Chapter 10

Andy Sullivan was thorough.

Almost alarmingly so.

Andy finished his tale on the valiant rescue that Tim found sounded pretty romanticized. He wasn't sure if Andy was a fan of trashy harlequin novels, but judging by the way he described Nightwing, as if he were some god come straight down from heavens, Tim wondered if they were even talking about the same Nightwing.

Clearly, the man had been touched by the encounter in a way Tim couldn't understand, but Dick was a flirt at the best and worst of times, so maybe the idea of his infatuation wasn't as farfetched as it should have been.

Either way one thing appeared clear, Andy Sullivan-despite his best efforts to seem professional about the whole thing, was absolutely smitten.

Dammit Dick. Just- dammit .

Through it all, Tim kept face and John Thomas remained enraptured on every word of the rescue Andy recounted, acting like a young man hearing his first real tale of a hero in action. Andy seemed pleased at Tim's enthusiasm.

Tim had to ask, he had to know how far Andy's desire went, "Do you ever wonder who he really is-without the mask I mean?"

Andy looked around, almost as if worried someone else might be listening. "I-I've been investigating-" He pursed his lips. "Do you want to see what I've found?"

Tim nodded and tried to stay naively interested, but his stomach was getting a little heavy. He waited with bated breath as Andy opened the first drawer to an oversized filing cabinet. "The truth is I've been following them for years."

Them?

A large file fell on the desk in front of Tim.

Andy swept the folder open and Tim's heart nearly stopped.

Oh no-

This -there was no way this could be good.

Charts, timelines and newspaper clippings, but mostly pictures, so many pictures it made Tim's head hurt.

Tim knew from personal experience, just where this sort of information lead. It was his own extensive investigation that had led him to Batman in the first place.

Funny how all those years ago, he'd been exactly in Andy shoes-yet this felt, different somehow.

Just how much did this man know?

It wasn't just Nightwing, though there were more pictures of him than anyone else, but there was Batman and of course Robin and Tim tried not to cringe, Red Robin.

Not good-definitely not good.

Tim kept up the facade, "This is so awesome."

No, not awesome-this was not awesome at all.

What bothered Tim more than anything was the way Andy kept returning to one picture in particular, almost as if in reverence. His fingers ghosted over the image, but Tim swore he wanted to- stroke it or something.

It was of Nightwing.

Andy smiled and it was still that peaceful looking smile, but Tim was suddenly less impressed and a little more creep out than he had been moments ago. "I just wish I knew who he was-"

No, this was not awesome-

"You don't know then?" Tim slumped. "Bummer."

Andy's eyes finally left the picture and Tim liked to consider himself a good reader of people so when Andy replied a simple, "Not yet."-

Tim heard I will instead.

Not awesome at all.

Dick leaned against Tim's car. He'd walked around for a while, hoping to calm his nerves and unwind the suddenly nervous twist in his stomach, but truthfully he was just too anxious to get back to Gotham to even think straight. His fingers drummed against his thigh in a reflexive twitch. He needed to see Jackson, needed to see-

Dammit.

Dick's finger hovered over the name in his phone, maybe if he could just hear him-maybe then his stomach would stop buzzing this anxious energy and he could just-

Dammit.

Dick didn't throw his phone or pound Tim's car with his fist like he really wanted to. His heart was just beating too fast anymore and he needed some way to relieve the tension, the anxiety that was driving him up the wall.

He almost thought about going into the station, but decided against it. He didn't need anyone he knew seeing him having any of these-Dick honestly didn't even know what to call them. Episodes maybe? Sometimes they were long, detailed and Dick could see and feel everything as if it were actually happening, sometimes they were merely seconds that blipped so fast he could barely process them. Regardless of what they were, Tim needed to hurry up because he was really considering picking up his phone again and he wasn't sure how Jason would react to-

Two lines, a plus, positive, it was-

Dick watched Jason stare at the stick for what felt like hours. At first he didn't seem to understand what it meant. "The hell is this?"

Dick cringed at how carelessly he swung the object backwards and forwards like he didn't know what he was supposed to be looking at. He handed him the instructions from the box, pointing to the only real information Jason needed. Jason mumbled the word out loud and it took a few times before he finally turned to Dick, eyes wide.

"Is this, is this for real ?"

Dick nodded, not knowing what else to do. Jason just looked at him, his mouth twitched wildly, whatever words he attempted to say were jumbling up on his tongue. "Do you-" his hand twisted in his hair, "Should I-" his eyes flew to Dick's stomach in what could only be called horror, "What should I do?"

