Chapter 38: Aftermath

Titans Tower

One week later

Beads of sweat dripped down his head as the boy tossed and turned in the bed, the covers crumpling under his tightened grip on them. His eyes shut tight, his body shaking violently as he slept, continuing to battle his dreams.

The man in the corner of the medical bay sat quietly, a watchful eye carefully monitoring the two boys who occupied the medical bay. One who seemed to fight his own thoughts as he continued to twist and turn in the white covers of the bed. The other was deathly still other than the occasional rise and fall of his chest.

Both boys looked like they had seen better days. The more troubled of the two had his left arm bandaged from his shoulder down to his elbow, as well as the side of his torso and ankle. The still, silent boy had his chest securely wrapped under his shirt, a bandaged arm and a leg as well as the side of his head only a few of his injuries.

Rain beat steadily against the large glass windows that overlooked the city. The man sighed and decided to stare out at the black ocean waves, the sight seeming to calm his nerves, not that you could ever tell he was worried.

Suddenly, the troubled boy jolted upwards, gasping for breath as his eyes popped open behind his black and white domino mask. His breathing came out in startled bursts of air as he tried to regain his composure. Glancing down, he eyed the IV that was implanted in his arm, removing it with shaking hands.

He groaned and placed a hand to his mask, rubbing the bridge of his nose, a steady thumping resounding in the back of his head. He fidgeted with the corners of his mask, freezing as the man stood. He let out a small sigh of relief as the man revealed himself as he stepped out of the shadows that slung to the far corners of the room.

"Bruce." Robin breathed as the man walked closer. He quickly realized that the billionaire's black mask lay limply behind his head, blue eyes staring back at the boy. Robin tilted his head up at him in surprise. "It's alright. Door's locked." Bruce explained as he sat down at the foot of the bed. Robin sighed and once again reached for his mask, peeling it away to reveal his own set of blue crystals.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked.

Dick rolled his eyes. "I feel fine! I don't know why everyone insisted I sleep here." He growled. Bruce raised a brow as he glanced at the boy's bandages. "Really...?" He asked as he gave the boy a look he had seen millions of times.

Dick sighed and let his head fall limply against the back of the headboard. "I...I guess they were right." He sighed as his eyes drifted over to the boy who lay in the bed next to him, quickly averting his gaze to stare out the window, an action not going unnoticed by Bruce.

"Quite a team you have here." The man said as he continued to stare out the windows as it continued to rain in slippery black drops that clung to the windows.

Dick let a smile creep onto his face. "Yeah, sometimes you forget it's a team and not an actual family. Sure sometimes we get on each others nerves, but...what family doesn't?" He asked.

Bruce nodded. "Even the newest members?" He questioned.

"Especially our newest members. They make it seem even more like we all belong together. Like a real family." Dick lowered his gaze. "How is everyone?" He asked, gazing back at his old mentor. Bruce smiled slightly. "They're tired, but...everyone is. The Titans East had to go back to Steel City to check on the trouble over there, but said they'd be back to help with reconstruction." He explained.

"Strangely enough, after the battle was over, all of the ghosts disappeared. We couldn't find them anywhere so we assumed they went back to the Ghost World." Bruce explained.

"Zone. It's really more of a zone." Dick sighed, a small smile appearing on his face when Danny had corrected him for making the same mistake.

Bruce nodded and continued. "Most of the Leaguers are back at the Watchtower, making sure there's no trace of the creatures. Diana's still here, helping your teammates. Even though you guys sometimes forget, you're still kids, and let's face it, this battle was hard, even for us." Bruce said as he turned back to the locked door. "Most of your teammates are sleeping now, well...the one's that can sleep."

Dick gazed back at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Bruce sighed. "Most of them are too worried to sleep for more than a few hours. Especially his family." He explained, turning to gaze at the silent boy who lay quietly in the other bed, the steady rhythm of the heart monitor the only other sound in the room.

Dick lowered his head, staring at the mask that lay in his hands. He gently ran his fingers over the stitching on the cloth. Bruce watched as the boy continued fidgeting with his mask, a questioning appearing in his mind. "Have you told anyone?" He asked.

