Disclaimer: If wishes were horses, i'd have a ranch. I'd also have DC comics and everything they own. Unfortunately they remain wishes. I own nothing.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions in the reviews, but I'm gonna ignore them. Yes I'm a brat, but I had the whole thing plotted out from the beginning and I've finished writing this one on my compy and I'm not changing it. Love the funny reviews though. You all make my day.

Now I must warn you, the rest of this has a lot of batfluff in it, but you're gonna have to wait a while to get it. You'll see why soon. *laugh evilly*

Without Me

Ch. 26 – The Long Haul

"Seriously you should have seen the look on Wally's face! It was classic!" Dick laughed at his own story as he told Bruce at the counter. Since his suit was ripped off the previous day and he didn't keep spares in the mountain, he was forced to wear borrowed street clothes. He probably would have worn sunglasses or a domino mask to at least try to hide his identity, but the only mask in the mountain was Robin's and that was too small for him. His sunglasses were broken beyond repair the previous day. Both of them were condemned to just be Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson until Superman came back from the cave with a spare costume. Their only defense was a special program keeping certain leaguers who didn't know Batman's identity out of the mountain.

"Was it now?" Bruce teased as he sipped his morning coffee. Having been given a clean bill of health (despite earlier injuries), the man had followed Dick into the kitchen for a simple breakfast. Or brunch, as it was nearly eleven when they finally left medical. Dick was the one who did the cooking, making some quick pancakes and reminding Bruce why Alfred had banned him from the kitchen. The man was just allowed to make coffee there. Hal, resting in front of the TV, had tried not to laugh at the story Dick eagerly told, still in pain from the last time he teased the dark knight.

"Totally!" Dick continued. "But you should have seen Artemis' face when she first came to Gotham Academy. Still have the photo on my phone back home. After Bette introduced herself, I slipped up next to her and took a shot. It was hysterical! I know we'll all laugh about it someday."

The man rubbed his chin in thought. "This is Sportsmasters girl right? Artemis Crock? Tigress?"

The boy shrugged. "Yeah, but back home she just goes by Artemis. Or Artie. Wally sometimes calls her Blondie, but that's one of the nicer names he calls her. Seriously, those two should just admit they like each other and get it over with!"

"Barry must have something to say about this," Bruce imputed.

"Oh he does, here and there." Dick nearly finished what was on his plate, still talking between bites. "Here, he hates the idea, but here Artie's in juvie. Back home he's in camp 'get over with it already'. Seriously, those two are almost more obvious than Conner and M'gann."

The older man raised an eyebrow. "What about Kaldur'ham? Is he in a relationship?"

"Lost his girl to his best friend in Atlantis," the boy answered easily. He shrugged helplessly. "You know what happens when you're not around the girl you like. They find someone else. You done with that? I'll take care of them."

Bruce lifted his hands out of the way as Dick snatched his empty dishes away and piled them on his own. The man raised his eyebrow again as the boy took them to the sink and started cleaning them. "You don't have to do the dishes Dick."

The boy laughed fondly for a moment. "Are you kidding? Alfie never gives me a chance to do them back home. Used to do this all the time with my parents and we made a great game of it every night. When else am I going to get the chance?

"Besides," Dick threw him one of his shining smiles, "I like helping out. Makes me feel like I have a reason for living in this world."

The dark knight watched him in silence for a moment, contemplating this boy again. For some reason he became easier to talk to than the first time he talked to him. Maybe it was the lack of cowl, maybe it was the change in demeanor on Bruce's part. Or maybe it was because Dick was very lonely and was letting himself latch onto the illusion of normalcy with him. Was this another brave face? He was beginning to think this was a habit the boy had formed years ago.

"So," Bruce started, growing an impish smirk, "is there a particular girl you're interested in?"

Dick jerked his head around with a snap, a slight blush on his alarmed face. "Uh… well… not on the team…"

Bruce hid his smile with his coffee, also hiding his thoughts. Dick had no problem talking about others, but when it came to his personal life, it seemed to make him nervous around him. More than likely it was because his Batman knew everything about him, big or small, so telling him anything a bit more personal felt odd.

"But there is someone."

Dick blushed a bit more, busying his hands with the dishes best he could. "Someones… Zatanna's pretty fun, but I don't get to see her very often. And… Babs…."

He became quiet for a moment, then still, clearly thinking about this second person. The dark knight raised an eyebrow, wondering who this 'Babs' was. She must be his real first crush if he reacted this way. He hadn't mentioned her at all before, and apparently thinking of her was something he avoided until then. Judging by his reaction, Dick was much closer to 'Babs' than Zatanna. A childhood friend?

"Babs?"

The boy shook his head to clear it and went back to his work determined. "Barabra Gordon."