Dick didn't spout back the obvious line you've already done enough. It was too easy and Dick was hardly in the mood for jokes right now.

"You don't do anything, Jason. It's just-" Dick waved at the stick helplessly. "That's just what it is."

"Could it, could it be wrong?"

Dick tried not to let his heart clench at the question. "One maybe," he ventured. He nodded at the object again, "That's the tenth one I've taken."

Dick really wanted to be sure.

Jason just stared.

Dick was almost afraid he'd broken him. He hesitated, trying to keep calm, as Jason kind of looked like he might have cemented himself to the floor, "Are you okay with this?"

Jason licked his lips, eyes too bright, "I-are you?"

Dick hated when Jason did that, turning his answer into questions. The truth was Dick didn't know if he was okay with it yet. They were both still young and he hadn't really put a child in the equation of their lives yet. Still- "Jason, I need an answer. I need to know if this is okay. I need to know if we can do this."

"Do this?" Jason's eyes flickered with something as he took a long, hard blink and frowned. He stood a bit taller, "What do you mean if we can do this?" He pointed at the stick carelessly and Dick wasn't sure if he knew what was at the end of it or if he just didn't care. "With all the shit we've seen and been through, this , this we can do. We can definitely do this"

The bravado of it was a bit forced, but Dick smiled at him regardless.

And as quickly as it came Jason seemed to deflate, "Right, so um-what exactly do we do then?"

Dick shrugged, "The only thing we can I guess. We wait."

Jason looked a bit lost, "Wait?"

Dick snorted, "This isn't a thirty minutes or it's free pizza delivery Jay, babies takes time." He may have still been bordering somewhere in the denial stage, but Dick really wanted to keep Jason level headed about this while it still felt possible to do so. In another few months he might need the other man to be his rock, instead of the other way around.

"So while Junior's cooking in the oven there," Jason motioned at Dick's midsection. "We just wait till he, she, whatever is-done?"

Dick's lips popped, "Pretty much-" He nearly lost his breath when Jason suddenly swept him into his arms. "Jay," he breathed, trying to get his equilibrium back.

"Jesus Dick, we're going to be-" He gulped and Dick could feel his grin. Jason kissed the top of his head, "You're amazing, you know that?"

Dick let his head rest on Jason's chest. It was too hard not to grin like a fool back and Dick didn't even try, "So I've heard."

Tim's voice once again brought him back to reality and Dick looked up to see the younger man shaking hands with what could only be Andrew Sullivan, Tim's voice was distorted and far away, but Dick could see him nod at the other man before waving a goodbye.

Andrew waved back at Tim and made as if to turn, but something seemed to stop him. His body moved back almost instinctively and Dick knew it was impossible the man would scout him out from this far away, especially with other people around, but he swore Andrew Sullivan was-

The guy at the bar was staring.

Dick was well into his second, or was it third, shot. Feeling the gaze, he snorted and swept his hair back in what was an admittedly presumptuous, even pompous move. He openly taunted the man to just keep on staring because he wasn't giving him or any other bastard in this place the satisfaction of even so much as a smile.

Because men sucked. Men sucked and he hated them all.

He hated men and he especially hated Jason Todd.

Stupid, arrogant, noncommittal, sexy as hell Jason Todd.

The guy moved closer without Dick even realizing it. One minute Dick blinked and he was across the room the next he was right next to him.

Dude was definitely quick on his feet.

The first thing Dick noticed upon seeing him closer was that he looked a bit like Jason.

Which immediately made Dick want to leave the stool right then and there.

He wanted to, but he didn't. This guy may have looked like Jason, but something in his demeanor was a bit more tight, restricted, not loose and arrogant and he almost seemed apprehensive about approaching Dick.

It was kind of- cute .

The man smiled almost shyly at him and Dick, despite his best efforts otherwise, couldn't help returning a smile of his own.

Not even five minutes of vowing off men and he was already back in the saddle-

Even Dick had to admit how pitiful it was.

Andrew, everyone calls me Andy , Sullivan held out his hand as Richard, everyone calls me Dick , Grayson shook it.

The drinks came and the talking became easier with each sip.

"A cop, huh?" Now that was something Dick could definitely work with. "That must be exciting."

Andy toyed with the rim of his glass and sighed, "Not really, I just started and I'm a bit more of a pencil pusher than anything. Nothing exciting about filling out reports all day."

Dick nodded, "You'd rather be on the streets where the action is, I'm guessing?"

