Damian rentered the living room to find everyone else already assembled. A large map of the manor was hung on the wall, multiple sheets of paper taped together to form one picture. This was the work of Drake, no doubt. Speaking of, the boy (yes, Drake was 16, but his mental difficulties rendered him a child to Damian) was already on some computer, in all likelihood transcribing Todd's depiction of the manor onto some digital map. Todd had, apparently, marked up the map on the wall (which, Damian noted, was in the model of the manor back home) and Richard was tucked into Drake's side, watching the screen with rapt attention.

"I am returned, plebeians."

Richard's head shot up, and he waved enthusiastically at Damian, as though there were some chance of Damian not seeing him.

"Greetings, Richard."

"Greetings, Damian! Hi! We're making a map, and it's gonna be a big map that says where everything is, and it's on a computer! It is! Isn't that cool?"

"It is 'cool', Richard." Damian congratulated himself for seamlessly using the language which would put Richard most at ease. In fact he remembered another phrase that was 'cool'... "It is the cat's pajamas."

There was probably some reason Drake and Todd were staring at him, but he didn't know what it was.

"Umm." Anything that made Todd look that pleased could not be a good thing. "Where did you get that from?"

"Grays- older Richard showed me a list of hip phrases I could use to integrate myself into my peers."

"Ohhh. Dick." Drake had no reason to look amused. Why did he look so amused?"

"You took advice in how to be cool from Dick G?"

Damian Glared at Todd. He started to realize, however, that if Grayson's word choice was anything like his fashion sense then Damian may have chosen the wrong person to imitate.

"And why not? Grayson has picked up more women than you!"

"First of all," Todd defended, "no, he has not. Second, Dick never keeps a girlfriend for longer than three months. Third off, that is only because he has a pretty smile and has nothing to do with his language skills. Also, tone down the sexism, brat. I'd like to hear you say that around Barbara."

Damian did not fear Barbara Gordon, so the speed at which he decided he would never do such a thing was probably grounded in logic.

"Guys," interjected Drake, "This is great and entertaining. But, I do need Damian's report."

"Of course." Damian sniffed, and turned away from Todd, (who was laughing, the al'abalah) to make his report to Drake. "For the most part, everything was the same until a little bit past the West library. Shortly thereafter almost everything was different." Damian proceed to give a more detailed description of the different rooms, which caused Drake's brow to furrow as his fingers danced over the keys.

Todd's shoulders tensed as he marked at the map on the wall. When Damian was done, Drake was frowning.

"This is odd. The layout of the house. This is pre Quake."

"Replacement's right." Todd straightened, and eyed his map appraisingly.

"What quake? Is Quake a villain? Was it an occurrence? Out with it, fools!"

"Back when I was Robin, a giant earthquake hit Gotham, turning it into a no man's land, and since the manor wasn't built to withstand that, a lot of it collapsed. A lot of the manor you know is partially rebuilt, particularly in the West wing."

Damian considered this, and decided that it made sense. He had known that part of the manor had been rebuilt, and vaguely remembered something of an earthquake.

"That earthquake was a natural occurrence, as far as we could tell. It should've happened here too if everything's the same in both universes."

"Not everything's the same." Todd crossed his arms over his chest. "Even accounting for no superhuman activity… this world is different."

"Or maybe the earthquake was caused by metas but indirectly. Maybe there were long term effects."

"We don't know this world. Anything could be different. Why does anyone we know even exist? This universe should be completely different - it's simple butterfly effect. No one we know should've been born."

"All alternate universes originally came from one singularity. The time streams try to pull back to that singularity and keep themselves aligned as much as possible."

At this point, Damian had almost completely lost the conversation, and he had most certainly lost all interest thereof.

"Fascinating. Do we have a map yet?"

Drake pursed his lips. "Yes. Here you go." He turned the computer around on his lap and Damian and Todd leaned forward to get a basic layout of the house. "I'll email it to both of you."

Richard squirmed and lightly brushed over Drake's arm, obviously hosting a question and equally obviously unwilling to interrupt.

"Yes, Dick?"

"Ummm… why were you a bird?"

"What?"

"You said you were a robin."

Damian felt his shoulders go rigid in a split-second and in the corner of his eye he saw Todd do the same. Three sets of eyes were immediately focused on Richard with laser intensity while simultaneously trying to pretend nothing important had happened.

"Oh," Drake remarked calmly, "it's just a thing the three of us do. You too, in our universe. We take turns having the job of Robin. It means we're in charge of making sure Bruce doesn't do anything stupid."

Damian had to admit, it was a smooth recovery. And also factually accurate.

"Oh. Who's Bruce?"

"Ah, Bruce Wayne? I thought you lived with him?"

"But Daddy would never ever do anything stupid. He's perfect. Why would you worry about that?"

"Precaution. Besides, our Bruce definitely makes mistakes a lot. He knows that and part of the reason we have such a good relationship is because we both help each other."

Richard looked lost and Damian wished he did not understand the feeling. "Your worth is not bound in the opinions of another, even if they did raise you. And while I realize it is difficult to believe, you possess a family here who wishes the best for you even at inconvenience to themselves."

Richard pushed back into the couch, eyes flitting about his brothers but landing on nothing. He hung his head and appeared to be attempting to hide inside the cushions. Damian did not know whether or not to keep pushing, but decided it was a good idea. He opened his mouth, but Todd cut him off.

"Well, we've had a good talk. It's time for the munchkin here to help me set out supper. It'll be a little late, I guess, but that's fine. You two probably aren't that hungry anyway."

