Chapter Text
Dick’s P.O.V.
My hands dug into the mattress until my nails ached. "How—how could this happen?" I whispered into the pillow, but the words echoed like a scream in my head. The room felt too small; the ceiling kept tilting. If Bruce found out—God—he'd tear me apart. I’m only twenty! Twenty God damnit! I can’t be a parent! I bury my face deeper into the pillow and scream.”AAAAAHHHHH!!!”I gasp out as the silence of the room engulfes me, leaving my ears ringing.
“Hey, Dick. You alive in here?” Jason’s voice cut through the heavy silence of my room.
I turned toward him, a pillow clutched to my chest like it might protect me from reality. “Oh, I’m fantastic,” I said, voice sharp and just slightly hoarse. “Just found out I’m pregnant with an alien baby, so, you know — living the dream.”
Jason froze mid-step. His eyebrows climbed up like he wasn’t sure if I was serious or delusional. “Uh… whatever you say, Dickieface.”
I glared at him, the frustration bubbling in my chest like a kettle about to boil over. “You don’t get it, Jason. None of this is funny!”
“Didn’t say it was.”
Something in me snapped. The panic, the exhaustion, the impossibility of it all — it all hit at once. “Just—just shut up,” I hurled my precious pillow at him, “okay?!” My voice cracked, more pleading than angry. “IT’S NOT LIKE I WANTED THIS!”
He ducked the pillow easily, smirking.“And it’s not like I wanted you.”
“Go fuck yourself.” My breath catches in my throat; I feel like I’m suffocating. I watch his face intensely, waiting for him to react.
Jason’s grin wavered, but only for a second. “It looks like you already did that.”
My whole body goes cold. I said that to him. I actually said that to him. And now he’s hurt. I hurt my little brother. My words hit me harder than a punch. This is probably what he felt when I said it. For a second, I just stared at him — and then my throat tightened, and I couldn’t hold it anymore. My eyes stung, my breathing turned uneven, and before I knew it, I was crying.
Jason’s smirk vanished completely. He took a step back, the color draining from his face. “Uh… Dick?”
“Just go,” I mumbled, pressing my face into my pillow to hide the tears. The words came out muffled and small. I heard his footsteps retreat quickly down the hall. The second he was gone, I screamed into the pillow, the sound raw and broken. My whole body trembled.
Okay. Okay. I’m fine. Deep breaths. I’m okay. I can handle this. I have to handle this. It has to be Kori’s. She’s the only one I’ve been with who could even possibly— I stopped, pressing a hand to my still-flat stomach. My heart pounded against my ribs.
Bruce is going to kill me.
“Master Dick, are you alright?” Alfred’s voice came from the doorway — calm, steady, the way it always was. “Master Jason said you were… shouting. Something about being pregnant?”
I groaned and pressed a hand over my face. Of course, Jason ran straight to Alfred. “Aw, he does care,” I muttered under my breath.
Alfred stepped closer, arching an eyebrow. “Care or self-preservation, one can never be certain with Master Jason.”
Despite myself, I almost smiled. Yeah, Jason was probably right for going to Alfred, especially for how I just treated him. “I’m fine, Alfred,” I said, even though my voice cracked halfway through. “It just turns out that the alien woman I’ve been seeing got me… pregnant.”
For a moment, Alfred didn’t move. His expression didn’t change either — though I could practically feel the judgment radiating off him in a very polite, English way.
“I see, Master Richard,” he said at last, his tone as smooth as ever. “Would you like me to inform Master Bruce, or shall I prepare for the explosion that will occur when he finds out on his own?”
“NO!” The word came out too loud, too desperate. “Please, Alfred. He can’t know… yet. Just—give me time to figure out how to tell him.”
Alfred’s gaze softened. “Very well, Master Richard.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He inclined his head. “Would you care for some peppermint tea? It always did help when you were ill.”
My throat tightened. “Yes, please. Thank you, Alfred.”
He gave a small, reassuring nod before leaving the room with his usual quiet grace. The moment he was gone, I sank back against my bed, the silence pressing in around me. I watch the lazy spin of the fan blade. Alfred would keep his promise — for now. But if I didn’t tell Bruce soon, he’d do it for me. I needed to figure this out: talk to Kori, confirm everything, then tell Bruce before it all exploded.
Yeah. That was the plan.
A terrible, terrifying plan… but still a plan.
And then there was them — the Justice League, the Young Justice team. I’d have to tell them eventually. The thought made my stomach twist. They still thought I was the mole. They never even listened to my side before deciding I was guilty. I pressed my palms to my eyes, trying to stop the sting. “I didn’t even do anything wrong,” I muttered. “I just did what Bruce trained me to do — go after the bad guys.” But they wouldn’t understand that. They weren’t trained by The Batman. I huffed a humorless laugh and let my hands drop to my lap. “Yeah, they don’t deserve to know anyway,” I said under my breath. “They’d never believe me. Who’d believe that Nightwing got pregnant?” The silence that followed hurt more than I expected. At least I still had Wally. And Bruce. For now.
