New Happyverse: Home at Last

[sylph_fics]

Title: Home at Last (a little early)
Cowriter:
Characters: The Arrow/Bat/Bird/Lantern clan, and more guest stars. Even a new one.
Rating: R, profanity
Word Count: 12,363
Continuity: The HappyVerse. All fic gathered here.
Disclaimer: DC Comics makes the money, people
Notes: It's official... HappyVerse is our refuge from the meaner things in comics--and our one-stop fix-it shop.
Summary: It's only Easter, but Bruce and his boys are tired of not being home, and someone else comes home, to a woman that missed him badly.


Zatanna looked at the Latino shivering on her couch. She vaguely knew who he was, understood that he was a hero…and that he had been missing ever since Batman took on the Brother Eye satellite.

"The thing is possessed."

"No, Jaime, there's a soul trapped inside it." She saw him get ready to argue that it was the same as possession, good little Catholic boy that he was. "I know, but not quite," she told him. "I think I know who, since you felt drawn to come to me…"

"Who?"

"You'll see in just a moment." She closed her eyes, concentrated on that second soul, and focused more power than she had in a very long time. For this man, the man who had given all, she could only try, and if his soul still existed outside Death's realm…well, it wasn't really resurrection then, was it?


`~`~`~`~`

Alfred had decided that the term 'Good Friday' was blessedly appropriate today, as he helped bring in the luggage from his boys' nearly year long trip around the world. He would be glad to have them home for good, even if it was about to be spectacularly deafening in silence, once…ahh there, Master Bruce had stepped out just in time to see Master Jason lifting the heavier valises.

Contrary to Alfred's thoughts, it was not silence but a low, hard growl. "Jason." Bruce despised moments when Alfred decided to do things like this.......

"Hey old man," Jason said irreverently. "Dick, how you doing?" His grin was pasted firmly in place, though Tim got a genuine smile.

Given that the last time Tim had seen Jason the man had tried to kill him, he got a wary look in return.

Dick, however, had heard chapter and verse from Roy on what Jay was up to, and grinned. "Hey, little wing. Didn't think you were going to be here, bro."

And that added Dick to the list of people Bruce was actively unhappy with.

Jason nodded. "That boyfriend of littlest wing is at the Tower this weekend, helping clean up so everyone can go home, and they don't need two of us brutes around. Though I think he was planning on heading this way later..."

"Master Bruce, it is a pleasure to have you and the young masters returned safely," Alfred intruded just then.

"It's good to be home, Alfred, all... interesting visitors aside," Bruce said with a long look at his very estranged... middle child.

Tim eyed Jason at that, considering protesting... but despite the amount of height he'd put on, he was growing up with more Dick's dancer's build than Jason and Bruce's larger forms... "littlest" was still appropriate, much as it annoyed.

Jason ignored the look, getting back to unloading the car. He was doing his best to follow Alfie's suggestions to just act as if he belonged there.

"Miss Dinah called. She will not be here as early as she hoped," Alfred told Bruce.
Bruce nodded slowly, and turned to walk inside, easy pace falling away within steps to the Bat's long, hard stride.

"Bets he's headed straight for the Cave to figure out what's up with you, Jay?"

Tim flicked a kick at his eldest brother's shin, fully expecting the forearm that blocked it. "So one of you start talking, d--ang it. I knew Kon was hiding something, how the heck did you convince him to keep his mouth shut to me?" Not a happy Robin.

Dick and Jason exchanged glances as the three of them actually managed to convince Alfred to let them carry some of the bags in. That, Tim filed for later discussion.

"Yeah, Bats is going apeshit about me," Jason said easily. "And Kon got convinced that it would be a nice Easter present if no one else knew," he told Tim with just a hint of wickedness in his voice.

"Jay wheedled Dinah into pleading the case for him, from what I heard," Dick ratted his younger brother out.

Tim snorted. "That explains it. So, how about one of you two explaining to me why Alfred's okay with this and Dinah was willing to go along with it?"

Dick shook his head. "It's actually all Jim's idea, in the long run."

"Wouldn't have happened if I hadn't dropped by to see him," Jason snorted.

"You're right... you'd be sitting in Blackgate by now," Dick told him, earning a skeptical look and sound. "Anyway, Jason pleaded his case to the commish. The Commish being who he is, and trusting Batman, told Jay to keep his nose clean, and back Harvey...or else."

"So I did, and here I am...not in jail, still breaking heads, and home!" Jay proclaimed.

"...The Commish is a good man. ...Not sure how you convinced him into this, but... We did leave Harvey in charge of Gotham..." Tim still wasn't sure about the sanity of that one, but it had worked out well enough... And if Harvey'd had Jay at his back, that explained just why Gotham had been so quiet. He had his own reservations about the sanity of this one, but... if Jay and Bruce could come to terms... That wouldn't be a bad thing.

"And I think that's the time I head downstairs to hash it out with the old man," Jason said, ruffling Tim's hair in passing. Tim ducked out from under the attempt, "Watch it, Jay." He wasn't that sure he was happy about this whole thing.

"Good luck with that," Dick wished him. "If you're not up in half an hour I'll come try and separate you two..."

"Better give us an hour," Jason said. "First half will be him grunting at me."

"...good point. Right."

Jason made his way to the study, and from there down to the Cave. He refused to be nervous; he was a grown man, he had played by the rules, and it was just Bruce.

The Bat in question was going through various files, studying the terms of Jason's... parole was the better term than pardon, apparently. But then, Jay'd been quite careful not to leave evidence tying back to him on his rampage through the city. He heard Jay's steps, and... something twisted inside him. His memories of Jay's time as Red Hood were entirely too clear, not least the showdown they'd had over the Joker, of all people... //If he's changed, come back...// He closed off the hopeful thought, and turned slightly.

"Looking it all over? Ironclad clauses in the deal I signed," Jay said casually. "Commish was pretty decent about it, actually."

"I see that. How did you convince him, after..." and the silence was every one of the deaths.

Jason shrugged slightly. "The evidence really wasn't there, was it, Bruce?" He did not show shame or regret for his actions.

