Chapter Text
Team Year 10 - May 5, 2020
“Bedroom, now,” Dick ordered Jason, who nodded and scooped up Damian despite the pup’s cranky protests. He watched them go back into his bedroom and then stood up, preparing himself for an unexpected conversation with his brother.
“I’m really sorry,” Bart apologized. “I wasn’t thinking! I mean, I was in a way, because I thought that it’d be really funny to send Tim a Snapchat while wearing his Gotham U sweatshirt and chilling in his room, but then he cornered me when I went out to pick up breakfast, and was all ‘Bart, what’s going on?’ and ‘What are you hiding, Bart?’ and now he’s here.”
The elevator chimed out in the hall.
Dick sighed as he made his way around the couch. “It’s fine, Bart. We would have to tell him at some point and now is as good a time as any. Too bad Stephanie isn’t with him because then we could tell them at the same time.”
“Umm, about that…”
Dick stared at him for a moment. “You have got to be joking. Bart, why does Stephanie know?”
“She heard me talking to Jaime and got real scary and threatened to go tell you what she heard and then I freaked out and told her!”
“Jaime knows too?!”
Dick felt like ripping his hair out in exasperation, but Tim put an end to that when he walked through the door with several bags of takeout and, for some reason, a tiny blue balloon that read: It’s a boy!
“Tim! What a surprise!” Dick said, failing to act any kind of casual.
Tim held up a finger to silence anything else that Dick could possibly have to say. “No. It’s too early for this and I’m not talking to you until I have a cup of coffee in my hands.”
“There should be a fresh pot in the—” Kitchen!
Jason’s helmet was on the counter!
Some of Dick’s panic must have shown on his face in a way that meant Bart could understand what it was he was fretting about, because within a span of just a few seconds, the bags were gone from Tim’s hands, the balloon was placed into Dick’s, and Tim was holding a fresh mug of coffee prepared the exact way he liked it - a splash of cream and two spoons of sugar.
“Why do I have a balloon?” Dick asked, staring down at it. It was one of the round ones attached to a stick.
“Steph’s idea. You adopted Bart into the Pack and she thought it’d be hilarious,” Tim replied as he lifted the mug to his face and breathed in deeply. He took a tentative sip and then lowered it. “Alright, I have my coffee. You can tell me what’s going on and why you look like you’re about to have a meltdown.”
“Maybe you should sit down. And, uh, put down the coffee,” Dick recommended, gesturing to the couch.
Tim’s expression shifted from suspicion to one of genuine concern. “Dick, what’s going on? Did something happen?”
“I know who Red Hood is.”
Tim reeled back. He opened his mouth to say something and then thought better of it as he snapped his jaw shut and made his way over to take a seat on the couch. “I take it he’s someone we know.”
“Yes,” Dick said as he sat down next to Tim. “We thought he died years ago, but something brought him back. Talia found him - or some of her men did - and had him taken to Nanda Parbat.”
Tim frowned. “But who would they consider worthy enough for something like that, especially after dying? And how did they come back? I thought only a Lazarus Pit could do something like that.”
“He doesn’t know how he came back. He told me that he crawled out of his own grave, but he doesn’t remember any of it,” Dick said.
How much more should he say? It felt awkward to talk about what Jason went through when the man was just down the hall and could hear every word they were saying. Really, he should just tell Tim who Red Hood was and stop beating around the bush.
“I’m surprised. It sounds like the two of you did a lot of talking during your heat,” Tim said a little meanly. “No offense, Dick, but I don’t really care about who the Red Hood is beneath the mask. Not after everything he’s done. Why are you telling me any of this?”
“Because it’s Jason.”
Tim’s face went white and his mug of coffee tips precariously in his hands, but didn’t spill. “What?”
“Red Hood is Jason Todd. It’s really him, Tim. I’m not lying. This isn’t a joke. He’s the real thing and Bruce and Barbara have known all along,” Dick was quick to say. “Bart knew us in the future. He can confirm it too.”
