A/N: I have published this story a long time ago, but I was really depressed due to personal issues. I'm better, and I plant to finish, hope you enjoy...special thanks to Kary...

Disclimer: I don't own Dc comics characters...

And I don't necesarilly agree with anything my characters do or say, I'm not them...so I don't encourage spanking to minors, or teenage consumption any type of drugs, or illegal acts, etc...

Chapter one: What are your views on spanking?

Roy was pacing the Watchtower's hall nervously.

Where the hell is Ollie? He inwardly asked himself for the fourth time. He said he was going to here in time. He kept eying Batman who was working on something on the computer and he knew Batman had glanced his way a few times. For a few seconds, he thought about going to talk to him. Maybe he could…

NO! No, what the hell am I even thinking about? Dick would kill me if I did! What kind of friend would I be if I did? I can't, I'm not going to, he told himself in his head as he tried to calm down. He eyed his arm wristwatch. Oliver was an hour late. He thought about calling him, but he quickly dismissed that idea. He wasn't ready to talk to him. Maybe it was a good thing that Oliver was late today. There were a lot of things running through his mind, and he needed to talk with Batman.

He tried to talk himself out of that line of thought, but he couldn't. He wanted to talk with Bruce; he had wanted to talk him for a few months. And he also wanted to punch in the gut. That last thought struck his mind, he wasn't going to fight him, he wasn't that stupid. Roy knew he was a skilled fighter; he was being trained by Green Arrow after all. He could hold his own in a fight, but he couldn't fight against Batman. He wasn't that a good fighter.

Roy glanced at his watch for a last time.

Oh, fuck it, he thought before walking over to Batman to talk to him.

"I need to have a word with you." Roy had meant for that to sound like an order, but it came out more like a question.

Batman shifted his gaze toward the young archer. He was kind of busy. Whatever it was, he didn't have the time for this.

"I'm busy."

"It's important. " Batman was about to give him another flimsy excuse, so Roy hastily added, "It concerns Dick."

That got Bruce's curiosity. Maybe his work could wait.

"Okay, I hear you."

Roy looked around. He knew they were alone, but…

"Can we go somewhere else? Someone could enter any second, and this is a private matter."

That alone only raised more questions in Bruce's head, it seemed odd.

"Wasn't Oliver going to meet with you? If he doesn't find you, he'll be furious."

Roy rolled his eyes before saying, "I'm not suggesting we leave the Watchtower, I'm sure there is a more private room than this."

Batman got up, knowing the kid would follow him. They went to a conference room.

"Now, you said you want to talk. What's all this about?"

"I want to talk with Bruce," Roy demanded.

Batman looked him over. All this was getting on his nerves. Anyway, he took his cowl off. He was thankful that Roy was in his civvies, making him feel a bit easier. He gave Roy an exasperated look; he really hoped the boy would finally start talking now.

"I... Dick, he… How is he?"

Bruce looked at him suspiciously.

"You want to talk in private about how Dick is?" Roy was staring at the floor. He crossed his arm over his chest as he nodded. "Seriously?"

"It has been the while since the last time we've talked."

"Oh please! I'm sure you talked with him last week," Bruce exclaimed, baffled over this situation.

"I…Well… It has been a week," Roy said. He knew how pathetic that excuse was, but he didn't know what to say. He had been wanting to talk with Bruce for months, but now that he had the opportunity, he wasn't sure what to say.

Bruce didn't know why, but he decided to amuse the young teen that was talking with him.

"He's fine, I suppose. The last time I saw him was this morning. He was fine when I left. "

Roy nodded. That was good. He wanted his friend to be happy. He could let this go, couldn't he? Roy opened his mouth to apologize; but gave a second thought to that. Hell would freeze before he would say he was sorry to Bruce Wayne of all people.

"This was a bad idea; I dunno what the fuck I was thinking." Roy shook his head. He had to get out this room before he would make a terrible mistake.

