"I thought you said we didn't qualify?" Jo phrases, somewhere between a question and an exclamation. She and her husband, Graham, are clasping hands, looking at me with barely controlled excitement.

"The selection process is incredibly selective. It is effective in weeding out a lot of bad people, but sometimes it ends up excluding the wonderful ones too. I managed to pull some strings, though, and yes. You qualify."

Their eyes sparkle with tears as they hug each other. Jo and Graham used to be addicts (drugs and alcohol, respectively), but had been sober almost ten years. They had no danger of relapsing, but the agency was taking no chances. I could see their genuine want for a child, though, and decided to help them out. There are so few truly good people in this world, and here were two of them, even if they had made mistakes.

So that led me to overshadowing this uptight, incredibly rude lady named Ms. Bradshaw. After several calls in her body, I'd opened up a slot for the couple and lined up a possible adoption. I'd cleared all the paperwork (I hope), legally signing in Ms. Bradshaw's hand that Josephine Anderson and Graham Martinez were in no danger of relapsing to past mistakes and they were not capable of any harm to a potential child.

"Normally, this is the time I make a speech about how there's a waiting list and that it could be years before anyone has a child for you… But…" I smile, passing over a file. "We have parents in our system who we try to match with a child. This child I've been working to match with a parent."

They open the file as if unearthing a pregnancy test.

"Jack has been in and out of foster homes for months. He's only a baby, so I've been keeping a close eye on him and his potential parents. As they were all" I think back to the four foster homes I'd liberated the child from. Two drug dealers, one drug addict (active), and a couple that barely noticed he was there at all. "Unsuitable, he's been bouncing around. He has no claimed parents and DNA testing has proven ineffectual in locating either."

"He's beautiful," Jo utters, awe-struck as she handles the accompanying picture. "Can we really be his parents? When can we meet him?"

"He's in the nursery. Why don't we go now?"

After leading the blissful couple to the nursery, I carefully pick up the sleeping three-month old from a crib and lay him in Jo's arms. A look of intense joy grabs both parents as they coo down at the waking child.

I make eye contact with Graham. "There's just some paperwork to be done. Might I suggest: after he's yours, I highly suggest you relocate to a more… family friendly city?"

He nods vigorously.

I walk the tops of Bludhaven's buildings alone, my hands as deep in my pockets as I am in thought. Unconsciously, I find myself gravitating towards Dick's apartment, though I force myself not to go inside.

I hadn't gone back to his place since he'd gotten the declaration from his brother that his dad was dead. Not that I'm heartless; I was going to, but when I saw him moving out three days later, I couldn't do more than watch invisibly.

He actually left. For good.

This was the first time I'd felt the pain of loss on a personal level. Yes, I'd only known him a couple months and he wasn't really gone. But he was the only one I'd ever befriended. No, that's not right. I've made friends across the world. He's the only one I've made an attachment with. I would've stayed here, with him. Guess that's not an option anymore.

I sit on the edge of the building across from his former home, one knee drawn up to my chest, where I rest my chin. Well, I'm leaving town, now that Jack's adopted and Dick's gone. Luckily, I hadn't gotten drawn into a cult, so that makes leaving easier as well.

Lance (the leader of the child underground whatever) had not attempted to assimilate me, though he didn't leave me alone or let me throw him off the pier, though I tried. We were acquaintances of a sort. Whatever you call strangers who banter back and forth and go on the occasional adventure. I have made a lot of those in my travels.

This morning, I'd said goodbye to him, and in response he'd given me the customary, "If you find yourself in Bludhaven…"

"This is ridiculous," I mutter to myself. "Get up, Dani, and get going."

But I don't move, staring at the building full of blind people.

"You're leaving anyway, so might as well just check," I finally assuage myself, and stand up. I hop down from the roof onto the fire escape, making my way down to the sidewalk below.

The code for Dick's apartment is still correct, and the lobby doors let me inside. In the elevator, I get an overwhelming feeling of loneliness as soon as the doors close. Wow, this is annoying. I was always alone before, and even when I was hanging out with Dick we only saw each other every other day or so.