"Jim's daughter?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"Yeah." Dick set the plate he was working on aside and started explaining himself. "We've been friends for years, you know, being high profile targets, we just started hanging out together. She's smart, funny, drop-dead gorgeous, and she can really kick butt."

"She's also older than you," Bruce reminded him.

"And taller." He finished washing the last of the dishes before looking back over to him. "Why do you think I haven't told her yet? I honestly don't expect her to take me seriously until I can at least look her in the eye."

"Hm. Good plan. Wait until you're older." The man shook his head as he took another sip of his coffee. Really, the boy was too young to really start thinking about girls, but Bruce was no fool. By thirteen, most boys were at least curious about the opposite sex.

Dick gave a short laugh. "Yeah, stay a kid as long as possible." He became silent again, his smile fading a small fraction before he shook his head again and came back to the counter, hopping on a stool. "Make the world a little brighter."

"You must have had an interesting childhood," Bruce stated, trying to lighten the boy's growing melancholy.

"You could say that." The boy nearly lounged on the countertop, arms folded beneath his chin as he zoned out resting his head there. "The circus was lots of fun, but hard work. Dad had me help the hands every chance I got. Everything from helping set up tents to working with the animals. I snuck off to learn tricks from the others all the time. That or hang out with Zitka."

"Zitka?"

"One of the elephants. She's really friendly too." He smiled fondly at the memory. "There was one fourth of July when I snuck her a watermelon and we ate the whole thing before my mom found out. Mom was pretty upset about it, but Dad just laughed. He always said there was no stopping me back then. Even when he was teaching me acrobatics, he had a hard time getting me to stop and go to bed. We'd practice late into the night and he almost had to tackle me to get me in bed."

"I bet he did." Bruce watched the boy and just listened to him talk about the circus or about his friends and the League back home, letting him tell story after story. But he noticed the lack of one subject in particular. His own Batman.

Anything having to do with Dick's Bruce was neatly avoided. His personal life surrounding his time with the said man was neglected, no matter what subject the boy prattled on about. Every time he came close to speaking of his Batman or anything related to him, he froze. His smile would fade slightly and for brief moments he became silent, looking elsewhere. Indeed his cheery demeanor wasn't a small thing. His mask laid thickly on his face, hiding his despair at the possibility of never returning home.

No one had to tell him. Dick was a smart boy. He figured it out on his own.

And Bruce had no idea how to help him any further. All he could do was distract him for the day. Once he had his uniform, he'd return to the cave and put together a more permanent solution for the boy. It might take another week or so, but it'd be worth it. Maybe, someday in the near future, Dick could truly smile again from the bottom of his heart.

Throughout the day different members of the League dropped in to check on Hal and Bruce to see how they had faired from the fight. Hal would always give them a brief laugh before showing off his wounds. Then he'd direct them to wherever the dynamic duo was at the moment. All that day the man watched as the two talked at the kitchen counter, worked on chemistry and math on the couches, told riddles in the halls, and even now were sparring in the gym. Everyone wanted to see them together, and no one wanted to alert the two detectives.

No one wanted to stop the two from bonding.

Dinah watched on the monitor as Dick used the gym equipment to get the drop on Bruce, amazed at his playful ingenuity. The boy grinned as he landed on the man's back, quickly bouncing off before he could be caught.

"You're not playing fair," Bruce stated, tracking the boy with his eyes.

"Your fault for not setting rules." The boy leapt onto one of the weight machines, using the bar to pull himself up. He climbed to the top of the contraption before leaping to the next one to find a new way to get the drop on the dark knight.

"I wanted to see first hand what you were capable of." His eyes narrowed, making onlookers wary for the kid's sake

"A lot of things, first of all using my head." The boy grinned down on him. "I know I can't beat you, so I'm using everything I can."

"Then its time to change the rules." Bruce folded his arms as he glared at the child on the perch. "Stay on the mats."

"Arial's okay?" Instantly Dick was on the ground, falling quickly into a fighting stance. It was an easy one to recognize from Batman's arsenal.

"If that's the way you fight." There almost seemed to be a playfulness in his voice, one the Leaguers watching didn't recognize. Dick did though and grinned in response. Quickly the boy launched himself at the man twice his size, ready to give as much as he could take in this sparing match.

"Unbelievable," Canary whispered with a smile.

"That's what I thought," Hal pitched in.

"Think the big man's happy?" Flash asked, a small smirk on his face.

"As happy as he possibly could be," J'onn murmured beside them. His eyes narrowed sadly as he watched Dick. "The boy though, he's conflicted."

"Conflicted?" Dinah looked over to the Martian in confusion.

"How? The kid's been laughing and talking nonstop all day," Hal pointed out.

Flash seemed to understand. "It's a front. The kid's really good at putting up a brave face."

