Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alfred would call it a perfect storm. Red Hood hadn’t fought the bat in weeks, hadn’t spoken to him in months. But that night he found himself trading punches with him in the dark shadows of crime alley.

Red Hood had been tracking down a stolen artifact, which, in a moment of genius, he decided to keep in his interior jacket pocket. All it took was one ill placed kick from Batman and… Well, Bruce isn’t completely sure what happened after that.

There was a puff of some purple gas, like Hood had thrown a smoke bomb. But when the gas cleared away, Bruce was not left in an empty alleyway. Red Hood was still there, sitting on the hard concrete. He was just… smaller.

Bruce stilled, not able to force his body to move as Hood pulled off his helmet. His hair was a dark midnight black, the white patch left from the lazarus pit having been washed away by whatever artifact he had broken.

“B?” Red Hood asked, setting the helmet on the ground. “What are we doing out here?” He ran his hand through his hair, most likely deciding if he had a concussion.

“H- Robin,” he corrected himself. This was not the red hood. He simply wasn’t big enough. The Red Hood had grown taller than Batman in his time with the league. He was big, in height and figure. This was Robin. He was shorter, having not yet hit his growth spurt, never hitting his growth spurt. He was lean, built like an acrobat.

“Where’s my suit?” Robin asked. Bruce wasn’t sure what to say. His suit was in a memorial in the batcave. But he couldn’t tell him that.

“You’re pockets, Robin, what's in your pockets?” He asked, his shaking voice betraying him. Robin rifled through his oversized jacket and eventually pulled out a handful of broken clay, the purple liquid it once held shining on his leather gloves.

“This is so gross.” He mumbled and Bruce couldn’t help but agree. Robin put the clay back in his pocket, knowing they would need to test the mystery liquid.

“B?” He asked again, and Bruce almost managed to meet his eye. “Can we go home now?”

How could he say no to that?

—

“What happened to this place?” Jason asked when they arrived at the batcave. Bruce wasn’t sure what to say. If he thought about it, he could remember what the cave used to look like, when his second son was alive. It was different now. Every new Robin and Bat needed something different, and Bruce spared no expense for them.

“I’m going to call for Alfred. I need you to stay right here. Stay right next to the batmobile, okay?”

“Not scared I'm gonna steal your tires?” Jason grinned and felt like crying. This was his boy. He was back.

Bruce left Jason with the batmobile and quickly covered the robin memorial before calling Alfred to the cave, directing him to not allow any of the other children out of their rooms until further notice. This; of course, was immediately met with messages from each of his angry children, demanding to know why they were suddenly grounded. Bruce replied with something vague, promising that it was only for a short time, though he himself failed to believe that.

“Master Bruce, may I ask why your children have been caged?” Alfred’s voice brought him back to the present. Bruce waved for Alfred to follow him and led the butler to the batmobile. Alfred stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the boy in an oversized costume.

“Hey Alf!” Jason waved and Bruce could see him holding back tears as Jason ran up to them. “Have you seen my costume? Bruce won’t tell me where it is.” He huffed.

“Master Jason, h- how wonderful to see you.” Alfred greeted him with a shaking voice.

“You saw me this morning,” Jason said, messing with the oversized gloves on his hands.

“Come on, Jaylad. Alfred will get you a change of clothes. We need to talk.” Jason looked up at him, a hint of fear in his blue eyes. Bruce wanted to pick him up. He probably could. He could still carry Dick for goodness sake. But he remembered before his death that Jason was adamant that he wasn’t a child anymore. And Bruce didn’t want to mess up the delicate balance of this situation.

Bruce led Jason to one of the sitting rooms in the manor. If he noticed the photos on the wall; which Bruce was sure he noticed, he said nothing. There were pictures all over the manor. Dick’s graduation, Tim taking over as CEO, Damian and Duke’s first day of school. There were no pictures of Jason. Bruce sometimes wondered if his younger children even knew their brother beyond a name on a memorial.

