A/N Felt guilt that I hadn't posted in a while (finals suck!) so I decided to quickly answer one of my request emails! A few people have actually asked questions about Amber. What happened to her Mom and how did she loose her sight? Sorry I couldn't do a more detailed piece, but I only really have this evening before I have to continue my piece on analysing the psychoanalytic context in Peter Pan! It is as boring as it sounds. If you don't know who Amber is then you need to go back through this series ;) Tigger warning! Mentions of Cancer and death.

Nightwing sighed. How long was this meeting going to go on for?

'So we're in agreement that liberty island should be rebuild as an exact replica?' asked Superman

'Yes we agree!' Exclaimed the oldest of the bat children, 'we've been arguing over this for nearly 3 hours!' All members of the League turned to him.

'Sorry,' he said, 'since Batman retired I've been a little stressed.'

'Dude you need to chill.' said Flash, patting his best friend on his shoulder. 'Take a break before the stress kills you.'

'Thanks Flash but at the moment I'm fine as long as there's nothing more to surprise me.' It was at that moment that his phone rang. 'Hello….T calm down. I can't understand a word your saying. Put dad on the phone….hi…' The league watched as he turned pale . 'I'll be right there.' He stood up and Flash caught his arm.

'What's wrong?' But Nightwing couldn't answer.

'He's hyperventilating!' cried Wonder Woman, 'Some one get a bag!'

But Flash simply slapped him across the face, leaving everyone looking shocked. The ebony stared for a moment before thanking him. Flash urged him to explain the phone call.

'Cassy has just gone into labor. He then ran from the room, Wally soon caught up to him.

'Dude you still in your suit!'

'Doesn't matter, I need to get there!'

Wally grabbed his arms. Bring him voice down to a soothing tone. 'Dick, we will get you there but you need to calm down. Your no good to Cassy in this state. Now go and get changed I'll get everything sorted in Gotham to get you to the hospital.'

'Thank you.'

10 minutes later Nightwing, now Dick Grayson had zeta beamed to Gotham and was now on his bike heading for the hospital with Wally's promise that he would meet him there. Once in the ward he saw Bruce and Tim.

'Bruce, how is she?'

'She's close, get in there now!'

Dick ran with Tim to Cassandras room. Upon entering he saw his fiancee friend lying on the hospital bed, sweat clinging to her forehead with pain.

'Dick!' she cried, reaching out for his hand.

'I'm here, I'm here' he said cradling her.

'Ahhhhhh' she cried clinging to him. Dick paled slightly as he watched the Doctors work and heard his fiancee scream in pain. He started to sweat and sway slightly. It was one thing seeing blood and hearing screams of pain with wounds caused by violence. But this was different, the woman he loved was in agony because of him, but it wasn't a wound, it was...a person...

'Are you alright Sir?' one Nurse asked. Cassy looked up at him, eyes wide with a crazed expression.

'Richard John Grayson don't you dare pass out on me! Ahhhhhh'

Dick kissed her hand, taking a deep breath and pulling himself together. 'Not planning on it.'

Meanwhile Wally, Artemis, Barbra Gorden and M'gann turned up in civvies and sat waiting in the relatives room with Bruce and Tim.

'Its going to be weird having a kid around again.' said Artemis sadly ,thinking about her niece, Lian who had been killed during a drug bust. With a Mother like Jade, the poor kid had never really had a chance.

'Hey, come on it's a happy occasion. Lian would have wanted you to be happy that her Uncles Dicks having a baby.' Said Wally and she smiled at him. 'Speaking of kids…' he started.

'Don't even think about it Baywatch.'

At that moment the door opened and Dick came out with a little bundle, everyone stood.

'It's a girl.' he practically whispered. They all crowded round him each taking a look a the beautiful baby in his arms, hearing the commotion the little girl opened her eyes to reveal sparkling blue sapphires.

'She has your eyes.' said Artemis, practically melting at the sight of the infant, she turned to Wally. 'ok maybe we can talk about it…later.'

Wally smiled and looked back at his niece, vibrating with excitement.

'Whats her name?' asked Babs.

Dick smiled, 'Amber Hope.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

3 years later

'Hey Flash I have a question.'

'What is it Wing?' Flash turned his head from the TV too look at his best friend who, too put it bluntly, looked stressed.

'Which would you prefer? Taking down a psychopath or looking after a 3 year old?'

A few of the others who were sat around the TV looked up at the darker of the two in confusion.

'That depends,' said Flash, 'which Psycho?"

"Royal Flush gang."

Flash's eyes widened. 'Hell no, I'll take your 3 year old any day.'

Nightwing seemed to sigh in relief. 'I was hoping you would say that.' He turned his face behind him. 'Amber you're staying with Uncle Wally!'

