Chapter 29

Wayne Manor; September 30th, 16:46 EST

Damian peeked his head outside his bedroom, looking both ways before slipping silently into the empty hallway. It was unusually quiet in the house which made him wonder what the rest of his family was up to at that moment. Quiet was not typically something that consumed this house. Well, he was about to find out one way or another what was going on.

He was fed up with being stuck in his bedroom all day. His wound was healing nicely, and he wasn't having any pain…well, nothing bad. He just felt some stiffness in his shoulder and some mild tenderness, but nothing that he would call actual pain. There was no reason that he couldn't be set free from his prison and he definitely didn't see why he couldn't be out on patrol with the rest of the team searching for the Joker.

One way or another, he was going to prove that he was well enough to be out of his bedroom and with the team. He was more than determined to pay Joker back for shooting him.

Slipping down the hallway, he paused at the stop of the stairs. He glanced back over his shoulder, feeling a stab of guilt as his gaze fell on Tim's closed bedroom door. He should have looked in on him to see how he was doing, but right now, this was about his own freedom. He'd check on Tim later once he'd proven himself to Alfred.

He crept down the stairs, pausing every few steps to listen. He was hoping to sneak into the kitchen and find some real food instead of all that healthy junk that Alfred had been feeding him in order to help him heal faster. He wanted some real food before sneaking down into the Batcave to do some training. He'd been sitting idle for far too long. He needed to get back into fighting shape if he was going to help take down the Joker and psycho girlfriend.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Damian made his way towards the kitchen, suddenly realizing that he'd have to pass by the entertainment room in order to get there. He grumbled under his breath, wondering how he was going to get by without being seen. With any luck, no one would be in there or they'd be too occupied to even notice him.

He had a full-length speech already prepared in his head when it was discovered that he had escaped. He didn't really care what anyone had to say at that point. He wasn't going back to his room any time soon and he'd fight tooth-and-nail to keep from returning there until it was time to go to sleep.

He was going stir-crazy in there and nothing could make him return to it. Nothing.

"Where are you going?"

Damian froze in his steps, his eyes falling closed in frustration. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Just go back to whatever it was you were doing."

"Are you better?" Nicholas asked, curiosity alight on his face.

Damian turned around to face him with a frown. "I'm perfectly fine," he insisted. "Everyone is overreacting."

"You don't have to be in your room no more?"

"No, I don't," he stated.

"Are you looking for mommy and daddy?"

"No, I'm just going to the kitchen to get something to eat," he revealed. "Why?"

"I don't think daddy is feeling good," he said. "His head hurts. I think mommy is with him."

"I'm not looking for anyone," he stated. "I'm just going to get a snack in the kitchen."

"Do you want me to get it for you?"

"No, I'm more than capable of getting it myself," he grumbled with a huff. "Now, leave me alone."

"You don't want to ruin your dinner," Nicholas pointed out, trying to be helpful.

Damian rolled his eyes, trying to figure out how to lose his little brother. "I won't," he promised. "Don't you have some Legos to play with or something?"

"I was looking for Ace," he replied.

"Well, I haven't seen him."

"Okay," Nicholas said before turning and running back down the hallway.

Damian huffed softly as he continued towards the kitchen, not getting very far before being discovered. "And what exactly do you think you're doing?"

Damian's eyes fell closed as his head fell back with a growl of frustration. "Look, I don't need to be a prisoner in my own bedroom," he spouted off as he turned to face Dick. "I'm perfectly fine and should be allowed to leave my room when I want to."

"I agree," Dick replied, shoving his hands into his pants' pockets. "I think you should be able to come down here with us."

Damian's eyes narrowed as he studied his eldest brother, his lips twitching with suspicion. "You do?" he questioned him as he sized him up.

"Absolutely," he confirmed. "Do you know how many times I was exiled to my room when I got hurt as Robin? It's not fun."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "I'm going absolutely crazy."

