A/N: While Dick is attending to his annual trip to the circus, Tim disobeys and follows him, getting into major trouble on two fronts. Without realizing, by revealing that Tim is his biological brother, Dick has placed Tim in grave danger from a source they have dealt with before. Will Dick be the last Flying Grayson, again?

A Circus Boy Returns Home

Part 4: Returning Home

Returning home after a long absence was like returning home to an old friend. Dick Grayson approached the circus encampment after viewing it from a hill outside the small town of Fremont, Nebraska. Dick understood why Pop Haly decided to avoid the big cities and instead traveled the smaller towns in the various states for the past several summers. It was good business to stay in one place for a week at a smaller town and watch the crowds come from the outlying areas, and even from the bigger nearby cities that people could easily travel from. Dick could understand why Haly had decided to concentrate on the Midwest this year instead of traveling up and down the east coast like he would normally do. Train travel was more pleasant along these routes, seeing the vast open countryside, instead of the narrow corridors of closed in city streets. It gave a chance for people to really breathe, sit back and enjoy the ride the way it was meant to be enjoyed, even though the distances between towns was vast. And there was another reason for Pop Haly's decision to travel through the Midwest, he wanted to avoid another tragic incident that brought a small boy to tears, and Dick could understand that choice.

It was still early, the sun not yet peaking up over the horizon, even though the sky was lightening. Dick let his feet carry him to Pop Haly's office wagon and he knocked on the door.

"It's too early, go back to bed," an unfamiliar voice shouted at the knock that woke him from his slumber.

"Not by my estimation," Dick shouted back. "The sun should be coming up over the horizon in about 15 minutes."

"15 minutes, holy moly, I've slept late," the voice stated. "He'll skin me alive if he finds out." The figure threw back the covers and walked over to the door and opened it to see a beloved smiling face. "Dickie, bird, I thought you weren't going to come this year."

"Hello Reggie," Dick said as he smiled at Pop Haly's head roustabout. "There were some things that needed to be taken care of," Dick stated. "I'll tell you later."

"I got Pop Haly's message that you visited him back in Florida."

"Yeah," Dick said wistfully. "I had something that needed taken care of. You'll be happy to know I've got a new daughter."

"You do? That's wonderful. Why didn't you bring her?"

"I thought she needed to meet her other grandfather."

"You could have brought your whole family," Reggie replied.

"I know, but this is my thing, once a year, and my wife understands," Dick replied. "Plus, Haley was just born a couple days ago, and Babs needs the rest. It's going to be overwhelming meeting everyone. And I also thought my wife needed a break from everyone in the house."

"Going to some place a little more peaceful then.

"You could say that."

"Well, this place is going to be jumping as soon as cookie opens the kitchen," Reggie said. "Might as well go over and get yourself something to eat before the rest of the roustabouts and the rest of the family head there. I'll meet you for a cup of joe."

"Sounds good Reggie," Dick said. He was about to leave the premises when he turned around. "Hey Reggie, how is Pop Haly doing. I thought he'd be on this trip with you."

"You weren't aware of it, but Pop's been recovering from a long illness this past winter."

"I wasn't aware that he was ill."

"Nothing really serious, just a cough that wouldn't go away. He's going to fly out later. We just arrived here ourselves and set up. I told everyone to get some shuteye. Our first performance isn't until 5:00 this evening, but you know the midway, it opens up at 10:00."

"Since you added the carnival, how have things been going," Dick asked.

'Well, hard to say," Reggie said. "Pop knows more about that end than I do. I just know these carnies aren't always the friendly type."

"Anything I should know about?"

"Not at the moment," Reggie said then changed his mind. "Oh, Pop did say there were a pair of sisters that need watching. They've been giving Satira a run for her money."

"Satira, the fortune teller?"

"They've been stealing the male customers."

"I'll look into it while I'm here," Dick replied. "Do you know anything else about them?"

"Only thing I know is they don't stay with the rest of the community."

"And they seem to be interested in only males," Dick reiterated. "Well, I'm hungry and I think better on a full stomach, so I'm going to head to the cafeteria tent. Maybe get a little shuteye, too. Is my parents' wagon here?"

"Yes, in fact a lot of people want to see what an old fashion circus wagon looks like."

"You've been giving tours of my parents' place?"

"We don't let them go inside," Reggie stated. "People do want to see it, and they even put in a donation to make sure the wagon is kept up nice, the older folks mind you, those that really remember what it was like to have seen a traveling circus like Pop Haly's. Pop had to open an account just for that wagon. Some rich patron donated a cool million alone."

All Dick could do was nod. He suspected who that rich patron might have been, and he had to smile at his generosity. The amount was small when you compared all the other donations that he had provided over the years, but to a small circus, that was a huge amount. "Well, once I get a look at the wagon, I might be pulling some of those funds out myself to do some repairs."

"Not much needs to be done, just some new paint. We try to place the wagon where it won't get damaged."

"Thanks, Reggie," Dick was appreciative. "I'm going to get some breakfast, now that I can smell the food from here. Then I'm going to head to the wagon and get some shuteye myself."

"See you later, Dickie bird."

Dick Grayson left Reggie standing in the opening of the office wagon and headed toward the cafeteria tent. What he didn't know was that his conversation had been observed. Questions formed in the person's mind. As the sun came up, the person headed to the shadow side of the tents. That person climbed into a car, started the engine and headed eastward. He took a side street that headed north and to the highway that would lead him out of town and toward the larger city about an hour away. He needed to call his superiors and report what he just heard.

Continues With Part 5