It had been one short week since Dick Grayson came to live at Wayne Manor, during that week, Thomas went out even night as Batman, except the first, that night he did some more research into the deaths of Mary and John Grayson.

Thomas kept Bruce home from being Robin just incase. He did not want to leave everything up to Alfred if something happened during the night, but tonight was the first night that Robin was going out on patrol with Batman.

-One week ago-

Dick, Bruce and Thomas were the only ones left at the double grave site of John and Mary Grayson. Thomas stood with a hand on the youngest Grayson who was now finding that he cried all the tears that he had.

Thomas looked down and the grave, and then gave the Graysons a silent message, 'John, Mary, I know you don't know me, nor I you, but I promise you this; I will do what ever I can to keep your son safe. I vow to raise him as if he were my own son.'

Bruce leaned against a tree not to far from his father and the boy who was going to his his ward. The teen's arms and were crossed and he was looking off into the distance, unable to face the pair, it was like an out of body experience looking at himself and his father the day of own mother's funeral.

"I'm ready…I guess…" Dick mumbled, even though he wasn't, he knew he had to go to his new home eventually.

"Alright, let's go home," Thomas pushed the boy's wheelchair over the bumpy grass to the black car the was waiting for them. The billionaire drove, wanting his butler to be at the manor making sure last minute preparations were made.

Bruce joined his father and Dick at the car. He opened the door and slipped into the car while his father helped Dick, who was still struggling with the using a wheelchair into the car. In other situations the boy would have had to spend more time in the hospital, but when man taking you was a skilled doctor, things tended to change.

The car ride was silent the entire way to Wayne Manor, both boys gazed blankly out their windows, lost in their own thoughts.

Dick looked up at the large mansion in front of him. He'd never seen any home this large. The manor was brick and covered in ivy. There was a ramp in place covering part of the long steps that lead up to the front door. There was a balding gray haired man with a mustache and wearing a tuxedo and white gloves waiting for them.

When the two Wayne and the lone Grayson arrived at the door the man opened the door for them. Thomas pushed the boy inside, while Bruce followed behind hold a faded blue duffle bag with 'Dick Grayson' stitched into in in white.

They entered a lavishly decorated foyer. There were so many decorations, pictures, vases, and accessories. Dick figured that the large vase to his left probably cost more money that circus was worth.

"Alfred, this is the boy I was telling you about, Richard Grayson." Thomas then looked to Dick. "Dick this is our family butler, his name is Alfred Pennyworth, anything you need feel free to ask him."

"Pleasure to meet you Master Richard, welcome to Wayne Manor" Alfred smiled and greeted him with a British accent, and a slight bow.

"Pleasure to meet you as well," Dick bowed his head and mostly spoke to the floor.

"Alfred set a room up for you here, as well as gotten you some clothing, but you can pick out some of your own as well. We just wanted to get you started.

"Thank you," Dick whispered, "I'm sure what you have is fine."

"Alfred, this is Dick's," Bruce handed the butler the bag and headed off in the direction of the stairs.

"Why, thank you Master Bruce." Alfred took the bag and hung it from his arm.

"Dad, I'm going to my room," Bruce called over his shoulder.

"Okay son," Thomas knew despite not know Dick's parents today brought up bitter memories for Bruce, and he needed time to be alone.

"I shall call you for dinner Master Bruce," Alfred told the teen.

"Come on Dick, let's go see your room." Thomas gave the boy a small smile.

Thomas was down in the Batcave with Bruce. The sat down in his chair, sands his costume, in front of the Batcomputer, he was disappointed that he was not going out, but he understood why. He hoped he would not be held back from being Robin much longer.

"When are we going to tell Dick, about this? About us?" The younger Wanye looked over the files his father has up.

"When the time is right. Now is not the time, he lost his parents, the ability to walk, and now living in a new home all in a short span of time. I don't want to put too much pressure and stress on him."

"Won't it be good for him to know that we are out looking for who did this to his parents?"

"It could put him in fear of potentially losing us as well. You have to remember he just lost parents, we are his family now—for now. This is our crusade, I don't want to bring him into this."

"What if after we tell him he wants to join us?"

"I am not bring him out in the field, he cannot defend himself. If he could defend himself that would be a completely different story. While I do not want to limit him from do anything, there are somethings he cannot physically do. You do not tell him about this with out my permission."

Bruce sighed, "yeah okay, but—"

"I mean it, Bruce."

-Today-

Since moving into Wayne Manor, late every night Dick would hear sounds and movement from down the wall, but today Dick heard more commotion than usual, he could hear the distinct sound of someone running and then a door being opened, but after that nothing. Beside Alfred he was the only one with a bedroom on the ground floor.