"But he seems so happy," Dinah persisted.

"He is," Manhunter agreed, "but that is part of the problem."

They all stared at the Martian as he watched the screen again. He folded his arms as he watched the two spar and letting the emotions from the kid seep through. "He's afraid. Been afraid since he arrived here. Afraid he will never return home to his world. Never see his friends or family again. It's a very understandable fear."

"So he's figured out the truth?" Hal persisted.

"He's a smart kid Hal." Flash looked down, disappointed with himself. "He probably knew from the beginning. He just kept hoping by some slim chance we'd find a way."

"So he's lost hope?" Dinah asked, not believing it. "Doesn't look that way to me."

"Not entirely," J'onn admitted, "but he desperately wants some part of his life back to normal. Everything is so different, and yet it is the same. Seeing Batman in the state he was yesterday and watching him until he woke only brought his earlier fears and emotions back to his subconscious. He's latching on to whatever he can to make things normal. His reality is changing too much for him to handle.

"He's accepting he may not return home, and making do with what is available around him. He knows it is wrong, but he wants to believe at least for a few minutes that this is his Batman, his father. He's conflicted because he wants to be happy, but feels he's betraying everything he loves if he lets this world become his new home. But he can't be alone. He fears that above everything else. The conflict within him is going to make it impossible for him to move on if he doesn't come to terms with it soon."

"I'd say you're reading too much into it J'onn if we didn't know you were psychic." Hal supported his arm as the looked back to the screen. "We're still looking into ways to send him home you know, so don't let the kid give up yet."

"He's going to be here for a while," Flash admitted. "Letting the kid stay in the mountain isn't going to work for the long haul. I could take him in—"

"I think Batman has this covered," J'onn stated flatly, and the others agreed silently. "But it's not going to be easy, on either of them. Robin has to learn this may be permanent. I believe the effects of this knowledge will cripple him for a time, but it is better than living in denial."

They stood in silence for a moment before Dinah looked back to the screen sadly. "This is going to devastate him isn't it. We should be able to help him get home, but all we can do is give him a new one. Some heroes we turned out to be."

"I still say I could take him in," Flash repeated. "I'm pretty good with kids and Iris would be okay with it. At least then he'd see Wally and have a normal life. Central's a lot safer than Gotham at least."

"You have a point there," J'onn agreed. "But he's rather attached to Batman."

"But he's starting from scratch with him again if he does," the speedster pointed out. "From the way we talked, I'm pretty sure him living with me would be a normal beginning rather than 'I have memories of you you'll never have' thing. The kid had five years with his Batman. Imagine having all those memories and then having to remind yourself every day they didn't happen."

They all fell into silence again, thinking this over. The Martian tilted his head at an idea. "I could remove those memories from his mind if it makes it easier on him."

They gaped at him. It was hard to tell who objected first or loudest as the Zeta-tube started up. "Are you out of your mind?" "How could you! He needs those memories!" "He's just a kid! That'd probably give him brain damage!"

Recognized – Superman 01

"There's no way on Earth J'onn! We're not letting you do that!" "Can you imagine what Bruce would say if he found out?" "You're nuts if you think anyone on Earth would let you get away with that!"

"What's going on guys?" They all looked to Superman as he came closer. Under his arms were two uniforms fresh from the Batcave. He didn't just get Bruce's spare costume, he also had Alfred clean Robin's for future use. Neither of the world's finest could find reason to rid the boy of his original clothes, not to mention the kid would probably throw a fit if they had.

Hal explained, glaring at the Martian. "J'onn wants to erase the kid's memories of his DaddyBats so he can live happily with Bruce."

"What?" The man of steel stared in confusion around the group, not understanding how any of this started. He glanced at the screen, watching the two spar almost joyfully. Dick was clearly enjoying this, a large smile on his face. It was hard to read Bruce's emotions, always was, but there was less tension in his face than normal.

"I was merely stating it might be an option." The Martian turned off the screen to give the two their privacy. "Since the boy is going to be here for quite some time, he has to be moved. Batman is the best candidate to take care of him, but Robin is conflicted. He wishes to go home and yet can't. He wishes even more so for his normal life and to be happy, so his mind is beginning to shape his perception into accepting this reality as his own. His existing memories are likely to give him trouble, so I thought—"

"Taking them away might help?" Superman could see exactly where the green man was coming from, but also felt the aching loneliness that came from the thought. "J'onn, you do realize you'd be reverting him to an eight year old child who just lost his parents right? You can't do that."

The Martian sighed heavily. "I wasn't saying taking away all his memories," he tried, "but it is likely he'll repress his memories on his own as well. Once he comes to fully accept the truth—"

"He'll probably have another breakdown," the Kryptonian concluded. He remembered very well the nightmares Dick had every night that week. The other night when he clung to Clark, he admitted most of his fears to him. It nearly killed him inside. The boy couldn't take being alone. He needed his Bruce most of all. But it was likely he'd never return home. All they could do is make a new one for him.

