Barbara gazed into the flames that danced in the open fire and twisted a lock of her white hair around her finger. She stretched her legs out before her and leaned back into the soft cushions of the large sofa.

He had called from the airport to let her know he had arrived and she sighed as she looked up at the old clock that hung above the fireplace. It had been a busy morning and she had been reluctant to leave the mess that was brewing in the department.

Another missing officer. What the hell is going on? Internal Affairs would get to the bottom of it, she hoped. She was supposed to be meeting them this afternoon but had since promised she would be home.

And so she had sat here, waiting. Worrying. What the hell was she going to say to him after all this time? Stop being so selfish. She could not imagine the torture he must be going through to finally come back at a time like this. And the worst was yet to come.

He must have changed so much. Barbara allowed herself a smile as she recalled the reckless, good-looking teenager who had so annoyed her at first. She knew now that she had fought with him because she cared for him, as crazy as it sounded. That care had grown into a love that they had relished for some time. A pang of guilt made her close her eyes and she sighed. How could they have let such a friendship slip away?

The sound of a car door shutting made Barbara jump and she quickly got to her feet. Looking out through the lounge window, she watched the taxi move away and took a deep breath before wandering out to the front door.

Barbara reached the door just as the bell chimed and her heart was racing as she quickly opened the door and was suddenly looking into his face.

It seemed he hadn't aged a day. She stood in silence for a moment as he regarded her with those piercing blue eyes. And then she began to take him in. His figure was heavier, his short hair flecked with grey and there were small lines beside the eyes that were now smiling at her fondly.

"Barb."

His voice seemed deeper somehow.

"It's good to see you."

Barbara nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling foolish as she stared at him in wonder. Then, before she knew what was happening, he had stepped forward and thrown his arms around her.

Barbara laughed as he hugged her tightly and she finally relaxed, happily returning the embrace. "Oh, I've missed you!"

After a few minutes they moved inside out of the cold and Barbara led him through to the lounge. They sat down together on opposite sofas and Barbara poured him a cup of coffee. She smiled as she watched him sip at the warm liquid and he mumbled a satisfied thank you.

"You've hardly changed." Barbara began, smiling as she reached up to tug at a lock of her white hair. "What's your secret?"

Dick put down his mug and reached into the back pocket of his jeans. He grinned proudly as he flipped open his wallet and showed her the picture inside.

Barbara leaned forward to look at the image and sighed in awe.

"That's my wife, Amanda."

The face of a much younger woman smiled up at Barbara and she nodded in approval.

Dick moved his finger along the picture to point at the happy faces. "Her daughters Emma, 13, and Charlotte, who's 18 going on 40." His grin widened, "And this is our baby. Mia. She'll be 3 next month."

Barbara nodded slowly, "What a beautiful family."

Dick nodded and put his wallet away. He watched Barbara as she stood and crossed to the mantelpiece. She took a framed photograph down and perched beside him on the sofa.

"This is Sam. You'll meet him later."

Dick smiled at the image and nodded quietly.

Barbara stroked the photograph fondly and was lost in thought for a moment.

Equally contemplative, Dick looked down at his hands and a frown knotted his brow. "I thought of calling you … so many times …" Dick began quietly, "But … then so much time had passed and … I just wasn't sure if …"

Barbara smiled, "I know."

"I've kept up with the news, though." Dick continued, more animated, "No matter how much I tried, I couldn't not check in on this place every once in a while!" His smile faltered slightly, "I see there's a new protege…"

Barbara nodded, "Terry." She shook her head slowly, "He's so young and … I warned him but he's so stubborn." She saw the smile that danced on Dick's mouth and chuckled softly, "I guess it's a pre-requisite."

Dick murmured a reply and settled back against the sofa with a sigh.

"Where did you go?" Barbara leaned back with him and looked up into his fading smile.

