Hey guys, thanks for the reviews. I love to hear your feed back, and I definitely wouldn't mind hearing more of it. Here's the next chapter. I'd say that the story has reached it's half way point now. Hope you enjoy!

I stare at the screen dumbfounded. Niece and Nephew? My hands begin to shake as my fingers scroll through the information again. Before I can process any further the door opens and I shut down the computer on instinct. My eyes meet Dick's as he silently walks into the room. I offer a small smile, but he doesn't return it. Instead he comes toward me, grabs my arm, and pulls me down onto the bed with him. His arms practically clench behind my back as he pulls me as close as possible. Resting my head on his collarbone he burrows his face in my hair, taking in its scent. "I just want to hold you right now. Is that okay?" He mumbles quietly. My arms wrap around his waist as I nod in agreeance. Dampness begins to collect on my face. After a moment I realize that their tears. Practically appalled, I go to wipe then away until I understand that they aren't mine. I push away a little and lay so our eyes meet. My fingers trace along his face, catching the tears before they can drop onto the pillow beneath his head. A small, sad smile plays on my lips as I attempt to think of something to say. Though I highly doubt that I can provide any spoken comfort at the moment. Dick usually does that on his own by talking things out. Mostly what he needs is contact with someone. A hug or placing a hand on his shoulder usually goes a long way for him. So I do my best to stay silent and allow him to work out what he wants to say to me. "I would have given anything to be the one to save you." He mumbles after a while. Raw emotion coats his throat as he attempts to get out the words. He smiles for half a second and snorts lightly as he looks down, partially ashamed. "I know it's selfish, but I wish I had been the one to catch you." He looks back up at me. "Instead of Conner." His hand comes up to cup my face and stroke my cheek absentmindedly. "I wanted to save you, because I couldn't save them." His lower lip begins to tremble. "You fell, Kate." A new stream of tears begins to descend as I begin to feel my own throat become thick. "I couldn't reach you. You were right there. I felt you hand brush mine, but I still couldn't save you." I pull him close just before he begins to sob. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't think to jump after you. Or use my grapple to grab onto you. Or…or…" He cuts off as he attempts to control his breathing and pushes away from me to look into my face. "If it hadn't been for me, M'gann would have been able to catch you easily."

My brow furrows as I smile sadly. "Dick, it's not your fault. I understand."

He shakes his head. "It happened years ago. It shouldn't still affect me like this."

"Everyone deals with it differently. Sometimes it takes longer than we think it should. That's what trauma is."

"I was nine. I'm twenty-one now. I should be over it."

"Stop." I command with a slight harshness and then lighten up when he quiets down. "Would you tell Tim the same thing when it comes to his dad? It's been years, and yet Bruce still won't let him anywhere near Boomerang." He looks away without answering. "What about Jay?" I question. "He was brought back from the dead well before we found him and yet he still has nightmares about the Joker." I run my fingers through his hair, pushing back his bangs that have fallen forward in front of his eyes. "Feeling this, being scared, doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you any less of a hero. No one should be asked to relive their worst moments." I lift his chin to make him meet my eyes once more. "It's okay. Everything's okay. I'm still here." I pause. "And I'm safe."

A slight, crooked smile slowly creeps to his face before he leans in and kisses me. Not heavy or filled with passion that most girls from Gotham would dream of, but light and warming, always gentle. He's the only one who can kiss me like that. The one way I know that he means what he says and actually cares about how I feel. And it's the only surefire way he can get me to smile every time. I bite my lower lip as that same smile springs to my face and lean into his embrace. He plays with my hair lightly. Still proving to himself that my fall wasn't fatal and I'm not about to disappear in a dream. So for the moment I let him ponder my survival and close my eyes, allowing the past few hours to sink in and do my best to slow my breathing with the remembrance of what's happened. After a good bit of time he chooses to break the silence. "What are you thinking about babe?"

Buying my time I inhale deeply and slowly release the breath. I contemplate what to tell him. Don't lie. I quickly scold myself. I need to get used to the fact that I'm no longer working against him. There's nothing to hide anymore. I remind myself. Leaning back I push myself up on one arm and look down at him. "You sure you want to know right now?" I question with a certain look on my face that causes him to sit up immediately.

"What's wrong?"

I snort. Well it was nice while it lasted. "Besides the fact that my dad is back and he and my brother attacked me while trying to kill thousands?"

