A/N: Don't miss the announcement at the end of this, or Santa will be angry! –grin-

Remember, this is a chapter/epilogue so it will be a bit uneven, and hold on in the beginning, because the POV's switch a lot… it also jumps slightly back and forwards in time… ;o) It seems you managed that in the last chapter, though… I'm blessed with clever readers… :D

Oh, by the way: there is a doctor in this... I know Batman has had one or two canon ones, but I couldn't remember their names and were too tired to research... so he's fake... ;o)

Black Sheep 2: Most Wanted

Chapter Eighteen (Bye now!): Perils and Peace

Shield had barely managed to hold on to his already weakening powers when the power surge happened, and he was, frankly, rather surprised to still be alive when he opened his eyes. He turned to look at Cyborg who, apart from seeming somewhat dazed, also looked fine. Flame was next. The teen was on his knees, gasping for breath or sobbing, Shield couldn't tell.

Sound started to pour into the world again, and cries of pain echoed through the large room. Shield lifted his eyes and took in the scene. Closest to them the floor was red and looked like a very unsanitary slaughterhouse. He almost threw up as he spotted strands of blue hair, which were probably the biggest pieces remaining of Nova. Further away, the damage seemed to lessen, but it was still excessive, and, judging by the sounds, he couldn't help but think that the dead were the lucky ones.

"Man…" Cyborg had gotten up and was eyeing the destruction disbelievingly.

"Are you strong enough to get out of here by your own?" Shield asked, not really wanting to try to carry the half-metal teen.

"Yes, I have another hour if I don't try to run…" Cyborg nodded.

"Good. You have to take Flame. There should be a socket or something upstairs you can use to recharge." Shield walked up to the energy-user and shook his shoulders. "Flame? Flame, time to go."

"But… but… Robin… how?"

"He's just fine," Shield lied. "He wants you to get Cyborg out of here… think you can do that?"

"Y-yeah… I… I think so…"

They found the wall which led to the elevator, and discovered that it was cracked but had held. Barely. The elevator also worked, and, fortunately, no key was needed to travel upwards.

Shield turned back to the massacre, determined to find the others… or what was left of them. He almost immediately spotted Rose, hurrying towards him.

"We need medical supplies… right now!" the woman ordered.

Shield looked around the rubble, it seemed rather hopeless to find anything in this, but they soon found the right area, somewhat protected by the partition which had hidden Cyborg.

With their arms full of gauze and blood-stoppers they made their way to the middle of the room. They spotted survivors leaving the same way they had came in, and Shield thought he heard traffic far off. The opening must lead up to street-level, through a steep climb, he figured, and he hoped to bring the others out that way as well.

The scene in front of him made him forget about leaving, however. Rose hurried to Slade's side, handing him more and more material, and Shield looked around. He spotted Brother Blood. He had, unknowingly, protected Robin's body from the blast, it seemed, but he himself hadn't faired so well. A large piece of debris, part of a guard's helmet, it looked like, was embedded in his back. Shield didn't know if the man was dead, but it very much looked that way. Someone was missing, though, someone very important.

When he spotted a pale arm sticking out from under Blood's body, he discovered how little he really cared about the headmaster's health. He simply shoved his body away, and there was Shift. He was in the form of a slim male with long, golden hair, which was mainly red now, with blood. He looked even paler than usual, and it didn't seem like he was breathing. He felt for a pulse, and found one, but it was weak. Remembering, faintly, some first-aid poster he'd read while sitting on the can somewhere, Shield tilted the shape-shifter's head back and opened his mouth to check his airways. The teen still wasn't breathing. Shield pinched Shift's nose closed, placed his lips over the other's, and gave him some air.

"I can't believe you are making me kiss a guy…" he whispered with something close to a sob, as he paused.

Suddenly there were a lot more people around, Shield looked up and startled as he recognized the figures from Flame's poster. As Shift drew a shaky breath on his own, however, the outside word disappeared again.

