Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Oracle, do you have eyes on Red Hood?” Nightwing asks, perched on the edge of a building. “I haven’t heard from him in a bit.”

There’s typing over the comms, then Barbara answers. “He’s in a warehouse a few blocks from your location. It doesn’t look like he’s moving and there are no hostiles around him.”

“On my way.”

Nightwing jumps from the room, using his grappling hook to swing to the location Barbara sent him. When he gets there, the building looks run down and deserted, like it hasn’t been used in months. He doesn’t hear anything inside and there are no vehicles around except Red Hood’s bike parked in the alley.

So Jason is here.

Where is he?

Nightwing carefully enters the building, scanning with all his senses to try to find if anyone is with him. He doesn’t sense anyone else, which is bad because he doesn’t sense anyone . Not even Jason. There’s just dust, broken materials scattered around, and something dripping from the ceiling that Nightwing hopes is water.

Then he hears it.

Just the faintest sound that he has to strain to pick up, but he does nonetheless. It’s sniffling, like an upset child, and it’s coming from a corner of the building that’s blocked in with huge pillars of concrete that were all knocked down and landed on each other haphazardly.

Nightwing crouches so he can look through the opening and sure enough, there’s a child huddled inside the makeshift tunnel. The only thing that’s visible outside the hoodie he has on are the bright red curls on his head. He’s curled in on himself, knees up to his chest and arms wrapped around his knees. Faintly, Nightwing can see tears dripping from his cheeks, soaking into the sleeves of the oversized red hoodie he’s wearing. Nightwing knows he should be looking for Red Hood, but something tells him this child is more important.

“Hey? You okay?” Nightwing asks gently, keeping his voice low and even so he doesn’t scare the poor kid.

Still, the kid’s head snaps up and he harshly wipes the tears from his face. He stares at Nightwing with eyes that look so familiar, but the hero can’t place where he’s seen them.

“Can you help me?” the kid asks, sniffling and wiping his nose on his sleeve. 

Nightwing nods, inching closer. “Of course I can. I’m Nightwing. What’s your name? 

The kid’s eyes widen and he crawls forward just a bit. Nightwing notices he’s not wearing shoes, either. “You’wre a hero?”

It’s spoken more than asked, like the kid already knew from Nightwing’s suit.

Nightwing nods again. “Yeah, I am. Can you tell me your name?”

The boy frowns, thinking it over, before he nods, seemingly calmed by the blue insignia in front of him. 

Timidly, he speaks. “My name is Jason.”

Nightwing falters as everything clicks into place.  The tracker, the bike, the lack of Red Hood anywhere in the vicinity, and the fact that this boy is wearing a hoodie that’s at least five sizes too big for him.

This boy is Jason Todd.

Dick’s baby brother as he was when…well, Dick doesn’t know how old Jason is. More importantly, he doesn’t think Jason is even wearing underwear. That could be a problem. Jason must sense some trepidation in Dick, because he flinches, scooting further into the tunnel. He scrapes his knee and hisses, bringing the appendage up to examine it.

Dick has seen this behavior before. When Jason first showed up in the Manor, he was optimistic and upbeat, but scared of everything. Every creak in the house, every harsh look, every thunderstorm or raised voice or too-loud footstep or dropped item would send Jason tumbling into the nearest corner, curled into himself and covering his ears. It took Bruce months to help him realize that the Manor was safe and even then there would still be things that set Jason off. Like when Dick and Bruce would argue. Jason would tuck himself into a corner, covering his ears until they stopped. Dick learned many ways to calm his brother when he was like that.

So he crouches to make himself smaller. “Hey, buddy. I’m sorry I scared you.” Dick holds out a hand. “Can you come with me so I can get you patched up?”

Jason shakes his head, tears falling down his cheeks. “You’re mad at me,” he whimpers.

Dick shakes his head. “No, I’m not, buddy. It’s just, I kno-knew a Jason. He’s my friend.”

Jason glances up at him through teary eyelashes. “Really?”

“Really, really.”

“I thought you was mad at me cause my Mommy a’ways gets mad when I tell people my real name.”

“It’s okay. You did the right thing, Jason. You can tell heroes your name. Heroes won’t hurt you. And, if I didn’t know your name, I might not be able to help you,” Dick assures.

“You can help me?” Jason asks, carefully crawling forward.

“Of course I can help. That’s what heroes do.” It’s a mantra that’s been imprinted in Dick’s brain since he was young.

Jason leaves the tunnel, sitting on the edge and pointing at his knee. His feet don’t touch the ground. “You can fix it?”

“Of course, kiddo. I’m gonna grab a bandaid and some disinfectant, okay?” Dick reaches into his utility belt.

“Difinscect-ant,” Jason mumbles, trying out the word.

“Close. It’s dis-in-fect-ant,” Dick corrects gently, finding a bandage he’s sure Jason will like. “It’ll help clean your scrape so it doesn’t get all icky. This might sting a bit.”

To his surprise(or maybe not, Jason’s been through a lot), the boy doesn’t flinch or even react when Dick sprays the disinfectant on his scrape. He just stares with avid curiosity as Dick wipes away the blood and puts a Batman bandaid on the cut. When Dick is done, Jason pulls his knee up to examine it.

“Cool.”

Dick nods, standing up. “Cool indeed. Hey, Jason? Do you wanna go somewhere safe? So we’re not in this dingy building anymore?”

He offers a hand and Jason takes it, pulling himself out of the tunnel and standing on slightly shaky legs. Jason looks down, finally seeming to realize his clothing situation, and pulls his hoodie farther down his legs. Even though the hoodie falls past his knees, the boy is still modest and self-conscious.

“I don’ have any c’othes,” he mumbles, looking up at Dick.

“Not a worry. We can stop at a store.”

After an awkward ride on Jason’s motorcycle where Dick has to drive with one hand and hold the child with the other, they make it to the store. It takes a lot of coaxing and a long-winded explanation about the situation before the store employees let Dick take Jason inside despite him not having pants, underwear, or shoes. Dick heads immediately to the underclothes section, finding a pack of 5 briefs printed with images of the Justice League’s logos that Jason practically jumps at wearing.

“I know you’re excited,” Dick starts, having to keep a hold on the pack to prevent Jason from ripping it open right there. “But we have to pay before you can put them on.”

Jason stops, putting his hands by his sides. “Oh. ‘M sowry.”

Dick kneels down, meeting the boy’s eyes. “It’s okay, little one. You didn’t know. But I promise I’ll buy these for you.”

“I can hab them? A-and dese?” Jason points to a pack that have cartoon characters on them, eyes wide as he stares up at Dick.

And, gods, how can Dick say no to those bright blue eyes? The answer is, he can’t, so he just grabs the pack and puts both in their cart. It feels weird walking around a supermarket in his suit, but he doesn’t have time to change and he honestly can’t without confusing the poor boy next to him. So instead, he heads to the next aisle, picking out socks and a couple pairs of shoes, both on theme of course. Jason follows, though he keeps tugging at the bottom of his hoodie and taking tiny half-steps. Dick turns to face him fully and kneels down so he won’t scare the boy. Gods, the amount of times Dick has crouched today is gonna hurt his knees later in life.

“Jay, buddy? Are you okay?” Dick asks, lowly, because he doesn’t want to alert anyone around him.

Jason shrugs, fiddling with the seam of his sleeve. He motions Dick closer and the man leans in.

“I have to go potty,” he whispers.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s go potty.”

Dick straightens and extends a hand. Jason takes it and follows the man to the restrooms near the front of the store. When Dick goes to leave the cart, Jason hangs on to it, blue eyes wide.

“We have to leave the cart out here, but if anyone takes anything, we can just go back and grab a new one,” Dick tells him.

Jason nods, letting go of the cart and following Dick into the bathroom. Dick leads him into a stall and closes the door, staying outside the stall so his little brother has privacy. A minute or so later(that Dick tries not to listen for, thank you), the toilet flushes and Jason pulls at the door. Dick lets it open and leads Jason to the sinks, lifting him up so he can wash his hands. Once that’s done, they head out of the bathroom and back to their cart. It’s still there, with everything inside, so Dick steers the cart with one hand and holds Jason’s hand with the other. They make their way to the clothing section and Jason looks in awe at all the options around him.

“H-how much can I get?” Jason asks, blue eyes wide as he looks at Dick.

Dick shrugs. “How about, say, five outfits, yeah? And maybe a couple PJs.”

Jason nods. “Okay.”

He lets go of Dick’s hand and searches through the aisles, looking at every one of the shirts first, holding some of them up to see if they fit. He does the same with pants and pajamas, putting what he wants into the cart and what he doesn’t back on the racks. He gets exactly five shirts, three pairs of pants, and three matching pajama sets, including some Batman footie pajamas that have a cape and the ears on the hood. Once all of that is in the basket, Jason shuffles over to Dick, who’s been leaning against a wall, doing damage control with Barbara.

“‘M done,” Jason announces, hands folded in front of him and rocking on the balls of his feet.

“Okay.” Dick straightens, looking into the cart. “We have a couple more things to get before we go.”

“Back to your house?” Jason asks, following Dick around the store.

“Uh, sort of. I actually need to go back to patrol, so I was gonna drop you off with my friend, Dick Grayson.”

Dick hates lying to the kid, but some truths need to stay hidden. He can’t just expose his identity, even if it’s to his own little brother.

Jason’s lip quivers. “I don’ wanna go. I wanna stay wif you!”

Dick stops, turning and kneeling in front of Jason. “Jay, it’s gonna be okay, my friend will take good care of you.”

Jason goes pale and tears start streaming down his cheeks. “Noo! I been good, I p’omise! I p’omise! Not make me go!” He tugs at Dick’s hand, gripping it like the man is gonna leave if he lets go. Dick’s heart clenches.

A few passersby stare as they walk by, some shaking their heads as they move on, but Dick pays them no mind. Jason needs him more.

“Jay, I promise it’s not like that. My friend is nice. He helps me out sometimes with hero stuff. I promise you, he won’t hurt you,” Dick assures, wiping the boy’s tears.

Jason sniffles heavily, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Not guna hurt me?”

“No. He’s very nice.”

“You’wl visit?”

Dick nods. “Of course I will.”

Jason shakily nods. “‘Tay. I stay wif him.”

Dick gives him a smile. “Thank you for trusting me, Jason.”

“You’wre a hero. Dey don’ lie.”

“Right you are, baby bird. Now, c’mon. We’ve gotta bring my friend some groceries and get you some toys.”

Jason lights up. “Toys?”

“Mm-hmm. You’ve been very good tonight and every kid needs things to entertain them.”

Jason bounces slightly. “Tank you!”

“You’re very welcome, little one.”

Dick grabs some things he’s been meaning to pick up from the grocery store; namely milk, bread, cereal, and some pasta, then heads over to the toy section. When the brightly colored aisles are in clear view, Jason squeezes his hand.

“How many I get?” he asks.

“As many as you want, kiddo.”

Dick knows he shouldn’t spend too much, but he just can’t help wanting to get this little boy everything he wants and needs. Jason didn’t grow up with much and some part of Dick has always wanted to change that. He sees this as his chance. Jason slowly walks the aisles in awe, staring at everything his eyeline can reach, sometimes picking up a box to examine its contents further. He grabs a stuffed monkey toy, a box of trucks, and a Batman and Nightwing set of action figures. He puts those in the cart and looks at Dick.

“Awl done.”

“You don’t want any more?”

Jason just shakes his head.

“Okay. Hey, kiddo. How old are you?” Dick curses himself for not asking earlier, but he’s had other things on his mind.

Jason holds up a hand, four fingers spread out. “‘M four. Mommy says ‘m a big boy.”

Dick smiles and ruffles the boy’s hair. “That you are, kiddo.”

He heads to the baby/toddler section and looks through plates, cups, and utensils. Jason shifts at his side.

“Where’s Mommy?”

Dick falters. How do you tell a four year old that their mother is dead and has been for 10 years, but technically won’t die for another six years by the kid’s timeline?

“Uh, she’s…not here right now, buddy.”

“Oh.” Jason looks down sadly. “She go hopsicle ‘gain?”

“What?”

“When Mommy gets sick from the mebycine, she has to go to the special hopsicle. They make sure she don’ has the bad mebycine in her symstem and then they let her come home,” Jason explains, eyes still downcast. “So Mommy in hopsicle ‘gain?”

