Bruce: 39

Lilly: 17

Jason: 14

Jason's Fear

"I still don't see why we have to fly to Kansas." Jason complained as we walked to the garage together. "When Barry, or Diana come to visit they just use the Zeta tube." I rolled my eyes at the fourteen year old.

"Jace we've been over this, like 100 times. When Uncle Barry or Dianna visit they're usually here on League business, We're just going to visit as Lilly, Bruce and Jay, people would get suspicious if billionaire Bruce Wayne and two of his kids just show up in the middle of Metropolis.

"Yeah I guess, but couldn't we take a train or have Alfred drive?" He said as we scrabbled into the car.

"A plane is much faster than both of those options Master Jason." Alfred called from the back of the car while securing our luggage.

"Whatever." Jason murmured before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Everyone settled back there?" Bruce called excitedly as he clicked in his seatbelt.

"Yup." I grinned, I loved flying. Bruce called Uncle Clark on the way to the airport, letting him know we'd be arriving soon. I was texting Barbara about a project we were working on in math class. Jason was suspiciously silent. Once at the airport, Alfred parked the car and helped us check our bags. Soon we were saying our good-byes and promising to be back early on Sunday.

"They really expect me to take off my shoes?" Jason growled as we neared the security check point.

"Yes. I'm sure even batman would have to empty the contents of his utility belt." Bruce chuckled.

"Which would be why the JLA uses zeta tubes." I pointed out before kicking off my flats. After about an hour we'd made it through airport security and were waiting patiently for the Wayne Family jet to pull up to the terminal.

"I'm going to grab a coffee, you kids want anything?" Bruce asked stretching his hands over his head. Jason and I politely denied his offer and the Dark Night disappeared from view.

"Ok what's going on with you?" I turned to the grumpier-than-usual Jason.

"Nothing." He barked at me. "Nothing at all."

"Well this will be your first time in a plane, that must be exciting!" I poked at his arm, trying to coax out a smile.

"Exciting is not exactly the word I'd use." He mumbled.

"What?" I leaned in close to him. "Don't tell me Mr I'm-brave-enough-to-steal-Batman's-tires is afraid of airplanes."

"Not the airplane itself, just the...being in the sky part."

"Jay after everything you've been through you're more afraid a small plane ride? You know it's more likely you'd die on a Joker bust or riding on the birdcycle right? Never heard of a Robin who's afraid to fly have you? It's alright little bird, planes fly in and out of Gotham International every day."

"And planes crash every day." He mumbled.

"What are you two whispering about?" Bruce said returning with his coffee.

"Just how excited we are to see Uncle Clark." I covered for Jay.

"Ah I see." Bruce gave us a strange look, as if he didn't understand at all. "Well they've taxied our plane over, we should be boarding any second."

"Yay." Jason grumbled with no enthusiasm. Bruce gave Jason another strange look but must have chalked the comment up to Jay's usual bad attitude. Soon they were calling out our flight number and we were climbing up the stairs to our plane. "This thing is smaller than our house." Jason complained as I shoved him aboard. "Wait there aren't even seatbelts?" Jace growled as his spotted the soft leather arm chairs that were bolted to the floor.

"Don't need them." Bruce shrugged. "I'm going to speak with the pilot, he's an old friend." Bruce excused himself.

"Lillian," Jason said my name very slowly, I noticed he was still standing suspiciously close to the now closed door. "I'm terrified."

"Hey, it's ok Jace. Everything is going to be just fine, just sit down. I'll get you something to drink." I gently pushed him into one of the leather chairs before searching around the kitchen area for a can of soda. "Here drink this." I handed him a glass bottle of root beer with the top already twisted off. I then settled myself down in the chair next to him and kicked my flats off.

"Captain says we're just about ready for take-off." Bruce announced proudly as he returned to the cabin. "Everyone just stay seated until we level off in the sky."

"What are you doing?" Jason snapped as I leaned towards him again. "Reaching for your hand. Hold mine and you'll feel less scared."

"That's not going to work!" Jason scoffed, but he scrambled to reach for my hand as the plane began to back up. Nearly all of the life was strangled out of my hand when our plane lifted off the ground. But as the plane began to level off, Jace's vice grip began to loosen.

"Well that wasn't so bad." He said throwing my hand away from him. "And you were afraid!" Jason stood and started pacing the plane like he had no fear at all.

Years had passed since Jason's first flight, he tried to avoid planes, jets and helicopters as much as possible over the next two years. After his accident Jason wasn't afraid of anything, but I never forgot the look in his eyes just before that plane took off. The look that said my little brother needed me, and always would.