Epilogue

"You know, Jay, I have to tell you, this hanging out on a beach thing isn't so bad," Dick said, sinking deeper into his lounge chair, sunglasses firmly planted over his eyes.

"Yeah. Kind of makes hanging with the redneck worth it."

"You suck," Roy grumbled, sipping his soda from a bendy straw. Jason smiled and shifted his feet in the sand, toes finding the cool grains that hadn't baked in the sun yet.

"So, I take it you found whatever that thing was and took care of it?"

Jason stopped fidgeting and looked over at Dick. He had to admit, the guy made an effort to tip-toe around the word "kill." Hell, the guy made an effort to tip-toe here, without the Bat knowing. Would it be so terrible if he didn't pick a fight, just this once?

"Yeah. It took us a while to find it," he acknowledged, turning his head to look back at the ocean once more, "but we managed to track it to this tiny place in New York. Anyway, doesn't matter now."

Dick sipped from his beer, a comfortable silence passing over the three. Dick didn't think it would have been possible to worm his way back into Jason's life after what happened at the Cave, but he had made a promise to himself and to his brother that he would be better, and it seemed as though Jason was also making an effort. Every time Dick stopped by, the guns were no where to be found, and, frankly, Dick didn't really look for them.

"So," Jason started. "How is he?"

Dick didn't need to ask who he was talking about. Roy took a sudden interest in getting another drink, and left the two alone.

"He's alright," the older boy replied. "I think he realizes now that everyone was under a lot of stress that night. He's not mad anymore."

"That's code for 'He doesn't mention you at all,' right?"

Dick grimaced. So much for reconciliation. "Right."

"That's fine."

Dick's eyes widened. "That's. . .fine?"

Jason looked over at him, eyes still sad but a ghost of a smile on his face. "You know, he never called me his son while I was Robin. I think that must have started after I died, because I died. And I don't want him to call me that now just because I'm back. I want him to mean it, like when he says it to you, or to Tim or Damian. Which means I'll have to earn it, and I will, someday. But, right now, I'd rather sit here and have a beer with you and the eaves-dropping ginger."

"Hey!" Roy said from his terrible spying post a few feet away before walking up to join them again.

Dick laughed and took another swig while Jason's words sunk in. Bruce was complicated, as was Jason, but maybe one day it could be as simple as this with them, too. And, even if it couldn't be, at least Jason had him now, unlike before. The Red Hood just needed some connections, some relationships. They didn't have to be connections to people with pointy ears for those connections to matter, did they?

Jason heard a tongue click behind him and sighed dramatically. "Remind me again why you brought the toddler along with you?"

Dick smiled at Damian's grumbles of protest. "He was getting a little stir crazy in the manor. You know how it is."

"That I do."

"Besides," Dick said cautiously, "he said you called Alfred?"

Jason tensed a bit, defensive. "Yeah, I did. What does that matter?"

"Well, he thought if you and Alfred are okay, and you and I are okay, then you'd be okay with him, too."

Damian straightened. "Alfred's first loyalty lies with Father, as does mine. I wasn't sure if you would find a relationship with him or myself acceptable."

"Didn't I tell you before that I admired that loyalty, little D?"

"Well," Damian stammered, "yes, but I wasn't sure-"

"Look," Jason said as he turned around to look at his little brother, "you and Alfred both walked away to make sure he was okay, not because you wished I wasn't. I don't blame either of you for that. You were looking out for your own, and it wasn't like you two were the ones who kicked me out."

"That's true," Damian reasoned.

"Moving on from the brotherly love crap, where the Hell is Kori?"

Just then, a scantily clad Tamaranean popped up from the surface of the water, hair dripping down her back, bright green eyes twinkling mischievously at the boys on the beach.

"Jason," Damian said, coming out of the trance Kori had just put him in, "I'd like to be an Outlaw."

Jason stood up and patted him on the back, smiling wryly. "Maybe after you hit puberty, kid."

END.

A.N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story, I greatly appreciate it. Hope it wasn't too terrible and that you enjoyed at least a little bit! =)