"Your arrogance always was your downfall, Jason." //You're very good, but not that good.//

"Learned it from the best, if you would class it as 'confidence in your own abilities'," the younger man retorted. "I don't get my hands dirty now, but I still get to clean the streets...just a little more roughly than you're willing to."

The war was silent, and swift, the struggle between the black and white morality he'd held for so long and the sure and certain knowledge that both his lovers had blood on their hands... and the part of him that remembered how good it had been to have Jason at his side joined in. "If you regretted it, Jay, it would be one thing..." //But you don't, and it's not. And despite what Harvey was willing to allow, an unrepentant killer doesn't belong in my family.//

"So, if I stood here, willing to say I'm sorry and I shouldn't have done that, it would all be okay?" Jason stepped slightly closer to Bruce with a neutral face.

"It would... be better than the arrogance," Bruce told his middle child, remembering the time he hadn't had this argument, and wondering if things would be different if he'd done this then. He wanted his son back... but Jay had crossed every line there was. //...and he's been right here, protecting your city, while you toured the world with Dick and Tim. He's been doing the right thing. ...Because he chooses to? Or of necessity?//

"It's not arrogance," Jason retorted, but quietly. "It was the way I saw the world had moved, what needed to be done."

Bruce shook his head. "Jay... We don't kill." //Taking a life doesn't change anything, you know it doesn't, all it does is black your own soul... And that we don't is what separates us from them.// He could accept that the code he followed was not adhered to by every hero, not even the ones he loved, when they were driven far enough... but the answer would determine if Jason was still his, or still lost.

Jason nodded. "What's done is done, though, Bruce. Can't take those back, you know." He leaned on a console. "I play by the rules now, because it's the ony way I'm going to stay out here and have your backs."

Bruce nodded. "You're right. You can't... but if you're planning to keep it that way... I... missed you."

"I know." That irrepressible grin came back, flashing memories of a Batmobile being pillaged by a street tough kid.

Bruce shifted, opening his posture, hand turning up at his side. "You would."

Jason held his hand out. "Shake on my new status as a reformed nutjob killer turned vigilante?" he offered, keeping his voice light.

"I seem to be collecting those," Bruce said idly, and his hand wrapped around Jay's--and he pulled him in against his body, other hand wrapping around his shoulders for a moment before he let go again. "Welcome home, Jay."

Jay had tensed, but then relaxed into that brief hug, thumping Bruce's back once. "Alfie's been feeding me off and on since not long after you left," he admitted.

"And arguing sense into you with his usual flawless logic?"

"Humph." Jay shook his head, smiling slyly. "So, you guys are home to stay. And that means Harvey can get a few breathers, right?"

Bruce nodded. "It should." His eyes flicked over the Cave, noticing everything that needed to be brought back to peak status in the single, sweeping look. "How is he? I've... tried to keep from looking over his shoulder."

"He's doing fine. Big Bad Harv hasn't peeked out of him the entire time." Jay had kept a close eye on that, done all he could to prevent it. Robin history with Two-Face was just slightly less intense than that with the Joker.

Bruce nodded. "Good. I... hoped it would last."

"We'll see to it, Old Man." Jay swung an easy arm over Bruce's shoulders.

"'Old', Jason?" the Bat's voice was dangerous. From Ollie it was bad enough. From Jason....

"Call them like I see them," he said impudently.

Bruce snorted, eyes narrowed, and was sorely tempted to see if his middle son would see the jab aimed at his ribs if he took it... and Jay laughed with a twist away that was preemptive and casual. "Why don't we get out of this dusty cave and go settle in upstairs? I think you need to tell me why 'Miss Dinah' is coming, why she's got Slade Wilson's kid, why a lot of things, so I'm not lost when she does show up. I mean, she's damn easy on the eyes, but, still."

"I ought to make you figure it out," Bruce replied, though his eyes had flickered hot with Jason's last comment.

Jay, quick as he was, caught it, and grinned. "That date in Hong Kong wasn't just for show, huh? Finally moving away from the bad girls and going for the hero type?"

"I have enough things to worry about without the added complication," Bruce replied. Which was or wasn't an answer, depending.

Jay just shook his head. "So Dick and Roy finally hooked up, Timmy's got a thing for Kon, and you're bagging the Blonde Bird. I can hang with that."

The heel of Bruce's hand smacked into the back of his boy's head, not particularly softly. "Watch it, Jason."

"I have been, when she stops by," the young man laughed. "Nice piece to watch." Now he was just trying to get under Bruce's skin, teasingly.

Bruce had two options... and went with the probably unexpected one. "Yes... yes she is. She's also mine, so keep your eyes where they belong."

"Yours, huh?" Jason changed his tone of voice, glanced at his former mentor. "Got it." He was actually pleased to find Bruce would go so far as to claim someone as his own that way.

"Good." Bruce nodded once as they headed back up the stairs.

*****

From the Tower, Dinah picked Rose up on her bike, waving Kon on his way to Gotham. "Spoiler, make yourself scarce," she ordered as Rose settled on the bike behind her. After a minute, Rose squeezed the woman's arm telling her it was all clear, and Dinah sped off. Rose felt the prickle of a precog feeling; Dinah's insistence that she and Rose spend the afternoon in New York together held some kind of significance for her.

Dinah turned off into an area overrun by cafes and bistros, then parked in a side parking lot. She waited until Rose slid off, then locked her helmet down. "Come on, I don't think we're late," Dinah said.

"Where are we going?" Rose finally asked, her nerves taut with the feeling and the mystery.

"Someone would very much like to see you," Dinah said softly.

Rose's one good eye went wide, but she said nothing as Dinah led her around a corner and to the bistro the man had agreed on. Dinah waited at the door as Rose saw him waiting for her. The white haired girl turned to look uncertainly at her guardian. "Dinah?"

"Go. Visit. I'll be out here."

Rose looked at her another long moment, barely believing that this was really okay, that it was safe to be near him... and carefully, her eye dark, she walked towards him, placing every step as though she expected the floor not to be there as she checked the placement of everything and everyone in the room. Eventually, her hands settled on the back of the chair across from him as she tried to figure out what to say, how to react.

He stood up, moving just to the side of the table and opened his arms to her. "Kitten?" His own eye was shadowed by what he knew had happened.

