Author's Note: Posting this a day late because I suck. There really is no other excuse. I'm just awful. Enjoy!


Jason Todd had slept peacefully through the night for the first time since he had risen from the dead. He hadn't had a nightmare the entire night; it had been nothing but beautiful uninterrupted sleep. Jason wasn't sure if he had Melody to thank for that, but he was sure she had played some part in Jason's ease. He had never woken up feeling so . . . relaxed, so calm, before. Jason slid out of bed and slipped on a pair of black sweatpants before heading downstairs in search of something to eat. He walked down the stairs barefoot, taking in the familiar feeling of Wayne Manor as he went. He headed to the kitchen to grab some cereal but paused outside the closed door at the sound of voices. Bruce and Dick were speaking, not as quietly as they both probably assumed, because Jason could easily make out their conversation.

". . . We're not going to do that, Bruce. Did you even visit him in there?"

"No, Dick, I didn't think it would be helpful for him to see me. Not to mention it would've blown our cover."

"Yeah, well I did see him and he was empty in there, Bruce. He was worse off in there than he is here. At least he's half-living here at home than being the frightened, brain-dead thing he was inside-"

Jason entered the room and the chatter ceased in such an obvious way that Jason couldn't stop himself from smirking. He could feel the surprised faces staring up at him from the counter. Damian was in the room as well, looking equally as shocked as Bruce and Dick. None of them had expected Jason to leave his room, Jason assumed. Alfred entered the kitchen while Jason was grabbing a carton of pulp free orange juice from the fridge and the old butler nearly dropped the tray he was carrying. "Master Todd!" Alfred exclaimed in that soft surprised tone only the butler could master.

"Yes?" Jason asked, turning to face the butler. Jason unscrewed his orange juice and took a swig from the carton while Alfred opened and closed his mouth as if he were unable to form words.

It was Damian who finally spoke up. "What happened to your back?" Jason frowned and turned to look at his reflection in the microwave. He saw several long red scratches down his back, one that had a few scabs on it from where blood had been drawn. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking.

"I scraped it against a wall while on patrol last night." Jason shrugged, turning back to look at Bruce, Damian, and Dick.

Bruce raised a skeptic eyebrow at him. "Through your jacket and your shirt?"

Jason thought on his toes and took another swig of orange juice to buy himself some time to come up with a good lie. "Well, when I was using my grappling hook, the line wasn't taught before I swung so I kind of slid down against the wall and my shirt and jacket rode up." Jason lied and took another drink of orange juice before setting the carton on the counter next to the sink.

Bruce's eyes belayed that he wasn't truly convinced but he didn't seem interested in pursuing the matter. "I keep telling you to switch back to a Kevlar suit." Bruce said, his eyes returning to the newspaper he was reading.

"Tt. Losing your touch, Todd?" Damian sneered, chewing on a piece of bacon. Jason narrowed his eyes at the youngest of his brothers.

"I've never been an acrobat, brat, but I can still crush you like a grape." Jason threatened.

"Bring it on, Todd." The 10-year old Robin replied.

Dick rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Knock it off you two. It's too early to start fighting."

Jason grunted in reply and walked over to one of the cabinets. Alfred made a noise of disapproval. "Master Todd, what are you rummaging through the cabinets for? Surely, I can find it quicker than you can, sir."

Jason felt slightly embarrassed but stepped back from the cabinet and allowed Alfred through. "I was, um, looking for my prescriptions." A moment of silence passed before Alfred plucked them out of another cabinet.

"Of course, Master Todd. Here you are." Alfred handed him three different orange prescription bottles. Inside the first bottle were his antidepressants, duloxetine, blue and yellow-green pills that looked too cheerful, as if to emphasize their purpose. He was supposed to take 30mg of these twice a day. He'd have to remember to take it with him before he went out on patrol or he'd forget the second dose. The next bottle consisted of large yellow pills that Jason knew he wouldn't be able to swallow dry. They were his antipsychotics, Risperdal, that he also needed to take twice a day, 3 mg each. He popped on in his mouth and took another gulp of orange juice to help the pill down his throat. The last bottle, Jason didn't even want to look at. They were his sedatives, Xanax, in case all else failed and he needed to be restrained again. Images flashed before his eyes of bright white rooms, arms restraining him, hurting him, and the needle piercing his skin. He blinked several times to rid himself of the image before setting the bottle of sedatives on the counter.

"I am not taking those." He stated and Alfred nodded his head, putting the last bottle back in the cabinet.

