#vera's version

"Nightwing," Red Hood stressed.

The vigilante gave him a bright grin.

"I know what I'm doing, Hood, have a little faith?" Nightwing requested of the anti-hero.

Red Hood held himself back from saying his snide remark. It wouldn't do him any good picking a fight with the one person who can get him his information in the forsaken city.

'Why even care for it?' Jason thought to himself.

It would be better to leave this city to rot, there is no one supporting it, other then Nightwing himself.

Hood bit his lip.

Blüdhaven, in it's entirety, was as bad as Crime Alley. If not worse.

Hood's replacement fiddled with his utility belt, looked like reorganizing it. The younger teen was oblivious to his surroundings like that, unlike Red Hood who was surveying the area around the apartment they stopped at.

Nightwing was too relaxed for the meet up, the vigilante was doing a handstand on one of the units.

"Why are we just-" Jason was cut off by another voice from behind him.

"What'd ya need this time, punk." It was deep and spoke with authority.

Hood whipped around and unholstered his gun, while Robin pulled out his bo staff, getting in a fighting stance.

There at the edge of the roof stood a man bigger and taller than Jason, he had medium length white hair and a goatee. Presumably, his left eye was missing, due to being covered with a black eye patch. He wore a short sleeved gray shirt, and dark gray sweatpants with black tactical boots.

"Who are you?" Jason questioned, he rose his gun aimed for the target's head.

The man only cocked his head to the side.

It was only then did Jason notice Nightwing gave no reaction to the unknown man. Like he was expecting him…

"Damn it, Dickface!" Jason shouted at the older vigilante.

"Name," the man called out, it wasn't like Batman's bite of an order that would result in punishment, it was like calling out a reminder to a loved one before they left for somewhere.

Jason froze.

So did the Replacement.

"He knows," the Replacement hissed to Nightwing.

It was then that Nightwing got out of his handstand by flipping off the utility unit with ease.

Once straightened, he shrugged at Robin like it was no big deal. Like some guy, not even the Big Bat probably knew about, knowing his identity as Dick Grayson was okay.

The man signed.

"You haven't told them anything." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Dick grinned at the older man.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jason could feel the eye roll hidden behind the mask. "Anyway, Hood here needs info on few people making trouble in Gotham, they aren't Natives that's for sure."

The man hummed in acknowledgment.

"Come on." He nodded his head towards below the roof. "I know you vigilante folk like to have talks on the roof, but this would be better with some tea in a closed off area."

"You expect me to trust and go to a secondary location with an unknown informant?" Robin questioned with bravado.

That got a chuckle out of the man.

"No, I don't expect you to trust me. Trust that your older brother won't take you to an informant that would harm you."

Nightwing walked between the two teens, and headed for the unknown. Once close enough, the man ruffled Dick's hair.

The movement had too much normalcy for Jason's comfort.

Nightwing turned back to the younger boys.

"I trust him, and I trust him with you. The best way I can explain it, he's my Gordon."

Hood couldn't argue with that, neither could Robin it seemed.

Begrudgingly, the teens followed Nightwing and the man down the building and into an open window.

The apartment was pretty big.

It seemed to be two or three bedroom apartment, with a large living room where a long couch and three cozy looking chairs were arranged around an oval coffee table. The dining room flowed into the kitchen were food was being cooked from the smell of it.

It felt homey, too homey from the threat of the man to live here.

Red Hood and Robin stayed near the window, watching how at home Nightwing seemed in the stranger's residence.

The front door opened, revealing a tall and muscular man, he paid the teens no attention.

"Hey, Nighthawk!" The new stranger said toward Nightwing.

Nightwing jokingly sneered a the name used, "how've you been, Hothead?"

'Hothead' rolled his eyes.

"I saw you last week, dipshit."

"Yeah! It's been a week too long!" Nightwing lightheartedly defended.

'So, Dick visited these people a lot…' Jason thought to himself almost bitterly.

Why did Dick get to have this?

"Hey, Dickhead, can you stop bullshitting and get me the info you promised?" Jason snapped.

"Language," the white-haired stranger called out from the kitchen.

It was no where close to being said with Alfred's disappointment. Just a tired reminder to think before you speak.

Jason locked his jaw.

"Why-" Jason was cut off as a eight year old boy with white hair walked out of, presumably, a bedroom.

"Is dinner done yet?" the kid asked.

"Just about, you can come make your bowl while the bead finishes in the oven," the older man explained.

The boy rushed to the kitchen, as another person exited a door. A woman this time, with platinum blonde hair that was wet from a shower, she wore a tank top and leggings, both were black.

