A Light in the Dark

This takes place after Bruce/Batman has died and Battle for the Cowl hasn't happen (nor will happen really). Some things are AU in the timeline but most everything is together.

After Batman's death the Wayne clan need to rally together to help each other, especially Tim who has lost so much. Dick calls upon Jason to join them in helping them heal Tim and in hopes that Jason can heal too. Brotherly fluff. Hurt/Comfort/Angst

THANK YOU to my beta AlexSkywalker!

Prologue/Chapter 1

It was a typical night in Gotham: dark, cold and dank. Jason Todd stood atop a rooftop looking out over the city as he turned his jacket collar up to the cold. He was without his signature red helmet tonight, wearing only a domino mask. Hoodlums feared the Red Hood with or without the red helmet; However, with the cold air nipping at his face, Jason was regretting his decision to forgo it.

Looking out over the skyline he saw his reason for running tonight. He was keeping his distance from his pursuer, the one little assassin Damian Wayne. Jason was amazed that the little one was out on his own and couldn't help thinking they really needed to get that kid a costume instead the grey leotard he was currently wearing. Jason had been back in the country all of 4 hours before the bird started looking for him again. Before he had left the country on some "business" all of the birds had been looking for him. Jason pondered what he had done this time to regain their attention.

Speaking of the birds, Jason hadn't seen the Bat in a while. Why were the birds suddenly out on their own? Where was the Bat? As he was mulling this over he heard the soft landing of small feet. Shit, Damian had doubled back and found him. Jason cursed himself for getting lost in his thoughts and not keeping an eye out for the little one as he turned around to face Damian.

"So….ya found me. Well done. Now what do you want?" Jason growled getting straight to the point.

"You need to see Grayson at the cave." Damian stated matching Jason's lack of pleasantries.

"And why would I do that? Is that why you guys have been looking for me? Nightwing, Robin and the shortest assassin in the world."

"You have been difficult to find as of late."

"I've been busy Demon Spawn."

"You were completely off the radar for an entire week."

"I was out of the country if you must know short shit from hell. Now what. Do. You. Want."

"I believe I made that clear, you need to see Grayson at the cave. The security codes have been changed to Alpha 3 protocol. That should be easy enough for you to get in without trouble."

"Look little devil why didn't the big bad Bat come and ask me himself? Where has he been lately? I am going no where near that cave with Daddy Bats there you should know that, you genetic mutant." Jason noticed that Damian wasn't rising to the bait or responding to the taunts that usually riled the child up.

Damian tilted his head looking at Jason puzzled. "Tt. You don't know do you?"

"Know what?" Jason asked suspiciously. Something was wrong. Did something happen to Bruce? Did something happen to the Replacement? Jason's thoughts were scrambling in his head to make some sense over whether he cared or not, but either way, he still had a front to keep up. Damian's glare caused Jason to turn away at look back out at the city.

Finally Damian spoke again; "We thought that you were just being…well…you."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"The ass that we all know you can be. But you don't know. That's tragic. You really should go see Grayson at the cave now. Dick needs you. He was doing so well at first…but now…he's just falling apart."

"Over what?" Jason asked. He whipped around and found himself met with an empty rooftop. 'He's gotten good at that.' Jason thought.

Jason tried to pick apart which person was really in trouble or needed help; his estranged adoptive father, his golden boy older brother, or the Replacement that Jason had grown to have some respect for. The way Damian spoke… he hadn't been there to fight, hadn't been there to argue. He was being genuine in his request for Jason to come to the cave. Curiosity piqued and with nothing else to do for the night, The Red Hood headed for the one place he swore to never return to: the Batcave.