"No," Bruce ordered in his Batman voice. "You're going to tell me what this is about. You're telling me now. "

Roy stopped in his tracks. A sigh escaped his lips.

"I'm just worried about him. I know he is okay, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Why are you worried about him?"

Roy just shrugged his shoulder.

"That isn't an answer… He isn't in any kind of trouble, is he?" Bruce was trying to be the detective he knew that he was, but the boy wasn't giving him many clues.

Roy glared at Bruce. He should know better than to ask. No, he shouldn't, he doesn't know why you're angry with him.

Roy thought that maybe he should tell him why he was angry.

"No, he isn't in any kind of trouble." Well, maybe but...Roy knew he couldn't tell Bruce what he knew, and he sure hoped that Dick would not be so idiot to tell him. "If he was, would you tan his hide; would you just fucking give him a licking? Would you just hit him? Oh my, that is why he is always afraid of disobeying you, you beat him, don't you?" Roy bellowed, finally it getting out of his system. He had been waiting a real long time to speak to him.

"What? I don't beat him!" Bruce snapped, getting upset. He didn't know where Roy had gotten that silly idea. He didn't like what he was suggesting.

"Don't lie to me! I was there that fucking day, remember? Dick was getting out of the pool, and I know what I saw. You were next to him with a belt in your hands." Roy glared at Bruce, his fists trembling with barely restrained rage.

Bruce was taken aback by that. It took him a few seconds to remember. He knew what Roy was talking about now.

"That happened a year ago," Bruce said. That boy being there had been a mistake – he hadn't known that Roy was there at first. He crossed his arm over his chest; he didn't feel comfortable talking about this with Roy. He didn't like having to defend his actions; he wasn't sure why he felt he had to defend himself at all. That boy earned that spanking. At the same time though, he wasn't sure why he felt that guilty over that incident.

"And it was only three licks with my belt," he said, expecting that was enough to drop the subject. He purposely let out the part that he gave Dick a full spanking that night.

"But there is more to that, isn't it? Dick, he lies about something. I dunno what, but I could hear in his voice he was lying to me, and I don't… What else happened that day?"

Bruce thought about it. He wasn't sure he should tell Roy the whole truth. That boy already knew more than he felt comfortable sharing. He was sure he knew more than Dick felt comfortable sharing; otherwise he wouldn't have lied to him. Maybe he should lie to him. Dick wanted his punishment to remain a secret, he knew that much. Yet, something about Roy, he didn't know what…if Roy wasn't accepting Dick's version of the events, he doubted that Roy would just buy his lies.

"What did he tell you?"

"What? Who cares?"

"You said he lied to you. If you want to know about what, you have to tell me. How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?" Bruce already knew in part what Dick had told his friend, but he decided to ask just in case.

"He said that living with you was great, he told me he was happy living with you, he also said you didn't abuse him, that incident at the pool was one-time thing, and he was fine."

"He lied about it being a one-time thing; I gave him a full spanking that night." And three other times, in the past, Bruce remembered. He decided Roy didn't need to know about those other times; he didn't look like he was handling the truth very well.

Roy shook his head. This wasn't happening. The guilt only started to increase, he hadn't known that Dick got spanked, how could he? He didn't want any of this to be true.

"How could you? Dick is seventeen, we… He's way too old for that!" Roy felt his voice increase with anger.

"It happened a year ago, he was sixteen then. And he knows the rules. As long as he lives in my house, he will follow my rules or he will face the consequences."

"And the consequences are getting his ass beaten every time he messes up."

"I'm not going to discuss how I handle Dick every time he misbehaves with you, but for your information: No, that is not how I punish Dick every time he messes up. I mostly ground him or yell at him, spankings are reserved for life threatening events or important things," Bruce stated, finally realizing why he felt so guilty over that. It wasn't only because Roy had been there by accident. He still wasn't sure he had made the right decision that night.