But the photos, the evidence that Jason had lived and died, Bruce couldn’t handle it.

Jason sat down on the couch after he changed, tucking his legs under him and stared Bruce right in the eye. Exactly how Red Hood stared him down in every interaction.

“Jason,” Bruce started, not sure if he was ready for this conversation. “How old are you?”

Jason clearly wasn’t prepared for that question. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly before answering. “You know how old I am?” He said simply.

“Please, Master Jason. This is of a very important matter.” Alfred cut in. Jason was always particularly close to Alfred. “Fifteen. I’m fifteen.”

Bruce had guessed as much. But the confirmation was staggering.

“How old am I supposed to be?” Jason asked in a quiet voice.

“I believe you are around twenty-three,” Alfred said before Bruce could stop him.

Jason looked shocked, how could he not? Learning he had lost roughly eight years of his life.

“I don’t understand. Is that why I was wearing that weird suit? Am I not Robin anymore?” His questions came so quickly after each other that Bruce couldn’t hope to answer them. “Was that clay thing an artifact? Did I get sent back in time? Is it permanent?”

That last question stuck in Bruce's mind. Was this permanent? Could he really have his son back?

“Hello?” Jason said, Bruce looked up. But he wasn’t waiting for Bruce’s reply. He was looking behind him, at an open door. Bruce could barely catch the flutter of blonde hair as his children ran away.

Great.

Chapter Text

“Okay, okay.” Jason said. “In the eight years I can’t remember you managed to adopt five more kids? Bruce, you have a problem.”

“Dick says I should have stopped at one.” He couldn’t help but smile.

“Dick face is dumb. You should have stopped when you finally got it right, so right after me.” Jason grinned.

He had no way of knowing that Bruce hadn’t planned on adopting anymore children after Jason. But each and every one of his siblings managed to weasel themselves into his life and burrow down until he gave them a space in it.

“Who’s Robin now?” Jason asked, “What are the other’s hero names? What's my hero name?”

Bruce stiffened, “You’re not a hero anymore, Jason.” Jason tilted his head.

“Your father is right, Jason you-” Alfred began but Bruce cut him off.

“You help us out sometimes on patrol but you’re not a hero anymore. After you gave up the Robin title you just didn’t want to fight anymore.” He wasn’t sure if lying was the right move. But his son was dead. He had been dead for eight years. He couldn’t let him go when he finally got him back.

“Really?” Jason asked, clearly not convinced. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“Things change over time, Jaylad.” Bruce said, waiting for a chance to change the subject.

“Alfred, will you go collect Jason’s siblings? Please inform them of his condition.” Alfred glared at him, obviously upset at his decision to lie to Jason. Alfred didn’t approve of many of his decisions when it came to Jason. He knew that the two of them still kept contact, even though Bruce had strictly forbidden it. But why would Bruce allow his son to become the Red Hood if he could prevent it.

“What are their names? I don’t remember them.” Jason asked, watching Alfred leave the room.

“Tim comes after you, then Stephanie, Cassandra, Damian, and I adopted Duke most recently.” He said.

“That's cool, I always wanted younger siblings.”

“You did?” Jason had never mentioned anything about younger siblings.

“Yeah, I used to take care of the younger kids in crime alley. Always thought it’d be nice to have something like that again, without the fear that something would happen to them.” Bruce was going to say something. He had to respond to an admission like that. Jason talked about his past so rarely after all. But he was interrupted by a voice from the doorway.

“Father, what is going on here?” Damian demanded.

“Jason, this is your youngest brother, Damian. He is also the current Robin.”

Jason laughed a bit and Damian somehow glared harder at the reaction. “You don’t look like a Robin,” He grinned.

“What is that supposed to mean, Todd?” Damian asked, clenching his fists as Jason continued to giggle.

“Todd-Wayne, actually. And I just mean that you’re so stiff. How do you pull off a backflip without tearing something?”

“I typically refrain from unnecessary displays of acrobatics.” He huffed.