"Alfred?" Dick called loudly, usually the sound didn't freak him out this much. Something felt wrong, it never took Alfred this long to appear at his door, while a smile on his face no matter what time he woke up in the middle of the night scared.

Clumsily the boy scooted himself to the side of his bed and lower himself into the wheelchair. He rolled to the door, his floor was all hardwood and had no obstacles. He had a side table on the side of the bed opposite the door, with a desk in the wall across from the foot of his bed. He had a walk in closet, or as he called it, his roll in closet. It was filled with more clothing than Dick ever had in his life.

"Alfred?" he called again, rolling down the hallway. He noticed a light on in Thomas's study. "Thomas?" he knocked on the door, it opened, he pushed the door in and then went in himself. "Hello?" He looked around the room, it was large and spacious, there was a oak desk in front of the window, but the view was not being used because the chair and desk were facing the door, though there was two chairs facing the desk. In addition a grandfather clock stood next to a fire place. Around there room were end tables, filled with decorations and even some awards. The room was very tidy and organized, mostly likely because of Alfred.

"Alfred! Batman! Dick is dad's study!" Bruce shouted hearing alarm going off signaling someone entered the room, before any one could stop him Robin ran off.

"Damnit! Robin come back!" Thomas said trying to sit up shouting after him, he had the horrible feeling that his son was about to do something very dumb.

"Master Thomas, I must insist you stop moving, I need to remove the bullet." Alfred forced the younger man down.

"Alfred…Dick's not ready to know…" He groaned.

"And you sir, have a bullet lodge into your left shoulder and will bleed out if you chase down Master Bruce, or I stop. I would also like to point out what would Master Richard think if you appear to him in this state?"

Thomas let out a heavy sigh, Alfred was right, as always.

Even if he had changed into his civilian clothes, Dick would still question why he appeared from behind a grandfather clock. Bruce ran up the stairs and when he reached the top landing he pressed the button that allowed the grandfather clock to move, it slid open.

Dick saw the clock move, he rolled backwards, but hit the wall. He reached around to find something to use to defend himself, he pulled a pointed crystal award off the side table, he could barely reach it. He held it tightly in his hand, his eyes not moving off the clock. A figure silently slipped out. Dick looked at the brightly colored figured in front of him.

"Get away! I don't have anything!" the young boy called out.

"Dick, it's me!" Bruce called pulling his mask from his face once he saw the petrified look on the younger boy's face.

Dick was breathing heavily still holding the makeshift weapon in his hand. "B-Bruce? Y-you're…." Dick was trying to think of the name he's heard about on the news.

"Robin," Bruce, forgot that Dick was new to Gotham and just learning about the city's protectors.

"So you're dad…he's Batman?" Dick was impressed, he seemed to calm down.

"Yeah, he is," this was the first time Bruce ever told anyone about his night life, "we're down stairs… but I'd have to carry you down…if you want to come."

"Like a lair?"

"Yeah, like in the comics you read, come on." Bruce crouched down in front of Dick's wheelchair so the younger boy no longer giving him a choice. Dick wrapped his arms hesitantly around the older boy's neck, once that was done Bruce stood up and wrapped his own arms around Dick's legs so he could support them while he carried him.

"Don't drop me," Dick whispered holding on tighter. He trusted Bruce, he didn't know why he was nervous, maybe it could because he didn't know Robin.

Bruce scoffed, "you weigh nothing. I've lifted weights more than you," as he carried his surrogate brother across the room to the clock.

"You don't have to take me…"

"It will be okay," Once behind the clock the pair was in a wide open space where long stair case. It was dimly lit, so Dick strained to see everything, "welcome to the BatCave." Robin said as he slowly made his way down the many steps. "My dad got hurt-"

"What? No!" Dick went from calm to frantic quickly.

Bruce struggled to keep the younger boy on his back. "Dick, stop or I will drop you!

Dick gasped, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure approaching them.

"Robin!" Batman said sharply, then he changed his voice to speak with the younger boy, "Dick, it's okay, It's me, Thomas," he placed a hand on the young boy's head, "I'm okay, I'm right here." Batman took the boy of Robin's back and held him close to his chest. "Bruce, stay down here. I am taking Dick back up stairs."

"Yes, sir," Bruce slipped past his father, not meeting Batman in the eyes.

Thomas could feel the boy shaking in his arms as he carried the boy back to the study. When he got into his study he saw the boy's wheelchair against the wall and the crystal award lying on it's side on the table next to the chair. Thomas leaned over to set the boy down into his wheelchair.