“But- but that’s not possible! People don’t just come back to life for no reason! And if it is him…” Tim trailed off and lowered his gaze to his coffee. He said nothing else for a few long seconds, his brain ticking away as he absorbed everything he’d learned. “That was why he didn’t call for a ransom or threaten me when he held me captive. It’s why he’s been so keen on helping you. Fuck, it’s why B lets him get away, time and time again! The answer was there in front of us this whole time!”
“None of us had a reason to think something like this would happen,” Dick said softly. “I didn’t and you could argue that I should have realized much sooner.”
“Is he here?”
Dick nodded. “He is, but there’s one more thing you should know. And this is something that no one else in our Pack knows about, aside from everyone here.”
“More secrets?” Tim asked wearily.
“Just one and it’s something that I don’t intend to keep a secret for much longer,” Dick said. “Remember how I said that Talia is the reason he was taken to Nanda Parbat? Well, while he was there, he met her son, Damian. Last night, Bart and Artemis joined us to go talk to her about bringing him here to meet his father.” Dick smirked a little as he twirled the balloon in his hand. “Do you think Steph would get upset if I passed her gift along to Bruce? I think it’d be a little more appropriate for him.”
Dick could see it the second Tim put the pieces together by the way his eyes went wide and he sagged against the back of the couch, as though his body could no longer support him sitting up straight.
“Bruce… Bruce has a son? But how? I mean, when did this happen? How could he not know?” Tim said in a hushed voice. He wasn’t directing his questions at Dick specifically, just voicing his thoughts out loud.
Dick gave him another minute to let it all sink in before saying: “If you’re okay with it, I’ll go get Jason and Damian. We were just about to have breakfast.”
Tim nodded numbly. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, that sounds okay. I just… I can’t believe it, you know? Jason is alive and Bruce has a pup with Talia al Ghul? Is he a pup? I mean, I keep imagining a tiny version of Bruce, but you haven’t said, and for all I know, he’s my age.”
“Damian is five and he’s…”
Adorable. Precious. Dick loved him so much, even if the pup barely spoke a word to him, and made it very clear that he preferred Jason over just about anyone else.
“I’ll let you decide for yourself when you meet him,” Dick said instead. He took his time standing up, giving Tim ample time to stop him if he decided he wasn’t ready after all, but his brother continued to sit there and stare into his coffee as if it held answers to all of his questions.
Things would be fine.
They would enjoy breakfast together and then decide where to go from there.
“One step at a time,” Dick reminded himself as he headed down the hall.
Splitting up was a terrible idea.
While Jason, Tim, Bart, and Damian had left to pick out appropriate clothing and toys for the youngest Wayne, Dick was standing on the front doorstep of Wayne Manor, staring at the solid oak door as he wondered if it wasn’t too late to turn around and run back to his alpha’s side. There was an ache in his chest that mirrored the stretched-out feeling of his Bond with Jason, and though he knew everything was fine, it left him anxious and unsettled.
Dick took a few extra seconds to steady his nerves before he went inside. His first stop was the kitchen, where he found Alfred enjoying his pre-lunch tea.
Alfred looked up from his book with a smile. “Dick, I wasn’t expecting to see you today. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
Dick didn’t know why, but he hadn’t considered before then the likelihood that Alfred was also well aware of Jason’s status among the living. The beta had always been Bruce’s closest confidant and knew more of his secrets than anyone else could claim.
“I need to talk to you and Bruce.”
The words were bitter on Dick’s tongue. He’d planned to confront Bruce first and then ask for Alfred to meet them so he could tell them both about Damian, but it seemed he needed to revise that plan.
“Bruce is up in his office. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind an early break if it’s to see you,” Alfred said as he marked his place in his book and set it aside. He then stood, a cup of tea in his hand, and gestured for Dick to take the lead.
They were halfway up the stairs leading to the family wing of the manor when Alfred asked: “Might I inquire as to what this is about?”
“I know about Jason. I know he’s Red Hood,” Dick said bluntly.