"Drinking a few beers is not a life threatening event!" Roy yelled. He was hit by the guilt harder this time. This was entirely his fault – he had kept calling Dick a 'wuss' for not wanting to drink to his birthday. Dick had been reluctant to accept the beers. He had told Roy he could get in trouble, but Roy had thought Dick would be grounded, that this would be the worst to happen for only wanting to get some fun with his friend.

"No, it isn't, but that doesn't make it right, either. You're minors. The legal drinking age is twenty-one. 'Sides, you're letting out the fact that you had drugs," Bruce said accusingly, glancing at Roy.

"The drugs were mine! I told you that"

"Yeah, I know that. But that doesn't mean he didn't smoke, does it?" Bruce asked, smirking.

Roy thought back that night. Dick, he had said that bringing drugs to the Bat's house was going to get them killed. Roy hadn't given much thought to that. Bruce was supposed to be gone till Monday, how were they supposed to know that his trip would end earlier than it was arranged?

Bruce made the mistake of keeping talking and bringing him back to the present.

"Now, is this the only thing you wanted to discuss? I have work to do. "

He thought this conversation was finished. He uncrossed his arm and started to walk toward the door.

"I don't know how can you be so calm about abusing him, I thought you were one of the good guys. You're supposed to follow the law." Roy didn't like feeling like he was being ditched; he wasn't sure if Bruce abused Dick, but he wanted to hurt him.

"I don't abuse him, and spanking is legal in Gotham as long there isn't any bruise or permanent damage," Bruce said, turning back to Roy.

"I don't care if it is legal in the whole damn state, he's seventeen!" Roy yelled, exasperated. He couldn't believe Bruce was trying to defend his actions with that statement.

"And still a minor in the eyes of the state. Roy, you're aware that I adopted Dick. I'm his legal guardian. Now it has happened several years since that, but child services have the right to drop by anytime they want. How do you think they would react if they would find out I allow him to get drunk and high at the age of sixteen? Do you think they would happily look the other way? Or do you think they would be more likely to conclude that maybe living with me isn't the best environment to be? They would probably take him away from me, and he would be living in some system foster house away from everyone he loves. Now, I understand you didn't really give any thought to the consequences of your actions, which is okay, neither did Dick at that moment. But maybe you ought to reflect on your actions and the consequences that might happen if you continue to drag my child into mischievous adventures. And I'm only putting an example of the consequences of your actions," Bruce said, instantly feeling a bit guilty because of the saddened expression Roy wore.

"And hitting your kid, they might overlook that?"

"Like I said, spanking is legal in Gotham." Bruce could see that Roy was battling a fight in his mind. "If it helps, I haven't laid a hand on Dick since that day. He's mostly a well behaved kid, I believe that probably was the last spanking he ever got." Except for the occasional warning swats.

Roy couldn't stop thinking that all of this was his fault. He was angry with Bruce, but if he was honest, he was angrier with himself. He shrugged and threw his hand into his pockets. He wasn't sure to believe everything that Bruce told him, yet he couldn't help but think that Bruce looked like he was being honest.

"I still think that Dick didn't deserve that, he's seventeen. Almost an adult. I'm sure you could just explain his mistakes to him and let it go with grounding."

Bruce was about to say something when the door of the conference room opened and a very disturbed Oliver walked into the room.

"There you are, I have been looking for you in the entire Watchtower. I was worried sick over you," Oliver reproached his young charge. He put his hand on Roy's shoulder. He could see he was fine, at least physically, but he had such sad eyes. It was obvious that something troubled his mind.

"I apologize for that, Oliver. Roy said he wanted to talk to me in private. I should have called you and let you know that he was with me," Bruce was quick to apologize to his friend. He knew that lately, Oliver had been worried sick over Roy. They had just found out Roy was a heroin addict a few weeks ago. He knew that Roy was to go into rehab today. It was only natural for Oliver to think the worst once he didn't see his kid where he was supposed to be.

