Chapter 7

A/N Hello everyone, I hope you loved the previous chapter because this chapter will lead off of that with a time skip, progressing in days that change Jason back to his adulthood. And I am sorry to say that this is the FINAL chapter in the story. Maybe I'll write a sequel. Maybe. Anyways, enjoy.

I don't remember how much time had passed by, an hour, two hours, or a day but we were no longer in Gotham. The city that had constantly plagued us with its vileness and kept us at bay with its eerie gravitational pull was finally beneath us. No longer were we under its spell, its enticement to try to save an already dead soul. The battle was pointless and so I left, left behind the life that had been cast on me by another and took another victim with me before he too could again become the fallen. Tendencies repeat themselves, against our wishes at best, and this was one I couldn't allow to happen again. I could only keep an open mind for the future and hope for the best which was why I was no longer Richard Grayson and he no longer Jason Todd. No from that point on we were Robert and Joshua Cunningham, at least to the public. It took a few strings to pull but I managed to get us new identities. Of course, Jason's was at his normal age given that he was bound to revert to it at any random moment.

He had looked at me with big green eyes the day we arrived, his hands never leaving my neck, small fingers wrapped tightly around me. If I had not known better, I would have thought he had cried but he didn't. Surprisingly, he was a very quiet child. One of those children that seems to be seeing, searching, processing, and thinking. It was quite different than his usual bad boy demeanor that he carried around like a second skin. Oddly enough, I didn't know what to do. Usually, although I appeared to be doing everything by instinct, I always actually had a plan but not this time. I had a child for Christ's sake, a five year old child. Sure he wouldn't be five forever or very long for that matter but he needed me and I didn't know how to raise him by myself but that didn't mean I was going back to Bruce. No he was already looking for us and would be until the end of time or his dying breath but return to him willingly I would not. Eventually, I would grow into this parenting thing just like for Damian but he was a bit older and more mature for his age but a child is a child nonetheless.

The first day was easy; I managed to convince Jason that his name was not what he thought but rather that it was Joshua. He being a smart kid didn't buy it at first, but his kid vulnerabilities got the better of him when I told him that we were playing pretend.

Every night, though, I had to stay awake and listen to Jason groan out in pain in his sleep, not waking up, but feeling every agonizing bone crack, vein enlarge, artery grow, and skin stretch. It made me tear up every night, since each time he only aged back by a year. But there was one night that I dreaded more than anything. His fifteenth year. It was the year of his death, the death in the family. I feared that he might have to relive the experience and more so that he might not come back this time. I didn't think it was possible for me to move on again, to let him go, to mourn him once more. But after everything that happened, maybe his death was supposed to happen, always meant to be. People aren't supposed to come back to life to have to suffer and lose everything they have. It is biologically impossible but Jason broke that but in the process he broke himself, lost himself along the way and never managed to fully recollect himself. I know it wasn't my fault, I know that now, it never was anybody's fault really, not even Bruce's. It just happened, and nothing we could ever do or dream of could change it.

I only wished that maybe I could make his last few days alive worth the inevitable suffering. So each and every day I made him whatever he pleased for breakfast. We went out to the neighborhood parks, ice cream shops, and fast food places. He for the first time in this life had a chilidog. The look of satisfaction that etched his face was picture perfect. I couldn't let the opportunity pass by. So from that day on, I carried a camera around with me capturing all the moments. I know Bruce never found us but I can't say the same for Tim and Damian. I know that Tim was lurking in the shadows taking random pictures when he thought I wasn't looking and Damian was watching Jason when he believed that I wasn't taking care of him properly or that he was straying off too far.

But the day eventually had to come, Jason had to die.

He was fifteen. We were on top of a building watching the sunset, there was a breeze, and we were huddled up right next to each other.

"Hey Rob," he said. "I don't feel so good."

"What's wrong?" I asked, already knowing what was to come.

"I feel cold, very cold," he looked mad but the type of anger that only comes when one is in pain. "I don't like it."

I pushed up closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It'll be ok."

"I don't want to die alone," he whispered into my jacket.

"What are you talking about, Josh? You're not dying."

"Stop Dickie-Bird, I know my name's not Josh. You don't have to pretend anymore."

"You know?"

"I've known," he corrected. "I always knew from the moment I resurfaced again. I just thought that maybe if I didn't say anything things would go better this time."

"Jay I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Memories are worthless, in the end it didn't change who I was or what I felt about you." He hid his face in my chest. "I just don't want to die alone, not this time."

"Lil Wing you're not dying. You're just uhh….falling asleep."

"Sure," he said, his arms now wrapped tight around me. "I just wanted to say thank you before the night was through. Everything was worth it, if nothing else, you were worth it." He paused. "I love you Dick."

This took me a bit by surprise but I had waited years to hear him say that, it was just misfortunate that out of all times it would happen now.

"I love you too, Lil Wing." I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Do you promise you'll still be here when I wake up?" Jason looked at me with foggy eyes. I could tell his eyelids were becoming heavy for him, but I refused to believe it.

"I promise," I answered, kissing his forehead once again. He was cold, time was running out.

He seemed to have accepted my response and began to rest his eyes. I felt him grow weaker and more distant with each passing moment. I was crying because there was nothing I could do to save him. I was too late. I lost my brother. And the only comfort I had was being next to him in his final moments.

I tightened my grip on him and held him closer to my chest. My tears were dripping on his ebony hair. I didn't want to let go, so I waited. Waited for him to wake up. I'd promise I'd be there when he woke up.

Hours passed and I waited. Even as his body grew cold against mine, I waited for what I knew wouldn't come. My tears eventually stopped and I was left quietly sobbing to myself. I think now that the saddest part was that some part of me hoped that miraculously he would open his emerald eyes and everything would be fine. Just like we had planned it to be, but that was just another broken promise.

He never woke up. I never felt so alone.