Chapter Text
Jason couldn't breathe. He couldn't take his eyes off his mom. Catherine was lying on the floor. Her eyes were bloodshot red and her mouth was foaming. He shook her screaming. "No. No! Wake up mom! No!" Jason couldn't save her. She was dying. It didn't matter how hard he cried and begged her to stay. She turned her head towards Jason in an eerie way. Jason stumbled back shocked. "Why do you want to replace me Jace? Why? Wasn't I enough for you?" Blood spilled from her mouth as she spoke. Jason stared in horror as her body started shaking hard and she started screaming making the whole room fill up with blood. Jason screamed.
"Hey. Hey. It's okay. Jay it's just a dream. You're fine." Someone was shaking him.
Jason jerked awake. For a second he just saw a hand touching him and threw a punch at that someone, only for them to catch his wrist. He hazily thought Bruce was beside him telling him to breathe.
"Whoa! Easy" Dick was sitting up on the bed with his hair sticking up in every direction.
Jason yanked his hand away from Dick. Trying not to see blood everywhere. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to steady his breathing.
He tried not to flinch when Dick spoke again. "Here" Jason felt a glass touch his hand. He took the water and gulped it down. No one spoke for a moment. Jason eventually opened his eyes when Dick yawned.
"Sorry" he mumbled.
"What for? Having a nightmare? Waking me up? Punching me? Please. A mosquito could hit harder than you lil bro." Dick joked.
Jason kicked him slightly earning an offended look and flopped back on the bed. He really should've slept on the sofa. Dickface didn't want to sleep on the sofa and he didn't want Jason to sleep on it either. So they had settled on a makeshift 'do not cross' line using pillows. Although the pillows had disappeared now. He turned his back on Dick and tried to go back to sleep.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"No"
"Like no I don't want to talk about it or No I don't want to talk about it"
"They mean the same thing Dickhead."
"Rude. I don't call you Jasonhead." Dick muttered. Jason had to take a second and wonder if he was drunk or just stupid. He settled on stupid. But it helped his racing heart to focus on something else. Which was probably what Dick was trying to do. Not that Jason was going to be grateful for it or anything.
"I used to have an elephant when I... lived in the circus. Her name was Zitka. She was such a lovely thing. She used to lift me up and—"
Jason let the words lull him into sleep. Once again, he was not grateful for Dick trying to calm him down.
"I'm sorry Dick I really want to be there for him. Are you sure you can do this alone? I know you can but you don't have to. I'm his father."
"Come on B. That's not fair. He might need his brother as much as he needs his father. It's okay I can handle it."
"I wasn't saying that. Keep him in one piece"
"I'll make sure he doesn't get blown up. I'll bring him home."
This was it. This is when he finally gets to meet his supposed birth mother. He smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt, trying not to look like he crawled out of a dumpster. As if he'd never crawled out of dumpsters before. Dick hummed a tune next to him, Jason didn't know what he was nervous about.
They were told to wait inside a tent while Dr. Sheila came to meet them. They didn't exactly give the whole reason why they were here, just that Bruce Wayne wanted to make a donation and he sent his sons to speak with Doctor Sheila Haywood. A half-assed cover story but no one gave a shit when they were rich kids.
Jason glanced at Dick. He knew Dick already updated Bruce on what's going on. Jason didn't exactly get a chance to call Bruce and talk to him about this. Maybe he wanted to avoid talking to Bruce as long as he can because he's scared. So what if he ignored Bruce's messages. He also hadn't asked Dick whether he would be okay if Sheila wanted Jason to stay with her.
"Do you think I should stay? If—if she wanted me to? I didn't exactly think of a plan after I find out if she's my mom." Jason asked to fill the silence.
Dick went still. "Stay?" he repeated quietly. "You mean stay with Sheila?"
Jason shrugged keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. "If she's my mom."
For the first time he saw Dick look completely lost. His mouth opened, then closed again. "Jason..." he started only to trail off.
"I thought... I thought you wanted to just meet her. Fuck." Jason kept staring as Dick looked like he was fighting a losing battle with words. "Okay. Okay. If Sheila is a good person— which I really hope she is. then. Yeah... you could... stay." He said quietly.
"But you don't know her yet. I'm not saying she's a bad person. But can we... look into her first? Make sure she's who she says she is on paper. If after all that... if you— if you still want to stay..." He paused and gave him a quiet smile. "Then I'll make sure Bruce understands."
Jason blinked. Dick looked like he'd rather eat dirt than finish that sentence. The knot in his stomach tightened.
Jason rolled his eyes. "You're acting like Bruce's dog's about to die."
Dick didn't laugh. They both fell into an awkward silence. Thankfully it was broken by footsteps approaching them. They both tensed up slightly.
Jason watched with wide eyes when Sheila Haywood walked into the tent. She had blond hair and blue eyes. Jason saw a glimpse of his own features in her face.
"I heard you were looking for me? I'm Sheila Haywood. Nice to meet you." She spoke like she feared nothing and no one. Jason was star struck. She really did look like a mom. A mother who abandoned her child
Dick held out his hand. "Richard Grayson. Nice to meet you." He gave Sheila a slight smile that Jason would call fake as hell. They shook hands.
Sheila turned towards Jason and he could feel the world stop. "And who might this young man be?" She asked, her eyes twinkling.
Jason took a deep breath. "Jason. Jason Todd."
Sheila's smile disappeared. Her eyes wide and jaw open. "Jason— Jason Todd? As in Willis Todd— what? How?—"
Dick's phone rang and they jumped remembering Dick was here too. Dick quickly got his phone out and gave them both another fake ass smile. He didn't even look at Jason. "I'll give you some privacy."
Dick was out of the tent in seconds. Sheila sat down on one of the chairs. "Fuck—how— how did you find me? Is Willis here!?" She looked around as if expecting Willis to jump out of the shadows. Jason could see tears gathering in her eyes.
"Willis Todd died two years ago... so it's true? You... you're my mom? why— why did you leave?" Jason asked hating himself for sounding so vulnerable. Why did you leave me with him.
Sheila wiped her tears. "Why is this happening to me?" She muttered to herself. Jason didn't interrupt, letting her say her piece. Knowing whatever she was going to say would probably break him. "I had to leave Jason. I couldn't take it anymore." She took a shaky breath. "Willis... made my life miserable. and then I found out he had another woman. I made... an agreement with him. I let him have a perfect family, in exchange for my freedom."
She stood up grabbing Jason by his shoulders. Her eyes had a desperate, almost haunted look. "You have to understand! I couldn't stay there! It was you or me. I had to choose myself." She was crying and Jason was just staring at her. His body had locked up. Letting himself be shaken like a ragdoll.
"And now you're here!? Why are you here kid? Why!? Fuck..." she took a step away from Jason. "First that psycho threatens me— now you?" She was talking to herself.
Jason felt like he was shattering to pieces. He was expecting shock and tears not exactly a psychotic breakdown and tears. He needed to get out of here. His body just wouldn't move. His breath came in short, shallow gasps. He didn't want to stay in here anymore.
Jason couldn't do anything as he watched Sheila walk back towards him and put her hands on his shoulder again. Her eyes turned cold and serious. "You need to leave. I am not your mother and I don't want to be one. I wish I never had a kid. I put Sheila Todd way behind me. You need to leave. This place isn't safe." Her nails dug into his shoulders.
"Step away from my son." Both of them turned towards the voice. A broad figure stood at the entrance of the tent.
Bruce.
There was no cowl. No cape. Somehow Bruce Wayne had never looked more like Batman.