And if their Batman was to be the kid's guardian, then he had the last say in the matter. Knowing the man, he'd just help the boy through the breakdown and encourage him to move on, maybe even force him. Dick was going to have a rough time in the near future, there was no escaping that.

They fell into silence again before Flash decided to break the mood. "So you really think Bruce can take care of the kid? I mean, I know he's a tough boy, but still, Bruce Wayne's a billionaire playboy. Not exactly fatherly material. What if the kid has a nightmare and Bruce has a lady friend for the night? Not like he can help the kid out then."

"Good point," Hal agreed, a laugh coming from his throat. "And imagine the dinner parties. I bet the kid'll be bored stiff."

"You do realize he's handled all that before right?" Dinah said in the kid's defense.

"Maybe," Flash added grinning. "Just saying our Brucie is going to have some rough times too. I know what it's like having a halfway grown nephew thrown at you and it's not that easy. Robin's a chatterbox if I know anything. Can you imagine the stakeouts they'd have? Or their family dinners? 'Enjoying your stake Old Chum?' 'Holy Cow Batman! It's the best! Did you know there's like twenty different kinds of cattle out there?'"

Everyone but J'onn laughed, the Martian gave a small smile. Hal decided to join in. "'Batman! Batman! Look! There's three guys going in there with clown masks! One of them looks like their riding a donkey. What kind of donkey is that Batman? Can I get a Snickers if I take out the donkey?' Oh man, Bruce will have to hide all the candy in his house."

"Does he even have candy?" Dinah asked quickly.

"And the paint!" Flash added quickly, grins coming to he and his friend's faces. "Did he get rid of all of it in time?"

"It and then some. Never seen the place so clean!"

"Wait," Superman held up a hand, confusion coming out once more. "What's this about cleaning up paint? And what does it have to do with candy?"

"Um…" Both Leaguers looked at each other, having not told anyone yet about the boy's escapade the other day. There wasn't much of a chance all things considered. Just as they were about to try and explain, an ear splitting snap filled the air behind them.

Everyone jerked around and into fighting stances immediately, the bundles in Superman's arms flying precariously to the ground. Part of them remembered hearing that sound nearly a week ago, but instincts took over when the strange occurred. They all held their stances as they saw the surprise before them.

Batman knelt before them, his cape furled behind him as if he just landed. His hands let go of his ears as he raised himself to his full height. Every partial of his being told them he was ready to tear the world apart, every thing and one in his way if they didn't do exactly what he wanted. His patented glare bore into them as he spoke slowly and distinctly, a growl in his throat.

"I'm only going to ask this nicely once. Where is Robin?"

A/N: YAY! DADDYBATS IS HERE! *does happy dance* and here's where i have to leave you all on hiatus until 'Where's Robin?' sends him over to this world. Which means the best batfluff seen yet is on hold for probably a month. That's if I can get my writing mojo on. can't guarantee i'll be updating that one very quickly.

So, just to cover some basic points: dick was starting to go through a breakdown because he was starting to come to terms with the idea of not getting to go home. First step: denial, pretend everything is normal. Fooling himself into thinking this was his Bruce yet knowing he wasn't was what he was doing. If he stayed there another week and then ended up in Wayne manor again being told he'd never go home, he'd probably have a complete mental and emotional breakdown including screaming and tears. It'd probably take a month for him to recover enough to start therapy sessions and then soldier on accepting his new life there. That's where it'd be heading if I hadn't already in my mind established that this would only be a week long visit. I think one week is all I'd be able to do in detail anyway without going nuts, and DaddyBats not literally ripping holes in the time/space continuum to get his boy back.

Next thing you should know: Hal and Barry haven't said a word about the sugar high and paint yet. Truth be told, I got the painting idea from other people's fanfics in the batman comics section. There was a great one with Dick making Tim and Cass paint the Batcave. Anywho, this turns into a running joke in the remainder of the story.

Martian Manhunter's able to get away with scanning Dick and Bruce's minds here because they're both not emotionally stable right now, Dick especially. Since it's just a gentle prodding to assess emotional states, Bruce allows it.

And then we have big old DaddyBats coming over to visit and being really scary. This will be explained in the next chapter (which is gonna be way longer than the others because I didn't find a place to cut it in half). But seriously, do you think he'd be on bended knee begging for his little bird? And I didn't bring the team in because I didn't want too many characters to complicate things. Quit asking to see the team! They've got their own problems and story!

Yeah, everyone, it's time to go back to 'Where's Robin?' enjoy this hiatus! ^^V