Dick shrugged, "Everywhere." He picked up his coffee and took a long mouthful. He then settled the mug in his lap and gazed into the dark liquid. "After Alfred died it suddenly seemed that life was rushing by and …" He took a deep breath, "I didn't want to stay in Bludhaven forever – even though I knew the good I was doing there." He paused in thought for a moment. "But the life I was leading wasn't really a life … I knew I needed more. And I wanted to keep my sanity!"

Barbara gave a gentle laugh of understanding.

"It hit me that I didn't want to be alone." Dick concluded, "Like Bruce …"

Barbara held her breath as she watched the emotion that crossed Dick's face. It was all she could do to not gather him in her arms and comfort him.

Dick kept his gaze fixed on the mug in his hands and took a deep breath. "How did it happen …?"

Barbara's heart slammed against her chest. Finally, the moment she had been dreading was upon them. "Dick … I … I haven't told you everything." She closed her eyes, "I … I didn't think it was right to tell you over the phone."

Dick looked up at her suddenly. "He's had a stroke, right?"

Barbara nodded, "A bad one." She lifted her head to face his wary frown and slowly she told him the awful truth, watching the years fall from Dick's face.

Suddenly he was again the frightened little boy that Bruce had taken into his heart and he stared at her in horror as painful reality slowly sank in. Barbara's heart sank as she watched the tears that brimmed over onto his pale face and she sobbed an apology. Her reservations cast aside, Barbara took his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace. Their history and the distance between them seemed to vanish into insignificance as he clutched her desperately and cried into her shoulder.

XXXXX

Dick splashed cold water onto his face and shuddered. Patting his skin dry with a towel, he straightened slowly and looked into the mirror above the bathroom sink.

Somewhere deep inside he had known this moment would come. Just not yet. He had thought he still had time, once he was ready, to return to Gotham and make piece with his mentor. Friend. Father.

It had always been an unspoken agreement between them that they were more than just partners. They had only been brave enough to say it aloud once or twice but knowing even then that the words were not necessary. They were a family. And they had had more than their fair share of family strife.

The last fight had been different, though. Bruce was recovering from that first serious heart attack and Dick had tried to tell him to slow down. His role as Gotham's protector was eating away at Bruce's exhausted body. But Bruce would not give up. Dick closed his eyes as he recalled the harsh words they had spat at each other. Bruce had accused him of being weak, defeatist, betraying those he should protect. And Dick had left in anger, determined that he would not waste his life away on some potentially futile crusade. It wasn't defeat. It was knowing when to let go.

Dick sat down on the edge of the bath and sighed deeply. Despite it all, he had never given up the fight. He may have hung up his costume and left Bludhaven but he continued the crusade in his own way. He gave strength to those he taught and empowered others to stand up against all that was wrong.

And he would always be Nightwing.

A gentle tapping on the bathroom door brought him back to the present and he stood slowly.

Barbara looked up at him with open concern in her gentle face. "Are you ready?"

Dick nodded and followed her downstairs.

They headed out to her car in silence and she steered them towards the heart of the city. Dick gazed out through the window at the vastly different place he once called home.

"Wait!" Dick put his hand on Barbara's arm and she glanced over at him. "I can't face it yet."

Barbara crossed lanes and reduced speed, heading for the turn off that would lead them back out of the city centre.

Dick sighed in relief as they retreated from the city and he closed his eyes.

"Where to?" Barbara urged softly.

"The mansion," Dick replied, "I don't know why …"

Terry watched Ace as he fled at speed down the long driveway, yelping excitedly. He hurried after him and opened the heavy front door to the mansion, moving quickly out of the huge dog's eager path.

Terry waited in the hall for a while and his throat tightened as he heard the dog charging about upstairs, barking urgently. The dog soon returned and whined as he glanced at Terry before then making a second search of the ground floor.

"He's not here …" Terry muttered and made his way along the hall to the concealed entrance that led down to the caves beneath the house.

