Disclaimer: I don't own Batman

Reunion

Chapter 16: Reliving The Past

Dick allowed the news of Jason's return to wash over him as he made his way to his girlfriend's house. It's been years since the Red Hood made an appearance, and now he's raiding the Second Bat Cave. Dick snorted at the thought of the hidden Cave. Good to know Bruce trusts me so much, his mind spat bitterly.

When Dick reached Bab's house, he hesitated. He hadn't seen her since they fell out a few days ago... hopefully the bunch of flowers and necklace would make up for it. Although perhaps he should have called...

Pushing his reservations aside, Dick knocked confidently on the door. He was soon greeted by Barbra Gordon.

"Happy Birthday! ...for tomorrow..." Dick laughed bashfully, holding up the bag and flowers. Babs smiled a little and moved her wheelchair to the side to allow Dick to pass. He nodded curtly, realising they were not going to be continuing their earlier conversation. Instead, this day was all about Babs, not Bats. Dick would make sure of that.

Feeling suddenly romantic, Dick bent down and easily lifted Babs out of her wheelchair. She blushed profusely as he held her in his arms and pecked her cheek with a lingering kiss. Dick carried Babs up the stairs (with installed chair lift) and into her bedroom. Placing her on the bed gently, he kissed her on the lips, relishing in the taste of her strawberry lip balm.

Babs on the other hand couldn't look Dick in the eye. She didn't reciprocate the kiss. She didn't even react to her change in environment. She just sat there, staring forward.

Dick suddenly noticed this and gave her a quizzical look.

"What...what's wrong?" Dick's voice shook, as he had no idea how to deal with Babs' lack of response.

Her eyes flickered sideways to meet Dick's. She found it difficult to hold the eye contact.

"Babs, what's happened?" Panic suddenly started to rise in his chest, and any arousal that he had been experiencing completely vanished.

She said nothing.

"I... I've got you a present. Here!" Dick raced back downstairs and grabbed the bag, praying to whatever entity that was watching over that Babs would be ok. When he came back into the room, Babs still sat there, emotionless.

"I got it from the Mall." He rattled on, shaking as he rumaged through the bag. "I... I think you'll like it."

"Dick..." the sound of his own name made him look up into her forest green orbs.

The expression covering her face showed defeat and sorrow. A strange stinging sensation made Dick's eyes sensitive, and he could feel a wetness collect at the corners.

"Babs please..." He managed, noticing Babs' eyes had also started to display the tell tale signs of sadness.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, hardly audible. Then it happened. Dick's heart felt like it had been torn from his chest brutally, and stamped on by the very girl he loved.

He couldn't fight back his tears any longer as they started to slide down his cheek.

"Wh-why?" He asked, mentally cursing the weakness of his voice.

"You're never here for me." Her voice started to mimic the weakness of Nightwing's. Dick's head fell into his hands as he prepared for her explanation.

"And when you are...You don't care." She wiped at her eyes, smudging her mascara. Dick wouldn't say it out loud, but she almost resembled the Joker. He saw in that moment all the things that man had done to ruin the lives of the people he loved. This was that bastard's fault.

"I...I need someone to support me, Dick." Anger started to bubble inside him. How dare she.

"Ever since I lost my mobility... You don't bother with me." She was gasping for breath now, grief radiating off of her.

Dick was silent for a few minutes. Then; "...how can you say that?" he muttered, allowing some of his anger to channel into his words. "Everything I do, I do it for you. I pay your bills since you can't walk. I go on patrol with your dad to make sure he's safe."

Babs started to cry again as Dick stood, towering over her to emphasize his words.

"MY BROTHER IS NOW LOOSE YET AGAIN AND MY MENTOR IS MISSING, BUT STILL I MANAGE TO COME HERE WITH YOUR FUCKING NECKLACE TO CELEBRATE YOUR DAY."

Babs instantly regretted what she had said. Why the hell was she doing this to him?! Dick took in a few breaths to calm himself.

