Disclaimer: If i owned young justice, then there wouldn't be a hiatus!

Okay, I'm willing to bet there will be like thousands of pieces after this last episode. March third never felt so good before! and to think, this was the ep based off of the first YJ comic books plot! *does happy dance* The one thing I'm really upset about is the lack of Batfam conclusion in the show! Are they deliberately ignoring Robin and Bat's wonderful relationship in this universe or what? if they add to this in the comics, just a little, someone tell me! AURG!

*breathes* Okay, this kinda covers Failsafe too, and this has nothing to do with my continuity. I'm keeping my story lines the way they are as after the latest hiatus started. So... enjoy what I've got here! Fluff everywhere! ^^V

Too Close

They were gone, all of them. For an agonizing few hours, they were all gone. Seeing them vanish was horrible. Like his insides were being scrapped out of him. Again and again. He knew the feeling already. He felt it years ago. And seeing him vanish brought it back.

When Billy appeared and told them what happened, relief filled him. He wasn't gone. He wasn't dead. Batman was out there, in another world. They were all out there. Alfred, Gordon, Bruce. And the man had a plan.

Coordinated attack. Take down the magicians. Reunite the two worlds. Get back to them.

The plan worked, to a point. Seeing Zatanna's father put on the helmet and the loss on her face took away the euphoria of seeing him again. Her fate seemed worse than his. Both of them were alive, but Zatara would never be the same. Now he was Doctor Fate, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Robin held back all these feelings when he was with the team. He held back everything, trying to pretend he wasn't bothered by anything, that he didn't want to do one thing above all else. When KF and Marvel dashed off, he knew the team would be separating shortly. Superboy and Miss Martian were helping Zatanna back to her feet and discussing new arrangements. Kaldur was contacting Atlantis while Artemis was trying to get everyone back on the ship.

He was about to turn towards Batman to see if he would tell him to go with them and help Zatanna to preserve their separate identities, but a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to the towering man besides him, eyes a bit desperate behind the mask. The tight squeeze on his shoulder and the subtle signs on his face told him all he needed to know. Both were headed towards the Batwing before the Bio-ship was even loaded.

The instant they were out of sight of the team, Robin turned and jumped onto his mentor, holding him in a tight hug. Batman barely managed to brace himself from falling over at this display of affection. He knew it was coming, and the heavy sobs that shortly followed. The man clutched the boy to him, minding his injuries with care.

Twice in recent months Robin thought he lost him. Twice he believed the one who saved him was gone for good. Twice he saw it and could do nothing. Batman only had to endure it once, just that night. The two instances so close together, outside their usual patrols and gunfights, they were killing him inside. Despite his age and growing maturity, he never wanted to see someone he cared about die ever again.

It was the same for Batman. Never did he want to lose his Robin, not to anything. He would have offered his life to save him, just like Zatara did. But he knew this boy couldn't take any more tragedies right then. He would offer his life, but he couldn't abandon the kid either. Though he knew and understood Zatara's sacrifice, he also knew the pain the man was going through when he gave himself up. It also meant giving up on his greatest reason for living. That was one thing Batman did not want to lose.

They stayed in their mutually comforting hug for several minutes, long enough for the Bio-ship to leave at the least. Robin held tightly to him, crying out his fears and worries while Batman rubbed his back and buried his face into the kid's hair. None of the others had to know how much they needed each other, how close they truly were. When they fought that night, it was for more than saving the world. It was just to be in the same world again. Two worried fathers and a den mother on one end and a punch of worried kids on the other.

Neither really wanted to leave their hold, but there was another worried adult back home.

"Come. Alfred's probably worried sick. And your ribs need tending."

Robin nodded, loosening his grip on the man's cape and letting his legs fall from around his waist. The dark knight helped him slide down to his feet, keeping a supportive hand on him. The boy wonder's grip never left the man's cape until they were really at the jet and had to climb in. That was the last time he felt the large hand on his back too. Once inside, there would be no contact. Not for a half hour at least.

When they were home, only Alfred would be able to separate them. He wouldn't keep them apart long. Trauma was a hard thing to get over, and all the recent relapses only made physical contact more necessary for them. And seeing how Zatara and Zatanna were taken away from each other only brought the matter closer to home.

Robin leaned forward for a moment and grabbed the end of Batman's cape, pulling it into his grasp. His mentor didn't complain at the slight tugging as he piloted them home. Neither had to be psychic to know what the other was thinking.

Don't leave me alone.

I won't.

END

A/N: ever since i saw the summary for this ep, I wanted a scene of Robin glomping Batman and KF tackling his uncle. Didn't get either, though we did see Wally hugging his worried parents. kinda blows a hole in people's "wally's being abused" ideas. Yeah that's more interesting but hey, there's no evidence.

But no batfam stuff at all? Bruce should have at least showed a little supportive worry when he was talking to Zatara. Those two showing no emotion or affection around people, sure I can believe it, but small things like an involuntary jerk or a supportive hand on the shoulder from friends, that should have happened. Sheesh... they're gonna have to have an ep of those two supporting each other sometime! AURG!

Oh, as for the title, I'm thinking everything just got too close to home for them. Too close to actually losing each other and seeing how Zee and her dad really did really hit home for both of them. I really wish to see how they'd recover after this one.