“A Robin that doesn’t flip, never thought I’d see the day.” Jason smiled. It was odd. Damian had met Jason Todd when he stayed with the league of assassins. He kept minimal contact with him even now. But he had never seen him like this, open and smiling. That just wasn’t who Todd was. But maybe it had been at one point.

“Did Dick never teach you gymnastics? I could do it. I’m sure B still has the gym downstairs. We’ll have you flying around the city in no time.”

“Grayson did attempt to teach me gymnastics. He shared your opinions on the traits of a robin. I simply find no use for the skill.” Jason hummed in acknowledgement.

“Where is Dick, by the way? Is he here?”

“No,’ Alfred said as he re-entered the room with the remaining Wayne children. “Master Dick spends most of his time in Blüdhaven as of late.”

“Where do I live?” Jason asked, Bruce wasn’t sure. “Don’t tell me I'm still living with my dad at twenty-three.” Jason groaned.

“An apartment in Star City, I helped you move in not long ago.” Alfred thankfully did not reveal anything more about the Red Hood’s life to Jason.

Bruce didn't know he was in Star City, Oliver Queen certainly wouldn't have told him. He just had to wait for the crime lord to be spotted in Gotham.

“Star City? Why would I want to go there?” Jason made a face. Bruce remembered at this point that the only arrow Jason had spent any time with was Speedy, who he couldn't stand.

“Are you going to be staying here for now?” Duke asked, the first of the other children to speak up. “Until the spell thing wears off?”

“I guess,” Jason shrugged. “I’m not really sure what I even do in Star City. Knowing Bruce I’m probably a professional nepo baby. So I think I can do that from the manor.” Bruce knew exactly what Red Hood did in Star City. And he would make sure that Jason never went back there.

—

Bruce said goodnight to his children that night. All of his children. It was a sense of calm he hadn’t felt in years. Watching Jason sleepy walk back into a room that had been left untouched for eight years, knowing when he woke up he would still be there, not in the ground, not in his memory.

Dick didn’t take the new well. Bruce was able to talk him out of driving to the manor in the middle of the night. Jason would still be here in the morning after all. Dick could come by for breakfast. He wasn’t looking to steal Kori’s husband away from her at three in the morning.

“Master Bruce?” Alfred said, interrupting Bruce’s perfect night. In his hand he held a small black cell phone, buzzing away incessantly.

“It’s Jason’s. It hasn’t stopped ringing since I received it.” Bruce sighed. He didn’t need that man coming in and ruining his final chance with his son.

“I believe you know who it is, sir.” Alfred said with a glare.

“Destroy it. It could have a tracker on it.”

Alfred huffed, but he did as he was told.

Chapter Text

Roy Harper is a simple man. After everything he’s been through, at some point he had to decide what was important in his life. And after much deliberation, he decided that the most important thing was the ability to tuck his daughter into bed and go to sleep next to Jason at night.

This routine he relied so heavily on was interrupted by Jason’s questionable decision to take his last mission solo. Lian had a “donuts with dad” event at her school in the morning and he insisted that Roy had to get enough sleep to be functional for the celebration at 8:00 am.

This was ;of course , ignoring the fact that Roy hadn’t slept by himself in years and found no comfort in an empty bed. 

He finally broke at around 1:00 am. Jason should have texted him by then. He promised to update as he was leaving Gotham. So Roy called him, even though he should have been asleep. Jason didn’t pick up. He called again. Still nothing, again and again until he had nearly drained the battery. He didn’t know what to do. if he left now there was no way to know when he would get home. But he couldn’t just sit around and wait for a ransom letter… or worse.

Oliver said to wait it out. Jason was one of the best fighters he knew, he could handle himself. He probably just lost his burner phone in the commotion. That’s why they took burner phones in the first place.

He wasn’t happy about the late night phone call but he offered advice nonetheless. He and Roy had only reunited a few years ago, at Jason’s insistence. Roy was grateful. Ollie was a good man but Roy had gotten his stubbornness from somewhere. Without Jason they probably would’ve never spoken again.

