This chapter is mostly about Bruce telling the bat-family about his condition, to get all of that out of the way. It's a pretty emotional chapter but in the next one we'll get right back to Bruce and Wally's antics, as well as some romance between him and Diana.

Chapter Four: Family Business

July 3rd

"You didn't tell her?" Wally asked in a dumbfounded tone.

"The part about EHD? No." Bruce answered.

"Why would you not tell her? You had ever opportunity and you blew it!"

"You're the one who told me I should be happy with her!"

"Yeah but I didn't say you should lie to her!"

"You're right, I know." Bruce sighed. "I'm going to dinner with her tonight. I'll tell her then."

"Good." Wally leaned against the wall. "So when are you going to tell Dick, Tim, or Babs?"

"Right now." Bruce headed for the door.

Bludhaven – Two Hours Later

"Why the hell are you here?" Dick Grayson, better known as Nightwing, demanded as he plowed his fist into a thug's jaw.

"Important business." Bruce, suited up in the Batman armor, said as he dropped kick a thug with a gun.

Nightwing drove one of his battle poles into a criminal's throat. "I told you this is my city, alright? I handle the crime in my city!"

"Trust me, I'm not here about the crime." Batman drove his elbow into a guy's face. He and Nightwing both turned around to see one final thug scrambling for his gun. At the same time, Nightwing whipped out a birderang, and Batman a baterang. The two weapons struck the criminal at the same time, knocking him on the ground with an aggressive thud.

"I hit him first." Nightwing began to gloat, when he heard the sound of blood splattering onto the concrete. He spun around to see his former mentor leaned against the brick wall, trembling and coughing up the coppery red fluid. "Bruce? What the hell? Are you ok?" He shouted frantically.

"T- th- the… bottle…" Bruce managed to say, pointing his shaky hand toward a small bottle of pills that had fallen onto the ground. Without another word, Dick rushed over and grabbed the bottle in his hands. He pulled out a pill and helped it make its way into Bruce's mouth.

The dark knight swallowed, and took a seat against the wall. He pulled off his cowl, allowing his black hair to fall over his eyes. He hadn't gotten it cut in a while. He hadn't found the time.

After several minutes of heavy breathing, Bruce wiped the blood away from his mouth, and looked up to Dick pleadingly. "Are you willing to listen to me now?"

"What was that? What just happened?" Dick questioned, kneeling down in front of his old partner.

"You still have that apartment?"

"Yeah."

"Let's talk about it there."

Dick's Apartment – Twenty Minutes Later

"Sorry the place is such a mess. I usually don't have company." Dick explained, taking a seat on the dirty couch, littered with empty pizza boxes. "Take a seat if you can find one."

Bruce brushed away some old newspapers and sat down on the chair near Dick. He sat in silence for a long moment.

"So are you going to tell me what happened? Why you started coughing up blood out of nowhere?" Dick pushed.

"Have you ever heard of a medical condition called EHD?"

"No but I'm hoping it means something like, Extra Happy Disorder?"

"No quite." Bruce sighed. "Exploding Heart Disease."

"That doesn't sound good at all."

"It's a heart condition that, in a nutshell, causes the heart to become confused in its own blood flow pattern, and basically implode on itself."

"Nope, not good at all."

"Dick… I was diagnosed with EHD a few days ago."

Silence. Finally, Dick spoke in a plain tone. "So how are you supposed to cure it?"

"That's the problem. I can't."

"You've got to be kidding me! You're Batman! You can diffuse a bomb with nothing but a toothpick while blindfolded, but you can't stop a heart from exploding?"

"I've done all the research there is to be done, Dick. Twice. I've come up with absolutely nothing as far as a cure."

"What about those pills? That seemed to help you out back there! Can't you just-"

"They only slow the progression of EHD. They don't stop it."

"So what does this mean? What's going to happen?"

"You say that like you don't already know the answer." Bruce grimaced. "I'm dying, Dick."

"Come on!" Dick jumped to his feet. "This- this has to be a test right? Some kind of weird training exorcise or-"

"No Dick, it's real! You saw me coughing up blood; you know how real it is!

Dick slid his hands into his pockets so that Bruce wouldn't notice they were shaking. "How long then?"

"A little less than a month. That's the current estimation. If I'm lucky I might make it about half way through August. But even that isn't likely."

