A/N: I got a question from someone asking why i didn't just use Mar'i since she is really Dick and Starfire's daughter and I would like to answer it here. I have nothing against Mar'i as a character its just I wanted more freedom to kind of rebuild the her as my own and I felt like if I made up my own version but stuck Mar'i's name on it then it would be disrespectful to her character. I hope this doesn't bother any of you guys too much. I'm doing my best to respond to questions and comments so thank you very much for your honesty and curiosity.

I do not own these characters they are the property of DC Nation. I appreciate the feedback! Hope you enjoy! Thanks

Chapter 3:

Saturday; 3 September 2013

11:50 PM

Dick's POV:

Around 11:30 someone clears their throat just behind his left shoulder, Dick turns to find Alfred standing there his hands clasped behind his back in his normal stance and a flicker in his eye which suggests something important is happening. Dick turns back to the people he had been talking to and excuses himself from the conversation. Without really waiting for him, Alfred motions for Dick to follow him out of the room.

"Though I'm sure it is nothing," Alfred begins, his voice calm as usual, leading Dick to the East Wing of Wayne Manor. "There was an alarm set off in the library."

"Did you tell Bruce?" Dick picks up his pace a bit; Wayne Manor had a knack for attracting unwanted attention.

"Yes, he went ahead and sent me to get you," They were outside the library's dark oak double doors, "I would expect he's already here."

Sure enough Bruce had beaten them there, he stood across the room examining a half open window allowing thick black night to spill into the room. Dick walks up to the opposite side of the window and begins to inspect it as well. It appears normal, no scratch marks, and no streaks from the soles of a shoe, it appears to have just been pushed up. Whoever opened it likely loosened a hinge on the outside and was smart enough not to leave any obvious physical evidence. That rules out a wandering party guest. The alarm that went off was a motion sensor connected to the window sill, it would have been hidden had you looked at it from the outside and you would have to know what to look for once you were inside. At the very least Dick assumes they are dealing with a decent cat burglar, at the worst… He tries to ignore the idea.

"Alfred," Bruce looks up at his butler still standing just inside the doorway, "Go find Tim please, tell him to come around to the window from the outside."

"Right away Master Bruce."

"Cassie is probably with him, send her too." Even with such a minor threat the idea of not knowing where Cassie is makes Dick feel uneasy. Bruce nods once and Alfred leaves, closing the door behind him with a soft thud.

"Going to have him check the hinges?" Dick moves a bit to the side until he is standing directly in front of the window shoulder to shoulder with Bruce.

"That's your assumption as well then?" Dick nods taking in the size of the gap. It is only a foot high, maybe even a little shorter.

"Care to hear my other assumptions?" Bruce remains silent. "Whoever opened this had to know what to look for to find that motion sensor and they obviously left quickly after seeing it because that opening would not be easy to crawl through." Bruce nods in agreement and leans forward looking through the glass although Dick doesn't know what he expects to find with the night obscuring his view of the grass.

"Not to mention the lack of shoe marks and that the grain of the carpet is still heading in the same direction." He leans back again and meets Dick's eyes, "Our uninvited guest never made it inside." They fall silent once more. Dick considers why someone would leave like that if they had been determined to break into the building in the first place.

"So we have two possibilities considering they even noticed the sensor; either they got nervous by the alarm and got scared off or they were smart enough to know they would be caught and left in favor of something else." Dick stares out into the night thinking worst case scenario, if whoever it was knew enough to leave because they would get caught then they are likely smart enough to figure out another way inside and try again. The thought of someone breaking in makes him want to go find Cassie but he buries the idea knowing Alfred is summoning her. "I guess motive is our next question?"

"There could be plenty of those especially with all these people here tonight, Bruce Wayne may have-" Bruce is interrupted by Alfred clearing his throat in the doorway. Dick looks toward the window expecting to find Tim and Cassie but finds them both absent, he turns back to Alfred apprehension building in his stomach.

"Where are they?" He demands.

"I'm sorry but I can't seem to find either young Miss Cassandra or Master Tim. Miss Gordon is continuing the search but it would appear they have been gone for quite some time, no one has seem them for about an hour and a half or so." Nerves and anger immediately begin to eat at Dick and he groans. Where is she? What if they were wrong and the intruder did get in and took her? More likely however, Dick knows Cassie is more than capable of sneaking off on her own, she had before; but all of that was behind her, wasn't it?

"Are you sure?" Dick fights back the conclusion he must inevitably come to. Alfred nods sympathetically. She wouldn't leave. Cassie knew better. And Tim, he was always nervous to upset Bruce.

"Tim is gone?" Bruce looks at Dick his eyebrows raised in accusation.

"This is not my fault."

"No." Bruce begins to move toward the door Dick moving at a faster pace desperate to prove himself wrong. "But she is definitely your daughter." Outside the door Dick shakes his head his nerves feeding his annoyance and anger.

"Believe me, I know." Dick takes off in the direction of Tim's bedroom desperately hoping that he will prove himself wrong and find them there.