Jason couldn't sleep. He was too worried. So he sneaked out of the manor and down to the water.

There was a blue-green flash and a man was standing there in front of him. "You're worried about Ruby." He didn't ask, he stated.

Jason didn't know how this man knew about all that and he didn't like this. "Who are you? How do you know about Ruby? What do you want?"

The man help up his weathered hands. "Relax, I'm a friend. I'm Ruby's father. My name is Neptune. Ruby has told me about you, Jason. You seem like a nice boy."

"Yeah. If you look past the whole Gotham street rat thing," Jason said bitterly.

Neptune shook his head. "It doesn't matter who you've been, it matters who you are and who you want to be."
"Well I'm not a street rat now and if I have my way I never will be again."

"Then the 'Gotham street rat thing' doesn't matter."

Jason looked at him curiously. "What do you want?"

"To offer you something."

"What?"

"I like you and my daughter cares about you very much. I want to offer you my blessing."

"What's that?"

"My blessing is my approval, and with it comes guidance when needed and a gift." He held out a necklace of leather cord with a single spiraling shell dangling from it as a pendant.

Jason hesitated but eventually took it from his hand and fastened it around his neck with a knot. "Thank you, sir."

"My daughter has adopted you as a brother and I adopt you as a son, Jason Todd. Now you have two families. So long as you wear that necklace you are welcome in my realm." He gave Jason a smile. "And I imagine my daughter would welcome you into her realm as well. Have a good night, Jason. Try to get some sleep." Neptune started to walk away.

Jason opened his mouth to ask a question.

Neptune turned back towards him. "Ruby will be fine."

Ruby woke the next morning from a dark, dreamless unconsciousness in her bed at Wayne Manor with Robin in civilian clothes asleep in the chair next to her clinging to her hand with a death grip.

"Robin." She spoke as loudly as she could, but it was barely above a whisper. Besides, Robin was his name when he was in uniform, and he wasn't wearing his uniform. He was in civilian clothing. "Dick."

He jolted awake and nearly crushed her with a hug she was too weak to fight off. "Ruby! Thank God. We thought we had lost you. Never do that again!"

"I won't, I promise. Please let go. You're crushing me."

He jerked back quickly. "Sorry! Sorry."

She assured him that it was alright. "So, what did I miss?" she asked.

Jason walked in with a shell strung on a cord hanging from his neck. "Your dad."

Her eyes widened and she tried to sit up. "Oh I am so dead when he finds out what I tried to do."

Dick pushed her back down. "Don't. You're too tired."

Jason gave her a funny look. "What did you do to end up this way?"

She looked at Dick and looked away; ashamed. "I tried to sever the link."

Dick took her hand in his. "I know. And I know why. Ruby, the mark isn't making me think or feel any differently than I would without it. I cared about you long before we shook hands. I thought you knew that."

She turned back to him. "Truly?"

"Absolutely."

They sat there like that for a while before Jason cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt, but... This is awkward."

They let go of each other's hands like they were hot stones.

Jason snorted. Absently, he reached a hand up and began rubbing his thumb in a circle on the shell. Ruby noticed.
"Jason, where did you get the necklace?"

He looked in the eyes. "The beach late last night. There, that's where and when."

She frowned. "Who from?"

There was an extensive pause before Jason said, "Your father."

Ruby sighed in relief. "Thank God. Just so long as it wasn't Oceanus. He hates my dad and me. If the necklace had been from him you would be dead by now."

"I thought you would be mad." Jason was confused.

"But I'm not. I see no reason to be. Even my father has acknowledged that you're as much my little brother as you are Dick's."

Dick felt a smile tug gently at the corner of his mouth.

Ruby continued. "By giving you that necklace he signaled to me that he approves and has accepted you into our family. Just like the Team accepted me when I first came out of the water. It takes a weight off my shoulders knowing that, should something ever happen to myself, or Richard, or Bruce, you'll be looked after. Besides, this means that I can take you with me if I ever take your brother to see Solaria. If you want to come, that is."

"That would be so cool!" Jason grinned.

Ruby laughed, but it turned into a cough. When she quit coughing Richard and Jason left her alone to get some sleep.