"It's a tent. Really. How hard can it be?"

"You say that," Bruce grunted, struggling to straighten a pole, "and yet I don't actually see you down here helping."
Dick released a sigh and dropped down to his knees.

"Hey, Jason!" he called in the general direction in which he had last seen his little brother. "Come back over here and help, will you?"

Dick started bending a pole over. "Geez, could these get any... ?"

He lost his grip and the pole snapped back. "Ow!" His hand automatically flew to his cheek.

Bruce was instantly concerned. "Are you okay? Let me see." He moved closer.

"I'm fine." Dick brought his hand down, frowning at the smear of red.

"You're bleeding."

Dick gingerly poked the bloodied scrape and winced. "It's a scrape. No big deal. I'll get by."

He made to move towards the pole again, but Bruce was in his way.

Dick sat back, huffing. "Honestly, Bruce," he protested."It's just a little scrape."
"And we're in the wilderness," Bruce pointed out. His tone left no room for argument. "Let me see."

Dick sighed, threw up his hands, and sat back in defeat.

Bruce scooted forward, gently thumbing the blood off his face.

He frowned. "It's a scrape…"

"I told you."

"But we're going to take care of it anyways."

"What's going on?"

Jason was suddenly in the campsite.

"We're taking care of Dick's face," Bruce said. Already he was withdrawing the First-Aid kit.

Of course.

Dick resisted the urge to smirk.

And they called Clark the Boy Scout.

Wasn't it the boy scout motto to always be prepared?

His lips do a sort of odd twitching and he was forced to turn his head away before Bruce saw.

"And you, young man…" He probably shouldn't have bothered. Bruce was addressing Jason now anyways, "you are going to get to work helping us instead of wandering off by yourself."

"Geez, Dad, it's just the woods."

Dick wasn't looking, but from the sound of things, Jason had just rolled his eyes.

"And you will stay put for now. That's final."

There was a heartbeat of silence.

"Dick hurt himself?" Jason asked.

There was nothing teasing in his voice, just honest curiosity.

"Yes," Bruce answered, without making further comments on the situation.

He'd already handed over the ointment, which Dick accepted with a sigh and applied without complaint.

Bruce pulled out a Band-Aid.

This Dick also accepted without speaking.

"There's a river." Jason once again interjected.

"I know."
"You can go canoeing."

"I know, Jason!"

Jason plopped himself down in the dirt and smirked at Dick.

"Why don't you and Babs…"

Dick felt his cheeks heating up. "Shut up!"

Bruce exhaled noisily, pinching the bridge of his nose, and looking very much like he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Dick, don't tell your brother to shut up," he said tiredly.

"But…"

Bruce ignored him and focused his attention on the younger of his two sons.

"And Jason, refrain from commenting on your brother's relationships, please."

"What, he gets a please and I don't?!"

"Dick…"

Dick threw his hands into the air. "I was kidding, Bruce."

"I'm sure," Bruce answered drily. He looped a pole through several rings. "Jason, help Dick get the stakes in the ground."

It was then that the sky broke and the rain came down in rivets.

"So… we're soaked."

Bruce finished wringing out his shirt. "Yes, Jason."

"And the first day isn't even over yet. Makes you wonder what else could go wrong."

Bruce threw his head back and prayed for patience.

"It could have been worse," Barbara offered weakly. She huddled on her sleeping bag, knees pulled up to her chest. "I mean… we could have forgotten the tent. And that… that would have been bad."

"Should never have left the city." Jim didn't seem to have heard his daughter.

He had been on his way back from the car after fetching his sleeping bag when the rainstorm had hit.

He- and his sleeping bag, naturally, were both soaked.

Barbara-and her sleeping bag- had managed to stay mostly dry.

Naturally.

"This is never going to get dry."

"Well… if the rain stops…"

"Barbara?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Please. Just… for the love of everything… just stop."

"Sure, Dad."

The rain had finally stopped.

Bruce checked his watch.

Three hours.

It had been raining for three hours.

Yes, they had managed to get the tent set up, but… it was soaked. They were soaked.

Everything was soaked.

Everything but the sleeping bags they had (wisely) decided not to grab from the car.

It would have been better if they had been able to shelter in the car, but, with the time it would take them to reach it, they would be have drenched through and through.

And then the car would be too.

It would have defeated the purpose.

