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It was supposed to be a quick nap. Actually, not even that. Not even a doze. They weren’t supposed to be sleeping at all.
It’d been an accident, really.
An accident that they were both tired from their day jobs. An accident that the sun was nice and the grass was comfortable. An accident that the breeze was cool and the first thing they thought of to keep warm was huddling against each other.
The loud, frantic chirping of nearby birds was what finally stirred Jason from his rest. Quietly, he groaned, tried to bury his nose further into Dick’s jacket, even as Dick stretched the arm pillowing his head.
“We should probably figure out what we’re going to do for dinner.” Dick mumbled, flopping his arm across Jason’s shoulders. “I’m not feeling cooking today.”
“We can go to DeMarco’s. It’s just down the road.” Jason sighed, flexing his arms by squeezing them tighter around Dick’s ribcage. “What do you think about that, Damian? Think we can not throw cups this ti-”
Jason paused as he blinked and glanced down, to where the child had been barricaded between their legs – like he always was, even at home. Damian didn’t often enjoy the playpen, and tended to wander. They quickly found he didn’t have the ability to wobble over their legs, so it became the best option. Because it was where he could be safe, and close, but still free enough to tumble around as much as he wanted while Dick or Jason were otherwise mentally occupied.
The space was empty.
“Shit.” He instantly rolled to his back, jerked to a sit as he tried to blink away the fog of sleep. He quickly glanced around the immediate area. No baby to be seen. Louder, he called. “Damian?”
Nothing.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Jason jumped to his feet, as Dick slowly dropped to his stomach, lurching to a stand. “Christ, how long were we out?”
Dick glanced at his watch and frowned. “Don’t worry about it. Where’s the jungle gym?”
“He’s fucking two, what’s he gonna do at a jungle gym?” Jason snapped, turning in that direction anyway. He scanned the small group of children there, but there was no sign of their baby. As his mind raced, a thought suddenly struck Jason, and his heart hurt at the idea. “Oh my god, the pond.”
Damian loved the pond. Damian loved the ducks in the pond.
Jason watched as Dick’s face paled before taking off in that direction. A few seconds later, he heard the patter of Dick’s feet right behind him.
“I don’t understand.” Dick huffed. “He’s two. He’s not even two. He can barely crawl. We didn’t even feel him go over our legs, how could he…?”
“He’s the son of Talia al Ghul. He has his ways.” Jason muttered bitterly. “Damian!”
There was no answer, no babble of recognition. And the baby – their baby – was so small. They could run right by him and not see him.
Guilt rumbled in both of their chests. Who the fuck loses a baby.
They reached the end of the path, and as Jason jogged down the grass to the pond’s edge, Dick remained on the concrete.
“I’m going to call the precinct!” He called after Jason. Jason waved him off, sliding to stop at the water, and calling Damian’s name once more.
Dick turned away as he pulled the phone out of his pocket, eyes scanning the area. The open field, the jungle gym, the walking paths, and even the parking lot.
Come on, come on. There’s gotta be something. Something, anything.
(Please don’t be at the bottom of the pond. Oh god, please.)
There must have been some sort of god watching over him, some sort of deity taking pity on the young fathers who let their exhaustion get the best of them. His eyes must have darted over the area four times already, but only now he let his gaze rest there. Let himself focus on the two young ladies in the sandbox.
In his quick assessment, he had made the mental note that the blonde and the dark haired girls were probably a little old to be using that facility of the park, but it was only now, that he lingered on them, did he realize there was a third person playing in the dirt. A very small, black-haired little boy.
And it was only as the relief washed over him, as he let loose an audible exhale did he realize something else.
He knew those girls.
It was Tim’s friend, Stephanie Brown, and his sister, Cassandra Cain.
“Jason!” He shouted, turning back to the water as he dropped the phone back into his pocket. The other just waved him off again. “Jason, I got him!”
Jason jerked his head up, tense hope written across his face. When he followed Dick’s point, his features immediately relaxed, even as he craned his neck to confirm his own sight.
Dick spun away then, heading towards the sandbox. He was already trotting, on the verge of a full-out sprint, when Jason completely flew by him. Damian spotted him almost instantly.
“Baba!”
Cass and Steph could barely acknowledge another presence before Jason scooped Damian up into his arms, collapsed into the grass nearby.
Steph leaned forward instantly. “Hey, buddy, do you kn-”
“Oh, Jesus Christ.” Jason breathed as Dick finally came to a halt above them, as he cupped the back of Damian’s head and held him close.