"I'm sorry that I've got a city to protect. When you were Batgirl, you were there with me every step of the way. But now, it's hard to juggle my 'night life' and my social life." His shoulders slumped. "I thought I would be able to have the best of both worlds and cope. But apparently not."

"Dick I...I'm sorry...please...couldn't you just...hang up the cape?" She asked tentatively. Dick's reaction made her feel foolish.

"Babs I made a promise to my dead parents. My happiness does not come before my responsibilities. I have people to protect , villains to stop. You think I don't want to just lead a normal life? Marry you and move far away?" At that, Babs' crying started a fresh. Dick wanted to comfort her, but now wasn't the time

"I wish I could. But I can't. As much as I hate to admit it, my life parallels with Bruce's in a lot of ways. I've seen first hand that our lives can't ever be normal."

Babs started to apologize again, but Dick cut her off by holding up a hand.

"No. You don't have to make excuses or apologize. You're right. I'm a terrible boyfriend. You deserve someone who will constantly be here for you. But I just can't provide that."

He turned away from his now ex-girlfriend. He could tell she wanted to forget about this conversation and just go back to normal. But at the end of the day, Dick knew she would regret not letting him go. She did deserve someone better. And Dick... well... He had commitments to Gotham.

"I'll...bring your wheelchair up." She nodded, although he couldn't see the action.

Somehow, Dick couldn't bring himself to lift her up again. Something that had been so easy just a few minutes ago now seemed to be a Herculean task.

After muttering goodbye, Dick left Babs' house. Perhaps forever this time. He shut the door behind him and realized how utterly alone he truly was.

His parents were dead. Kid Flash was dead. Bruce had left him. Jason had left him. And now Barbra. He couldn't bring himself to take a step forward. Leaning on the door behind him, Dick let out a sob which had been bottled for quite sometime. He cried for all his dead family and friends. He cried for Jason, and how his life had been ruined. And finally he cried for the future he had just lost. A future with Babs.

Bruce sat down at the kitchen table with a distracted Jason. Slightly aggravated that his 'brother' seemed to be paying more attention to cleaning his knife than their conversation, Bruce cleared his throat yet again.

"Sorry, what was that?" Jason asked for a third time.

"I said will you put that stupid knife down."

Jason mumbled something under his breath, but obliged.

"As I was saying, you need to be less careless. Fox must have told Alfred that you were at the break in, who in turn probably told Dick. I have no doubt about that."

"So I'll stay out of his way, easy as." Jason yawned, stretching his arms upwards out of reflex. He yelped in pain when his cut smarted.

"That," Bruce nodded to Jason's arm "was also careless. Stop fighting the drug dealers."

Jason growled in defence, passion starting to fuel him. "If you hadn't noticed, I protect the public from those thugs. The drop in crime rate isn't just down to you and Dicky Bird you know."

"The only reason the crime rate has dropped is because we're cleaning up your mess. You can't expect killing people will cause a drop in crime. It only fuels the fire when a rival gang no longer has anyone to stop them taking over Gotham. If anything, you're increasing the crime."

"Hey, those creeps deserve to die." Jason slammed his fist down, causing the table to shake. "You can't just allow murderers and paedophiles to roam the streets!"

Bruce stood, however his height wasn't very intimidating.

"Which is why you hand them to the cops." Bruce growled. "You're no better than the murderers themselves."

"Don't you dare compare me to scum, Bruce." Jason warned, also standing. "You allow them to escape and kill AGAIN. I wipe them off the face of the earth FOR GOOD."

"Everyone deserves the right to live-"

"Oh, I forgot." Jason interrupted, red faced. "You're in love with their kind aren't you. You wouldn't even kill someone who had completely ruined your life, because you're too soft. You swan around, threatening every criminal in your bat costume. At the end of the day Bruce, they'll figure out you're full of empty threats. And when that day comes-" Jason held up two fingers and posed them as a gun. He pretended to shoot Bruce slowly, making a quiet gun shot sound.

Bruce just stood there, not allowing any emotion to show.

