YAY! Finally got the chapter done! And it's another Shrink chapter! Wave good bye to... oh you'll see. Now I can finally work on story 100! Note: I don't think all shrinks are this way. just this character. it's long and has action and it gets a bit depressing near the end, so brace yourselves. Enjoy! If you can...B]

Dick-17 Damian-3

Baaaad Shrinkie...

Dick was bored looking through the college pamphlets Bruce got him. Had he not been kidnapped just after last term, he'd be graduating a year early that night. He would be registered for Gotham University for the next year before looking at other schools to go to when he turned 18. But thanks to Deathstroke, he had to take his last semester when the rest of the kids his age were starting their first. He wasn't even sure if he'd walk when he graduated.

Sighing heavily, he tossed the one for Metropolis aside and just stared at the pile on the coffee table. Laying on the couch in the family room and waiting for his shrink to arrive was boring! It'd be another two hours before his siblings got back from their last day of school and Dami was still napping. House arrest really, really sucked.

Bored out of his skull, the teen's eyes drooped shut, letting him slip into unconsciousness. Naps like these were becoming quite common lately, especially since his nights were frequently rough. Even having Damian and/or Tim sliding into bed with him didn't stop the nightmares from coming. He almost wished he was seeing his parents dying in his dreams again; at least those nightmares were consistently the same. The ones he was having now were always warping and changing. Maybe he should talk to Dr. Tolo about them...

He sensed the presence before it leapt onto him, identifying it easily. Waking easily, Dick comically grunted when Damian slammed into his stomach. Had it been anyone else, they'd be halfway across the room within seconds. "OOF! What the..."

"Wakey wakey!" Damian grinned on top of him, slapping him with batkitty once for good measure. "Wet's pway!"

"Must we?" He gave the kid a pouting, pleading look, sneaking a glance at the clock. That shrink should be there soon. Dr. Tolo thought they weren't making any progress at her office with the others visiting, so they decided to do a home visit. She should be there any second. "I have to argue with the wacko lady again."

"Awwww..." The toddler pouted, folding his arms dramatically. "But I wanna pway!"

"In a bit." Above them they could hear the doorbell ring. Smirking to himself, Dick pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around his baby brother. It made it ten times easier to get off the couch. "But for now, we need to greet the court appointed psychiatrist. Let's see if we can beat Alfred to the door, kay?"

"Okay!" The teen set the kid back down on the ground and chased after him towards the front door, both of them laughing. For a brief moment he thought he saw Alfred coming out of the servant's quarters (ie, his apartment), but the butler must have let them have their fun and get the door. This alone was cause for celebration. Damian made it to the door first, and screamed it for all to hear. "I WIN!"

"Darn it!" Dick snapped his fingers, faking his disappointment. Sighing heavily, he reached for the handle. "Guess you're just too fast for me Dami. Hold on while I let the lady in."

The kid giggled while he pulled the door open and greeted his other warden. Man he had too many... Before him stood the woman he'd seen once a week for about a month, and each time felt like he had to be on his guard. He always had a good sense about people, and even after a month he didn't feel safer around her.

Seeing her now in a bigger than it should be suit, the prickling on his neck intensified. And it wasn't just the owl pin on her lapel that freaked him out. Still, he had to let her in, no matter what warning bells were flying through his head. "Hey there Dr. Tolo!"

"Richard." She looked past him to the interior of the house. "May I come in?"

Within seconds the pit of his stomach tightened as he sized her up. If he was right, he'd have to be quick. How he prayed he was wrong. Still he put on a smile and opened the door a little wider. "Of course. C'mere Dami. We better tell Alfred we've got a guest."

Not waiting for an answer from the kid, the teen swooped down and picked the kid up, keeping a firm grip on him. Glancing at a mirror in the foyer, he sized up the woman again. He could swear he saw the outline of something he did not want to see in her clothes. Keeping the kid close, Dick went over to a nearby intercom to alert the adult in the house. "Alfred, Dr. Tolo is here. We'll be having our session in the parlor and I have Damian with me. Don't forget to apply hospitality rule 2 to our guest okay?"

There was a moment's pause on the other end of the com, which eventually crackled back into life. "Very well sir."

"Hospitality rule 2?" Dr. Tolo raised an eyebrow as he went back to guiding her into the house. Damian gave him a confused look too, but it was kept very easily out of view.

Dick grinned. "We used to play spy games all the time around here and made codes for everything. Hospitality rule 2 is about offering drinks and snacks to people. Alfred's memory's been a bit strained lately but he remembers all the codes we used. I hope you like tea and crumpets. He's British."