"So who else knows about this?" Dick asked finally, in a low, grim voice.

"Alfred, Clark Kent, and Wally West."

"Wait, you told Wally before me?" Dick asked, sounding almost offended.

"Not exactly. He found out on his own."

"Well who else are you planning on telling?"

"Tim, Barbara, Selina, and Diana."

"That's it?"

"Those are the people most important to me."

"So- So what'll happen to Gotham?"

"I suppose I'll turn it over to Tim. He's proven that he's more than capable of working on his own. At it's not like he doesn't have help. Stephanie is Batgirl now, Huntress is active, she usually has Question with her, and plus Barbara is running the Birds of Prey, including Black Canary. I'm sure she'll be willing to have them help out."

"So this is it then?" Dick sighed. "This is really it?"

"Afraid so."

"Well… I- I guess you should probably get going, you have other people to tell…"

"I guess." Bruce got up with a sigh. "But Dick…"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to tell you first. Because you're like a son to me… my first son." Bruce looked him in the eyes. "And I don't think I've ever told you this before… but I respect your decision to go solo. I always have. You have far too much talent to waste in someone else's shadow."

"Bruce…"

"Let me finish. It's not exactly easy for me to say this kind of thing, and interruption doesn't help."

"Sorry."

"You've grown into a fine young man." Bruce told him with a smile. "And I may not agree with every decision you make… but I will always respect it. Because it's your decision, not mine, and you never let my opinions get in the way of that. And even if it's a mistake, it's your mistake, you can learn from it. More than I could ever teach you. I guess my point is… you are your own person. You are Richard Grayson. You are not me, and you are not Batman. Don't ever try to be. Because you have the potential to be so, so much better than I am… better than I ever was. And I'd hate for you to waste that trying to live in my shadow."

"Thank you." Dick nodded with an understanding smile. After that, Bruce headed out the door to leave. And Dick Grayson sat down and cried.

Wayne Manor – One Hour Later

"Dying?" Tim Drake gasped. His eyes were wide open and he gaped at Bruce like he had just been hit in the head. "You… you've got be kidding me, right?"

"Unfortunately, no. EHD is-"

"Yeah, I know what EHD is. I went through a phase where I was obsessed with rare diseases and stuff. But you have it?"

"Yes." Bruce handed Tim the medical records. "Here's proof, since I knew you'd need it."

"You know me too well." Tim skimmed through the medical report, and then sat down with a groan. "A month, you said?"

"Yes."

"Well then that gives me a month to find a cure."

"Tim, there isn't a cure to be found. Believe me, I've looked."

"Well now I'm going to look. You can give up Bruce, but I won't." Tim growled, an air of anger in his voice. He was angry at Bruce for simply accepting his condition. And it made Tim even more determined to fight it.

"Tim I don't want you to waste your time on this. You won't find anything that I didn't, I promise." Bruce said softly.

"You don't know that! You always said I had the potential to be smarter than you! I- I'll figure it out! I'll figure something out! I'm not letting you die!"

"Tim please let it go. You can't-"

"I'm not losing a second father!" Tim blurted. Silence fell over the room, and a tear streamed down Tim's face. "Please… please don't make me go through that again. I can't lose another father Bruce… I won't."

"I wish that were my decision to make." Bruce put his hand on Tim's shoulder. "Its not."

"Then who's decision is it, huh?" Tim demanded. "If you're willing to just give up… them I'm making it my decision!"

"Tim-"

"Stop it!" Tim smacked away Bruce's hand. "Just please stop…"

"If I only have a month left… I don't want you to spend it angry." Bruce told him.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you quit trying." Tim muttered. He stormed off.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm finding a cure. I'm going to find it."

And before Bruce could say another word, Tim was off to the Batcave. Bruce breathed a saddened sigh, and allowed himself to sink into a chair near the window.

"Well that didn't go well." Barbara Gordon said from the other end of the room. Bruce had gotten Barbara and Tim together so he could tell them at once, rather than suffer through it individually.

"You've been quiet." Bruce noted.

"I haven't known what to say." Barbara wheeled over to him, and put his hand in hers. "I guess my father was right…"

"What?"

"He always said he'd outlive you." Barbara smiled.

"You don't seem very bothered by this."

