Flashback Chapter 19 Split
Dick stepped off the teleport pad, pleasantly worn out after a hard night training and generally hanging out with the Titans. Since the Justice League had developed a teleport network, it was easy to get from the cave to Titans Tower in New York via the Hall of Justice. Superman had even been talking about getting a satellite for their HQ now they had transport sorted.
"You're late," Bruce growled from the computer.
"Lost track of the time," Dick shrugged. "Vic and Gar-"
"Enough," Bruce snapped. "I needed you, and you weren't here. We were going to disrupt the gunrunners' meeting with the street gang. Half of them got away."
"If you really needed me, why didn't you call me?!" Dick yelled, getting angry at the accusation Bruce was making.
"I shouldn't have to call you!" Bruce shouted. "You have to be here for me when I need you. You can't just run off all the time!"
"It's Kori's birthday! I told you a month ago-"
"A month ago we didn't know about this meeting!"
"You could have called Batgirl!"
"I. Need. You. Here!"
"So I can't even take one night off?!"
"Not when we have things to do!"
"Back off, Bruce!"
Furious, Dick turned on his heel and marched straight back onto the teleport.
"Alfred, I think I'm losing him."
It had taken Bruce over an hour to calm down and emerge from the cave. He and Alfred were now sitting in the kitchen, and Bruce had let down his barriers.
"Every time I see him, I think of how well we worked together, how good it used to be, and now…he's moving away, and I don't know if I can get him back."
"He's growing up," Alfred said gently. "He won't be your little boy forever. He's becoming his own man, and you can't stand in his way."
"I don't want to lose him, and we can't stop arguing," Bruce sighed. "Do all families go through this?"
"Most families don't place their lives in each other's hands on a regular basis," Alfred pointed out. "You rely on each other so much that you open yourselves up to so much more pain when you disagree with each other."
Bruce closed his eyes, but couldn't contest Alfred's conclusion. "What do we do now? He's missed school a few times because he's refused to come home. It's not only ruining Batman and Robin, it's breaking Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson."
"If you love someone, let them go," Alfred counselled. "Give him an alternative to the constant arguing, something that will deflect attention. Make it plain that he doesn't have to work for you anymore. And show him that you still love him."
Bruce smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Alfred. I'll do just that."
"And he won't give me one single night-!"
"Dick," Vic, aka Cyborg, interrupted the fifth rant in three days. "Aren't you meant to be in school?"
"Huh?" Dick glanced at the day and time on the nearest digital clock: 10 o'clock, Monday. "Oh. Probably. But he's gonna be waiting for me to go back to Gotham so he can corner me!"
Vic stared. "That's paranoid, even for you."
"You don't know him like I do," Dick grumbled.
"If you say so. But what's he going to do when people start asking why Dick Grayson's been missing classes?"
"I know, it's just- why can't he accept that I'm growing up and give me my space?" Dick curled up in his seat, hugging his knees moodily. "He just can't seem to see me as anything more than the little kid hanging on his cape. He can't get that I'm old enough to do my own thing, and it hurts that he's smothering me like this."
"And so you're running away, destroying your public life and making B worry himself sick about you," Vic concluded.
"How am I making him worry?" Dick asked.
"He's you father-"
"We never finalized the adoption!"
"So? He's your father; you're a teenager and a vigilante. Your whole life is danger, and now you're not talking to him. What's he meant to think?"
Dick stepped off the teleport an hour after is conversation with Vic. He had to face Bruce; he had to resolve this.
Bruce headed for the cave the moment the alarm connected to the teleport sounded. He and Alfred had spent all weekend working on their solution. As much as he loved his son, he couldn't hold on to him forever.
"Dick?" Bruce said, descending the staircase. The teen came out of the changing area, wearing his bike jacket and carrying his schoolbag.
"Bruce," Dick nodded. "I can make it in time for the after lunch classes. I…think it would be best if I moved to the Tower, and 'ported back for school. Just for a while."
"That won't be necessary," Bruce said softly, and threw a bunch of keys to Dick. He grabbed them out of the air, and examined a tag with an address. "Penthouse apartment for you," Bruce explained. "Two bedrooms, bathroom, study, kitchen, two reception room. We moved some gym equipment into one of them. The deed's in your name; bills paid out of my account. It's well-furnished, and there's a teleport in the closet."
"I…" Tears sprung in Dick's eyes as he realised what Bruce had given him. "I'll keep in contact; let you know I'm safe."
"Thank you" Bruce nodded. "But there's one other thing. If you're not going to be at my side, then…I'm afraid you can't be Robin anymore."
Dick turned white, and fled, before Bruce could see tears of relief turn to tears of heartbreak.
AN: You can have the greatest of intentions, and still pave the road to Hell.
This was a very difficult chapter to write, because, as you have probably noticed, I like it when the Waynes are together. Having them tear apart... wasn't easy. Really not looking forward to what happens to poor Jason.
I'm planning four chapters here before returning to Family Ties for the conclusion of that fic, so the next installment of Flashback next week. Also this week, the next chapter of Black and Red, and the prologue of a new Harry Potter/Avengers crossover called Death's Avenger. Next week, back to LBV and the unveiling of a new menace, and the first chapter of a Harry Potter/Rise of the Guardians fic called Rise of Harry Potter (yeah, ain't that name imaginative?)
Please review. It's so hard to know you lot care about this story, even though I pour the same lavish attention upon it.
'Till next week,
Katara Harkness