And...that's it! Writing this has been such an adventure. I can't believe I started it nearly two years ago! What changes there have been!

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And if you didn't, well. No real skin off my back, eh? Haha. I think this might be my last story posted on ffnet, though. But I'm still writing! Come find me on tumblr! I'm still writing a LOT of fics. And am much more interactive on there than here. So come be my friend! I am fishfingersandjellybabies~

But thank you SO MUCH to everyone who read this. You are all peaches and mean the absolute world to me. Hugs and kisses and everything 3

Can't…can't move! Mother…Mother, no! Stop! Grandfather! Stop, please! I won't…you can't make…you failed, you all failed! Stop…stop…STOP!

Damian jerked awake, nails digging through the fabric of his sheets and mattress, and even snapping the metal springs below that. He wished he could say it was the first time that had happened.

Property damage, that's what Alfred had said.

Yeah, well. What about mental damage. Looks like superpowers weren't the only side effect of his resurrection. Nightmares came free of charge, too.

Damian sighed, gently tugging his fingers back out of the squishy material. As he did so, he took in his surroundings. He registered that it was still dark, probably three or four in the morning, if he had to guess. Titus was still draped across his feet There was a chair next to the bed, currently empty, though he knew it belonged to his father. His father, who seemed a little bit unwilling to let Damian out of his sight.

There was another chair at the foot of the mattress, one that the first few nights had been occupied with Alfred Pennyworth. Now, however, it was full with one Timothy Drake and, burrowed into his side, one Colin Wilkes. Both were sleeping, both had cats on their laps – Alfred on Colin's and Desdemona on Tim's – and while Damian didn't know why either of them were in the manor, he couldn't help but feel that both deserved the rest.

At least…he thought they did.

Ever since Damian untangled from Bruce's arms, there was no mention of the in-between. Of what happened between Damian's death and his rebirth. And that was probably for the better.

Because Damian was starting to forget.

Not everything, of course. Just…well, bits and pieces for now. Some of the places he went, some of the people he met. How long he followed Dick around and…when did he realize Tim could see him? After all, Tim could see his spirit. Right? Or…wait, was that Jason?

He shook his head, glancing out the window. The fireflies were all still there, floating against the glass like they were stuck, blinking constantly, so there was never a dark moment. Damian felt himself relaxing, just a little, and giving them a small smile.

He wondered how long they would continue to follow him.

(He hoped forever.)

He heard a sudden, sharp inhale. The mew of a disturbed cat. Then a mumbled, "Damian?"

He turned back to the chair, where Tim was blinking quickly, raising his head from the back of the seat. The elder glanced down at the boy and animals in his arms before returning all of his attention to his brother.

"You okay?"

Damian shrugged. "What are you doing here, Drake?"

"Colin needed a ride here. He didn't just take my word for it that you were alive." Tim chuckled warmly. "You were already asleep, but Colin said he would wait until you woke up. Heh. Guess he didn't quite make it."

Damian continued to smile. "No, I guess not."

"He missed you," Tim muttered absently. "He missed you a lot."

"I…" Damian frowned. "I know that."

(Did he? Really? Why did he know that? He…did he see Colin while he was dead?

Yes. The diner. Where they had cake with Grayson. Of course.)

"I figured you did." Tim returned, smile slipping from his face as concern immediately replaced it. "Damian, are you sure you're alright?"

Damian sighed, looking back out the window, counting the blinks of the fireflies.

Yes, he was forgetting. He was forgetting a lot. Hell, he might even forget it all. Isn't that what Todd told Drake that one time? He was dead for years, could barely remember three moments.

"Damian?"

But there was one thing he wouldn't forget. One thing Damian couldn't, because he'd promised.

Aris.

With that thought, the haze in his mind halted, cleared ever so slightly. It wasn't Jason who could see the dead, it was Tim.

"Have you seen him?" Damian whispered, not taking his eyes away from the lightning bugs.

"Him?" And Damian could hear the rising panic in Tim's voice. Because him could be a whole lot of people. Him could be the brother that, even four days later, no one has so much as even mentioned.

"Him." Damian confirmed. "Aris."

"Oh." Tim's relief was palpable. "Um, yeah. Actually, I have." Tim paused, and Damian could hear him trying to shift Colin and the cats into a more comfortable position. "You…I mean, with your powers, you…can't?"