Dick lifted his head to look back at the man. "What?" He asked.

Bruce gazed back at the mask, Dick following his gaze. "Have you told anyone?" He repeated again.

Dick sighed and placed the mask on the bed. "Just one." He turned back to the boy who lay silently on the other side of the room. Bruce nodded. "No one else?" He asked with a small hint of surprise at the edge of his voice. Dick shook his head. "Just Danny."

Bruce nodded, respecting the boy's silence on the subject. Dick raised his head. "H...how is he?" He asked, sadness swelling in his chest as he gazed at his brother. Bruce sighed. "He's stable, but he still hasn't shown any signs of waking soon."

Dick nodded, averting his gaze once more.

"You were asleep for a while. A couple days actually." Bruce said, turning back to the window. Dick's head shot up. "Really?" He asked in shock. Bruce nodded his head. "You're friends were right to bring you in here, though. Your injuries were pretty bad." He explained.

Dick nodded absentmindedly, the low rumbling of thunder heard from outside as the rain continued to beat down on the window, stirring the waves below them. Bruce furrowed his brow at the boy's quiet demeanor, knowing he normally would have at least asked about the progress on the city. "There's something else, isn't there?" He asked.

Dick shook his head, a nervous smile spreading across his lips as he rubbed the back o his neck. "What are you talking about, Bruce. I'm fine." He said, hoping the man would buy it. Bruce cocked a brow. "Dick..." He said in a knowing voice.

The boy sighed, realizing it probably wasn't wise to hide something from the World's Greatest Detective. "I'm just worried, I guess." He said after a while. "Worried about the city, about the rest of the team,...about him."

Bruce nodded in understanding. He sighed as he scooted farther onto the bed, his back perched flat on the headboard next to Dick. "You know, when I first started training you, I had the same fears. I mean, what if you got hurt, or were kidnapped, or worse." He sighed, Dick tilting his head as the man continued.

"But then I realized you had to be the toughest kid in all of Gotham. Not many could say they fought alongside 'The Batman.'" Bruce explained.

"Now...as I was training you, I never expected ghosts and evil talismans, so...you were kind of on your own there." He chuckled, Dick doing the same besides him. "But seeing how you've been able to lead a whole team, understand a group of teens nobody else could, and make this group of misfits into an amazing family, well...no training of mine did that. It was all you." Bruce stated.

"Now, it's common for a leader to worry about everything. After all, it's kind of your job to. But it's also common for leaders to work themselves to the bone, and it's always been something even I've had trouble fixing." Bruce continued. "So...the city. Well, the people are starting to finally return and reconstruction will begin shortly, so you don't have much to worry about there. The team. They're tired, but a little rest should pop them back to normal. And...the boy." He paused and turned his head to gaze at the still figure in the other bed. "He...just needs some time to rest up. It was a hard fight for him."

Dick lowered his head at the last few words. "What if he doesn't, Bruce? What if he doesn't get better?" He whispered quietly, almost too quietly for the man to hear. But he did. Every pain-filled word. "I mean, what if he isn't strong enough? What if I lose him too?!" He shouted, suddenly angry. Bruce sat silently as he waited for the boy to finish letting his frustration out.

Dick took a shuddering breath and raised a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with a shaking hand. Bruce placed a hand on the boy's arm as he pulled him closer. "Listen, Dick. If Danny is anything like the kid I've seen in the past few weeks, then you don't have anything to worry about. He's strong. Strong enough to save us from those creatures. Strong enough to take out Slade. And he's strong enough to pull through now." He said reassuringly to the shaking boy, gently running his fingers through his hair, an action he had used so many times to calm a younger Dick.

The two heroes sat quietly on the bed, the pounding of the rain and crashing of thunder thankfully drowning out the constant sound of the heart monitor. Dick furrowed his brow and pinched the fabrics of the bed with his finger. Bruce tilted his head as he noticed the boy's fingers. He sighed, waiting for the question that always followed the habit.