The time after that were a blur of people and sounds. He remembered Batman stalking towards them, a man in a white coat, looking like a doctor, and a few ambulance-workers taking over caring for Shift. He didn't leave the other's side, though, especially not as the doctor waved the ambulance-men away as soon as he deemed that Shift was stable. They were loaded into a black van, and, when the car stopped, Shield found himself to be one of few people who ever had seen the inside of the Bat-cave. They were taken through it, and were soon settled in a small room, while Robin, Shield guessed, was taken to another. He had no idea how bad Robin's condition was, and he felt bad about it, but he had only the energy to worry about one person right now, and said person had yet to wake up.

Someone was nagging him, and he didn't like it. There was some light, maybe his eyes were open…? They wanted him to wake up, but he didn't. He wanted to sleep. Just a bit longer. The darkness agreed and came back.

He opened his eyes slightly. Slade was there. Covered in blood.

You alright? Robin mouthed, before he was claimed by the shadows again. He worried about Slade, though. He needed to find out if he was hurt.

Rose thought she would cry from gratitude when the cavalry arrived. She knew of the Titans East, of course, but they were rather dwarfed by Batman.

The man seemed to decide rather quickly that this wasn't a place for 'children', so he ordered the team to help the people outside for now, and evacuate the building.

"How is he?"

The dark, painfully tight, voice, startled Rose.

"He's… he's holding on." she answered uncertainly. There were a lot of medical personnel around, the whole city's worth it looked like, and they were sourly needed. The one kneeling next to Robin and Slade, however, didn't seem to belong to them.

"How did you find us so quickly?"

"We were fully prepared, and, whatever happened here, caused quite a seismographic disturbance." Batman said dryly. "It wasn't hard."

"I see." She felt rather stupid and useless at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to do anything than to stare at the backs of the two men on the floor in front of her. She saw only glimpses of Robin now and then, his hair, a flash of pale or blood drenched skin.

"I'm Rose," she said and wanted to kill herself. Why the hell should Batman care? The glance she got told her as much.

"He's ready to be moved," the doctor annonced, and the man beside her immediately tensed as Slade picked Robin up.

"Leave him to me! You are hurt, you might drop him!" Batman ordered, and, only then, Rose remembered that Robin was the Robin. Slade hadn't told her if the two were related, but this might be his son. Oh, god, she had introduced herself while his family was hovering between life and death! She was such an idiot!

She looked up to see the two men trying to stare each other down.

"I. Can't. Let. Go," Slade then snarled, and, even the dark knight, had to shy away from the look on his face. Slade stalked out to a van which was waiting for them, and, with the help of the doctor, Robin was carefully placed on a stretcher and put inside. Slade then straightened up before promptly collapsing.

"Dad!" Rose didn't care who knew, the blasted man had just scared her to death.

"He has lost a lot of blood, and the bullet-wounds… how is he even still alive?" the physician asked.

"Healing ability," Rose said. "Don't just stand there!" she barked at Batman. "Help me get him in the car!"

The ride was quick, but dark. The windows were tinted so no one could see either in or out, and only a faint light in the ceiling prevented it from being pitch black. There were a lot of people in the back, Robin and Shift on stretchers, Slade, lying on the floor with his head in Rose's lap, Shield talking in a hushed voice with Shift, who was still unconscious, the doctor was keeping a close eye on Robin and Slade alike, Cyborg and Flame were huddled up in the back, and, last but not least, two of the Titans East, Speedy and Aqualad, had joined them as well. Rose thought Batman must be driving. Everything had gone so fast that she felt dizzy. All she could do was keep stroking her father's hair, not really knowing if she tried to comfort him or herself.

As they arrived at their destination she had some help to bandage up Slade, but the man was still unconscious for almost thirty minutes due to the blood loss. She tried to clean him us as well as she could, and someone brought him a shirt to wear, but, as soon as he woke up, there was, naturally, only one thing on his mind.

"He's a fighter, I can tell you that much…"

"He will pull through, then, doctor?"