Alfred’s steps faltered, unnoticeable to anyone who hadn’t spent years around the composed beta. “I… see.”
Nothing else was said until they reached Bruce’s office, where Dick knocked and waited to hear a response before entering.
Bruce looked surprised but delighted to see his oldest and tapped the papers he’d been looking at into a neat stack, which he then put away in a folder. “This is a surprise. What brings you by, chum?”
Dick crossed his arms over his chest and repeated the same thing he said to Alfred just minutes before. “I know about Jason. I know he’s Red Hood.”
Bruce’s face paled as his joy was sucked away. “He told you?”
“I had a hunch and then I gave him no choice but to remove his helmet to see if I was right.” Dick lowered his arms back to his sides as a heavy emotion formed a lump in his throat and made it hard to keep speaking. (He’d attacked Jason. He’d taken away his alpha’s choice. He — )
He could almost feel a warm, broad hand press against the small of his back, offering comfort and support. Jason’s aura, settling against his in the most perfect way.
“You’ve Bonded again,” Bruce noted.
“The moment I knew for sure that it was him,” Dick confirmed. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t any of you tell me? And you left Tim in the dark too!”
Alfred cleared his throat. “Master Bruce only wanted—”
“No, Alfred,” Dick cut in before the beta could offer up excuses. “Sorry, but I need to hear this from Bruce, in his own words. You deliberately his the knowledge that my alpha was alive and I want to know why.”
Bruce calmly steepled his hands over his desk, his expression stony as color returned to his cheeks. “In the beginning, I was unsure as to what Jason wanted. He was angry at me, prone to lashing out, and I worried that part of that rage was turned inward. I knew that if I told you about him and he made the choice that his vengeance was more important than his own life, I would lose you both.”
“You don’t know that. I was fine the first time, aside from the coma,” Dick reminded him.
“Dick, you flat-lined twice during that time.”
Dick’s body flooded with ice. “W-what?” he croaked, turning to look at Alfred.
“We were able to restart your heart both times, but we feared that the longer you remained in that coma, the less likely you were to survive. We never told anyone else of this, though Doctor Thompkins is also aware of what happened,” Alfred said gently.
“I… I think I need to sit down,” Dick said faintly as he groped, not for the nearest armchair, but for his Bond with Jason, needing the extra proof that his alpha was alive and well more than anything else.
Curiosity-concern came through clearly, and beneath that was a mild amusement directed towards Tim.
Bruce came around from his desk to help Dick into a chair and then he kneeled in front of it. “Chum, are you alright?”
“I’m okay. I just need a minute.”
Dick let his aura fan out, brushing over steel gray and solid green first and then reaching out a little father to fiery red, shimmering yellow, and Damian’s prismatic aura. Stephanie’s glittery purple was next, followed by sky blue. And then, farther than he’d expected to find it, a pop of red lightning and a strong rush of excitement.
He drew back into himself and breathed out a sigh of relief.
Everyone was fine.
Dick was fine.
Furthermore, Bruce had a legitimately good reason for not telling him at first, but what about later on?
When he voiced that question, Bruce didn’t appear at all ashamed when he answered with: “By then it was clear that Jason was no more intent on telling you than I was. It felt like the best option to respect the way he wanted to handle things than help him find another reason to push us away.”
“You should have told me anyway,” Dick said bitterly. “And you should have told Tim too. Do you know how bad he feels after spending the last year hating Red Hood? You kept his brother from him and he’s no happier about any of this than I am.”
That, at the very least, earned a reaction in the form of a subtle grimace.
Tim got mean when he was angry. And often, a mean Tim was also a petty and spiteful Tim. Batman was really in for a rough few weeks with Robin.
Some of Dick’s anger ebbed away. It was enough that he was able to relax his shoulders and rest against the back of the armchair. He drew upon his years of therapy with Dinah as he contemplated where to take the conversation from there.
“I want you to know that I’m still furious with you and probably will be for a while, but… I have something to tell you both,” he said.