She swallowed hard, caught between flinching back and what she could hear in his voice, see in his eye... "Daddy?" //She said you were okay now... are you really okay now?// And she hated how small her voice sounded.

He nodded silently, turning the palm of one hand up, offering to draw her close. "It's me, Rose."

There was so much in his voice, though it was still so controlled... and she flung herself into his arms, wrapping hers up around his shoulders. "Daddy." //Don't you dare be lying!//

His arms closed around her, and one hand came up to stroke her hair as he held her tight. Over her head, he looked outside to the tables to see Dinah flirting with a waiter, and smiled, knowing she had been very right to insist that Slade not let it go any longer without meeting Rose again. "You've got to tell me how you're doing, Kitten," he said as he glanced back down at his sole remaining child.

She twisted to look up at him, smiling, "Dinah's great. And Kon's fun. We're both almost ready to take the placement tests--I'm going to beat his scores, though."

He seated her, and took his own chair, sitting near her, rather than across the table, and listened, while being inwardly pleased that a casual seduction had given him the dividend of another hero actually willing to do something nice for him from time to time.

*****

He stared up at the Towers and was slightly daunted. This was not his idea of fun, in the least, but he wanted to make his debut to the person best able to help him find a new life. From all accounts, Michael had gone back to the future anyway, so, he turned to the only other person who had ever really listened to him. Well, among those who had not blown his brains out once upon a time. He knew she was inside; all he had to do was get a message up to her. He walked over to the concierge, and came up with just the thing.

"The Bug's in mothballs, so's my suit, but I just thought I should tell you Zee said I'm good as new, and I'd like to see you. -- Bumblebeeb."

Barbara stared at the handwriting, the wording, and shook her head. Easter was not supposed to be a time for cruel jokes. "Helena, please go check the lobby discreetly, for anyone out of place." Babs was not going to take a stupid chance by reacting.

"Can do, O."

Barbara contented herself with running a mission pattern for some of the Titans out West. Ten minutes later.

"Oracle." The voice was shaken. "Do you want to come down here, or should I bring him up?"

"Who, Huntress?" The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ted Kord."

*~*~*~*

Kyle hated having to be inconspicuous, but... there were times it was necessary, and heading to Wayne Manor was one of them. He'd picked Roy and Lian up from the Tower, running late--Mia'd gotten some kind of a case of nerves and Ollie'd had to practically drag her out of her room, but he'd made up most of the time. He dropped them onto the front lawn of the Manor, not far from the door, and dropped the force-field.

Connor leaned into him and whispered against his ear. "Very nicely done."

"You two are worse than newlyweds, and you're not even married yet," Ollie groused at them, none too happy with the talk he and Mia had gotten into at the house.

"You're just jealous, Ollie," Roy laughed. "They can live together and not argue incessantly like you and Di used to."

Kyle ducked his head and kissed Connor, cheerfully ignoring his grumbling father-in-law and his elder brother.

Dick came out the door, grinned... and was suddenly in motion, turning handsprings as he bounced towards Roy, making Lian squeal happily. He twisted back up onto his feet and wrapped an arm around his lover's shoulders, pressing close. "They'reokay!"

It took Roy a minute, then he shook his head. "The world is going to end now," he joked, before he claimed a kiss.

"Who?" Ollie demanded, looking to Mia to see if she knew, and getting further irritated when his reliable gossip was clueless.

Dick finally pulled out of the kiss. "Jay and Bruce. They're okay. They didn't kill each other and Jay's clear to stay in the city and he and Tim might decide to play nice sometime this week and--" he kissed Roy again.

Ollie shook his head and left the kids then, going in search of his lover. Everyone moved inside to settle into their rooms and drop bags, glad that the other half of their family was home at last--well, Lian was happy to be back, but mostly happy to see Alfie.

It might be a bit before Dick and Roy came inside--as that was going to require Dick calming down. Alfred had already spoken sternly to him over using various bits of the furniture as gymnastic props while he tried to burn off the energy seeing his dad and his younger brother okay with each other had built up in him. And Tim wasn't helping keep him calm, he was wrapped up in Kon--who'd arrived not that long after Bruce and Jay surfaced from the Cave without even minor scratches.

Bruce was, oddly, with Jay in the den. They weren't talking much--talking not being Bruce's way on the best of days--but they did have more than enough to catch up on.

Ollie paused just long enough to see Mia turn and go up to her room, a little listlessly, and hoped she would take his advice. He then continued into the den, nodded once to Jason, and went straight over to drop a kiss on Bruce's mouth.

Bruce's hand tangled in his hair, and it was a few long moments before he let go. "You're running late..."

"Mia had an attack of girlish non-logical emotion," Ollie grumped, settling near enough to touch if Bruce wanted, then noticing Jason's dropped jaw and utter speechlessness. "It's Jason, Right...but they call you Jay?"

The former second Robin shook himself out of the shock and nodded, trying hard to regain his casual aplomb. "You're Ollie Queen, the Green Arrow," he came back with.

Bruce settled a hand on him, arching a brow at that statement. //What's wrong with Mia?//

Ollie sighed, eyes closing. "She had not told the boys." He did not say what, since Jay was in the room, and the kid was not yet...family.

"I wondered, when he didn't say anything." That hand slid higher, stroking gently up Ollie's shoulder, seeing/feeling the stress in it.

Jay thought seriously about leaving and checking which universe he was living in, if there was a way to do that, because he was seriously beginning to believe those rumors of divergent timelines. He could not believe his eyes, but at the same time, he knew he needed to keep his ears on this conversation; it was information concerning the new setup in Wayne Manor.

"We talked it out. I told her I would not tell the boys...yet....but she needed to come clean."

Bruce nodded. "She does. Tim's moved from uneasy to actively worried."

Ollie nodded, then looked over at Jay. "Mia's my girl, the new Speedy. She's not been at the Tower lately, so you probably haven't met her yet."

Jay nodded. "Looked over her file when I was scanning over the rookies and the juniors." He then decided to just ask. "Okay, what gives? This.... is 'Wing and Arsenal... and you two are seriously creepy right now." He waved a hand in their direction.