"He has a nasty wound, but whoever gave first aid saved his life, I'll say. Yes, if there are no complications, he will be just fine."

Bruce sank down in the closest chair. His private physician eyed him curiously. The man had treated him, for years, and Bruce trusted him almost as much as he trusted Alfred, but his services had never been as appreciated as they were now. He would get the biggest Christmas bonus in the history of Christmas bonuses, the millionaire decided.

"I'll take my leave then. Call me immediately if he runs more than just a slight fever."

"Yes. Of course. Thank you. Thank you so much." Bruce said and pulled his cowl down again, once more becoming the dark knight of Gotham, and not just a worried guardian.

"You are welcome. But, as I said, I didn't save his life."

As the doctor opened the door, there were a shuffle of feet outside, and hushed voices, indicating quite a few waiting people. Bruce sighed and got to his feet, following the doctor out.

Someone was closing in on the room rapidly, pushing through the small crowd.

"Let me see him!" Slade looked like he had come from the butcher-shop himself, a loose shirt open to reveal a multitude of scars, slowly healing.

"Of course," Bruce said quietly and, as the man passed him, Bruce touched his arm. The man stopped, glaring, obviously expecting trouble, but his single eye widened as he met the hero's. "Thank you." was all the man said, but Slade could read so much more into the two simple words. He nodded curtly and walked through the door.

Flame was shaking. Someone had wrapped him in a blanket, but he couldn't remember who. He was sitting against the wall of this dark and weird place, and he had a feeling that he should have at least an idea about where he was, but he didn't. He couldn't remember anything after he had seen the blood on Robin's neck. It was just a blur.

"Are you all right?" A concerned voice asked above him, and Flame looked up into a pair of deep, black eyes. He blushed instantly.

"Y-yeah… I… Where are we?"

The teen kneeled in front of Flame and touched his forehead slightly.

"We are at the Batcave. Are you sure you are all right?"

"Hey, hands off the new meat!" an energetic voice snickered, and Flame's world were suddenly much more crowded. Not that he minded. The red-head's arm around him actually felt very nice.

"He's in shock, Speedy, you are not supposed to startle him even more!" Aqualad scolded his on-again-off-again boyfriend.

"Nah, he doesn't mind, do you, Flame? You won't blow, will you? Hey… do you? Blow?"

"Speedy!"

"Look, he is adorable when he blushes! Come on, can we keep him? Pleeease?"

Aqualad rolled his eyes and sighed. Speedy was right, the energy-user was hot, and he wouldn't mind a threesome or ten… besides, it might be nice to have someone who would keep an eye on Speedy when he felt the need to spend some time with his marine friends.

"If Flame agrees, I'm sure Bee will let him stay… but go easy on him, he needs to rest… and… " Aqualad added with a small smile. "… you have to share…"

Speedy grinned and was just about to say something when a melody started playing.

"Err… I think that's yours…" Aqualad said to Flame, who blinked and then jumped, yanking his phone out of his pocket.

"Yes?" he answered, like he wasn't completely sure what he was doing. "Magpie! No… no, we are okay… I think… Where are you? Stay there, we… we can pick you up…?" at this he glanced up at Aqualad who nodded. "Yes, we'll be there… in an hour, okay? We just need to… do stuff… just stay put! Yes, you can buy some snacks, just… yes, good, do that… I'll see you soon." As he shut the phone he sagged against the wall again. "God, I forgot about Magpie and Anne…"

"Friends?" Speedy asked carefully.

"Yeah… do you think we can go? I mean… am I allowed to? Am I under arrest or something?"

"Errr… why would you be?" Speedy asked dumbfounded.

"Because… because I was at H.I.V.E, and, and I killed all those people…" Flame stuttered. "I've… could have killed everyone…"

"Yeah, that was some aweso- ouch!" Speedy was stopped by an elbow to his side.

