He didn't have to do what he did, but I do thank him for taking me in. Ron's a great guy. Ms. Kim is great, too. Dinah's a little spacey, and Helena's a b-word … but Barbara's great… bestest friend in the world. She even likes Vlad, and not many girls like him … I miss my mom and dad and big sister, but … being with Barbara, Ron, and Ms. Kim makes the hurt not feel so bad. – Richard Grayson

Chapter 11: Boy Wonder part 2: Deja Vu

"Ashes to ashes … dust to dust …" The priest said as three coffins were lowered into the cold ground not but a few plots away from where Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable rested. Ron glanced to Kim who gave him a nod before he approached a young boy staring at the graves numbly.

Ron silently stood next to the boy, the two in almost identical black suits. "You paid for this, Mr. Stoppable?" Dick Grayson's broken eyes glanced up at the taller man. Ron gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you …"

"Are you ok?" Ron asked, placing a hand on the boy's stiff shoulders.

"No," Dick replied in a soft voice. "But everyone tells me I'm going to be…"

"The hurt never really goes away," Ron said, catching the boy by surprise. "But you can learn to deal with it."

"How?" Dick's voice trembled.

"Don't face the darkness alone. There's people all around you who care for you or want to care for you," Ron said simply. "If you face it alone, the darkness will consume and rip you apart." Dick stared at him in confusion for a moment. "When I was around seventeen … eighteen years old, my mom and dad were killed right in front of me. I made some mistakes, and I don't want you to make the same ones."

Dick looked at the taller man questionably. "If you're willing, I'd like to take you in. I've already talked about it with the proper people, but I'm leaving it up to you." Ron said, holding out his hand.

Dick took another glance to his family's graves before reaching out and taking Ron's hand. "Like I have any place else I can go…"

Ron placed his arm around the boy's shoulder and led him toward his car as Kim joined them.

(-V-)

The car pulled up to Ron's manor as three girls rushed past the waiting Bonnie, Wade, and Felix. "Did he come?" Dinah asked excitedly as she, Barbara, and Helena bounced excitedly.

Kim got out and helped Dick out of the BMW's back seat.

"Dick Grayson, this is my daughter Barbara and her friends Helena and Dinah," Kim introduced while Ron got Dick's luggage from the trunk. She then motioned to Wade, Bonnie, and Felix, "And this is Helena's mother Bonnie, and Ron's housemates Wade and Felix."

"Nice to meet you," Dick said shyly as Dinah and Helena shot forward and began circling Dick, looking him up and down quizzically.

"Babs said you were cute, but I'm not so sure I agree." Helena said, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't know; he is still just a kid," Dinah said, tilting his chin up to analyze the boy's confused face. She pulled open his mouth and closed an eye to look at his teeth. "Yeah, he's still growing. Nice catch, this one." Dinah grinned at Helena.

"Hey, leave me alone," Dick said defensively.

"Aw, c'mon, kid, we won't bite," Helena said before something moved in Dick's pocket. "What's this?" Helena asked before a large black rodent with large wings shot from his pocket, squeaking and flying circles around the girls' heads.

Dinah and Helena squealed and ran full speed into the house while Barbara just giggled and held out her hand for the fruit bat to land. "You're not scared of Vlad?" Dick asked, approaching the young redhead as the adults watched curiously.

"No, why should I be? I like bats." Barbara asked as she scratched the bat's furry head. "His name is Vlad? Nice to meet you, Vlad. I'm Barbara." The bat squeaked and chirped happily while leaning into Barbara's scratching fingers.

A moment later, Rufus crawled up to her shoulder and started chattering angrily and shaking his paw at Vlad. The fruit bat took the air before blowing a raspberry to the naked mole rat, then flying back to land on Dick's shoulder. "Is that a naked mole rat? Cool, I've never seen one for real.

"Really?" Barbara scrunched her little nose in thought before smiling at the boy. "Never heard a boy say that about Rufus, most just think he's icky."

"Most boys don't fly through the air with the greatest of ease, either," Dick nodded seriously.