Dick nods solemnly. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Otay. I has dose pwates?” Jason points at(surprise, surprise) some Batman themed dinnerware. The set comes with a sectioned plate, a bowl, a cup, and a knife, fork, and spoon.

“Yeah, sure, kiddo. We can get those.”

Dick grabs the set and also puts in a pack of eight plates, bowls, forks, and spoons, each in a color of the rainbow. He checks that he has everything, then goes to the checkout. Once everything is paid for and bagged, he takes Jason to the bathroom, helping the boy change into one of the pajama sets he picked out, seeing as it’s well past 10pm and Jason looks like he’s going to fall asleep if he stays out any longer. Once Jason is dressed, Dick carries him out to the bike, grateful for older Jason’s back compartment on it.

Dick loads the groceries into the back, holds onto Jason, and rides off to his apartment. In the forty-five minutes it takes to get to Blüdhaven, Jason falls asleep, small body slumping into Dick’s chest and soft snores leaving his mouth. When he gets to his apartment, Dick parks his bike and takes Jason up first. He lives on the fourth floor and the last time the elevator worked, Bruce was probably in diapers. Dick doesn’t mind the stairs, sometimes he runs up and down them for exercise. Dick lays Jason down on the bed in the spare room, tucking his new stuffed monkey under his arm before going back for the bags. He forces himself to do it in one trip, arms laden with bags so he doesn’t leave the child alone for longer than necessary.

After the groceries and clothes are put in their proper places, Dick goes to his own room, stripping his suit off and stepping into the shower. He knows he owes Barbara an explanation for just disappearing, so he runs through every potential situation as the water washes away the dirt and grime from the night. Only one of the scenarios works out properly in his head, one where he doesn’t piss her off and he gets some time away from patrol until he can figure out what happened. He doesn’t realize how long he’s been in the shower until the water goes cold, shocking him out of his thoughts.

He turns off the water, steps out of the shower, and dries himself off with a towel. With said towel wrapped around his waist, he brushes his teeth and does the rest of his nightly routine before going back to his room to change into pajamas. He picks out a blue long sleeve and a pair of gray sweatpants and climbs into bed. Reluctantly, he calls Barbara, not wanting to explain over text. She picks up on the first ring.

Shit.

“What the hell, Dick? You just ghosted on patrol, no call, no comms, nothing. Just a text asking me to cover for you?” Barbara is fuming.

Double shit.

Dick sighs. “I’m sorry, Babs. I just…have something I need to take care of.”

There’s a pause and Dick wonders if he’s truly broken Barbara Gordon, but then she speaks, low and cautious.

“Is Jason okay?”

Of course she’s putting the pieces together. The last time they’d talked, Nightwing had been on his way to find the anti-hero.

“He’ll be fine. But I need a couple weeks to figure out…something. I promise I’ll keep you updated on our condition,” Dick assures.

“Richard John Grayson, what the ever-loving hell is going on?”

“What?”

“‘Keep you updated on our condition’? Dick, you only get procedural on me when something is really wrong.”

She’s right. Dick only uses cop language when he’s trying to throw someone off the real problem. His time as a detective has had a bigger impact on him than he thought.

“Dick, what’s going on? Is Jason hurt? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Jason is…fine. We just need some time to sort through things.”

Barbara sighs. “Okay. I’ll cover for you. But you know I’ve got your back. No matter what. All of us do. If you need anything…”

“I’ll call you,” Dick finishes for her. “I promise, Babsy.”

“Okay, Dick.” Barbara sounds skeptical. “You should get some sleep. It’s late.”

She’s right. When Dick looks at the clock, it reads midnight.

“You too, Babs. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”

With that Dick hangs up, setting his phone on the nightstand to charge and settling down to sleep. He doesn’t expect to wake only a few hours later to tiny hands pushing at his shoulder. Groggily, he opens his eyes only to be met with bright sapphire blue eyes right next to his face. Belatedly, the night’s events come rushing back to him and he realizes it’s Jason. What’s he doing up?

“Hey, buddy. What are you doing up?” Dick’s voice is rough from sleep.

“Are you Mr. Grayson?” Jason asks quietly.

“I am.” Dick props himself up on his elbow and flicks on the lamp. “What’s going on, bud?”

“Youw f’end Nigh’wing help’ed me. Bu’ he sayed he had ta go back on patwol, so he sayed I can stay wif you,” Jason explains, twisting his fingers together. “Is okay?”

“Yeah, kiddo. That’s okay. Nightwing told me. He asked me to keep you safe.”

Jason shifts. “‘Tiw Mommy ge’s back?”

Dick nods solemnly. He can’t say anything, because the words catch in his throat. Those blue eyes, brimming with tears, make it hard to lie to Jason.

There’s a long, pregnant silence of the two watching each other before Jason yawning draws Dick back to the present.

“Is that all you needed, buddy? It’s late.”

Jason perks up, seemingly remembering something. “I have to go potty,” he tells the man.

Oh.

“Okay.” Dick sits up fully, swinging his legs out of bed and standing up. “Let’s go potty.”

He extends a hand and Jason takes it, following the man to the bathroom across the hall. Dick waits outside the door for him, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looking at the oven clock. The neon green font reads 3:08 and Dick sighs. His sleep schedule is going to be so messed up. The bathroom door opens(almost too soon), and Jason doesn’t move, just stares at the floor.

“I can’ wreach the sink,” he mumbles.

“Oh.”

That makes sense. Jason couldn’t reach the sink in the store and, if he’s being honest, Dick’s sink is a little higher than those. Dick steps forward, hands outstretched in a silent question for permission. Jason shuffles closer, placing himself in the man’s arms and Dick lifts him up to the sink so he can wash his hands. Once Jason is finished, Dick sets him down, then goes to the hall closet and grabs the step stool he mostly uses to clear the cobwebs from the corners of the ceilings and the edges of the curtain rods.

“Here. I’ll put this in the bathroom so you can reach the sink easier,” Dick tells Jason, setting the stool down in front of the cabinet.

“Thank you, Mr. Grayson.”

Dick kneels in front of the boy. “Of course, kiddo. And you don’t have to call me Mr. Grayson. You can call me Dick. Most of my friends do.”

Jason nods. “Okay.”

“Let’s get you back to bed, little one. It’s late.”

Jason yawns, reaching his arms up to Dick. Dick picks him up and carries him to the spare room, tucking him in. As he goes to leave, Jason’s voice stops him.

“I can no find my ‘tuffie.”

Dick turns. “What?”

“I can’ find my ‘tuffie. Nigh’wing buyed him fow me at tha stowe,” Jason explains, sitting up.

“Oh, of course. Let’s see if I can find him, yeah?”

Jason nods and Dick gets on his hands and knees, searching for the stuffed monkey. He finds it under the bed and holds it up for the boy.

“This one?”

“Yeah! Yeah! Tank you!”

Jason makes grabby hands at the toy and Dick hands it to him, watching the boy hug the stuffed animal close to his chest like it’s the most precious thing in the world.

“Does he have a name?”

“Frankwin.”

“That’s a good name, bud. Here, let’s get you both tucked into bed so we can sleep, okay?”

“Okay.”

Jason snuggles further into the covers and Dick brings them up to tuck around the boy.

“Sleep well, buddy.”

“Ni-ni.”

Chapter Text

When Dick wakes up again, the sun is shining through his windows, giving everything a nice, yellow glow. He sits up, stretching out his slightly aching limbs and checking the clock. 9:59 am. That’s a decent amount of sleep to get. He wonders if Jason is still asleep and heads over to the spare room. The door is open and there’s not a sign of Jason being in the room. Dick tries not to panic. It’s a small apartment and he’s pretty sure Jason can’t reach the doorknob. Dick looks in the bathroom, but the door is open and the stool is gone.

Well, shit.

Still trying his best not to panic, Dick heads to the kitchen, where he sees Jason. The boy has pulled the stool to the counter and is…making eggs?

“Jay, what are you doing?” Dick asks, trying not to sound mad.

Jason looks over, resting the spatula on the counter.

“‘M makin’ beakfas,” he says like it’s an entirely normal thing for a four year old to do.

“Buddy, you don’t have to do that. The stove is dangerous.”

Jason shrugs. “I’s jus eggs. I makes dem awl da time for Mommy. Mos’ly when she’s sick.”

Dick feels sadness clench his heart. He never knew that. He knew Jason was good at cooking; could make meals better than even Alfred himself(don’t tell Alfred Dick said that), but Dick never knew it was out of necessity.

“That’s nice that you do that for your mommy, Jay. But I can make breakfast for us. That’s part of taking care of you,” Dick tells him.

“Oh. ‘M sowry.”

Dick sighs. The boy looks sad and guilty with a dash of fear in his blue eyes, like he’s done something wong and is gonna be punished for it.

“It’s okay, kiddo. I’m not mad at you. You didn’t know. And you’re doing a very good job, too,” Dick praises.

Jason lights up. “I hasn’t huwted myself at awl! A-an i’s no burned.”

“That’s good. Maybe you can help me cook,” Dick offers.

Jason nods excitedly. “I like hewlpin’!”

Dick ruffles the boy’s hair as he walks over and takes a plate from the cabinet to the left of the stove. He sets it down on the counter, grabs the pan and spatula, and scrapes the eggs onto the plate.

“What else should we have for breakfast, Jay?” he asks, turning to put the pan and spatula in the sink.

“Uh, don’ wan’ the eggs ta get cold, so ceweal?” Jason suggests.

“Sure. I have some Egos, too, if you want.”

Jason bounces, so excited he slips off the stool. Dick catches him, lifting him up as gently as possible and resting the boy on his hip.

Jason takes a shaky breath. “Sowry,” he mumbles.

“It’s okay, buddy. Just have to be careful, yeah?”

Jason nods. “Yeah.”

He tucks his face into the crook of Dick’s neck and Dick gives him a little bounce as he walks the few steps to the refrigerator, opening the freezer door.

“I have blueberry and plain waffles. Which do you want?”

“Uh.” Jason thinks, his tongue poking out slightly. “I can has tha buebewry one?”

“Of course. How many do you want?” Dick asks, grabbing out the box.

“Uh, jus’ one, pease.”

“Okay.” Dick pops three waffles into the toaster(two for himself) and goes back to the fridge. “Want syrup?”

“Yes, pease.”

Dick grabs out the syrup and sets it on the table. He takes the new set of Batman dinnerware that he bought last night, taking off the wrapping and washing the cup, plate, fork, and knife for right now(all with one arm wrapped around a toddler, mind you), then setting them on a towel to dry for a bit. Once the waffles pop up from the toaster, Dick puts them on the plates, then cuts up Jason’s waffle into bite-sized pieces. He gives the both of them some eggs, then takes the plates and Jason over to the table. In both of their cups, he puts apple juice, which he has on hand because it’s his favorite juice. He knows from observation(and a bit of spying, but who’s asking) that Jason also likes apple juice, the only other Bat who does.

Dick sets the table before setting Jason down, but as soon as Jason is in the chair, Dick realizes he has a problem. Jason’s eyes are just barely over the table. So Dick goes to grab some old phone books he’s kept around mostly for nostalgia and places them on the chair under Jason. It takes all three of the books for Jason to be able to properly reach the table.

“I’ll have to go to the store to pick up a booster seat. And maybe a carseat, too,” Dick muses, mostly to himself.

“I go wif you?” Jason asks, looking up from where he’s drowning his waffle in syrup.

“Yeah, I’ll take you with me. I can’t leave you here alone.”

As Dick eats, he thinks about how to get Jason to the store and back. It’s broad daylight, so he can’t exactly take Jason on the motorcycle, especially without a helmet. Maybe Mrs. Jestin from across the hall has an extra car seat Dick can borrow. She has grandchildren around Jason’s age(current age, he wouldn’t need a car seat at twenty) that she babysits often enough to have multiple children’s items in a closet in her apartment.

Once the two are done with breakfast, Dick puts their dishes in the dishwasher and picks up Jason.

“Let’s go get dressed, kiddo.”

“M’kay.”

Dick carries Jason back to his room and sets him down on the made-up bed. He goes to the dresser where he’d put Jason’s clothes, opening it before turning to the child.