Andy smiled, "Sort of." he scrubbed at his hair in a way Jason sometimes did.

Dammit , Dick needed to stop doing that. Comparing this guy to Jason was completely unfair to both of them.

And why was he still thinking about Jason anyway?

Andy continued softly, "Truth is my parents, my father I should say, he really wanted me to be a lawyer. All the men in my family are lawyers and I was supposed to be one too."

Dick took a sip of his drink, "Family business, huh?"

"Something like that." Andy admitted. "I was set on it too, I really thought that's all I wanted to be, just like my dad and his dad before him. And then-" he stopped.

"Then what?"

"No," Andy shook his head and chuckled. "You'll think it's really stupid."

"Try me," Dick grinned, probably a little tipsy by now, "-and for the record I happen to like stupid sometimes."

Andy took the encouragement with a small smile, "And then I met-him."

"Him?" Dick raised a brow.

"I wasn't exactly a strong kid, kind of puny and well I was teased a lot, I guess. One day it got really bad and he stood up for me. I know some people might not believe me, that some people don't even think he's real, but I saw him."

Aw, another Batman worshiper. Dick hid his smile behind this glass, "Batman huh? That's not stupid Andy a lot of people are inspired by him. If he's the reason you became a cop, I think that's great."

Andy surprised him by shaking his head, "No, not Batman."

Dick blinked in confusion, "Oh, sorry I just assumed-"

"Robin."

Dick nearly dropped his glass, "Robin?" He tried to wrack his brain. Obviously, given Andy's age it couldn't be Damian or Tim, and it was really unlikely to be Jason either. Dick tried to wrack his brain. Had he ever helped a kid being bullied? More times than he could count probably, but he couldn't place ever having seen Andy's face before.

Dick almost felt like apologizing for not remembering him, but of course, he couldn't.

"But see here's the thing," Andy hadn't finished. "That was over ten years ago. Obviously, we were both kids then, but now I figure he has to be about our age. So there's no way the Robin now is the same guy."

Dick had to agree, because how could he slap away logic like that and not sound like a complete moron? "I guess that makes sense."

"Anyway, I've kind of been-" Andy cleared his throat, "studying them over the years and I've noticed that Batman seems to stay the same. His fighting style and look never really change, Robin's does."

Dick cocked his head, "Does it? I've never really noticed."

Andy nodded, "I think this new guy-" he leaned closer and Dick felt his breath hitch, "-Nightwing, I've seen how he moves and it might be a bit of a stretch, but I think he's, or rather was -Robin."

Dick remained as calm as he could. He chuckled and shrugged, but inwardly he couldn't stamp out the unease slowly building, "That's kind of a big assumption, but even if he is, so what?"

"Like I said it might sound stupid, but he's sort of the reason why I came here to Bludhaven."

Dick bit his lip and shifted, "You want to thank him or something?"

"Not just that," Andy took the rest of his drink as if hoping to garner more courage from it. He stared into the empty glass afterward. "I want him to train me. I want to be like them. I want to help people, I want to make a difference."

Dick gulped, he had no clue where to take this, but he was guilt ridden just seeing the shine of sincerity in Andy's eyes, "I think you can help people just by being what you are, Andy. You don't need some stupid mask to be important. I-I can tell your special all on your own."

Andy's eyes shot to him and he flushed, "You're sweet and-" Dick knew he'd already seen the mark, but his eyes flitted there again before he finished, "-totally gorgeous ," he stuttered, "if you don't mind me saying so."

Dick wasn't sure he minded in the least. Andy seemed like a genuinely kind person and could turn out not only to be a valuable asset to him, but a friend as well. Granted, Dick would have to be careful the man didn't become too obsessed, but if Andy could help in some way, if Nightwing could show him how important he could be as just Andy Sullivan the Police Officer, then maybe-maybe this could work.

He had Andy put his number in his phone and pointedly ignored the three missed calls from Jason Todd.

The car door opened and someone pushed him in. Dick flopped in the seat with barely any resistance.

Tim slammed his door shut before opening his own. He turned to Dick with a face that could have soured already rotten milk, " Dammit Dick."

Dick's brow shot up, "Is that how we're saying hello now?"

Tim pursed his lips, "I'm not even going to ask why you're here, but seriously you've got to-you've got to cool it man."

"Cool it?"

"I don't know what you did or said, but you've got poor Andy Sullivan salivating at the sound of your name."

Dick frowned, "Tim, I told you I've never met him before."