"Jase, can we talk?" Dick asked suddenly, rising to his feet. Jason shrugged his shoulders and followed his brother out of the kitchen into the empty dining room. The dining room in Wayne Manor was usually only used for dinner. The other meals were less precisely timed with the boys coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Dinner in the dining room was one of the few things in Wayne Manor that remained consistent and formal. Dick crossed his arms over his chest and gave Jason a very older-brotherly look. "So are you going to tell me what really happened to your back? Or should I say who happened to your back?"

Jason chewed the inside of his cheek. "It's really not any of your business."

Dick rolled his eyes. "I know sex scratches when I see them, Jason, now who is she? Do I know her? What does she look like?"

Jason stared at his brother for a moment before letting out an annoyed groan. "You know that girl we met the other night?"

Dick's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean the really hot blonde with the ass forged by the gods?"

"Yeah."

"And she slept with you? As in, Jason Todd?"

Jason ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Well, not exactly . . ."

"You mean she slept with Red Hood!? Are you crazy!? She's a victim!" Dick scolded, punching Jason's arm.

Jason narrowed his eyes defensively and rubbed his shoulder. "She's hardly a victim, Dickie-bird, all I did was bag the guy, and she took him out. And for the record, you've slept with many inappropriate people. And you're currently sleeping with the commissioner's daughter."

"Don't bring Barbara into this, Jason." Dick blushed, embarrassed. He sighed, looked down at his feet, and then back up at Jason. "Look, I'll trust that you know what you're doing and you're being careful about your identity, but I just want to go on record saying that this is a stupid idea. So, I wanna meet this girl. Well, as Dick Grayson. She already knows Nightwing." Dick's signature goofy grin returned and Jason felt puzzled by his brother's sudden change of heart.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Jason asked, scratching his chin anxiously.

"Probably not, but you know what? Bruce asked me to ask you if you wanted to replace the Chief of Security over at Wayne Enterprises, he's retiring. I think that if we just so happen to stop at a bookstore after work there wouldn't really be anything out of the ordinary for Bruce to suspect something." Dick grinned and Jason shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. A job at Wayne Enterprises seemed like settling. Jason had never felt comfortable just submitting to Bruce's will.

"I don't know, Dick . . ."

"Come on, if you're going to be sleeping with inappropriate people at least be fun about it." Dick punched his arm playfully. "Now go shower and shave, then you can have some breakfast." Dick insisted. Jason gave his brother a small nod and went to obey, but Dick grabbed his arm to halt him. "Better yet, don't shave." He added. Jason rolled his eyes and scratched his stubble as he headed back upstairs to get cleaned up.

"I'll consider the job, but I'm not wearing a suit!" Jason called behind him and he heard Dick's signature amused laughter. Never a good sign.

A few hours later, Jason found himself in the passenger seat of Dick's car, attempting to loosen his red tie that he borrowed from Dick. He had been suckered into the fitted black suit by Dick who assured him that he could take it off as soon as he got home. The problem was, they had been at work for hours. Jason was indifferent to his new "position" at Wayne Enterprises. He had been shown the security room and introduced to the staff he would be in charge of. He'd also joined Lucius Fox in the underground weaponry tech facility that he would also be responsible for. Jason had never had the knack for technology that his brothers had but if there was one thing he was good at it was secrets and violence. He'd be testing prototype weapons for Batman and he'd be in charge of making sure the secret lab stayed a secret. It wasn't too trying of a job, but Jason still wasn't sure about the whole suit and tie thing.

"How do you focus with this thing strangling you all day?" Jason asked, tugging at the tie once more.

"You get used to it." Dick chuckled. "And shut up, we're here." Dick pulled the car right in front of the little book store. "Her store's called 'Sub-Reality'? Sounds like a strip club."

"Yeah, I don't get it either." Jason shrugged his shoulders. The men exited the vehicle and approached the entrance to the bookstore. Jason entered the shop and was immediately assailed with a variety of scents and sounds. The entire shop smelled of fresh coffee, new books, and scented candles and the store radiated an aura of calm and pleasantness. Jason wasn't entirely sure how this aura was achieved but there was an unbreakable sense of security and warmth in the atmosphere. The shop was dimly lit, with most of the lighting coming from the wide open front windows. There were several people milling around the store and a couple sharing coffee at one of the small café tables. Jason felt himself being sucked into the store, being pulled in like a fly to a bright beautiful light. The music did not help the trance-like feeling spreading through his body. It was new age and melodic, quite like the shop's owner. It thrummed to a new kind of sound and diverged down to Jason's very core.