“What do you wanna wear, Jaybird?” he asks, the nickname slipping out before he even thinks about it.

Jason hops off the bed and goes over to the dresser, grabbing out a gray shirt with a black and yellow Batman symbol, a pair of dark blue jeans, a pair of plain black socks, and slip-on shoes with Batman’s symbol on them. He holds all of it up for Dick to see.

“I wanna weawr this,” he tells the man.

“Okay. Do you need any help?”

“Uh, I don’ know how ta do my pan’s an shoes. Can you help?”

“Of course, buddy. Can you take off your PJs yourself?”

Jason nods. “Uh-huh.”

He slips out of the footie pajamas, folds them up, and puts them on the bed. Then he hands the pants to Dick and pulls the shirt over his head, tucking his arms through the sleeves. Once that’s done, he looks at Dick with anticipation.

Dick kneels down, holding out the jeans. He taps Jason’s right knee gently.

“Right leg first, buddy,” he instructs.

Jason steps into the jeans with his right leg first, then his left. Dick pulls the jeans up the boy’s legs and buttons and zips them. Then, Dick sits Jason on the bed and helps him put his socks and shoes on. When that’s done, Jason smiles at Dick.

“Tank you.”

“Of course, buddy. Now, can you wait in the living room so I can get dressed?”

“I can play with my toys?” Jason asks, holding out the box of trucks and the Batman and Nightwing action figures.

“Yeah, buddy. I’ll open them for you.”

Dick takes the boxes and heads to the kitchen. Once each toy is out of its container, he sets them all on the coffee table and throws away the trash. Jason thanks him and sits on the floor in front of the table to play. Once Dick is sure Jason’s okay, he goes back to his own room to change into a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. When he heads back out, Jason is babbling mindlessly to himself, moving the trucks and action figures around on the carpet. He crashes some of the vehicles into each other, making the explosion noises himself, and stops when he hears Dick walk into the room, staring up at him with a smile full of slightly crooked baby teeth.

“Hi!”

Dick leans against the wall. “Hi, kiddo. You ready to go?”

Jason stands up, bouncing on his toes. “Uh-huh!”

Dick chuckles. “Alright, buddy. Before we leave, do you need to go potty?”

“Uh…” Jason pauses, taking account of his body. “Nuh-uh. ‘M okay.”

“Alright. You have to let me know if you do need to go potty, though, okay?”

Jason nods. “Okay.”

“Let’s go.”

Dick offers his hand and Jason takes it, following the man out of the apartment. Dick stops at Mrs. Jestin’s apartment, knocking on the door. The woman calls out that she’ll be there in a minute, so Dick waits until she opens the door.

“Ah, Richard, what can I do for you?” she greets, pulling her robe closer around her.

Dick puts on his best smile. “Hi, Mrs. Jestin. I was wondering if you have a car seat I could borrow. My nephew was dropped off with me last night and I don’t have one on hand. I need to grab some things for him, but I can’t leave him alone in my apartment and I can’t take him in my car without a car seat,” he explains. “I was wondering if you have one I can borrow.”

Mrs. Jestin smiles. “Oh, of course, Richard! I’ll go grab that, you two sit tight.”

She shuffles off further into the apartment and Jason looks up at Dick.

“Nephew?”

Dick shrugs. “We need a cover story so people don’t get suspicious. Is that okay?”

Jason nods. “Is okay. I never been a nephew ‘fore.”

Dick smiles. “I’ve never been an uncle before. But I promised to take care of you, so I guess that’s part of it.”

Jason reaches up and Dick picks him up, resting the boy on his hip. Jason snuggles into the man, resting his head in the nape of Dick’s neck. Dick cards a hand through the boy’s hair soothingly as they wait for Mrs. Jestin to return. When the woman does, carrying a carseat, she coos at the sight before her.

She hands Dick the car seat. “Oh, how sweet. What’s your name, angel?”

The boy blushes. “Jason.”

Dick is glad Jason rarely visits his apartment, preferring a safehouse instead and that Mrs. Jestin doesn’t keep up with the news often so she doesn’t know about all the adopted Waynes.

“Aww, what a good name for a good boy. How long are you staying with your uncle?”

“Until my mommy comes back from the hopsicle.”

When Mrs. Jestin gives Dick a confused look, the man elaborates.

“She’s sick right now, huh, Jay? So we don’t know exactly when she’ll be back. But I’m gonna take care of this little one for however long she needs.”

“You’re a good man, Richard Grayson.” There’s a noise from inside the apartment. “Oh! My soaps are on. You’ll let me know if you need anything, yes?”

“Of course, Mrs. Jestin. Thank you for this.” Dick lifts the car seat.

“Any time, Richard. Use it for as long as you need.”

With that, the three part ways, Dick and Jason heading to the parking garage to find Dick’s car. Once there, Dick manages to get the car seat properly hooked up to his car. It only takes about 15 minutes and a Youtube video, but who’s counting. With the seat secure, Dick buckles Jason in, gets into the driver’s seat, and heads to the closest supermarket. After they park, Dick unbuckles Jason and carries him inside the store. He grabs one of the carts with the little car on the front, setting Jason on the plastic seat and buckling him in, then heading to the Baby/Toddler section. Dick looks for a car seat on the shelves, looking at the tags to find on that will work for Jason. He’s small for his age, so he’ll still need a car seat, not a booster, but Dick still isn’t confident on which one to get.

He’s never done this before, so sue him.

“Jay, do you see one you like?” Dick asks, leaning down to look at the boy.

“Uh…” Jason’s tiny hands fumble with the buckle over his lap. “Hewlp, pease?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Dick unbuckles him and Jason slides out of the seat, reaching up to be held. Dick obliges, lifting Jason so he can see the car seats. He walks slowly, allowing the child to see and feel each one. Finally, Jason grabs for a car seat that’s black with red trimmings and has a little cupholder attached. Dick finds the right box and hoists it into the cart. When he tries to put Jason back in the little car, the boy hugs him tighter.

“I wanna stay wif you,” he mumbles, tucking his face into Dick’s shoulder.

Dick rubs his back. He never realized Jason could be so clingy. The man usually pushes him away when Dick tries to hug or embrace him in any way. It’s entirely possible Jason was hardened from a life on the streets and that makes Dick’s heart clench. He wonders what would have happened if Bruce hadn’t picked him up, hadn’t taken him in. While a large part of Dick wants to figure out what happened to Jason and reverse it, another part of him wants Jason to stay like this so Dick can give him the childhood he deserves. He holds the boy a little tighter.

“I’ve got you, Jay. It’s okay.”

Dick pushes the cart through the aisles to try to find a booster seat for his chairs. He finds one, a foam pad with cartoon characters on it that should be high enough. He puts the box for that into the cart and goes to find anything else a four year old might need. If they’re going to be out and about, Dick should pack a water bottle for Jason, because an open cup will be too messy and Jason is too old for sippy cups. So he adds a few small water bottles to the cart and heads to the next aisle. He sees something else and has a realization.

Dick shuffles the boy on his hip. “Hey, Jay? Can I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Wha’ is it?”

“Do you wear pull-ups? Or have any potty accidents?” Dick asks, voice low so only Jason can hear him.

Jason blushes, averting his eyes. “Onwy sometimes. Like when I don’ go potty ‘fore bed. Bu’ Mommy no has money fow puwl-ups.”

“That’s okay. Would you like to try some pull-ups? Just in case?”

Jason just nods, hiding his face in Dick’s neck and wrapping his arms tighter around the man. Dick rubs his back gently.

“Alright, buddy. Thank you for being open to it. I appreciate that.”

Dick grabs a pack of pull-ups he’s sure will fit, putting them in the cart and moving on quickly. He sees something he’s sure will cheer Jason up and adds it to the cart. After that, Dick moves on to some clothes he forgot to get last night. It’s getting colder in Bludhaven, so Dick finds both a jacket and a coat for Jason as well as a hat, scarf, boots, and some gloves. As he continues to traverse the aisles(completely unsure of what a four year old needs), he finds some more supplies. Namely books he read in his childhood(because Jason loves books), some more appropriate sheets, another stool, and a set of baby monitors. Dick has cameras set up around his apartment(except in the bathroom), but he doesn’t have anything that uses sight and sound. This will help in case something happens to Jason overnight.

Dick pauses to think about anything else that could help him while Jason is still young. He realizes he can just ask the boy in his arms.

“Jay, kiddo, is there anything else you want while you stay with me?”

Jason stirs, eyes hazy. “Uh, I can has cookies?”

Dick chuckles. That wasn’t what he was thinking, but sure. “Of course, buddy. What kind?”

“Uh, da ones wif sugaw and cimnimon?”

“Snickerdoodle? Those are my favorite.”

Dick steers the cart to the bakery, picking up a box of cookies, then going to check out. He takes the whole cart back to his car, putting everything in the trunk. Luckily, there’s enough room for everything. Dick straps Jason into the car seat he got from Mrs. Jestin, opting to set up the new one when he gets back to his apartment. Jason’s eyes are drooping and Dick notes he should be put down for a nap soon. They had a late night last night and an early morning this morning. Plus, it’s almost noon, so Dick doesn’t think it’s too close to when they woke up.

He drives carefully back to his building, taking Jason and as many bags up to his apartment first. When he gets in, he’s met with a usually welcome sight, but today it’s almost distressing.

“Babs, what are you doing here?”

Barbara is in the middle of the living room, looking with confusion at the toys scattered around the carpet.

“Dick, what’s going on? Whose toys are these?” Barbara asks, spinning her wheelchair around. Her eyes widen at the child in Dick’s arms. “Who is that?”

Dick sighs, setting down the bags in his hands. “Let me put him down for his nap and I’ll explain everything.”

Barbara nods mutely, watching Dick carry the boy to the spare room. Dick notices Jason had fallen asleep on the way home and carefully changes him into the Batman pajamas, putting a pull-up on him. Even though Dick assumes he went to the bathroom first thing after waking up(it’s always the first thing adult Jason does when he wakes), it’s been at least three hours since then and he had a cup of apple juice with breakfast. Dick takes a moment to compose himself before he goes back out into the main area.

Barbara is staring at him, a mixture of confusion and anger in her eyes.

“Dick, what is going on?” she asks as soon as Dick closes the door to the bedroom.

“I’ll explain, Babs. I promise. Just let me grab the rest of the things I bought at the store.”

Dick leaves the apartment, grabbing everything he needs in the apartment and heading back upstairs. He drops off the car seat he borrowed back with Mrs. Jestin, then goes back to his own apartment. He sits down on the couch with a heavy sigh. He stalled, taking the time to put in the new car seat so he could figure out what to say to Barbara, but he’s still unsure how to explain what’s going on. Barbara wheels over and puts a hand on his knee.

“Dick, it’s okay. I was worried about you after last night so I came to check on you,” Barbara tells him. “You only call me Babsy when you’re avoiding something. Usually your health.”

Right. Another thing Dick does subconsciously. He’s only called Barbara “Babsy” a handful of times and each time he was hurt or neglecting his well-being, mental or physical.

“How’d you get in? I live on the fourth floor.”

“I know, you jerk. I hacked the elevator. And you gave me a key last year in case you got hurt.”

“Oh.”

“Your turn. Explain.

Dick sighs. “He’s not mine.” That’s a shitty explanation, so he continues, voice low. “It’s Jason. When I got to the location you sent me, I found him like that, curled in a tunnel in the corner of the warehouse. I calmed him down, got some clothes and other supplies, and took him here. He doesn’t remember anything past this age. He doesn’t even know his mom is…”

Barbara squeezes his hand. “I understand. You know you could have told me, right?”

Dick nods, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I know, but it’s Jason. I figured the less people that know, the less embarrassed he’ll be about it.”

Barbara nods. She completely understands trying to keep Jason’s dignity in tact. She knows he’d be pissed if the entire Batclan watched him as a child.

“How long is he gonna be like this?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what happened. I got so caught up making sure he was safe, I didn’t think about what any of this means,” Dick mutters.

“It’s okay. You prioritized Jason’s health. We can take him to Leslie to see what’s going on. I can also tap into Hood’s helmet feed to check the moments leading up to the incident,” Barbara offers.

“Babs, what would I do without you?”

“You’d probably be dead by now, honestly.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna call Leslie and see of she can fit us in.”

