Chapter Thirty-Eight:

A/N: Technically this is late because it's 1:30am Tuesday morning but I say it's not late because it's not tomorrow until I go to bed. ;)

Bruce reaches over and takes the glass of water Clark offers, sipping it. He's sitting on the edge of his bed with a cool, wet washcloth pressed to his forehead. Clark sits down next to him. "How are you feeling now?"

"A little better, thanks." Bruce gives him a small smile. "Head still hurts."

"Do you want some Tylenol?" Bruce shakes his head. "Are you sure?"

Bruce sighs. "I'm sure Clark. I've told you, you need to stop worrying so much." With a deep breath, Bruce decides to move on. Maybe distracting Clark from him will help the Kryptonian from being so anxious. "I think it's time I talk to Dick."

Clark rolls his eyes as he gets up off the bed. "Fine, change the subject. But I'm not going to stop worrying." Bruce smiles at Clark seeing through his tactics. "I'll go get Dick."

"Clark," Bruce says, stopping him. "I've changed my mind." One of Clark's eyebrows lift and Bruce puts a hand on his stomach. "I want you to bring me to Dick instead of him to me."

"What? Bruce you're-"

"What I can't travel just because I'm pregnant? Clark, I'm eighteen weeks along, not thrirty-eight."

"But-"

Bruce sighs heavily. "Clark listen, I'm sorry but I don't trust that you'll be able to control your alpha instincts with Dick. You're going to want to hit him and make him submit."

"No, I won't." Clark's arms cross.

"Kal," Clark's shoulders droop with his Kryptonian name being said. "I know how alphas work. I clearly remember how you acted when you found out what Dick did to me and this time, we almost lost our baby because of what he did. You're still angry at him and you're going to want to. Please, just do this for me."

Clark's arms uncurl and he looks away from Bruce. "Fine. I'll take you to him."

Bruce gives a thankful smile, placing the washcloth aside. He gets up off the bed, walks up to Clark, and wraps his arms around Clark's neck, pulling them closer. "Besides, this way you get to be close to me."

Bruce can tell Clark is trying desperately to not bury his face in Bruce's neck, scenting him. "You're an evil tease." Bruce chuckles and Clark lifts off the floor, flying out of the balcony. His arms are tight around Bruce's waist and Bruce rests his aching head on the alpha's shoulder. "At least Blüdhaven isn't that far from Gotham." Bruce hums in acknowledgment, closing his eyes. The wind feels good on his face, cooling him.

At some point, Bruce ends up drifting off into a light sleep. The next thing he knows, Clark is whispering his name gently in his ear. "Bruce." Bruce blinks open his eyes slowly, feeling groggy with sleep. His head feels a little better, as if a change of scenery and air is all he needed. "We're at Dick's apartment. I can see him inside."

"What is he doing?" Bruce asks, holding onto Clark tightly.

"Getting food and reading a file on Brother Blood."

Bruce perks. "I thought he was put away already?"

Clark shrugs as he begins to descend. "Maybe he escaped."

"And is in Blüdhaven? Why would he be in Blüdhaven?"

Bruce lands on Dick's balcony. "He does have a grudge against Nightwing." Bruce nods in agreement as he let's go of Clark. Clark gestures with his head at the glass sliding door. "Come on."

Bruce enters first. He doesn't want Clark to see the young beta and then charge him out of anger. They find Dick in the kitchen, pouring himself a bowl of cereal, file open on the counter. Clark growls as soon as he sees the beta and Bruce puts a hand on his chest to stop him from doing something stupid. Dick's eyes snap up to them and grow wide. He drops the box of cereal, causing the contents to spill all over, and backs up a step. "Bruce? Clark?"

Clark growls again, baring teeth. "Clark," Bruce cautions with his own slight growl, warning Clark to listen. It reminds Clark that Bruce is dominate over the alpha, that Clark had submitted to him once and must do as one is told. "Take it easy." Clark's eyes narrow and he huffs, crossing his arms and backing away to pace a few feet behind Bruce.

