Dick woke with a start, sitting up and looking around frantically in the dark room. He sighed, realizing it was just a dream. He adjusted his position so he could lean against the wall while he calmed himself down. He took a final deep breath and looked at the clock. 12:24am. He'd slept longer than usual. At least he hadn't yelled. He hated bothering Alfred and Bruce. He surveyed his once more familiar room. He'd decided to stay at the Manor as he recovered, since Robin would be out of commission for at least a couple months. So for now, he was back to his fabulous existence as Dick Grayson, who had decided to come home for the summer after all.

Dick got up and crept over to his dresser and put on some clothes. He'd had a week of experience to figure out that tying to go back to sleep now was futile, or resulted in another nightmare. He felt another pang of longing for being at the Tower, where he knew no one would wake up and try to make him go back to bed. But at the same time, here at least Bruce would probably have the sense not to bother him. Immediately an idea popped into his head. If Bruce was out patrolling, Alfred would never think to look for him down there…

He changed his course to the study, slipping down into the Batcave. Dick smiled, surveying the dark room. Bruce had improved and added on to the cave while he'd been away, and the more adventurous part of him wanted to go exploring and try out the new toys. His more sensible side quickly reminded him that that wouldn't be a good idea. Normally he'd ignore this, but his sensible side had the support of the dull ache on his side from his healing wound. Instead he walked over towards the bat-computer.

When he saw there was already someone sitting there, he tried to backtrack, but she had already turned around.

"What are you doing up?" Barbra asked. She was wearing her costume, but her mask lay next to the keyboard.

"Just looking around," Dick replied. She raised an eyebrow. Dick looked away from her, walking over to the rack of various tools. He studied them for a few minutes, picking up a grappling hook and twirling it in his hands. Finally he caved to the glare he could feel on his back. "I couldn't sleep." He felt her gaze leave him, and turned to watch her. She had turned back to the computer. He set the grappling hook down and walked over.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Just some small time robberies," she replied, not looking back at him. Dick frowned.

"Why are you here at midnight working on small time robberies?" he asked. Barbra sighed, ceasing to type.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Why not?" Dick asked, leaning on the table facing her. Immediately he realized it was a bad question. Barbra turned to face him, looking him in the eye.

"I think you know," she replied.

"Yeah I do," he agreed before he dropped his gaze to his lap.

"I'm sorry," Barbra offered after a few minutes of silence. Dick looked up at her, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Why?" he asked. She sighed, letting her shoulders droop.

"It's my fault," she told him. "If I'd just been faster, it wouldn't' have happened."

"What?" Dick asked, staring at her. Was she really blaming herself for Joker's actions? Barbra hung her head.

"I tried to take Joker, but I didn't," she muttered. "If I'd just hit him harder, maybe…" Dick cut her off, grabbing her shoulders and spinning her to face him.

"I mean it Babs," he insisted. "Most people wouldn't have even thought on their feet fast enough to attack him."

"It wasn't enough," Barbra stated, looking him in the eye finally. Immediately Dick realized what she was getting at.

"Barbra Gordon, you are not honestly thinking that that wack-job should have shot you," he said, daring to believe it wasn't true. She broke away from his gaze again. Dick let go of her shoulders, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Babs, he couldn't have shot you."

"And why not?" she demanded, standing up to glare at him, suddenly defiant. "That's how it's supposed to work. You screw up, you deal with the consequences." Dick looked away from her, staring at the floor, unsure of how to go on. After a few seconds, he looked back at her, meeting her gaze.

"I couldn't have dealt with it," he admitted. "I would have felt so guilty for not being there to protect you, I…" He adjusted his gaze back to the ground. Barbra walked back over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dick, you can't always be there to protect me," she told him, leaning down to look him in the eye. "It wouldn't have been your fault if I had been the one to get shot."

"But…" he protested, looking back up at her. "I know. But I can't help thinking if I hadn't been there, Joker could have killed you." Barbra smiled sadly.

"Well, you were there," she replied, leaning against the desk next to him. "And I owe you." Dick chuckled slightly.

"You bet you do," he joked. She grinned up at him, resting her head on his shoulder. The two settled into silence for a little while. Suddenly Barbra sat back up, looking at Dick skeptically.

"Why were you in Gotham?" she asked. "There's no way you could get here from Jump City in between the time I hung up and when… when you got to my house." His eyes widened and he rumpled his hair once more.

"Well, I was…I was sort of already on my way over," he confessed.

"Does this have anything to do with what you were saying on the phone before I hung up?" Barbra asked softly.

"I um… maybe," Dick said, swallowing nervously. She chuckled.

"Want to tell me what this is about?" she asked.

"Well, I was… I wanted to talk to you about…" he stumbled. She gave him a playful shove.

"Come on, you can tell me," she coaxed, leaning in towards him so they were only inches apart. He didn't lean back, staring into her eyes. Her expression faltered for just a second.

"I was just planning on asking you if—" Dick's sentence was cut off short when Barbra forward the remaining couple inches, bringing her mouth to his. He leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him. She reached up and twisted her hand into his hair.

BANG. They broke apart, looking at the door to the garage. Batman walked in, nodding at both of them as though the sight of the two teens sitting in each other's arms on the desk in front of the Bat-computer at midnight was perfectly normal, and continued out of the cave. Barbra and Dick looked back at each other, blushing scarlet.

"So you wanted to ask me something?" Barbra said awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear and starting to move away from him. However, Dick kept his arms around her. She looked at him questioningly.

"I was wondering if you might want to go out with me sometime," he said, grinning. She laughed, looping her arms around his neck.

"So I guess you already got your answer, Boy Wonder," she replied.

"I think so," Dick agreed, leaning down to kiss her again.

A/N: For all those who are reading this, YOU ROCK!, and thanks for sticking with my story. For those who have also reviewed, you are triple-ly awsome! THANK YOU again for reading!

-Vanessa