"Um...listen. About that fight...the one...the one we had before I moved here...to Jump...I...I'm.." Dick stuttered quietly. Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder, the boy looking up in surprise.

"Yeah. Me too." Bruce finished, their minds flashing back to the heated argument that had arisen for the millionth time. The one that led to Dick's departure. The one that sent him down his path. The one Bruce couldn't be happier they had.

Sure he had missed the kid. He had been his first real ward. But seeing how the boy had made it on his own, able to form and lead a functional team and even save the world couple times. It filled him with pride that his boy had come so far, even if they had had to exchange a few biting remarks to get there.

Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, the deep rumbling of thunder following close behind. Dick closed his eyes and rested his head backwards on the headboard behind him. Bruce continued to gently stroke the boy's shoulder, closing his eyes as well as the two heroes peacefully listened to the rain and thunder, all barriers that had been placed between them throughout the years quietly vanishing once more.

The flash of lightning instantly illuminated the room and all its inhabitants as the storm continued. Sam sighed and placed her forehead against the cool glass as she sat by the window, silently watching the waves as they crashed below them as she became lost in her thoughts.

The girl jumped slightly as a hand was placed on her shoulder. Whipping her head around, amethyst eyes mirrored one another as the two girls stared at each other. "How are you doing?" Raven asked as she took a seat next to the goth. Sam glared back at the girl. "In case you haven't noticed, the city is falling apart, our team had become char grilled, and my best friend had to be brought back from the dead! How do you think I'm doing?!" She snarled in anger.

Raven knew her friend was only lashing out to cope with her pain, but she couldn't say it didn't hurt to have one of her best friends snap at her like that. Sam noticed Raven visibly wince and sighed. "Sorry. I'm just..." She fumbled, trying to find the right words to explain everything.

Raven nodded. "I understand. Can't say it's been easy for any of us." She sighed as the girl's gaze traveled over the others that remained in the room.

Beastboy lay on the floor in canine form, blankly staring at the ground in front of him as his chin rested in between his paws. His torso and front paws were bandaged, as well as a few scorch masks here and there.

Valerie sat besides the dog on the floor, her back pressed up against the couch. Dani's head lay across the girl's lap as the halfa slept. Valerie placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and leaned her head backwards as it rested on top of the couch cushions.

Starfire lay sideways on the other side of the couch above Beastboy as she sadly stared out the window, one arm under her head, the other hanging limply off the side of the couch as it gently stroked the green dog's back. She knew she should go rest in her room, but she realized she probably didn't have the energy to walk there, and she certainly couldn't fly in her state of mind, especially since her stomach still churned in fear for Robin and Danny. She sighed, her normally bright hair now dull as a few strands hung down over her eyes as she gazed at the bandages on her wrist and ankle.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt something warm drape over her shoulders. Turning her head, she saw Wonder Woman finish placing the blanket on the girl, a small smile on her face. "You children should go back to your rooms and continue to rest." She said quietly.

Starfire gave her a small smile, nothing compared to her normal ones that were so filled with joy and excitement. "It is alright. I shall continue to wait here."

The woman hesitated, then nodded and left the room once more, intent on speaking with Bruce. Starfire lowered her gaze and rested her head back down onto the couch, gently closing her eyes as she pulled the blanket closer.

Sam sighed, lifting her gaze once more as the doors to the Ops Center slid open. "Central command is back online." Cyborg monotoned, a tone of voice that was seriously uncommon for the robot as he walked over to the tables and took a seat. Tucker trudged in after him. "Controls for the tower were knocked out of placement during the tremors." He explained quietly to the group.

Eyes landing on Sam, Tucker walked over, popping a seat on the windowpane next to her.

"Have you seen Jazz?" The girl asked, Raven lifting her gaze as well, curious to his answer. Tucker sighed. "She's still in her room. Hopefully sleeping." He added. "She's barely gotten any rest this week." He explained. Raven snorted. "Have any of us?" She asked.

