Dick entered Wayne Manor from work and smiled when Dinah greeted him with a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Hmm." he murmured contentedly into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist drawing her closer to him.

Dinah pulled away slightly and turned a smile to him. "How did the work go?"

"Pretty good, though boring as usual. And you, my beautiful voice teacher?"

She blushed slightly, although her smile was so bright that it made the acrobat smile back. "Although it's only been a few days since I was hired, I already like my new job."

"Good." he said genuinely happy for his girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He walked toward the living room. "The kids?"

Dinah's smile faded slightly. "They stayed in their rooms, as usual. I tried to go in but gave up when I heard Damian unsheathing a katana inside his room."

Dick sighed.

It had been days when he returned from work that his siblings were holed up in their rooms and only came out for lunch, training, patrol and dinner.

They were handling Bruce's death badly, hurting not only others but especially themselves.

Of course, even he had not been able to completely get over the death of his adoptive father (and he doubted he ever would) but he had begun to smile genuinely again on several occasions and had even laughed openly at a Lucius Fox joke.

He had never been able to find time to talk to them between being Batman and his job, but at that moment he had some free time.

Sure, he would spend his free time trying to lift the spirits of five emotionally unstable siblings but he would do that and more for his family.

"Don't worry, Dinah. I'll take care of it."

She looked at him worriedly and nodded slowly. She pulled him to her for one last but slow, sensual kiss before playfully pushing him away. "Try not to go crazy, Dick!"

"No promises!" was the playful retort as the acrobat climbed the stairs two by two.

Dick stopped in front of the first door, Stephanie's room. He knocked firmly but gently at the same time.

"Go away, Dinah!" came a muffled scream, from a pillow, the young man thought.

"It's Dick."

"Go away, Dick!" came the prompt reply.

Dick ran a hand over his eyes.

It was going to be a very long day.

"Steph, either you open me or I'll break down the door." he threatened in a serious voice.

He faintly heard a surprised gasp. "You wouldn't!"

"Really?" he challenged her.

Silence.

Dick heard footsteps approaching the door, which opened, revealing his sister with disheveled hair and reddened eyes.

All of the Wayne elder's confidence wavered at the sight of his sister in that state and his mind whispered him that the rest of his siblings would also be in a similar state.

Dick entered his sister's room as she closed the door. The girl crossed her arms over her chest and looked indifferently at her older brother. "What do you want?" she asked in a hostile voice.

It occurred to Dick that Steph had not only lost Bruce but also her mother months earlier. She had lost two parents in a relatively short period of time and this would affect her deeply.

Damn it.

Her sister did not deserve this.

None of them, really.

Without saying a word, he took her by the arm and pulled her to his chest, gently stroking her hair and whispering sweet words of comfort to her.

At first Steph tried to break free from the embrace but soon collapsed into the so safe and protective arms of her big brother and let some tears fall from her eyes.

"F-first mom and now B-Bruce!" she cried as Dick held her close cradling her gently. "Why?"

"I know, Steph, I know. It's not fair." he said as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head.

Minutes passed as brother and sister remained in that position. Soon the young blonde's body slowly stopped shaking from sobbing and moved slightly away from Dick.

Richard gently ran a thumb over her face wiping away her tears and laid his hand on her cheek. "Steph, I know you have lost two very important people in your life in such a short time but I want you to remember something very important."

"W-what?" she asked as she bent to her brother's loving touch.

"That there are and will be people who will love and care for you forever, me in the first place. I will always be there for you, whenever you need me." he stated seriously as he focused his blue eyes fixed in those of his younger sister.

Steph sobbed and threw herself onto Dick hugging him tightly. More tears flowed from her eyes but these, unlike before, were of happiness and love. "Thank you, Dick! You are the best of all!" she said.

Dick smiled sadly as he laid a comforting hand on the back of his sister, his Batgirl.

No, I'm not. But I try to be for all of you.

Dick stared at the door to Cassandra's room.

He could not enter without his sister's permission.

Not without losing an arm at least.

He hoped Cass would open the door for him.

He would have gone in anyway, even at the cost of making Hell break out.

She was part of his family and he would be damned if he did not at least try to help her.

He hoped, however, that she would let him in.

He opened his mouth to call her when the door to the room opened. Dick cautiously entered the room and saw Cassandra sitting on the bed.

He sat down beside her and studied her. There were dry traces of tears but there was one thing that frightened him.

Her usually gentle and understanding brown eyes were blank as she turned to look at him. "What do you want, Dick?" she croaked in a hoarse voice, as if she hadn't spoken in days.

Which was possible, considered the young man.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." he replied honestly.

A mocking laugh escaped Cass's lips, surprising him. "Of course I'm doing well when I've lost my main point of reference, the one who saved me from an abusive life and brought me into a loving family." she stated so bitterly that Dick winced slightly.