“What is it?” Bruce asked.
“Before that, I have a question. Around six years ago, you and Talia started to date again. What happened with that?” Dick asked.
And with that, they were right back to stone-faced Bruce. “It doesn’t matter. Things didn’t work out between us and we both agreed we were better off apart.”
Bruce stood and walked back to his chair at the desk.
“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, right?” Dick tried again, unwilling to let it go. He couldn’t. There was a pretty big piece to the Talia-Bruce-Damian puzzle that he was missing and he needed to know before the others arrived.
“It’s in the past, Dick. It isn’t important now.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
Dick remained where he was, projecting a cool and confident facade as his heart hammered in his chest. His eyes met Bruce’s and within a few minutes, the alpha heaved a sigh and reached into a lower drawer of his desk to retrieve the glass decanter he kept some of his best bourbon in. He poured himself a small glass and offered some to Dick, who turned it down.
Bruce took a sip or two before he spoke again. “Six years ago… Talia and I began seeing each other again and things were getting serious. We began to speak of marriage, a topic that Ra’s seemed to be more interested in than either of us.”
He tilted the glass back and swallowed the rest. “We planned for a long engagement during these talks. I wanted time to get you and Jason comfortable with the idea and Talia… I think she wanted more time to consider her options. But then…” Bruce closed his eyes briefly. “Talia fell pregnant. We began to talk about moving up our wedding plans and I left to spend some time in Nanda Parbat to assist with a mild rebellion from one of the sub-sects. It wasn’t something I’d normally do, but Talia asked, and so I went. During the chaos of that time, Talia… The stress caused her to lose our pup. We broke things off after that and I returned home.”
A shiver ran down Dick’s spine.
“B… I have a message from Talia,” Dick told him.
Bruce’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“She says: ‘Tell Bruce that I’m sorry for the lies that I told. I only wanted to keep Damian safe’,” Dick relayed to the best of his recollection.
Alfred gasped softly behind him.
Bruce jolted, his eyes wide. “Damian?”
“Your son, Bruce. Yours and Talia’s.”
There were many questions for Dick to try and answer after that revelation and he did his best to fill in the blanks with what he knew while steering clear of his personal assumptions. He told Bruce and Alfred about Jason’s time spent with the League of Assassins, how they made the plan to go and talk to Talia and ended up bringing the pup home with them, (a brief mention of officially including Stephanie and Bart in their Pack,) and every little detail he could think of in regards to his time spent with Damian so far.
By then, Jason, Tim, and Damian arrived at the manor with bags full of new clothes and toys suited for a pup of Damian’s age and intellect.
Bruce was the first one down the stairs to meet them and nearly tripped over his own feet due to how eager he was, but then he froze at the sight of the tiny pup who clung to Jason’s hand and regarded everything around him with wary eyes.
It said something that Alfred didn’t chide Bruce for his unbecoming behavior. The old beta was just as excited to meet the youngest Wayne, though he did a much better job at maintaining his poise.
Dick had a hard time holding himself back from taking the pup into his arms and scenting him all over. If he’d been cute in the loose-fitted garb of Nanda Parbat or the oversized t-shirt he’d slept in, he was downright adorable all dressed up in gray slacks and a red polo shirt that had a screen-printed dog on the front.
He made an effort to go to Jason instead, nudging his way between his alpha and Tim and linking hands with both of them. From there he watched Bruce walk up to his pup and lower himself to one knee.
“Hello, Damian. It’s very nice to meet you,” Bruce said as he drank in the sight of his youngest son.
Damian stared at him for a moment. “Father. I thought you would be taller.”
Jason let out a quiet snort of amusement and Dick could feel Tim shaking with restrained laughter. He caught himself grinning like a lunatic, and when he looked to Alfred to see what the beta thought of the situation, he was delighted to spot him hiding a smile behind his hand.
Oh, Damian was exactly what their Pack needed.
Dick leaned against Jason, truly happy for the first time in years.