Sam and Tucker exchanged looks before lowering their gazes back to the floor right as another crack of lightning streaked across the sky, shortly followed by a crash of thunder. Sam didn't even bother lifting her head once more as the doors slid open once more and the voices of Jack and Maddie reached her ears. "The portal's stable. No side effects from the coming and going of the ghosts." Maddie explained, her voice sounding hollow and tired, mirroring what everyone else was feeling.

Wonder Woman reentered the room once more. "I'm afraid I must be headed back to the Watchtower. Are you sure you do not require anything else?" She asked the group. Maddie raised her head and smiled at the woman. "It's alright. You've already done enough."

The Amazonian nodded as she bid farewell to the rest of the group and flew out of the room. Maddie sighed and walked back over to the tables where Cyborg and her husband sat quietly. "I should head back to the Watchtower as well." A deep voice said from the doorway, one everyone could make out as Batman's without even having to look up. "Yeah, you probably should. We can handle things here." Said another familiar voice, one that made them perk up.

"Robin!" Starfire cried in joy as she leapt from the couch and flew over to the fully-masked boy with open arms, freezing right before she could inflict any damage with her strength. Robin smiled from the doorway, leaning on the side of the wall for support, Batman keeping a guarded eye on the boy to make sure he didn't fall.

Beastboy felt his tail wagging as he ran over, Cyborg quickly getting up from his seat at the table. Raven floated up into the air and joined her teammates as Sam and Tucker walked over together. "Dude, you're up!" Beastboy exclaimed happily as he reverted back into his human form.

Cyborg placed a hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder. "Good to see ya' finally out of that room." He smirked.

Raven lowered her hood. "How long have you been awake?" She asked.

Robin shrugged his shoulder. "About an hour." He quickly scanned his teammates. "How are you guys?" He asked, a hint of concern evident in his voice.

Sam shrugged. "As good as we can be, I guess." She sighed.

Robin nodded. "I assumed so." He glanced back over to Cyborg. "How are the plans for reconstruction of the city? I know the civilians are finally starting to come back so it should start soon, right? He asked the robot, who nodded.

"Yeah. The mayor said it would start in a couple days." A small smirk formed on Cyborg's lips. "Not that they weren't grateful the city wasn't burnt into a crisp, but it was one heck of a 'talk' when they saw the conditions of the city." He said, quoting the word talk as he rolled his eyes.

Robin nodded in understanding. He glanced over to his side to see Starfire bouncing around in excitement as she tried to contain herself. Finally, she lost her internal struggle and flew forward, grabbing Robin's good arm. "Come, Robin! You must relax!" She said as she led the confused boy over to the couch.

Batman watched from the doorway, a small smirk on his face as he watched his son be crowded by his friends. He watched as the boy glanced behind him and made eye contact with his mentor, who nodded a goodbye. Robin smiled and did the same as he turned back to his friends.

Batman lingered for a moment, the swiftly turned and walked farther down the hallway, quickly melting into the shadows that clung to the walls.

2 days later

Dick sighed as he continued to absentmindedly flip through the pages in the book. His eyes scanned over the words quickly until they began to blur together. He groaned and slammed the book closed as he rested his head on the back of the chair.

He rubbed his eyes and turned his head to stare out the widow next to him. The storms had passed, but they left behind a dark grey overcast that shrouded the city in bleak darkness turned cold from the winds.

Glancing down to the book in his hands, Dick sighed and placed it on the ground. For some reason, the thought of reading another page made him feel sick. Not that it was too much of a surprise to him, considering he hadn't picked up a book since he had moved to Jump. He had always loved reading, but it was a pastime he had long forgotten to enjoy.

He glanced down at the mask in his hands, then up at the locked door across the room. He smiled slightly as he rubbed the corners of his mask. He had forgotten what it was like to be Dick for so long. For the past few years, he had always been Robin, but now...

He turned his gaze to the still boy as he lay silently in the bed. Dick sighed. I guess that's why I chose Danny. He thought to himself. I wanted to stop pretending for a moment. I wanted to be me. He realized.

