A/N: Thanks for the reviews Carl and mystery guest and thanks for checking up on me Yandere-chan and mystery guest!

That awesome bug I mentioned earlier is being passed around our house so I haven't really had time to do anything with this story. Also, I always triple-check (at least!) grammar, punctuation, spelling and word-flow before posting so that's why it has taken so long. Sorry...

Warning: Super cheesy ending ahead - I don't even like it that much! I've been working on it since I finished writing the story and...nothing. :( So, if you don't like it, make something up in your head and have it end that way. ;) Thanks!

Chapter 12:

"ROBIN!" Batman tried one last time before diving toward his partner, causing him to lose his grip on The Darkling's brother and sending him sliding away toward the bleachers. Conall was gasping and groaning and Batman looked over at him. "Shut up," he said and pulled out his Bat-cuffs. He flipped the man onto his stomach and slapped the cuffs on his wrists before painfully standing and limping over to Robin, crouching when he got there.

Robin was face-down on the floor, his forehead resting on the cold cement and his entire body quivering violently. "I'm sorry," he whispered, devastation clearly evident in his voice. "I couldn't, he was going to kill you. I'm sorry, so sorry…" his sentence trailed off as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"Okay, Robin, I understand, but you have to think about the consequences before…"

"I know," Robin interrupted, pain and guilt replacing the previous emotions. "I'm an idiot," he said softly. "He could have died and then I really would be a 'dangerous murderer'." Several tears dropped from his wet eyelashes and mingled with the small circle of his blood that was already on the ground.

Conall had recovered his air and yelled across the room, "I am addin' attempted murder to the charge of murder when I get back to the police station!"

Batman sighed angrily then stood and, placing a hand on his side to contain the throbbing of his injury, limped back over to the man. "Robin and I will also be pressing charges against you. Do you want to hear the list? Assaulting Batman, kidnapping Robin, assaulting Robin, attempted murder of Robin, attempted murder of Robin again, attempted murder of Batman…do I need to continue?"

Conall shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

"You are the one going to Arkham; you are a villain just like your brother was."

"Remember what I told you about Arkham?" Robin yelled. "It's the scariest…"

"Robin, enough," Batman commanded loudly, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

Robin closed his mouth in consternation and glared at the man on the ground.

Batman stalked away from both of them and pulled out his Bat-communicator. "Batman to Batcave…quietly," he whispered.

"I'm here, sir, what do you need?" Alfred's reply was equally soft.

"I need to talk to the commissioner," Batman sighed and then took a shallow breath filled with pain.

"Very well, sir," Alfred stated and picked up the Batphone in the Batcave, holding the receiver up to the Bat-communicator.

"Yes, Batman?" Commissioner Gordon's voice sounded a little timid and Batman was satisfied that he was sufficiently regretful.

"Do you have a pen, Commissioner? Good, here are the charges that Conall O'Reilly will be facing..." Batman recited the list that he had already told the villain and included two more: assaulting Batman with a deadly weapon and assaulting Robin with a deadly weapon.

The commissioner was shocked at its length, "Batman! That's…is Robin okay?!"

"He's very beat up but he will live. He's still worried that you are going to send him to Arkham, though. I can't imagine why a fifteen-year-old would be concerned about that, can you? I mean, he would have been completely safe in isolation," Batman barked, his voice laced with sarcasm; he was still furious with Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara and the entire Gotham City Police Department.

Robin had heard him. "Batman, leave it alone," he called.

Batman turned toward his partner but continued to speak into the Bat-communicator, "Robin will be out of commission for a while again so I expect you to apologize to him now and allay his fears of re-arrest. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, Batman, of course. May I speak to Robin, please?"

Batman really wanted to tell the commissioner that he didn't have a choice but he let it go, for Robin's sake. He walked carefully over to Robin, who had somehow managed to sit himself up and was leaning against the bleachers. Blood was still slowly dripping from some of his many wounds so Batman handed the Bat-communicator to Robin and began working on his partner's still-trembling body.

"Robin?" the commissioner asked.

"Yes, Commissioner?" Robin answered – his tone was steady but Commissioner Gordon could hear that it still contained traces of fear.

The commissioner sighed and gathered his thoughts before speaking, "Robin, I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you. I…"

Robin stopped him abruptly, "You were just doing your job, sir. Thank you for the apology, though." This time there was a tinge of anger in his voice and he almost turned off the Bat-communicator.

The commissioner heard the silence and said, "No, wait, hear me out, please. It is imperative that you understand something: you are not going to be arrested again and you are definitely not going to Arkham. I'm sorry, again. Is there anything I, or anyone else in the police department, can do for you?"