“Dick?” Cass asked in surprise, standing and brushing the sand from her pants. “What are you…” She glanced down at the man and child. “…Is…you know this child?”
“Yeah.” Dick smiled weakly. “Thanks. For, uh…for finding him. ”
“You’re lucky we did!” Steph scolded, leaning back and shoving her fingers through the warm dunes. “The little twerp was about to roll after a duck into the water!”
“We were going to…play.” Cass added. “Until most families left. Then call Bruce to…to…for assistance.”
“Seriously. You did good.” Dick chuckled nervously, crouching in front of Jason as he finally released Damian enough to look at him. “I owe you guys. We owe you guys. Big time.”
“Yeah, we.” Steph snorted. “Speaking of, who are you, fella? Are you his d-”
“Don’t you ever,” Jason cut her off, staring sternly down at Damian, who had already stuck his fist in his mouth. “Ever run away from Didi or I again. Okay, Damian?”
“Damian?” Steph whispered, nudging Cass’s arm. “And here we were calling him Bob.”
“Baba?” Damian mumbled, tilting his head thoughtfully.
“Okay? Do you understand me?” He gave Damian’s arms a gentle shake, trying to stay firm. It was hard, especially in his relief. In his guilt that he didn’t watch him better. “No more running off. No more…scaring the piss out of Didi and Baba. Okay?”
“Didi?” Cassandra whispered, staring curiously at Dick. “You are Didi?”
“Okay?” Jason repeated, jiggling Damian’s hands once more. Damian probably couldn’t understand the words, but by the pout growing on his lips, he knew the severity of the situation. Or, at the very least, knew he was in trouble.
“Baba.” He blubbered, and those baby tears were already welling up in his eyes. “No, Baba.”
Before anyone could speak again, before Stephanie could question Jason’s identity, before Cassandra could question Dick further about the nickname, before Jason could even think of something to counter Damian with, Damian leaned back, reaching into the chest pocket of his overalls. When his hand reemerged, he was holding a slightly crumpled, mostly intact daisy. It was obviously one of the sprouts of weeds surrounding the pond water. Regardless, Damian held it out against Jason’s nose in offering.
“No, Baba.” He repeated. Suddenly, he reached up with his free hand, brushed his fingers against Jason’s cheek like he was wiping away tears. “No thad.”
And Jason caved immediately. Closed his eyes and leaned against the tiny hand, while plucking the flower from the other.
“No thad, no thad.” Damian pleaded. And Jason nodded, kissing his fingers before pulling Damian tight to his chest once more.
“Take him to the car.” Dick whispered with a smile. “I’ll meet you there.”
Jason nodded silently, leaning forward and pushing off the ground. He turned to Stephanie and Cassandra, gave them a quick nod and a quiet, “Thank you so much.”
The girls watched with Dick as Jason walked away, smothering Damian’s face in light pecks. Though it wasn’t long before both of their gazes fell back to Dick, who had a ditzy sort of smile hanging from his face.
“Dick…who was that man?” Cassandra asked cautiously. Dick could already see the gears working in her head. Knew she saw the similarities in the baby’s face, knew who she was comparing them to. “Who…who was the child?”
Dick smiled, hoped it was as charming as everyone said. “They’re friends of mine. And I’m trying to keep them both safe.” He reached out, clasping a hand on both girls’ shoulders. “So, if you two don’t mind…try to keep today’s little event on the hush-hush?”
Steph and Cass exchanged a doubtful glance, before Stephanie said, “Tell us about it on patrol later?”
“Later, definitely.” Dick promised. “But on patrol? Maybe not that soon.”
The girls both continued to stare at him critically. After a moment, they both sighed in tandem. Resigned in agreement.
Dick’s grin grew brighter. “You ladies are the best.” He swore, leaning forward and kissing them both on the cheek. “Have I mentioned I owe you one? Because I most definitely do.”
He squeezed their shoulders one last time before releasing them, and running after Jason.
“Your family, Cass. I swear.” Stephanie drawled, rolling her eyes and turning away. “They’re a mess.”
As she watched Dick catch up to the others, as she watched him wrap his arm gently around the man’s waist, and as she watched the baby reach out for him in excitement –
(Even from here she could hear his shrill yell of ‘Didi!’)
– she couldn’t help but agree with Stephanie’s assessment.