Bruce shrugged a shoulder slightly. His relationship with Ollie had been over long before Jason came into his life, he wasn't surprised that they were startling Jay. "More that they're imitating us, Jason..."

Ollie chuckled at the young man's slow head shake. "Thought the Bat was too strait-laced, huh?" he teased, the gibe aimed more at Bruce.

"So back to the conversation about the blondie with the legs and the voice," Jay started, a gleam in his eyes as he saw a huge amount of potential for irritating Bruce now.

Bruce tilted his head slightly. "What about Dinah, Jason?"

"I'd ask where she fits, but I can imagine," Jason said, earning him a hard look from Ollie, and then a rueful chuckle.

"Kid's got sass, Bruce."

Jay made a motion with his head in their direction. "So you two, plus her, and all your 'wards' are really one big really screwy family? Behind closed doors, of course."

"He always has," Bruce replied, then looked amused at Jason's last words. "Something like that. Though Dick and Roy may never forgive us for basically making them step-siblings, Tim and Mia seem to enjoy the brother and sister dynamic."

"And there's Kyle, who got roped in, through Connor. We're watching out for him." Ollie cocked his head at Jason. "Roy tells me you've been pitching in up at the New York Titan's Tower. Planning to help teach the kids to fight? I heard you're good."

Jason hid the surprise that Roy had actually mentioned him, and that he had been complimented by someone to Arrow. "Yeah, thinking some of those kids that are coming in are really going to need it."

The idea of Jason teaching vaguely amused Bruce, but he merely nodded. "He's one of mine, Ollie. Of course he's good."

"Hmmph. Arrogant old Bat," Ollie teased. "I'll wait until Dinah gives me an opinion to have about how good you fight, kid, but it is good to meet you."

"You too... I think this takes the cake for weird event of the year, but hey...whatever gets your rocks off," Jay said, standing up. "Think I'll go pester Alfie for a sandwich to tide me over."

Bruce was attempting to figure out an appropriate response to the "old" cracks he seemed to be receiving on a regular basis, and merely flicked his fingertips at Jay in acknowledgement of his words.

*~*~*~

Tim had heard the doors opening and closing, and stepped out into the hall in time to see Mia heading for her room. "Mia?"

She paused, flashing him a smile that barely hid her nerves. She was not feeling well, though Dr. Midnite had assured her she was fine, just in the middle of a hard stretch of her body curing itself. "Hey Tim."

Tim frowned, and walked to her, Kon following him. "What's up?" He could easily see that she wasn't okay.

"A little tired, guys...been a pretty busy week, school and all that."

The frown just deepened, his expression worried. Tired wasn't something he liked to hear from her, and he moved almost completely into her space, looking down into her blue eyes worriedly. "You all right, though?"

Ollie's words echoed in her ears, as he had called her on her decision to go through this alone, with only Roy knowing, outside of the adults. She looked at him, then at Kon who was just as concerned, and wavered in her conviction that she shouldn't worry them too much. "I've had a rough week," she admitted, weighing if she should speak more.

That got her a gentle hand at the small of her back and her door pushed open. "So let's sit down, and you can tell us what's going on."

This was going to be very hard for Mia, and she almost chickened out, claimed a low count, but that it was getting better. That, however, was not the kind of relationship she had with Tim, or even with Kon. They settled on her bed, the two smaller ones leaning against Kon when Kon laid on his side, propped on his elbow. "I've been trying an experimental treatment," Mia began.

Tim's shoulders tensed, his eyes worried. 'Yeah?"

Kon wasn't a lot better, shifting to prop higher up on that arm, trying to crane his had t look at her

"Started it back around Saint Patrick's Day. It's why I have not been coming to see you, Tim, or going to the Titans, and spending every weekend just about at the JSA." She showed them her arms, where the marks of test needles were still visible. "Dr. Midnite thinks I have about four more weeks of treatments. It tears me down a little, not so bad as they say chemo is, but still rough."

"...Midnite? The... JSA's on this? He... wait. "thinks you have about four more weeks'... until?"

Mia looked down, her guts twisting. This was the part she did not like , the part that might mean losing the casual closeness they shared. "Until I am clean of the virus."

The sound of Tim's brain running those seven little words over and over in his head was almost deafening, his eyes going impossibly huge. "He... thinks he can cure you? Oh, god Mia..." and he went from leaning back against Kon to holding her tight, face buried in her hair. "He... really thinks there's a shot at curing you?" voice muffled in her hair.

Kon felt his throat tighten as he shifted up too, plastering to Mia's back and holding her tight between him and Tim. "Damn, girl, why in hell haven't you told us before this?"

Mia tried to hide the tear that escaped her control. "Yeah, they think they can...and I ...it had a chance of going really bad...still could, guys. I didn't want you worrying."

Tim snarled at her, a low, harsh frustrated noise, and just held her tight. "You... god you are such an Arrow sometimes! How could you--" He shook his head, hard, stopping that before he said anything stupid. "Okay. What risks, how big a chance of them? What're you risking, Mia?" Worried Robin.

Mia felt Kon ease back some, and took a deep breath. "Not being cured, but in deep remission instead... not so bad a result. Not being cured, and the disease flaring...bad. Not being cured, and the disease going to advanced stages, very bad. Not being cured and having the disease mutate and flare...worst." She shook her head. "I started with a twenty-five percent chance of a negative result. Down to only a six percent one."

//Too damn high!// Something in Tim yelled, but... he'd have taken any risk to cure her, and she was so brave... It didn't surprise him that she'd been willing to take the chance.

"No. None of those work for me." One hand let go of her side to slide hard down her back, holding her. //She's really going to be okay? Six percent chance she won't. Oh, shut it.//

"You're going to be okay; you have to be," Kon said, his voice gruff. "And dammit, we're here! We share the risk, the worry!"

"Yeah, Ollie kicked me in the can for not sharing already," she told him. She rested her head on Tim's shoulder. "Just couldn't see making you two worry over me." Both heard the slight emphasis on 'me' that said she was still struggling to believe she had any real value in the grand scheme of things.

And Tim lifted his hand to smack her in the shoulder--much more gently than he would have anyone else. "Good for Ollie, Kon's right, and you stop that right now." The threat that he'd smack her again was more than strong enough in his voice to not need to be said. "When were you going to tell us?"