"One of the best things about Britain was the tea," the woman agreed, smiling to herself. The teen returned the smile then kept his back towards her, shielding Damian from view. How he prayed he was wrong. "It really helps loosen the tongue, don't you think?"

"Sometimes all too well."

"I've been meaning to ask you a few questions Richard," the psychiatrist started. There was something in her voice that creeped him out.

"About what?"

"In our sessions, you've never talked about your captor."

"I talked about him plenty." His eyes narrowed dangerously. Why was she bringing him up? "He was a sadistic, obsessive, workaholic who wanted an obedient lacky, claiming he wanted an apprentice. He didn't listen for a moment when I said I wasn't interested. The guy couldn't even keep a marriage together. What would make him think he could make an unwilling participant into his loyal apprentice? Can't even stand the word now..."

"But he took care of you, didn't he?" They were finally in the family room, where everyone walked through in order to reach the rest of the house. The stairs were in sight, along with a lot of other rooms and hallways. Just how fast could he sprint down one of these? "Clothed you, bathed you, taught you valuable lessons-"

"I have PTSD because of those things thank you." Dick snapped a glare towards her, holding a squirming Damian a little closer. The kid was starting to put up a fuss at being contained like this. Too bad. The outline he saw earlier wasn't there anymore. Had he imagined it? "I rather not think too much about it."

"But didn't Slade Wilson teach you some amazing skills?" Tolo cocked her head to the side, a spark in her eye he didn't like. Warning bells blared in the teen's mind. When they first met, he wasn't sure they were real. This time he knew. "He's one of the best assassins in the world. Anyone would want to be his apprentice."

"Like you?" That stilled her in a moment. He looked at her seriously for the first time that day, maybe since the day they met. "I never said his name or his profession. You weren't supposed to know any of the particulars about the case."

Dr. Tolo forced a smile, faking sweetness. "I have ways of learning the truth."

"Maybe," Dick conceded, "but why are you carrying a gun?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the teen was off, sprinting towards the stairs. He took a hard left, rolling behind some furniture, just as a bullet whizzed past his shoulder. Three more followed after him, but they were easily dodged as Dick went for cover instead of the stairs now. More shots hit the floor and furniture, causing Damian to scream in shock. Keeping the kid protected and from seeing it was his main priority. Second was holding out long enough for help to arrive.

Eventually the shots stopped, long enough for the woman to reload at least. Time to get more answers. Throwing his voice, Dick hid behind one of the couches, clutching his baby brother to his chest. "So this was your plan all along wasn't it! Try and get me alone! And after a few sessions, shoot me dead!"

"Part of the plan, yes." He could hear the woman glaring, trying to find the source. "No one else had to die Richard."

"And why do I, eh? Why do you want me dead?!" He looked around, praying there weren't any reflective surfaces nearby that would give away his position. "Can't be because I kicked your cat!"

"You got my Slade arrested. Destroyed his flawless reputation." There was a click telling him the gun she was using was reloaded. Crap. Keep her talking.

"Your Slade?! You one of his lovers?! Cuz you sure ain't his ex!"

"He was perfection!" Her deranged howls were getting closer. Not good. "He offered to make you just as perfect and you threw it back in his face! You are a traitor who must be eliminated!"

"So you're one of Deathstroke's crazy groopies?!" Groaning, he leaned back his head to the couch's soft cover behind him. "Just my luck. I'm a target of an insane fangirl assassin. I heard you people were scary, but going into psychology just to get a date-"

"Don't flatter yourself!"

"Is Tolo even your real name?! Or did you steal some poor lady's identity?" Another set of shots roared over his head, possibly ending all discussion. Keeping a tight hold on Damian, Dick did his best to keep him calm. He had to protect his baby brother. The shots were getting closer. He had to think fast and get them away! He had to-

A deafening shot from a completely different gun went off, ending all the others. It stopped his breathing, allowing him to hear something large fall to the floor in a dead heap. A large shell casing fell to the ground, echoing in the building. What happened?

"What a mess... Master Richard." Alfred's voice ended the silence and brought him back to reality. Alfred was there. Of course Alfred was there. Why wouldn't he be? "Please take Master Damian back to the nursery for the next hour. I need to make an important phone call."

"R... Right..." Shell shocked, Dick forced himself back to his feet, keeping Damian's eyes on his chest and not over his shoulder. Though the teen had an idea what was behind him, he was not about to let himself see what happened. He'd seen enough death.

Was she...

"And please take the secondary staircase." The butler's calm tone was a bit scary, but it got the job done.

