This is just a short little chapter... I had some time on my hands.


Hit, hit, hit, kick. Breathe. Hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, kick.

"Errah!" Dick pounded his fist into the punching bag again and again. While normally he would imagine the bag as a villain, he's thinking of himself.

God, how could he be so stupid? He's going about this whole thing the wrong way. Starfire comes back, he still loves her, he wants to be with her. But he's with Babs. Well, just break up with Babs and be with Star. Nope, Starfire doesn't want that. So stay with Babs incase Star leaves you again. Maybe not such a good idea? Hit, hit, kick, hit… Break up with Babs and Starfire hates him for hurting her friend. Hates him more than she already does. Does she hate him? God, it would be so much easier if they could just talk about this! But whenever he's around her, he makes an ass of himself. What the hell is he doing?

She should hate him. He hates himself. But does he pity himself? No. He deserves this. Sure, he got his girl back. But she doesn't want him. So while his obsession over Slade didn't actually kill Starfire, it still took her away from him in the long run. He thinks back to how he used to act. His obsessiveness. If he would have let Starfire go with him like she had wanted to that day, she never would have disappeared. But just like every other time, he told her no. And that was an order. Stay with the team, it's safer. Then it ended up being the worst mistake of his life.

If he had just opened up more. If he didn't close himself off. Didn't obsess. There are so many things that he wishes he could go back to change. Hit, hit, hit. But he can't change the past. He can only work on the future. Their future. He really needs to work out his issues and stop being such an ass.

He steps away from the bag, squatting down to the ground and dropping his head in his hands. Why is it that he's being so… mean? He should be showering her with gifts, bringing her a freakin' breakfast in bed, scoring brownie points. He should be making up for lost time. Showing her that he still cares. But all he's showing is that time has turned him into a major dick. Ha. Now even he's saying it.

"RICHARD JOHN GRAYSON!"

Upon hearing the screaming voice on the other side of his bedroom door, Dick immediately knew who it was. Great, Mom's home… he thinks to himself as he walks to the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob, it swings open, revealing a full-uniformed Catwoman stalking in. She pushed him back into the room, shoving the door behind her. She glared at him for a moment, and he could see the anger burning through her eyes. Well, she definitely talked to Starfire.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, boy?" Dick opens his mouth to speak. "Shut it!" she yells. "You are torturing that poor girl! I don't understand what is possessing you to treat her that way, but I'll be damned if I let it continue. Starfire loves you, Dick. Just be thankful that some woman on this earth loves you."

"I know that, but she-"

"Oh, she doesn't want to be with you? Bull shit. Of course she does. And until she realizes that you never really did move on, and that 'new life' you started was going to shit, you better treat her right."

"It wasn't going to shit-"

"Come on, Dick. You were in a slump. You were getting your ass kicked out there."

"I put them in jail, didn't I?"

"Sure, but with the help of Flash." Dick cringes. He didn't realize that people knew that. And if Catwoman knew, Batman definitely did. Wally had been staying with him in Bludhaven after he was pummeled by some of Blockbuster's guys. He has been taking care of Bludhaven for him since he's been at Bruce's.

"Yeah, okay, sorry I'm, like, depressed." Dick widens his eyes. Did he just say that. He looks over at Catwoman, who stares at up at him.

"Dick, honey," she starts as she takes off her mask, "I know haven't been around. And I know that I'm not your mother, but Bruce isn't going to talk to you about these things. I think of it as my responsibility to take care of this side of you. So tell me…what has been going on with you lately?"

Dick sighs. "I just…" He takes a deep breath. "That night that I got my ass kicked," he emphasized, using her words, "was mine and Starfire's anniversary."

Selina's eyes grow sad. "That was a couple of months ago."

"Yeah, and after that, when Flash had to come help me out, I started to slip. I hated feeling helpless like that. I felt like I was losing even more of myself than I had after her 'death'."

"And Babs…?"

"She tried to help me. God, I tried to let her in. It's not like I wanted to close myself off. But I felt like I had to. She tried everything, if you know what I mean."

"Okay, I don't know if I really want to ask this. But, did you and Babs ever have-"

"Oh, no, no, no," says Dick, shaking his hands wildly trying to get her to shut up. She lifts an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "I swear on my life."

"Can I ask why not?"

"Jesus, Selina."

"What? I'm trying to help you analyze your feelings here!"

"Fine!" he shakes his head at her. "I couldn't give her that me, you know? That was Starfire's. She had wanted to, and she tried. But I just wasn't ready. I couldn't. Who knows how long it would've taken me."

"So you haven't in…"

"I haven't gotten any in four years. Yep."

"Wow. You're stronger than your father."

Dick laughed. "Well, it's easy when your heart is broken. I couldn't look at any girl that way."

Selina's expression softens. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Dick. I know that you felt guilty about it, too. But you have to know that it wasn't your fault."

"No, it really was," says Dick. "There are so many things I could have done to prevented that."

"And now you're just going to brood on that?"

He shrugged. "Brooding is my middle name."

"Is not," says Selina. "Right now, you need to be happy. You've gotten your friends back. Don't push them away again. You've gotten Starfire back. You should appreciate that." She places her hands on his upper arms. "And when you need it, you have me. Anytime." She smiles at him. "And if you don't start being nicer to Starfire, you're going to deal with me a lot more."

"I know, I know. I don't want to act like this. You know that I love her. It's just, she's dating and she's trying so hard to push me away. It's just making me angry."

"Then give her space for a little while. Don't force yourself on her. Aim for small, polite conversations. Let her open up. She feels like she's doing the right thing by steering clear from you."

"Yeah, yeah. She wants me to move on."

"She thinks she wants that. But if you keep acting like a jerk, it's going to be a lot easier for her to walk out the door." Dick nods. "Work on your temper, and good things will come."

"Wow, so wise."

Selina smacks his arm. "Wow, so sarcastic," she says. They laugh together. He really did miss her. Plus, Bruce is always in a better mood when she's around. "Okay kid, I'm going to go find your father."

"1. Not a kid, I'm twenty-four. 2. Thank God Bruce is finally going to get some. He's being such a tight ass lately." Selina smacks him again. "Sorry," he says.

"Go to bed," she says as she walks out the door.

"Yes, ma'am!"


For those of you freaking out about Dick being an asshole, don't worry! I'm creating Dick as an emotional wreck right now. He's frustrated with Starfire and himself. But things are looking up.

Reviews! :)