"Been there…done that," Dick said with a grimace. "And Alfred makes you eat extra healthy food to make sure you heal faster. He tries to sneak vitamins and minerals into the food, but you can always tell because it tastes funny."

"I want steak or hamburger," Damian decided. "Heck, I'd take a pizza right now."

"Well, we just so happen to be having steak for dinner," he told him. "I'm sure I can talk Alfred into letting you join us instead of eating all alone in your room."

"That would be awesome," he readily determined, his rigid stance lessening somewhat now that he had discovered a co-conspirator in his brother.

Dick smiled at him, understanding his bubbling sense of frustration. He'd been there far too many times to begin to count. "Alfred means well," he explained. "It's only because he cares so much about all of us that he wants us to get well quickly."

"I know," Damian replied, shoulders dropping almost imperceptibly with the reminder. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Dick's smile faded as he closed the distance between them, his eyebrows knitting with concern. "What is it?"

"You haven't heard any more about my grandfather or what happened to my mother…have you?"

"No, I'm afraid not," he gently informed him. "Bruce and Diana lost track of him after he escaped from Themyscira and we have no idea what happened to your mom after Hades' attack. Our best guess is that Ubu took her to one of your grandfather's hideouts."

Damian looked away, his expression becoming an emotionless mask that reminded Dick so much of Bruce at that moment. "That's what I thought."

"I'm sure you miss them."

"Not really," Damian stiffly stated, his chin lifting with defiance. "I was just curious if they'd been found."

Dick placed a hand on Damian shoulder, being careful of his injury and yet wanting to reassure him. "It's okay to miss them or for you to want to know where they are. They're you're family too, Damian. We don't expect you to turn your back on them or disown them."

"They turned their backs on me," he spat out as his anger and deep resentment rose to the surface. "That's one thing family never does. It's something that I learned from this family."

Pride shown in Dick's eyes as he gently squeezed his brother's shoulder. "That's right…and I'm afraid you'll always be a part of this family whether you like it or not, whether you love us or not. You're stuck with the Wayne's, Damian."

Damian tried to look annoyed by the notion, but his appreciation slipped through in his expression despite his best efforts. "I guess I'll have to stick around here then."

"Good," Dick said with a cheeky grin. "I'd hate to have to hunt you down and bring you back home where you belong."

Damian couldn't help but smile in response. It wasn't a huge smile, and some might even say it wasn't even a real smile, but to Dick who knew Damian and Bruce better than anyone, it was the equivalent of a full-blown grin that spread from ear to ear. "Stay here," he told him. "Alfred is already preparing dinner. I'll sneak you some cookies."

"Thanks," Damian murmured as Dick headed to the kitchen, feeling better than when he'd first snuck out of his bedroom. With any luck, he'd be able to join everyone on patrol tonight.

He had a Joker to find and pay back.

Wayne Manor; September 30th, 17:07 EST

Diana found her husband in one of the two places that she knew he'd be—the library or the Batcave. He was sitting in the library in a chair before the fireplace just staring up at the portrait of his parents that hung above it. The sight of him sitting there all alone tore painfully at her heart.

He had a glass of Scotch in his left hand, swirling it around and causing the ice to clink softly in the glass. It looked as though he'd barely touched it. He wasn't known to drink alcohol so its appearance in his hand told her how shaken up he truly was after his meeting with J'onn yesterday.

She couldn't help thinking how it must have been terribly lonely for him after he had lost his parents. It made her that much more grateful that he'd had Alfred to take care of him and be there for him. Still, it had to have been very painful for him growing up, his parents not there for him at key moments and important milestones in his life.

She pictured an eight-year-old boy in that very same chair staring up at that same portrait, trying desperately to deal with an unbearable pain that would never leave him. It had carved a permanent place for itself deep within his heart, refusing to be banished or forgotten.