"Oh yeah, I'm bothered. I feel like I'm losing a secondary dad or something… but I'm not the type to have an emotional breakdown. Not in front of other people anyway. I just try to soften the mood with my wonderful sense of humor."

"Tim is going to work himself to death…" Bruce groaned.

"Don't worry, he'll come around. He's in the denial stage right now. Pretty soon he'll be inhaling scoops of ice cream, punching holes in the walls, lying in bed all day… but then he'll accept it."

"I hope so. For his sake. The last thing I want is for him to turn out like me… there are things in life that are so much more important than work… I only hope Tim realize that soon."

"I'm just glad you realized it." Barbara grinned, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"Me too."

"So you told Dick already?"

"Right before I came to you two."

"I should go talk to him. He's probably taking it pretty hard." Barbara sighed and began to back away. "You know, he always liked you better than he let on."

"Good to know." Bruce smiled and headed for the doorway. "We'll talk more later, ok?"

"Where are you headed?"

"I have a date."

"With who?"

"Wonder Woman."

"Whoa…"

"Sir," Alfred interjected, "I believe your date is not for another hour."

"Well… you can never be too early." Bruce grinned, and stepped out the doorway.

He was lying. In truth, there was someone else he needed to tell first… someone who he hadn't mentioned before. He had to tell the middle son.

Arkham Asylum – Thirty Minutes Later

"I can't believe they locked me up in this shithole with the lunatics. I'm not even crazy… I'm just pissed off." Jason Todd ranted from the bench on the end of his cell. His hands were shackled, and he stared at Bruce with an amused grin. "They said I have an 'unhealthy obsession with the Joker,' can you believe that? I'm not obsessed. I just want nothing more than to see the clown's head mounted on my wall, but I'm not obsessed."

"Jason… we need to talk." Bruce said softly.

"Wow, you don't have that usual Batman-bravado thing going on. You must think this is really important."

"It is important." Bruce removed the Batman cowl and stared into the eyes of his former pupil. "And I need you to listen to me."

"I'm all ears." Jason gave a sly grin and leaned back.

"I'm not going to go into the whole explanation, I've done that too many times tonight… but in a nutshell Jason, I have an incurable heart condition, and I'm dying."

After only a brief pause, Jason laughed. "I thought you said this was important? I've been dead before. Let me tell you, it's overrated. There's no light at the end of the tunnel, there are no angels calling your name, your life doesn't flash before your eyes… it hurts, and then it's done. You're dead. End of story. Nothing glamorous, and nothing tragic. Its just cold for a little bit… but soon you can't feel that either."

"I didn't come here for advice."

"Then why are you here?" Jason asked as he leaned forward. "Because you and I both know that I haven't been one of your little birdies in a long time. Speaking of which, how'd Little Timmy take it? I know he has a bottomless pit of respect for you, for whatever reason."

"Tim didn't take it well. And Jason… I'm here to apologize to you."

"Serious?" Jason laughed. "You're going to apologize to me? You really are ignorant!"

"Jason listen to me. When I first met you… you were a little kid hanging out in Crime Alley, trying to steal the wheels off the batmobile. To be honest, I was very impressed when you actually got one off…" Bruce grinned at the memory. "I remember that talk I had with you, word for word. You were an orphan, you'd been living on the streets. And I took you in."

"I know all this. Is there a point?"

"You became Robin. The second Robin. And you were nothing like the first… to be honest; you impressed me more than the first when you were just starting out. Even when you blatantly disobeyed orders, even when you screwed up at every turn… I respected it. Because you had a fire like I'd never seen before. In truth, you reminded me of myself when I was young… practically a mirror image. But somewhere along the line, that mirror got broken."

"That line probably ends at the warehouse. You know, the one where I was mercilessly beaten with a crowbar and then blown up?"

"And the night you died… it was in all honesty one of the worst times of my entire life. I wanted nothing more than to have been there to save you. I wanted to help you… I should have been there…"

"We've been over this old timer. I'm not even mad about that… I disobeyed orders; I went off on my own. If you couldn't get there in time, I get it. But you know what pisses me off? That when I came back, the Joker was still alive."

"Jason-"

"I thought you would have ripped apart for what he did to me! I thought for sure you would have killed him! Maybe not for the graveyards he's filled, maybe not for the friends he's crippled, but… but because he took me away from you! But no, you let the bastard live…"

"I don't kill Jason. But you won't understand that… you never did."