Robin flinched and let a little cry of pain escape as Batman continued working on his injuries but then he sighed and said, "No, Commissioner, I think you have done enough. Thank you, again." This time Robin did turn it off then dropped it on the ground and closed his eyes. "Can we go, Batman? Are we done here?"

"Well, I needed to tell the commissioner where this villain is so that…"

Robin opened his eyes and scooped up the Bat-communicator again, holding up a still-bloody hand to stop Batman's sentence and asking Alfred to use the Batphone again.

"Yes?" the commissioner was surprised at the call.

"O'Reilly is at the old circus grounds, just like his brother was two months ago. He is cuffed so just get him, you know, when you have a chance." Robin turned it off again.

Batman gave him a slight grin as he glanced up at Robin's face. "When you have a chance?" he commented.

Anger prowled around the edges of Robin's eyes as he shrugged and then grimaced at the movement. "Yeah, you know, if they want to."

"I'm going to make sure the guy is secure and then we can go," Batman stated as he stood up and walked over to Conall.

Robin, who felt like he had been sighing for two days straight, sighed again and silently got up to follow. 'Secure' sounded like knocked out and he was done with the fighting. He immediately fell just as silently as he had risen and grumbled, "The ankle; it's always an ankle!"

Batman grabbed the bloody rope that had fallen from the tightrope platform and tied Conall's legs together before double-checking the security of the Bat-cuffs. "If I ever hear you say the word 'Robin' – if you even think it – I will come to your dark, villain-filled cell in Arkham and let you know how I feel about your actions against him. Do we understand each other?"

Conall nodded once and mumbled, "Sorry?"

Robin, still leaning against the bleachers, yelled, "Oh, sure, that's okay. I mean, you only had me arrested and kidnapped me and tried to beat me to death and then, what was it, oh yeah, attempted to have me fall to my death and stabbed my partner – who, by the way, is BATMAN – then tried to choke him to death but yeah, I'm okay with all of that. Saying 'sorry' totally takes care of everything! What is it with villains these days? Good luck in your future endeavors. At Arkham." He had worn himself out and he slumped down and closed his eyes.

Batman released a soft chuckle at his partner's lively summary of everything that had happened. He was going to be fine. He thought of something and frowned. "Mindy Landis" on the other hand, was not going to be fine. Her article had started all of this.

Robin, his eyes still closed, said wearily, "Batman? A retraction is fine; I don't really care about that anymore."

Batman shook his head, wondering how Robin had known what he was thinking about when he hadn't even seen Batman's face.

Robin opened his eyes and saw the movement. "I bet you're wondering how I knew what you were thinking." He let out a short chuckle, "You said it out loud. You didn't hear yourself say her name? Let's go now, please?"

Batman really didn't realize he had spoken aloud and he grinned as he walked back over to Robin. His knees protested when he bent down to pick up his partner and Robin saw the pain on his face.

"Wait," Robin demanded and Batman looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong with your legs? You flinch every time you have to bend them. Do I need to carry you out on my back? Are you sure you can drive?" Robin was smirking now.

Batman ignored the questions, scooped Robin up and started to walk but his knees buckled and he stumbled forward. Robin wiggled his legs out of Batman's arms and they limped out together, supporting each other as they always had and always would.

THE END

P.S. My next story, "Seven Days", is in the works. I'm not sure if I want to post it, though; I tried an idea from a reader and I don't have a lot of confidence in it. It's a little darker than my others - it has some implied torture - and I don't want to turn anybody off. Right now I'm leaning towards letting it fall by the wayside and moving on. Also, I just barely finished writing it so, if I do decide to post it, it won't be up for a little while. I like to make sure my stories are as polished as possible before I start posting.

If I choose not to post it, I will find another idea for a story and I will be sure to write one that I feel comfortable posting. So, I'm not disappearing forever; don't give up on me! :)

If you have any other story ideas that you want to share, please do so because my idea well is dry again! I've been working on the writing style of the Batman TV series in the '60s but, so far, I pretty much suck at it. If I do an alternate ending (or an add-on) to one of the episodes, I want the Dynamic Duo to actually be in character so don't expect anything like that anytime soon.

Thanks for the reviews, comments and all the love you sent to Robin! :) I've always thought he should be an actual "hero" that can handle difficult situations and fight or talk (or whatever) his way out of them - well, most of them anyway. ;) That's why I write him like I do; he is never given the credit I think he deserves so...I give it to him. :) Thanks again and I hope you come back when I have something new!