Mia gave a soft laugh, one that was tinged with relief. "Not until I was clear to go back to the Titans."

"Way too freaking wrong, Mia!" Kon shook her gently, his TTK around her shoulders. "No more keeping secrets like that!"

Tim gave serious thought to smacking her across the back of the head this time--but Kon's frustrated shake took care of things well enough. "Why in god's name did you think you had to handle this alone?" He wasn't pleased with her. "Sure, Dinah knew, but we're your best friends..." //Right?// "We should've been with you."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Tim...you needed that trip...bad. You needed the family time like crazy. And Kon, you've been about killing yourself, trying to help Dinah on her team, with her shop, and build the Tower plus be there for Tim." She shook her head. "No, I handled it fine, without having to bother you."

"You don't make any sense," Kon said. "Really. Don't you get it that you're..." He stopped, having been a step away from saying ours, and he wondered when the bats' possessiveness had rubbed off on him, even as he flushed.

Tim cocked a brow over Mia's head at Kon's expression, though he completely agreed with Kon about that Mia made absolutely no sense whatsoever, worse than most females he knew. "It's not about "handled it fine". It's about... wanting to be there for you. And don't tell me you're not scared."

Her breath hitched as he hit it right on the head. "Terrified."

He shifted, moving to cup her jaw in both his hands, gently making her look at him. "Then why didn't you want us to be there to help you, Mia? At least we could listen. And Kon makes a good pillow."

"Damn straight." Kon had accepted his lot in life as Tim's pillow...forever.

"I just didn't want anything to change." Mia refused to cry now, but she did look down with her eyes.

//Huh?// It took a few moments before that sunk in, before he could make the leap of baffling feminine logic that was behind that statement... and then he started swearing at her in Japanese, low and pissed off. Mostly for Kon's sake, he wound down into English after a little bit. "You... I can. not. believe. you. Change things, not change things, that doesn't make a damn bit of difference to the fact that you've been mostly alone and scared for I don't know how long because you were being stupid about this... How could you think there was any chance I didn't want to know I might not have to lose you?"

"That's what Ollie said." She sank in on herself at his anger, slowly pulling away from them in mind. "I just...look, I don't handle this well! I wanted, so very much, to just get through the treatments and then have to deal with what it would mean between us!"

Kon kept quiet, feeling like anything he might say would be enough to drive her out of the room, or for her to throw them out if she remembered it was hers.

"Oh, Mia..." Tim shook his head, making his eyes and voice soften, trying to get her to stop pulling away from him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell at you... I just... When Kon told me you weren't coming to the Tower I got worried. And then you looked so off... I don't cope well with being scared. I... didn't mean to yell at you."

"I'm sorry." Mia shook her head. "I was pretty damn scared too."

Tim wrapped his arms close around her again. "I bet," and petted her hair.

She gave a small shake, forcing herself to project calmness. "I really should take a nap, so I'm okay at dinner."

Tim nodded. "Sounds like a good idea." He didn't move, other than to shift his grip on her a little.

Kon used his TTK to settle them both just how he wanted them, his arm sliding under Mia's neck so that he and Tim could keep her tightly between them. "Suits me fine," he added lazily.

Tim muttered softly about being moved, but didn't actually mind.

Mia closed her eyes, and shifted down between them so she could put her forehead on Tim's chest, murmuring softly as Kon drew a blanket up over them. One hand came back to rest on his him, while the other rested flat against Tim's stomach. Kon threw a long arm over them both, his hand resting on Tim's hip.

Tim stroked her back, settling down, making himself relax. If he was tensed, she wouldn't sleep... and at least now he had the data. He still didn't understand why she'd been so worried, but that discussion could wait. It was enough, right now, to have her warm and safe between them.

Kon wasn't sure what Mia was so worried about either, but he made no pretense at understanding girls anyway. He let himself drift off as he felt Mia's back unknot, knowing they had made her feel safe again.

*~*~*

Jay left the two men alone, thinking over the various permutations of alliances this strange family setup would cause, going to find Alfred. When he found Alfred had Lian, who he had met briefly in New York at the Tower, he started to not go in the kitchen. The kid tended to shy up around most strangers, and had certainly not warmed up to his attempts to talk to her. He was hungry, though, and figured it would be a good idea to try and get the kid used to him, if Roy was his brother-in-law for all intents and purposes.

"Master Jason?" Alfred had esp. That was the only explanation.

"Hey Alfred," he said easily. "Lian." He nodded at the little girl as he sat at the breakfast bar. "I'm a little hungry," he said, using just a hint of the childish whine and petulance.

Alfred reminded himself yet again to adjust the household budget, and went to create one of Jason's preferred sandwiches.

Lian studied him intently. "Redbird," she finally said, still watching him.

"Your dad calls you Dart, right? For your codename?" He figured there had to be some way to get her to relax around him.

Lian nodded. "Yeah. He does. But it's not a codename yet."

"Yet," he agreed whole-heartedly.

Alfred sighed, not particularly softly. "One might hope that it never will be, Miss Lian. Master Jason."

Jason looked at Alfred with a rueful shake of his head. "World's doing its dam...worst to get bad, and it takes us to fix that, Alfie."

Alfred placed the sandwich in front of him and had to slowly nod. "I suppose this is true enough. Miss Lian. Master Jason is Master Dick and Master Tim's brother, if no one told you."

Lian nodded slowly, still watching Jason warily, but thinking over his words.

Almost as if on cue, Dick breezed in with Roy a step behind him, and plucked Lian up off the stool. "Hi, baby girl," he grinned at her.

She threw her arms around his neck, squeezing hard. "Miss me?"

Jay nodded at Roy, watching the archer's wariness toward him with amusement. Despite that they'd been working together for weeks, Roy still wasn't sure of him.

"Of course I missed you, Dart," Dick told her, hugging her close.

Lian managed to twist in his arms to where she could stare at him fiercely. "When are you coming home then? Daddy got us a nice big house! With a yard. And he said I can have a dog if I learn how to take care of him."

Jay ate the sandwich slowly, studying these two and how they interacted.