Dick steps away, calling the doctor. He keeps his report brief, not wanting to give too many details. Unsurprisingly, she understands, setting an appointment for 11 o’clock tomorrow. Dick thanks her and hangs up, feeling a weight lift off his chest.

When he heads back to the living room, he collapses on the couch, feeling tired himself. Barbara reaches over and runs a soothing hand through his hair.

“Tired?”

Dick hums in response.

“Late nights, early mornings?”

Another hum as his eyes slips closed.

“Sleep. I’ll wake you if I need anything.”

And Dick lets himself fall asleep, knowing that, unlike him, Barbara will actually let him know if she needs something. She’s good like that.

Chapter Text

Barbara pulls herself onto the couch and rests Dick’s head in her lap. She grabs the remote with the hand not in Dick’s hair and turns on a random show, keeping it quiet to not wake either sleeping person. She grabs her laptop out of the bag on the back of her wheelchair, trying to see if she can find out what happened to Jason. She knows his helmet cam is encrypted, but she also knows it’s not encrypted with anything she can’t hack into. Jason trusts few people, but she and Dick are the ones he trusts the most, even if he still doesn’t let them know about everything. She notices it’s going to take at least two hours to decrypt the cam, so she leaves the program running and works on some other open cases.

About a half hour later, Jason stumbles out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. Upon seeing Barbara, Jason snaps awake and shrinks back behind the doorway. Barbara turns to him.

“Hi, sweetie. Are you okay?”

“Who awre you?”

Barbara smiles softly. “My name is Barbara Gordon. I’m Dick Grayson’s friend.”

Jason visibly relaxes, taking a couple steps forward. “Not guna huwrt me?”

“No, sweetheart. I’m not gonna hurt you. I came to visit Dick and make sure he’s okay. Are you taking care of him, little one?”

Jason nods eagerly. “I maked eggs dis mowrnin.”

“Wow! That’s very helpful.”

Jason blushes. “Dick sayed I can hewp him cook.”

Barbara smiles, because of course Dick did. He’s a nice person like that. Jason shifts uncomfortably, gripping the seams of his pajamas.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Barbara asks, a slight frown on her face.

Jason fiddles with his fingers. “When wiwl Dick be awake?”

Barbara looks at the man still asleep in her lap. “I don’t know, sweetie. Did you need something from him? Maybe I can help.”

Jason picks at his fingernails, a habit he’s kept in his actual age. “I had a accciden’,” he mumbles. “Dick pomised ta hewlp me.”

“Ah.” Barbara sets her laptop on the coffee table and pulls herself back into her chair, resting Dick’s head on a pillow instead. She wheels over to the boy. “I can help you, too, if you want. I have younger brothers.”

Jason nods, eyes still downcast.

“Do you need to change your sheets, sweetie?” Barbara asks.

She’s not stupid, she saw the pull-ups in one of the bags Dick brought in and there’s no wet spot on Jason’s pants. But she doesn’t want to embarrass Jason any further and she assumes if he tells her himself, it’ll make it easier.

Jason shakes his head. “Dick buyed me puwl-ups,” the boy whispers.

“Ah. Do you need a change?”

Jason nods mutely, still not looking at Barbara.

“That’s alright. Let’s grab some new clothes and then we can change, okay?”

Barbara offers a hand that Jason takes and half-leads, half-follows the woman to his room. His clothes from the day are folded on the dresser and he picks them up. Once in the bathroom, Jason rests the clothes on the counter and turns to Barbara.

“Do you wanna take off your PJs and pull-up yourself?” the woman asks with a gentle smile.

Jason nods and unzips the onesie he’s been wearing. He lets it pool at his feet and steps out of it, revealing the Batman printed pull-up that Barbara tries (and succeeds, thank you) not to squeal at. Instead, she grabs the pack of wipes off the counter, opens them, and hands them to the little boy.

“Here. You can use these to clean up. I won’t look.”

True to her word, she turns her chair around, facing the door. She hears shuffling and the rustle of plastic behind her. About a minute later, Jason speaks.

“I need hewlp.”

“Okay.”

Barbara turns around to see Jason is wearing a pair of briefs and a T-shirt, holding out a pair of jeans toward her. Barbara takes them and holds them as close to the ground as possible. With one finger, she taps the boy’s right knee.

“Right leg first, baby.”

Jason, again, steps into his pants, one leg at a time, and Barbara pulls them carefully up his legs and buttons and zips them. When he holds out his socks to her, she helps him put those on as quickly and carefully as possible.

“Tank you.”

Barbara smiles. “Of course, sweetheart. Do you wanna go play with your toys?”

Jason perks up, bouncing on his toes. “Uh-huh! Uh-huh!”

He reaches up and Barbara picks him up, setting him on her lap and wheeling back out to the living room. Dick is still asleep, head resting on the pillow she gave him.

“We have to be quiet so we don’t wake Dick, but we can play with your toys,” Barbara tells the boy, lowering herself from her chair onto the floor.

“Okay,” Jason whispers.

When Dick wakes up, he comes to a couple realization. 1: he’s asleep on his couch and 2: Barbara is in his apartment and playing with Jason, who’s been turned into a four year old. So maybe that last realization is actually two, but he already knew Jason was turned into a child. It takes Dick a moment to orient himself and remember what’s going on. He remembers coming back from the store to find Barbara in his apartment, there because she was concerned about him. And now she’s sitting on the floor of his living room, pushing trucks around the carpet next to Jason, who’s flying Batman around.

Dick sits up with a groan(his couch is good for sitting, not naps), catching the attention of both people. Jason perks up, standing and rushing to the man, throwing himself into Dick’s lap.

“Hey, kiddo. You okay?” Dick asks, wrapping his arms around the boy.

Jason nods, tucking his head into Dick’s chest. “‘M fine. You were sleepin’ a long time.”

Dick looks over at the clock on the microwave. It reads 2:38. He runs a hand through Jason’s hair.

“Sorry, kiddo. I guess I was tired. You doin okay?”

Jason nods. “Uh-huh! Barbara is pwayin wif me.”

Dick moves to the floor, resting the boy in his lap. “That’s nice of her. What are you playing?”

“Hewoes! She bein da cibiwan an I bein Ba’man!”

“Oh. Can I play, too?”

Jason scrambles off of Dick’s lap. “Uh-huh! You can be Nigh’wing!” He holds out the hero toy.

Barbara chuckles and Dick smiles, taking the toy.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Dick moves the toy around the room, taking orders from “Batman” and defeating all the bad guys. Dick wonders what Bruce would think if he knew the son he fights with the most absolutely idolized him as a child. A small, sad part of Dick wonders what went wrong between then and(sort of) now.

Probably the Joker.

Dick tries not to think about that as he plays with this small, innocent child who has no idea what’s to come. He’s just here, playing with toys and being a carefree child. After a while of playing, Jason looks up.

“‘M hungwry,” he tells the adults, setting down his toy.

Dick looks at the clock again. 5:03. It’s been about seven hours since they had breakfast.

“We should probably make dinner, huh? Babs, you staying?”

Barbara nods. “If you’ll have me.”

Jason bounces on his knees. “Yeah! Yeah! Pease stay!”

“Okay. I’ll stay for dinner. What are we having?”

“What about spaghetti, hmm? That shouldn’t take too long,” Dick suggests.

“Okay! Can I hewlp?” Jason asks.

Dick stands up. “Of course you can. C’mon, buddy.”

Dick picks up the boy and heads to the kitchen, washing both their hands before depositing Jason on the stool near the stove. He grabs out everything they’ll need: a pot, a pan, spaghetti noodles, pasta sauce, and broccoli for a side. He decides to leave the meat in the fridge until they actually need it.

“Alright, Jay. Wanna fill the pot with water for me?”

Jason nods, using the pot filler at the stove. Dick is grateful for the pot filler, in fact, it was the feature that really sold this apartment as he wouldn’t have to carry a pot to the sink and back. As the pot is filling up, Jason grabs the salt shaker and dumps a good amount into the water. Once the pot has enough water, Jason turns off the pot filler and turns to Dick.

“You’ll tuwrn the stove on?”

Dick nods. “Yeah, buddy. The stove isn’t safe for little ones.”

Jason nods, watching Dick turn on the burner under the pasta. Jason’s eyes glaze with curiosity as he stares at the slightly rolling water. Once his trance breaks, he looks up at Dick.

“Wha’ now?”

“We’re gonna wait until the water starts boiling before we cook the meat,” Dick tells him.

“So tha meat no get cowld?”

“Exactly, Jaybird.” Dick ruffles the boy’s hair. “Right now, we’re gonna cut the broccoli so we can cook it.”

“Otay. I hewlp?”

“Hmm…”

Dick has to seriously think about that. Jason is only four, but he was making eggs earlier. Dick looks to Barbara, who meets his eyes and shrugs, a mini-conversation happening between them.

“You have to promise to be careful, okay, Jay?”

Jason holds up a hand with three fingers up, all pressed together. “I pomise!”

Dick can’t help but smile, widening his eyes comically and pulling the stool Jason’s standing on over to the other counter, earning giggles from the little boy. Dick grabs out a couple cutting boards then finds two knives(one child-safe, because duh) that he’s sure will cut the broccoli. He hands Jason the colorful one and cuts enough broccoli off for Jason to cut. Jason watches, eyes locked on Dick’s hands as he cuts florets of broccoli. Jason matches his movements, tongue poking out from his mouth. Dick inspects his work.

“Good job, buddy. Those are great cuts,” he praises.

Jason beams, eyes alight. While Jason keeps cutting, Dick goes to check on the water. It’s boiling, so he adds the pasta and a healthy dose of oil so it doesn’t stick together. He keeps an eye on Jason as he stirs the spaghetti, not wanting the boy to cut himself. Despite not having a sharp edge, Dick knows the knife can still be dangerous. He’s accidentally cut himself once or twice while in a tired stupor after work or patrol. But Jason is doing fine, completely focused on making the right cuts to the vegetable. Once the broccoli is cut up, Dick finds a steamer to put in the pot with the pasta.

“So we don’t have to dirty another pot,” he explains when Jason looks at him with confusion.

Jason nods. “So tha watewr that boiws tha pa'ta wiwl cook tha bwroccoli?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh. Okay!”

Jason carefully puts the broccoli into the silicone steamer, then puts the top of the pot on. Dick grabs the meat from the fridge, opening it with a pair of scissors and dumping the contents into the pan. He grabs a spatula to break up the ground beef, setting it to the side for when the meat cooks a little more.

“Hey, Jay, can you watch the pasta and broccoli while I cook the meat? I don’t want you to get hurt on this pan.”

Jason nods. “I wisten, pomise.”

Dick ruffles his hair. “I know you will, kiddo. Thank you for helping me make dinner, buddy. I really appreciate it.”

Dick saw how Jason reacted the first time he praised him and wanted to keep that smile on his face, that light in his eyes. Dick wonders if Jason was ever told he’d done a good job. With the way Jason reacts, Dick doesn’t think so. But he intends to keep praising the boy for as long as…this lasts. Speaking of, Barbara’s got her headphones on, laptop in her lap and scrolling through something Dick can’t see but is probably the feed from Red Hood’s helmet.

Jason looks up at Dick. “I fink da bwroccowli is done.”

“Let’s check.”

Dick grabs a fork and pokes a piece of broccoli. It’s soft, but still able to stand up to the weight of the fork.

“Good job, Jaybird. This is perfect.”

Jason beams, pulling on the oven mitts Dick hands to him and pulls the steamer off the pot, making sure the water drains back into the pot. He carefully pours the broccoli into the container Dick has set out on the counter. He puts a pat of butter onto the vegetables, stirring them around to let the butter melt. He adds salt and pepper, making sure the taste is just right before pointing a forkful at Dick, who eats it.

“That’s very good, Jay.”

Jason smiles and checks the pasta. It still needs a few minutes, so he stirs it and puts the top back on. Dick is still working on the meat, but it looks like it’s almost done. Dick adds a bit more seasoning, pushing the meat around the pan. Once it’s done, he turns off the burner, drains the oil, and adds the sauce, keeping it in a pan.

“Do you want to keep the meat separate?” Dick asks. He knows Jason sometimes likes to eat cold, leftover noodles.

“Yes, p’ease.”

