A/N: This story is finally finished. Sorry this took so long. I was in the middle of writing the last chapter when I misplaced my notebook. When I found it, I could finally finish the last part of this story.

Safari

Part 4

When the helicopter arrived with the platform, Dick and Tim assisted the men to get the adolescent elephant onto the platform and strapped down. Dick continued to check the condition of the wound. A veterinarian had been dispatched to assess the damage and radio back on what he was going to need to perform surgery. Once they were ready, the helicopter lifted into the air to carry the adolescent elephant and Dick Grayson back to the rehabilitation center.

"Be careful!" Tim shouted upward.

'We'll be following right behind you, Master Richard!" Alfred added his own statement.

Tim and Alfred climbed into the jeep and followed the copter as best they could. They mostly kept their eyes on the bull elephant as it followed the helicopter carrying his precious child.

"You were right, Alfred," Tim stated. "That bull elephant is determined to follow them."

The helicopter took little time in reaching the center. Even when the helicopter flew out of sight of the bull, the large elephant was determined to follow. It was an amazing sight to see. Dick watched from above as he continued to put pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding.

Your poppa sure loves you, Dick spoke in Romani.

The adolescent elephant reached up and tried to touch Dick's face with his trunk. He couldn't quite reach, o Dick stretched out his right hand while continuing to keep pressure on the bandage with his left hand. The elephant touched the palm of Dick's hand.

"You'll be okay," Dick said, giving comfort. "You'll be able to run free again."

As soon as the helicopter arrived at the center, the platform was lowered sand unhooked so the helicopter could safely land nearby. The platform was unhooked inside the fenced in compound where the men and women could work on the young elephant's wound. The pilot landed the helicopter outside the compound. He could hear a trumpeting noise.

Tim, Alfred, and Bujiba arrived at the compound another 30 minutes later, only to discover another commotion.

"That elephant is being a nuisance. Chase him out of here. The vets can't work with all that noise."

'You try frightening him off," another stated.

"It's okay," Tim stated. "He's not going anywhere. He just wants to know if his child is going to be all right."

"You mean that bull is that elephant's father?"

"Yes," Tim replied.

"I've never seen an elephant behave like that. Most bulls run and desert their young when the herd is scattered."

"Well, this bull didn't,' Tim explained. "That younger elephant is all the family he has. The rest of the herd was killed off."

The large bull elephant continued to trumpet his displeasure at being separated from his child. He came close to charging the gates of the compound.

"You better let him in before he does some real damage," Tim exclaimed.

Two attendants opened the gates to the fenced in area of the rehabilitation center. The bull elephant cautiously stepped through searching for his younger companion, his only remaining family member. The attendants watched with cautious care not knowing what the bull elephant was going to do. One ran and grabbed a tranquilizer gun just in case the elephant went on a rampage, but the bull simply settled near his child once he located him by smell. The vet who was doing the surgery in a large open-air tent eyed the bull, but the large elephant kept his distance. It was not the ideal conditions, but the rehab center did not have a building large enough to house such a large animal.

Within two hours the vet was finishing his work. The younger elephant was moved to a larger fenced in area with a concrete floor and a covered canopy. The structure had three sides bult out of cinder blocks. It was large enough for the team as well as both elephants. The bull elephant followed the vet inside along with a team of handlers so they could lift and move the adolescent onto a soft bed of straw. The team was startled to see the large bull enter the recovery area. They quickly left and closed the gate and locked it. It would have been better if the area had bee seated with iron bars. They were afraid the bull might panic and tear through the chain link fence, but all the bull did was touch his child with his trunk and stand by his side.

"I don't understand," one of the attending assistants questioned.

"That younger elephant is all the family that bull has," Dick Grayson stated as he stood outside the enclosure. "He's not going to let him out of his sight." Dick turned to see his younger brother approach with Alfred. 'Just like I'm not going to leave you out of my sight.' Though they were not related by blood, they were still brothers, having been adopted by Bruce Wayne. Dick felt close to Tim, closer them he felt toward Jason. Jason made it difficult. If he would only let go of his anger, they could learn to be a family. That elephant reminded Dick that family was important, no matter if that family had its difficulties. It may take time to get through it, but Dick would make the effort to reach out to Jason and to let him know that they were brothers, too.

'Mr. Grayson?"

Dick turned to the veterinarian who worked on the young elephant. "Yes?"

"We did all we could."

"What does that mean?"

"There was extensive damage to some of the muscles. I'm afraid the young elephant will not be able to be released back into the wild. We can only wait and see how well he will recover."

"What about the bull? He won't leave his child's side."

"IF we have to, we will tranquilize the bull and take him far from here."

"He won't be safe from ivory hunters," Tim said. "They'll kill him for his tusks."

"Tim's right," Dick concurred. "He won't be safe without a herd. You'll be sending him to his death from poachers. Can't he stay here?"

"We don't have the capacity to keep a fully grown male elephant."

"Please, just release him once he knows his child is out of danger."

"What about the child?" Tim asked. "Since you can't send him back out into the wild, what will happen to him?"

Dick realized Tim had asked the hardest question of all.

"He'll be sent to one of the larger rehabilitation centers and become an animal representative. He'll help teach others about elephant conservation and the elephant plight. Elephants are an endangered species and we need to protect them," Bujiba explained. "Don't worry young Saheebs. The young elephant will be well cared for."

"All right. I guess there is nothing else we can do here."

"Except say our goodbyes," Alfred stated.

Dick went up to the enclosure, closest to where the young elephant lay. He reached through a break in the fence and touched the trunk of the young elephant.

Goodbye Sampson. Dick said I Romani.

Not goodbye The elephant replied in Dick's head. Until we meet again.

Dick closed his eyes to stem off the tears that threatened to fall. Until we meet again, old friend.

Dick let go of the younger elephant's trunk and headed back to where Alfred and Tim were waiting to return to their campsite, collect their gear, and return home.

End