So at Ollie’s suggestion, Roy waited. He waited all morning. When Lian woke up he made breakfast and avoided the question of where JayJay was. He went to “Donuts with Dad” despite begin asleep on his feet and he returned home. the apartment was still empty. 

He caved before noon. Ollie offered him a jet to Gotham and he took it. He hated this city but he needed to find Jason. 

He took laps around crime alley, offering money to any of the kids who could tell Arsenal where his partner went. Eventually a little blonde boy took the money and gave him the news he’d been dreading.

RedHood had been kidnapped.

Batman took him. So he knew he wasn’t dead. But a quick GCPS inmate search told him he wasn’t in custody either. And knowing Jason’s relationship with the bat, that wasn’t good. Ollie and Dinah could bail Jason out. They wouldn’t think twice about it. The Arrows loved Jason after all. 

But this wasn’t that simple. Batman hadn’t turned his son in. He didn’t leave him broken and battered in an alleyway either. That, Roy could have handled. But this wasn’t worse, not knowing was worse.

So Roy made one last ditch attempt.

—

The Bat Cave really wasn’t that difficult to get into. Roy had been breaking in since his time on young justice. 

It was different now. New training equipment and new gadgets. Jason’s memorial was covered. Maybe the bat didn’t want his son knowing he was missed. He wouldn’t put it past him. 

The Manor was different too. Roy knew that Bruce’s family had gotten bigger since he was last of the hero’s good side. But pictures lined every hallway now. It felt like he knew these kids just by the events he watched on the wall. Ollie and Dinah’s house was like that. He remembers specifically their favorite photo of Roy and Mia at archery camp. Looking back, it was honestly unfair for the other kids competing. 

When Roy heard the indistinguishable chatter of the birds of Gotham he knew he was in the right place. The time for stealth was over.

He threw open the dinning room doors and pointed an arrow in between Bruce’s eyes.

”Where is my husband?”

—

“Roy, put the bow down.” Dick said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. 

“Try and make me.” Roy spat. He was on maybe two hours of sleep and mercy was not coming easy to him at the moment. “Just tell me where Jason is and I’ll leave. But I’m not going anywhere without him.”

“Husband?” He heard someone choke out, suddenly face to face with a fifteen year old Jason Todd-Harper. 

The room was silent. Roy lowered his bow. What the hell had happened here. He knew Jason had left to return an artifact, but he didn’t know it had the power to turn back time.

“I’m married to Speedy?!” The younger Jason nearly screamed.

“Technically, Mia is Speedy now.” He corrected, but it was immediately drowned out by Jason’s yelling.

“Why didn’t you tell me I was married!?” At least his anger was pointed at Bruce now. “And you didn’t even tell my husband where I was? Dude thought you kidnapped me!”

“Master Bruce thought it best to keep the majority of your life from you, in case this change was permanent.” Alfred said, venom dripping from his voice. Roy had always liked Alfred. He knew that what Bruce was doing was wrong. And he treated Jason like the grandson he always was. 

Jason was silent after Alfred spoke. Roy had half a mind to feel bad for the other bats that had to witness this. Thankfully, Alfred had the decency to usher them out. So it was only Jason, Alfred, and Bruce that Roy had to deal with.

“...Why?” Jason asked finally, looking at Bruce like a lost puppy. Roy hated it. Bruce didn’t deserve Jason’s trust. All he ever did was hurt him.

“Because he’s not a part of your life anymore.” Roy said, ignoring the death glare that would have sent even Superman running. “He didn’t even show up to our wedding.” 

Jason looked hurt. But more than that he looked angry. Bruce hadn’t told him anything. He didn’t even know Roy’s new identity. He probably had no clue about the three year old he was raising. 

“Our wedding.” Jason asked quietly, as if he was only talking to himself. “What was that like?”

“I have pictures somewhere.” Roy said, pulling out his personal phone.

“It would have put Mr Darcy to shame.” Alfred smiled. 