She knew that the moment he had lost his parents had catapulted him down a dark path littered with pain and loneliness that would forever mark him as Batman. She couldn't help wondering at what point the Dark Knight of Gotham had begun to take shape in his mind…the gadgets, the symbol of the bat, the drive for more than just trying to cope ultimately gave birth to an unrelenting need for vengeance and justice.

Had that overwhelming demand taken shape right here in this chair as an eight-year-old boy? Had it developed over time in a thirteen-year-old's mind? Or had it manifested itself in the cracks and crevices of a sixteen-year-old's broken heart?

It caused tears to burn behind her eyes as she thought about it, wishing she could have been there for him all those years ago. She was going to have to ask him sometime about it, but now was definitely not the time as she silently made her way towards him. He had been quiet and withdrawn since leaving the Watchtower yesterday, causing her to worry that he was going to lock himself up behind the walls she had so meticulously broken down.

She was not about to let him rebuild that fortress no matter how hard he might try to fight her on it. She didn't bring the man that she loved back from the Underworld and return him to their family only for him to retreat from them and into a cocoon of guilt and anger.

She loved and needed him. They all did…and she was going to make sure that he never forgot that.

Diana didn't make a sound or call his name as she approached. There was no need. He would've known she was there the second she reached the doorway of the library. Instead, she sat down on the thick armrest of the overstuffed chair that he was sitting in.

Neither said a word as they stared at the portrait of the smiling couple that was so obviously in love. Diana smiled to herself, noticing for the hundredth time how Bruce had inherited his mother's smile…his father's jaw line and handsome good looks. It was obviously a Wayne trait passed down through the lineage of Wayne men. She could already tell that Nicholas had inherited that same handsome look of confidence and strength.

They sat there in silence for nearly twenty minutes before Bruce broke the stillness that had blanketed the room, startling Diana from her thoughts. "I remember the day my parents had that portrait taken," he said, an unexpected chuckle of amusement escaping. "The picture turned out really well considering how mad they were with me."

"Why were they mad at you?"

"The photographer was ancient and took forever getting his equipment set up in the garden," he explained. "I was seven at the time and wearing my best dress clothes. I got bored with the waiting and well…"

"Oh, no," she uttered with a groan of realization, laughing at the image that abruptly popped into her head. "Bruce, you didn't."

"I was seven and he was taking entirely too long," he defended himself, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "It wasn't my fault that it had rained the day before and the garden path was still muddy."

"So, what happened after that?"

"Alfred whisked me back inside for a very quick bath and a change of clothes," he revealed, his blue eyes alight with amusement as he turned to look at her. "I can still see the looks on my parents' faces when they saw me covered in mud from head to toe."

"Is that why you aren't in this picture?" she asked, nodding towards the portrait before them.

"No," he softly replied with a shake of his head. "I had the portrait of me with my parents replaced with this one soon after the night that I lost them. I know it sounds crazy, but it hurt so much more seeing the picture of the three of us together looking so happy and perfect. This made me feel like I still had them with me somehow."

Diana's hand moved to settle on the nape of his neck, gently stroking the short black strands she found there. "It doesn't sound crazy at all, Bruce."

She felt him grow tense beneath her touch. He suddenly got up out of the chair, moving to stand before the fireplace. "I can't help wondering what other horrible memories that J'onn is going to resurrect the next time we meet," he scornfully said as he set his glass on the mantle.

"Bruce, not everything that has happened to you has been terrible," she tried to assure him. "Yes, you've had more than your fair share of tragedies in your life, but you've had some good memories too...times with Dick, Jason, and Tim, holidays spent with Alfred, past girlfriends and successes with Wayne Enterprises."

"I should've just had J'onn unlock memories from my life from the moment that we first met," he decided, his jaw clenching as tightly as his fists at that moment. "Then, I wouldn't have to be reminded of all this pain."

"You don't mean that," she gently said as she moved to stand behind him. "You need to remember your parents and your life before me. Your parents were very important to you. They're a part of you."

"And there was nothing I could do to save them…not a damn thing," he bitterly reminded her. "I just stood there and watched while that piece of scum took them from me and turned my world upside down."

