It was another peaceful day at stately Wayne Manor, all was quiet in the house save for the soft sounds of Alfred's feather duster. But far below in the secret Batcave trouble was brewing.

Robin climbed out of the Batmobile angrily, stalked over towards a desk, and buried himself behind a textbook determined not look at Batman. Batman sighed as he unfolded his large frame from the Batmobile and walked over towards a computer to log the day's activity. Robin had been growing increasingly angry with him for weeks and today it had finally come to a head. Batman reflected back on the argument on the way home from their last arrest:

"Batman can I ask you a question?" Robin said as he played with his seat belt.

"Sure Robin, ask away."

"I want to go to a party that some of my friends at school are having tonight."

"Will there be a chaperone?" Batman asked suspiciously.

"Adam's brother is going to be there, he's 21." Robin said quickly.

"Uhuh Robin, Adam's brother is not a chaperone. I'm sorry but you can't go if there isn't going to be adult supervision."

"But Batman, that's not fair!" Robin protested.

"I'm sorry Robin but you're not going" Batman said with gruff finality.

"I'm not a little kid anymore Batman, you can't keep treating me like one." Robin yelled his face turning red. "I'm 16, for goodness sakes Batman, I can take care of myself."

"I never said you couldn't Robin." Batman said with a little surprise.

"But you treat me like one, I've been Robin for eight years now and you still won't let me take down the bad guys with you, I have to stand out back and guard the door. You won't even let me go to a little party." Robin face had turned from red, to a bright scarlet. But Robin saw Batman's set jaw and knew that there wasn't going to be any further argument. He angrily crossed his arms and stared out the window looking anywhere but Batman.

Batman looked out at the road aghast, where had this come from? He tried to think back and remembered that the last few times they were raiding warehouses at the docks he had asked Robin to guard the back door in case any of the villains had attempted to escape. But that was standard procedure Batman certainly wasn't going to let Robin take down the warehouses by himself. Plus Robin was only 16 he shouldn't be upset about guarding the back door, what if the bad guys tried to escape? Something hidden reason nagged at him as he reasoned out his innocence but he pushed it down and turned off at the dirt road leading to the Batcave.

Batman's thoughts came back to the present. He looked up at Robin's angry posture and decided to let the matter sit for another time, it was no use arguing any further. "We'd better get to bed Dick." Batman said gruffly as he made a beeline for the batpoles.

Robin waited for the sound of the study door closing before he looked over his book. He was alone, Robing got up stiffly changed his clothes, turning into Dick Grayson, and then headed for his batpole. He stepped off the pole, into the library, and then climbed the stairs heading for his room. He slammed the door behind him and threw himself face first onto his bed. 'I can't believe Bruce won't let me go to this party' Dick whined to himself. All of the sudden thoughts of sneaking out raced across his mind but he pushed them down, he wasn't that desperate, yet.

After tossing and turning for a couple hours Bruce decided to give up his attempts to sleep and stole quietly to his study where he pulled down some books and crime and settled into his favourite armchair. Suddenly Bruce started from his gentle slumber. He ran a hand across his eyes and sat up; he was still in his study. 'I must have fallen asleep while reading' he thought to himself as he stood up and a book thudded to the floor.

Just then he heard the beeping noise that had woken him, it was the red batphone sitting on his desk. What was commissioner Gordon doing calling him so late Bruce wondered as he picked the phone up? "Batman," the commissioner's familiar voice called over the line "sorry to call you so late but crime never sleeps."

"What is it this time." Bruce asked in his deep Batman voice.

"It's the fourth street gang, they've kidnapped the owner of Gotham Bank. They're rumoured to be hiding out in an abandoned warehouse on pier number 5."

Bruce massaged his temples "Alright commissioner Robin and I will investigate it immediately."

"We can always count on you, Batman." Commissioner Gordon said and then hung up the line. Batman sighed; this was going to be a long night.

After another small argument with Dick Batman and Robin climbed into the Batmobile and raced off for the piers. A brief search of pier 5 led Batman and Robin to a sorry looking warehouse that looked like it hadn't seen any use for many years. Batman turned to Robin to run over the usual procedures but before Batman could say anything Robin cut in coldly "I know, I know. I have to go guard the back door." With that he stalked off and disappeared around the building's corner. Batman sighed 'Why do the teenage years have to be so hard?' he thought grimly.