Oliver looked over at Bruce. It was the first time he noticed his presence in the room which only brought more questions to his mind. Roy didn't get along with Bruce, or Batman for that matter, it seemed strange he would have anything to discuss with him.

"What's all this about?" Oliver questioned Roy.

Roy just shrugged Oliver's hand off his shoulder. He took a bit of distance from his mentor; his gaze fell to the floor.

"It's nothing, can we just go? It's getting late." He walked past Oliver and headed toward the door, expecting Oliver to follow him.

Oliver looked questioning toward Bruce since he didn't think he was a getting a word out his ward. He hoped his friend was willing to share what was troubling the mind of his child.

"Roy can tell you whatever he wants, but like I said, this was a private conversation, it's not my place to tell. If it helps, it concerns Dick, that's all I'm allowed to say," Bruce offered for a poor excuse. He really hoped that Oliver would drop the subject.

"Your boy?" Oliver crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Let's go, Ollie," Roy said. He walked away from the concerned adults; he really hoped Oliver would follow him and forget this.

Oliver gave Bruce a last glance before he followed his young protégé. A part of him was thinking that maybe he shouldn't ask more questions, yet he couldn't shake off the worry he had seen in Roy's eyes. Whatever it was, Roy looked so disheartened.

They walked, approaching the transporter. Oliver caught Roy's arm before he got any more step. His gaze locked with his for a few seconds.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'd like to help," he offered, hoping that would get the kid to open up.

Roy shook his arm out of Oliver's grasp and threw his hand into his pockets.

"I can't tell you, 'cause I made a promise. Dick asked me not to tell anybody." Roy really wanted to tell Oliver everything, but how could he without feeling like he was betraying his friend?

"Is he in any kind of trouble or danger?" Oliver couldn't help but ask. Young people often acted without thinking too much, pressured into things, he had learned that the hard way. He couldn't help but think that he should do something at least to relieve his young son's mind.

Roy shook his head; he separated a few steps from Oliver. He wasn't looking at him.

"He's fine, I'm just worried about him, can we just drop it?"

"If he's fine, why are you worried about him?"

"I….this is stupid, I'm just being stupid, like always. Y'know I always act stupidly, I always fuck up, and I drag my friends into that, only 'cause it seems I can't stop ruining other's people lifes along the way. I fucked up; it seems that's the only thing I'm good at."

"You don't always act stupidly." Roy snorted to that comment. "You don't. And I refuse to believe that, you make mistakes just like anybody else. You're not perfect, you shouldn't expect to be. But you have a good heart, Roy. I know I have been distant in the past but I know you, you're a good boy even if you fuck up sometimes."

"You don't know me, Ollie." Roy started to pace the room; his guilty conscience was getting the better of him. "You don't know what I did, but you should know that I'm just a lost cause. Drug addict and all, I'm just a big fuck up who can't stop fucking messing up, even if I hurt other people along the way. I don't know why the fuck you just put up with me."

"Stop! Stop that nonsense in that instant. I understand you may feel that way, but this is far from the truth. You're a good man, you help your friends, you have been helping me in crime fighting for years. We're partners, and I know that I don't always show it, but I couldn't be prouder of you. If you make a mistake, then it's my fault, I haven't been always there for you. I know now that you need me. I was wrong to assume that you would just ask for my help if you need me, it's just that you seemed so capable of everything. Please, Roy, if there is anything I might help you with, you have to tell me," Oliver pleaded. He wanted to help his son; he didn't want to fail him again.

Was Oliver really proud of him? Roy couldn't help but wonder, he couldn't imagine what for. He moved near the windows and turned his back toward him, lost in his own thoughts.

"Ollie, what if you have done a terrible mistake, y'know? One where you don't know how to make it right. What if you didn't know at the moment it would hurt a friend of you? Would you be able to forgive yourself, would he be able to forgive me?"