Well done, Grayson.

Sighing he laid a hand on her shoulder, glad when he noticed that she did nothing to remove/mutilate it. "Cass, I know it will be hard to get through this but you can't let the darkness consume you completely."

"Really?" she hissed back. "Easier said than done. How the hell can I not fall into darkness when there are only a few steps close by? My father, the man who changed my life for the better by turning me away from a life devoid of love, is dead!" she screamed, gradually raising her voice.

"He was not only your father." Dick declared in an icy voice. "But he was father of other four boys and another girl. Don't act like you're the only one who lost a father!" he growled in a Batman voice.

Cassandra gasped violently and her eyes filled with regret and shame.

Dick sighed and gently pulled her into a hug. At first Cassandra stiffened but then she relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder as he warmly stroked her back. "I'm sorry, Cass."

"No, you're right. I have become selfish by thinking only of my own pain and not that of others. I'm the one who needs to apologize." she said as she hugged her older brother tighter, as if she feared he might disappear too.

Dick returned the hug. He pulled back slightly and cupped his younger sister's face before placing a light, soft kiss on her right cheek. "You can avoid falling into darkness. Asking for help from others, from me, will not make you weak but stronger."

Cass managed to smile faintly and snuggled into his side. "Thank you, big brother," she whispered softly.

Dick knocked softly on Damian's bedroom door.

"Lance, move away if you don't want me to cut off your arms with my katana." came the growl from the other side of the door.

Dick noticed, however, a faint tremor in his voice that contradicted the angry tone.

"Damian, it's me, Dick."

Silence fell on the other side, and Dick suspected that his little brother was wiping away his tears. His suspicions proved correct when the kid opened the door and Richard noticed his slightly reddened eyes.

The acrobat sat on the bed and watched his brother do the same rigidly. Damian directed his indifferent gaze toward the elder and crossed his arms. "What do you want, Grayson?"

"I'm worried about you, Dami."

The 10 year old taunted him. "You are too soft, Grayson. There is no definite reason why you should worry about me."

"Really?" he sarcastically rolled his eyes, getting and ignoring the deadly look he received. "Because the fact that you lost your f-father recently seems like a big thing to worry about."

Damian did not respond. He chose instead to intensify the glare.

Dick sighed. He got off the bed and knelt at her level, looking directly into his green eyes so similar to Talia's. "Crying is okay, Little D. It doesn't make you weak." he spoke softly.

He looked at him grimly. "I am not weak! And I certainly don't cry! I am Damian Al-Ghul-Wayne, son of The Batman and Talia Al Ghul, the only true heir to the cowl of Batman!" he growled.

Dick looked at him. "Are you saying I don't deserve to be Batman?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He hid his smirk when he saw him hesitate.

The little boy was so adorable!

He leaned back slightly, smiling cheekily at him. "Get in line, kid. You have other siblings who have first dibs on the cowl."

He smiled in amusement as he received the deadliest glare he had ever gotten from his little brother.

The smile faded and he turned serious. He rested a hand on his shoulder and was delighted when he only frowned without lifting it. "Damian, you may be even the bravest child in the world-"

"I'm not a child!"

He was ignored. "but you still remain a child who is allowed to cry over the loss of his father. You are my little brother, Dami, and I won't tease you about that. Not for this topic of which there is nothing funny. And the others would agree with me. It's okay to cry, release your emotions. Let it out, Little D."

And with these magical words Damian threw himself toward him and wrapped his arms around his older brother's neck and rested his head on his right shoulder. New tears formed in his eyes as he clenched the back of Dick's shirt into a fist.

"It's just that... I never had a good relationship with father and now that he's gone... I never will. I always think that he never loved me, that he despised me because I've already killed." he cried as he clutched tighter to his eldest.

Dick's heart broke as he stood up holding him gently in his arms. Damian's legs automatically wrapped around his waist and he hid his face between his neck and shoulder.

Dick gently rubbed his back as he spoke in a gentle voice. "Oh, Dami. Bruce never hated you, he could never hate you. You are his son and that's all that matters, the rest doesn't matter. The fact that you have already killed might, perhaps, have influenced his opinion of you but he didn't hate you. He loved you very much, even if it was hard for him to admit it." he reassured him.

Minutes passed, with Dick holding Damian in his arms and stroking his hair comfortingly. After that, the kid got off, albeit secretly reluctantly, and cast a glare at the acrobat (though it wasn't so threatening given the fresh tears).

"If you tell anyone, I'll rip you into a thousand pieces."

Dick smiled amusedly and tousled his hair. "Whatever you say, buddy."

"I'm serious, Grayson."

"Me too. Nobody noticed yesterday that I carried you up to your room because you were tired after the patrol and clung to me like a koala looking for a cuddle, or three days ago-"

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM, GRAYSON!"