"Bruce, you were just a child," she pointed out. "There was nothing that you could have done. The gods were protecting you. You could have easily been killed along with them."

"Maybe…maybe it would've better for everyone if I had."

"Bruce!" she snapped at him, anger suddenly coursing through her veins. "Don't you ever say anything like that to me ever again."

"I'm serious, Diana," he said as he turned to face her. The look of pure anguish and rage that veiled his face caused her breath to hitch. "Dick, Jason, Tim, Barbara, Damian…you. You all would've been better off without me. None of you would've been dragged into this hellish life that I've created…none of you would've been hurt because of me. The Joker wouldn't have any idea that you existed as anything other than Wonder Woman. You all would've been safer without me…would've had a much better life."

Diana angrily grabbed hold of his upper arms, furious tears nearly blurring her vision. "Don't you dare for one second believe that anything that you just said to me is true," she ground out with a fierce vehemence that stunned him as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Everyone who has ever met you has become a better person because of you."

"Diana—"

"I know this is difficult for you, but I know with absolute certainty that no one in this family has ever regretted knowing you or joining you in your mission," she continued, her chest beginning to heave with the emotion pulsating through her. "I don't want to imagine my life without you. Why do you think I went to the Underworld to rescue you? Yes, it was for our family, but it was also for me. I don't want to be in a world that you've not a part of. You're my true love, Bruce. You're the only one that I've ever wanted to spend my life with."

Bruce wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him and holding her close as he buried his face in her raven hair. "I'm sorry, Diana," he whispered, finding it difficult to speak as he glanced up at the portrait of his parents as they smiled down on them in approval of his chosen bride. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Diana drew a shuddering breath as tears continued to break free against her will. "I know," she softly gasped.

"I just can't stand the thought of my family being hurt," he replied, his own voice choked with emotion. "The idea of Joker being obsessed with you scares me senseless, Diana. I don't know how to deal with it."

"It's okay," she reassured him. "I know all of this has been very difficult for you."

"When J'onn resurrected those memories from my childhood, it felt like I was eight years old again…and I lost them for a second time," he admitted. "I began to think about losing any of our children or you and I can't, Diana…I can't handle that."

Diana pulled back, pressing her forehead against his cheekbone. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that again," she apologized. "I know it's only reawakened demons that you've been forced to battle for so long now, but I'm here to help you through it. Just please don't shut me out."

"You know I can't promise that," he admitted, kissing the top of her head before releasing his hold on her. "I'm going to try to shut you out. I don't mean to, but I find it very hard..."

His voice trailed off, leaving his thoughts unspoken, but Diana understood. "I know…I know, and it's all right," she reassured him, her hand moving to cup his cheek. "I understand that about you. I promise that I'm not going anywhere."

"I'd be so lost without you," he softly replied.

"Then I guess it's a good thing you aren't going to lose me," she lightly teased.

He released a ragged breath as his eyes fell closed. "I wish I knew for sure that that was true," he told her.

"As you already know, there are no guarantees in life, but I can promise you that I'll always fight with everything I have to come back to you."

Taking her hand from his face, he kissed the tips of her fingers. "I guess that's all that I can ask of you."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kaia yelled as she ran into the library, a fierce scowl on her face.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, crouching to scoop his daughter up into his arms.

"Ni-Ni won't pay with me," she said with a pout.

"What's he doing?"

"He's paying with Ace."

"Do you want to play with me?" he asked her.

"Yah!" she excitedly exclaimed.

"What do you want to play?"

"Me want to pay Candyland."

"We can play Candyland," Bruce told her, kissing her on the cheek before setting her down. He gently swatted her on her bottom before straightening up. "Get it out and I'll be there in a minute."

"Otay," she said before running out of the room.

Diana reached out, capturing his hand in hers. "Kaia and her brothers make everything we go through each day more than worthwhile," she gently reminded him. "You would've missed out on so much if you hadn't survived that day, Bruce. I for one am more than grateful that you lived. I love this life we've made together."