"You know, Danny. Anytime you want to get your lazy butt out of bed would be great." He said quietly. "No? Okay, great. Thanks." He sighed when he received no response, not that he thought he would get one, but still.

Suddenly, a soft knock came from the door, pulling Dick from his thoughts. Quickly placing his mask back on, Robin walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Starfire. The girl smiled softly at him, a hint of concern noticeable in her eyes. "Robin. Are you alright? You have been...distant these past few days." She said. More than usual. She sighed mentally.

Robin smiled back. "Yeah, Star. I'm okay, just a little tired." He lied.

Starfire perked up at that. 'Oh, well maybe we can help rid you of these tired feelings!" She beamed, hopeful for a chance of getting him out of the room. Her hope deflated as Robin continued.

"Sorry, Star. But I'd really rather stay in here." He smiled nervously. "I...I've got a really good book in there and I'd like to finish it up." He said as he stepped back into the room and closed the door before the girl could respond.

Both teens sighed as they leaned against the door.

Starfire lowered her gaze and slowly trudged down the hallway.

Robin sighed and locked the door once more, ripping his mask away in the process, throwing it down next to the book. Dick closed his eyes as he rested his forehead on the closed door as he tried to manage the headache that was now starting to take form.

"A really good book, huh? Look, I know I'm pretty awesome, but you don't have to make up excuses to hang out with me, Dick." Said a hoarse voice from the other side of the room, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Dick's eyes widened as he spun around so fast, Danny was sure he got whiplash. "Danny!" The boy shouted in shock.

" That is my name, at least I think it is...How hard was I hit in the head?" The boy asked with a small smile.

Dick smirked and walked over, taking a seat on the bed next to him. "Pretty hard, you dork. That's why we dodge." He said with emphasis on the last word as if he were speaking to a five year old. Danny rolled his eyes and tried to sit up, only to gasp in pain. Dick furrowed his brow and placed a hand on the boy's unbandaged shoulder. "Take it easy, D. You were banged up pretty bad." He said with a hint of concern as Danny rested his head back down on the pillow.

"How do you feel?" Dick asked, his gaze travelling over the many bandages that wrapped around his brother's body.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Like I was stabbed by a crazy psychopath. So...pretty good." He smirked.

Dick lowered his gaze as he turned away slightly. Danny tilted his head. "Hey, Dick. You good?" He asked, watching as the boy nodded his head with a small smile. Danny narrowed his eyes and nudged the boy in the shoulder. "Don't you lie to me, ya jerk." He smirked. "What's wrong?"

Dick sighed. "Guess you always could pick up on that, huh?" He asked with a small smirk. He furrowed his brow and paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Danny." He finally blurted out. "Slade's been my enemy for a while and I brought you, your friends and your family into this."

Danny felt his face scrunch in confusion. "Dick, this wasn-" He started, only to have Dick sharply cut him off. "Danny! They could have been hurt! You could have been killed. Actually...scratch that. you WERE KILLED!" He shouted as he closed his eyes in anger and frustration.

"You had to be brought back by that crazy gem because we couldn't save you. Because I couldn't save you! I...I-" He shouted, freezing as a pair of arms wrapped him in a hug. "Dude, would you stop being an idiot for a minute and listen to me?!" Danny shouted as he pulled away.

"Nothing could have stopped what happened, not even you." He said with a firm tone. "Besides, it was my decision to take on Slade. Well actually...it was his idea." He said as he began to trail off, chuckling for a moment. "Guess it didn't work out too well for him." He cleared his throat as he realized Dick was gazing at him in confusion.

"Anyway, this had to be the hardest battle I've ever fought. Not because it was hard to defeat Slade...well...it was, but that's not the point. The point is that is was hard because I had so much more to lose. Normally when I used to fight, I was fighting to protect my friends and family. But this time, I was fighting to protect an even bigger family. One I couldn't even begin to imagine loosing!" He stressed as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Dick stayed silent as he gazed back at the boy. "Dick, you may have been worrying about my throughout the battle. But just know i was worrying just as much about you. About everyone else." He sighed. He lifted his gaze to meet Dick's eyes once more, a small smile appearing on his face.