Still, the feeling's there, which annoys the crap out of me.

I use the key that's still under the carpet to open the door. Disappointment crashes over me as I find the visible rooms completely empty. Ugh, if this was going to make me feel worse, why'd I come in the first place?

I just can't believe he left with no word to me. He moved his entire life without me. Yeah, I know I wasn't that big a part of it, but it still stings. Dejected, I enter the apartment, figuring I might as well take a shower if he hasn't cancelled the plumbing yet.

Something catches my eye before I reach the bathroom, though. There's a note stuck to the fridge's door. Now excited, I skirt the counter and yank the paper from under the magnet.

Dani, it reads:

First of all, I didn't want to leave, especially without you, but I couldn't find you. Anywhere. I even put out a BOLO with the force. Hence the note on the fridge. Secondly, I want to apologize for the abruptness. Even though I want to stay longer, Bruce left an incredible amount of work to be done, and I have to get to Gotham ASAP. I know you still have work here, whatever it is, but I'm hoping that, once it's done, you'll come cross Batman off your superhero list.

~Dick Grayson

P.S. I know you think staying in one place is boring, but I can promise you won't be with my family in Gotham.

I forgot I told him about the list. Frowning, I turn the paper over, though I don't expect there to be any more. Was that an invitation to live with him?

Obviously.

But it still seems… Too blunt? I don't know. It's so unexpected. I'm not going to do that. At least not yet. Maybe in a few months, when I've seen Superman and Black Lightning.

Tucking the note in my back pocket, I take advantage of the bathroom before heading out to gather my bag (which is phased in front of the city sign) and head to the train station. Though I'd spent the day surrounded by people, I barely noticed them until the train station. It's not a rush, but the platform is still crammed full, and I find it difficult to get to a place where I can sit down.

I crush my backpack close to my chest, knowing the high likelihood of pickpockets here, and shuffle through the people to the nearest bench.

Ignoring the person next to me, I take off my shoe and withdraw two twenties. I click my tongue at the dwindling amount. I need to make time to find another thug to rob blind.

At the ticket station, I slide the money through the slot. "One to Metropolis, please," I request, though it kills me to say so.

The lady types for a moment. "That'll be $14.86." I hand over a ten and a five, telling her to keep the coins. They are so annoying to keep in my shoe. "Train leaves soon, so I'd head inside."

Ducking my head in a nod, I walk briskly through the crowd towards my train. It's sitting on its tracks, vibrating slightly with the idling engine. Forking over my ticket, I step inside the graffiti-covered train and head to an empty window seat.

Wedging my knees into the chair in front of me, I dig around my bag for the fold of papers I use for my list. It's written on cheap lined paper, the scraggly edge still attached. Smoothing them out on my legs, I use a pencil to scratch out #87-Nightwing.

The train rumbles as it starts preparing for departure. Fingering the names of the Gotham heroes, I watch as Bludhaven starts moving away, desperately wishing my destination were another.

Hello again! This is kind of a sucky chapter, but I needed Dani's POV to leave Bludhaven and also wrap up the loose end that is Jack (he was important for character development... I swear he wasn't some random throw-in). I will most likely add another chapter within the next day or so. I have a lot of backups and I'm only waiting to make sure the chapters are received well before I follow through with the next.

Next, in response to my last few comments:

The mystery surrounding Batman and his death are elaborated in the next chapter and so on. With so many comments, I had to add much more into this plot than I would've originally, and it is sooo much better now. Thank you for those!

Also, the most previous comment was greatly appreciated. I love that kind of feedback and would love any more offered in the future. I made a couple changes to pre-existing chapters and to what's happening further on, but I'll clear up some things here: their human forms don't have any ghostly strength, stamina, agility, etc. But Dani has built up her own repertoire of skills with her travels. The only ghost power she passively carries is her resistance to injury: Danny in the show was seen falling several stories, being thrown against walls and being crushed in his human form with little to no lasting effects. Sorry, this was long.

~Disclaimer, Disclaimer~