Drake nodded, and Damian's brow furrowed because Richard was relaxing but what if he dismissed Damian's words and did not learn anything… Richards hands fisted in Todd's shirt and his head rested against the man's shoulder. He was not going to forget their conversation. He needed space. Todd was right.

What a horrible sentence.

Damian broke his gaze away from the two and made to stride toward Drake. "How are we going to give Richard a copy of the manor's layout?"

Todd exited the room as Drake began to explain that there was a printer in Bruce's office they could use to make a copy.

Damian realized belatedly that he had left Richard with Todd and thought nothing of it.

The soles of Jason's belmar athletics thumped against authentic wood paneling, and the scratching of one worn Levis pant leg against the other ground against still life paintings and ancient vases from times gone by. Normally, Jason would either stomp through these halls or brush like a ghost over unfriendly ground, never leaving a sound to betray his presence.

Today there was a child in his arms, and until one of them left Jason was doing his best to give that child as much security and comfort as a disgraced ex-assassin could give.

"Chicken?"

"Yeah, Squirt?"

"You guys really confuse me sometimes."

"Yeah. Family is like that."

"Chicken?"

"Mmhmm."

"Does Tim know how to get us back yet?"

"Nah. It's gonna take him a long time. Weeks at shortest. But we could be here for years. Of course, we got people looking for us on the other side too, so… who knows. But we're gonna get out of here. Promise."

"Oh." Dick dropped his head against Jason's shoulder again, leaning his forehead against his protector's neck. Jason pretended not to notice he was crying.

"Here we are."

Dick pulled off Jason's shoulder, trying to surreptitiously wipe off his tears before they were noticed. "Okay, Jason! Yay!"

Jason pulled the fridge door open and shot him a sad smile. "Can you help me pull stuff out?"

Dick nodded. "Yes, Jason."

Jason hefted two Tupperware pitchers of strawberry punch onto the island. Dick scurried to pull strawberry shortcake out after him. They had discovered that both their favorite fruits were strawberries and might have slightly overstocked in strawberry related items in response.

"Y'know, I think we're gonna have enough food to last at least four days."

Dick smiled.

"Out with it. You are allowed and encouraged to tell me that I have said something wrong."

"I think maybe… maybe we should have some other stuff? Like we could make meals for four days, Jason, but I don't… I don't think… they would be big?"

"You're right. Good thinking, kid." Jason flashed a thumbs up. "Good job."

Dick smiled. "Thank you, Chicken."

"Well, that's what us big brothers are for."

Dick laughed this time and his shoulders relaxed a little. "Will… will Tim and Damian… do they want me to tell them they're wrong? I don't think Damian would ever want anyone to say that to him."

"Aw, I think they would. Family is a build each other up kinda thing, y'know?" Well, Dick didn't know, and honestly that wasn't how the Batfamily worked, but Jason was going to make them pretend that that was a thing until they found a good family that was true for.

"What does it mean," Dick grunted as he lifted the cheesy spaghetti, "to 'build each other up'?"

"Means that we help each other get to be better people. And happier."

"Oh. Jason… if I have questions about rules… should I do it with all of you at once or ask one by one?"

"Umm… everybody at once should be fine. Whatever's convenient I guess. Man, I wish we had milk here… when we can go shopping we're totally getting like. Ten gallons. What were you thinking of?"

"Huh?"

"Didja have anything in mind? About the rules. Grab four bowls, will you?"

"Yes, Jason." Dick stretched to tip toe to pull the ceramic bowls from the cupboard, the bowls clinking against each other as he pulled them down. "And, um. Yeah, I guess… but it can wait?"

That was about as close to a refusal Jason had heard out of the kid in the whole time he'd known him, and he was taking what he could get.

"Sure. You're fine. Have we washed the ladles yet?"

"Yeah, they're in the dishwasher. I'll get them."

"Great. Hey, kid?"

"Uh huh?"

"Do you… have you ever wanted anything before? Anything you didn't have?"

"No, Jason."

"C'mon. You can tell me." Jason slipped the utensils from Dick's hands. "No one's going to hurt you. It's okay to want things."

"I… I… I wanted Daddy to be proud of me."

"That makes sense. Anything else?"

"I wanted to be perfect."

"What did you want to have?"

"I… I'm okay with everything Daddy gave me. I didn't want to change anything, honest!" Dick's chest heaved up and down and Jason's throat chilled in empathy because he knew from far too many experiences how that felt.

"You're with us now. You won't get in trouble for wanting someone to love you."

Dick choked and crumpled to the ground, white over taking the horizons of his eyes.

Jason's arms shot out and turned Dick's limp frame face up, a hand flying to support Dick's neck and another to check his pulse. Pain attack.

Pulse erratic but not dangerous. Subject in light state of unconsciousness. Predicted to regain consciousness in approximately 30 seconds.

Red Hood lay Dick flat on the ground, placing as much exposed skin as possible on the cold tile. He tapped Dick's cheek with a finger. "Dick. Can you hear me? Can you respond?"

"Mmmm? Jaaah?"

"Can you open your eyes?"

Eyelashes fluttered like a wounded bird before achieving a half open state, eyes twitching in response to the light.

Pupil dilation normal. Subject predicted to have minimal long term effects.

Jason rubbed his thumb over Dick's cheek. "You're doing good. Get up when you're ready."

Dick tensed and tried to sit up, but Jason pushed him back down. "When you're ready."

Dick lay limp on the ground and Jason realized his breathing had synchronized with Dick's.