He looks down guiltily and begins to play with the fitted sheet. "Yeah besides that." He answers quietly, but receives no response. Instead I think about my brother, and then his children. Finally my mind lingers on where they're being held captive and how to save them. What Deathstroke is doing to them? How they're surviving. Are they hurt? Have they been brainwashed yet? Is he torturing them like he did to me? How long have they been captured? Thousands of questions and scenarios speed past my mind's eye. As a single tear falls I think the worst thought of them all. He's found someone to take my place as his young apprentice. He'll break them like he broke me. I hear Dick question me quietly, but I choose to ignore him as memories plague my mind. My fingers clench the sheet beneath me as I bite my lower lip. I have to get them. They can't stay with him. "Babe? Kate." He place a hand on the side of my face to bring me back to him. "Kate, what's wrong?" He bright blue eyes stare back at me. Showing comfort and support. They slowly grow dark, showing fear and anger, as I recount to him what I've discovered.


"What about the club? We could go back there and search." Wally suggests.

"It's probably cleaned out already." Roy comments, and glances at me sideways with a smirk. "Besides, Dicky probably doesn't want me making out with his girlfriend any time soon. Ow!" He complains as Artemis slaps him upside the head. Rubbing the spot he mutters under his breath. "I was being sarcastic."

I laugh silently as I smirk slightly. "Not a bad idea to check it out though." I agree with the speedster.

"Waste of time." Dick comments placing his chin on his folded hands as he stares down at the table.

"Then what do you suggest?" Kaldur enquires.

He shrugs. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure."

"Well it's pretty simple." I comment, drawing everyone's attention. "We find Deathstroke we find the kids." I say with a shrug. "There's no way he's letting his two new apprentices get more than thirty feet from him. He'll keep an eye on them at all times, never leaving." I pause for a moment. "Him showing up at the mall without them means that he's made some sort of progress. He wouldn't have left them without having some sort of control over them. Leaving too soon would allow them to question their loyalty. Let them wonder if what they're doing is right. If they want to do it at all. Leaving them alone means that they're more than likely devoted to Deathstroke already. He wouldn't have taken the chance on his absence having an effect on them otherwise." I conclude. By the time I finish my thought out loud and look up at the original team's faces I find them all staring at me. "What?" I question. When no one answers, I look around hesitantly. "Sorry, I just thought I'd share." I explain. "That's how he works. If he has any doubt that you're not loyal, he won't leave your side until you're devout. It's one of his tactics. Though how he treats you while he's there is never the same with each of us. For me it was more of a negative presence while for Rose he treated her with more assurance and affection." I grimace slightly. "Not like it really helped her though." I mutter to no one in particular as I recall the lengths my half-sister went to in order to earn our father's approval. In then end carving out her own eye only succeeded in him understanding how unfit she was to call herself Ravenger.

"Don't apologize Kate." Artemis assures me. "It's good that we know how he works."

Kaldur nods. "Agreed, it just shocks us. The crimes he committed against his own children are unreal." He explains everyone's hesitation with a deep frown.

I nod but say nothing, allowing Dick to speak up. "We'll do some research. Try to find a few leads." He pauses for a moment with a guilty look on his face. "Arty, would you mind talking to your Dad? He might know something about the Light's plans and Deathstorke's whereabouts."

Her shoulders hunch slightly as she sighs. "Yeah, sure. I'm sure he'll be happier to share too. He's still holding a grudge since the Light dismissed him." She glances to the side as she rests her chin on her propped up fist.

"I'll talk to Jade." Roy adds, placing a reassuring hand on his sister-in-law's shoulder, earning him a grateful smile from the blonde.

Dick nods as Conner lets out a quiet yawn while stretching slightly in his chair and nods. "Well if Supes is tired then I'm sure the rest of you are as exhausted as I am." Standing he stretches his arms above his head. "Get some sleep guys. We'll reconvene tomorrow evening. Dismissed."


Laying in bed I stare up at the ceiling. My arms stretch up on the pillow as my head rests in my open hands. I trace patterns in the ceiling as my mind does its best to occupy itself. Before my eyes can begin to sting with tears of guilt and regret I hear the window slide open. I stay silent and don't move. My eyes close gently as I hear sluggish footsteps trudge toward my side of the bed. His lips gently press against mine as I kiss him back, a smile springing to my lips. The feathery feeling make my cheeks warm and chest swell. He always says so much in that one soft kiss. My eyes remain closed and the smile still clings to my face as he pulls away and silently makes his way toward the bathroom. The door closes quietly as the water in the shower begins to drizzle. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly I push the covers away from my waist and make my way to the bathroom. Knocking quietly I receive no response and let myself in. "Babe?" I call quietly. He responds with a moaned grunt. Leaning against the door frame I continue with our regular routine. "Anything major tonight?"

I see his hands stretch above the shower curtain as he lets out another groan. I hear his back and shoulder crack as he twists in the hot water. "Few robberies, muggings, the usual." He mumbles.