"Oh no you don't Ash!" the woman called out chasing the boy into the kitchen.

"No fighting in the kitchen!"

The older man walked in the living room, wiping his hands with a dish towel.

"You want to eat? I made a enough for y'all to have some," The man offered, "or would you only like some tea?"

Robin bristled, "and how do I know you didn't poison it."

Surprisingly the other people didn't react to the accusation toward the older man. At some point Nightwing disappeared.

"You can make you're own bowl and tea." The older man held up his hand, before Robin could continue. "Trust that I wouldn't hurt my kids, if you take form the communal pot."

Robin bit a his lip in thought, a habit he learned from Nightwing.

Nightwing a merged from a different bedroom in sweats and a long sleeve, instead of his suit. Only thing left on was his mask, and Jason can only assume it's for Robin and his comfort more then his own or the family of strangers.

"I don't even know your name!" Robin bit back.

It was an issue that Jason had as well.

The man chuckled, "I'm sorry, that wasn't very hospitable of me now."

The apology was sincere, that Jason knew. It was that same fact that put him more on edge.

"I'm Slade Wilson," The older man introduced himself, "team leader for BPD S.W.A.T. and help Nightwing out with getting police information."

The man turned to look at the people in the kitchen.

"The man that walked in was my oldest son Grant. He's a firefighter, hence the nickname 'Hothead' but also because he's too impulsive. The young lady is my only daughter Rose, she works as a police officer for BPD, she worked along side Dick for while before he resigned. Then you saw my youngest, that's Nolan, but he prefers his nickname Asher."

Slade turned back to the two teens, there was a way he carried himself that just made Jason want to trust him in away he's never felt before. Slade looked like what you're mind would think of when you thought of protection and care.

Slade continued on, "I'm missing one kid, my second oldest, Joey. You might know him better as the hero Jericho."

That explained everything to Jason and Tim. Of course, Slade would pick up on Dick being Nightwing, he had his own son fighting crime as a vigilante.

Knowing this family is one with a hero, that helped relax Tim and Jason a great deal.

With easy, Jason unlatched his helmet, and placed on the coffee table.

"What's for dinner?" Jason asked.

Slade gave him a warm smile, "White bean chicken chili."

"And the info I need?"

Dick groaned from the kitchen, "Stop talking and come eat! The job can be handled after!"

Jason gave in, so did Tim. The three left in the living room went to the kitchen and made themselves each a bowl of the tasty chili.

Everyone sat around the dinner table and chatted about jobs they've done and shenanigans they'd seen or been a part of.

It was a wonderful night full of laughter and jokes.

It was a night Jason didn't know he needed.

While Dick played with Asher, Jason got the information he needed from Rose and Slade. Grant chimed in with formulating a plan of action as well.

When Dick suited up again as Nightwing and the Gotham trio left the apartment, the oldest turned to Jason, who'd put his helmet back on.

"Was the wait worth it?"

Red Hood said nothing as he leaped from roof top to roof top. There was no need to say anything.

The Wilson Family knew they'd meet with the anti-hero again, along with a migrating bird.

Slade was already looking online at spare clothes to have at his home for the teenagers, while Grant was theorizing with Rose what mugs would be added to the family collection for the two. And Dick? He was just glad for the his younger brothers to meet his second family, and know they have support outside of Gotham and Bruce.

Stephanie froze.

She furrowed her brow, turning to her boyfriend, "What?"

"Please, don't patrol tonight."

Wes had tears in his eyes. He had to brace himself on the wall, he was trembling that hard.

"I don't...." He trailed off.

Wes gasped for breath, while Stephanie could only watch in silence,

She thought she had been careful? How could he have found out? What is he planning? How long has he known? Why now reveal he has that information on her?

His shaky voice cuts through her thoughts, "If you have to patrol, just- just stay near the clock tower or Wayne enterprise, please."

Stephanie laughed a bit, and put on a goofy smile.

"I don't know what you are on about. Patrol? Patrol what my room? Ah, yes that-"

Wes cut her off, with a cold tone, "Don't play with me."

Stephanie dropped the act, and put on an equally cold look.

"What do you want."

Wes huffed and stopped his fight against gravity; he dropped down to the floor and rested his head on the wall.

"For you to be safe," came his whispered response, broken and full of pain.

Stephanie didn't know what to think.

"What is your plan? If you hurt one of them," Stephanie threatened Wes; it hurt, but her family came before her love.

"My plan was to keep you from patrol!" Wes snapped.

His tone shifted to a whisper, "to keep you safe."