Barbara cocked her head to the side while looking at him strangely. She then said something that caused Kim and Ron both to catch their breaths and smile at one another affectionately.

Barbara took Dick's hands in her own and said happily…

"You're weird. But I like you."

(-V-)

Later that night, the Batmobile tore through the streets of Triton. "How's the kid?" Batman asked, not taking his eyes off the road as Wade's face appeared on the monitor.

"He had a nightmare, which is to be expected," Wade nodded. "But Barbara's got it under control. She's a master of comforting."

"She takes after her mother," Batman replied in a growl.

"And her father, too," Wade mused thoughtfully before blushing. "Sorry."

Batman just narrowed his eyes as Wade signed off. A low sigh escaped his throat as he made a hard left down a sidestreet.

He arrived at his destination and exited the Tumbler, making his way across the moonlit garden of stone. He found his destination and stared down at the headstone.

His narrowed, white eye covers remained locked there for several moments before he spoke. "I won't repeat this, and I'm assured you won't spread this: I have accepted the fact that I have lost. You are the better man, Shawn. I made the oath to myself when we were children that I would always be there for her. I failed. You stood by her till the end. Had you not have died, I acknowledge I'd have never stood a chance.

"And on that note, I make an oath to you, Gordon." Batman said, going to one knee and pulling off the cowl. "I swear I will take care of your family. I will protect them and never leave or forsake them." Ron whispered, placing a single rose on the grass.

Ron closed his eyes and spoke a bit louder. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"My two favorite guys having a little chat, and you expect me not to come," Kim said teasingly as she walked out from behind a tree, a smile on her face and remnants of tears in her eyes. "How did you know I was here?"

"Simple," Ron said, not looking back, "I'm the Batman."

"More like the Smartass," Kim said as she stood behind him. "I think we can call it even, now. I know you've followed me out here almost every time I've visited him." she said softly, moving forward to brush her hand across the top of the tombstone. "I figured you'd come after Wade's slip, so I thought it'd be a good night to have a little talk."

Ron started to gear up, but Kim stopped him. "No, I want to talk to Ron, not the Bat."

Ron nodded and tucked the cowl under his arm. "Ok, I'm going to level with you here, Ron. In case you couldn't tell when you first came back, I was incredibly angry with you for leaving me like you did. I wanted, key word here: wanted, to hate you for it." Kim said, her green eyes burning into his own. "Shawn helped me put myself back together. He was so much like you, only he truly believed what he was saying when he said he didn't care what people thought. He wasn't using it as a mask to hide insecurities." Ron glanced down sadly, but Kim took his chin in her hand and made him keep eye contact.

"He wasn't perfect, but he loved me. And I loved him, body and soul. I'd have never married him, much less given him a daughter if I hadn't." Kim's eyes softened. "But what you need to understand is while I miss him, I accept that he's gone and he's not coming back. And while a part of my heart will always belong to him, you've had a far bigger piece for far longer. Yes, I loved him, but I love you, too. I always have, and even when you ran away from me, nothing changed. Nothing at all.

"You have issues, Ron," Kim said, moving in to rest her head on his chest. "I do, too. But I don't want you to ever doubt that I love you. And I don't need you to protect me like a dark knight protects his damsel in distress. What I need is for you to be with me. And an occasional hug and kiss would be nice."

"And the sex?" Ron asked as Kim pulled away slightly.

"Fringe benefit." She smiled before giving him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Duty calls…" Kim sighed as she pulled back.

Ron turned and saw the Batsignal in the sky. "I have to go to work, KP…"

"I know. Be careful, my Dark Knight." Kim said as she took and pulled the cowl over his features.

Kim watched him fade into the shadows, and a moment later, heard the Batmobile's engine roar. "Please be careful …"

(-V-)

Batman landed in the shadows on the rooftop of Police Headquarters. He narrowed his eyes at the silent man beside the lit signal. He approached silently, narrowing his eyes on the man's back hidden by a baggy trenchcoat and hat. "Commissioner?" Batman growled as he approached with a scowl. "Are you alright?" he asked when the man didn't respond.