“Alright. Is the spaghetti done?”

Jason hums and tries a piece, then nods. “Uh-huh!”

Dick smiles. “Alrighty. Do you think you can drain the pasta, or do you want me to?”

“Uh…Can you? Bu’ I howld tha strainewr,” Jason offers.

“Okay, Jay.”

Dick gets out the strainer and a set of potholders. He gives Jason the strainer, moving him over to the sink. Jason giggles and holds the strainer partially in the sink. Dick grabs the pot of spaghetti with the potholders and carefully strains the pasta so none of the water splashes out. Once all the pasta is in the strainer, Dick sets aside the pot and runs cold water over the noodles. Jason shakes the excess water off and leaves the pot in the sink, shucking off his oven mitts and jumping off the stool. He rushes to the living room, skidding to a halt in front of Barbara.

“Dinnew’s weady!” he tells her as if she hasn’t been less than fifteen feet away the entire time.

Barbara just smiles at him, closing her laptop and putting it on the coffee table. “Thank you for telling me, kiddo. Let’s go wash our hands before we eat.”

Jason takes her hand and the two head to the bathroom together. Dick put the new stool in there, so Jason uses it to wash his hands. Barbara knows that the sinks in Dick’s apartment and safehouses are a tad shorter than average for when she comes over, so she’s able to reach even from her chair. When they leave the bathroom, Dick has set up the table, plates, cups, and forks in their proper places.

“Your Batman stuff is in the dishwasher, Jay, but I washed your red plate so you can use it,” Dick tells him.

Jason climbs into his seat. “Tank you.”

Dick looks in the fridge. “What do you want to drink? I’ve got water, milk, juice, iced tea…”

“Miwlk, pease!”

Barbara tilts her head. “Iced tea, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Dick grabs the drinks and pours them, giving himself milk, too. He puts the drinks back in the fridge and sits down to eat. Jason’s been watching him the entire time, eyes alight with avid curiosity. Dick smiles at him as he sits down.

“You can eat, buddy. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Jason shakes his head. “I’s rude to eat ‘fore evewryone si’s down.”

Dick never considered that. In the circus, they would eat quick meals between acts, sneaking popcorn and candy apples if they were ever hungry. Sometimes, he and his parents would eat a quick meal in the morning before they rushed to rehearse their act. In Wayne Manor, everyone ate at different times, despite Alfred trying to make “family dinners”.

“Y’know, that’s a good rule, Jay. We eat together.”

Now that everyone’s sitting, they all start to eat. There’s a comfortable silence before Dick perks up.

“How about a movie after dinner, Jay? You can pick,” he offers.

Jason bounces in his seat. “Yeah! Yeah! Can Babby stay?”

Dick smiles. “Why don’t you ask her?”

Jason turns to Barbara, looking at her with wide, blue eyes. “Can you stay, Babby? Pease?”

And of course, Barbara can’t say no to those eyes, that nickname, the pleading look on his face. So she nods, giving the boy a sweet smile.

“I’d love to stay, sweetheart.” She leaned in. “Maybe we can talk Dick into letting us have ice cream,” she stage-whispers, knowing Dick can absolutely still hear her.

Jason gasps, eyes lighting up as he turns to Dick. “Can we has ice cweam, pease? Pwetty pease?”

Dick chuckles. “Of course we can, Jay. But you have to finish your dinner first.”

“Okay!” Jason continues to eat his food and when his plate is clean, he holds it up. “Awl done!”

“Very good, Jason. Do you want any more? We have plenty.”

Jason thinks for a while, tilting his head to the side and tapping his chin. After a minute, he shakes his head.

“Nuh-uh. No’ hungwy no mowre.”

“Alright, kiddo. Hang tight until Babs and I finish and then we can start our movie, okay?”

“Okay.”

Jason kicks his feet, humming to himself as he waits for Barbara and Dick to finish eating. Luckily, it only takes a few more minutes before Dick is grabbing all of their plates and utensils and carrying them back into the kitchen. He rinses them off and puts them in the sink. Jason grabs his now empty cup, hopping from his chair and collecting the other two cups. He carries them into the kitchen, putting them in the dishwasher.

“Thanks, Jay. That’s very helpful.”

Jason beams. “Ice cweam?”

Dick nods. “Yeah. Let’s see what flavors we have in here.”

Dick lifts up Jason, opening the freezer door. He has all his family’s favorite ice creams in case they visit. Chocolate for Bruce, peanut butter cup for Jason, vanilla for Cass, mint chocolate chip for Tim, cookie dough for Damian, and strawberry for Steph. Dick himself prefers double-chocolate raspberry and he knows Barbara loves a good cookies and cream. Needless to say, Dick buys a lot of ice cream.

Jason notices a pint of his favorite resting on the door and reaches for it.

“Dat one! Dat one, pease!”

Dick chuckles and grabs it out, handing it to Jason. “Two hands, buddy. I gotcha.”

Jason complies, letting go of Dick and taking the tub of ice cream with both hands, holding it tight against his chest. Dick hums, faking deep thought as he tilts his head and taps his chin.

“Hmm. What to get for Barbara? What do you think, Jay?”

“Uh, not know.”

Dick leans in(not by much), and whispers, “she really likes cookies and cream.”

Jason’s eyes light up and he grabs that ice cream from inside the freezer. He places it on top of the one he already has, keeping both tight to his chest. Dick grabs out his own pint of ice cream, closing the freezer and stepping over to the counter. He grabs out bowls and spoons, letting Jason pick his own(he picks Batman, of course), then scooping some of the ice cream into the bowl. He only gives Jason one scoop, because a: he doesn’t want the boy to have a sugar high and b: he doesn’t want to overfeed Jason. He can have more if he really wants, but it’s a treat, not a meal.

Jason doesn’t complain, just takes his bowl and lets Dick carry him to the couch. Barbara is already there, scrolling through the Kid’s Profile she’s set up on Dick’s Netflix account.

“Hi, baby,” she greets, taking Jason when he reaches out to her. “What do you wanna watch, hmm?”

She scrolls through the movies slowly, letting Jason read each title and look at the cover picture.

“That one! That one!” He points at a movie with a dragon on the cover picture.

Barbara chuckles and clicks on it. It’s titled Wish Dragon and it looks like a pretty decent movie. Dick’s been meaning to watch it himself. As soon as it’s on, Dick realizes what a good choice it is. Jason is giggling around mouthfuls of ice cream every time one of the characters does something funny or silly. When the main character, Din, is rude to his childhood friend/love interest, Li Na, Jason blows a raspberry at the screen. To be honest, Dick is watching Jason more than he’s watching the movie, but it’s hard not to. The little boy is so intriguing, so energetic and lively and Dick had only gotten a glimpse of that before Jason had died.

By the time the credits roll, Jason is slumped between Dick and Barbara, empty ice cream bowl left on the coffee table. Dick shakes him gently.

“Hey, buddy. It’s bedtime. We have to go potty and brush our teeth, okay?”

Jason nods sleepily. “I have to go potty.”

Dick picks him up and carries him to the bathroom, helping him sit on the toilet and turning around to give him privacy. Once he’s done and has washed his hands, Dick grabs out an unused toothbrush, opening the package and handing it to Jason. After he wets the toothbrush, Jason holds it out to Dick for toothpaste. Dick gives him some, also adding a dollop onto his own toothbrush. The two brush their teeth side by side, Jason matching Dick’s actions. Once they’re done, Dick carries Jason to his room, setting him on the bed.

“Alright, buddy. Let’s get you into PJs and into bed.” Dick holds up the onesie he’d found discarded in the bathroom.

Jason nods slowly, body and mind starting to give into sleep. “An a puwl-up?”

“Do you think you need one?”

Jason shrugs, twisting his fingers together. “I don’ wanna have a acciden’,” he mumbles.

Dick kneels and cards a hand through Jason’s hair. “I think that’s a good idea. Do you wanna put it on yourself, buddy?”

Jason nods mutely, staring at his lap.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s get out of these clothes, first. Do you need help?”

Jason thinks for a moment. “I not fink so.”

“Alright, kiddo. I’ll go grab a pull-up.”

Dick heads back to the bathroom, grabbing out a couple pairs of the training pants and taking them back to the room. He closes his eyes right before he gets there, then knocks on the doorframe, holding out the pull-up.

“I have a pull-up for you, Jay.”

Jason takes it. “Tank you.”

There’s shuffling and the rustle of fabric before Dick feels tiny hands tugging at his shirt. He opens his eyes to see Jason holding his arms up. Dick picks him up, walking the few steps over to the bed before sitting down. Jason curls into his lap, stuffie in hand and head resting on Dick’s chest. Dick grabs the bag of books he bought at the store, setting it down and pulling out the books.

“Do you wanna read one of these before bed, buddy?”

Jason nods sleepily, pointing out one of the Winnie the Pooh books Dick bought. Dick nods, putting the rest of the books back and opening the one Jason chose. He reads through it, adding in all the voices that his parents used to. When the book is finished, Jason is asleep, light snores escaping his slightly parted lips. Dick carefully rests him against the pillows and climbs out of bed, tucking the boy in and turning off the lights as he leaves.

When Dick gets back to the living room, Barbara is packing away her laptop. The coffee table is empty of ice cream bowls, so Dick assumes she put them away.

“Thank you, Barbara. You’ve been a big help. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, Dick. You’re always there for everyone else. Let someone be here for you, okay?”

Dick nods. “Yeah. I’ll try.” It’s the closest he can get to the truth.

Barbara just rolls her eyes as she makes her way to the door. “Don’t forget to take him to Leslie tomorrow. I’ll review this footage and let you know what I find.”

“Right. Thank you, Barbara.”

With that she leaves, Dick closing the door behind her. He sits down on the couch, checking his phone. It’s only 8:03, but Dick knows he should get to bed early, despite his two hour nap. Like he told Barbara, he’s been having a lot of late nights and early mornings. Which reminds him he should request time off. He has enough vacation and sick days to take the next week off. So he puts in the request, emails his boss to “explain”, and heads to bed.

Chapter Text

When his alarm goes off at 8:00am, Dick sits up sleepily, rubbing his eyes as he adjusts to being awake. Once his brain fully wakes, Dick heads to the bathroom to use the toilet and brush his teeth. After, he goes to check on Jason, who’s still sleeping, Franklin tucked under his arm. Dick quietly leaves the room and heads to the kitchen to see what he can make for breakfast. Maybe he’ll wait until Jason wakes up to see what the boy wants to eat. In the meantime, Dick checks his email, seeing his time-off has been confirmed. There’s nothing from Barbara yet, though, so Dick turns on the TV, finding a light show he’s been meaning to watch.

A few episodes later, Jason stumbles out of his room, rubbing his eyes. He makes his way over to Dick, clambering up onto the couch and tucking himself into Dick’s side.

Dick wraps an arm around the boy. “Morning, Jay. Did you sleep well?”

Jason nods. “Uh-huh. I had a bad dream, though.”

“Oh?”

“I dwreamed that my mommy is dead,” Jason mumbles. There’s a moment where neither speaks before Jason asks, “Mommy’s not comin’ back, is she?”

Dick sighs, unsure what to say. He settles for the truth. Sort of. “No, buddy. She was really sick this time, I’m sorry.”

“Is okay. You’wl still take care of me, wright?”

“Of course I will, Jason. I promised.”

“Do you fink Nigh’wing wiwl come visit?” Jason asks, looking up at Dick.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s just been a bit busy lately,” Dick assures, ruffling the boy’s hair. “I can give him a call later to see if he can come over.”

“Okay.” Jason snuggles almost impossibly closer to Dick and the man realizes something.

“Hey, Jay? Is your pull-up wet?”

Jason shakes his head, hiding his red face in Dick’s side. “Nuh-uh.”

“Okay. Do you need to go potty?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Alright, kiddo. Do you want me to carry you?”

“Yes, pease.”

So Dick pauses the show, picks the boy up, and carries him to the bathroom. There, Jason uses the toilet and brushes his teeth. When he’s done, Dick picks him up and carries him back out to the main area.

“What do you want for breakfast, Jay?”

“Uh…ceweal?”

“Cereal it is. Let’s see what we have.”

Dick goes over to the pantry, opening the door and looking at the shelf where he keeps his cereal. There are a couple boxes of Cheerios(one regular, one apple cinnamon), Froot Loops, and some Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Jason reaches for the regular Cheerios. “I wan’ dose, pease.”

