Dick waited for Alfred to head to bed before he even attempted to move around the manor. He was put on strict bed rest on Bruce's orders and had spent all day having not only Alfred but Jason, at his beck and call. Jason had left a few hours before with a slack excuse that Dick saw straight through.

Jason was tracking down The Joker, there was no doubt about it. The recently affiliated Jason was furiously protective of family; of Dick. What the Joker did was deemed inexcusable, Jason knew what the clown was capable of, he had dealt with that first hand. But he was tough, a street kid. Dick was apparently the opposite and the acrobat didn't like that. He was tough. He had been Robin for almost ten years and he was now a hero in his own right. He wasn't some pushover. No, he didn't have the hard interior that went with the exterior but he was strong, able-bodied. He was Richard Grayson, first Robin, current Nightwing, and a damn good detective. Of course, he appreciated the family's protective natures but they were treating him like he was nine again, and that boiled his blood.

Dick picked himself up from his bed, ignoring the dull pain of his body. He grabbed his bag and sneaked out his room. Years of practice and multiple busts from Alfred had Richard heading to the garage in one fell swoop with no alarms triggered, and a silent butler. Dick mounted his bike, putting his helmet over his head and fled. Back to Blüdhaven. Joker couldn't get him there. He couldn't use Bruce against him. Blüdhaven was his haven. No one would know he was gone, except Alfred, who was sure to have woken up by now. The others were all out on patrol, hunting the Joker down no less.

Dick was speeding down the main road when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He knew if he didn't accept their calls, they wouldn't stop. Not bothering to check the caller ID, Dick pressed the side of his helmet to answer. The voice that spoke through the earpiece was the one voice he never wanted to hear again.

"Where are you going Dicky Bird?"

Dick had to swerve to miss a braking car. He adjusted his body on the bike and replied angrily.

"What do you want?"

"You know what I want." The man spoke softly, tone sultry with slight venom lacing his words. "I think leaving Gotham will seal Bruce Wayne's fate. A bullet to the head, if I'm not mistaken. Now, I suggest you turn back around before I begin to kill your family off one by one, starting with that aristocratic butler of yours. He's looking quite flustered, looking for you I expect."

Dick slammed on the brakes. Alfred. The Joker was at Wayne Manor. The horns of outraged cars and shouts were ignored as the acrobat finally lost it.

"FUCK!" Dick slammed his fists on his bike. He suddenly froze and his blue eyes widened dramatically when a shot rang out and the clown let out a giggle and a playful 'oops'. The acrobat instantly swung his bike around and sped back to Wayne Manor.

***

"ALFRED?!" Dick screamed jumping from his bike, letting it fall and smack into the garage wall. He raced inside calling Alfred's name over and over, jumping over the kitchen table and flinging himself up over the staircase banister. He rushed through every room, slamming doors open. "Alfred?!"

"Master Dick?"

Richard spun around hearing the distant voice and dashed towards it. He leaped off the rails and landed almost gracefully, stumbling slightly and felt the tight stitches ripping apart at his desperate movements. Ignoring the pain, he headed to the sitting room, where Alfred was emerging from the grandfather clock. Dick let the relief flood through him and fell to his knees in comfort. Dick suddenly realised what had just occurred causing the colour to drain from his face. The Joker had manipulated him again.

"Master Dick, where have you been?" Alfred scolded, kneeling before him and gently forcing the acrobat's hand away from his wound. The small exasperated sigh from the butler, had Dick looking down to note the blood that stained his shirt and hands. 'Reckless,' Dick imagined Alfred was thinking, 'just like Bruce.'

"You're okay." Dick breathed heavily, staring in pure happiness at the butler; wanting nothing more than to bring the man into a bone-crushing hug.

"Master Bruce is on his way back," Alfred announced, just glad that the acrobat was in one piece. "Let's get you restitched."

***

Batman flung himself out of the Batmobile, his brow furrowed in recurring anger and frustration. Robin followed a few paces behind, slightly smug because he wasn't the one in the doghouse for once, but did not wish to push his luck on the matter. Damian heard the rageful shouting before he managed to get upstairs. The yells getting louder as he hid around the corner.

