I want to thank all of you for your kind comments and for the motivation to keep updating! I wanted to prolong the upload of this last chapter as long as possible as this is the end! I hope you all have enjoyed the story and thank you again!

ALSO: Before ANYONE says anything else about Batman Beyond, NO THIS IS NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. I hated that whole concept. Thank you.

Dick wretched and writhed violently on a cold, dusty ground, coughing up phlegm and maybe blood, though it was too dark to know for sure. His insides were on fire, protesting whatever it was that had just sent him whenever he was. He pressed his palms to the sides of his head, pleading with it to stop pounding with agony. When his head finally calmed, Dick rolled over onto his back and started working on his breathing. His heart was racing and his limbs felt like jelly; painfully burnt jelly.

After what seemed like forever, his body finally found a peaceful state and allowed him to stand without vomiting. Dick wiped the sweat from his brow and took in his surroundings. It was dark, cold and damp. A cave. Maybe the Batcave, but there were no lights or other indicators that that was where he was. He walked around, trying to find some light. His shoe kicked what felt like a metal rod and suddenly his was met with blinding red light and blaring klaxons.

"INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT!" Came a female, robotic voice that echoed menacingly throughout the cave. Dick clapped his hands to his ears and tried to find an escape, but before he bolted in any direction, his ankles were caught by some sort of bola and he once again fell, unceremoniously, to the ground. The alarm was silenced and the red light was replaced by a softer yellow, allowing Dick to see he was in fact still in the Batcave. Or, at least, some version of the Batcave. Everything was covered in muslin and the place smelled old and abandoned.

"I've got to say, Dick," came an old and firm voice from behind him. He struggled to turn himself around. "I expected a little more."

Dick sat himself up and starred, surprised, at an old, hunched, gray-haired man leaning heavily on a cane. He grinned, instantly recognizing the deep brown eyes as Bruce's and pulled out his knife to cut the bola from his ankles. He stood, still starring and not quite sure what to say.

He grinned wider when he realized how much taller he was than Bruce and wondered how old he really was. Dick never thought old age would kill the Batman; he was too damn stubborn. Before he could ask anything however, he suddenly found himself gasping for breath as two warm and surprisingly strong arms wrapped themselves around him. It took a while for Dick to comprehend what was happening, but once the initial shock had passed, the young hero returned the gesture with vigor. This finally broke him. All the guilt, shame and emotional gut-punches flooded from Dick in this moment of unrelenting compassion. He tried to keep the tears back, but a few fell free, sinking themselves into the old man's expensive robe.

Bruce broke the hug and held Dick's arms, looking him up and down with a small smile. "You've had quite a trip." Dick let out a small chuckle and forced himself from crying any more. "C'mon, it's time for you to go home."

Batman starred, completely disheartened, out into space. They had lost Nightwing. Zatana was in the infirmary being treated for her burns and Zatara had expelled his energy dozens of times by now searching desperately and in vain for any marker indicating Nightwing's presence. I failed him, Batman blamed himself angrily. They couldn't even rely on J'onn as his trance had somehow grown deeper and he was moved into the infirmary along with Zatana for constant medical observation.

Batman heard the very last man that he wanted to see right now coming and he used every bit of restraint he still had to keep himself from finding the sharpest piece of Kryptonite and stabbing it into his neck.

"Bruce," Superman addressed the man in black gently but Batman maintained his gaze out the window into space. "I'm so sorry."

Batman knew his compassion was sincere, but the sentiment sounded so bitter and hollow after the loss of Nightwing. The loss of Dick… Batman shut his eyes tight behind his cowl and was grateful for the lead preventing the Superhero from seeing his tears.

"Leave me," Batman ordered, venomously.

Superman was smart enough to know there was nothing he could say to appease Bruce's grief and left in respectful silence.

"Where is everyone?" Dick asked running his hands along the muslin covered trophies and equipment.

Bruce continued walking ahead slowly and shrugged. "Dead or have moved on."

Dick nodded, "And me?" He kept following the old man deeper into the cave.

They came to a rock wall and stopped. Bruce turned around and looked Dick in the eyes, smiling, but he did not answer. Instead, he turned his attention to the stone wall and began tapping it with his cane. First, Dick thought it was random, then he noticed a pattern developing. With three final taps, there came a whining metallic sound and the groan of moving rock. The wall slid back, then parted down the middle, revealing a small case. Bruce nodded at the case and Dick retrieved it, surprised by its weight.