"Yes Alfred." Not waiting for any more orders, Dick sprinted down a hallway and out of sight of the crime scene, and he didn't stop until they were in the safety of the toddler's bedroom. Once inside, he changed his grip on his brother, bolted the door shut, then flopped himself into the rocking chair. A sobbing scared and confused Damian looked up to him imploringly, both wondering what happened and too frightened to ask.

All his big brother could do was hold onto him, kiss his head, and murmur that everything would be alright. Everything would be alright. Everything would be alright...

Dick tried his hardest to completely ignore the arguments and debates around him. The coroner and the forensic teams were gone, taking 'Dr. Tolo' with them, and Alfred's shotgun. His parole officer was in a debate with the commissioner, while Alfred finished updating Bruce after he dropped the others off with Leslie. Their Uncle Clark was also in the building, ensuring security for the kids, while a dozen officers secured the manor. They were done taking statements. Now they were figuring out what to do.

Marshal Tyler Miller ran a hand through his hair for probably the tenth time, finally seeing the seriousness of this situation. "We really should consider protective custody. Richard's a key witness against Wilson. He's likely to try this again."

"I wouldn't know," Gordon murmured, looking over to the teen. Up until that point, they kept him out of the gritty details of his case. "If this man is as good as you say he is, I don't think protective custody would help."

"You don't know how good witness protection is."

"All I know is that I've lost a lot of good witnesses while in the system whenever they tried to start fresh." The older officer shook his head. "This... Slade Wilson... he's supposed to be the best right? What's to stop him from sending-"

"He didn't send her." Dick kept a hold of himself as he rubbed his eyes, hoping to get rid of the images in his head. He didn't have to see the woman's body to know what a corpse looked like. The teen was having difficulty looking at Alfred at the moment and that really disturbed him. Alfred was amazing and kind, but he had absolutely no problem shooting that assassin in their family room. Though he knew the man owned a gun, he never thought of the man as capable of killing. "She... she was one of his groupies."

"Groupie?" They all stared at him now. Other than giving his statement and asking how the others were, he hardly said a word. He knew they were worried about him. Who could blame them? His shrink tried to kill him. He was in the room when his butler shot her dead. His entire brain was a jumble.

"You don't become a world class freelance assassin without gaining some fans." The wary youth kept his hand on his chin, looking at the floor not too far off, yet away from everyone. "Slade... he... She thought that I was a traitor for turning him in. She wanted revenge on his behalf. Deathstroke wouldn't send someone after me. He'd kill me personally and made sure I suffered.

"But he was defeated," he continued. "He lost fair and square. I spared his life when I could have killed him or left him to die. Slade's a lot of things, but he's not petty. Not like this. He wouldn't send someone after me, and I seriously doubt he'll be coming after me any time soon. Even if he escaped custody." He looked up to Miller explaining everything best he could before the man could object. "Unlike a lot of the criminals around here, he's got a code of honor. He stretched it when he infected everyone with those probes, but he won't be going after me a second time unless he's hired to or I get in the way of some job. Not while I'm here."

"She was a free agent." Bruce summed up what he was saying, his eyes falling on his son pityingly. Dick did not want to keep seeing that look on his father's face. "She acted on her own. Probably assumed someone else's identity just to get close to you."

"So what do we do?" Gordon looked over to Miller, wanting to get to the bottom of this quickly. They had to get on with their lives. "WITSEC has moles and you know it. Especially in Gotham. Or from Gotham."

Miller sighed, running his hand through his hair once again. "I have no idea. We'll have to talk to the judge over your case, and you can't go unprotected before the trial."

"I'll tighten security around here," Bruce promised. "Been thinking of ways to improve the system here."

"What about a bodyguard?" The marshal looked around, hoping for some kind of support. "You could hire a few security guards, maybe even someone on the same level as Slade."

"I can protect myself," Dick insisted, looking back up once more. He really could. If that crazy groupie didn't have a gun firing at him AND Damian, he could have taken her out. "It's everyone else I'm worried about."

Miller shook his head, trying to toss it aside. "If another assassin-"

"I don't think we'll have to worry about other assassins." Everyone looked over to Bruce as he made his stance clear. His eyes were locked on Dick as he made it plain. "Damian was in the crossfire."

Donning came to both Dick and Alfred. "Oh."

"Oh?" The officers of the law gave them curious looks. "What do you mean by 'oh'? Assassins would consider him a casualty of war and dismissed it."

Sighing heavily, the CEO looked over to Commissioner Gordon apologetically. "I never told you about his mother's side."

Gordon became even more confused. "Talia Head right? She was the woman you nearly married after all."