"I'm going home with you once the party's over, Dart.... a dog, huh? That'd be fun. Not as fun as an elephant, but... elephants don't much like houses."

"Don't you dare," Roy said, snapping his eyes at his lover. "Or I'll have to kidnap Gar to come entertain her for a day by imitating the circus animals!"

Dick shot a wounded look at Roy, then grinned. "I'd like to see you manage that one."

"I'll charm Rae," Roy said, aware Jay was studying them intently. He had noticed that Jay did that a lot, sizing up each of the Titans who had come through the New York tower.

Dick laughed, nodding. "That just might work... if Rae wasn't immune to you," he teased. "Dart, you've met Jay, right?"

Lian pressed her forehead to his neck. "Yes," she said softly. "Your brother."

"Yeah. He is. He's pretty cool." //My poor girl.// He hated the shyness she had now.

"We'll see." She popped up and gave the man in question a look. When Jay winked at her, she gave him a shy smile.

Dick nodded, "Jay, be nice to your niece."

"I'll be nice to Dart; I promise." His words were innocent enough.

"Good." Dick nodded and shifted to hand her over to Roy, if she wanted to go. If not, he didn't mind holding her at all. Roy took the girl when she seemed willing, then had to let go of her almost immediately as she squealed and took off at a run.

"Dinah must be here," Roy said. "I swear she feels the rumble of Di's bike."

"Or something," Dick agreed, chuckling softly. "She's got good ears, too."

Jay filed that little piece away as well. He paused a moment, "Jay, did anyone fill you in on things?"

"You mean the Bat and the Arrow and the Bird?" Jay shook his head. "Too freaking weird."

Dick snorted. "Oh, come on, like we haven't heard weirder?"

"It's Bruce!" Jay exploded.

"Yeah, so? Not like it's actually new... okay. The willing to share is new."

Jay shrugged. "Whatever." He pushed his plate back, smiling sincerely at Alfred when he took the plate, and stood. "Well, I should head out, go check in on Harvey."

"Will you be returning for dinner?" Alfred asked.

Jay considered. "If he doesn't need me tonight."

Alfred nodded.

"You'd better come back," Dick told him.

Roy was amused to see the two of them getting along so well... but then, once Dick'd gotten over his issues with Jay, he'd tried to take care of the kid, so it made sense.

"City first, Dick," Jay said, with just a hint of firmness. He nodded to Alfred before heading out, passing Dinah in the hall.

Dick followed him. "Like you have to tell me that? Hey, Di."

"Hi," she said, taking a moment to hug his neck, before she looked at Jay. "Staying out of trouble, Redbird?" Her voice was teasing; there was something about the cocky Titan she liked, from meeting him a few times at the Tower.

"Yeah, right," Dick cracked before Jay could answer. "That'd be a first."

"Hey, man, I would never do anything to knock this little lady's respect," Jay said, turning on the charm.

Dinah laughed softly. "You can knock it off; been deflecting those lines since Roy was thirteen."

Dick chuckled softly, and looked up the hall as Bruce surfaced at hearing Dinah's voice. //Better than a whistle.//

Jay laughed at her words, imagining Roy hitting on this woman. "I'm sure of it." He gave her a jaunty wink, and headed out.

Dinah gave a small wave to Bruce. "Be there in a minute."

Bruce walked towards them, watching Jay's back as he left, then his head tilted, wondering what she was thinking. She looked over at Dick briefly, then back, implying business, and Bruce nodded once and went back to the den and Ollie to wait this out.

Dinah breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Just wanted you to know, Dick..." She paused, hoping again she had done right. "Rose's with her father for the weekend."

"..." Dick tried to speak, swallowed, shook his head, and tried again. "She's... with Slade? And is okay with that?"

Dinah nodded. "I waited, made sure the reunion went well. When he was sure, and she seemed comfortable, I left. He'll drop her off near the Tower Sunday night." She shook her head and sighed again. "Dick...I know it's so damn wrong to have anything to do with him, but I can't help but feel she deserves some contact with her only bloodkin."

"As long as he doesn't hurt her... but he won't. Not now, anyway." //Not with the way he looked when he remembered what happened to her.//

She squeezed his hand as she started to move past. "I told him yesterday I would show him just how much better a fighter I am now if he did."

Dick grinned. "Good threat."

Dinah nodded, not adding that he had seemed to like that possibility; Dick would know. "See you later, Dick." She headed to the den to see her two men.

Dick took Lian from her and headed back towards Roy, wondering where the other three had gotten off to.

Bruce was still standing, braced on one leg, talking to Ollie idly as he waited.

Dinah stepped in and smiled prettily at them. "So, I hear it's Easter, and no one has a place to be."

"Not at the moment, though given what happened at Christmas..."

She smiled even wider, and threw herself into Bruce's arms, one hand reaching for Ollie, and Bruce wrapped his arms around her, kissing her.

Ollie pressed up behind her, kissing her neck as she clung to Bruce, feeling the lines of her hips with his fingertips, and just pleased to have them both back again.

Bruce held her close, fingers stroking through her hair as he kissed her, a flicker of worry crossing his mind. When she pulled away from his kiss, she twisted and Ollie received the same treatment, with his full cooperation. Bruce mirrored what Ollie had been doing, sucking at her throat gently, one hand on either of his lovers.

When Dinah steadied between them, her eyes were closed and she was almost purring. "Oh I have missed you both."

"That goes double for me, Pretty Bird." Ollie stroked her hair, and ran a hand over Bruce's flank.

"All three of us," Bruce agreed softly, hands moving gently over both of them.

Dinah placed a hand on his chest and pushed, eyes playful as she gave him a gentle incentive to go back to the couch, and Ollie smiled, going to lock the door to the den.

Bruce offered no resistance, letting her urge him back to the couch.

Ollie joined them, and Dinah set about showing them both just how much she had missed them.

`~`~`~`~`

Mia stretched between her two best friends, feeling rested for the first time in weeks. Tim's eyes opened when she moved against him, and he firmly ignored his sleepy instincts. That was Mia, not Kon.

She looked up at him with a smile. "That was a good nap, Tim. Thank you." Her voice roused Kon, who did run a hand over Tim's hip, while stretching against the warm body in front of him.

