A/N: 2022.11.09

Well, I said I was gonna do it! And here we are.

SPOILER WARNING! THESE STORIES WILL SPOIL "SO FAR AWAY"! If you haven't read the first five chapters of "So Far Away", you will be spoiled!

But I digress, this story is effectively a JLU crossover so that's why it's listed as such. Also, most of these parts will be drabbles. Last but not least, the title is inspired by the very famous song by Evanescence, one of my all time favorite songs and favorite bands.

Enjoy!

Part 1: A Nice Family Dinner

Silence in Wayne Manor wasn't infrequent. A solemn aura around the Manor wasn't unusual. But this was different. Vastly different.

At the dining room table, Bruce sat at the head of the table with Diana to his left and Helena to his right. Terry sat next to Helena and Max was next to Terry.

Basem and Sally were watching the kids with Hayate and Michelle on patrol for the night.

With Bruce's diagnosis coming only one week ago, Helena, Max, and Diana wanted to just have a quiet night and a nice dinner.

No one disagreed.

As they ate, no one spoke. No one knew what to say. They just ate in silence.

Terry was still holding it together as best he could. But Max found it hard to even look at Bruce sometimes. She couldn't imagine a world without him, and she was absolutely certain she wasn't ready to live in that world.

Helena kept a brave face while her mind raced a hundred miles an hour at any given moment. There was a lot she wanted to say. But she didn't want to ruin this dinner. She would have plenty of time to talk to Bruce. But she wanted to enjoy this.

Diana kept an eye on Bruce but even more watchful eye on his children. Terry and Helena, and she refused not to include Max on that list. Diana was happy to see the love they had for Bruce. She just couldn't fight the sorrow she was feeling for the fact that they were about to lose their father. Diana was happy she and Bruce could mend their fences, but she didn't feel half the sorrow for herself that she felt for Terry, Helena, and Max.

Terry noticed everyone's faces, and how they were trying to keep the sorrow from showing. Except for Bruce, who was as stoic as ever.

But Terry didn't want everyone to only be sad right now. As hard it was, Terry figured out a way to lighten the mood. He grinned a bit. "Hey, Helena."

"Yeah?" Helena turned toward him.

"Did I tell you our loving dad shut down the Batsuit for, like, five minutes and let me get beat up when I first had it?"

Helena's eyes widened. She looked at Bruce then back at Terry. "He did not!"

"He what?!" Diana asked.

"Yeah, it was after I stole it to go after Fixx," Terry confessed.

Helena, swiftly, turned her attention to Bruce, "Dad!"

"As a reminder, he stole my suit," Bruce replied.

"And you let a seventeen-year-old kid get beat up?!" Helena laughed.

"I repeat: he stole my suit. And he was sixteen."

"You said that like it made it better!"

"Just making sure the account was factual," Bruce shrugged.

"Bruce…" Diana said, disapprovingly.

"Had he not stolen it in the first place, I wouldn't have had to do that."

"Had you just let me do what I was gonna do," Terry argued, "I wouldn't have fought Fixx with damn-near a concussion!"

"You wanted to kill him," Bruce reminded.

"Oh, I did not!" Terry paused. "The fact that he died is beside the point."

"You-say-wha-huh?!" Helena asked Terry.

"Well, it wasn't on purpose! He electrocuted himself and the ship sank! Keep in mind: it was the first time I'd ever done anything Batman-related."

"Not the last time you were stupid, however," Bruce declared.

Terry growled.

"Oh, God!" Max groaned while smiling.

Helena kept laughing, "And, thus, you two have been arguing ever since!"

"If only he learned that I'm always right," Bruce declared.

"If only you learned to not be such a jerk about it," Terry countered.

"With respect, my love," Diana smiled at Bruce, "…Terry's right."

Terry, Max, and Helena erupted into laughter. Bruce even cracked a smile.