He nodded, then explained. "Her father is a major player in the criminal underworld. He particularly has weight over the assassin and mercenary network."

Their guests' jaws dropped clear open, stunned to say the least. "She was-"

"I didn't know about her relations until much later," Bruce insisted, covering himself from any allegations. "Talia let me have custody of Damian to keep him safe from those who intended to harm our son. I didn't know about him until he was eighteen months old, and he was her best kept secret. That being said, this information does not leave this room.

"Putting that aside, his grandfather has kept tabs on him, and the rest of us. No doubt he's already heard about this attack." The man swallowed as other ideas crossed his mind. "Until now, they have had standing orders to leave us alone. If other assassins try to kill Dick while he lives here or is anywhere near Damian, I'm certain they will be executed."

A heavy air filled the room, putting doom into the officers' hearts. Miller put it together quite nicely. "There's going to be a lot of blood around here then."

"Or anywhere." Rubbing his temples, Gordon sighed. "Is there any way to end this? Quickly and without anyone else dying?"

"Crossing Talia's father will be a large deterrent," Bruce stated evenly. "He's very influential in the criminal underworld. The only other thing I can think of," he looked over to Dick, not liking the option, "is if Wilson escapes custody."

"No..." It felt like a blow, one almost as bad as Alfred shooting that lady. Slade Wilson could not go free. Not after everything he put him through, put everyone through. He had to stay behind bars. He couldn't...

"As Dick said," the man continued as if he didn't hear him, "he has a sense of honor. He can call off the fans and- DICK!"

Not wanting to hear any more, Dick leapt from his chair and bolted out of the room. Suddenly the study didn't feel safe anymore. As fast as his feet could go, he ran to the next safest place he could think of: his bedroom. He didn't bother to slam the door closed and lock it; he just ran inside and to his bed, grabbing Peanut and shaking as he held her close.

This was not happening. His psychiatrist wasn't a crazy killer. Alfred wouldn't hurt anyone. Bruce would never suggest letting Slade go, for any reason. This couldn't be happening, not after everything he survived. This had to be a nightmare. Please let it be a nightmare!

Honestly he didn't know how long he was curled up on his bed, smothering his tears and sobs with the stuffed elephant, but he instantly alerted to the sound of someone else in the room. Faster than the eye could blink, he grabbed the book on his nightstand and chucked it at the intruder, only taking a glance to assess and calculate trajectory. Thankfully it was Bruce who entered and caught the book before it could land a stunning blow.

His father frowned, looking over his panicked son with some misgivings. "Should I be glad you don't keep knives in here?"

Feeling a little guilty but not about to be stopped, Dick started screaming. "How could you even suggest letting Slade go?! After everything he did! After he-"

"Dick, calm down." Bruce slowly approached the bed, which only made the teen leap to his feet.

"He was ready to kill everyone Bruce! He put probes in Damian! And Tim! And Jason! And Cass! AND the-"

"I know very well what he did Dick."

"Teen Titans! He would have gotten you and Alfred too! That thing is a menace! He... He..." Head spinning and breathing ragged, he dropped the toy and ran his hands through his hair in a panic. "And you said he should go free?!"

"I merely stated an observation Dick. I didn't say it was an option."

"HE TORTURED ME!" Tears racked his frame, driving him further and further into an anxiety attack. "For nearly three days he had me locked in a dark cell! Hosed me down! Stripped and starved me! Lectured me until I conformed to his wishes! The next chance I had, I was gonna kill him!"

Desperation mixed with the panic inside him as he revealed what he never told anyone. More than the extreme training, more than the threats, those three days drove him to his knees. Bruce watched him in silence, letting him shout it out. Pleas poured out of the lad like tears, tearing him apart inside. "I can't... I can't... he can't get out Bruce. He can't be allowed to roam free. I think... If I ever see him again... outside prison... I think I really will..."

Choking on his words, Dick cringed and looked down, ashamed of himself. How could Bruce even say the possibility might make things better for them? He couldn't take it. The past six hours were a nightmare! He could take being shot at, but that last shot... then the interviews and the arguments...he was headed for a meltdown.

"Dick, sit down."

Automatically, the teen walked back to the edge of his bed and obeyed, his breathing ragged. He couldn't think. He couldn't... Bruce knelt down in front of him, looking him in the eye and taking his hands. "Breathe. Slowly."

Dick tried his hardest to obey, shaking the entire time. Now that his hands were being held still, he could tell just how panicked he was. It just didn't seem to matter that much to him. The entire day was just too much for him. All he wanted was for things to be right again. Why wouldn't the universe just let things be right? Closing his eyes in pain, he put his head on his protector's shoulder, wishing he wasn't so weak. Maybe if he was stronger, none of this would have happened.