Dick is eyeing the alpha warily. "Is he going to kill me?"

Bruce rolls his eyes. "Don't be over dramatic."

Dick's eyes travel to his and his head bows some. "What are you doing here?"

Bruce takes a step towards his eldest son. "I'm here to talk."

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." Bruce's eyebrows narrow in confusion. "When our bond broke, you didn't come and see me. So, I thought you wanted me to leave."

Bruce shakes his head. "You could have asked anyone in the house and they would have told you otherwise."

Dick's eyes move to the floor and he huffs a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess so." He looks up at Bruce cautiously. "The baby, is she…?"

Bruce places both hands on his stomach. "She is now. She almost wasn't."

Concern makes its way onto Dick's face, his brows furrowing and lips turning downward. "What do you mean?"

"She almost died," Clark says from behind him. "We almost lost her, Dick, because of you."

"Clark," Bruce bites in warning. Clark rolls his eyes and starts pacing again. Bruce addresses Dick. "The Kryptonite that you pulled out on Clark it…" Bruce takes a deep breath. He doesn't like thinking about the fact that he almost lost his little girl. "It had some adverse effects on her. I got sick, I wasn't getting better from being exposed to the Kryptonite like Clark does, and we ended up calling Leslie. She determined that the baby was dying. The only way we could think to save her was to go into the solar bed."

Dick's mouth has fallen open and his eyes have widened. "Oh my… all because… Bruce-" Dick takes a step towards him and Clark growls at the beta in warning. Dick flinches backwards. Dick looks between him and Clark. "Bruce, Clark, I am so, so sorry. I didn't… I didn't mean…" He wipes a hand down his face, his eyes becoming glossy. "I was just trying…" He gestures to Clark. "I didn't want…" Bruce watches his son as the beta struggles to form a complete sentence. With another hand dragged down his face and a long, heavy sigh, Dick shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her. I was just trying to get away from Clark and Kryptonite was the only way I could think of doing so. I-I didn't realize you were-were in the room Bruce, and oh God, what if you had lost her? Bruce-" Dick tries to approach him again and this time when Clark growls at him in warning, the alpha takes a step towards the beta. Dick slinks back, avoiding Clark's eyes in submission. Bruce really hopes Dick doesn't try to come near him again, not without Bruce going to him first. The beta is lucky Clark has lasted this long. A third time disobeying won't be tolerated by the alpha and Bruce won't be able to stop Clark if he chooses to take action.

"Dick, I know you didn't mean to hurt her. I know you love her and that you're looking forward to having a baby sister but what happened, happened. We can't take it back or change it and not talking about it isn't helping either." He sighs. "I know I'm partly to blame for that. I avoided you and made you think you didn't belong anymore, but Dick, you shouldn't have run away either. You should have come to me, or Alfred, or even Jason."

Dick hangs his head. "I know." He looks up. "But I already told you Blüdhaven needs me right now. I didn't just run away for the sake of running away."

Bruce thins his lips. "When I went to your room earlier today and saw that you weren't there, our bond broke completely."

"I know, I felt it," Dick says to the floor.

"Dick, I don't want to lose you. You're my son and I… I love you. You're a part of my pack, no matter what you do. I'll never kick you out of it. But we can't ignore what happened." Clark starts pacing again. "You hurt me, you hurt Clark, and worst of all, you hurt my daughter. I know it was an accident but I'm not going to be able to get past this… quickly." Dick nods, still staring at the floor. "But I don't…" Bruce sighs. "I don't want us to avoid each other anymore. I want you to come back to the Manor and for us to fix our bond."

Dick lifts his head, his eyes following Clark as the alpha paces. "Not getting past it, does that mean not forgiving me?"

Bruce takes a deep breath. "Not necessarily not forgiving but more like… not trusting."