My gaze fell to my stomach. I hesitated, then rested a hand on it. My fingers trembled slightly. “Guess it’s just us for now, huh?” I whispered. The idea of holding a baby — my baby — sent a strange mix of warmth and dread through me. A sharp pang hit, reminding me how exhausted I was. My throat felt raw from yelling, and my body ached. I sighed and dragged myself to the bathroom, moving on autopilot.
When I came back, Alfred was already there, balancing a steaming cup of peppermint tea on a tray. “Thanks, Alfred,” I said, voice barely above a whisper as I sank back into bed.
“Any time, Master Richard.” He handed me the cup, his expression softening slightly. “Do you know when you’ll be telling Master Bruce about your… condition?”
I stared into the tea for a moment, watching the steam curl upward. The smell calming, if only just a bit. “Not yet,” I said quietly. “I want to tell Kori first. She deserves to know before anyone else.”
Alfred nodded. “A wise choice, Master Richard.”
The warmth of the tea seeped into my palms. For a moment, that was enough to keep the panic away.
“What is he waiting to tell me about?”
Bruce’s voice made me freeze. He was standing in the doorway, looking straight at me. My stomach dropped. No, not now. I wasn’t ready. The words got caught in my throat, and before I knew it, my vision was blurring.
Bruce’s expression softened — just a little. He crossed the room and brushed a tear off my cheek with a thumb. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. “Dick,” he said quietly. “What’s wrong?”
I swallowed hard. “I—I’m… pregnant.”
Silence. I couldn’t read him — his face was all Batman again, all mask. The longer he didn’t say anything, the harder my chest hurt. Alfred stepped closer, placing a steady hand on my shoulder. I leaned into him, bracing myself for the explosion.It's going to happen again. Isn't it? I’m getting kicked. After all, there's years. I’m still that 18-year-old kid. Scared of disappointing Bruce. But I always do. Why can’t I be better? Why can’t I be good enough? Enough for him.
Then Bruce finally spoke. “Who’s the other parent?”
“Kori,” I barely got out.
He nodded once. “All right. No field work until the child is at least five. Maybe longer.”
I blinked, sure I misheard him. “You’re… not kicking me out?”
Bruce gave me a look that could almost pass for a smile. “Of course not, Dick.”
The breath I’d been holding came out in a shaky laugh. My shoulders sagged. For the first time all day, I actually believed things might be okay.
Bruce’s P.O.V.
The moment I stepped into Dick’s room, I could tell something was wrong. His shoulders were shaking, eyes red, face pale. Alfred had said he was screaming. I’d expected anger or exhaustion — not tears. I crossed the room, crouching in front of him, and wiped a tear from his face. “Dick, what’s wrong?”
“I-i’m pre-pregnant,” Dick sniffled out.
I froze, not really knowing what to do.
‘Shitshitshitshitshitshit. My precious golden boy. Pregnant, and it’s an alien baby. What! When! How! Fuck!, He looked so small, so terrified — like he thought I was about to send him packing. I couldn’t do that to him. Not again.’
“Who is the other parent?” I asked, keeping my voice as even as possible.
“Kori,” he whispered
Alien. That makes sense. “Okay,” I said finally. “No more superhero duties until the child is at least five years old. Maybe older.”
His head lifted, eyes wide — and then he smiled, relief softening every line of his face.
Yeah. He’d definitely thought I was going to kick him out. As if I ever could. He needs stability now more than ever.
“Okay, Bruce,” Dick said quietly. “I won’t be doing any superhero things until the baby is out of me and at least five.”
“That also means no cop work in Bludhaven.” I never liked the fact that he took the role of a police officer in Bludhaven, but now, with a baby on the way, he can’t risk anything.
“I still need to work, though,” Dick protested.
“You have a child on the way,” I reminded him. “If you get hurt, the baby could get hurt — or worse.”
“I know,” he said, frustration creeping in. “But how can I just stop helping people?”
“You can be the one behind the Batcomputer,” I told him. “That is the most important job for our team.”
Alfred’s hand tightened on Dick’s shoulder. My boy leaned into him — small again, like the day I took him in. The sight hit me harder than I expected. So precious and amazing, so small. It makes sense because the baby will demand most of his time and energy.
“Get some rest, Dick,” I said softly. “You’re going to need it.”
“Like I don’t already know that,” Dick snarked. “I’m already exhausted, and I’m only one month pregnant.”
I almost smiled. Typical. Always pushing through, no matter how much it hurts. He’s going to be a good parent. The best. But God help us all when the labor starts — he might handle bullets and broken bones, but this? This is a whole different kind of pain.