Chapter 8!

(OoO) fat happy panda…

Nightwing opened his eyes and felt his head pound.

"Oh." He muttered, rubbing his eyes. He sat groggily and looked around him. He saw the dark shadow enter the dark room and sit on eth edge of his bed.

"How are you?" The voice was familiar, sharp, but with underlying tones of affection.

"Um, headache, can't really remember what happened…"

"That's ok. I need to tell you something very important."

"What is it?"

"The League just put of Red Hood's memorial statue, you know, that one in the grotto? Well, since Red Hood was really dis-liked, they put him in as the original Robin. It has his old costume and everything! It's kind of cool."

"Oh, Jason would have thought that to be hilarious."

"Yeah, I think so too. Truthfully, that wasn't the only thing I had to tell you."

"Babs, just spit it out, please?"

"Well, we saw your nightmares."

"What!" Nightwing remembered the horror and shame and the pain of it fell on him like rocks.

"Don't freak out Wing. I wanted to tell you, you have to really trust us. I mean, if you went crazy, we wouldn't just stand there. You have trained us to be vigilant and ready. Wing, we trust you a lot, and while that puts pressure in you, it also means we can take some of your pain and stress away. I'm going to beg you, please, truly forget those nightmares. I need you, I mean we need you!" Nightwing smiled at Batgirl's blunder. Batgirls continued, "Also, if you ever came near me or Robin in a threatening way, I would so kick you ass." Batgirl smiled and in a totally impulsive move, kissed Nightwing's forehead.

"Babs?" Nightwing said, but the girl left the room. "Why you'd go?" Nightwing asked himself. He had wanted her to stay.

Nightwing forced himself up and headed to the kitchen. He felt parched, and scared. He wasn't sure how to face his team. As soon as he entered the living room area, the TV turned on.

"What?" Nightwing asked. He watched as the video played.

He watched Babs suddenly drop down in front of Mad Hatter.

"You killed him!" she screamed, her whole body looked angry and tensed. Tears looked like they were about to break out.

"What? Oh! Your Batty's daughter?" Hatter seemed confused.

"No!"

"Oh, so your' Birdy-Boy's girl?"

"No!" Babs voice cracked. "You murderer!" she charged Hatter, and Hatter ent flying from the punch. Nightwing smiled slightly.

Wally dropped down next.

"You killed my best friend!" He yelled.

"Really? Just your friend? If she ain't his girl then are you?"

"No, dammit! Why does everyone think Wing and I are gay? You will pay for killing him!" Wally charged the stunned man and sent him flying too. Except, this time, Hatter didn't fall.

"Oh?" Hatter looked around, just to see Nightwing right in front of him, floating, and glowing, and really pale.

"Ghost!" Hatter screamed.

"Hatter, I will get my revenge!" Ghost Nightwing's voice was higher than Nightwing's actual voice, but by looking at Hatter's pants, you could tell he was too scared to notice.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Hatter screamed. Trails of fire spun around Hatter (Nightwing could recognize Artemis's arrows.) and a glowing bubble made the whole area glow blue. Nightwing started to laugh.

Nightwing's team members all froze, except for the ghost Nightwing (Megan). Hatter was begging to be spared and so forth. Nightwing actually fell on the ground laughing. Nightwing almost missed the final act.

Robin caem up and Hatter started to cry.

"No! NONONNONONNO! I'm so sorry! Please, Robin, don't kill me! I should have let you live too, um, Robin you were always really nice, SPARE ME!" Nightwing could see how the terrified Hatter thought he was now being attacked by Nightwing's old self. This was helped by the fact that Ghost Nightwing had disappeared. Nightwing could barely hold himself up as he watched Robin kick and punch Hatter. The hits were light, but Hatter was a mess of tears and sniveling mucus by the end.

"Please, please" Hatter cried. Nightwing just laughed and laughed. The bubble disappeared and Hatter looked relieved, except Robin was still there.

"How?" Hatter cried. He looked really funny and pathetic. Robin spoke, with Ghost Nightwing overlaying his voice,

"You are dumb. I don't even look like Nightwing did! But, you are dead you know… Batman doesn't like people to hurt his, what did you call me, his pride and joy?" Hatter cried and begged. The teens left him in eth alley they found him in, and made sure he was picked up by police. The teens were laughing, and so were the cops.

"Man, he was really annoying." Artemis said.

"Good thing I recorded this.' Gar said smiling, and waving into eth camera." Nightwing smiled and sat on the couch.

"Loved the video, should be send it into AFV?" Nightwing asked as his teammates came out.

"Dude, was it really that funny?" Wally asked. Nightwing chuckled.

"Yeah, man I haven't laughed like that in ages! I loved the whole, 'I'm not gay!' part." Nightwing smiled. Wally grunted something like "it's true"

"Anyway, thanks for this guys. I'm sorry I…"

"Can it Wing. We would love to do that again, it was fun!" Rocket said. Nightwing smiled.

"Anyone want to watch it again?" A chorus of yeses came and Nightwing rewinded the video and the watched it again. Some mentors came and they watched it a third time. It was a merry night, almost.

"HAPPY APRIL'S FOOLS' DAY!" Gar yelled, spraying confetti everywhere. The team felt all the Bats stiffen, but Nightwing laughed and said,

"Yeah, I guess I'd better not let myself be outdone by BB." The two got up and ran off to place pranks. Babs and Robin looked after Nightwing with worry.

