Disclaimer: not mine

Couldn't leave you hanging with that ending!

Chapter 23

Tim was relieved when Danny stirred and then he flinched when Tim touched his face. Was he in pain? "Danny? It's me, it's Tim."

Blue eyes slowly opened, meeting his, and Tim's heart plummeted at the utter lack of recognition there.

"Danny?" he called softly.

And then Danny was scrambling away, off the bed and into the corner where he curled in on himself, staring around with scared eyes, obviously not recognising anything.

Tim hit the alarm and then slid off the bed to kneel on the floor, keeping his distance so as not to overwhelm Danny or make him feel threatened. "It's alright, no one is going to hurt you," he murmured, terrified blue eyes met his, Tim mustering a small smile. "You're safe, you were badly hurt but you're healing."

"Who…"

"I'm Tim," he offered, but Danny shook his head, trembling slightly.

"Me?"

Tim swallowed. "Who are you?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice even, and Danny nodded. "You're Danny. What do you remember?" he asked, and Danny shook his head. "Nothing?" he asked in horror. "Oh Danny…"

"Consort?" Frostbite called, stepping into the room, and Danny screamed in terror, pressing harder against the wall.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to remember his powers so he didn't just phase through.

"Danny! It's okay, it's okay, he's a friend. Look at me Danny," Tim shifted to get Danny's attention. He moved closer, gently gripping Danny's shoulders. "Just look at me, it's okay." Thankfully, Danny's gaze focused on him as the closer threat. "I know you're scared and confused, but I promise, you are safe here. No one will hurt you. Your name is Danny Nightingale and you live in Gotham City."

Slowly, Danny calmed down which was good since Tim was worried that he'd hyperventilate and pass out. Shaking fingers reached out and touched his face, Tim freezing in place, letting him trace his features. Why didn't Danny remember? What had those monsters done to him? When Dann' fingers brushed his lips, Tim kissed them gently.

"I'm here Danny," he whispered.

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Frostbite was shocked when the Great One screamed in terror, scrambling away from him. he could see the unshed tears in Tim's eyes but the young halfa remained remarkably calm and in control. It appeared as if the young King did not recognise either of them, was not really responding to his own name either.

That was not good. None of his injuries should have caused amnesia. There was no lasting core damage or to his head. Trauma reaction? It was possible. Hopefully that was all it was and his memory would return shortly. If not…that would be very problematic.

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He blinked, feeling a shiver when Tim's lips pressed back against his fingers.

"I'm here Danny," he whispered.

He was Danny? Why couldn't he remember? He was so confused. But this person…Tim…he felt…safe, he felt safe. He didn't even realise as he crawled forward, into Tim's lap. Arms wrapped around him, holding him, rocking, lips pressing to his head.

"You're going to be fine, you will," Tim promised.

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Jason checked his phone, still nothing. It had been a week with only that first message from Tucker saying they were in the Far Frozen for healing. Surely, they would be told if something was really wrong?

He turned the news on, watching as the government decried those behind Danny's abduction. And a trial date had already been set for the ring leaders. J'onn had made sure that Danny's identity as Banshee could not be revealed by his attackers, there would be no mention of Myling or Tim either. Daniel Fenton was legally dead and there was nothing to link him to Danny Nightingale. Oracle had done her bit to help ensure that no one could work it out electronically, she'd tried and failed.

All they would be able to reveal was that the captured and tortured Phantom, nearly Ending him permanently. Tucker had said that they could announce his death would have meant war between the US and the Infinite Realms since he was all that was keeping the peace.

He just wanted his brothers home and safe. Though B once again ignoring the presence of certain metas in the city was amusing, if he tried to kick them out, he'd have a fight and he was smart enough to know it.

This was as bad as when they'd been waiting for news on Tim after he'd been kidnapped, but with the added possibility of war thrown in.

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He stared into the reflection, studying it. This was him but nothing about the image felt familiar. He could tell they were worried about his not remembering anything, that Tim was scared. He felt bad about that but it wasn't like he wanted to not remember, he wanted to know who he was, who they all were. Didn't he?

"Hey," Tim murmured, appearing in the reflection behind him. He touched his shoulder gently and he didn't pull away, it felt nice.

He held still and Tim moved closer, slowly wrapping his arms around his waist. "Why?" he whispered.

"Why what?" Tim asked, his voice sounded so gentle.

"Why do you feel safe?"

He saw Tim's eyes widen at his question, hope in his eyes. "I do?" Tim asked, and he nodded. Tim smiled softly, resting his head on his shoulder. "I love you, Danny. You helped me when I was turned into a halfa and I'll help you through this," he promised.

I love you Danny…love…

He took a shaky breath and then blinked as the image in the mirror seemed to waver, changing so their positions were reversed, Tim looking scared but determined even as he kissed Tim's throat. The image changed again, Tim dressed fancy and him dressed not fancy, reaching up to help tie something…a tie. They were laughing and smiling and then they were kissing.

The images faded and he heard Tim calling his name, felt him holding him up, Danny's body shaking.

"Danny?"

He turned in Tim's arms, wrapping his arms around him and then he kissed him. Tim stiffened for a second but then he was cradling him, kissing softly. "Tim," he whispered when he pulled back, lifting his hands to cradle Tim's face, looking into blue eyes, seeing the growing hope. "My Tim."

Tim laughed but it sounded closer to a sob and then they were just wrapped around each other. "Danny," Tim whispered, holding on desperately.