"But hey! I'm here, aren't I. I'm not dead anymore...well not more than usual." He chuckled, causing Dick to smile as well. Glancing down at the boy's bandages, Danny frowned. "See? I told you about your injuries. They were worse than you thought." He said, crossing his arms, wincing slightly at the movement. Dick narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Yeah, like you're one to talk." He said, rolling his eyes. "At least I don't need crutches."

Danny gave him a shocked look. "What are you talking about? I can totally walk!" He shouted back. Dick raised a brow at the boy's statement. "Really...? Want to prove that?" He asked, gesturing to the floor. Danny bit his lower lip as he gazed at the cold floor. He sighed as he glared back at Dick. "Fine, whatever." He groaned.

Dick laughed. "Can't wait to see you hobbling around like a newborn baby deer!"

Danny narrowed his eyes and growled in anger. "Keep talking and you can have a matching set of crutches!" He snarled, causing Dick to laugh even harder, Danny's anger quickly melting away as he joined the laughter.

"He has once again declined to leave the room. He claimed he was reading the 'good book'" Starfire sighed, quoting the air around her as she entered the Ops Center once more.

Cyborg sighed in frustration. "You didn't actually believe him did you, Star?! He's just making up excuses to stay in that room!" The robot shouted in anger as he gazed around to the others in the room as they once again began to have the same argument they had been having for two days straight.

"Well what did you want her to do? Drag him out from the room?" Jazz snapped back, the girl having recently left her room to join the others.

"Well it's better than having him cooped up in that room for the rest of the month, maybe more! I mean, who knows how long it'll be until Danny wakes up!" Beastboy growled, instantly regretting bringing up Danny as many people in the room visibly flinched, especially Jack and Maddie, who sat quietly in the corner of the room, keeping quiet as the teens argued.

"You all have to admit Robin's been really distant lately." Cyborg stressed.

Sam sighed. "Well yeah. Who the heck hasn't?!" She shot back. "This hasn't exactly been the best week for us, for any of us!"

The others continued to get louder as they argued, making Raven's anger flare. "Enough!" She growled. "Fighting over this isn't going to solve anything."

Cyborg grit his teeth. "Well if you're so tired of the fighting, then come up with a solution, Miss Sunshine!" He snarled in anger.

Raven narrowed her eyes as she took a calming breath and once again spoke in her usual monotone. "I already gave my answer to this problem. We leave Robin alone. He's dealing with this in his own way, so leave him alone and let him deal with it." She growled.

Tucker furrowed his brow. "Do you really think that's healthy, Raven? I mean, come ON! He's barely left that room all day!" He shouted back to the rest of the group.

"It's also not healthy to dwell on everything that's happened. But wait! That's exactly what we're doing!" Valerie shouted from the couch, Sam nodding in agreement.

The room exploded in different Titans giving their different opinions, each trying to drown out the other as they fought (or at least as loud as Raven can get). They continued to bicker until one single voice broke through them all. Everyone, even those who weren't arguing, froze as the soft snarky voice sliced through the air with the humorous tone they had all been missing.

"Is this a bad time? This is probably a bad time. You see Rob, I never know when to jump into these things." Danny said casually as he stood in the doorway, a pair of crutches under his arms, Robin smirking besides him.

Nobody moved as their brains tried to catch up to what was happening. Finally, they all started to slowly turn around to face the two smiling boys.

DANNY!" They cried simultaneously as they all rushed the doorway. Robin laughed as Danny was bombarded in hugs and frantic crowding.

"Dude, you're okay!" He shouted happily. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously as he glanced down at the boy's crutches. "More or less." He grinned. Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm super." He sighed with a small smile.

Maddie leaned down and wrapped him in a hug, Jack and Jazz doing the same. His body ached from the embrace, but he didn't have it in his heart to tell his family to let go. "My baby boy!" Maddie smiled.

"Mom!" Danny whined, hoping Robin and the others hadn't heard. He really didn't need to give them any ammunition.