Hoping to find a distraction, Terry fired up the immense array of computers and sat down before them. He scrolled through the news reports and files and found references to more missing police officers.

Remembering the argument he had witnessed on the monorail, Terry scanned the reports and frowned in thought. He then had an idea and tapped in to the GCPD personnel files.

Ralph Akers. Terry stopped the search and opened the file. It was the black guy he had seen in the early hours: a detective, first grade. He stored the file and then continued searching. The face of the other man he had seen on the monorail was not among the files and he sank back into the chair with a sigh. Well, it was a start. Maybe he could track down this Akers guy and go from there.

Terry turned to look over at the sleek black craft that sat patiently in the centre of the cave. He had not been out on patrol since the night of the robbery. Terry shuddered as he recalled his violent outburst.

The man was okay. Terry had done some checking and found the guy listed as an inpatient in the hospital. Badly battered but recovering.

Maybe it was a bad idea to go out there again, Terry mused. And was then suddenly afraid. Afraid of his powerful anger. And afraid of being Batman without Bruce to guide him.

Ace barked loudly as he flew down the stairs into the cave and growled into the darkness. Terry stood and wandered over to the dog, kneeling beside him and stroking his thick black coat.

Ace was distracted from whatever had caught his attention and nuzzled Terry's face with affection.

Terry wrapped his arms around the dog and sighed as he rested his forehead against the soft fur. "I can't do it, Ace …" He choked, fighting back tears, "I can't do this alone …"

"You don't have to."

Terry gasped and stood quickly. He grabbed at Ace's collar and was barely able to hold back the angry dog as he simultaneously grabbed a bat-shaped knife from the desk.

"Who's there!" Terry demanded angrily, struggling to keep Ace from charging into the darkness, concerned more for his furry friend's safety than any damage the guard dog might do to the intruder.

A man stepped out of the shadows, his hands raised in a gesture of reassurance. "I'm sorry if I scared you." He offered softly, "You must be Terry."

Terry frowned, "This is a killer dog, man!" He warned and nodded at the growling Ace.

"I can see that." The man smiled.

"I'm serious, man! If I let him go - "

"Wait!" The man urged quickly, "It's okay. I'm a friend of Bruce's."

Ace calmed at that name and Terry regarded the man in suspicious intrigue.

The man smiled again and stepped further forward. "Let me do this properly." He suggested calmly and held out his hand. "I'm Dick Grayson."

It was getting late and Paul was getting anxious. The meeting was supposed to have taken place over an hour ago. And nothing. But there was no way he was going to be accused of not showing, so he waited in his car at the end of the alley and watched the city traffic ebb by.

It was dodgy doing business like this. Paul sucked on his cigarette and watched the clock, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel nervously. They thought they would be devoid of suspicion if they just acted casually. Lurking in dark corners was a thing of the past, apparently.

A pair of bright headlights then turned into the alley and Paul raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare. The patrol car gave a whoop of its siren and Paul jumped.

"What the hell was that for?" Paul demanded angrily as he scrambled out of his car.

"Camouflage!" One of the officers chuckled as he climbed from the now halted patrol car. "It'll make it seem as if we're busting you."

The officer's female partner sniggered in amusement. "Which is so what we should be doing, Paulie …"

Paul groaned, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He stubbed out his cigarette on the alley wall and walked round to the back of his car. He leaned inside and took a small package and an envelope from under the back seat.

"Only one shipment?" The male officer raised his eyebrows at Paul.

Paul shrugged, "Seems the boss wants to be cautious. The unfortunate 'disagreements' with some of your colleagues has caused concern."

The officer took the package and passed it to his partner before then opening the envelope. "This isn't what we agreed!"

Paul raised his hands quickly and held his breath as the officer drew his gun and aimed it at Paul.

"It's a smaller delivery!" Paul stammered, "Please! I'm just the messenger!"

"Come on. Leave it." The female officer stepped forward to restrain her partner and shook her head. "Let's get out of here, Ralph."