Batman reached out for his shoulder, but just before he did, the man turned quickly to show his ivory white face and broad smile. "Smell the flower, Batsy!" The Joker laughed as he pinched the flower on his lapel, firing acid at the Dark Knight, who easily jumped away. "Aw, you're no fun! Don't you know when someone sets a trap, you're supposed to fall for it!" The Joker laughed heartedly. "You're a hero, and heroes are stupid, selfless meatheads who die painfully! Especially in these kind of things!"

"These kind of things?" Batman asked, throwing his cape back behind him.

"You honestly think this is real? How could you possibly think that, seriously?" the Joker beamed. "This is obviously just some trumped-up, silly story put on the internet, based on some comic book or cartoon, or both made by some goofball with too much time on his hands! And I ask you, why would someone waste such a great resource as the Internet when it could be used for something far more beneficial for the common man? Such as Porn!"

"You're insane …" Batman said slowly as the Clown broke into song. He stopped suddenly when he noticed Batman's scowl.

"Oh! You are just no fun, Batsy!" Joker planted his hands on his hips. "Lighten up a little; have a little fun. You need to hang out with some friends and have a party, like the Commish!" Joker said, waving toward the Commissioner hanging by a flag pole over the edge of the building. Joker smiled at Barbara's grandfather before pulling a gun with a large punching bag on the barrel. "Thanks for dropping in, Commish; see you next fall! Wait, I can't remember… have I done that joke already? Oh, well, repeat performances are nice! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Joker laughed as he fired the punching glove at the Commissioner, sending him flying off the flagpole and down to the street below.

The Batman was already in the air, tightening his cape into a glider as he flew down after the falling police commissioner, catching him at the last second. He fired a grapple just before he hit the ground, sending them both flying back up to the rooftop.

Batman sat the terrified man on the roof beside the Batsignal. He narrowed his eyes as the Joker gave him a standing ovation. "Very good Batman; very good indeed. To quote my favorite cartoon, Exit stage left!" he said, turning and running toward the side of the building.

"Not this time …" Batman growled, running after him, grabbing the collar of his trench coat and pulling him back. The Clown simple laughed as he slid right out of the coat and fell over the edge, releasing a parachute in the shape of a grinning smiley as he dropped quickly into the opened roof of a customized van and sped away.

Batman narrowed his eyes before glancing down at the coat in his grasp … and small green hairs on the collar.

(-V-)

"I'm glad the Commissioner is alright …" Wade yawned as he and Ron worked at the computer. "It's a wonder the clown guy didn't hurt him. He usually kills his victims. " he said sadly, glancing up toward the mansion.

Ron simply nodded, having since changed out of the Batsuit and sat at the main console of the computer system. "Well, the DNA scan should have a result in about fifteen to twenty minutes. I'm going to bed. That way, I might be able to be asleep before you and Kim start up again…" he said, earning a smirk from his old friend.

"Goodnight," Ron said as Wade walked up the stairs.

Ron waited for several more minutes before the computer chimed that it had a DNA match for the Joker's hair. "Good, if we know who he is, we might …" Ron said, opening up the results on the screen, but turned pale at the image and information. "Oh, no …"

"Ron, are you going to be down here all night?" Kim asked, walking down the stairs. Ron glanced toward the approaching redhead and quickly dove for the close screen button on the monitor. "Did you get a match on this Joker's ID?"

"No," Ron said standing up and approaching the redhead. "The computer couldn't find a match. Going to have to try something else." He said, kissing her temple. "Ready to go to bed?"

"Feeling frisky, Mr. Stoppable?" Kim asked playfully.

"If it's ok, KP," Ron said, taking her hand in his own. "Could I just hold you tonight?" He smiled at her concerned look. "Nothing's wrong; just felt the need to hold you a while, that's all…"

Kim nodded, unconvinced, but let it go. Ron gave one last look at the blank screen, praying it was mistaken …

To Be Continued …