Dick grabs the box, deciding on having the same thing. He closes the pantry door, walks over to the cabinet with all the dishes, and grabs out two bowls, one red with a matching spoon. He pours the cereal, then gets the milk from the fridge to pour in, too. After both bowls of cereal are done and the cereal and milk are back where they belong, Dick carries both Jason to the table, setting the boy down with his bowl before going to his own seat.

“Hey, Jay? I set up a doctor’s appointment for you at 11 o’clock today,” Dick tells the boy.

“For wha’?”

“Just a regular check-up. Y’know, to make sure you’re healthy and up to date on your vaccines.”

“I wanna be healfy.”

“Alright, kiddo. We’ll leave here in about an hour, okay?”

“Okay.”

The two eat their breakfast in near silence. When they’re done, Dick puts their dishes in the dishwasher and checks the clock. It’s only 10:00, but Dick knows how hard it can be for kids to get ready, so he takes Jason to put on his day clothes, changing the pull-up for a pair of Tom and Jerry printed briefs. Jason picks out a shirt with Cartoon Network characters on it, plain white socks, and the cartoon-printed slip-on shoes.

“Okay, buddy. Why don’t you play with your toys while I get dressed?”

“Okay!” Jason hops off his bed and rushes to the living room.

Dick smiles after him, then heads to his own room. He picks out a striped blue and grey shirt and a pair of black jeans. Once he’s dressed, he goes out to the living room to see Jason rolling Franklin around the carpet on a garbage truck, making the noises with his mouth. When the boy notices Dick, he jumps up.

“We go now?”

Dick looks at the clock. 10:17 . That’s close enough to 10:30 for them to leave now. Plus, there might be paperwork he has to do, so it’s always good to be early.

“Yep. Are you ready?”

Jason nods. “Uh-huh.” He looks down at his truck and stuffie. “Can I bwring dese?”

“Of course, buddy. Let’s put on our jackets and go.”

Dick helps Jason into his jacket, puts on his own, and carries Jason downstairs to his car, making sure the car seat is secure before strapping the boy in. Dick drives to Gotham to Leslie’s clinic, parking a short distance away before carrying Jason into the building. The receptionist, Kay, greets them with a smile.

“Hi, Dick! What brings you in?”

“Morning, Kay. I have an appointment with Leslie at 11. My nephew was dropped off with me a couple days ago and I just wanted to make sure he has a clean bill of health,” Dick explains.

“Oh, what an adorable boy! What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“‘M Jason,” the boy mumbles, tucking his red face into Dick’s neck.

“Aw, what a cutie!” Kay hands Dick a stack of papers. “Here. Fill these out as best as you can. I’ll let Leslie know you’re here and she should be out shortly.”

“Thank you, Kay.” Dick takes the papers and goes to sit down.

He fills out the forms, asking Jason questions he technically shouldn’t know the answer to. Like his last name, his date of birth, parents’ names(Dick is actually surprised the boy knows), allergies, and family history. The whole time, Jason plays with his truck, rolling it over the armrest of the chair. About 10 minutes after they’ve sat down, Leslie peeks her head through the door.

“Dick?”

“Yes.” Dick turns to Jason, attaching the pen to the clipboard and standing up. “C’mon, buddy.”

He holds out his hand and Jason takes it, sliding off his chair and following Dick over to Leslie, who looks down at him.

“Ah. Is this the kiddo you were telling me about?” she asks.

“Yep!”

Leslie kneels down. “And what’s your name, hon?”

“Jason,” the boy mumbles, hiding behind Dick’s legs.

Leslie pauses, looking up at Dick. The man nods, giving Leslie a look he really hopes says we’ll talk about it later . Leslie nods, standing up and clearing her throat.

“Alright. Let’s get you checked out, kiddo.”

She leads the two back to the offices, stopping at the scale.

“Okay, Jason. Hop up here and we’ll check your height and weight,” Leslie instructs.

“I haveta take off my shoes?”

“You should take off anything that adds extra weight. So probably your shoes and jacket.”

“Okay.”

Jason slips off both items, handing them to Dick then stepping onto the scale. Leslie adjusts the sliders before writing down the number. She then has Jason stand against the wall to check his height. She writes that number down, too, then looks at Jason.

“Okay. We’re gonna head back to one of the rooms so I can run a couple more tests. You can put your shoes back on, dear.”

Jason nods and slips into his shoes once Dick puts them on the floor. Then they both follow Leslie back to one of the rooms. She sets the chart on the counter and sits down on the stool there. Dick helps Jason up onto the bed then sits in the chair across the room. Leslie grabs a blood pressure cuff, checking that it’s the right size before wrapping it around Jason’s upper arm.

“Okay, Jason. This is gonna squeeze your arm. It might pinch a bit, but it shouldn’t hurt, so let me know if you feel any pain.”

Jason nods and watches as Leslie pushes a couple buttons on the machine. The cuff tightens around his arm. Like Leslie said, it doesn’t hurt, just pinches a bit. When the cuff stops, Leslie writes down something on the chart, then waits for the cuff to release before removing it. After, she checks the boy’s temperature, eyes and ears, explaining the entire time what she’s doing.

“Okay. All your vitals are normal. A little small for your age, but I’m sure that won’t be a problem later so long as you maintain a healthy an balanced diet,” Leslie tells the boy before pressing a button next to the door. “I need to talk to your…uncle for a minute, though. So I want you to go with Kay for a bit so she can draw some blood and run a few other tests.”

Jason panics, jumping off the bed and rushing over to Dick, throwing himself onto the man’s lap.

“No! I don’ wanna go!”

Leslie kneels in front of him. “Sweetheart, I need to talk to your uncle about some grown-up stuff. I promise it’ll only take a few minutes. And Kay is gonna be very careful when she runs the tests. I promise she won’t hurt you.”

Jason shakes his head, tucking himself further into Dick’s chest. “Nuh-uh.”

Dick sighs, pulling Jason away from him to look at the boy properly. “Jay, I promise everything will be okay. As soon as Leslie and I are done talking, I’ll come find you. I promise I’m not leaving you. I’ll never leave you.”

Jason whines, tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’ wanna dwraw blood. Don’ wanna needle.”

Dick rubs the boy’s back. “I know, kiddo. Needles can be scary. But this one is gonna be small. It’ll only be a small pinch.”

Jason looks up, tears glistening on his cheeks. “You done it?”

Dick nods. “Mhm. A few times. Doctor’s take your blood to see if you’re sick.”

“Um…” Jason bites his lip. “I nuh know.”

“If you want, Kay can run the other tests first. That should give us enough time to talk and your uncle can stay with you for the blood test,” Leslie offers.

Slowly, Jason nods, wiping the tears from his face. “Okay.”

Kay, who’s been watching the latter part of the exchange from the doorway, holds out a hand. “C’mon sweetheart. Let’s go do those tests.”

Jason climbs down from Dick’s lap, giving the man one last look before taking Kay’s hand and following her out of the room. Once he’s gone and the door is closed, Leslie turns to Dick.

“That’s Jason?”

“Mhm.”

“Jason Todd? Anti-hero, second son of Bruce Wayne, should be 20 years old Jason Todd?”

Dick nods. “That’s the one.” There’s humor in his voice, but the situation really isn’t funny.

“What happened?”

Dick shrugs. “That’s what Barbara and I are trying to figure out. All I know is a couple nights ago on patrol, I tracked Hood’s location to a warehouse and found…well, Jason. As a four year old. I bought some supplies, dropped him off at my “friend” Dick Grayson’s house and, well, here we are,” he explains.

“I take it Barbara is looking into the footage from that night?”

“Yeah. She should get back to me today.”

“Well, the blood tests we’ll run will pick up on any traces of chemicals or magic.”

“Leslie, you’re the best.”

“I know. Now, I’m going to send you home with some vitamins and instructions for caring for a child Jason’s age. I’m sure you know some of what Jason went through as a child. You should also know that due to his mother’s…condition he didn’t have enough nutrients to sustain himself. Now, I’d hope you’re feeding him proper meals, but even with those, he’s gonna need supplemental vitamins and minerals. I can recommend some good brands, especially for a child of his age, but you have to make sure he takes them,” Leslie directs, writing some things down on a piece of paper that she hands to Dick.

“Thank you, Leslie. I appreciate it.”

Leslie stands up. “Of course, Dick. I trust you’ll update me with what you learn from Barbara.”

Dick follows Leslie out of the room. “Absolutely.”

“I’ll show you to where Jason is and then go print out that packet for you.”

“Okay.”

The two walk to the phlebotomy room, where Kay is setting up the supplies to draw Jason’s blood. The boy is looking warily at the needles, Franklin hugged tightly to his chest. When he sees Dick, he lights up.

“You is hewe!”

Dick sits in the chair next to him. “Of course I’m here, Jaybird. I promised, didn’t I?”

Jason nods, scooting closer to the man. He still looks nervous, though, but Dick has an idea.

“I know you’re nervous to have your blood drawn, Jay. Would it make you feel better if I got mine taken first?” Dick asks.

“You does it, too?”

“Yeah, if that’s alright with Kay.”

Dick looks at the nurse hopefully. She nods.

“Of course it is. It’ll help us see if your uncle here is healthy, too,” Kay agrees.

She briefly leaves the room, coming back with some more supplies. “Alright. Let’s get you all set up, Mr. Grayson. Which arm is best?”

In response, Dick rolls up the sleeve on his right arm, holding it out to Kay. She prepares the tubes and needle, giving him a countdown before she presses the IV into his arm. Dick usually hates getting his blood drawn, mostly because he can see the needle in his skin but he can’t feel it, which messes with his head. But he knows he has to do it, because it’s been almost a year since his last test and he’d do anything to make Jason feel more comfortable. When Kay is done, she puts a piece of gauze over the area and wraps it in blue medical tape.

“Alright, Dick, You’re all done. Are you ready, Jason?”

Hesitantly, Jason nods. “I fink so. I can has the same cowor as Dick?”

Kay practically coos. “Of course you can, sweetheart.”

She gets everything ready, also giving Jason a countdown before pushing the needle in. Jason winces and squeezes Dick’s hand. It’s over faster than Dick’s was, mostly because Jason is smaller than Dick and can’t give as much blood. Kay puts a gauze pad on the inside of the boy’s elbow, wrapping it in the same medical tape as Dick’s is.

“Alright. You’re all set. You can take those off in twenty minutes and if you feel dizzy at all, which is totally normal, just have a juice or a cookie or something, okay?” the nurse instructs.

Dick nods, standing from the chair. “Thanks, Kay. We’ll see you later.”

He holds out a hand that Jason takes, sliding off his own chair and walking out to the waiting area. Leslie is there, holding a packet that she hands to Dick.

“This should have a lot of the information you need to care for a young child. It will vary per child, but these are some basic rules,” she tells the man.

“Thank you, Leslie. We’ll be in touch.”

Dick leads Jason back out to the car, buckling him into his car seat. “How about we pick something up for lunch, hmm?”

Jason nods happily, bouncing in his seat slightly. Dick gets into the front seat of the car, buckles himself in, and drives away, heading to the nearest fast food restaurant. He goes through the drive-thru, wanting as little people as possible to see him and Jason in this situation.

“What do you want to eat, Jay?”

Jason leans forward in his seat, looking at the pictures on the menu. He sees something he wants and points to it. “Hambuwger! Pease! A-an miwk.”

“Okay. Do you want fries or apple slices?”

“Uh…appwes, pease. An can I has a cookie?”

Dick nods. “Of course you can, buddy.” When it’s available, Dick pulls up to the speaker.

“Hi. What can I get you today?” the worker asks cheerily.

“Hi. Can I get the hamburger kids’ meal with a milk and apple slices?”

“Okay. Kids’ meal with a hamburger, milk, and apple slices. Anything else?”

“Yeah. Can I also have the bacon cheeseburger meal with no onions, lettuce, or tomatoes and a medium Coke with no ice?”

“Bacon cheeseburger with just pickles and ketchup, side of fries and a Coke, no ice,” the worker repeats. “Is that all?”

“Actually, can I get a three pack of cookies?”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“No, That’s all.”

“Okay. That’ll be $23.57 at the first window.”