Paul watched the officers retreat to their car and sighed with relief as they reversed out of the alley and were gone. Running from those guys was bad enough, he mused, working with them was a total nightmare.

XXXXX

The patrol car idled along the brightly lit street, passing by the noisy neon lit clubs and the crowds gathered in front of them.

"I don't like doing this …" The female officer sighed.

Ralph turned to face her, "It was always inevitable, Tess." He replied sternly, "We have to face facts. We are never going to beat these people." He waved a hand to indicate the masses of teenagers who swarmed around the entrances to the clubs. "So long as kids demand the stuff, there'll be a supply. It's a war we can't win."

Tess gazed out at the crowds, her face sombre. "I guess …"

"At least the shipments we're passing out are safe." Ralph continued, "If we can't stop them using it, we can at least make sure they get the good stuff."

Tess spun back to him, "That's a poor defence, Ralph!" She grated, "And you know it."

Ralph shrugged his shoulders and pulled the car to a halt. He lowered the window and waved a greeting to a familiar face in the crowd.

Tess watched with a growing sense of despair as Ralph passed the package to the delighted young man and the two of them warmly shook hands.

The large house was cold and eerily silent. Dick wandered along the hall and smiled as he passed each room; it was exactly the same. There was a layer of dust that Alfred would have blown a gasket over but everything was exactly as Dick remembered it. The city might be unrecognisable but this house seemed to have been trapped in time. A good time.

But no one had really lived here for a very long time and, despite the good memories, the place suddenly seemed to Dick to be so incredibly sad. He wandered into the lounge with heavy shoulders and more tears threatening to fall.

"So. You're the original Boy Wonder?"

Dick was aware of the figure that waited patiently at the lounge door and he nodded a reply.

"Sh'way!" Terry couldn't help the wide grin that pulled at his mouth. "I bet you've got some cool tales to tell!"

"A few." Dick turned to face Terry, "I was Batman too, once." He regarded the young man for a moment. "At least … I wore the cape …"

Terry stood up straight, "Meaning?" He defended.

"Meaning I know how hard it is." Dick turned away and looked up at the cobweb-covered oil painting of Bruce's parents that hung above the fireplace. "It's a hard act to follow."

"I'm not following an act." Terry's smile returned, "I'm inventing a whole new one."

Dick laughed gently and shook his head. "You've certainly got the attitude for it."

Terry felt his cheeks flush. "So. What are you into now? Living the quiet life, huh?"

"I wish! I've got two teenage girls to drive me crazy! And a little one who has me tied around her little finger."

Terry groaned, "Ugh! Sounds right. My kid brother gets away with everything!"

"Do they know …?" Dick looked back at him with a frown.

Terry shook his head. "Not that they'd believe me, anyhow."

Dick perched on the arm of one of the leather sofas and nodded slowly. "I've never told Amanda about my past … well … not all of it." He smiled up at Terry, "She thinks I was some kind of hero cop … which isn't that far from the truth, I guess. And my students think it's pretty cool."

"You're a teacher?"

"It's a hobby." Dick shrugged, "Self defence, martial arts, that kind of thing."

"Sh'way!" Terry enthused, "Hey, maybe you can help me improve my moves. I've learned a lot from the old man, but - " Terry faltered and his eyes dropped to the floor.

Dick stood and crossed the distance between them. He placed his hand on Terry's shoulder and was quiet in his support.

Terry nodded a thank you and quickly swiped a hand across his face.

Dick watched him in concern and gave the young man's shoulder a brief squeeze, suddenly feeling like a big brother again. And it was a good feeling.

"So," Terry sniffed and looked up at Dick. "The Commish tells me you haven't seen Bruce in a long while."

Dick frowned in confusion, "Oh! Barbara!" He laughed softly, "Man, it's gonna take time to get used to that title!" His smile then faded and he looked round the lounge. "A long, long while …" He mumbled, "God, Terry, I should have come back years ago …"