Pulling away, Starfire flew up. "Our turn!" She cried, wrapping the boy in a large hug, pulling the other Titans into it as well, including Valerie and Dani.

"Guys...can't...breathe!" He gasped out from the center of the pile. The others quickly retracted and mumbled apologies.

"Dude, one more scare like this and we're all going to have heart attacks!" Tucker gasped, clutching his heart for added effect. Danny rolled his eyes at his friends antics, lowering his gaze as Sam and Jazz walked forward. "Hi..." He said nervously, knowing the girls must have been worried the most. Sam grinned, punching the boy in his uninjured shoulder.

"Hey, easy on the punches! I don't have a lot of healthy body parts left." He whined, rubbing his arm.

"That was for scaring us." The goth replied.

Jazz rolled her eyes and kissed the boy on the forehead. "And that's for saving us, little brother." She said with a smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Maybe we should go sit down." Robin said as he noticed Danny beginning to sway on his feet. The others nodded in agreement and backed away as Robin and Jack led Danny over to the couch, the others following behind.

"So...what's the last thing you remember?" Valerie asked as they all became situated on and around the couch.

Danny furrowed his brow as he tried to piece together the scattered memories. "Umm...I remember removing the gem...light...fire...crashing to the ground...and dying, which by the way, I don't recommend." He sighed with a small smile. "Then...it's all fuzzy after that. Although, I thought I heard whispering." He said, scratching his head in confusion.

The others gazed around n confusion, unsure of what the whispering could have been. Danny suddenly perked up as a question popped into his mind. "Where is the gem anyway?" He asked the group before him.

"We placed it in the safe room we built for Raven a little while back. It should be safe there." He explained.

Danny nodded and sighed in relief. "Good, the last thing we need is some other crack-pot getting their hands on it." He groaned, imagining what they would have to do if it fell into the wrong hands once more.

Beastboy pouted as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, they wouldn't even let me play with it." He sighed, everyone giving him looks that clearly said 'are you serious?'

Danny shook his head with a small smile as Danielle flew forward. Thankfully, he didn't see too many injuries on her. "You're not gonna die again, are you?" She asked with a small smile, but everyone could tell she still held some fear in her eyes.

Danny smiled and patted the girl's shoulder. "I'm fine Dani. Not going anywhere." He smirked, nobody noticing the looks Jack and Maddie gave each other.

Raven flew closer as she noticed the boy wince whenever he would try and move. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Danny sighed. "Well I have a headache like nobody's business, my leg is killing my, my chest is on fire, my shoulder feels like someone ripped it off and tried to put it back on again, and the rest of my body looks like I ran through a burning oven for an hour. So...pretty good." He said, rolling his eyes.

Robin smirked and placed an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Yet your smart mouth is still in tact." He sighed.

Danny gave him a toothy grin. "Please, as if anyone could stop that." He snorted, making a face at the Boy Wonder, who ruffled the boy's hair in response.

Cyborg jumped up from his spot on the couch. "Alright ya'll! The bad guys are toast. The city is saved, and we're all back together again! If this doesn't call for a party, then I don't know what does!" He beamed as Beastboy, Starfire, Tucker and Dani jumped up as well and ran to the kitchen to go get started.

Danny and Robin gave each other the same look before leaning back on the couch in fits of laughter, catching enough breath to get up and go join them, the rest of the team following.

Jack and Maddie watched as the large group of teens laughed as they prepared the food, Danny and Robin sitting at the counter, throwing in their advice every now and then. The adults actually had to duck away once the food fight started, although they could hear everyone laughing, including their son.

They turned back to each other, meeting eyes for a moment, before they both nodded in agreement. It was set, and nothing would change their mind.

Dun, DUN, DUNNNN! What did the Fentons just agree to? Have they decided to let Danny stay, or are they gonna force him to come back to Amity?
Can you all decipher what they meant?

Anyway, this chapter was longer than I originally thought it would be. Oh well. Happy accident.

So...find out what happens next on The Ghostly Titan.