"You saved a lot of people too, Flame." Aqualad took over "We've talked to Cy and you panicked, you lost control… I'm not saying that's acceptable, but we'll make sure you get help, okay? Now, why don't we go find out how everybody's doing and talk to Batman? We have a lot of work to do, rounding up H.I.V.E-members, and you can help."

Flame nodded. He wasn't sure what he could do, but he would try his best.

The first thing Robin saw as he woke up was Slade's face. The guy looked like hell. Robin frowned worriedly, as he could finally ask the question that had burned in his unconscious mind for what felt like days.

"Are you okay?"

Slade sat up straight by the bed as he realized that Robin was awake, and then snorted at his words.

"You should sleep, you need your rest," he huffed, instead of answering.

"You look like crap," Robin said, honestly.

"And you look like an albino vampire. A pale one," Slade answered, with a small smirk.

"What about the others? Rose? Flame? Shift? Shield? Cy?"

"You're the one who got his throat cut, stop asking about everyone else!" Slade snorted.

"But-"

"They are all fine!" Slade snapped. "Shift is in some kind of coma from exhaustion, but the doctor thinks he'll wake up… the others just have cuts and bruises…"

"And you?"

"I'm fine."

"You haven't even bothered to have all the bullets removed yet, have you?" Robin frowned. "I remember the blood…"

"I'll take care of it."

They were quiet for a while. Robin found he actually had a slight, nice, buzz going, and realized that he was on some rather strong pain relievers. There were tubes connected to both his arms, one clear, one red, and Robin turned his head a little to see where they led. He shouldn't have. Pain shot through his neck and he winced.

"Stay still, or I'll tape your head to the bed!" Slade barked.

"Sorry… could have warned me…" Robin muttered.

"Forgive me for thinking that you'd figure out by yourself that turning your head before a cut half way across your throat has healed is a bad decision," Slade muttered.

Robin rolled his eyes, and glanced at the tubes again.

"IV and blood?" he asked.

"Yes. Your blood, actually. I had no idea that Bruce has both of your plasma stored here. Rather clever. There's no way your body will reject it."

"Yeah, blood-donating days were so much fun…" Robin snorted, but then grinned. "Well, at least Alfred gave me a lot of cookies…"

"Ahh… that would explain these…" Slade said held up an overflowing plate of Robin's favourite cookies. "The man has been a bit manic about those…"

"Mmmm…can I have one?" Robin asked hopefully.

"No. Not until the doctor checks up on you. I'm willing to try one for you, though."

"You are going to eat my cookies?! Bad villain! Bad!" Robin scolded, eyes glittering with mirth.

Again they were silent. Robin noticed that, after Slade had put the plate back, one of his hands had come to rest on top of Robin's own. The teen slowly turned his hands palm up and curled his fingers upward. They weren't holding hands, he told himself, their hands just happened to… touch… a lot. Especially now, as Slade's fingers had curled over his as well.

"I'm tired."

"I told you to sleep, didn't I?"

"Do you always have to be right?" Robin complained through a small yawn.

"No, I don't have to, it just comes natural to me."

Robin snorted softly.

"Go get those bullets out… I don't want you so sound like a bloody maracas when you fuck me…"

Robin fell asleep to the sound of Slade's quiet chuckle.

The next two weeks were torture for Robin. Sure, people tried to cheer him up, but not being allowed to move, with a very itchy healing scar didn't help. He was glad, however, when Shield brought Shift in for a visit. It had taken the teen four days to wake up, and he was still very weak and tired.

"I can't change." He told Robin sadly. "It might come back, but no one knows…"

"Oh, poor you, just being a normal gorgeous guy…" Robin smirked at the blond.

"I'm hideous! I think I'm getting a zit!" Shift complained, and looked very upset until Shield embraced him.

"Robin's right, you are gorgeous…" the dark teen chuckled and kissed Shift until his face was very flushed indeed.

"But… I can't even be a girl for you now…" the former shape-shifter mumbled, obviously intent on wallowing in self pity for a while.