"You okay?" I wait for a few seconds before I press him. "Babe, what's wrong?" I ask more sternly. Turning off the water, he grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist before pulling back the curtain. My eyes grow wide as I spy lacerations across his left shoulder and chest. "What happened?" I ask frantically as I sit him down on the toilet lid and fish the first-aid kit from under the sink.

His eyes droop as he looks up at me. "Drug bust didn't go as planned."

I shake my head as I scrub out the cuts causing him to grit his teeth. "Sorry." I apologize as I continue. Grabbing a needle and thread I look at him uncertain. "Can I sit?" He nods as I plop down on his knees and close the multiple wounds. "What is all this from?" My anger begins to flare slightly as he refuses to answer me again, but looking up and meeting his eyes I see that they're already shut and his head begins to lull to the side. Finishing the last stitch I run my fingers through his hair. "Babe." His eyes flutter slightly but open fully when I call once more, bringing a smile to my face. "Come on babe." I say standing. "Let's go to bed." He nods sluggishly and follows me back through the door and onto the mattress. Before I can even get in a comfortable position, I hear quiet snores coming from my left. Smiling gently I continue to drag my fingers through his hair, comforting him as he sleeps. I wonder if this is how Matt felt with his wife. My brow furrows at the thought. I wonder if he had a wife. And if he did, what happened to her? Dick reaches out and wraps his arms around my waist. Something he's been doing more and more, even in a heavy sleep. His arms tense as he pulls me close. I rest my forehead against his chest as more thoughts run through my mind. Before I fall into sleep the most painful one appears. How would Dick handle me being taken away from him and our family? And more importantly, how would I handle it?


The next few days go similarly slow and uneventful. Going to the watch tower to check on anything we might have stumbled on the previous night, the bats and team checking on me every hour, waiting for Dick to come home after patrols, and meeting with the original team and Roy on occasion, for some reason he's demoted himself to the team, most likely keeping an eye on his brothers and sister-in-law. The normalcy I found in the mundane events made my skin crawl. Though for years the thought of a normal life was all I wanted, as normal as one can have in my situation, I have to admit that I'm beginning to crack. Not having regular missions or patrols has left me to the gyms in the cave, watch tower, and Dick's small apartment. The third is far too limited for me considering I'm on my own for the entire day. Dick's working overtime and then heading straight to patrol tonight. And if I want to be left alone and blare my headphones until my ears practically bleed then I should stay clear of Alfred at the cave. He never approves of my antics. So instead I find myself at the watch tower, running through a simulation. I've noticed several heroes stop and peer down at me through the windows above while passing by. My annoyance flares, but I do my best to ignore them. Focus. I remind myself. By the time I've disarmed the program and taken down every threat do I peer back up at the windows where I discover to my great annoyance, a small crowd. Most of which are glaring down at me, others gawk in amazement, while a select few cross their arms and shake their heads in disgust. I had been using lethal force within the simulation, and the computer responded accordingly, providing the realistic consequences and effects of my judgment. Providing the crowd with a mock bow I rise, tilt my head to the side, flash them a crooked grin, and proudly display the middle finger of my right hand. Most leave appalled, but a few smirk back at me and shake their heads, Guy Gardner being one of them. He even gives me two thumbs up.

Understanding that I've overstayed my welcome I dismiss myself and after a quick shower take to walking around downtown Central. I'm not surprised when a streak of red passes by me. A few seconds later it reappears as Flash stops before me with an ice cream cone in hand. "Are you okay with vanilla?" He asks with a smile on his face as he holds the sugary treat out for me to accept.

With a smile I nod and take the cone from his hand. "Thanks Flash." I mutter, licking the creamy treat as we walk down the empty street.

"Any reason why you're in Central?" He enquires.

I shake my head. "Couldn't stand everyone staring at me at the tower, Central had the best weather, and I figured that I was less likely to run into trouble walking around here." I conclude.

He nods and gives a short laugh. "Can't argue with that."

We talk for a few minutes before he dismisses himself. "Keep your chin up kid. I'll see you around."

Before I can respond he's off and I'm alone again. Finishing my ice cream I toss the remaining napkin in a random trashcan and make my way back to Blüdhaven. The dreary clouds don't help my mood as I kick a piece of trash across the sidewalk. Hands in my pockets and shoulder slumped, I let my guard down. Not the wisest choice I admit, but if I hadn't been distracted by the thoughts of my own inner turmoil I never would have given my attacker the chance to pull me into the deserted ally way.

His hips press against mine locking me in place as his hand covers my mouth. "Shut up, I don't have much time." My eyes grow wide as I recognize his voice and calm myself down. "40.387 north 114.632 west." His fist draws backward and is thrown forward into my face, ricocheting my skull off the brick wall behind me. My vision swims and the world is lost as I watch the shadow of my brother run off in the opposite direction.