"Maybe you haven't, but Nightwing sure has and let me tell you, this guy's all but ready to propose marriage to him."

Dick stared at his hands, suddenly ashamed at himself, "I know."

"You know?" Tim asked before he realized. "You had another one of those- seeing things didn't you?"

Dick nodded, "More than one actually." A lot more.

Tim cursed, "Dick I think we've got a really big problem on our hands and it's not just the guy in the cell."

"I'm aware that I'm not exactly on my A game Tim, but-"

Tim shook his head, "It's not just whatever's wrong with you. I think Andy Sullivan, this Andy Sullivan is right on the brink of finding out who you," Tim motioned between them, "-who we all are. You should see this guy's collection of stuff he's got. If he doesn't know already, he's definitely close."

"This just gets better and better," Dick grumbled. "Tell me Tim, when was the last time you had to take a pregnancy test?"

Tim choked on air and fell into a coughing fit that didn't let up.

Dick's arms crossed, "Because I had to watch myself take one and let me tell you that tends to ruin a guy's day."

"God," Tim choked, "Dick I-" he continued to cough, "You know what, we're heading back. Do us both a favor and don't ever bring that up again-ever."

Jason wanted the other Jason out. He wanted him out like yesterday. His presence brought about a pulling, a pushing. Like Jason's head was too full and it suddenly might explode at any second.

Not only was he miffed, Jason was confused.

"What the hell is-what do you want from me?"

Apparently, his other self has no time for pleasantries. "I want you to shut up and let me think."

"Think?" He had a disembodied voice in his head that sounded and felt a hell of a lot like himself and it wanted to think? "What the hell is there to think about?"

He had to ask-

Jason wasn't sure what had changed exactly, but if the age old idea of pregnancy glow held any truth whatsoever, Jason Todd was convinced his husband was the sexiest, glow-iest man there ever was.

"Oh Jesus," Jason tried to pull his own mind back, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.

This was so not fucking cool.

Dick was gorgeous and Jason had truthfully never been so turned on by someone doing something as simple as laundry in his whole life. Dick-the man who made the white towels pink because he forgot a red sock-was doing laundry and although Jason knew he should fear for the state of their clothes, he really couldn't be bothered to care at that moment. Let the man discolor everything they owned, if he continued to look this sexy doing it, Jason could hardly complain.

Slightly unkempt in a pair of Jason's old clothes, which fit better with the bit of stomach bulge he'd acquired, the man was giving the poor washer a proper beating, overstuffing the machine and slamming the lid shut with a curse.

Watching him made Jason want to do all types of wrong.

"I love it when you get all domestic on me."

Dick turned to Jason, his eyes swept the Red hood outfit and landed on the helmet in Jason's hand with a frown. He sighed and pushed some hair from his eyes before assaulting the dryer next, tossing their thankfully still white sheets in a basket, "You better be careful out there tonight. Tim said there's been a lot of activity on his end and he thinks it has something to do with that weapons cache Penguin's men have been whispering about."

God, Jason loved this man. Doing laundry and talking work all in the same breath. Dick shut the dryer door and began attempting to fold. Dick had always folded things like a crazed animal with all thumbs, but Jason could give two shits that his current house husband was crap at his housekeeping. The man was trying and Jason knew staying out of the sky was driving him crazy.

"Tell you what, hot stuff," Jason said as he crept closer behind Dick until the man's back was flush against his chest. "How about after I take care of that beaked nosed bastard's little crew, I pick up some chocolate and whip cream and we-"

Dick made a face as he interrupted, "No Jason, no chocolate. I swear I'll puke if I even smell it."

Jason frowned, "I didn't mean-" he rethought, "-well technically I guess I did, but-"

Dick suddenly whirled and put his arms around Jason's neck, his voice lowered and for a moment Jason thought he was going to suggest something even more dirty.

Oh please yes.

"What I really want is-" Dick's lip upturned.

Jason gulped and held his breath.

"-onion rings."

Dirty indeed.

"Oh really?" Jason grinned and wagged a brow, pulling the man as close as he dared-baby in the middle and all that. He all but purred, "And what crazy plans do you have for those, exactly?"

Dick furrowed his brow and pulled away, "I plan to eat them, Jay. What else would I do with them?"

"Eat them?" Jason nearly groaned, realizing they were clearly not on the same page here, "Dick there's a whole freezer of ice cream, why don't you just eat that?"

Dick waved the notion of four tubs worth of ice cream away, "I don't want that, I want onion rings."

