Notes: Nightwingsass: I think Jason would totally have been able to shot the Joker if he hadn't realized what the Joker wanted. He has that kind of determination ;) Glad you liked the chapter!

Epilogue: The First Step of Many

Jason stood, glaring at this reflection in the mirror. He was wearing a blue jean and a white t-shirt with the logo of a band he'd never heard of. 'You need daytime clothes and I think you'll like them', Babs had said when handing him the piece of clothing. 'If you don't, you can still give it to the Foundation.'

It felt weird wearing it. He never put it on for his 'night activities', which meant he'd never put it on at all, except that one time he'd finally found the guts to walk himself to the Foundation. He'd intended to ask about the requirement to become a volunteer. He'd stopped at the entrance, stood there for twenty minutes, then headed back home. He hadn't managed to force himself to go back, yet, but he'd try again the next week.

He shook his head, his hand nervously running through his hair. The mirror itself was weird. He didn't remember last time there had been one in the flat, except in the bathroom. This one was full-height, enough so for even Jason to see himself reflected from head to toes. Babs and he had found it at a flea market when he'd started to go mock with her on Sundays, so he could buy some furniture now that he was kind of settling in one place. Babs called it nesting, of course.

He kind of liked that.

The flat looked more like a home than it had when Jason had been ten. And that was counting the weapons hanging on the walls.

"Are you ready?" Babs asked from the other room.

"How could I ever be?" Jason grumbled, but he joined her.

She grinned at him, and he took a second to wonder on the fact she'd decided to become his girlfriend. She'd always been so much out of his league he'd never imagine even for a second that his flirting would go anywhere. He still flirted, because she was strong and gorgeous and – well, Babs.

"Come on, don't make such a face. It's not like you didn't know my dad already."

His face grew longer.

"Who would be eager to have his girlfriend's dad remembering him in scaled panties?"

"You had lovely legs."

He glared. She laughed.

"Let's go, we're going to be late."

She grabbed her coat and he his jacket. They weren't taking the bike because she didn't like to ride in heels. He avoided pointing out that driving a car with those wasn't much better – she would be his only ally for the evening, he'd rather not get on her nerves.

Jim Gordon didn't live in the Bowery but Uptown, in West Village. It was a longer drive that Jason would have liked. He felt his nervousness grow stronger every minute, which pissed him off. He was the Red Hood, who some called the Scourge of the Underworld; he had fucked up Maroni and Black Mask, sending so much evidence to the GCPD they'd gotten locked up for several lives.

Maybe he was quite right to be terrified by Jim Gordon, after all.

"Here we are!" Babs declared, parking the car in front of the house.

In the end, the journey had been way too short. Jason dragged himself out of the car, following her to the front door. She frowned at him.

"You know you don't have to do this, right? If you're feeling so uncomfortable, we can just drive back. Dad would understand."

"No – it's fine. This visit is long overdue anyway."

He rang the doorbell. When the door opened, he felt his breath catch. Seeing Jim Gordon in a wheelchair was more of a shock than he'd anticipated.

Thankfully, the man didn't seem to realize. He looked very pale himself.

"Damn you, boy", Jim said. "Come here."

Jason hesitated only second before coming closer. The ex-commissioner grabbed him down, pulling him to his height to hug him fiercely. Surprise and shame hit Jason like a brick, and he could only hug back. Because the damn man had always been there, since the very beginning, a fixed, protecting place among Gotham's many dangers, and damn, this visit really had been long overdue.

Then of course, Jim whacked his head.

"That's for not having visited sooner, young man. One doesn't just come back to life and not say anything!"

"Sorry, sir", Jason blushed. Damnit. Why was he blushing now? He didn't do blushes!

Jim seemed very amused.

"I didn't think your cheeks could color that way."

"Neither did I", Jason admitted, making him laugh.

"Come on in", Jim invited them, wheeling back inside.

The house felt warm and cozy. Admittedly, Jason didn't have much experience with average houses. There was a whole world between his own flat and the manor. He liked this more. There even was a garden on the other side of the house.

Jim patted his arm, eyes sparkling.

"Well, boy. Welcome in the family."

THE END

Notes: And this was the epilogue :) I hadn't planned on writing one but I had this scene stuck in my head, so.

It turned out a bit more sugary than I expected. I totally blame Jim on that.

Anyway, I hope you liked the fic :) Thank you for reading!