“Awesome, thanks!”

Dick pulls up to the window, rolling down his own when the worker slides open the glass. Dick hands the cashier his card and waits for their food when he gets it back alongside the drinks. After he gets the bag for the food and checks to make sure everything is correct, Dick drives back to his apartment. Once inside, he sets the food out on the table and helps Jason into his chair. The two eat their lunch in a comfortable silence, splitting the cookies so they each get one and a half. When they’re done and all the trash is thrown away, Dick and Jason settle in the living room. Dick turns on a children’s show that Jason seems quickly invested in, kicking his feet to the theme song. Dick himself looks over the packet Leslie gave him, taking in all the information. He had no idea taking care of a kid could be so complicated. He’s just reading up on books and learning games when his phone rings. Jason looks over.

“Who’sat?”

Dick checks his phone. “It’s Barbara.”

Jason perks up, reaching for the phone. “I wanna tawk to hew!”

Dick pulls away. “Hold on, kiddo. She has something to tell me first.” Jason pouts. “But I promise you can talk to her after we’re done.”

Jason smiles. “Okay!”

He goes back to his show, humming along. Dick goes back to his room, answering the phone.

“Hey, Babs. Everything okay?”

Barbara sighs. “Sort of. Dick, I went through the footage from Hood’s helmet the other night and…well, it looks like he did it on purpose.”

“What?”

“Look, it’s hard to explain. Can you just come to the Manor? I had to use the Batcomputer to get the footage without it corrupting.”

Dick nods, though he knows Barbara can’t see him. “Yeah. Give us like, an hour and we’ll be there.”

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s fine. Leslie should send over his blood results soon. He wants to talk to you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I promised he could after we talked.”

“Well, don’t keep him waiting I wanna talk to him.”

Dick chuckles. “You just saw him last night.”

“I know. But he’s just so cute!”

Dick shakes his head. “You’re obsessed, Babs.”

He walks out to the main area, where Jason is dancing around the room as the ending song plays. Dick presses a button on his phone, holding it away from his ear.

“You’re on speaker, Babs.”

Upon hearing the name, Jason rushes over to Dick, reaching up for the phone. Dick hands it over.

“Be careful.”

“I wiwl! Hi, Babby!”

“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I good. Goed to da doctow’s.”

“Oh? Is everything okay?”

Dick hides a scoff behind his hand. Like she doesn’t know. But Jason just nods happily.

“Uh-huh. I’ was jus a checkup ta see if ‘m healfy. I am!”

“That’s good, sweetheart. Hey. Do you wanna come see where Dick grew up? I need to show him something and you can meet his brothers and sisters, too. Does that sound like something you’d want to do?”

Again, Jason nods, bouncing on his toes. “Yes, pease!”

Barbara chuckles. “Okay, baby. I have to go, but we’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay!”

The phone hangs up and Jason hands it back to Dick, who slips it into his pocket.

“Let’s go pack your things, kiddo.”

Chapter Text

“Can I see youwr room?” Jason asked as he followed Dick to his room.

“Sure, buddy. If you want.”

Dick grabs a small duffle bag he keeps in the closet, taking out the stuff already inside and setting the now empty bag on the bed.

“Why don’t we pack your PJs so you can have a nap, yeah?”

Jason nods. “Okay. We stay da night?”

“I don’t know. We might, so we should pack another outfit. What do you wanna wear?”

“Uh…” Jason walks over to the dresser, looking inside. “This.” He pulls out a long-sleeved black shirt with a blue Nightwing symbol on it.

“And your jeans?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, buddy.”

Dick puts the shirt and pajamas into the duffle bag, then heads to the bathroom, putting a few pairs of pull-ups and the pack of wipes inside the bag. He puts a cap on both of their toothbrushes and puts those and the tube of toothpaste in the duffle, too. Dick then loops over to his own room and puts another sweater and his pajamas into their bag.

“Do you want any toys, Jay?”

In response, Jason grabs Franklin and a couple trucks, putting the vehicles in the bag. He looks at Franklin.

“I keep him wif me?”

Dick nods. “Of course you can, buddy. Franklin can stay out of the bag. We don’t want him to get lonely.”

Jason hugs Franklin to his chest then goes to the kitchen.

“Snacks?”

Dick nods. “That’s a good idea, Jay. What should we pack?”

In the end, they decide on a few packs of fruit snacks, some goldfish, some cookies, and apple juice. Dick pours the juice into each of their own water bottles and puts the containers of snacks into the duffle bag, zipping it up.

“Okay. Are we ready?”

Jason shifts. “I have to go potty.”

“Y’know, that’s a good idea, kiddo. Let’s go potty.”

Once they’ve both used the toilet, Dick grabs the duffle bag and their coats just in case and heads out to his car. Once they’re both buckled in, Dick makes the 45 minute drive to Wayne Manor. He lives this far away deliberately. It’s far enough that Bruce can’t just drop in randomly, but close enough that Dick can help his siblings on patrol if needed. On the way there, Jason perks up.

“Dick? How many sib’ins you has?”

“Uh, well, that’s kind of complicated. My dad is a…foster parent, so he’s taken in a lot of kids. The ones who stayed…they’re who I consider my siblings. I have three younger brothers and two younger sisters,” Dick explains.

Jason gapes. “Dat’s a lot.” He fiddles with his fingers. “Dey my fam’wy too?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. They can be your family, too. I’m sure they’ll love you.”

And he’s not lying. Despite having a rocky start, Damian, Steph, Cass, and Duke have warmed up to Jason. Even Tim, who was nearly killed multiple times by the anti-hero has come around to him in the past year. Jason had even started hanging out at the Manor more in the past few months before…this happened.

Jason smiles. “I aways wan’ed sib’ins.”

“You’ll love them. I’m sure.”

The rest of the ride is spent in relative silence, only the noises of the sprinkling rain and Jason humming as he stares out the window. Dick is glad he keeps an umbrella in his car. The weather in Gotham and Bludhaven is unpredictable at best. When they get to the Manor, it’s pouring rain. Dick parks as close as he can and makes good use of the umbrella, only getting a little wet on the way up to the front doors. Jason is staring in awe at everything, slightly falling behind and having to run to stay under the umbrella. He’s a little upset that Dick can’t carry him, but he understands. The man has an umbrella in one hand and their duffle bag in the other. Jason, for his part, is carrying his water bottle. He’s already drunk some of the contents, but he’s trying to save it in case there isn’t any apple juice here. Jason doesn’t think that’s really possible, because this house is huge. There’s gotta be juice around here somewhere.

When the door opens and an elderly man appears in its place, Jason instinctively hides behind Dick’s legs. He doesn’t know why he does this, the man looks nice, but Jason’s always been wary of new people.

“Good afternoon, Mister Grayson. It’s good to see you again,” the old man greets. “Please, come in out of the rain.”

 Dick steps inside, closing the umbrella and shaking it out on the doorstep. “Afternoon, Alfred. Thank you.”

“Let me take your coat and umbrella, sir.”

Dick smiles, shedding the coat and handing that and the umbrella to Alfred. He then reaches down and helps Jason out of his coat.

“Oh? And who might this be?” Alfred asks, bending down slightly.

Dick smiles, putting a hand on Jason’s back. “This is Jason. He’s staying with me for a while.”

Alfred’s eyes light up with recognition. “Yes, of course. Miss Gordon explained the situation.”

“Is she here? She said she has something to show me.”

“Yes. She’s downstairs in the…basement. Shall I take the young one to the guest room?”

Dick is about to respond when Jason wraps himself tighter around the man’s leg. Dick looks down, noticing the boy’s wide, blue eyes and trembling bottom lip. Dick sighs, unlatching Jason from his leg and crouching down.

“It’s okay, kiddo. No one’s gonna hurt you, I promise. Alfred is my friend. I’ve known him since I was really young.”

Jason whines, leaning closer to Dick. “Don’ wanna go.”

“I know, Jay. But Babs and I need to talk about something that’s not for little ears. It won’t take more than a half hour and I promise I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done,” Dick assures.

Jason holds out a hand. “Pinkie pomise?”

Dick nods, wrapping his pinkie around Jason’s. “Pinkie promise.”

Jason sniffles, turning to Alfred. “I see Dick’s room?”

“Of course, young sir. I’m sure he has some of his old toys you can play with.”

Alfred takes the duffle bag from Dick then holds out a hand. Jason takes it, following the butler up the stairs. Dick watches them for a moment before heading down to the Batcave. Barbara’s there, sitting at the computer. When she hears the elevator open, she turns, face full of confusion.

“Dick. Glad you could make it. Where’s Jason?”

Dick sits down. “Upstairs looking at my old room with Alfred. What did you find?”

“Well, when I was looking through the footage, which took forever, by the way, I noticed something…odd,” Barbara explains.

“You said he did it on purpose?”

“I think so. Look, it’d just be easier if you watch for yourself.”

Barbara presses a couple buttons and the video plays.

Jason looks down at the paper in his hand. “This should be the place.”

He steps into the abandoned warehouse, looking around. All he sees is collapsed concrete pillars, piles of broken glass, and puddles of what he hopes is water growing from steady drips of water coming from the ceiling, if a few metal beams can be called a ceiling. Jason looks around, lingering on the symbols on the wall.

“God, this is fucking stupid.” He takes a deep breath, setting a cloth bag on the floor. “Morgana, Morgana, I bring you some gifts. Please hear me out and grant me my wish.”

A swirl of purple light surrounds the area before a figure appears, clad in a black cloak with purple accents. The figure speaks in a gentle, airy way, almost ethereal.

“I know what you seek, child.”

“Y-you do?”

“Your childhood was non-existent. You seek to remedy that, no?”

Jason nods. “Yes. I-I do.”

“You know the rules, then? You shall be sent to the last time you were carefree. You must choose a person to care for you during this time. As well, you must choose a time period to stay at this age for.”

“I want to do it for a month.”

“Very well. Then you understand you will be aged down to your carefree self for one month with a selected caregiver.”

“I understand. But…”

“You wish to know if your memories will be intact once the experience is over?”

Jason just nods.

“They will. You will retain your safe feelings and a positive relationship with whomever you reconcile with in your young age.”

“Okay. I’m ready.”

“One last thing, child. Who do you pick to care for you during this time?”

“I choose Dick Grayson.”

Dick sits back in his chair, letting out the breath he’d been subconsciously holding. He doesn’t know how to feel about what he just saw. It’s a lot to take in. Not only did Jason get himself de-aged on purpose, but he also specifically chose Dick as his caregiver. It means he trusts Dick enough to let the older see him in such a vulnerable state. Dick has never felt so…valued. Knowing his little brother entrusts him with his life makes Dick’s heart swell.

Barbara looks at him. “Well?”

“I…Wow. I don’t know what to think.”

Barbara nods, putting a hand on his knee. “It’s a lot. I know.”

“I didn’t know he trusted me that much.”

“Of course he does. Even if he doesn’t say it, he looks up to you. He always has. You’re his older brother. Nothing is going to change that.”

Dick nods, though his brain still feels foggy with the amount of information he just received. “So, this lasts for a month.”

“Seems so.”

“I can handle a month.”

Barbara moves her hand to Dick’s shoulder. “You’re doing fine, Dick. You’re so patient and caring with Jason. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were his dad.”

“I’m just…doing what I remember my parents doing for me when I was little.”

“You had good role models.”

Dick nods. “Speaking of, we should probably go get him. I promised we wouldn’t be down here too long.”

The two head upstairs, finding Alfred in the kitchen cooking.

“Where’s Jason?” Dick asks, looking around.

Alfred looks over. “Ah, he is asleep in your bed, sir. He wore himself out playing with your old toys.” Upon noting the look on Dick’s face, Alfred continues. “He did manage to change himself into his pajamas and…special underwear before he fell asleep.”

Dick nods, looking at the clock: 1:13. “Thank you, Alfred.”

Dick heads up the stairs, following the path to his old room practically on autopilot. Even though it’s been seven years since he stayed in the Manor for more than a few days, he still knows the place like the back of his hand. When he gets to his old room, he pushes the door open carefully, knowing the hinges squeak. Sure enough, Jason is tucked into his bed, Franklin and a stuffed elephant Dick fondly named Zitka both tucked to his chest. Soft snores are coming from Jason’s slightly parted lips and his hair is spread across the pillow like a halo.