"Ok, but answer me this," Jason growled, "Now that you're dying… are you really going to let him win?"

After over a minute of staring into Jason's cold, hateful eyes, Bruce said, "No. I'm not." He got up and headed toward the cell door, pulling the cowl back up over his head. But as his hand clasped on the handle, he looked back to Jason. "Just so you know, I did kill him for you."

"What?" Jason froze.

"After you died, I hunted the Joker down and I beat him within an inch of his life. I wasn't sure how far I would go, really… but I know that by the time I was done hitting him, he stopped breathing. He's here today because Dick resuscitated him. Because unlike you, Dick understood the rule. He knew that if I crossed that line, I would never forgive myself. He revived the Joker that night… because after I was through with him, he would have died."

Bruce then left, slamming the door behind him. And upon learning this information, Jason began to realize that everything he had done over the past several years was absolutely meaningless. And he began to laugh. But through that laugher, a single tear founds its way down his cheek.

Out in the hall, Bruce stopped and looked down toward the Joker's cell. With a deep breath, he headed toward it, knowing exactly what he was going to say. And knowing it wouldn't even make a shred of difference.

Watchtower – Same Time)

Diana had found a nice black dress, and slipped into it quickly. She'd spent over an hour making sure she looked good, and she had never spent that long working on her appearance. Ever.

Once she was satisfied, Diana left her room and headed toward the teleporter. "Whoa, where are you headed?" The voice of Shayera Hol asked from behind her.

"I have a date." Diana said casually.

"Who with?"

"Bruce Wayne." Diana pursed her lips and awaited Shayera's reaction.

"Bruce? Is it like, an undercover thing?"

"No Shay, it's a real date."

"I'm surprised Bruce is up to that."

"Me too." Diana smiled. "I guess nobody can hold their emotions in forever, not even the dark knight."

"Well, just make sure he isn't being brainwashed or anything."

"I think he's fine Shay." Diana laughed. "Although…"

Arkham Asylum

The door to Joker's cell slid open, and Batman walked carefully inside, listening to the door's automatic lock click behind him. The Joker sat in the corner, in a straight jacket where he belonged.

"Batsy!" Joker shouted. "Come to visit little old me?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"The poison in the warden's orange juice was a complete accident."

"What?"

"Oh… well of course no such orange juice exists, I'm only saying that if by some chance it does, it was an accident." Joker laughed.

"Joker, listen to me a minute…"

"I'm all ears Batsy. Though unfortunately that's all I am, damn straight jacket keeps the arms down nicely." Joker laughed again.

"I'm dying Joker."

"What is this a soap opera? Well in that case Charlotte is the killer and I'll see you next season."

"We've been doing for so many years. Now the game is over Joker. I'm going to die soon and you'll be without a rival."

"Well that is quite a problem now isn't it bats? Think you could just let me kill you first so I'll feel better?" Joker chuckled.

"I just thought you should know… I forgive you."

"What?" Joker gaped.

"I forgive you. For everything. For crippling Barbara, for killing Jason, for all the hundreds of people you've murdered, the thousands of lives you've ruined… I forgive you. I don't know what happened to you to make you so hopelessly unreachable, but whatever it was, I'm very sorry. And I am so sorry that no one has ever been able to help you." Batman got up and walked toward the door. "Maybe someday. Maybe once I'm gone, and you're bored without me around, you'll actually open up to a little help. Maybe you'll get better one day. I can only hope."

"Stop it! Hold on! You're forgiving me! Me? Bats stop it! That's not how it's supposed to work! Batman! Get back here and tell me how horrible I am! Punch me, kick me, snap my arm, do something! Batman!" Joker shrieked, but the dark knight was already out the door.

Restaurant Near Gotham Harbor

Bruce Wayne, dressed in his usual suit, walked into the restaurant to find Diana sitting at a table near the center, a bottle of champagne in the center of the table. Bruce sat down in front of her with a smile.

"I thought you weren't coming." She said while meeting his smile with her own.

"Sorry… I got a little bit held up. Something with the Joker." Bruce told her. It wasn't technically a lie.

"Well I've already ordered, so I guess we can skip that conversation." She said. "Anything on your mind?"

Oh yes. Bruce thought sadly. And as he looked into her eyes, his heart wrenched at the thought of what he was going to tell her.