"Mm. Glad you slept well. I did, too." The hand on Kon's back tightened slightly in his shirt at the petting.

Mia closed her eyes briefly, then cleared her throat to get Kon to fully wake up.

"Mmm," Kon opened his eyes, realized who was right in front of him and blushed. "Oh, man...sorry Mia," he said.

Tim hid the amused smile. Not the first time they'd woken up... oddly entangled, or with a hand somewhere it shouldn't have been... at least this time it wasn't him getting embarrassed.

"Not that you don't have a great bod, Super Teen, but your boy is over here," Mia teased him, trying to be light-hearted. "It feels like it's almost time for dinner, too...if my stomach is any indication."

"Mine too," Kon agreed.

Tim nodded. "More time for breakfast, for me, but food still sounds good. And... yes. We've got about half an hour, and Alfred said relaxed, so, plenty of time."

"Plenty of time says the boy who just needs a comb-thru." Mia kissed his cheek and gave Kon a push, so he would move and let her up. "Out, both of you! I'm exercising my sisterly rights and throwing you out!" Her face and eyes were very amused.

"Yes, Mia," Tim said, smiling slightly at her.

//Not my sister, Mia,// flickered through Kon's mind before he could shut it up. //Not unless you're claiming Rose.// He let her shove him backwards, though, and slid out of the bed. "Sure, Mia. Y'look fine the way you are, you know."

She turned her gaze his way and flashed an appreciative smile. "Thanks Kon." She chased them out the door, shutting it behind them. She then took a slow deep breath, her insides shaking as she leaned against the door, thinking she had done just right, and neither would know just what it was weighing on her.

"When did you pick up tact?" Tim asked, arms lightly crossed over his chest. He wasn't entirely certain that Mia was really okay, not yet.

Kon shrugged. "She does. She's... Mia. Guess we ought to go get ready?"

Tim nodded at the 'she's... Mia'. That covered it nicely. And they probably should, yes. Kon followed Tim, wondering just how much fooling around he could get away with in the time they had. Tim... wouldn't object much.

`~`~`~`~`

Dinah paused as she was putting her jewelry back on, and cursed under her breath. Ollie and Bruce had already cleaned up and left her to go talk about the Cave and what needed to be done to bring the Bats back online. She had begged off, too tired of working on the exact same problem for the Society, and too aware she had not yet told them she would not be joining the League. The source of her current dismay with herself was that she had not told Barbara that Rose was off-limits for the weekend. She walked out of the room and activated a link to her partner...and got Helena instead.

"Yes, Canary?" Helena's voice was buzzing with some form of emotion being held back.

"Where's Oracle? Not that I'm not glad to hear you too, H, but..."

"She's... busy."

"O doesn't do busy," Dinah growled softly, worried now for her best friend. "What is up?"

"It's okay, Canary. It's... very, very okay." The hidden emotion was getting stronger, pleasure and shock in fairly equal amounts.

Dinah changed her tactics, going for the wheedling Helena would expect from her. "Tell me, H...please!"

"We... had another one of those resurrection moments, just a little early." The Catholic woman was disturbed, but thankful, for the heroes that had been restored to them.

Dinah's heart thumped as she tried hard to think of what the latest resurrection had wrought that could have made Barbara leave her workstation. She felt her pulse increase and she could only reach one true conclusion. "H....is it...?"

"Don't know who you're thinking about, Canary... but Ted Kord walked into the Towers early this afternoon. Haven't seen them since."

"Oh.my.god.TED!" Her voice carried through a good bit of the manor as she stopped in the hall, one hand on the banister. Her mind flashed over every single event since Ted had started his crusade and been horribly murdered, and she could not help but cry, to know the wonderfully loyal Beetle had somehow cheated death.

Ollie heard that cry and took off at a run, scared for his lover. Bruce was half a step behind, afraid for both his lover and the teacher she might well have yelled about.

Tim'd heard that cry and bolted out the door of his room, looking a little mussed.

Dick, though, was nowhere to be seen or heard.

Kon was just behind Tim, looking very upset. Mia came from her room, hastily wiping at her face. When Ollie reached Dinah and found tears streaming down her face, holding herself up, he took her in his arms, and turned so Bruce could help him.

Bruce pulled them both close, supporting her, unable to see her face because of how Ollie had pulled her against him. Tim was at their sides in a few moments--it really, really worried him when Dinah screamed like that. "Dinah?"

She shook her head, and it was Tim who spotted the smile of relief and joy through the tears first. She had barely noted Helena cutting her out after her cry, with a quick mention of other channels to deal with. "Ted's alive; he's alive!"

Now Mia heard the happiness, and clicked through what could be causing it, what Ted she meant when she had just seen Wildcat the weekend prior.

"Dinah?" Ollie's voice held a note of hope as he realized just which Ted had been thought dead.

"Beetle?" Tim's voice went high, eyes going wide. That had Bruce's full and total attention.

Dinah nodded vigorously before kissing Ollie full on the mouth in her exuberance. "He's with Babs now, he went to her at the Towers!" She twisted to claim Bruce's lips next, vibrating with the energy of knowing a good man had gotten a second chance.

Kon looked suitably impressed; he didn't know Ted but most of the hero community had been told the story of Beetle's final days--which meant he was probably surprised when Tim whooped for joy and tucked himself against Dinah's side, a very not-Robin, wide smile on his face as he tried to hug her, too.

Dinah wiggled free of her two men to hold her younger Bat-Boy in that hug, laughing and still crying tears of joy. "She's got him back, Timmy," Dinah said softly. "She's got him back."

Ollie looked at Bruce over their heads, cocking an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic show of family hugging from Tim.

"I'm going back with you, when you go," Tim demanded, holding her, still grinning and making certain he didn't start to cry, even if he was pretty close.

"Yes! And if she lets him out of her apartment before we get there, I'll kick her...shins!" Dinah laughed softly as the family stood down from the full scale alert.

"I take it your friend Babs has a history with our Blue Beetle?" Ollie inquired, amused.

Kon just tried to keep the grin off his face that Tim was coming home with them. Mia, smiling at the joy in both her 'mom' and her best friend, turned to go back to her room.