He looked up at her face, putting his tears on full display to her.

"Please, please believe me. Don't patrol, don't go after them; you will die."

Stephanie didn't believe him; she wanted to take this drug ring down. They had gone after teens and young adults; she couldn't lose her lead. It had been weeks, almost three months of work.

She couldn't stop now.

She opened the door to walk out.

Wes didn't stop her; he just started to sob.

It was the only noise heard when she slammed the door shut; she was going to patrol no matter how much her heart hurt.

She had made it to the elevator and hit the button to call it.

She watched the number climb.

This case was too important to her.

The image of Wes on the ground crying for her stay flashed in her mind.

Stephanie shook her head to clean the image.

She won't let all her hard work go to waste; that drug ring needed to be stopped.

The image came back, but instead of Wes, Dick took his place, then Tim, then Cass, and lastly Damian crying for her not to leave.

Stephanie groaned in frustration; why was her brain turning against her too!

The job was more important than the people she cared about.

Color drained from her face, her last thought on repeat.

The job was more important than the people she cared about.

The job was more important than the people she cared about.

The job was more important than the people she cared about.

Stephanie punched the elevator door, bruising her knuckles and lightly cutting the skin.

She turned around in the hallway and marched her way back to her boyfriend's apartment.

"I am not like Bruce," she growled to herself.

Throwing the door open, she was met with the same sight she left.

Wes hadn't moved an inch.

Stephanie went to him and crouched down.

Wes turned his head to look at her; his eyes were void of emotion.

"I don't believe you."

His face held dread. He knew it already, so why was she back?

Stephanie wished she had never seen him like this. He was meant to be bright, full of

feral energy to match her levels; so animated and full of life; bouncing the newest

conspiracy her way.

Not this.

"I don't believe you, but I will listen."

Wes rolled his eyes with a laugh.

"Don't patronize."

Steph grabbed his wrists and checked his pulse; it was rapid.

"I'm serious. We'll have a movie night until day break, and I won't leave until then."

Wes studied her face; his eyes finally held hope, as he took one of his hands to cup her face.

"Promise?"

She brought her hand up to cover his.

"Promise."

Wes broke out into a grin; new tears fell, but this time out of joy.

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and pulled her to stand with him.

"I'll get the snacks. You set up a fort."

Stephanie cackled.

"Deal!"

As the two worked around each other, Stephanie made as big and comfy a fort as possible. She took blankets and cushions from all the rooms, throwing them into the living area.

Wes was making a racket in the kitchen, gathering the snacks, and spontaneously decided to bake three different cookies.

It took them an hour to get everything set up.

Once everything was in place, and the couple settled down in the big fort-like tent Steph made, which was filled with delicious snacks Wes brought and baked for them to indulge on, they looked into each other’s eyes with equally large grins.

"Star Wars Trilogy?"

"Always."

The two spent the next 11 hours watching the prequels and into the original trilogy, and were about to start the 6th Episode when off in the distance, an explosion was heard from the city.

Wes and Steph stopped what they were doing.

"That uh- that sounded like it came from..." Steph started to say but was cut off from her phone ringing and being spammed with messages.

She dug around to find it, but took too long and missed three calls.

On the fourth call, Steph answered putting it on speaker, but before she could talk, Barbara's voice cut in with urgency.

"Where are you?"

"No hello?" Steph said sarcastically.

"Now is not the time; your drug deal just blew up two blocks!"

Stephanie was gobsmacked.

"Ah- Babs, I'm at a friend's house right now. I never made it home; sorry I forgot to tell you."

Barbara sighed.

"I'm just glad you're safe; I'll tell the others."

"Thanks."

"Before I go, what made you not go out?"

Stephanie smirked, she turned to Wes who was on the couch, "oh, you know, a little ghostie told me."

Wes' face turned bright red; he hid his face in the cushions.

Barbara huffed.

"Alright, whatever that means."

"Bye~!" With that, Steph ended the call.

Stephanie poked her boyfriend's leg.

"We finishing the movie?"

The movie wasn't even started.

"Sure." Wes agreed as he rolled off the couch and onto her.

Stephanie squealed at the added weight.

As payback, she stole his cookie.

Steph still didn't believe him, and yet Wes was still right.

Extra:

Spoiler came into the Clock Tower.

"Thanks for making my friend believe I'm a drug dealer."

Barbara paused, turning around to face the hero.

"How?"

Stephanie threw her hands up. "You were on speaker!"

Barbara laughed at her partner's demise.

"That's on you."

Steph groaned as Barbara turned back to her computer.