All of this chapter and most of the next are little character bits. I'm crunching my way through a massive bout of writer's block, so the next chapter may be the last for a little while. It isn't done yet (this is going to be LONG), but I don't have any more written.

YT1- Virgil and Richie are from Static Shock. The others are just names I hauled out of my head for other residents of the Clarendon. They'll all show up at some point or other. Almost everyone who has appeared on the series will show up or at least be mentioned during this story.

LeaMarie F. Rocket- I confess, I stole that line from "Red Dwarf." Any time you need a good insult and can't come up with one on your own, watch British TV. It never fails.

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Bruce sat, gingerly taking Terry's hand in his own.

"Hello, Terry."

There was an awkward silence as he tried to think of something to say. More specifically, he tried to decide which of the large number of things filling his thoughts he actually wanted to talk about.

"Dick was right- I really do suck at these heart-to-hearts. Even when I'm not sure the other person can hear me."

He sighed.

"I've.... missed you. I'd say the house is too quiet without you but with Tim and Max around 'quiet' is definitely not an option. Still, you know what I mean. I didn't realize how accustomed I'd become to having you around."

The awkward silence returned. After a while Bruce cleared his throat.

"I'll be here every day. I can promise that, at least."

The silence won.

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Max slipped her hand into Terry's and attempted to smile.

"Hey, Ter. Geez, you look bad. Next time you decide to take on the whole band of Jokerz, do me a favor- don't. We've been going nuts trying to find you, ya know. I don't think Wayne's had more than a few hours sleep in the past couple weeks and you know he's gettin' too old for that. Not that I'm worried about him or anything. 'Sides, Drake seems to be able to keep him in line. Him I like. He showed me this totally schway method of getting into the NSA's- uh, you don't want to hear that. Hey, I finally got in the Batcave, though! I wish you could have seen the Old Man's face when he saw me following Superman- Superman!- down the stairs. It was beautiful, I'm tellin' you. And I think I've fallen in love with the Batcomputer."

Now the smile was genuine.

"But seriously, Ter, I gotta tell you something. I should have told you this a long time ago. I love you. I really do. You're the skinny, pasty-faced brother I never had. So wake up so's I can see you face when I tell you this for real, okay?"

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Dana held Terry's hand gently between her own.

"Oh, Terry, I'm so sorry. And I'm sorry if I don't get in to see you every day, but Dad's being such a twip about this. There are times when I just want to tell him to get his head out of his butt, I swear. But you don't need to hear that. Ms. Maguire and Dr. Tikkainen said we should talk to you to keep your brain stimulated or something like that, but some things it's just better not to talk about. So I'll fill you in on all the good gossip you've missed instead. You're gonna love this..."

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A long, lean figure climbed in the window. He looked first at the charts and monitors, then at Terry.

"The hunt goes well, Batman. I have kept to my word and delivered them to the police alive and comparatively unharmed. I wished you to know that. Rest well and heal quickly, that you may return to the hunt as well."

He left as swiftly and silently as he entered.

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Mary held her son's hand in a firm but gentle grip.

"Terry, hon, I have to tell you something and I don't think you'll like it. I'm going out on a date tonight with a man I just met. Don't worry, I'm meeting him at the restaurant and then we'll see. I'm not taking stupid chances, especially not now. He seems sweet but a bit excitable, and he doesn't seem to like the government much. But then, who does? And he brought me violets."

She smiled sadly.

"There's something else I have to tell you that you won't like. I know about your real job. I've known for months. I know I laughed when you tried to tell me that time and I can't tell you how sorry I am about that but it got me thinking, too. There were so many little clues- the way you disappeared at odd hours, the injuries you tried to hide, the way you woke up cranky when a criminal got away from Batman the night before... What finally did it was when you and Dana were attacked at the club the night Mr. Wayne supposedly had that bad fall. Those Jokerz were the ones working for THE Joker; I recognized them when I saw the pictures. And the witnesses agreed they went straight for you. Like my father's friends used to say, add it all up and it spells 'duh'. Especially when you vanished for a few days and suddenly Batman was everywhere. I thought about telling you I knew, but I decided not to and I can't really give you a good reason. I thought about ordering you to stop- that lasted about five seconds. If I did that, I'd be making you choose between us and I couldn't do that to you. Whichever way you went, it would break your heart. I put your father in that position once without meaning to, and you've been paying for it all your life. And besides- I'm so very proud of you. And your father would be, too."

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Barbara took his hand casually, not even thinking about it.

"Well, kid, it's a real mess out there. I wish you could see the news- you could probably use the laughs. Jack and Ten, Stalker, Mad Stan, for God's sake. The first three I can understand, but- no, I'm not sure I want to know what's up with him. You've made some strange friends, McGinnis. Of course, in our line of work, that's normal."

She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Terry, I've waited too long to tell you this: despite my feelings on costumed vigilantes, I have to admit you've done a good job. But more importantly, you've been good for Bruce. For all of us. I didn't even realize I'd been missing him until I had to start talking to him again, because of you. I... do have a small confession to make, by the way. That first time we talked, I mean really talked, I wasn't completely honest with you. I led you to think Bruce and I had been more than partners- well, we were, in a way. I wanted you to think about what he'd thrown aside and I thought it might have more of an impact if you thought I was one of his exes. But to him I was always Dick's Girl, and to me... okay, I did have a massive crush on him for a while. Thank God, I got over it before I embarrassed both of us. He knew, of course, but pretended he didn't. Again, thank God. Anyway, we're talking again, and Tim's back. You did that. You've got a good heart, kid. A little too good, sometimes, and definitely more trusting than is really healthy, but better that than not trusting anyone, I guess. And I suppose I shouldn't complain since that's probably the only reason you were still speaking to me after that fiasco with Spellbinder and Mad Stan."

She sighed.

"You have to wake up, Terry. If you don't... I really think losing you would kill Bruce."

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The old woman snuck in as a cleaning lady. Approaching the bed, she winced as she got a good look at Terry.

"Aw, they cut off your pretty hair."

She patted his hand cautiously, as though she was afraid it would fall off. When it didn't, she put her hand over his and left it there. Her still-bright blue eyes dimmed for a moment.

"I just wanted you to know, my girls had nothing to do with this. They didn't even know about it until it was too late. See, they'd been thinkin' about leaving the gang anyway so the others didn't trust 'em. When I got 'em home after bailing them out that last time I told 'em what Pud- uhhh, I mean Mr. J- had done to Bird Boy. Didn't spare the details, either. Delia passed out when I got to the part where- you don't wanna know. Anyway, that started 'em wonderin' if he was really the guy they wanted to devote their lives to. Then when this happened, they finally quit. They made the right choice, didn't they?"

She hesitated, then froze as she heard footsteps approaching. Looking around for somewhere to hide, she dismissed under the bed (too visible) and the bathroom (what if someone wanted to use it?). Just as the door started to open, she dove into the closet, pulling the door almost shut. She peeked through the crack, wondering who the snooty old trout was.

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Yes, I am leaving it there. For now. EG