"I don't know what you did, Roy, you're right. But if this friend of yours who you are speaking of is Dick, I would like to think that he would forgive you. I don't really know him, but I know you two have been friends since you've been eleven. You're best friends; you're together almost the whole damn time. I really doubt that in his heart, he believes you ever did anything with the intention to hurt him."

"Maybe he will forgive me," Roy whispered though not low enough for Oliver not to hear. Even if I don't deserve it…

"Can you just tell me what all this is about? I mean if Dick is already angry with you, where's the harm to tell me?" Oliver was desperate to understand.

"He didn't seem very angry, and maybe that is just the problem… Ollie, if I tell you, can this stay between us? Do you promise not to tell anybody else? You won't make fun of him, will you?" Roy asked, considering to break his promise. He had already messed up, he wasn't sure if it mattered if Oliver knew now.

Oliver took a few seconds before answering. Why would he make fun of Dick?

"Does Bruce already know about this?" Oliver saw Roy nod. "Then yes, I won't tell anybody, and no, I won't make fun of your friend."

Roy finally dared to look into his father's eyes again. He wasn't sure how to proceed; he wasn't sure how to tell him.

"Ollie, what are your thoughts on corporal punishment?"

"What?" Oliver asked, completely confused. When Roy just kept waiting for an answer, Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you want to know my thoughts on corporal punishment?"

Roy shrugged.

"It'll make sense in a moment, please just tell me, what do you think about spankings?"

Oliver sighed at least now; he knew what exactly the boy meant by corporal punishment.

"I have never done that to you, even if I think that you have done just a few stupid things that might have earned it. I think that spanking a kid is mostly wrong, even if little kids can be brats sometimes. I don't consider it always to be abuse, but if it goes more than a swat or two, then maybe," Oliver answered. He still couldn't figure out why Roy was asking that.

Roy nodded, even if he didn't like Oliver's answer that much. He was glad that Oliver answered that way, but it made all this much harder to tell. He really hoped Dick could forgive him for this.

"And by little kid you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know, five?" Oliver could see the teen was staring at the floor again. "Why do you ask?"

Roy was much too concentrated on his thoughts to really pay attention to Oliver's question, but he answered anyway.

"It's just that Dick is much older than five."

"What?" Oliver croaked. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. It all made sense, but it couldn't be, right?

Roy shrugged.

"Can we just pretend I didn't say anything? Please?"

Oliver shook his head.

"Are you seriously telling me that Batman punishes his kid like that?"

"Bruce… he just seemed so calm about it. He told me that he didn't abuse him, but what if he is lying? Seventeen is way too old for that, isn't?"

"Seventeen is way too old for that, of course. God damn it, Roy, what… He is a good kid, what could he have done to deserve that?"

"He was sixteen at the time, and I'm responsible for what happened." Roy knew that maybe he could get in trouble for telling this, but he could care less. "I… Dick got in trouble 'cause he drank a few beers and got high with me at a party for his birthday, but Ollie, he told me no, he didn't want. I didn't think that Bruce would return that early, he was supposed to be back on Monday which would have given us more than plenty of time to clean up. And even if that happened, the worst we could ever get is grounded. "

"Sixteen, which was a year ago…Was this one-time thing?" Oliver didn't feel comfortable knowing that Bruce spanked his kid, but maybe it was only an exception.

Roy shook his head.

"Dick promised that it was, but Bruce, he said that this wasn't the first time. He told me he gave Dick a full spanking that night, and that Dick knew the consequences if he got in trouble. He also said he didn't spank him very often, but Ollie, what if he's lying? He seemed honest, but I don't know."

"I can't…" Oliver wasn't sure what to say. He didn't feel comfortable with this whole situation, but he was more than upset with Bruce for worrying his young kid. Roy was a good boy. Yes, he made mistakes, but he didn't deserve to be caught in so much guilt.