Dick's eyes slide to his. "That's worse than not forgiving me." He smiles faintly. "But I understand and I can accept that." He looks back to Clark. "Clark?" The alpha stops pacing, turning narrowed eyes onto the beta. Clark's agitated scent is filling the room. "I really, truly am sorry." The next thing Bruce knows, is Dick is getting down onto the floor into a submission pose, facing Clark. He kneels on his knees, hands clasped behind his back, and head down.

Bruce looks over to Clark who is looking absolutely confused. Bruce wonders if it's the first time anyone has willingly submitted to him. The poor alpha looks like he is at a complete lost, eyebrows furrowed and head tilted slightly. Clark glances at Bruce and then back to Dick. Dick, after a few seconds of submitting, looks up at Clark from the ground. "I hope someday you can forgive me and trust me again too Clark."

Clark stares at Dick, not saying anything and Dick really should have known better than to expect it to be that easy with an upset alpha, who is pissed at him for endangering their child. Finally, Clark speaks after looking like he doesn't know what to say. "Stand up." Once Dick is stood, Clark turns away and proceeds with his angry pacing.

Bruce watches the alpha lovingly, amused. He huffs a small laugh, turning to Dick. "Give him more time Dick. He might be Superman but he is also an alpha."

Dick smiles at him. "Yeah."

Bruce's smile disappears a second before Dick's does. "Dick, we need to talk about something else." Dick shrugs, avoiding eye contact. "Wally." Dick's head bows once more. "Now that you know about his pregnancy, it's not okay to avoid him too."

"I'm not," Dick is quick to say. "I mean not entirely. We've talked a few times since I found out."

"Wally didn't tell me this."

Dick shrugs again. "I don't know if he tried to see you but apparently, you were a little too busy trying to save your own baby."

Guilt rises in Bruce's chest. He knows it wasn't his fault that he wasn't available for Wally but he still feels like he is responsible and should have been there for the speedster. He swallows the feeling down, burying it as best he can. "What have you two talked about?"

"We haven't really talked about much. Just basically Wally confirming that the baby is mine and what he wants to do."

"The abortion." Dick nods. "And what do you want to do?"

"I…" Dick pauses. He shakes his head. "I'm not ready to be a father Bruce." He looks at Bruce, pain filling his eyes. "And I'm scared and I don't know what to do. Wally's scared as well. He told me about the birth control not really having been working in the first place and that if he did get an abortion, that it would hurt because the anesthetic would run through his system too fast."

"Have you talked to Kori?"

Dick shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. "We're trying to figure out what to do with the baby first."

"I gave Wally a bunch of information on possible decisions to make."

"Yeah, he showed them to me." Dick sighs, leaning against the counter. "I think both of us are pretty much on the same page of not keeping the baby." Dick crosses his arms. "So, then that leaves either Wally getting a painful abortion or giving the baby up for adoption." Dick licks his lips. "I don't know what to do Bruce."

Bruce doesn't say anything at first, thinking. He wants to comfort the beta. "I understand the position Wally is in. His point of view. Wally can talk to me about it as much as he needs. But what I think you need, Dick, is also someone who understands it from your point of view." Bruce looks behind himself and to Clark. "Clark understands exactly what you are going through." Clark stops pacing, glancing over at the two. "And I'm sure he will be willing to listen to you and try and help you through your emotions. Won't you Clark?"

Clark looks from Bruce to Dick. The alpha sighs. "Of course, I'm willing." The alpha finally joins them. His scent is still giving off agitation. "I might be really angry with you right now Dick, but I am willing to help you. Especially since I know exactly what you are going through."

Dick smiles at him. "Thank you, Clark. I really appreciate it."

Clark nods. "I am going to tell you right now, Dick, the first thing and the most important thing you should do as soon as possible is," Dick perks up, "tell Kori." Dick deflates. "If you don't, it's just going to make everything so much worse."

"But how do I tell her? I was cheating on her with someone I don't even love."

Clark looks to Bruce, something shining in his eyes, something like sympathy or maybe even empathy. He turns back to Dick. "Are you sure that's how you feel about Wally?"

