Dick had been startled from his sleep when his dreams had turned from peaceful to viscious. He whimpered, disoriented for a moment, and wondered where his father was. He shivered as he looked around the dark room. He felt unusually scared- the dark didn't scare him on a normal day. Perhaps he felt unnerved because this room, and this tower was unfamiliar territory, or perhaps it was because this darkness was looming and ominous. It made him feel so much smaller. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. He wanted his Daddy. The door slid open, and he made his way down the hall, walking on egg shells. Finally, after a few wrong turns, he found the conference room. Timidly, he knocked on the door. No one answered him, however, for there was a loud commotion going on inside.
He sighed, sensing he wouldn't see Daddy after all, and sat on the floor as he started to cry. He sniffled as he heard the adults quiet down. Batman was the first out, and looked surprised to see his young ward crying on the ground.
"Robin?" He asked. At the sound of his name, Dick's eyes shut, his shoulders tensed, and the voice of his father faded away until he could hear it no more. Batman knelt down to his level, and whispered,
"Dick?" His eyes opened, and he slipped his thumb into his mouth.
"Mm-mm." He shook his head. Batman sighed deeply, and asked gently,
"What's your name?" The boy answered, with a high pitched voice, and a bit of a lisp,
"I'm Christian." Ah, now Bruce understood. Dick must've gotten scared. He glanced at the league, who were all staring at them in disbelief and confusion. Batman picked up his ward, who rested his head on his shoulder. Sniffling, he said, quietly,
"I want my blankie."
"Okay, I'll get it for you." He complied as he rubbed the boy's back soothingly.
"I wannit." He slurred.
"Okay, okay I'll find it."
"Daddy?" He asked.
"Yes, Christian?"
"Can you read me my favorite story?"
"Sure."
"The one 'bout Jesus feeding a lotta people." The boy was almost asleep. The Bat heard him mumble the beginnings of what he thought to be a Hail Mary, before his eyes shut. Batman laid the young boy back in his room before coming back to face the league. The members of the justice league were smart enough not to question the dark knight, but waited for the situation to be explained by him.
He called the league into conference (with only the original seven in the room) and removed his mask with a sigh. They all waited silently.
"Dick was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder this afternoon." There was a quiet intake of breath around the room. Flash raised his hand.
"Uhh... What's that?"
"Multiple personalities."
"Oh..." Diana put a hand on his shoulder. "Bruce, we had no idea..."
"Yes," said Clark quietly, "If there's anything we can do..."
"No. I can handle it. I just thought you all deserved to know." They all nodded in quiet consensus. Bruce left the room a short time later to check on "Christian". He poked his head through the door. "Christian" lay under the sheets, sucking his thumb gently. His face however, showed more distress. The boy let out a soft whine before turning over in the bed. Bruce watched him intently. Slowly, the whines turned to whimpers, and the whimpers to small cries. Bruce sat on the bed with him, waiting until he woke up. The wait was extremely short. "Christian" shot up in bed, wailing loudly. Bruce set the boy in his lap, letting him cry into his chest. He hushed him quietly, Patting his back and humming softly.
"Daddy..." He sniffled, with a whine.
"It's okay, Christian. I'm here." He handed the boy what he assumed to be his blanket. It was red and small, but Christian cuddled it close to him as he sucked his thumb.
"Do you still want to hear that story?" He nodded vigorously.
Christian listened in rapture as Bruce relayed what little he knew about Jesus feeding the five thousand. It was less than enough, but the boy didn't seem to care. Soon, he was calmed and curling up in Bruce's lap.
"Mommy liked to read me stories 'bout Jesus." He said quietly. Bruce raised an eyebrow. Dick never spoke of his parents- it was an unspoken law. But perhaps Christian could tell him more.
"What else do you remember about Mommy?" Christian blinked, and sighed.
"Mommy liked flowers. She liked reading me bedtime stories. An' she always laughed. A lot. An'- An'... I miss her..." He was crying quietly at the end. Bruce leaned the child against his chest, albeit guiltily. Christian clung to his chest, gripping a fistful of his shirt. This was the first time, thought Bruce, that he'd ever seen the boy go this long without sucking his thumb. His eyes shut, and Bruce went completely still.
"Daddy?" Bruce sighed in relief.
"Welcome back, Dick."
Bruce carried Dick down the hall, still a bit wary as to how his body would react after a transition. Dick clung to his father's chest, both scared and confused. He was quiet, which was understandable yet concerning to Bruce. Dick had always been a very talkative, bubbly child. It was a rare thing to see him silent. It raised an invisible alarm to Bruce. His son was not alright. It was now dinner time, and most of the heroes had dispersed throughout the building to eat. It was the opportune time for Bruce to be alone with his son. He sat on the couch with Dick in his lap, holding him quietly for a moment. It was a much-needed fragment of peace. Bruce stroke his son's hair, enjoying the quiet. Dick curled into his father, scared stiff. He couldn't remember anything that had happened. But right now, he felt calmer, because he knew Bruce was there, and wouldn't let him go.
It would be years later, after he joined the Teen Titans that he would understand just how much he needed that.