"Yeah, I feel soooo sorry for you both," Robin said dryly and smirked. "Shift, I have a feeling that if Shield hasn't gotten over that minor thing yet, he very soon will. Off with you now, and practise." He snickered as he'd managed to make the pair blush, before shooing them out.

Rose watched with baited breath as Batman and her father sparred. The two men weren't exactly friends, but there was a weird sort of truce between them at the moment. There was still a lot of tension, however, and apparently, in the strange world of men, the best way to clear the air was with some 'friendly' competition. Rose wished they had chosen Scrabble.

She had found out a few days ago who Batman really was. It had been an accident, she had emptied Magpie's pockets, and a pen, engraved with 'BW' had been amongst the loot. Bruce must have taken it down to the cave by mistake, but that was all it took for the pieces to fall together. She had come clean to the millionaire immediately, and he had taken it… well… okay, so there was a throbbing vein, and a few accusations in Slade's direction, but other than that… After all, he had taken great care to take them back and forth to the city in the blacked-out van, either driven by himself, or an older man Rose had only glimpsed up until now. Since then she had been introduced, however, and immediately taken a liking to Alfred, much to Slade's chagrin. Her father seemed strangely on his toes around the man, something Rose couldn't understand. Alfred was a doll! She spent a lot of time with him, helping out in the kitchen and getting scolded when she showed any of her 'rougher' sides. Rose did think swearing should be allowed when you've just bitten into a cookie and discovered that it was really too hot.

She liked the evenings the best, especially when Robin was allowed up to join them for an hour or two. If it was only Robin, her father, Bruce and Alfred, they usually gathered by the fire in one of the sitting-rooms in the manor, as it was so much cosier than the Batcave. Robin and Slade 'snuggled' on the cough, although none of them would agree with the term. Slade would claim he was simply resting comfortably leaning back on the couch, and Robin would claim that he was as well, but on Slade. They were both very good at ignoring Bruce's glares, and Rose had become an expert at distracting the man with conversation. It was amazing, talking with Bruce. It was like two immense worlds had met in one man, and she learned so much. They talked a lot about the children's futures and different plans for them and Rose went to bed every night with a smile on her lips, feeling like, for the first time in her life, she was really making a difference.

Even though he was allowed up for short periods now, Robin was still confined to the bed most of the time. To pass the time and to feel like he was a part of everything he insisted on getting reports about the work Titans East did in the city, something they were glad to give him. Bumble Bee gave him regular, accurate reports, and Speedy supplied the slightly dramatized versions. Almost all of the students had been rounded up and evaluated. Some, tied to the robberies that had taken place, were charged, although in some cases their punishments would be minor, because of the unusual circumstances. Bee suspected that more people claimed to have been under Blood's influence then were actually the case, but at least they were all kept an eye on.

The Titans, both teams, as well as the Justice League, including Batman, had agreed to start a 'Big Brother/Sister" program and mentor some of the former students, if they wished to be. It was, after all, not that easy being 'special', and most of the teens lacked real role models. It was, Batman found out, not easy being a role model either.

"He steals everything!" he complained to Robin one day. "Everything! Pens and money, okay, but toilet paper? Who the hell steals toilet paper?"

"Magpie does," Robin said simply, and tried to hide a chuckle. "Have you found out if he actually has a power which helps, or if he's really just that good?"

"No, we're working on it."

"We?" Robin asked, surprised, as 'we' wasn't a concept Batman was very familiar with.

"Rose is helping. She was his teacher, after all, and he seems to listen to her."

"Oh, good… " Robin nodded. "He likes her."

"She's really Slade's daughter?" the man asked disbelievingly.

"You can't tell? They have the same smile."

"You are clearly delusional; they have nothing in common at all." Batman snorted. "But we have more important things to discuss… like the fact that you have been running around without your mask and told Flame that you really are the Robin."

"I can trust Flame." Robin started.

"Yes. He's a good kid, at least for now. God knows what he will end up like, now that Speedy has gotten his hands on him, though…"

"Yeah, they seem to get along, all three of then, don't they?" Robin grinned.

