Well here it is. the last chapter. hope you enjoy.

Dick was sitting on the side of a hospital bed all bandaged up when there was a knock on the door. "Master Dick?" Alfred asked as he peeked in the room. Dick just signaled for Alfred to come in.

The door opened the rest of the way and Alfred stepped in followed by Barbra and Gordon. "Dick!" Barbra said as she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him carefully.

"Does it hurt to talk?" Gordon asked. Dick just nodded.

"The doctor informed me that his throat was bruised and there were signs of him being strangled," Alfred informed Gordon. Dick just nodded in agreement.

Barbra sat down next to Dick with a death-like grip on his hand. Dick just looked down at their hands ten up at her face. "I'm just glad you're ok, Dick. I was really worried about you," Barbra said. Dick just smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Excuse me, Commissioner?" a young nurse interrupted.

"Yes?" Gordon asked.

"The doctor wishes to speak with you," the nurse replied.

Gordon looked at the others. "I'll be right back." He then left with the nurse.

The room was silent for a while until Dick tried to talk. "What?" Barbra asked as she got closer to him.

"B-Bruce," Dick said in barely a whisper.

Barbra looked at Alfred. "He wants to know about Bruce.

"G-Gordon said… Batman…" Dick tried, but began to cough.

Barbra again looked to Alfred. "He said dad told him something about Batman. I do remember dad coming up to me asking if I was the person Batman sent."

Alfred sighed. "Allow me to explain. After I helped Miss Gordon with a suit and weapons, I called Commissioner Gordon with a device that allowed me to sound like Master Bruce and informed him of your whereabouts."

"Bruce," Dick said in a louder voice so Alfred could hear, but it hurt his throat and made him cough again.

Alfred looked away. "The doctor told me personally that Master Bruce didn't make it."

Dick closed his eyes and the tears started to flow down his cheeks. Barbra wrapped her arms around him ad laid her head on his shoulder, tears beginning to form in her own eyes. "I'm so sorry, Dick."

The room was silent except for Dick's sobs. It was breaking Alfred's heart to see yet another young boy lose his parent.

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Dr. Stanburg stood at the end of a patient's bed reading their chart. "You wanted to see me?" Gordon asked as he walked in with the nurse.

Stanburg put the chart back on the end of the bed and looked up at the two. "Thank you, nurse." The nurse nodded then left. "Commissioner, I heard that you finally caught Steve?"

"Yes, he should be at a prison infirmary as we speak," Gordon replied.

"Good," Stanburg said then walked out of the room with Gordon following. "So what now?"

"Now, we at least tell Alfred and Dick," Gordon said.

"So you think if the media got a hold of this, that Steve will…"

"Yes," Gordon interrupted. "For now we stay quiet." They both stopped in front of a room with a name plate that read, "BRUCE WAYNE" "Has he woke up yet?"

"Not yet, but we finally isolated the drug that was keeping him in the coma," Stanburg said. "It's a very rare and uncommon drug, but we should have the cure for it soon."

"Good," Gordon replied. "Once you do, let me know. I'm going to let those three know. Dick's been through enough already."

Stanburg just nodded then turned and headed for the lab that was trying to make the cure for the drug.

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Gordon walked back into the room where Dick, Alfred, and Barbra were and saw Dick with a tear stained, red face and Barbra trying to comfort him. "What's going on?"

Gordon asked Alfred quietly.

"Master Dick just heard that Master Bruce is really gone," Alfred said sadly.

Gordon looked toward Dick and sighed. "Dick, stop crying."

Alfred, Dick, and Barbra all looked at him surprised. "Dad, he just found out Bruce is…"

"Bruce is not dead," Gordon said sternly.

Everyone froze. Dick stared at Gordon wide eyed. "Not…" he said barely loud enough for Barbra to hear.

"But the doctor informed me personally…" Alfred said.

"I asked Dr. Stanburg and the staff to keep it quiet for the time being. If the media found out, they would've announced it n the news and Steve would've heard. He would've tried to kill him again. I'm sorry we had to lie to you," Gordon said more to Dick than the others.

Dick smiled and whipped away the tears that were trying to fall. He pulled Barbra closer and whispered in her ear.

"He wants to know if he can see Bruce," Barbra said.

"He's still in a coma thanks to a drug that we believe Steve introduced into his system when he was shot, but I don't see why you couldn't."

"Thank you," Alfred said.

They all stood up to follow Gordon when someone knocked on the door. Gordon went to the door and opened it. "Yes?"

"Hi, I heard Dick was here?"

Gordon opened the door and Wally walked in. "Master Wallace," Alfred said.

"I heard about Bruce," Wally said sadly.

Dick shook his head, but Wally just looked at him confused.

"Dick can't talk very well right now, but he's trying to tell you that he's not dead," Barbra explained.

Wally still looked at them confused "But I heard it on the news," he then turned to Gordon, "from the Commissioner himself."

"I said that so Steve wouldn't come after him again," Gordon said.

"Ohhh," Wally said now understanding.

"We were just going to see him when you walked in," Barbra said.

"Oh, ok. Mind if I join you?" Wally asked.

"Not at all," Alfred said with a smile.

"Alright, follow me," Gordon said then walked out the door.

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Several hours later, everyone was still sitting in Bruce's room visiting, when a male officer burst into the room catching everyone's attention.

"Commissioner!"

"What is it, Stevenson?" Gordon asked as he walked up to the officer.

Stevenson spoke so only Gordon could here. "I wonder what's going on," Wally said. Dick just shrugged then watched the two officers.

"What?!" Gordon said loudly, causing Dick, Barbra, and Wally to jump a bit. Gordon looked at the others then back to Stevenson. "Thank you for informing me."

Stevenson nodded then left without another word.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Barbra asked concerned.

"It's Steve," he replied. Dick tensed at the name. "He was found dead in his cell about a half and hour ago."

Everyone went wide eyed. "What?" Wally asked.

"How?" Alfred also asked.

"They don't know exactly what happened, but it looks like he was stabbed," Gordon replied.

"By someone else, or did he stab himself?" Barbra asked.

"They don't know yet, but they're looking into it now," Gordon answered.

Before anyone could reply to that, Stanburg burst thorugh the door. "We found the cure!" He then walked over and injected a liquid into Bruce's IV line.

Dick smiled, closed his eyes, then started laughing, even though it hurt to do so, causing everyone to look at him. "What's so funny?" Wally asked.

Dick calmed his laughter and just shook his head smiling. Barbra smiled. "I think I understand. You find it funny how Steve wanted to take everything away from you, but in the end he died not even accomplishing one thing, right?"

Dick looked at her, still smiling and nodded.

After another hour, Bruce finally woke up. They explained to him what all happened and how Steve was now dead.

Dick sat there beside Bruce's bed and just looked around the room at his friends and family and smiled. Steve was gone, no longer able to bother them, Barbra was safe and happy again, and his father was alive. Dick was happy, and he knew that no matter what happened in the future, they would make it through somehow.

How was it? did it solve all your questions and confusions? and I just realized that I never shown Bruce's reaction to Barbra being Batgirl... should I make an epilogue to explain that? write a review and let me know :) thanks again for sticking with me through all this