Dick looks confused. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"He doesn't know yet," Bruce says.

"Know what?" the beta asks.

Bruce and Clark share a glance, silently deciding who is going to tell the beta. It ends up being Clark. "Just over a week ago, I confessed to Bruce about loving him." Dick's eyes grow wide. "And Bruce admitted to loving me back."

"What?"

Clark holds up a hand to silence him. "We're not mates yet. We decided to take it slow, figure things out first, work through some things." Clark shrugs. "Then possibly become mates."

"But… Lois."

"I do love Lois, Dick, I do and I always will. But I've realized that I love Bruce so much more and that I have loved him all along. That it took something like this to finally make me see it and to accept it." Clark's smile is warm and genuine. "And I am so glad and happy that I've figured it out. Dick, I love Bruce so much but it was hard for me to see that at first because I was with Lois and because I love her. But taking the chance with Bruce, loving him more, is the best thing that could ever happen to me… besides having a baby with him." Bruce chuckles and Clark winks at him. "Even if we're taking it slow, it's still worth it."

Dick shakes his head. "I'm happy for you two, I really am, but that's not happening with me and Wally. First off, Bruce loved you before this whole thing happened. Wally doesn't love me." Bruce refrains from telling Dick that Wally does. It's not his place to tell. "What happened with you two is some kind of miracle for that baby because she'll get both her parents being together and mated. It's not the same for me and Wally. I love Kori and I want a future with her." He becomes sullen again. "Not that that will probably happen now once she finds out."

Clark exchanges another glance with Bruce. Bruce is sure the alpha has guessed Wally's feelings for the beta by now. Clark sighs. "If you say so Dick but you still have to tell Kori. She deserves to know. It won't be easy but it's the right thing to do. Just know, that no matter who you decide to stay with, one of them, Kori or Wally, is going to get hurt. There's no avoiding that."

"I know," Dick says softly. His eyes are trained on the tiling of the kitchen floor. "Can we not talk about it anymore now? I still have to take care of Brother Blood." He gives Bruce a reassuring smile. "I promise I'll come back to the Manor once I do. Then we can start working on our bond again."

Bruce nods. "Okay." Bruce steps towards Dick and Clark stops him with a hand on his shoulder, eyes narrowed at the beta. Clark is back in defensive protective mode it would seem. Bruce reassures him. "It's okay, Clark." Clark lets go of his shoulder and allows him to walk over to Dick. Once there, he pulls the beta into his arms, hugging him close and tight. He feels a spark of their bond, and smiles at the feeling. When he pulls away, he says, "Call me if you need help with Blood. I'll send someone."

Dick smiles at him. "Thanks."

Bruce smiles back, small and loving, then turns back to Clark. "Let's go." They leave through the balcony and Clark carries Bruce home. On the flight back, Clark buries his face into Bruce's neck, taking deep breaths of Bruce's scent. "Are you all right?"

"M'fine," Clark says, muffled. "You smell so pregnant and knowing it's my baby calms me down."

Bruce chuckles, running fingers through the alpha's hair. "Thank you for not beating Dick up or forcing him to submit to you."

Clark lifts his head, glint in his eyes. "Instead he willingly submitted to me."

Bruce smiles mischievously at Clark. "So, how does it feel to be dominate over one of my children? Feeling any closer to being my mate?"

"Two." Bruce raises an eyebrow in question. "I'm dominate over Jason as well."

"That was a forced submission."

"Still makes me dominate over him." Clark looks proud, smirking at Bruce.

Bruce laughs some more. "You shouldn't be proud of that."

Instead of answering, Clark leans down and presses a kiss to Bruce's forehead. When he pulls back, he is looking at Bruce with love in his eyes. "Just knowing you love me back makes me feel closer to being your mate."

Bruce's smile softens and he reaches up to cup Clark's cheek. Suddenly, his headache doesn't seem so bad.

A/N: Thanks for reading!