Bruce didn't acknowledge me when I came into the bat cave, Alfred did though, Alfred always made sure to do the little things that Bruce thought were pointless. Like praise us, or say a simple hello. "Good evening Miss Kimberley, I'm surprised your father let you come tonight."

He was referring to the argument me and Dad had had last night, when I got home. He and I had argued back and forth, neither of us backing down one inch. We both brought up every petty thing from our past, to angry to realize how hateful and child like we were being. Worse thing about it, Mom heard it all, she was standing right in front of us, crying when we got louder. Fortunately we were sane enough to word everything so it sounded like we were fighting over me going to college. Dad yelled saying that I had to go, and I had no choice in the matter. Meaning I had to leave my communicator on, that he was in charge and I had to listen to him all the time. I argued back, saying that I was old enough to make my own decisions, that he raised me to make my own decisions and I needed to make them, and he needed to back off and let me live my life and get off my back about school. Meaning basically the same thing, but he needed to get off my back about being Blue Jay. he had even gone so far as to bring Jason up again, Mom ha screamed at him, saying that was uncalled for, and before I even knew what I was doing, I clocked him in the face. I then had ran outside onto my motorcycle, and had sped of, I had rented a motel room. I always kept spare utility belt and costume in my motorcycle's side bag. I had gotten three phone calls from my Mom, I had answer the last one, telling her I was fine. She begged me to come home, I said I would as soon as I got an apology from Dad. Needless to say, neither Dad or Mom had called me since then.

I shrugged, "I'm not living at home anymore."

That got Bruce's attention, "You realize that your father isn't going to just let you run away, he's going to be looking for you."

"I know, but I'm twenty-one, he can't make me do anything, if he does I'll go to the cops. He needs to get off my back about this." I said, gesturing to my costume, "It's my life, and I'm old enough to do this myself. I'm more than ready, why can't he just-" I stopped myself, I was rambling out my problems to them, and they hadn't asked me to. I shook my head, "Sorry."

Bruce stayed silent, looking at the screen, Alfred smiled, "Do not apologize Miss Kimberley, everyone needs to talk to someone, perhaps if you have time, I could listen sometime tomorrow?"

"That's sweet Alfred, but I'm fine." I lied. It was a terrible lie, and I knew it, however, working with Bruce taught me two things, one, don't be afraid to hang someone off a building by there feet for information, and two, don't show emotion to anyone, even your friends. God knows he never showed much emotion to Dick or me. I think that part of the reason Dick became Nightwing. Because he was tired of Bruce and his ever-present poker face.

I looked at the computer screen, and gasped, it was a DNA test, between Jason and Red Hood. I glared at Bruce fiercely, I had had enough of my dad bringing Jason up. I didn't want it from Bruce too. "Bruce Wayne!" I shouted, "What are you thinking?"

"That Jason is still alive."

I walked right up to him, and got in his face, glaring right into his eyes, "Bruce, listen to me, Jason. Is. Dead. I saw his body, your the one who brought his body back, he's dead!"

"I have reason to believe he's alive." He said firmly.

"No! Your tired, and delirious, you haven't had a full nights sleep in weeks, probably months, right? Alfred, tell him he's-" The computer beeped, meaning the DNA test was done, we all stared. It was a perfect match. I took a step was alive. The boy I loved was alive. He was killing people. He was killing criminals. He was a villain. He was alive. I had touched him last night. He had called me baby last night. He was alive. He was in Gotham somewhere. He was murdering people. He had killed three men right in front of me. He had run away from me last night. He was alive. Jason Todd, my boyfriend, my coworker, the one who completed me, my perfect match was alive. I fell to my knees, holding my head, tears gushed out of my eyes like a waterfall. I made no noise however. Alfred and Bruce talked to me, tried to comfort me, but I didn't hear them at all. All I heard was Jason's voice, everything he said, his smile, us kissing, every moment we had together. I wanted to see him. I wanted to touch him again, knowing it was him. I wanted to kiss him, to hold him, to have some assurance that he was still mine. I hugged my sides, not my head anymore. I felt like someone was squeezing my heart, probing it with their bare hand. Jason. Was. Alive. I don't know how long I laid there, but I do know that when I was finally pulled to my feet, I snapped out of it.