"Where were you?"

"None of your business."

"You're on strict bed rest."

"I'm not on shit. Excuse my language, Alfred." Dick apologised to him.

"You're under my care and-"

"-And nothing." Dick barked. "You haven't even bothered to spend time with me. Jason has sat by my bed making excuses for you. I get this is a big deal, and I understand this hit home. But instead of spending all your time tracking down a crazy loon that you haven't been able to keep in prison, how about you focus on me?"

"What he did was-"

"What he did is done. Now I'm paying the consequences."

"What consequences?"

Damian peeked around the corner to see Dick wide-eyed in self-betrayal. He glanced to the side and their eyes connected and Damian rose a brow at Dick's sad face.

"I can't do this." Dick shook his head turning around. "I'm going out."

Bruce was lost for words as the acrobat walked away. Since the man's ordeal, Dick seemed to hold a grudge against him and Bruce, for once, didn't know what to do. Alfred placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Give him time, sir."

***

Damian had dragged a reluctant Tim away from the Batcomputer and took him to stalk the injured acrobat. The two sat in the shadows watching the hooded Dick staring at Wayne Enterprises.

"What's he doing?" Tim pinched his features in confusion, "He's just standing there."

Damian was at a loss. Dick drove all the way downtown to stare at Wayne Enterprises. Perhaps he was thinking? Letting everything fall into place and make sense? Whatever it was, Damian would get to the bottom of it. There was a motive, and Damian would find out, with, or without Dick's permission.

It lasted a couple of days, Damian would follow Dick from the manor and find him staking out, watching his father's building with such unknowing interest. Damian couldn't pinpoint exactly when he dozed off, but when he woke up, he was hanging upside down staring directly at Dick's back.

"Grayson! Let me down immediately."

"Did Batman ask you to stalk me every night?" Dick's asked softly.

"Batman is not the boss of me." Damian snapped, wriggling in his restraints. When Dick turned around Damian noticed he was in his Nightwing uniform. His jaw was still bruised and he was hunched over slightly. It was obvious he was still healing and whatever Joker inflicted on him had laster longing damage than what a couple of thugs could inflict.

"So, what you're doing here?" Dick inquired with a small smile.

"It's not because I care. Cause it's not." Damian growled furrowing his brow at the small smirk on the older male's face. "It's suspicious."

"Thinking is suspicious?"

"Tying me up is suspicious."

"I'll let you down if you stop following me." Dick offered easily with a shrug.

"You're not the boss of me either."

"Shouldn't you be tracking down The Joker, like the others?" Dick flickered his Escrima Sticks between his fingers. "They seemed so obsessed."

"He hurt you, Grayson. That isn't something you forget."

"I want to forget." Dick stopped, grasping the sticks a little hard. "I need to forget. Please, Dami?"

"Fine." Damian sighed, annoyed with himself. His composure always failed against Dick's pleading gazes. The acrobat was a curse and Damian was lost in it. "Let me down, and I'll stop."

Damian grunted as Nightwing cut him down, pushing the man away noticing his painful wince. Ready to apologise, Damian stopped himself knowing the man could take it.

"I hope you know what you're doing. If you need help, I'm here." Damian said. Not bothering to wait for Dick's reply, he jumped from the window and swung away with a smug smile on his face. Just because he promised not to follow him anymore, doesn't mean he couldn't get someone else to.

***

"Robin, he's not doing anything. I could be doing more important things."

"Gunning down drug dealers, and bugging Batman isn't exactly important right now."

"And stalking Nightwing is?" Came Jason's reply with a heavy sigh.

"He's up to something, I know it. What's he doing?"

"Writing in a book."

"A book?" Damian questioned, that was new. "What's he writing?"

"Look I can't get any closer. He'll notice."

"Useless."

"Says the one who actually got caught." Jason chuckled at Damian's silence. "What are you looking for?"

"A reason."

"A reason for what?"

"For why Grayson is giving Father the cold shoulder."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"It's something."