The sound of laughter broke him out of the trance and drew his attention to the cash register. A woman with pale blonde hair and paler skin was curled up on a chair behind the registers with her nose buried in a book. He couldn't see her face but he knew she was smiling at something. Dick grinned next to him and elbowed him playfully in the side. "Found her. Does she always look that pretty or is today a special occasion?"

Jason forced himself not to grin. "She's always that pretty."

"Do you gentlemen needs some help?" A soft feminine voice asked. Dick and Jason frowned and turned around at the question but there was nobody to be found. Dick glanced down and saw a small blonde haired woman in a wheelchair smiling up at him. Her nametag read "Jean". Dick immediately turned on his charm.

"Actually, yes, I'm looking for something new to read. Could you show me some recommendations?" He gave her his prize-winning smile that made Jean blush.

"I could show you a couple new releases if you'd like?" Jean suggested, already starting to turn her wheelchair around. Dick waggled his eyes at Jason before following the employee further into the store. Jason rolled his eyes at his brother then returned his attention to Melody. Her eyes were bright and watery and Jason could see a smile on her face. How could a person get so emotional about a book? She was looking at this book so intently, so full of adoration, that Jason could see just how important this book was to her. It was a battered looking old thing with bent corners and a cover that was slightly torn. The spine of the paperback novel was bent every which way there could be. This novel had seen better days, but she still held it in her hands as if it were the rope she needed to hold onto to stay alive. Jason couldn't help but find that passion both fascinating and confusing.

"I wouldn't bother, if I were you." A gruff male voice said. Jason turned to find himself staring at the large male barista whose nametag read "Charlie". He was about Jason's height with chin length hair and a scruffy short beard.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked, apprehensive with this stranger. Charlie smiled down at the mug he was drying.

"If you're thinking about asking her out I wouldn't bother. She'll destroy you."

Jason never really liked to be challenged; he was too stubborn for that. "You think so?"

"Oh definitely. Do you know how many guys hit on her in one day?" Charlie nodded his head, still smirking.

Jason crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the café counter. "Too many, I assume. Which is why I'm not going to hit on her. I'm going to talk to her." Jason said, starting towards the registers without waiting for a reply from the café employee. He paused in front of where Melody was sitting and he caught her eyes looking up at him through her black rectangular reading glasses for a brief moment before returning to her book. She was paying attention to him, though, in that subtle way that women could, but she didn't want him to know about it. Jason smirked and examined the cover of the book she was reading. All that could be seen was the tanned abs of a shirtless man fading out into the warm red-orange darkness. The title read "Midnight Desires" in embossed gold letters, along with the author's name and the fact that she was a "New York Times Bestselling Author". She glanced up again at him while she turned the page then returned her attention back to her book.

"Isn't that kind of an inappropriate book to be reading in public?" Jason asked, leaning in closer ever so slightly.

Her eyes flashed up to his but she didn't put down the book. "Define 'inappropriate'."

Jason thought for a moment. "Well, you and I both know they have sex in that book."

She placed the book down on the counter but didn't close it. She was staring at him, dead on. There was fire in her eyes, as if she were looking at someone she could challenge. "What's so inappropriate about sex?"

Jason frowned. "Hmm, well, I suppose you wouldn't want to do it in front of kids."

Melody quirked an amused smirk at him. "And, do you think, that just by looking at the cover of this book, that any children passing by would know that there are adult themes in this book?"

"No." Jason admitted unwillingly.

"Not to mention, just because something is not appropriate for children, does not mean it isn't appropriate for the public. Strip clubs are not appropriate for children but they're still in public. It's not my job to shield children from society's definition of inappropriate behavior." She stood, crossing her arms over her chest with a satisfied smile.

Jason raised his eyebrows at her. "You just like to win, don't you?"

Melody shook her head. "I don't like to win; I just like to be right." She crossed her arms over her chest, satisfied. "Now, sir, can I help you with anything else?"

"Yes," Jason said, making a point to glance at Melody's nametag, "Melody, I'd like to speak with your manager."

Her smile assured him that she knew he was playing with her. "One moment, sir." She turned her back to him, took off her glasses and ran a hand through her long blonde hair before turning to face him, hand extended. "Hi, sir, I'm Melody, the manager of this lovely establishment, how may I help you?"