Bruce suddenly pulled her in, his lips claiming hers in a rush of raw emotions converging in that singular moment. His arms slipped around her, crushing her to him as he showed her just how much he truly loved her. She was the calming center to his storm, and he knew without a doubt that he'd be forever lost without her.

Breaking apart after several long moments, Diana pressed her forehead against his. "Go," she told him. "Your daughter needs you. I can wait for you until tonight."

"I don't know if I can now," he teased her, his breathing exerted.

"I promise I'll make it worth the wait," she promised him.

He smiled at her, wondering not for the first time how she seemed to just make everything better when it felt like everything was falling apart. "Deal," he replied, kissing her once more before leaving her standing there in the library.

Diana wrapped her arms around herself as she stared at the doorway that he had just passed through. While she was relieved that he had been able to regain some of his memories, she knew it was going to be a long, hard road for him once the rest of them returned to him.

It was going to be arduous, but for Bruce she knew she'd do absolutely anything.

Wayne Manor; September 30th, 18:45 EST

Diana walked down the hallway, balancing a dinner tray with one hand while keeping an eye out for Ace and Peanut. They had a tendency of showing up under foot when least expected. Reaching Tim's bedroom door, she knocked, receiving permission to enter.

"Dinner is served," she announced as she entered, somewhat surprised to find Tim all alone in his bedroom.

"Great!" Tim replied. "I'm starving."

"Where's Cassie?" she asked, unfolding the legs beneath the tray before setting it across his lap.

"I finally convinced her to go home for a while," he replied. "She's been at my bedside since I got home. I wanted her to get a decent night's sleep in her own bed tonight instead of another night in a chair."

"I'm surprised she actually agreed to leave you," she admitted as she sat down in the chair by his bed.

"It wasn't easy," Tim confessed with a grimace. "She wasn't happy with me. I'm sure she'll be back by sunrise tomorrow."

"It's because she loves you."

"I love her too," he softly said.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you," Diana told him as she reached over to remove the dome covering his dinner.

Tim was stunned by what he found on his plate. "How did I get steak?" he questioned her, his gaze narrowing as he stared at her. "Does Alfred know about this?"

"I'm the one who talked Alfred into it," she informed him with a conspiratorial grin.

"I'd much rather have this then whatever healthy concoction Alfred created for me," Tim readily agreed as he sat up a little straighter in his bed, grimacing with the movement.

Diana helped him to sit up as she adjusted the pillows behind him. "I saved you from lentil soup," she revealed. "I think he snuck some protein additives into it to help you heal faster, but to be honest, I'm not absolutely certain what he put in it."

"I prefer this kind of protein over that."

Diana settled into her chair by his bed, noticing the way that Tim was just staring at his meal. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Still sore, but I'm feeling stronger," he admitted. "It feels good to be back in my own bed."

"Are you having any more nightmares?"

Tim gave her a somewhat sheepish look before returning his attention to his plate once more. "You heard about that?"

She reached out to take his hand in hers, needing to reassure him. "Tim, it's understandable after everything you've been through," she told him. "I just want you to know that you can talk to any of us about what you went through. I'm sure Jason will be a great help to you"

Tim snorted in amusement. "Yah, I can just see Jason wanting to have a heart-to-heart talk, commiserating about what the Joker did to both of us."

"Okay, so Jason might not be the best family member to speak to," she amended. "But you know that I'm always here for you. You're my son and I love you."

Tim squeezed her hand, his shoulders sinking slightly. "I know and I love you too," he replied. "It's just…it's hard. I don't want to remember it and yet it's right there in my head all the time."

Diana swallowed hard, her throat constricting with all the pain her family was being forced to endure right now. "I can't begin to imagine what you went through," she said. "I'm just so sorry we couldn't have gotten to you sooner. Bruce was going to exchange himself for you…take your place so Joker would let you go that night that we got you back."

