Sometimes Kim worried about Justin. Justin was only two, but she talked much older. Sometimes Kim wondered if Justin knew what she was saying, knew what it meant. Sometimes Kim wondered if Justin understood everything they thought she did. Justin liked talking, Justin liked being by herself a lot too.

She used to just stay inside the house, and play with her plushie dolls, but that changed after Kyler had moved to town. Now, Justin liked to go outside, in the back yard, and play with her Tonka trucks.

Mr. Russell and his wife Mrs. Beth had four cats, the cutest cats Kim had ever seen. Since they lived right next door, they would often scale the fence and come into their back yard.

The first time it happened, Justy had been sitting in a particular part of the yard, the far left corner, under their oak tree. It was her favorite spot, because their was a hole in the tree trunk that Justy could muscle her way into, and sit there, playing with whatever toys she had brought.

Mrs. Beth's youngest cat, Sty, had scaled the fence, and wandered around the yard. Sty was the most adorable cat Beth had, she was a pretty orange color, with yellow paws. Justin was fascinated with it, watching it from her little cubby hole as it swatted at butterflies, and rolled around in the sun. Eventually, the cat saw her sitting there and wandered over.

Justin had sat very still, waiting for it to get closer. Sty climbed onto the toddler's lap, sniffing her face, and Justy just sat incredibly still. Kim had been watching from the doorway, amazed her daughter wasn't moving or scaring the cat.

Justy just waited until the cat was done sniffing her, and had carefully pet it's back.

As soon as the cute moment started, it ended. Why did it end? Because the Todd in Justin came out.

Justy grabbed the cat's tail, slinging it over her shoulder and started to tote the poor kitty toward the house like a sack. Sty freaked out, clawing up Justin's shoulders and her head, scratching her face all up. Justy let Sty go, and the cat made a bee line for Mrs. Beth's yard.

Kim ran outside, "Justin!"

Justin just stood there, mouth agape at the retreating cat. She didn't even say one word as Kim took her inside and put Neosporin and bandages on her arms and face. "Justin, are you okay honey?"

Justin examined the various colored bandages up and down her arms, "I didn't think…"

"Didn't think what?" Kim asked.

"It was so fluffy… how is something that fluffy that mean?" Justin pondered.

Kim smiled, shaking her head, "That's one of life's greatest mysteries sweet pea."

As soon as Jason got home, Justy rushed to the door, holding up her bandaged arms, "Daddy!"

"AH!" Jason screamed, stumbling back, staring at his daughter, "What happened to your arms?"

"Kitty!" She said, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"I'm now officially a dog person." Jason mumbled.

"Not even for your birthday Jason." Kim shot down, hearing the underlying tone.

Jason sighed, "Well, it was a good try at least."

Kim rolled her eyes, "Alright Jason, guess who gets to put her to bed?"

Jason sighed, "I'm guessing me."

"I don't wanna go to bed!" Justin said, plopping herself down on the floor in a huff. Justin never wanted to go to sleep. If Kim had to guess, she would say it was the bat in her. Jason didn't seem to like that idea.

Jason picked Justin up, dragging her to bed, she was fighting him about it tooth and nail. Literally, kid was a biter, and that cat had taught her that claws were lethal.

Finally, Jason had wrestled her into bed, and tired her out with a tickle fight, leaving her tired enough to fall asleep after he read her a poem from a Mother Goose story book Kim had picked up for her.

He had opted against the one about the kittens with mittens tonight, settling for one about some rascal named Georgey who went around kissing girls on the playground, making them cry. He always ran away before the other boys came out to play, so they wouldn't beat him up for making all those girls cry.

As soon as she was asleep, Jason went to bed with Kim.

Only to be woken up three hours later by the sound of voices.

"Who are you?" He heard Justin's voice ask.

He had jumped out of bed, and dashed down the hall before he even heard whoever was in that room's response.

He flung the door open, seeing a figure of a woman in the moonlight, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Justin was sitting up in bed, smiling at the woman. Jason knows this woman, he might owe her a lot, but that doesn't mean she can come her, it doesn't mean she's welcome here.

"Talia!" Jason hissed.

She looked over her shoulder at him, frowning, "Just a moment, the child and I were speaking."

She turned around to continue talking to Justine, but Jason grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the room, leaving a curious Justin on her bed.

Once their in the hall, Jason's glaring at her, and she's glaring right back. "What are you doing here?"

"We had a deal." Talia explained, "I taught you, trained you, gave you everything you needed, and you drop your end of the bargain the first sign of trouble."

"Yeah, well I had a kid." Jason snarled. "What would you have done?"

"Nothing." Talia said. "I would have been there when my lover gave birth, and immediately returned to fighting crime if I was you. You didn't."

"I'm not going back to Gotham." Jason snaps.

"Yes you are." Talia said, crossing her arms. "If you try to refuse, I'll kill your daughter."

Jason growled, "You can try."

"Don't be stupid Jason." Talia snapped. "You can't guard her forever, whether it takes five weeks, or five years, eventually, I'll get her. And when I do, I'll see if I can spare you a little piece of your daughter to bury. A finger perhaps."

Jason paused, he knew she was right, She had him, she had him by the neck. "I can't go back to Gotham. Not now, probably not for years."

She nods, "I am willing to make a compromise. If you choose to never be the Red Hood again, I can accept that, however, you have to train someone else for your place."

Jason rolled his eyes, "Where am I gonna find someone to do that?"

Talia nods to Justin's bedroom door, and Jason hardens, "If she wants to, I'll teach her. When she's old enough to know what she wants."

"And what age might that be?"

"Twelve, thirteen, I don't know." Jason snapped.

"Not soon enough." She said, shaking her head. "I will offer you something else, I'll send you someone to teach."

"Send me someone?"

"A boy, I have a particular one in mind." Talia said, "He is already trained, basically. You, you will teach him more. Teach him to be Red Hood."

Jason paused, he could go back to Gotham, but then Justin is in harm's way. He could try to run, but Talia would catch him, he knew this.

"Fine."

Talia nodded, "Good. I will send him soon." She turns to leave, but then looks over her shoulder, "I'd keep an eye on that child if I were you Jason, she's just got that odd look in her eye…"

"What are you saying?" Jason snapped. He's tired of this, he just wants her to leave. He wants to go back to being a normal American Dad with a wife and a little baby girl.

"I'm saying, don't put any slack on her leash, she'll run with it." Talia advised, "Much like you."

Then she was gone, and Jason was faced with telling Kim about this in the morning, and getting Justin to fall asleep again.