason noticed his belongings out of place in his bag, as if someone had rummaged through it; it was obvious who had done it.

Turning over on his side, he felt under the cushions of the couch for his hidden documents. Pulling them out, he skimmed over them one last time. Tomorrow, he would start his 'first job.' It wasn't THAT much different from any of his previous employments.

With the streetlights beaming through the living room window, his only light source, Jason looked at the photographs once more. He was good with faces; he had to be. As young as he was, he was very skilled and sure of his capabilities. Their faces would be committed to his memory. He didn't want to mess up, just when things were beginning to look up for him.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't, at least, a little excited. Tomorrow he'd be meeting his new boss at his apartment, along with the young woman, whom he'd be meeting in person for the first time. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to meet the boy at all. Gregory's message was clear; 'Do not get involved.' He knew he could watch over them from a distance, but what if he wasn't close enough?

True, he could shoot a man in the head at 1500 yards, but was it really necessary for a tree hugging activist?

Tucking the documents back under the cushion, fluffing his pillow, Jason turned over onto his back. He could hear Dick's light snoring though the, slightly ajar, bedroom door. If only he could sleep like that. Jason fluffed his pillow two more times before closing his eyes willing himself to sleep.


Author's Notes: Don't you just love Jason? Sorry I'm a bit obsessed :p I'm having a Jason Phase and just can't stop! :D However, I am ALSO working on a Fable fic, which I hope there are some fans out there reading this :D also Dragon Age and Walking Dead :)

Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! Makes me SO HAPPY! :D review or PM me if you so please, I'd be more than willing to chat and what not :) Tatty-bye! Much love!