"Is today the day?" Artemis asked. Kaldur and Superboy, and Rocket looked confused. Babs nodded.

"What's today?" Megan scanned to make sure no one was around and nodded to Babs.

"Well, it isn't really my place to tell you but, Nightwing is an orphan."

"No he isn't, Batman told us a long time ago that Nightwing was his son." Superboy said.

"Well, yeah he is, but not biologically. Arty, how did you know about this?" Batgirl asked. "you too Megan."

"Well, I figured it out after a few years of going to school with him. He had me fooled until just this year."

"How did you find out?"

"He forgot to comb his hair one day coming into school. I only saw the back of him for an instant, but really, no one's hair falls like Nightwing's does." Snickers came around.

"Batman had to tell me one time, it was to save his life. You were unconscious I think.' Megan said. "After that, I Googled him."

"Oh."

"What happened today?"

"Well, Rocket today is…"

"I'm going to tell them Babs. Today is his parents anniversary, and Nightwing's actual birthday, and the anniversary of his parent's death." Tim/Robin said.

"WHAT?!" The surprised yells echoed through the halls of the cave. Babs nodded.

"Yeah, this is always when Nightwing's nightmares get really bad." She said.

"No wonder he was never in school or here around this time…" Artemis trailed off. Everyone nodded. Just then Gar appeared in the door.

"Hey, why were you all yelling? Oh, Nightwing left. Said something about and appointment and stay away from his room, you know the usual. I think the doors are all booby-trapped." Gar informed his team. He watched as Babs flipped out her hone and after a few minutes Nightwing answered.

"What's up?" The phone was on speaker. Batgirl signaled for everyone to be quiet.

"Agent A is still tiding the Batcave, where are you staying het night?"

"Crap, um…"

"Why not at the Cave?"

"Can't I just crash at your place?"

"How do you think my dad would feel about a 17 year old staying at my house?"

"He wouldn't be turbed."

"Yeah, just come here ok? You know, after your appointment." The team could barely hold their snickers when on the other line they heard some lady say,

"Are you sure you want tulips? Those are pricey sir."

"it's ok, they are for someone special."

"Oh, well, that must be some lucky girl!"

"I don't think she was lucky." Nightwing murmured as the team heard bells ring, hinting he had exited t eh store.

"Um, I won't be in until late…"

"it will be fine, Nighwing ,I don't want you crashing at her place."

"Hey, Selina is really nice to me!"

"Yes, Miss Kyle is very nice to young men who are very fit."

"Babs you win ok? I got to go. Bye." Nightwing clicked off.

"Who?" asked Rocket.

"No one important.' Babs answered. "When Nightwing gets here, everyone might want to were ear plugs, or have a lot of hot milk ready." The teens felt their happy mood drop.

Nightwing appeared in the cave wet from the rain just before midnight. He sneaked into his room, his heart heavy. He prayed to not have nightmares. He reached for his sleeping pills, but found the bottle empty.

"Well, this might be problematic…"

"Huh?" a small voice came from Nightwing's bed.

"Gar?"

"Me too!"

"Robin, Gar, why are you in my bed?"

"Well, I had a nightmare, and so did Gar." Neither boy had to say more. Nightwing was there comforting them, he was quite understanding. He didn't say a word as Gar cried about his mom dying, or when Robin reveled his self doubts and worries. Nightwing just shouldered everything until the two boys fell asleep.

"Sweet dreams guys.' Nightwing said, his eyes dropping. But instead of sleeping, he went to the couch to sleep. He fell into a fitful slumber, and his prayers weren't answered.

Nightwing saw himself killing his teammates, his friends, everyone. His nightmare was worse than ever, the colors clearer and sounds sharper. The crunch was just next to his ear, did he really just let them fall? How could he fail? Why were they falling so slowly! Was that Jason? Why was he so bloody? The injury, why didn't he prevent it? He basically killed Jason! He might as well have killed his parents! Tim too!

"No." Nightwing whimpered. Superboy stood over the shaking figure, but he let Wally hug him instead.

"Shh, shh, Nightwing it's over. You know that. Come on. Tim came out of Nightwing's room and came to the couch.

"Wally, Conner, I'll take it from here." Tim said. Nightwing was awake now, shaking and apologizing to everyone, but no one.

"Why, why? I'm so sorry, so, so sorry." Tim waited until Wally and Conner were gone to really comfort Nightwing.

"I should be the sorry one, I knew what today was, but I still came to you with my nightmares… just relax." Tim pulled out afresh bottle of sleeping pills. He dropped one into a glass of warmed milk and honey and gave it to Nightwing. Nightwing drank it, no longer shaking, but looking totally beat.

"I'm sorry Tim. I'm really a failure aren't I"

"Give me two examples of people who watched their parent's die, but didn't react at all." No answer. Tim told Nightwing to just lay down and let sleep take him, but Nightwing still looked scared of sleeping. Tim sighed and squeezed onto the couch and hugged his brother.

"Nightwing, I know you thought you did something horrible," Tim said and Nightwing seemed to shrink away from him, "but, you didn't. Right now, please, just for me." Tim smiled as Nightwing wrapped his arms around his little brother and soon fell asleep.

"Babs, you will really have to go through me if you ever want to sleep with him." Tim said, and the slim shadow in the door laughed but disappeared, first saying,

"You're on."

Well? This story is done now.

Please help me think of ideas for one more! OR is it two? Yeah, two more storied left until I catch up with the time skip. Anyway, if you guys have any ideas, please tell me?

Love

Burning Bright