Just an advance warning: this story contains adult themes and discussion of child prostitution.

The kid in front of him was wearing barely anything; just a long tee-shirt that came down below his knees and maybe some boxers but Jason couldn't tell. He was just so small; thin and tiny, with porcelain white skin and bright blue eyes; the perfect prey for child pimps.

He doesn't know what made the thought rush through his head, but it fit. Jason used to see it all the time when he was living on the streets, small children loaned out to wealthy men for hundreds of dollars, as though they were prime real estate. It was sick, disgusting and plain wrong.

His stomach churned as he slowly approached the young child, with small baby steps and obvious moments, so he didn't scare him back into the dark alleyways of Gotham, probably never to be seen again… Too late, the kid was quick, but he was still a kid and Jason was quicker. Scooping him up, he ran back to where he knew the Batmobile would be; an alleyway in a better part of town.

In all the time it took him the child did not move once, either too scared to, or conditioned to let someone do whatever they want to him. Whichever it was it was fucking repulsive. It made him so angry. Who would do that to a child?

Batman was already waiting by the car, a frown set on his face due to his partner's tardiness, which turned into a surprised jaw drop (not that he'd ever admit it) when he saw what Jason had wit him.

"I couldn't just leave him there B, you didn't see him, fuck. He was just standing there, in a t- shirt, it's December B, December, it's gonna fucking snow tomorrow, leaving him there; well I might as well have murdered him."

Even through the down Jason could tell that Bruce's eyes were narrowed, "Get in the car we'll talk about it when we get back to the cave."

And Jason knew the battle was half won.

"Alfred?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Please prepare a room, we have a guest tonight" they were only five minutes out, but the room between Jason's and Dick's was almost ready anyway and it would take Alfred long to set a bed.

"Of course sir,"

"If you could also retrieve some of Dick's old pyjamas from storage, we will be needing them"

"Of course sir, may I enquire as to our guest's age?"

"Probably about eight, he's a little smaller thank Dick was when he first came here"

"Very well sir."

They sat in silence as they reached the cave's secret entrance, pretty much like the whole journey had been. The boy had not spoken a word, nor had he moved even the slightest, it was unnatural.

That had tried making conversation, with things like; "Hey kid what's your name?" Or "How old are you?"; "Where do you live?"; "What's your favourite pizza topping?"

And nothing. Not a word, not a twitch.

As they pulled up into the cave Jason couldn't help but clench his hands in anger. The cavern didn't even phase him, it was like the kid was just some empty vessel for somebody else's use.

"B, I swear when we find who did this-"

"Jason" The command to stop was as stern as it was a promise and an agreement. "Take... Him upstairs and get him to bed, then come back down and we'll talk."

He nodded, quickly changed into the work-out clothes he was wearing just before patrol, and took the kid by his hand, practically dragging him up the stairs and into the manor.

"This is my room, right next to yours, and B's is just down the hall, so if you need anything just come get us okay?" He didn't wait for the reply, the kid wouldn't give him one anyway, he just pushed open the door and pulled him in with him.

The room was a mirror reflection of Jason's, the bed was on the left hand side when you walked it, which was next to the door to the bathroom, a window directly opposite the door and a wardrobe and chest of draws on their right.

It was spacious, clean and smelling vaguely of lilies and Jason had come to the conclusion that Alfred was a miracle worker seeing as before it was cluttered, dusty and smelled vile.

There was a clean pair of Dick's old pyjamas on the bed, right next to a lump that looked distinctly like a hot water bottle, he repeats: miracle worker.

Picking up the pyjamas and all but shoving them in the kid's arms, he turns him towards the bathroom saying "Get changed in there and I'll be here when you get out okay?", guides the kid in and shuts the door.

After people doing god knows what to him, the kid needs some privacy. Though it doesn't take five minutes to get changed and go to the toilet. "Kid, kid you okay in there?"

Jason wasn't banging on the door because he was overly worried... Okay so that may have been part of it... A lot of it. He had the right to be worried Jason had no idea what he would do had he been in the kid's place (and really if Bruce hadn't taken him he might have been). Shuddering he knocked again, opening the door this time and peering in.

The kid was exactly how Jason left him, trembling slightly, with his back to the door and clutching the 'World's Finest' pyjamas, and his heart clenched painfully as the kid flinched at Jason's light touch to his shoulder. He had expected a jump, a startle that set the kid onto the balls of his feet for a moment in fright; but not a shoulder curling flinch.

"Hey... Kid, I'm gonna get you changed, okay?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly, so the kid knew it was a question; that Jason needed an answer before he did anything. When the boy nodded Jason almost cheered in delight, thankfully he restrained himself to a reassuring grin, one that should put the boy at ease and not frighten him half to death as Jason slipped the pyjama bottoms over his tiny feet.

Only once the boy was changed, tucked in and calm did Jason even think about leaving, and even then his retreat was slow.

"Good night kid." He didn't expect an answer.

All in all the conversation with B was a lot less painful than it could have been. Less painful simply because most of it was spent in silence, as Jason told him exactly what had happened and waited for his judgment.

If he didn't agree to the kid staying then Jason would first argue, then, if all else fails, get Alfred in on it, because Alfred would be on his side and B can never say no to Alfred.

"I'll phone Leslie in the morning, get some sleep Jason."

"Bruce, I, I want to be here when Leslie looks him over" tomorrow was a school day, and part of their 'Batman and Robin' arrangement was that he couldn't miss school.

Bruce was looking so serious that Jason thought that he was going to say no, that he had to go to school.

"I'll call you in sick" and Jason had never been so happy in his life.

"Thanks B, night"

"Goodnight Jason."

Jason was ambushed as he climbed into bed, soft child lips on his, deceivingly strong legs twisting them both until he was lying on his back and being straddled.

Jason cursed as the kid broke their kiss and small hands travelled to the elastic of his pyjama bottoms, slipping underneath and started to stroke. Jason finally came out of his original shock and yanked the hands away, "No" his voice was perhaps harsher that it should have been, but the kid needed to know he wasn't going to do that with him "...shit... Oh crap", still mumbling profanities, Jason lifted the child off him and onto the other side of the bed. For the first time in a very long time he had no idea what to do.

As he got up to leave, he switched the light on and told the kid to stay there, before legging it down to Bruce's room.

"B, I- He... Help?" Jason gave up at trying to explain his predicament with a huff.

"Jason, what is it, what's happened" by the sound of his voice Bruce had just managed to fall asleep, and was not yet quite awake.

"B, the kid... He thought we brought him home to use him, he... He's in my room and I don't know what to do, I don't want to hurt him, but I don't know how to make him understand..." Bruce was up, bolt awake, and moving before Jason had even finished, they were heading back towards his room, Bruce's hand a heavy comfort on his shoulder.

He stopped mere meters from his door; Jason really didn't want to hurt the kid, because he had been there. Well not there exactly… but Jason's pretty much sure that's where he would have ended up had Bruce not saved him.

"Jason?" Bruce said, concern evident in his deep voice

"Huh?" Jason replied, not really knowing what was going on.

Bruce smiled, "Why don't you go and wake Alfred, ask him if he would make us a round of hot chocolate; but don't forget to ask nicely."

Sometimes Jason forgets that Bruce is pretty much telepathic, "You got it Boss." And he was off, at a run, down the hall towards Alfred's quarters.

Bruce turned back to the door, pushing it open lightly.