He wondered if the Gordons had fared any better.

"Well… it could have been worse."

That would have been Dick.

His "Pollyanna" out of the duo.

He was smiling brightly, but Bruce had been caring for him enough years to tell when he was faking it.

"They're fine," Bruce said, putting a hand on the boy's knee. "It's just rain."

"But they're probably soaked," Dick said ruefully, running a hand through his hair. "Barbara's probably wondering why she came out all this way…"

"If she's anything like the girl I know," Bruce said firmly. His hand found its way to his son's shoulder, "than she'll be having a better time than you are by the time this trip is over."

The smile Dick gave him now was warm with gratitude.

"I think it's safe to go out," Jason whispered, catching their attention.

He had peeled back the tent flap and was currently positioned on his hands and knees, looking back at the two of them.

"It rains in Gotham, Jason," Bruce said flatly. "You don't have to act like water falling from the sky is a complete novelty for you."

"Can I go out?" he asked.

"Don't go far."

"Sheesh, Bruce. It's not like I'm going to be eaten by a bear."

Bruce was completely serious in his reply.

"You might be."

"Well, this certainly made for an interesting first day."

Dick and Barbara sat together where it was relatively dry.

They hadn't been able to get a fire started- not with the woods around them as wet as they were, so they had taken to sitting in spots that had received the least rain and eating sandwiches.

Barbara and Dick had found a nest of pine needles and dry leaves sheltered under a large pine tree.

"I'm glad I came," Barbara said quietly, placing her hand on Dick's forearm. "You know that, right?"

"I was worried the rain would spoil it," Dick confessed. "I'm glad it didn't."

"It didn't," Barbara agreed. She grinned mischievously. "But I think it put a dampener on our plans for the evening."

Dick grimaced, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"What? Dick, that wasn't your fault!" Barbara protested. "I thought you'd appreciate the pun."

The corner of Dick's lips quirked upwards. "It was a great pun, Barbara."

"Nice try." Barbara gently punched his shoulder. "Next time try being a little sincere about it, okay?"
"What? Hey! That was totally sincere!"

Barbara beamed. "And there's the Dick Grayson I know! Never one to let a little rain get him down!"

"Ha, ha, and also ha." Dick shook his head and Barbara giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Dick smiled and rested his head against the top of hers.

This felt right.

"Dick, look." Barbara raised her hand and pointed at something.

"Hmm?" Dick lifted his head.

Barbara didn't respond to his enquiry; she simply kept pointing and, soon, Dick saw why.

A spot of yellow light blinked in and out.

It was followed by another.

And another.

"The fireflies have come out," Barbara said softly. "You never get to see this is Gotham City. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah…" Dick watched, mesmerized by the phantom light show.

She tugged on his hand, scrambling to her feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Dick followed her example.

"Haven't you ever caught a firefly before?" Barbara laughed suddenly, sounding like any five year old girl would, but that didn't make it any less enchanting.

Dick thought about it. When he'd been with the circus, he and the other kids would chase them.

Sometimes they'd catch them.

"Years ago," he answered. "You?"

Barbara shook her head regretfully. "I lived in Chicago before we came to Gotham. There aren't many fireflies there either."

"No, I guess not."

The fireflies were all around them now, lighting in and out, one by one.

Stars on earth.

They were beautiful.

Barbara cupped the small insect in her hand.

The soft legs tickled the flesh of her palm, feelers twitching, as it explored the lines of her hand.

It was like holding a small piece of the night sky.

When it flew away, looking to join its brethren again, no one stopped it.

The first of the stars winked to life in the space above them.

Dick put his hand on her shoulder.

"Make a wish," he told her.

Barbara threw herself back down on the ground, laughing.

She was happy, breathless and completely worn out.

Dick joined her, chuckling himself.

"I saved one," Dick told her.

Barbara sat up, leaning forward with interest.

He opened his hand. The insect was resting on his finger.

It twitched, crawling along the edge of hand.

Then it spread its wings and lifted into the air.

Its movement was small, its progress miniscule, something that seemed contradictory to the fast, flickering beat of its paper thin wings.

Barbara's eyes tracked it till it was lost to the immeasurable congregation.

Note: A little shorter than I'd hoped and not much happened, but... at least I got it out. Next chapter should have a bit more action to it.

And I haven't forgotten about Jason's plan from a few chapters back. That's still coming.