Part 1 – Chapter 6

Catwoman was nervous and it had nothing to do with being in the old Justice League headquarters and current quarters of the young team. The hood of her Catwoman suit which and the googles perched above it helped her hide the way she was feeling as she followed Batman through the huge hanger. She looked around, trying to chart an escape just in case.

They found Flash sitting on a couch in the lounge, tapping his foot on the ground as he snacked on cold popcorn.

"Where's Robin?" Batman demanded to know in a low growl.

"In his room changing," Flash responded. "The team followed him."

Batman growled.

"Stay here," he ordered her before storming down a nearby hallway.

Catwoman sighed.

"Tough day?" Flash asked.

"No, I'm having a meow-vellous day," she responded in a sarcastic tone. Flash shrugged and she glared at him.

"I kind of expected that," he said. "You're going to talk to the kid you gave up and explain everything his parents weren't able to. It's got to be tough."

She leant against the TV and nodded. For some reason, Batman didn't seem to understand how hard it was for her to face this. She had resigned herself to never seeing the baby she gave up again and yet, here they were.

Batman came back a few moments later, the Flash unaware until he spoke.

"Robin wants to see us in his room," he said.

"Did you see him?" Flash asked.

"How is he?" Selina asked at the same time.

"I did not see him. Miss Martian conveyed his message to me."

"Aw, that doesn't sound good," Flash whispered a touch too loudly as they walked down the hall to Robin's room.

Selina was certain that the lights in the hall were supposed to make it bright. They were not supposed to bring a feeling of dread or make people feel like they were going to be sick.

Batman knocked on the door, once and it swung open. Aqualad invited them in with a nod and they squeezed into the room. It was by no means small, however, the number of people currently inside it made it feel cramped and tiny.

This was why Selina liked cats. Cats didn't take up a room like people did. Stealthy and graceful they were.

"Alright, now out," Robin said to the team. His tone suggested that he had told them about this part of his plan before Batman and Catwoman arrived.

"We already told you, we're not leaving," Kid Flash said. Artemis grabbed him by the upper arm, squeezing tight.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked.

Robin nodded.

"Oh, and take Batman with you."

"Robin," Batman growled.

"I just want to talk to Se...Catwoman. Alone."

"But, but, but," Kid Flash stammered as Artemis tried to pull him out the door. Robin sighed and changed tactics. He gave them a small, disarming smile.

"Thanks for your support guys, but I want to do this without you watching. And I will call if I need you."

Batman hesitated for a moment. It was a small hesitation which Robin only caught because his stance tensed for a second as he turned to the door.

Flash let the team out and then stood there, Batman facing him down.

"You too," Batman growled at him.

Flash titled his head. "Really?"

"Out."

Once the door closed, Selina reached up for her goggles and hood.

"Leave them," Robin said. It would be easier to talk with the masks. He wanted to face Catwoman, criminal and Batman seducer, not Selina Kyle who he knew little about beyond her awkwardness with teenagers. "I want to make this clear; I already have a mother."

"You do," Catwoman agreed. "And Mary Grayson should always hold that spot in your heart. Even so, I did give birth to you. And, despite myself, I find that I want to get to know you. The baby I bore and the person Mary and John Grayson raised.

"Dick, there's something you deserve to know. When I learnt I was pregnant, all I could think was 'what a mistake I've made'. Throughout the nine months I carried you, I thought I was condemning a young life to suffering and hated myself for it. I could not raise a baby in Gotham. And I can admit that, at times, I blamed the unborn baby in my belly as well.

"But, all that changed when I met Mary and John Grayson. Dick, I had no regrets about handing you over to them. Mary cried with joy and John smiled for the first time since I met him. Looking at them, I thought, 'this is right'. For the first time, I didn't curse the baby or myself because of a hopeless future. I may have given birth to you but you brought such joy to his couple, evoked such love that I could only believe that the reason I got pregnant, the reason I carried you for nine months despite all my worries and fears was so you could join their family."

Dick had not expected that. He found tears building behind his mask and tore it off so they could flow freely down his face.

"I miss them," he said. He knew that Selina had shared something important to her but all he could focus on right then was the missing people in his life. The people she had been talking about. His parents.

Selina just nodded, sat down next to him and wrapped him in a hug. Dick didn't return it but he did cry on her shoulder and soak up the comfort of having someone's arms around him.

Batman's head turned towards the entrance a few moments before Catwoman and Robin walked out. Kid Flash sped around Robin, examining him and glaring at Catwoman when he noticed the fresh tear tracks down Robin's face.

Catwoman's and Batman's eyes met. The way Batman inclined his head suggested that he was raising his eyebrows.

"It's fine," Catwoman said. "We talked."

Robin nodded in confirmation. Batman walked over.

"Flash tells me the nightmares are back."

Robin looked at the ground as he nodded.

"Nightmares?" M'gann asked. Kid Flash shivered as he remembered Robin's screams.

"Robin did not have any nightmares last night," Aqualad pointed out. When Batman turned and towered over him, Aqualad felt it prudent to add, "that we know of."

"No nightmares?" Batman said, turning back to Robin. Robin knew that Batman wanted a response so he nodded again. "Hm. And your talk?"

"Is between me and him," Catwoman said before Robin could say anything. "And if I hear that you forced it out of him, I will take it out on Gotham's gem merchants."

Batman considered it for a moment and backed down.

"I have a mission for the team. Are you up for it?"

The teenagers in the room lit up at the mention of a mission.

"I can get traught," Robin said.

Up next: Intermission – The New Batman

Years after the team, Batman is believed dead. Unknown to all but a small handful, he leaves behind two, not one, blood children. His eldest takes on the role of Batman and becomes guardian of his youngest. But this isn't about that. This is about a rare night when the eldest sought comfort from someone he thinks of as 'mama', even if it only is in his head.

Notes: Next chapter strays into comics territory.