"I would like them to 'get along' a bit less, and a lot more privately…" Batman growled. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Flame still doesn't know that you are Richard Grayson, but someone could figure that out."

"So what do we do?" Robin asked.

"We make sure Richard gets a bit of media-coverage…" Batman grinned.

That conversation was why Robin, as soon as he was well enough, found himself on a fundraiser for AIDS-research. Robin was sure Bruce had had a lot of fun picking that one out of the bunch of invitations which came to the manor every week. His scar was carefully hidden by a high collar, and his appearance in general slightly changed. He had contacts coloured to make his eyes less piercing blue, and his hair had been dyed as well, a dark brown, with highlights. Extensions made his hair even longer than it already was and it fell right below his shoulders. His date for the evening was, after much arguing, Bee. It had been decided that it was best that he appeared straight, as that would leave even less dots to connect, and, after having her hair straightened, no one would ever be able to recognize the leader of Titans East. They mingled, Robin talked to a lot of familiar faces, telling them how busy he was, studying abroad, and, naturally, the journalist had a fieldtrip with the reclusive millionaire's ward and his mystery date. Robin spoke carefully, with a slight upper-class accent which made Bee giggle, about his life, his plans for the future, his favourite music and, of course, since girls apparently had to know, for some obscure reason: his favourite colour. Robin answered orange, which made Bee giggle even more.

Soon after that, the Titans East went home, taking Flame with them. Rose announced that she would stay in Gotham, at least for a while, and work with many of her former students who didn't have anywhere to go, and, as Slade and Robin were staying a bit longer, Bruce offered her to keep staying at the manor.

Robin, having just returned from his final check-up, smiled as he entered the sitting room where Slade was reading and Bruce and Rose were having a game of chess. Just as Robin entered, Rose apparently made a very sneaky move, which made Bruce mutter and Slade, looking up, smirked proudly.

"I'm back!" Robin announced. "And I'm perfectly fine. I'm sure Raven can take care of the scar when we get home."

"That's wonderful news, Robin!" Rose smiled and rose to give him a hug.

"You are leaving in the middle of the game? Giving up?" Bruce smiled at the woman.

"Oh? I'm sorry. Check mate," Rose grinned as she made the final move.

"What? How?" Bruce blinked, glaring at the pieces like they had, somehow, tricked him. " I demand a rematch!"

Rose laughed but sat down again, helping to set up the pieces. Robin made his way over to Slade and plopped down in his lap.

"Hi. I'm fine."

"I heard, that's excellent," Slade said, and tried to juggle both the young man and the very interesting book he was reading.

"I'm fine."

"Yes?"

"As in perfectly healthy." Robin tried to clarify things. "As in completely healed. As in the wound won't reopen even with… strenuous activity…"

"Yes? Oh!" Slade finally got it, and grinned. "You sure?"

"If Bruce and Rose weren't in the room…" Robin grinned back.

"Well then!" Slade got up, lifting Robin in his arms as he did. "Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight? It's only six o'clock- oh…" Rose looked up and understood immediately.

"Wait! Where are you two-" Bruce started, but Rose hurriedly grabbed his arm.

"Your knight is in danger."

"What? Oh, damn!" the man's focus was drawn to the game once more, which made Slade's and Robin's escape easier. Not that nothing would have been able to stop any of them.

Robin was dropped onto the big bed in the guestroom they were occupying, and Slade smirked down on him like a tiger would at its prey. If tigers could smile. And somehow found their food funny.

"So… there's no need to be careful, is there?" the man asked.

"I refuse to answer that question, because I will just regret it…" Robin grinned, and reached out to pull the man down on top of him. "Oh, god, it's been so long…"

"Yes, who thought we would survive almost a month without sex?" Slade chuckled.

"Well. I was sure I wouldn't…" Robin pouted. "I've been trying to seduce you since I woke up, damnit!"

"I think we are all lucky that I can restrain myself." Slade muttered.

Robin snorted and wound his arms tighter around the man.