Batman noticed a broken window halfway up the side of the building and decided to try it instead of a more direct approach. He took his bat-arang out of his belt and tossed it towards the window listening with satisfaction as it hit the inside of the building and secured itself. He gave an experimental tug on the rope and then clambered up the side of the building. Alighting on the window he dropped silently to the floor below and turned on his night vision. The warehouse was full of precariously stacked crates and burnt out lights. Towards the center of the warehouse he found what he was looking for: the owner of the Gotham Bank sat slumped in a chair in the middle of an open space. Wary of a trap but concerned for the captive Batman stepped out towards the man only to find that he had been killed by one of his assailants. Hissing a sharp curse Batman turned to find the murderers. As he disappeared into another row of crates a man appeared at the top of a seven foot stack of crates. He waited until Batman was directly under him before leaping. With almost inhuman speed Batman turned on his heel and shot a left hook at his ambusher. The man connected solidly with Batman's fist and went flying into another stack of crates which fell to the ground with a resounding CRASH.

The element of surprise lost the gang rushed Batman "Get him!" A man in an ugly green suit yelled as several armed henchman rushed Batman. Kicking the gun out of one man's hands he hefted him over his head and threw him bodily at two of his companions who were just lining up their shots. The man crashed into his companions and they went flying into another stack of crates knocking them to the ground. Batman dodged the falling crates but two other henchman were not so lucky, the disappeared under the mound of crates cursing their luck. Now there were only two left. One held a knife that other a crowbar; Batman smiled 'this will be a piece of cake.' He charged the one with the crowbar who immediately swung at Batman's head but only found empty air. The next thing he knew the crook felt his legs smashed out from under him and he went sprawling. Before the man with the knife could close in Batman wheeled around and used him as a punching bag. The other henchman was just regaining his feet as Batman finished with his partner. It took only one good punch to the jaw to turn his lights off. Batman stepped over some fallen crates and surveyed the scene. Four henchmen lay under a mound of crates, unconscious. The other two sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Batman quickly discarded their weapons. That's when he noticed that the green suited man was nowhere to be seen. 'I wonder if Robin got him' Batman thought as he started towards the back then.

Suddenly a gunshot rang through the silent night. Heart pounding, Batman sprinted the rest of the way to the back door. The door stood ajar, Batman thrust it open to find a scene that made his blood run cold. There lying on the ground was Robin. Batman was at his partner's side in an instant. He quickly rolled Robin over and found, to his horror, a gunshot wound to the boy's chest. Robin's blood flowed freely from the wound, bathing Batman's gloves in the warm sticky substance. Batman quickly tore off his cape and applied pressure to the wound, trying in vain to stop the bleeding.

"Bruce…" Robin said softly as his eyes fluttered open "…Bruce… I'm so sorry."

"Everything is going to be ok Robin; I'm going to get you to a hospital. You're going to be fine." Batman said not believing the words that came out of his mouth.

"Bruce…" Robin reached a hand up to Batman's masked face, "I love you dad."

Batman gathered Robin into his arms "I love you to son."

Dick shut his eyes and relaxed in Batman's arms. His breathing began to get softer until Batman could have sworn that he was sleeping and not dying. Batman held the boy close pleading with God to keep him alive.

Suddenly Robin's eyes snapped open and he gave a strangled cough. "Bruce I… I'm scared… I don't want…to die… I'm scar…"

Just then Batman felt Robin stiffen suddenly and then go completely limp in his arms. Batman stared at the big glittering blue eyes, opened wide but not seeing the mentor they were staring at and released a heart-wrenching sob. Batman, man who had faced a thousand perils, man who had stared death in the face and laughed at it, now wept over Robin as anguished sobs were torn from him. In his arms lay his partner, the boy whom he had raised, the boy who had been with him through thick and thin, his son. He looked to the heavens "Why!" he screamed "Why!" "Oh God, I would give everything I have ever had, even my life, if he would just live. Please just let him live!" But his cries went unheeded; Robin still lay dead in his arms. He held Robin close to him and rocked back and forth as he sobbed. He was gone, he was really gone, his son was no more. _

Bruce awoke in a cold sweat. Rain pounded against the windows as thunder clapped outside. A dream! Had it all been just a terrible nightmare? Heart pounding Bruce jumped out of his armchair, took the stairs three at a time, and plunged down the hall towards Dick's room. He paused with his hand on the doorknob, lifted up a silent prayer, and then slowly opened the door. A flash of lightning lit up the room and in the brief second of illumination Bruce saw him. There in bed lay his ward Dick, the bedclothes about him were in a tumult as always. Bruce let out an audible sigh of relief and walked over towards Dick. Dick looked up sleepy and confused as Bruce approached "Bruce?"

"Oh Dick, I am so sorry for fighting with you. I want you to know that I love you more than anything else in my life and that is why I haven't given you the responsibility you deserve. I couldn't stand to see anything happen to you. I love you so much Dick." Bruce said as he placed a hand on Dick's shoulder.

Dick looked confused but finally mumbled "I'm sorry I fought with you, I love you to dad" he hugged Bruce and then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Bruce turned to leave but got no further than the door. He walked back over to Dick's bed and sorted out the bedclothes. And for the first time ever it was Bruce that climbed in bed to scare off his nightmares.