He looked up at her, taken aback by the unexpected revelation. "He was?"

She nodded her head as she continued to hold his hand. "He had Barbara sending out messages all over Gotham for twenty-four hours straight to make sure that Joker got the request for a trade."

"He didn't have to do that," Tim murmured.

"You're his son, Tim," she reminded him. "He was worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault…none of this is your fault," she assured him. "Now, why don't you eat before your dinner gets cold. Do you need me to help you?"

Tim chuckled softly, his hand moving to brace his broken ribs. "Thanks, but I think I can handle it myself."

He looked down at his tray, his gaze falling on the sharp steak knife resting to the right of his plate. He stared at it for a long moment as Diana told him how Damian was recovering. He slowly reached for the knife, his fingers wrapping around and squeezing it tightly in his grip.

"He even managed to escape his bedroom without Alfred's permission," Diana told him, shaking her head in amazement as she stood to her feet. She picked up his bathrobe resting at the foot of his bed, walking over to his bedroom door to hang it on the hook on the back of it. "He seems to be doing well. I think he should be good as new in a couple more weeks. I don't know if Bruce will let him out on patrol any time soon, though. That'll definitely be a point of contention between the two."

Tim glanced at Diana out of the corner of his eye as she slowly roamed around his room, his grip tightening on the knife. His lips slowly curled into a wide grin as he stared at his mother's back when she paused before his dresser to look at the picture of him and Cassie. His teeth clenched tightly as his breathing grew slightly exerted, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he watched her.

"I love this picture of you and Cassie," Diana thoughtfully said as she picked up the picture. "You two look so happy."

She looked up to find Tim intently studying her. He chuckled as he picked up his fork in his other hand. "We are," he replied as he began to cut his steak. "I can imagine Alfred wasn't too happy to find Damian had escaped his bedroom."

Diana felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickling with the way that he had looked at her, but quickly dismissed the feeling. "He wasn't happy about it, but he felt if Damian was well enough to be sneaking around the manor, he was well enough to eat dinner with the family."

"You know Bruce won't be able to keep Damian from patrolling Gotham," Tim pointed out, pausing to take a bite of his dinner. "He'll just try to go out behind Bruce's back and tick him off."

"Hera," Diana murmured as she shook her head with the thought, placing the picture frame back on Tim's dresser. "I'm sure he will. Hopefully, I can talk Bruce into letting him go out on patrol as long as he's partnered with someone…at least for a few weeks to make sure he's all right."

"And Damian won't be happy with that."

"That's because Damian is just like his father," she agreed as she walked back around his bed with a knowing smirk on her lips. "I'm afraid they'll forever be butting heads over something."

Tim watched her as she sat back down in the chair beside his bed once more, the sharp steak knife still gripped firmly in his hand. He glanced down at the knife before meeting Diana's watchful eye. "Has Bruce gotten any of his memories back?"

"J'onn was able to unlock memories from his childhood," she revealed, grief permeating her eyes. "It's been very difficult for him to deal with."

"I can imagine," he softly replied with an agreeing nod.

"I'm hoping the rest of his memories will return on their own now that J'onn has begun the process, but we'll have to wait and see," she told him. "I want you to just focus on getting better. Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, I'm good, mom," he promised her. "Thanks for the steak."

"You're welcome, Tim," she said as she stood to her feet, reaching out to stroke his hair. "I'll be back to check on you before we go out on patrol."

"Thanks," he murmured, watching as she walked towards the door.

He flipped the steak knife in his right hand, lightly grasping it by the sharp blade as Diana opened the door. She paused, turning back to glance at him with a gentle smile. He smiled back as she closed the door behind her, the steak knife imbedding deep into the wood of the door.

A/N: Whoa! This is not good...

UP NEXT: Tim's bizarre behavior escalates as does Joker's plans to get his hands on Batwoman. Will Damian be allowed to be Robin ever again?

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