Dick settles down on the bed next to the boy, brushing some hair away from Jason’s eyes. Dick has been running himself ragged lately with work and patrol, so a nap won’t be too bad. He’s sure neither Alfred nor Barbara will mind Plus, Bruce is at work and Tim and Damian are still in school for at least another hour, so they won’t know if Dick takes a nap next to his little brother, wrapping an arm around the boy.

Jason stirs, sapphire blue eyes peeking open slightly. “Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“You’wl stay?”

Dick runs a hand through the boy’s hair. “Of course, buddy. Go back to sleep. I’ll be right here.”

Jason nods, eyes fluttering closed. “Love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Jay.”

Chapter Text

When Dick wakes up, it’s nearly 2:30, which means he’s slept for a little over an hour. Jason is still snoring softly beside him, but the packet Leslie gave him said children can nap for 1-2 hours. Dick sits up, stretching out his slightly aching limbs. He knows Tim and Damian will be out of school soon, so maybe he can pick them up and explain the situation properly. Jason is still sleeping, thumb tucked partly into his mouth.

Dick slips out of the room, heading downstairs to find Barbara working on her laptop at the dining room table. She looks up when he walks in.

“Hey. He okay?”

Dick nods. “Still sleeping. I was wondering if you could look after him while I go pick up Tim and Dami?”

“Of course, Dick. You know I’d take care of him anytime.”

Dick leans down and kisses her cheek. “Thank you, Babs. You’re the best.”

Barbara smirks. “You know it.”

Dick heads back out to his car, noting that the rain has stopped. He still takes his coat, though, slipping it on as he exits the Manor. It only takes five minutes to get to Damian’s school. Tim usually gets out of school half an hour before Damian, so he usually walks over to the middle school and waits outside until either Bruce or Alfred comes to pick them up. It’s easier to go to just one place rather than two and the middle school is only a ten minute walk from the high school. When he pulls up to the school, Tim looks surprised to see him.

“Dick? What are you doing here?” he asks, sliding into the front seat.

“Just stopping by for…something. I’ll explain when Dami gets in.”

It takes a few minutes before Damian comes out of the front doors. He gets in the backseat of the car, frowning.

“Grayson, why do you have a car seat back here?”

“Because, well…”

Tim quirks an eyebrow. “Do you have a kid or something?”

“Not exactly. Look, all you need to know is Jason got magically de-aged and he’s staying with me right now.”

“How old is he?” Tim asks.

“Four.”

“How long will he be like that?”

“About a month.”

“Who did it to him?”

Dick sighs, of all the people to ask questions, Tim always has a million.

“You don’t need to worry about that. He’s safe and it’ll wear off in a month. Just…be nice to him. He’s kinda sensitive.”

Damian tuts in disapproval. “Grayson, I assure you, we are not going to harm a child. Not even Todd.”

Dick parks the car, breathing a sigh of relief. “I appreciate that, Dami.”

Once they’re inside and their shoes and coats are off, Dick hears footsteps running toward him and has a second to brace himself, kneeling down before Jason is throwing himself into Dick’s open arms. He’s wearing his day clothes, so Barbara must have helped him change once he woke up.

“Daddy! Missed you!”

Ah, so it wasn’t just a sleep-induced slip of the tongue. Jason had really meant it.

“I missed you, too, kiddo. How was your nap?”

Jason nuzzles into Dick’s neck. “Good. Who awre dey?”

Right.

“Jay, these are my brothers,” Dick introduces.

Jason waves shyly. “Hi. ‘M Jason. Nice ta meet you.”

Tim is the first to step forward, shaking off the shock faster than Damian.

“It’s good to meet you, Jason. My name’s Tim.”

“I am Damian.”

Jason giggles. “You tawk funny.”

Damian scoffs indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest. “I do not,” he mutters, though there’s a lighthearted air to it.

Jason giggles again, squirming slightly to be put down. Once his feet touch the ground, he grabs Tim and Damian’s hands, attempting to pull them along.

“C’mon, we go pway wif Babby!”

Tim chuckles. “Let us put our stuff away and then we can play, okay?”

Jason nods, letting them go. “Okay. We be in da wivin room.”

“Okay.”

Tim and Damian walk away, heading up the stairs to their rooms. Dick follows Jason to the living room.

“What are you playing with Barbara?”

“Bwocks! Babby finded dem in da…uh, da up-upstaiws room.”

“In the attic?”

“Uh-huh! Da attic!”

“Sounds fun, buddy. When did you wake up?”

Jason tilts his head. “Uh, no too wong ‘go. Babby sayed you had just weft ‘fore I waked up.”

“Did you go potty, bud?”

Jason nods. “Uh-huh! Babby hewped me change, too.”

At this point, they’re at the entrance to the living room and Dick smiles at Barbara, who’s sitting in front of a tower of blocks.

“Well, that’s very nice of her, isn’t it, Jay?”

“Yeah. Babby is wike a reawly good mama.”

Barbara coos. “Aww, baby. Thank you. You’re so sweet.”

Jason sits down next to her, leaning his head on her shoulder. “I wanna stay wif you fo’evew.”

Dick sits down on his other side, running a hand through the boy’s curly hair. “You can stay as long as you want, Jay. We’ll take care of you.”

Jason rolls a cylindrical block around in his hands. “Like a mommy and daddy?”

Dick shares a look with Barbara over Jason’s head, then nods. “Yeah. Just like a mommy and daddy.”

They’ve got a month or so left of Jason being this age, so there’s no reason not to step into the roles he’s asking for.

“Well, aren’t you three a happy little family,” Tim remarks with a chuckle.

Dick looks up to see both of his younger brothers standing in the archway. Tim is leaning against the frame, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Damian is next to him, also dressed in soft clothes, but holding himself up like he usually does.

Jason bounces. “Dat means you’we my uncles!”

Tim chuckles, walking over and ruffling the boy’s hair. “Yeah, it does, kiddo. So, what are we playing?”

“Bwocks! Mama an’ I was buiwdin a city.”

Damian kneels on the other side of the carpet. “What would you like us to build, Jason?”

“Uh, Tim buiwd a gocewy ‘towe…an Dami buiwd a pawk! Mama an Daddy can hewp me buiwd da houses.”

“Okay.”

All five build the city, finding new ways to expand the area until Alfred informs them that dinner is ready. They all stand with varying degrees of difficulty before heading to the dining room.

“Don’t forget to wash your hands,” Dick reminds them all before turning to where Alfred is staring at him pointedly.

Barbara leads Jason to the downstairs bathroom, giving him a ride on her chair and Dick watches them go.

“I’ve informed Mr. Wayne of your…situation and he has agreed to keep everything as discreet as possible,” Alfred tells the young man.

“Thank you, Alfred. I appreciate that.”

“Of course, sir. Now, dinner is ready, so you should wash your hands and join your family.”

Dick nods and heads to wash his hands and go to the dining room. He sees everyone waiting for him, food on their plates but not eating yet.

Barbara explains. “Jason wanted to wait for you.”

“Aw, thanks, kiddo. I appreciate that.”

Jason beams, bouncing in his chair. “Wook, Daddy! Awfred maked macawoni an cheese! Is my favowite!”

“I see.” Dick spoons some onto his own plate. “That’s very nice of him.”

“Daddy, whos’at?” Jason asks, looking pointedly at Bruce.

“That’s my foster dad, Bruce.”

“Oh. So wike g’ampa?”

Dick chuckles, noting how Bruce chokes on the water he just drank. “Yeah, bud.”

Tim smirks, sharing a look with Damian before leaning closer to Jason.

“Hey, Jay? Do you wanna watch a movie after dinner? We have a really big screening room that everyone can fit in.”

Jason’s eyes widen, looking between Dick and Barbara hopefully. “Can we? Can we? P’ease?”

Barbara nods, smoothing down the boy’s hair. “As long as it’s not too late, baby, sure.”

Jason beams, then turns his sapphire blue eyes to Bruce. “G’ampa watch, too?”

Bruce falters, pushing food around his plate. “I don’t know…”

Tim scoffs. “C’mon, Bruce. You’re always saying we need to do more things as a family. Are you gonna say no to a movie night with your kids and your brand new grandson?”

Bruce falters, mouth dropping open in shock. Dick hides a snicker behind his glass, knowing the only person who pushes for more family time is him, not Bruce. But there’s no way Bruce can deny that or decline the movie night, either. Not with Jason’s wide, blue eyes staring at him expectantly.

Bruce sighs. “Sounds fun. What movie are we watching?”

“Uh…Nuh knows.”

Dick smiles at Jason. “It’s okay, we can figure it out later. Right now, eat your food, buddy.”

“Okay!”

The rest of dinner goes by regularly normally, with Tim and Damian talking about their days at school and Bruce telling everyone about a meeting he had to ensure better security in Arkham Asylum. Once they’re done eating and their plates are in the dishwasher, they head to the living room. Dick looks at the clock, noting that it reads 6:12 .

“Hey, Jay, it’s getting close to bedtime. Why don’t we change into our PJs, yeah?”

“Okay.”

Jason follows Dick upstairs to the room where their stuff is, taking the pajamas he’d worn earlier off of the dresser. Dick helps him into the onesie and a pull-up before he has an idea.

“Hey, kiddo. Do you wanna put on the hood to show Bruce? He’s a big fan of Batman.”

Jason pulls the  hood over his head, adjusting it so the eye holes are in the right place. “Yeah! Is a supise fow G’ampa!”

And to say Dick enjoys the look on Bruce’s face is an understatement. He absolutely relishes in it, soaking in the shock and bewilderment prominent in the man’s expression. And when Jason pulls himself up into Bruce’s lap to show him, well that’s even better.

“G’ampa, wook! Is youw favowite!”

Bruce glares at Dick, then clears his throat, looking at Jason. “It’s very…nice, buddy. Where’d you get it?”

“I picked it out fwom da store when Nigh’wing saved me!”

Bruce sends a stern look to Dick again, but Dick just throws up his hands.

“Don’t look at me, I wasn’t there.”

Bruce just grimaces, grumbling something under his breath. But then Jason, sweet Jason, wraps his arms around Bruce’s neck and the man’s anger drains away. It’s hard to be upset with a ball of sunshine in your lap.

“Thank you for adopting my Daddy,” Jason mumbles.

Bruce softens, wrapping his arms around the boy. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“Aw, Bruce.” Dick flops down onto the couch. “You’re such a softie.”

Bruce, seeming to have caught onto the fact that his children are messing with him, rolls his eyes. “Yes. That’s me. A big softie.”

“Movie now?” Jason asks, bouncing slightly.

Bruce nods. “Of course, kiddo.”

He grabs the remote, turning on the TV and picking a streaming service. He scrolls through the kids’ movies, going slowly so Jason can see the options. Finally, Jason sees a movie he likes, one with a dragon on the cover. He points to it.

“Dat one! Dat one!”

The movie turns out to be How to Train Your Dragon . Dick has seen it before, enough times to know it’s Jason’s guilty pleasure. A movie he used to watch with his mother when she was recovering at home. Something neither really had to pay attention to. It was a simple movie, hardly any thinking required, just pure emotions. Within the first few minutes of the movie, Alfred comes in with a tray that he sets on the coffee table.

“Some fresh cookies and milk to go with your movie.”

Jason crawls closer to the table, gasping in delight when he sees the treats. “Daddy, wook! Is da cimnimon ones!”

Dick nods. “I see, buddy. Be careful with your cup.”

He hands the boy a small, plastic red cup Dick remembers from when he first moved in with Bruce. He’d kept dropping and breaking the ceramic plates and the glasses, so Bruce had bought a set of plastic dishes instead.

Jason takes the cup with both hands, then places it between his knees and holds it with one hand while the other grabs a cookie. The others take milk and glasses of cookies, too, eating the snack as they watch. Once he’s done with his own cookies, Jason scoots from lap to lap, cuddling with each member of his new family. By the time the movie is over, he’s back cuddled in Bruce’s lap, eyes fluttering closed as the credits roll.

Bruce holds him, looking at Dick. “You’d better get him to bed. It’s late.”

Dick picks the boy up, holding him close. “Thanks, Bruce.”

Bruce gives him a pointed look. “We’ll talk later.”