Jason took the phone from Roy, staring at the picture of the two of them at the altar.

“Why didn’t you go?” Jason asked in a small voice. 

“It’s complicated, Jaylad.” Bruce started but he never got the chance to finish as Jason ran from the room, taking Roy’s phone with him. 

Roy watched the dinning room doors slam closed. He wasn’t sure where Jason was going. But at least now he knew what the problem was.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bruce got into Roy’s space, trying to intimidate him.

“I believe Master Roy was attempting to reach his missing husband.” Alfred said innocently. 

“What’s on that phone, Roy. I don’t want Jason following the same path he did before.” Bruce asked. Roy thought about it for a moment. 

“Everything. Our entire life is recorded on that phone.”

Chapter Text

Jason was not having a fun time. Two days ago his biggest problem was balancing Robin and AP Chem. Now, he was sitting with his back on his bedroom door, watching his life play out through Roy Harper’s photo album. 

He probably should have stayed in the “Wedding <3” album but curiosity got the better of him. If Roy really was his husband he would probably have given him permission to go through his phone, right?

They seemed happy, Jason decided. Roy had about a million pictures of Jason. Staring at the collection only reminded Jason that Bruce had none.

That wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Bruce was his dad, nothing could change that. He told Jason that nothing could change that. He had to figure out what changed. 

Jason settled on a specific photo. It was taken from their apartment in Star City, if he had to guess. Jason was standing over the sink with his back to the camera. And beside him, with a little rag in her hand, was a tiny little girl. She wore a green arrow pajama set and looked at Jason like he was the coolest man alive. Jason knew that look. He looked at Bruce like that.

Jason moved from the Photo album to Roy’s messages. He knew Roy wasn’t lying about their relationship when he saw the contact name “Jaybird🐦♥️”. He must have loved him if he let Roy get away with calling him that. He scrolled up to their most recent conversation.

8:37 (Roy): If you dont get home rn I might actually kill you

8:37 (Jaybird🐦♥️): Been there done that

8:39 (Jaybird🐦♥️): I’ll be home soon and you can’t kill me bc i’m bringing food

8:40 (Roy): Alr, ig I can be bought with food

8:40 (Roy): love you

8:40 (Jaybird🐦♥️) love you too

“Been there done that” Done what? Die? Jason shifted against the door and pulled up google

“Jason Todd-Wayne death” 

Google brought up plenty of articles on the subject. Jason clicked the first one.

‘Youngest son of the Wayne family, Jason Todd-Wayne, was declared dead two days ago. At this time, Bruce Wayne and eldest son, Richard Grayson-Wayne, have refused interviews and are not likely to speak on the topic. Todd-Wayne’s official cause of death has been attributed to a pre-existing health condition, but how much can we trust the official report?’

The article continued but Jason wasn’t interested in hearing some conspiracy theory about how he had been sacrificed to the illuminati or some shit. 

The “preexisting health condition” lie had caught his attention though. Jason’s health was fine. The only problem he might have is weaker lungs from years of second hand smoke. But that's not enough to kill him.

“Robin Death”

Searching on Robin brought up less results, from less reputable sources. But Jason needed to know.

“Eyewitnesses report that the young superhero was brought into the warehouse by Gotham villain, The Joker. Unfortunately for the young hero, The Joker was the sole survivor of the explosion. How is Gotham supposed to trust in a hero that failed to save his own sidekick? The Batman was seen carrying the broken body of his Robin away after the tragedy. Batman failed Robin. He will fail us. He–” 

Jason closed out of the app.

He was dead.  Not like, faking his death to get out of the spotlight, but actually dead. He went back to the photo album. He literally couldn’t be dead. Roy had photographic evidence that he was alive.

He went back to their messages. As he scrolled through he gathered information. He was a trained detective, he could piece together his own life, right?

The Lazerus pit. He mentioned it a couple times in his messages with Roy. He knew that the lazarus pit could heal the wounded. He didn’t know it could bring back the dead.