So much for any fun then. Jason would just have to settle with dirtying up more clothes and watching Dick clean them, "Fine, but you're going to eat that damn ice cream in there too whether you like it or not."

Dick scoffed at him, "You like it so bad, you have it. I swear it's like you're trying to make me even fatter." His eyes moved down to his stomach with a frown, "Trust me I don't need your help with that."

Jason snorted. Dick still had four months to go, he looked and felt thicker, there was no denying that, but it was nice, it felt right. Dick looked healthy which made him that much sexier. And hell-more cushion for the pushing, right? "I just want you to be happy."

Dick hit him lightly, "I don't need ice cream for that Jay, I am happy."

"You're bored."

"I-" Dick looked like he was going to agree, but stopped. He pointed to a book he had laying open on the washing machine, "I'm going to start learning."

Jason's eyes bugged as he noticed it was a Cook Book. Oh Jesus , no. Dick was going to burn the place down.

Dick placed a hand on the washer to help stretch his aching back, "You're right Jason, I am bored and unless you want me to become a hormonal, ice cream eating cow , I need a hobby. And I thought you said you like me being domestic?"

Damn his choice of wording. "I do, it's just-could you find something a little less, I don't know, dangerous?"

Jason regretted it the moment he said it.

Dick gave a glare that Jason could tell was going to end him in the doghouse if he didn't backtrack.

Fast .

Jason looked at his wrist, "I think I hear Red Robin calling me. Better get going."

Smooth.

Jason smacked Dick on the lips and was out the window, calling back promises of onion rings and zipping away as fast as his line would carry him.

"Stop! I get it, just stop," Jason groaned to his other self, breaking the image with a slight feeling of nausea-he couldn't take much more of this- whatever this was. "You were happy, married and having a kid. Kudos to you, but can you please leave the lovey dovey shit out of my head?"

He really didn't care how much the other Jason needed to think. He knew this Jason never needed to think of Dick Grayson as some kind of domesticated, pregnant housewife.

Ever.

Not just a housewife, his housewife.

His housewife who was also pregnant with his child.

Jason can't let that part go. Getting married was one thing, having a child with another man was absolutely unfathomable to him.

"What's with that?"

"What's with what?"

"Dudes getting pregnant. Since when is that a thing?"

"You really want to discuss basic anatomy? Jesus, didn't you ever take sex ed? He's marked, a carrier-lots of guys are. Any other stupid questions?"

"Right," Jason felt a bit irritated at the condescension in the voice. What was the point arguing what any of that meant? "Either way, can you stop the walk down memory lane? I swear if I have to watch the kid's birth-" Or worse, how he was conceived- "I'm going to lose it."

"Look, I'm sorry if my memories bother you, but it's not exactly like I know how to control anything in here."

Well, that wasn't worrisome in the least-

"How did this even happen? How are you here ?"

"I've just watched Dick, not my Dick but still Dick-getting swindled by a body stealing asshole, talking like he wants the two of them to adopt my damn kid-it doesn't matter how the fuck I got here. Whatever he's planning, it's not going to happen, because we're going to stop it."

"And how are we going to do that exactly?"

His other self hesitated, "I think-I think you need to see something."

Jason's pulse quickened, he still wasn't completely convinced he wasn't hallucinating all this. Voice and all, "See what?"

"Shut up and let me concentrate-I'm going to try and-

"Jason, I don't think that goes like that-"

"Shut up, I know what I'm-" Jason bit out another curse as one of the screws went flying to the other side of the room.

Tim Drake sighed, "Honestly, I know there's that saying about guys not reading directions, but come on man, use your head. That clearly doesn't go there."

"I am using my head," Jason was, sort of , he was also kind of in a panic. When had building baby furniture become like performing brain surgery? He waved the paper at Tim, "And for your information the directions are only in French and German."

Tim frowned, "Can't you read both?"

"Not the point."

"The real point," Damian Wayne was assembling another piece of the set on his side, "is that you should have done this week ago. What kind of father to be are you? Grayson could be having your daughter any day now and you're not even the least bit prepared."

"Son," Tim countered as Damian glared at him. "Admit it Damian, it's a boy. Right Jason?"