"Well, you don't have to anymore…" he suggested.

They undressed each other in record time, which was impressive, Robin thought, since they were out of practise. They had been sleeping in the same bed as soon as Robin had been allowed to move upstairs, but they had barely as much as kissed, just kept very close to each other. Robin knew that was because Slade's 'restraint' weren't half as strong as the man himself claimed, but it was still frustrating, especially for the last few days when he hadn't felt the wound as much as twinge.

Speaking about the wound, Slade had noticed that Robin was touching it, and pulled the boy's hand away before tracing the cut with his lips, very carefully, and Robin's breath hitched.

"You… you think Raven will be able to remove it?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sure she will," Slade reassured him. "And if not… it's part of you. You have to accept scars… believe me…"

Robin sighed but nodded. He already had a few marks, but he didn't want this one. It reminded him of Brother Blood, and how close he had been to losing everything. He clung tighter to Slade who grunted.

"Are we cuddling or are we fucking?"

"Oh, Slade, you are soooo romantic…" Robin teased. "What if all I want to do is hug you?"

"Then I'll need to change your mind." Slade smirked.

"Oh? How will you ever do that?" Robin asked in faked innocence.

"You think you've really got me wrapped around your little finger, don't you?" Slade snorted.

"Well… don't I?" Robin grinned. "Come on… I've changed my mind, I want you to fuck me, because I'm getting a bit bored here…"

Robin laughed as Slade growled and attacked, but the laughter soon turned to moans. He would have nothing to do with celibacy ever again, if he had any say in the matter, but it sure made him so much more sensitive. Slade's rough fingers pried his legs apart and the man leered down at him.

"I know what you want, but you'll have to beg for it…" he said.

"Bastard!" Robin frowned.

"Not a good start…" Slade pointed out.

"Oh, I said that aloud?" Robin feigned a gasp. "I'm sorry! Please, please Master, lick me? Please?"

"Bad acting, Robin, I know you can do better… but out of the kindness of my heart…" Slade sighed.

A few seconds later, Robin had to grab a pillow to muffle his own sounds, because he didn't want the whole manor to come running. He found himself holding on to the pillow as Slade entered him as well, because this was a feeling he had really missed.

"Slade! God!"

"Good, now you remember who I am…" the mercenary chuckled.

"Mmm…" Robin agreed happily. "Move… please?"

"It will be my pleasure… literally…" Slade agreed.

"Mine too." Robin gasped as the man above him started fucking him with long, fast strokes, each of them brushing his prostate wonderfully. "I'm… I'm not gonna last!" Robin discovered suddenly after only half a minute. "Damn, I'm out of practise!" he moaned.

"We have all night… and who says we have to leave this room tomorrow?" Slade comforted him. "Just come…"

Robin found himself agreeing with Slade once more.

Two hours later, they were both taking a much needed rest, when Robin's stomach growled. Slade sat up immediately.

"I'll get us something to eat. We've missed dinner."

"You don't have to wait on me hand and foot…" Robin said. "I'm well now, remember? Although I admit it's rather nice…" he added with a smile. "I'll have a sandwich… and some orange-juice, oh, and a cookie!"

"You got used to that fast enough…" Slade snorted as he got dressed. "Wait until I come back… I have some interesting surveillance footage to show you…"

Robin remembered the triumphant grin as Slade had, supposedly, worked on destroying Brother Blood's files, and his eyes widened.

"You didn't!? The shower?!"

"Oh yes… quite good quality too…" Slade smirked and gestured to an USB-stick on the nightstand.

"Now I know how you got through these past weeks…" Robin snorted. "You cheater!"

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do…" Slade smirked.

"Yeah, but that usually doesn't involve beating off to a surveillance-tape…" Robin muttered.

Slade had not been gone long before Robin flew out of bed because of a crash and a roar from downstairs.