I looked at Bruce, tears running down my cheeks still, "Bruce..." So many questions flashed through my mind, like why he wouldn't have come to us, how long had he been like this, and was he even still the same Jason, but all that came out was, "How could this happen?"

He furrowed his brow, and turned back to the computer, "I don't now, but I'm going to find out."

He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm, "Bruce..." I said, drawing my statement out as long as I could, "Please bring him back."

He grabbed my shoulders, looked me in the eyes, and said, "Kimberley, I swear to you, I will bring Jason back. I will not fail him again."

He walked out, and I called after him, "Where are you going?"

"To talk to the man who did this." He said plainly.

I looked to Alfred for answers, but he had no clue. I turned back to the computer, and then to Alfred, "Alfred, why hasn't he come back to us?"

He smiled sadly at me, "I do not know Miss Kimberley, but please, the words I am about

to say, take them to heart." I nodded, pulling the mask I had tucked into my pocket on.

"Master Jason, what ever dark miracle or curse that has brought him back, he chose not to come to us. Whether for a good reason or a bad reason, I do not know. All I know is that is what he did. Master Jason loved you Miss Kimberley, however, the Jason you knew, would he have stayed away this long?"

I looked at the floor, "Only if he had a really good reason, Jason wasn't able to stay away for long. He only did when he thought it was vital, and sometimes he still couldn't stay away.

"Exactly, that is all I have to say, do what you will." He said, and went upstairs. I put my mask on, and sat down in front of the computer, waiting for Bruce to get back.

Finally, he did. "Ra's did this." He growled out.

"Ra's Al Ghul?" I asked, "How?"

"Ra's has walked this earth for over five centuries, he does so by bathing in the Lazaros Pit, it turns him young again. Apparently, it can also bring the dead back to life." He growled, getting into the Bat plane.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To find Jason." He said.

"I want to come." I said, grabbing the edge of the plane.

He looked at me for a moment, then said, "OK, but Kimberley, promise me something."

"Depends on what it is." I said.

"If Jason and I... if I can't get through to Jason, and he starts to fight me, please don't interfere, run." He said.

I frowned, looking up at him, and said, "Bruce, this is Jason we're talking about, you know he would never-"

"He's different now Kim." He said forcefully, "The Lazaros Pit changed him, made him..." He was at loss, not wanting to say it.

"Just say it Bruce." I said.

He looked at me for a moment, and said, "It altered his mind, he's technically... insane."

It hit me like a slap in the face, "But there's hope right?"

"Yes, there is, but Kim if I can't get through to him, run. Don't think about what Jason used to be like, don't remember anything he used to do, just please, run." He said, trying to get it through to me.

I was silent for a long time, "I will not fight Jason, I promise you that."

He sighed, "Fine, let's go."

I hopped in the seat behind him, and he took off. We flew for awhile, and the Alfred called over the radio, "Sir! Patch into the media!"

Bruce pressed a button, and then the news came up, "We're live in downtown Gotham where the Joker has-"

Without waiting, Bruce flew the plane towards the area, where Joker was making his latest scandal. "How did he get out of Arkum?"

"Black Mask, when he couldn't handle the Red Hood, he turned to him." Bruce answered, flying faster, "Kimberley, I have a plan."

DOWNTOWN GOTHAM,THIRD PERSONPOINT OF VEIW:

Joke stood onto to a big truck, pouring gasoline all over the people tied up inside. "I'm a little tea cup short and stout, here it my handle here is my spout." He whispered, cackling at the end a little.

Black Mask struggled inside of the truck, his assistant and other people who used to work for him where also tied up in there. "This wasn't part of the deal! Let me out of here you Freak!" He yelled.

Joker tossed the rest of the gasoline in, and then took out a lighter, "I thought you'd like to see some familiar faces, after all, most of these guys used to work for you." He flicked the lighter a few times, but it didn't catch.

Suddenly, someone called out, "who's that up there?"