Jason hummed as he jammed another post into place, "I sure hope so." Dick, as was typical, felt the need to include the family in the process of everything, including the naming of their unborn child apparently. Granted, Jason may have shot down his chance by suggesting Jason or Dick Jr.-but he was kind of kidding and Dick made up his stubborn little mind that since Jason was going to be an ass about it, the name decision was going to be granted to Tim and Damian-

Because the man had lost more than just his trim waistline, after months of feeling cooped up, Dick had gone completely bonkers-just as Jason had feared he would. The moment Jason pointed this out, that uncles didn't choose the name for their nieces or nephews, Dick became even more attached to the idea, probably just to spite Jason for ever questioning him.

Damian was convinced it was a girl and Tim swore it was a boy, they fought about it constantly.

Of course, Dick just made it worse by refusing to have it confirmed either way.

"Just because you're marked too doesn't mean you're automatically right," Tim pointed out. "The size and positioning suggests a boy and you know it. You just don't want to admit I'm right."

Damian's eyes flashed and for a moment Jason swore there was going to be a brawl. Jason swore if either of them got blood on Dick's clean floors, he would kill them both.

Damian was indeed marked like Dick and Tim knew it hit a sore spot for the young teenager, but right now Jason didn't care about any of that. He only cared about keeping peace and not rousing the very irritable man currently sleeping in the bedroom.

Jason hissed at them both to quiet down, "I swear to god if either of you wake him up, I will personally toss both your asses out the window."

Getting Dick to sleep comfortably for any amount of time these days was hard enough as it was and if either of these yahoos thought their debate over the sex of his child was worth waking the man for-they had another thing coming.

That being said, Jackson -though not Jason's preferred name by any means-was leaps and bounds better than whatever abominable name Damian had chosen for a girl.

Ancient ancestral name, or whatever bullshit Damian had spouted about his choice, be damned . If Jason couldn't spell it, he had no desire to even try to pronounce it, and he sure as hell wasn't naming his poor little girl it either.

No, Jason was rooting for a boy and he held no qualms about admitting it.

"Oops. Not that."

Jason groaned, "We're not going to go through your whole life story, are we?"

"No, I just-"

Dick's mouth was hot, electric and inviting. He tasted so good and Jason could never get enough. The exquisite man was pulled flushed to him, ready and willing, numbing Jason's mind with the feel of his cool finger on his-

Jason immediately pulled out of that one with every fiber of his being, "No. Goddamn you, no , just-"

"Hey, it was my honeymoon."

"I don't give a shit, I-"

A bundle was placed in Jason's hands.

A boy, it was a boy. Thank Christ and all his seven reindeer's or whatever, it was a boy. Jason Todd held his son for the first time and instantly he knew nothing, nothing in his life would mean more to him than this tiny person in his arms. A person he'd never met before, but knew he loved more than life itself.

Jackson Damian Todd.

Jason saw the name written down on the certificate and looked down at his newborn son with a wince, "I just want you to know I had nothing to do with that. If you grow up bitter about it, blame your dad and uncles for their brilliant ideas, okay?"

For some reason, he couldn't stop smiling. Everyone else might have thought their baby was perfect, but Jason had no doubt, as he held the small bundle in his arms, rocking him gently in a way that felt surprisingly natural to him, that his actually was .

Jackson Damian Todd was absolutely perfect.

And nothing, no force on heaven or earth, was ever going to stop Jason from keeping Jackson safe.

Nothing.

Jason waited for more, or for his other self to say something, or move onto to another memory like he seemed to want to do, but his mind remained eerily quiet. "You still there?"

It took what felt like forever for a response, "I-"

"What?" Jason knew the memory had to be sentimental to him, but as the scene finished there was such a wave of grief and sorrow, Jason felt physically ill, "What is it?"

"I don't know if I can do it. Dammit, I just-give me a minute."

His other self sounded stiff and distant and Jason recognized the tone as something being wrong, like really, really wrong.

"What's-"

"Give me a fucking minute!"

Jason shut his inner mind's mouth. He waited until the other Jason was ready to talk again, ignoring the deep seeded fear that the other man's-spirit or whatever was clearly grieving over something.

He couldn't take it anymore, "You're dead, aren't you?"

The coldness that suddenly flooded his bones was all the answer Jason needed.

Jason sighed, he honestly had nothing to say and he let his other self a moment of silence.

Something was different-something had changed.

Todd it was, he knew something was different about Todd.

Just as he'd feared.

Dammit, he hadn't expected this to happen.

"Smart boy, clever boy-even your daddy said so. So clever he can't even keep a simple plan together. What are you going to do now?"

He didn't answer; the voice didn't need to know. He didn't have to explain himself to anyone. The walls were falling, he could feel it. He just needed a bit more time.

Just a bit more.