"Well go on," Bruce said, impatiently.

Dick opened the case and pulled out a heavy, dark purple device with buttons and a screen. Bruce pulled something green and glowing from his pocket and tossed it to Dick.

"Kryptonite?" Dick asked.

"It powers the device. I grabbed some when the alarm went off." They began walking back to the middle of the cave.

Dick's brow furrowed. "You were expecting me."

"No shit Sherlock," Bruce said smiling. "I've been expecting this journey of yours for some time." He paused. "Well, not this part exactly…"

"You knew Darkseid was going to send me back in time?" Dick asked.

Bruce shrugged, "I didn't know it would be because of Darksied, but I knew it would happen somehow."

"How?"

Bruce's eyebrow rose smugly, "Because it happened."

Dick shook his head, "I don't under-"

"I knew this would happen because I remember it happening. Just like I knew you would be here because-"

"Because I told you I went to the future and you helped me get back."
"Exactly," Bruce nodded.

Dick frowned. He knew the Justice League had been involved the whole time with his movements forward in time. That part wasn't hard to figure out, especially since Dick was familiar with the sensations associated with magic. But that only raised more questions.

"Zatana has been moving me through time," Dick stated.

"Correct," Bruce said, waiting for the question.

"Then why send me here?"

"She didn't, at least, not on purpose. There was some sort of accident… I don't remember."

"Then you knew what I was going to do," Dick whispered and Bruce's face became a familiar firm mask.

"You were going to save my parents, but I stopped you." Bruce's tone was cold, but Dick could see the warmth in his eyes.

"Why?" Dick asked quietly, needing to know.

Bruce regarded him for a moment before responding, equally as quietly, "Because we're here discussing it." Bruce saw that response was insufficient as his former ward waited patiently for further explanation. He sighed. "The fact that we are here debating what could've happened, means that it never did. The fact that you were there at all, that Nightwing was in twentieth century Gotham, meant that there had to have been a Robin which meant that there had to have be a Batman which meant…"

"That your parents had to die," Dick finished. "But you could've-"

"That fact that I 'could've' is the exact reason why I couldn't," Bruce cut him off, his patience wearing thin.

Dick was silent for a moment, trying to take it all in and Bruce allowed him the time. Dick gave a small smile, "I thought you didn't believe in fate."

Bruce smiled sarcastically, "Did you come all this way just to deprive an old man of his final comfort?"

"Sorry," Dick said, his smile growing warmly.

Bruce huffed and took the device from Dick's hand. He opened the back compartment and Dick put the Kryptonite inside. The device glowed to life and vibrated in Bruce's hands. He entered information and twisted some knobs before handing it back to Dick.

"Remember where you put this so I can give it to you later," Bruce said and Dick chuckled, shaking his head at the situation. "Just press that button there and you'll be home." Dick rubbed his thumb over the button, suddenly not wanting to leave. "Oh, and Dick," Dick looked up at Bruce. Bruce swallowed and smiled warmly, "Thank you." All the ambiguity of their relationship melted away with those two words. Dick felt all the angst, grief, regret and, most of all, love pronounced in those two little words. It was enough. Enough to give meaning to the terrors of his life, enough to cloak the sorrows of the night.

Dick nodded, not trusting himself to speak and pressed the button.

"Nightwing to Justice League!" Batman's head snapped away from the window, unsure whether or not to trust the voice coming from his earpiece. His throat was dry as it called out again, "Nightwing to Batman! Robin?"

Before Batman could respond however, he heard a new voice over the communications device and smiled, greatly relieved that he hadn't just been imagining Dick's return.

"Dammit, Grayson! What the Hell do you want? I'm on patrol here!" Bruce almost laughed at Damien's response but decided to enter the conversation in typical fashion.

"You better not be patrolling alone, Robin," Batman growled menacingly. "Back to the cave, now."

There was a moment of silence then Damien responded, dejectedly, "Yes, father."

"Nightwing, I'm transporting you back to the Watchtower," Batman said, making his way to the embarkation room to teleport him aboard the satellite.

"Understood," Nightwing responded and within minutes, the young hero was standing in front of the Bat.

Batman sighed, unbelievably glad to see Dick alive and well. "Nice outfit."

Dick grinned, "Shut up."

THE END