Kyle finally surfaced, looking vaguely sheepish and a little sleepy--then his eyes widened as he caught the "...Blue Beetle?" and the fondness and amusement of the tone. "Okay, catch me up..."

Tim grinned, "I'll help. And unplug all her cables, for being stupid."

Ollie shook his head, sliding his hand around Bruce as Dinah moved away fully, her own arm companionably around Tim as they kept threatening Oracle's livelihood if she let the man get away.

"Blue Beetle is with Oracle right now, apparently, and that's got my Pretty Bird on cloud Nine...and loud about it."

"Apparently... looks like Tim's pretty happy, too."

Considering that Tim had just barely gotten the urge to grin like an idiot under control, that was very true. //He's back he's back he's back ...//

Dinah turned and looked at Kyle. "Sorry to disturb everyone, but Ted...Ted being back goes to show that good men do get good breaks." She gave Ollie an apologetic glance, but he nodded; Ted was one who would never had harmed a soul, unlike many of the ones who had gotten that second shot.

"It's okay, Dinah. Glad everything's okay, and that's great news.... How long til dinner?"

"Twenty-one minutes, give or take two," Tim answered over his shoulder.

"Okay. See you guys then," and the Lantern vanished again.

Bruce was making plans to visit Oracle's domain shortly. He had... a significant apology to make.

Dinah let Tim go at last, and grabbed for her phone to call and start relaying the news. The fastest way was to get J'onn, and that would take a few minutes of trying his various identities. She kept walking downstairs, her steps light as air.

"Should we go tell Roy and Dick?" Kon asked.

Tim thought about that. "Where are they? And where's Lian, for that matter?"

Ollie drew Bruce back to their room to see what was bothering his lover.

Bruce let him, not that he was much willing to talk.

Kon shrugged, "No idea. So, probably downstairs?" He looked around, saw Mia vanishing back into her room, and shrugged--she probably wasn't finished getting ready.

Ollie closed the door and cocked his head to the side. "What's eating you?"

Bruce shook his head. "Nothing I can't handle, Ollie."

"Don't make me get Dinah on your case...just let me know, Bruce." Ollie absolutely hated being shut out.

"I... owe Ted an apology. More than."

Ollie tried to control the surprise from his face. "I see." He shook his head. "I get the feeling you won't be the only one."

Bruce shrugged a shoulder slightly. "Probably true."

Ollie leaned into his lover. "Going to intrude on them tonight? I can probably keep Dinah occupied if you want."

Bruce shook his head. "No. I'll leave them alone, unless and until Oracle notifies me... or until tomorrow. Huntress didn't, and Dinah hasn't told Babs yet..."

"That's not the only secret our pretty bird is holding," Ollie said. "Hal told me he spoke to her, and Barry did too. She declined to help figure out who needed to be in the new League."

"And begged off helping downstairs because she's been working with the JSA on their roster..."

"She's joining them," Ollie surmised. "I bet she's already accepted."

Bruce considered that, torn between various reactions. "Probably."

Ollie pressed. "You realize she probably was influenced by your well known aversion to intra team relationships?"

"And?"

Ollie shook his head. "Just saying. Hal and Barry were put out. She's the third one to refuse them."

"Who else?"

"Arthur. And me." Ollie shrugged. "That should have been a no-brainer, but Hal had to ask, I guess."

Bruce nodded, "It should have been. You're slightly busy... and it doesn't surprise me that Arthur said no."

"His boy's going to hold dual teams, though, if Barry gets his way." Ollie grinned at that. "Well, time to go down stairs?"

"Too close to time for dinner to bother, now," Bruce disagreed.

"Ehh, we'll have the rest of the night after. Get the boys assigned to their jobs."

Bruce nodded. "We'll see if Jason makes it back."

Ollie gave him a quick kiss, then moved away to open the door back up. "We'll do that."

Bruce caught him for another kiss, slow and easy, then let him go as he heard Alfred's voice.

*~*~*~

Tim had checked the gym first, then headed straight down to the Cave, and couldn't help stopping to smile at the sight of Lian, carefully held in a safety harness, swinging on the trapeze.

Dick turned his head, Lian safely in Roy's grasp, and blinked. "What's up, Tim? It's not dinnertime yet..."

Tim tried to contain the grin, but part of it crept into his eyes, his lips, his voice. "Dinah just found out that the weekend is a very appropriate one this year."

Roy took a moment to look at his lover's kid brother. "Yeah? Why?"

"Blue Beetle's back." He didn't yell. He didn't. He'd scared the bats once in the last six months. "Somehow, Huntress didn't say how, he's back."

Dick tilted his head, thinking about Ted and Babs... and started to smile. "You said Huntress didn't say?"

"Yep."

"Well, now..."

Roy grinned, ear to ear, hearing what his lover was implying. "Guess he's getting a hearty hello..."

Tim nodded. "I wouldn't bet against it. Dinah is over the moon, and calling everyone she can think of."

"That's a lot of people," Dick commented as he tossed himself down to the net, twisting through a flip as he fell.

"Bet you're wrong Tim. There's just one person she's trying to call," Roy said, knowing his Dinah. "He just happens to have too many phone numbers."

"..true enough, if she can get him," Tim nodded.

"I hate it when you three do this..." Kon grumbled.

"What?" Tim, Dick, and Roy chorused.

"Who're you talking about? You all know what you mean, so you don't bother to say..."

Tim rubbed his shoulder, "Sorry, Kon. She's trying to get to the Martian Manhunter, if Roy's right."

Kon looked thoughtful. "Makes a lot more sense than a billion phone calls. He's cool. Eats a lot of cookies, though, when he stops by."

Dick laughed at that. "Yeah, he does.. which is the only reason prepackaged cookies enter this house."

The intercom chimed softly, and Dick looked over at it. "Alfred wants us up for dinner, apparently. Let's go, Dart."

The girl fearlessly fell into his waiting arms, laughing and smiling as she did. Roy joined them, shaking his head at his daughter, smiling about the news, and wondering just how long til the cracks in the universe sealed up and they no longer got news like that. That question was on Dick's mind too, but he didn't say anything as they headed upstairs again.