"No! Don't let go!" Dick clung tightly onto the cape. Any calm or rational though that was previously in Dick's head flew our the window.

Thomas gave a inward sigh, this was exactly why he knew it was too soon to tell Dick. The poor boy had been hardly sleeping since coming to live here, and when he did manage to sleep, he would wake up from a nightmare. "I won't leave you, but I want to put you down, I want to talk to you."

Dick nodded reluctantly as the billionaire place him into the wheel chair and placed a hand on the boy's smaller one. He knelt down in front of him and looked into his eyes.

The former acrobat broke down crying, he was looking down at his shaking hands.

Thomas put his other hand under Dick's chin, and lifted it up to look make him look him in the eye "Dick I want you to listen to me. I know you are scared—"

"I'm-I'm…b-bad l-luck…and a burden…" His breathing got heavier, and un even, his heart rate was accelerated "are you *hic* g-going to…die?"

"Dick, I need you to listen to me." he repeated trying to get the scared boy to listen, "first I want you to calm down, nice easy breaths." Thomas waited for the boy to calm down, even if it was slightly. "It's okay to be scared, I was scared when I first started as Batman, and then I used the fear to fuel me. We were you scared when you first started on the trapeze?" Dick gave a slight nod. "But your did it anyway, and when you fell you go back up."

"My dad said we fall so that we can learn…" Dick sniffled.

"Smart man," Thomas smiled, "and it's hard to lose someone you love, especially your parents, while I could never image how you are feeling, I will tell you what I told Bruce after his mother died. Don't be too brave to cry, but that doesn't mean you should always be sad, remember the happier times, and know they will always be here," Thomas dropped his hand from Dick's chin to point to the child's chest where his heart was. "I can't promise you I won't die, that a promise no one can keep, and I know you know that all to well, but what I can promise you is that as long as I still breathe I will make sure you are safe, I will be your net. One last thing, in no way are you bad luck or a burden to me, or to anyone. I want you to always remember this, I knew your story before I took you in, and I still chose to take you in."

"I still miss them…"

"I know. But you're not alone. I am here for you, as is Bruce, and yes even Alfred. Well want to help you heal."

Dick leaned forward to put his arms around Thomas's neck, who pulled the boy into a fierce hug.

By the time Thomas got Dick settled, back into bed it was late, or early really. He went back to the Batcave to find Bruce sleeping at the desk with a cup of hot chocolate next to him. Alfred, on the other hand was awake and sitting in the other chair sipping on tea.

"How is Master Richard?" Alfred asked seeing the strained look on Thomas's face.

"Afraid and confused," Thomas sighed, "he's got a long road ahead of him. Coping with the grief of losing both parents, and in the same day losing the ability to walk, he's an acrobat, born to fly. I've been over his x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and it's possible he can walk again, tomorrow after I stop in at the office I am going to meet a another colleague to review his condition, but it's not going to be easy." Thomas exhaled.

"When in life is anything ever easy sir?" Alfred said sadly as stood to leave the lair.

"Never," Thomas ran his hand over his head and walked over to his son to wake him up. "Bruce," he said gently shaking his shoulder. "Wake up."

The teen moaned and buried his face into arms before blinking, then lifting his head. "Dad…"

"Get washed up and to bed." his voice firm, he was tired from the night out in Gotham, getting injured, and then having to deal with the situation with Dick everything was starting to drain him more than he expected.

"I'm sorry…" Bruce told his father

"Bruce…this was why—"

" When I went up there the look on his face…It was one of the looks we see right before we save someone."

"Bruce, while you heart may have been in then right place your head wasn't. There are reasons I wanted to wait to tell Dick, I told you he's not in the right place. You need to learn to read situations better. He's a scared little boy who lost his parents. How do you think he feels right know know the two people who took him in go out every night and fight crime?"

Bruce lowered his head, his father was right, again.

"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe this could be good. Tomorrow I am going to speak with Lucious Fox about having a way for Dick to get down here installed. Do not take him down until I tell you, and I mean it."

"Yes sir," Robin said turning around, thinking he could have gotten a way with this.

"And Robin is grounded, two days." Batman called once his son started to climb the stairs.

"And Bruce?"

"He's free, but I do need his help tomorrow. I need to go to both the office and the hospital, I would like you to help keep an eye on Dick while I'm gone. It's his first day of lessons with Alfred, so make sure you keep an eye on Alfred too." Thomas gave his son a half smile.

"Yes, I think week is long enough break. Dick's can't be the only one learning something new."

A/N: What do you think? Everything is starting to fall into place...slowly...

Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, reviewed, and read the last chapter!