The team heard a joyful, 'yay' and the little girl came running round the corner into her uncles arms. The little girl was a splitting image of her mothers facial features, but her long black hair and deep blue eyes indicated she could be no other than Dick Grayson daughter.

'Thanks Wally!' Dick was gone.

'Uncle Wally, look look I lost a tooth!' The child opened her mouth and pointed to the gap in her front teeth. Wally frowned, were kids meant to lose teeth at 3?

'How did you do that Ambie?' he said, the nickname making the little girl giggle.

'I was jumping on daddy when he was asleep, I fell off.' She said, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

Wally rolled his eyes, the girl was so clumsy. He had no idea which side of the family she got that from, both her parents were extremely well balanced. Speaking of which...'Where's your mom today? She normally looks after you when your dad's working.'

The child's smile falter for a few seconds, but was replaced. Connor, who was listening into this conversation, couldn't help but be reminded of Nightwing when he saw the fake smile.

'She's in the hospital again.' she said quietly. Wally internally kicked himself at super speed. Amber's mother had a rare form of cancer that she had been living with all her life, it was starting to get worse.*

'Come on sweetie.' The red clad hero said hugging her, 'lets go get some icecream.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

1 year later

M'gann and Connor were in the kitchen as they usually were on their days off, their relationship might not have been what it once was, but they were getting there now. The TV was quietly humming while they baked.

'Breaking news, there has been a harmful gas leakage in Gotham city, most of the effected area had been evacuated however the first place to be hit without warning was a Kinder garden in the west of the city. Naomi Banks is reporting from Gotham care Kinder garden. Naomi?'

The screen turned to the scene and a woman dressed in pink. Connor paused turning it up slightly.

'Thank you Mark, I'm here on the very edges of gas leak, and if you look behind me you can see the Kindergarden. I can confirm that off the class of 30 with 2 teachers, most were killed by the gases. I can however confirm one child is currently alive, although is been treated in intensive care.'

Connor looked worriedly at M'gann

'Isn't that Amber's school?' After sharing horrified looks they rushed to the zeta beam, transporting to Gotham and taxing to Gotham royal Hospital.

'Hi, I'm looking for Amber Hope Grayson, I'm her Aunt.' M'gann held her breath, she had to be here, she couldn't be dead.

'She's in intensive care at the moment, but her parents are waiting just down the hall.' Relive washed over them both, it was her who had survived. Just as the receptionist had said down the corridor was Dick and Cassy. Dick looked like was was going to either throw up or kill someone and Cassy…looked sick. It was hard to believe that only a few years ago, she had looked so healthy, her long hair reaching down to her lower back, her skin glowing with Motherhood. Now she was pale, skinny, her hair just starting to grow back from her latest round of chemo. They sat in silence for a while, no one knowing what was going on. Finally a doctor came out.

'We've manage to get her stable and she's awake, but I'm afraid it was her eyes that came out worse. She's beginning to lose her sight. It won't be long now.' Dick and Cassy walked in and cradled their little girl.

'Mommy, Daddy?' she said weakly, 'It's getting dark, is it night time?' The tears were falling from both parents eyes.

'No sweetie. You're just going to be seeing the world in a different light. And you'll be able to see it better than anyone else. You'll be able to see past all the lies.' Cassy watched in silent horror as her little girls beautiful blue eyes, the blue that was a replica of the colour that had made her fall in love with Dick, started to become unfocused. The last thing Amber saw was her mother's sad smile.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

4 years later

Does it always rain at funerals? Dick thought to himself as he held his little girl in his arms tightly as he watched the coffin slowly being lowered into the ground.

'Daddy?' Dick took a deep breath to pull himself together before looking into the blind eyes of his daughter.

'Yes Amber?'

'Will we ever be with Mommy again?' Dick couldn't hold in the sob and he felt a hand on his. Bab's was there holding herself up on her crutches beside him. She was always there when he needed her, giving him strength.

'Yes Sweet heart. She's gone to be with Grandpa and Grandma Grayson. We'll be with her again one day.'

'I miss her.'

'I know. I miss her too.' He turned away as they began piling the dirt onto the coffin. Cassy had fought her battle, but she had grown tired and in the end, Dick had had to tell her it was alright to go. And now he was alone with a whole new battle ahead of him. But he was tired too, it was time to rid himself of the old chains that kept drowning him. No more, he could do it no more.

After twenty one years, Nightwing was finished.

* Reference to my story 'Last Two Standing.'

A/N And there is a brief over look of Amber's beginning. If you've read my Road Trilogy then, you'll know that the story is a little different, but this is how I originally planned the characters, but at the time my friend died of cancer and so I changed the story line. If you would like to read more about Amber then just let me know. And if you have any story ideas then feel free to PM me! I do work my way through your requests! Please Review! Karin xx