"He can't get out Bruce," the teen murmured, barely heard by the man. "He just can't."

"He won't."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Tell that to Arkham."

Silence stayed with them for a long time, letting the boy's heart rate fall back into a normal rhythm, and for a whopping headache to strike the teen. Honestly he felt dizzy, as if he got up, he'd faint. So he just stayed where he was. He needed rest to feel better.

"When you left, we talked about other necessities." Bruce's voice stayed at a low, soothing murmur, letting Dick open his eyes but not feel the anxiety he had before. "Miller and I agreed to talk to the judge, find out how Dr. Tolo was assigned to you, and then arrange for another psychiatrist to come to Gotham, someone well established and public."

"Can I get the nice lady from before?"

That made the man smile. "We'll try."

"I liked her."

"Same here." There was a pause, then a sigh. "Dick, is there something else you want to talk about? Something you're not telling me?"

A stab of fear returned to him, but he tried to clamp it shut. He said nothing for a long moment, then answered. "Alfred... he..."

"Ah." Bruce seemed to understand without any more explanation. "You remember Alfred used to be part of Britain's Special Forces right?" Dick nodded against his shoulder, which turned more into a nuzzle. "He had to learn to shoot then. He doesn't talk about it much, but I know he did more than paperwork. He used his acting troupe for a cover on some assignments."

"What?" This popped the kid's head up to look him in the eye. He hadn't heard this.

The man nodded. "Times were different back then. He's not proud of it, just like he isn't proud of what he did today. But it was necessary. He saved yours and Damian's lives. You warned him of the danger."

"I... guessed..." The code he sent the man over the intercom wasn't really a code at all. There were no hospitality rules, just rule 2 about guns.

"It was a good guess. Thanks to your intuition, there is only one body instead of three. I don't think we could take losing you again, let alone Damian and Alfred. Dick..." He held his boy up so they could look into each other's eyes. "I know it's hard to accept, but Alfred only did what was necessary. He won't show weakness in front of us, but he's holed up in the kitchen, cleaning everything he can get his hands on. This affected him too. I'd advise talking to him about this in the near future. It'll help both of you. He saved your life, but at a cost. He'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving your life. He did the same for me once or twice growing up."

"He what?" How much hadn't he heard? He was beginning to wonder what he really knew about the old man.

Bruce nodded. "I'll spare you the details for now, but he's saved my life many times. He wasn't just my guardian and butler growing up. He was my bodyguard. Still is. And his job has extended to you. There is much he's done you don't know about, and all for your safety."

"Is he a psychiatrist too?" Dick asked after a moment, bringing a smile to the man's face.

"Technically no. But he's wise and experienced, so he may as well be." His father watched him a long moment, analyzing him. "Are you going to be alright now?"

The lad shivered for a moment, but tried to force a smile. "Maybe someday."

Bruce nodded and started to get off the floor, probably to get the others back from Leslie. Dick wouldn't have it though. Quickly he slid his arms around the man and held on for dear life. Part of him knew he was being irrational, but the other, much larger part needed it desperately. That small part telling him to let go of the man so he could get his siblings back also reminded him how much he really did need a psychiatrist. A good one. He was still one seriously screwed up kid with PTSD resulting in anxiety attacks.

Man did he need a good shrink.

A/N: honestly, I wasn't intending for DIck to have a total meltdown in this chapter. It just happened. Alfred was always gonna kill Tolo, and if it's anywhere near reminiscent of the Batman Earth 1 comic that came out after the 52 started, you're right. Kinda like that Alfred, but it's not the Alfred. I always intended for Tolo to be evil, and to have manipulated herself into the position she had with Dick. She was always a fan of Slade and wanted Dick dead from the beginning. Why did she go after him now? Maybe her window of opportunity was fading, maybe the real Tolo was being found, or something else. Either way, she snapped. and that resulted in Alfred shooting her dead in their family room.

Also, it kinda pays for Damian's grandpa to be the leader of the league of assassins/shadows. He's gonna order his people to keep assassins away from the Waynes, at least as long as Damian's nearby. The kid is not to be harmed in any way. I love how Bruce skewed facts to explain it all. And I also love how he calmly talks Dick out of his attack. Fun times. Marshal Miller's going to be cutting DIck some slack now and he's gonna get a 'new' shrink. He so needs one.

Well, if you have any guesses on what's gonna happen next, say them. #100 will definitely make things interesting for their future. =D