Roy also mentioned “The Red Hood” who, after a quick google search, Jason decided was a Gotham crime lord. He was a Gotham crime lord. He just couldn’t understand why. Why did the league of assassins bring him back? Why didn’t he go back to the bats once he was revived? Why did Bruce lie to him over and over about his life?

Scrolling further through Roy’s messages, Jason realized why he had become a villain.

He left the phone on his desk. A desk that was still covered in textbooks and chemistry homework for a child that he now knew was dead.

He had to decide if he was right. He had to know if Batman deserved the Red Hood.

—

Dinah agreed to pick Lian up from school while Roy was leaving for Gotham. Black Canary adored her granddaughter. But Roy felt bad. This was definitely going to take longer than expected. 

Tim was helpful enough, researching the artifact that Jason had broken. It was easier with Roy around. Now that they knew what the artifact had been before it was clay shards. 

Tim dug through his desk in the manor. Having abandoned the cold batcave. 

“According to the legends, the artifact was supposed to give people a second chance.” He said, reading over the paper.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Dick asked from the doorway.

“I mean, sources disagree. But it looks like the most accepted idea is that it takes a person down to the last time their relationship was functional so you can figure out what went wrong.”

“So we’re depending on Batman to accept that he was wrong? We’re fucked.” Roy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Bruce is doing his best.” Tim said quietly. 

“Yeah, he ignores every attempt Jason has made to reach out and beats the shit out of him when he’s in town. Really deserving of that ‘world's best dad’ mug.” Roy scoffed.

“The Red Hood is a criminal. Dad is just doing his job.” Dick argued. Roy couldn’t stand how hard they fought to defend him. What could the bat possibly have done to garner such loyalty.

“Father’s hypocrisy is not something we acknowledge in the manor, Harper.” Damian said as he entered the room. Roy liked Damian. He was one of the two people from Jason’s family that actually acted like family. Lian liked him too.

“What are you talking about?” Dick asked, as if he really couldn’t see the truth in his brother’s words.

“Father claims that his favor is unconditional. That nothing we do or have done will disrupt our positions as his children. Yet Jason stands as a testament to that lie. Father’s love has boundaries. Jason was the first to find him, I worry he will not be the last.” 

The room grew silent after that. They all knew Damian was right. Or at least, Roy hoped that they knew that.

Roy left the Wayne boys alone. If they had something to say to each other it wouldn’t happen while he was in the room. 

He needed to check on Lian, anyway. He made his way through the halls until he found Jason’s old room, marked with a faded WonderWoman symbol. He only needed his phone for a second, then Jason could have it back. 

But when Roy knocked on the door, it pushed open. The room was empty. Roy’s phone was on the desk. Jason was gone. 

Roy raced down the stairs and into the batcave, hoping to catch him before Jason left. But when he got down there the first thing he saw was the memorial.

The cloth had been torn away and the glass was broken. Jason’s Robin suit was gone. And so was he. 

This was bad.

Chapter Text

It was Bruce that found Jason all those years ago. It made sense that he found him tonight as well. 

Oracle spoke over the comms. A robin was spotted flipping across the rooftops in an old suit. Jason must have taken his old suit from the memorial. Which meant he knew about the memorial. 

It was the last evidence of Jason that Bruce kept in sight in the manor. The photos and art projects had been moved to the attic, his room hadn’t been entered for more than a quick dusting since his death. But that memorial stayed up. Bruce stared at it some nights, usually when he fought with Red Hood. If it wasn’t for Roy he would have been able to take it down. He would have had his son back.

Bruce found Robin on a rooftop overlooking crime alley.

“Do you remember this place?” Robin asked. He didn’t. It was just another rooftop. But he knew it should have held some kind of significance.

“When I was little, I first became Robin. I got too rough with a criminal. I’m always too rough. We sat here and you told me that no matter what happens I’ll always be your son. That there was nothing I could do to change that.” He turned around to face his father and Batman could see the tears building up beneath his mask. “But you lied! I read my messages, I looked at my wedding photos! You lied to me!”