"Get a light on him!" shouted another.

Attention was called to the top pillar of the bridge, and there you saw a man dressed in biker gear, and a red hood covering his face. The Joker smiled, "Well look at you! Mr. Hood! You know I used to where something like that back in my day, mine was more flashy matre D than motorcycle fetish, you kids today!" He flicked his lighter a few more times, "I'm sorry could you give me a minute, I was just in the middle of setting fire to your gang."

"Go ahead, do you think I care if that scum dies?" He asked.

"Don't know." The Joker confessed, "I just wanted to get your attention."

"Oh you've always had my attention, but what I really wanted, was an audience with you." He said.

The Joker perked up, "I'm sorry, that seems to imply that you organized this little clam bay."

"I did." He said, "Sure I had lots of plans, but the end game was getting Black Mask so desperate, that he'd cut a deal. He was the only one with the connections to get into Arkum, and get you out."

Inside the truck, Black Mask couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You can't. Trust. Anybody."

The Joker smiled, "So, I've been bamboozled, oh my."

"I wouldn't under sell it, it took a lot of work to bring about our reunion." He said.

"Reunion? Have we met before?" Joker asked.

"Yes, we have." Jason said dangerously.

The Joker smiled again, "Well, here's to warm memories!" He flicked the lighter again, and it caught this time, he dropped it in, and soon smoke billowed out, along with screams.

Suddenly, the Bat plane swooped in, and foam dropped out, dousing the flame. A line was dropped, with Blue Jay on it. She grabbed the Joker by his collar, pulling him along as the cable slowly wound up. Jason ran along the pillar, jumping and catching the line right under Blue Jay. She gave him a pleading look, "Please, Ja-"

He cut the line under her, letting himself and the Joker drop. Blue Jay couldn't be sure, but she thought that she saw regret behind Jason's hood.

She was pulled back into the Bat plane, and Bruce told her, "Don't leave the plane, this is between me and Jason."

She nodded, knowing that this was deeper than she could understand. But after she heard an explosion, she couldn't stay away, she flew the bat plane to where she knew Bruce was because of the tracker he always kept on him, incase he disappeared and they needed to find him. She flew it outside an abandoned apartment building, and heard a gunshot, and then a smaller explosion. She jumped into the building through the window, and saw Jason, without his hood on, drop his gun, and fall to the floor.

Joker laughed, "You did it! You rootin tootin eagle eyes Goth loving marks man! You manage to find a way to win! yet everyone still loses!"

Jason took out a button, and pressed it. A beeping came from the fire place, a bomb, set for twenty second. I looked at Jason, and he smiled back at me, and it was right then that I realized, that he wasn't as different as we thought. That he, deep down, was still the Jason Todd I met years ago. Still the Jason Todd I loved, and hopefully, still the Jason Todd who loved me. Bruce lunged for the bomb, about to disarm it, but joker grabbed him, "NO! This is better! Were all going out together, don't you just love a happy ending?"

Bruce and Joker wrestled, and I walked over to Jason, and knelt beside him, He smiled at me, and touched my face lightly "Hey Kim, how about that movie?"

I smiled back, and tears ran down my face. I pulled his head into my shoulder, cradling him slightly, and stroking his hair. "We're all going to die now you insane idiot."

"I've died before," He reminded me, "It's not as bad as they make it out to be."

I smiled, "I'm going to be with you this time."

His wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing the side of his face into my shoulder more, "Doesn't sound as bad this time, if your with me."

I kissed his forehead lightly, and then I felt myself pulled back, and out of the window. Bruce had wrestled the Joker off of him, and had yanked me out the window with him,

"JASON!" I screamed. The explosion went off.

Red and yellow painted the night. "No." I whispered. He was gone again, I had lost him. Jason Todd was dead again, and this time, he wasn't coming back. i cried, very hard, and very loud. Bruce jumped back over to the now ruined apartment, and found Joker, but not Jason. Not even his body.

Bruce took me back home, and Dad helped me to my room. I told him everything that had happened, he held me, and I fell asleep crying softly in his arms.