He hurriedly pulled his pants on, going commando, naturally, since his underwear was god-knew-where, and ran down the stairs. The sight that met him in the sitting room made him stop on the spot and gape. Slade was holding Bruce up against a wall by the neck, and both Rose and Alfred were hanging like useless ragdolls from his arms, trying to make him let the other man go.

"What is going on here?" Robin cried, hurrying to Bruce's aid.

"He was kissing her!" Slade snarled.

Robin sighed.

"Finally! I thought they would never get down to business! Slade, let Bruce go! Remember what you did to me a while ago? Worse than kissing, right?"

It took a bit of coaxing, but Slade finally agreed to put off killing Bruce, if just for a little while.

"He's just doing this to get back at me!" Slade hissed.

"Dad!" Rose objected, with tears in her eyes.

"Slade! That's a terrible thing to say!" Robin barked. "Like Rose is just being used? He can't actually like her?"

"What? No, I didn't mean it like that!" Slade objected.

"I would never do that!" Bruce defended himself, putting a hand on Rose's shoulder to reassure her, a move that looked rather suicidal to Robin.

Slade, however, seemed to have decided to fight with words and logic now. That didn't work out so well.

"He is…! And..! There is just no way I will allow… and he is too old for you!"

Robin and Rose burst out laughing.

"Oh, my god, honey, shut the fuck up before you hurt yourself… looks who's talking!" Robin nearly cried with glee. Slade seemed to jump at the 'honey', but he might have decided to make Robin pay for that later, because he didn't comment on it.

"Yeah, dad, out of all the things you could say, that was what you came up with?" Rose snickered. "Seems like you don't have a case then. Goodbye." She waved and gestured at the door.

"No, I'll… think of something…" Slade promised, clearly not quite himself right now.

"I wonder…" said a slightly amused voice to the right, and everyone turned to look at Alfred, "if the suggestion that people chooses a companion which reminds them of their parent is actually true?"

"Your butler is senile." Slade told Bruce as a matter of fact.

"I quite agree." Bruce nodded.

"If you have a kid, what will that make me?" Robin suddenly asked curiously. "Will I be like its brother or its… granddad…?"

That very questions set off a series of arguments again, but Robin soon tired and dragged Slade towards the door.

"I'm quite able to walk by myself, you know," the man said dryly.

"Nope." Robin grinned. "I can't let go."

The End.

A/N: I probably forgot about a million loose ends, but if anyone has any questions I am more than willing to answer them… ;o)

I know Slade seemed very OOC there by the end, but he is always in control, always knows what to say (well… sometimes it's the wrong thing, but anyway) and I just figured that for ONCE I would let him get completely flummoxed. I enjoyed it a lot. So I'm not sorry! ;o)

People have asked me if there will be more from this universe, and it probably will… in drabble-form at least… I even know what the next instalment is going to be CALLED but I have NO story for it… something you want to see? I'll put it on my ideas-list and we'll see what happens…

Now… for an announcement! (Observe! The following must be read out aloud, in that deep movie-guy-presenter-voice… ready? Well, here we go, then…)

THIS CHRISTMAS…

… FROM THE AUTHOR OF "TERMS OF ENDEARMENT", "THE PEACE CONTRACT" AND "BLACK SHEEP"…

…COMES…

…the BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

Follow Robin and Slade as a secret is revealed, a destiny changed and feelings are discovered, on a day-to-day basis from the 1st-25th of December. Be there from the beginning and YOU have the opportunity to win amazing, exclusive, slashy Christmas presents, which you know you want, but can't ask Santa for…

Be prepared.

It will be a very smexy Christmas this year.

Right here on fan fiction . net

-lol- Okay, I couldn't help myself! Like most of this stuff, the presentation is a lot more impressive than the feature, and the above should only be regarded as exaggerated advertising… -grin- but, if it made you curious, add me to your author-alert, and you won't miss a thing! ;) some more explanations and stuff will be posted in late November… You'll probably see me before that, though, in "Delightful Drabbles" and on Deviant Art… Art- and drabble-suggestions are always welcome!

It's been a pleasure serving you, please come again! –smirk-