Bruce remembered getting the invitation. Jason and Roy were going to get married on Oliver’s estate. He was sure the ceremony was beautiful. Jason had always dreamed of one of the Bridgerton type weddings. Bruce blamed it on all of the Jane Austen novels he read as a child.

Bruce didn’t go to the wedding. Dick followed his lead, as well as most of his other children. But Alfred was insistent on going. He even took Damian along with him. Damian was benched for going against Bruce’s word, but he hadn’t seemed to care much. 

“Robin,” Batman said softly, in that tone he always used when Jason’s temper got ahead of him. “Things are different now. When you came back… you came back wrong. The lazarus pit changed something, it–”

“I didn’t come back wrong, I came back angry! I’m angry now!”Jason screamed at him, looking back at the Gotham city skyline.

“You killed people, Jason, you wanted revenge. You wanted me to kill people.” Bruce explained.

“I didn’t want you to kill people. I wanted you to care. I wanted something to change.” Jason said, not looking back at batman. “I thought I was your son, B. But when I found out what happened, I kept looking, waiting to find your reaction. But you didn’t do anything. The Joker is still alive. You sent him to arkham. We send the Condiment King to Arkham, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Jason–”

“No! I’m talking!” he said with the commanding tone of the Red Hood. He was the Red Hood. But He was also Robin. Maybe there wasn’t much of a difference between the two. “Killing your son didn’t change the way you treat him. It didn’t change anything. My death didn’t mean anything.”

So that's what this was all about.

Batman closed the distance between them, holding his son close to his chest. 

“Losing you changed everything. You can’t see it in the criminals of Gotham. But you can see it in the safety measures of the new Robin suits. You can see it in the cake we set out on August 16th, you can see it in every aspect of our lives.”

“Then why weren’t you there?” Jason asked between sobs. “Why did you push away every olive branch I sent out?” 

Bruce rested Jason’s head under his chin. He had to reevaluate, he couldn’t lose his him again. As Bruce held his son that night, he remembered that eleven year old kid he found stealing his tires. He remembered that spark in his eye that told Bruce he could be a hero. He still had that spark, even after he came back, he never stopped being Jason.

“I failed to connect you to Red Hood. I thought you were different. That you weren’t my son anymore. I was wrong Jason. I’m sorry. You’ve always had your flaws. I promised to love you despite them and I failed. You are not your flaws, you are a complex person that I should have taken the time to understand. I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.”

Jason hugged his father tight. Something had shifted, he could feel it. The memories of the past eight years of his life flooding back.

He was scared, scared that Bruce would push him away again when the spell was over. But he had to trust, one last time. He had to trust his father to save him.

–

Roy woke up the next morning to a thankfully grown husband.

 Jason seemed to remember the events of the past few days. He didn’t say anything about what had happened before Roy found him with Batman. But he assumed it had gone well. 

Bruce offered them a seat at the breakfast table. Which Roy was hesitant to take. But Jason seemed happy, so he sat down. 

The bats talked aimlessly about nothing of importance. It reminded Roy of meals with the arrows. He looked over to Jason, his husband was almost glowing. This is what he had been wanting. Roy knew that. All the effort he had put in to helping Roy repair his relationships, there was always that bittersweet smile on his face. He loved Roy’s family, but Jason was a bat. This is what he had been needing. 

Roy looked around the table. He couldn’t stand most of these people. He hated how they stood by while Jason was mistreated. 

But this was a start. He had to acknowledge that. This was the first step to healing. And if this family could heal, if Jason could be returned to his rightful place as Bruce’s son. That was a good thing.

Roy reached over and placed a hand on Jason’s thigh. Jason took his hand in his and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles. He looked over and smiled. Roy loved that smile. 

It really was a matter of coincidence that this had all happened. One badly placed kick as Jason fought his father led to the bat family finally being his family again. 

Jason had never wanted to be a prodigal son. But the good part of being a prodigal son is sometimes, you get to come back.