Danny buried his head against Tim's shoulder and neck, inhaling his scent. He could feel the pull of new scar tissue, the ache of still healing deep internal damage…could remember…no, he wasn't thinking about it. He was safe and with Tim. He remembered Tim crying out in pain, the dark glowing green of an ecto-blaster…but Tim was with him and he didn't seem hurt.

"I love you Tim, my Polaris," he whispered.

"You remember?" Tim asked from where he was pressed tight against him, and Danny nodded.

"How badly were you hurt?" he asked.

Tim shuddered slightly but stepped out of his arms, lifting his shirt to reveal the mark that went from his hip almost up to his armpit. Danny reached out, tracing the kind of shiny skin very gently. Danny knew that kind of burn, Tim had been shot, if he'd been in ghost form… the scar probably wasn't all that visible to a human but to a halfa or ghost it stood out because of what had caused it.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Danny."

"Isn't it? They were after me," Danny shook his head, and Tim grabbed his hands, pulling him into another hug.

"And eventually I'll be outed as a halfa, either as Myling or Tim. If that had happened, I would have been right beside you at the top of their capture list. Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't realise once they shot me and I collapsed."

"Probably assumed you were just liminal," Danny answered. He was so relieved they hadn't grabbed Tim, imaging Tim on a table beside him…Tim had already suffered so much. "I'm so glad they didn't take you too."

"I thought we were too late, you were so still and then you were coughing blood…" Tim trailed off, hands moving over Danny's chest, over the scars, desperate to prove to himself that Danny was there.

"You weren't too late, I'm here," Danny promised.

And then they were kissing again.

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Kon, Cassie, and Bart rushed to the Nest as the alarm sounded, Kon grinning at the swirling green portal. And two familiar forms emerged after a second, both looking as healthy as a ghost could. Kon lunged to grab them both in a hug, startling a laugh from Tim. They hugged him back and then phased out of his hold only for Cassie and Bart to descend on them.

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Bruce glanced over at where Danny and Tim were curled together, watching the live broadcast of the trial. Neither of them was paying too much attention and he didn't blame them for not wanting to relive what had happened. It took a month but finally it was over and the verdict came down, guilty of all charges. Life in prison. Thankfully, Danny seemed accepting of that.

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The first day back in the office was hard, he hadn't left Danny's side since he had found him in that lab. But they couldn't live like that and they both knew it. He knew that Lucius knew, the man ensuring Tim could ease back into things and Bruce was taking on work too. It was nice to have so much support. And when he got home, he was exhausted, the two of them falling into bed together to sleep.

Slowly, their lives settled back to normal. They both had more nightmares now, Danny struggling with the memories of being cut open, again, but this time even worse. His parents had been interrupted and they hadn't been pouring Blood Blossoms into his veins either. Tim had nightmares of not making it in time, of the pain of being shot by an ecto-blaster…but they were healing.

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Tucker grinned as he stepped out of the terminal to spot the two black haired figures. He could feel the press of Gotham against his senses and almost shuddered, how did those two deal with it? And then Danny was hugging him and he hugged back before offering Tim Drake his hand. He was shaking hands with Tim Drake! And Danny was smirking so he glared at his best friend.

He was soon settled in the guestroom of the penthouse, in awe of the place.

"How do you deal with it?" he asked softly as he sat on the couch with Danny, Tim upstairs to grab a sweater.

"Gotham?" Danny asked, and he nodded. "It took a while and let's face it; I was desperate. With time it just becomes background noise. It's why Tim's had issues since becoming a halfa though. If he lived anywhere else, he could probably handle Dick and Damian just fine without wanting to rip their throats out. He'd likely ignore them but…"

"Wouldn't be feeling quite so homicidal," Tucker grimaced, that had to suck. "So, what happened to the youngest Wayne anyway? Robin hasn't been sighted in months either." Which made it very obvious if you knew one id.

Danny grimaced. "Turns out…the kid was killing, he never actually accepted B's no-kill rule. The Justice League dealt with him and I haven't asked how except to make sure he won't be a threat to us. His hatred of Tim…Tim held back when fighting him, didn't transform. But the kid was aiming to kill and kill as painfully as possible."

"Damn," he hissed. "Want to me and Technus to look into it?"

Danny shook his head. "I've got Fright Knight on standby," he admitted very softly. "Any sign he's gotten away and started killing and he'll be in the Nightmare Realm."

Tucker nodded in understanding. Danny was the King and Tim his consort, even if they hadn't had a ceremony yet. For a human to harm either of them… it'd been hard enough holding back war when Danny was taken. Then again, Damian was a personal enemy so war if he attacked was unlikely. Maybe he should see if Kitty and some of the others felt like haunting someone. He'd kept in touch with them since Danny couldn't while in hiding and they'd all hated it. But Danny had refused to run to the Realms and hide fully. Tucker figured part of him had held out hope someone would help…and the bats had.

He wished Sam, Jazz, and Ellie were around to see how happy Danny was now, to see him in love and safe. Maybe wherever they were, they did know.

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Bruce landed on the rooftop and then glanced over, lips twitching in a smile as he spotted Myling and Banshee chasing each other nearby, Bat Girl and Black Bat circling. Even Nightwing was nearby, watching, until he was nearly knocked off his feet by Myling using him as a springboard.

"Ever think Myling would willing get that close to Wing?" a modulated voice asked, and Bruce shook his head.

"It's good to see," he admitted.

"They might never get back to where they were," Jason warned, and Bruce heard what he wasn't saying, that the two of them would never get back there either.

But that was fine, they didn't need to go back, they could go forward.

THE END

Maybe this wasn't too much to have continued the last chapter with but it felt better ending ch22 where it was. Thanks for sticking around!