October

Nightwing sat down heavily on a bit of rooftop architecture. Perhaps it had been a bit too soon to be out and about like this, he reflected as his legs protested, but he hadn't been able to wait any longer. He had missed the cool breezes that floated over the city carrying the smell of the autumn harvest and the promise of snow. He had ached for the weightlessness of flight, that familiar comfort he'd known practically since the day he was born. Most importantly, he smiled as a shadow fell over him, he had missed his little brother. "Hiya, Hood."

"I see you're still alive despite your little hiking accident," Jason started coldly. "I would go through my spiel about this being my territory, but since you've heard it a dozen times before and still chose to ignore it I'll save my breath."

"Oh, good. That gives us more time to talk before you stomp away in aggravation and don't speak to me for months." He couldn't see the younger man's face, but Dick knew he'd scored a hit by the stunned silence that followed his words. "...I've missed you, you know," he softened the blow. "I was hoping you might come see me while I was stuck in bed."

"You know better than that," Red Hood found his voice again. "I have no interest in setting foot in that house ever again."

"You keep saying that," Nightwing sighed, shaking his head, "but I don't believe it." He paused. "You could have come when he wasn't home, you know. His work schedule hasn't changed."

"Oh, hey, there's an idea," was sniped back. "Then I would only have to deal with Agent A, the replacement, and the little shit. Sounds like a really great afternoon."

"...It might have been, if you'd given it a chance. Anyway, it doesn't matter now, because I came to see you instead."

"Yeah, and from the look of that landing you made a minute ago you should have stayed home."

"It wasn't that bad," he tried to brush off.

"You practically fell over. Does he even know you're out tonight?"

"He knows. He wasn't happy about it, but he knows. But you'll want to be careful, Jay," he advised.

"Watch it," was growled. "...And what do you mean, I'll 'want to be careful'?" Red Hood's posture tensed. "Did he send one of them to spy on you in case I decided to put you back in bed for another few months?"

"No. He wanted to, but I told him it was a bad idea. Besides, you and I both know that you wouldn't do that."

"That's a dangerous assumption you're making there." His fists curled at his sides. "Maybe I want to kick your ass."

"It's not an assumption, and you don't want to hurt me." Nightwing gave his brother a confident but sad look. "The reason I know that is the same reason you want to be careful."

The curled hands relaxed. "...What are you talking about?"

"Bro, you asked after my health. You evinced concern as to whether or not Batman knows I'm out and about tonight. Both of those things tell me that you don't want me to be hurt. You'll want to be careful about that, because it's a contradiction to your 'I-don't-care' facade. Unless, of course, you're trying to break out of that shell, in which case...well, you know I'd love to help." Let me help, little brother, he begged. If Tim and Damian can manage to get along the way they have these past few months, then anything's possible.

"Maybe I was just sizing up my chances of leaving you bleeding and alone up here," Red Hood countered hotly. His annoyance at having been called out was clear in his voice, but there was a trace of uncertainty underneath his ire. "You've made it abundantly clear that you aren't at full strength and that you're alone. I could kill you outright and no one would be the wiser for hours."

Dick sighed. "You're right. You could," he confessed. Reaching up, he raised his lenses and stared straight at those of the other man. "But you're no fratricide, Hood, and you know it."

"Really? After what I did to the replacement a few years ago, you still think that?"

"You didn't consider him your brother. You should think of him that way, and I'm sorry that you don't, but that's the difference between him and I. That's why I can come here and wait for you without fear of injury, and he can't. As angry as you've been with me at times, I'm still your brother. As unwilling – or maybe unable, I don't know – as you are to say it, you still love me, the same as I still love you. That will never change, Hood," he whispered. "You'll always be my brother, no matter how little you might like it."

"...Hmph." Jason turned his face away.

A beat passed. "...Anyway," Nightwing said slowly, lowering his lenses again, "I didn't come all the way out here just to needle you."

"And yet," a sneer cut through the night.

"I have a favor to ask," he went on, ignoring the remark. "It's something I've thought about asking you before, but the timing never seemed right. After what happened this summer, though...you know all about it, don't you? Beyond the civilian stuff?"

"My sources are reliable. I know what went down." He seemed to shiver slightly as he spoke.

"Okay. Good. Well, I guess almost dying for the umpteenth time kicked something into overdrive in my brain. I just want to make sure that...well..."

"I have other things to do tonight, you know," Red Hood barked. "Are you going to ask me the favor, or spend the whole night waxing philosophical about it? Because if it's the second one, I'm out."

"All right, all right! It's just..." He wasn't going to like it, Dick knew, but he had to at least try. If he could just plant the idea in his head, maybe it would come to some sort of fruition when the time came. "Look, if something happens to me – if I die, or disappear, or whatever – just help them, okay? I'm not asking you to go home and have a tear-filled reconciliation with anyone," he clarified before Jason could launch into a vitriolic refusal. "I'm just asking you to do what you can in the event that I'm...you know...not around to take care of them. You're the next oldest, Hood," he stressed. "It's important, for them, and for you, and for me, too. So...please?"

"Nightwing-"

You've got to try, Jay. You've got to. Stretching over, he gripped the younger man's hand tightly. To his surprise, no attempt was made to pull away. "You don't have to promise me that you will, little brother," he pleaded. "Just promise me that you'll try."

Neither of them moved for a long moment. Somewhere in the distance a police siren wailed once, then ceased. A cloud ghosted across the face of the high harvest moon. Then Red Hood yanked his fingers free of Nightwing's grasp, turned, and stalked to the edge of the roof. "...I don't want to see you if you're going to talk like that," he tossed over his shoulder. And then he was gone.

To anyone watching from the surrounding buildings, the meeting would have appeared to have ended like all of their conversations did; Red Hood ordered the interloper out and stomped away, Nightwing gave a sigh and returned to his own business. Everything was correct and proper. Nothing had changed.

What no watcher could see, however, was the joy dancing in Dick's veins as he rose to his feet. His fingers were still tingling from the brief but firm squeeze Jason had given them just before he turned, and as he reached for his grappling gun a grin broke across his face. There had been no verbal promise of any sort made, but that bit of pressure had told him all he needed to know. If the time came, his little brother would try, and that was good enough.

Two down, one to go. I'll have all of us under one roof together and not fighting yet, Bruce, he swore as he swung away. Even if it's the last thing I do...

Author's Note: Here we are at the end of another tale, lovely readers. Thank you all so much for coming along on the ride with me. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

As I mentioned at the end of 'Camp Batman', our next adventure will be entitled 'The Silent Treatment'. After receiving several requests during the course of this story for more Jason and Babs and for an opportunity to see Tim and Damian working together, I have decided that 'Silent Treatment' will be a sequel to this story. Look for the first chapter on Tuesday, and prepare for Nightwing whumpage, mystery, and a fair bit of insanity.

Happy reading!