Jason shook his head, a distasteful expression twisting his face."You wouldn't even stop the Joker...But we've already had that talk." Jason turned away, fearing he would show weakness.

"You'd rather fuck around with that sick bastard than rekindle your relationship with me." Jason looked behind him, locking eyes with his mentor.

"What would your parents think?"

Bruce saw red. Without thinking, he flung himself forward with a shout and punched Jason square in the nose, sending the young man to the floor. Blood stained Bruce's knuckles as he started down at Jason. He was cradling his bleeding nose whilst whispering profanities.

"Don't you ever talk about my parents again."

...

Bruce's heart stopped. He gasped painfully and collapsed down beside Jason, losing control of his body.

"BRUCE!" Jason let go of his broken nose and shook the frame of the seventeen year old boy. He was limp, his eyes rolling back into his head to show only the whites. Jason panicked and continued to shake the boys body, desperately trying to revive him.

Bruce gasped painfully and wobbled where he stood. It felt like his heart has stopped beating... He knew that feeling too well from his first death... wait... was he dead?!

Bruce looked around him and was instantly confused. Wasn't he just with Jason?

He was standing...in Wayne Manor. Bruce looked down and noticed he was dressed quite lavishly. What the hell?!

People he barely recognized stood all around him, dressed just as smartly. Was he at a social event?

He felt pressure on his shoulder, so turned to see whom it was caused by. The sight that greeted him churned his stomach.

Selina. Catwoman. But...she's young. Why... Then it hit him. The party... his past...

This was his first charity fundraiser. His mind had travelled back...but that meant...

Sprwaled in front of him was Commissioner Gordon, clutching his broken nose. People around him gasped, holding their hands to their mouths in shock. They gave Bruce dirty looks, boring beneath his skin.

"Com-comissioner Gordon!" Bruce bent down and helped the injured man to his feet.

It all came back to him.

After purchasing Bruce, Selina had kissed him, surprising the crowd. Commissioner Gordon had been outraged at the display and so ran through the parting bystanders, a livid Alfred in tow. He broke the two apart and asked Bruce in front of everyone if he had any self respect. Bruce snorted, telling him he was doing it all for charity.

"Look around you Bruce. You're auctioning women." Said girls shifted uncomfortably in their bikinis, feeling more exposed then ever.

"I can't believe what you've become. You used to be such a sweet kid! What would your parents think?"

Bruce saw red. Without thinking, he flung himself forward with a shout and punched Gordon square in the nose, sending the man to the floor. Blood stained Bruce's knuckles as he started down at the Commissioner.

"Don't you ever talk about my parents again."

Bruce was mortified at his past self's behaviour.

"I'm so sorry Commissioner Gordon, I don't know what came over me..." He ripped at his dinner jacket, pulling the lining out. All the fashion conscious members of the audience gasped, shocked with the fact the young Wayne had just destroyed such an expensive jacket.

Bruce gave the lining to Gordon, allowing him to staunch his nosebleed.

What the hell happened? Why was he reliving the past? Jason had just said about his parents...

Bruce's eyes widened. It had been a trigger to his past. The spell that had de-aged him... it was also de-aging his mind back into the past. But if his older mind was here... where was his younger mind?

Bruce's coughs relieved Jason dramatically. Sure he had just broken his nose, but Bruce fainting was not going to be ignored out of spite.

"Bruce? Are you ok?" Jason rubbed the smaller boy's back in a comforting way, happy to see him sitting up. Bruce suddenly looked up at Jason with wild eyes, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Wh-who the fuck are you?!"

A/N: what the hell is going on here?! ...stay tuned to find out!

This was such an intense chapter to write. I did it after my medicine interview! It went well I am pleased to announce! Also I got another invitation to interview yesterday! 4/4 woohoo!

Thank you so much reviewers and readers, it warms the cockles of my crusty heart to know you're enjoying the journey.

Please, if you've taken the time to read this, please review! They aren't the only thing that keeps me writing. Armand, thank you so much for all your reviews *hugs*

Thanks guys!

Pikaachew