"I'll talk with him, I'll get to the bottom of this, okay? I don't know how, Roy, but I promise I'll fix it," Oliver avowed. He had to find a way to comfort his kid.

"I dunno – is that such a good idea, Ollie?" Roy started to feel a bit sick. How could he do this to his own friend? "Dick, he seemed so ashamed, he begged me no to tell anybody, not a soul. He said he was okay, to just let it go. "

"I'm not sure he has to know that I know. I'm going to talk this over with Bruce; maybe we can find a solution to this without having to tell Dick a thing. But even if he finds out, I'll make sure he understands that it's not your fault. I'm sure he'll understand that you were only worried about him," Oliver answered truthfully. He hoped that things weren't as bad as he was starting to suspect. But if he discovered that Batman abused that kid, he couldn't let Dick keep living in that house. After a few seconds, he added, "Did Bruce or Dick say anything else? How did you find out? I doubt either of them willingly told you this."

"Not much, I was there. I mean the next morning. I had gone to the bathroom so I guess that Bruce didn't know that I was there. I heard some yelling and I rushed to the pool. Dick had just gotten out of the pool, and Bruce, he seemed so angry, I was scared. I tried to get between them. I think that Bruce didn't like that much, 'cause he looked so ticked off. "

"Did he…." Oliver didn't know how to finish that sentence. If Bruce had dared to lay a finger on his kid, he'd kill him. That was for sure.

"No, only scared the shit outta me. Dick was fast to get between us. He asked Bruce to be allowed to show me the way to the door, he begged him to just let him say goodbye to me. He said they could talk about this once I was gone. I didn't want to go, but Dick kinda forced me to go. He told me he was going to be fine, he asked me to just forget all this."

Oliver thanked God for that; Roy was traumatized enough by this event. Luckily, he only got scared. The true victim here was Dick.

"But Ollie, he was using his belt."

"His belt?" Roy was telling him his friend got a whipping; this was clear abuse, wasn't it? He felt his anger rising up again.

"He said something about it being only three licks, but I dunno….Ollie, promise me you're gonna punch him or something. I'm way pissed at him, but I can't win a fight against Batman, can I?"

Oliver chuckled.

"I'm sure you could give him a run for his money, but no, I doubt very much that you could win a fight against Batman. I'll punch him, you got that. He's going to regret his decisions that day," he assured the boy and he was thankful enough that Roy looked a lot less troubled.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Do you want to be?" Oliver was more than willing to let this incident go. It had already been a year ago, and while he wasn't happy to hear his kid broke the law without giving much of a second thought, the kid looked guilty enough. He was sure that all the guilt and worry was punishment enough for Roy. He walked closer to the kid, but he still gave him space.

"Can you just ground me or something?" Roy gazed back to Oliver.

"For getting drunk and high, and putting peer pressure on your friend to do the same?" Roy nodded. "Roy, I'm sure Dick is mature enough to make his own decisions; he could have said no. He didn't."

Roy looked so miserable. He just shrugged, not really hearing Oliver. If Oliver didn't punish him, it would seem like he got off too easy.

"Roy, you're gonna start rehab this afternoon, what do you want me do?"

"So punish me after that, I'm going to get out of that place, won't I? I could be grounded once I get better."

"Of course, you're getting out of that place, very soon I hope. Alright, you're grounded for a month once you get out, how that does that sound?" Oliver put a comforting hand on the youth's shoulder.

"Like it sucks, thanks." Roy wrapped his arms around him.

Oliver slowly hugged him back.

"We're going to be late to the clinic." He broke the hug a bit. "I'll take you there and come back later to talk with Bruce, okay?" Roy nodded. "Now, you know that I meant every word. You have a minor setback, but you're a good kid. If you weren't, you wouldn't be so worried about your friend, you understand this, right?"

Roy wasn't sure he could make himself believe that, yet he still nodded.