Damian only blinked. "No."

"Oh." Tim repeated. "Well. I can promise you he's been here. Hasn't left your side, actually. I saw him in the cave during that thing with Kalibak, even."

Without moving his body, Damian shifted his eyes, searching the room. Maybe if he just tried harder, he could…

"He's not here right now, though." Tim stated, looking around as well. "He, uh…well. It's weird."

"What's weird?"

"Earlier tonight. I talked with him, after Colin fell asleep." Tim explained, scratching at Desdemona's ears. "He was frustrated. Said there was something else he could do. Something more than just watching, that could keep you safe."

"What?" Damian was instantly alarmed. Titus opened one eye in curiosity. "No, Drake, you…you have to find him. Have to tell him not to do anything dangerous. Not for me."

"I did, I did!" Tim raised his free hand in surrender. Alfred the cat yawned, stretched across Colin's legs. "He said it wasn't dangerous. That…that Thomas told him about it."

"…Grandfather?"

"Apparently."

"Did he say what?"

"Y…es? Like I said, it was weird. And I don't know how much of what he said I believe. But he did say that…that if he succeeded, you would know." Tim finished. "Or, that he thinks you would know. But if you didn't, that was okay, too."

"Huh."

"Look, Damian." Tim's tone suddenly became gentle. "Go back to sleep, okay? You need it. If Aris comes back, I'll be sure to tell you."

Damian nodded, leaning back against his pillows. He had no intention of following Tim's suggestion, though, and soon enough, he could hear his elder brother's slow, dozing breaths.

He wasn't alone for long.

About twenty minutes later, there was the soft whoosh! of the door swinging open, followed by the muted shuffle of his father's feet. Damian rolled in his bed, watching as Bruce reclaimed the seat by his pillows with a yawn. Bruce noticed him staring and quickly tried to stifle, while giving the boy an almost shy smile.

Damian returned it just as warmly as he asked. "Father?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything you want."

"When will Grayson be returning?"

Because there wasn't actually just one thing. There were two. Two things he could never forget from his time dead, and never wanted to. One was Aris. The other was Grayson, and the simple fact that, despite appearances, the fool was still alive.

Bruce's face melted, and his expression floundered, clearly unsure as to which emotion he should be showing. But Damian didn't mind waiting. He'd already waited almost a week for this, he could wait a few more minutes, too.

"Damian." Bruce's voice was soft. "I…I don't know how to tell you this but…Dick, he…"

"Is alive and well." Damian finished for him. "I know."

"No, Damian, he…" Bruce sighed, glancing over to Tim and Colin, as if the two sleeping boys would be able to help him. "The Crime Syndicate, they…Dick was taken, and he…before I could get to him, he-"

"Last I remember he was in some sort of school." Damian scrunched his face in mock-thought. "Was it in Germany? Or, no, it was Scotland, correct?"

"Damian." Bruce ordered.

"Father." Damian countered with just as much authority. "I would request you not treat me like an imbecile. Now the others may not know, but I do. I know that Richard Grayson is alive, and I wish to see him."

Bruce tried for two more seconds to keep the stern façade up, but in the end couldn't handle the stare-down with his son. He exhaled once more, flopping his head against the seat back before, surprisingly, letting out a few snorts of laughter.

"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Bruce asked with an amused tone, glancing back down at Damian.

Damian couldn't help but smirk, sitting up slightly against his pillows. "I was trained better than to let that happen."

Bruce looked over at the sleeping duo one more time before shifting forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Promise to keep it a secret?"

"Perhaps." Damian said slowly. "What's in it for me?"

Bruce chuckled again as he stood, rubbing his hand gently across Damian's hair. "Give me two minutes. I'll be right back."

Damian didn't respond as Bruce practically trotted out of the room. The smirk remained plastered on his face, though, as he settled back into his sheets. He stared up at his ceiling as he slowly inhaled, and then exhaled.

He missed doing that.

He missed the weight of a beating heart in his chest, the actual feel of things around him. He found himself continually touching things, grabbing onto fabric and fur and metal and wood. He was still having trouble believing it. Even almost a week later, he was struggling with the idea that he had died. Over a year ago had been killed, and now he was back, he was alive.

Life wasn't supposed to work like that.

Not that he was complaining, of course.

There was suddenly a noise, a light clacking, and it wasn't coming from the door. Titus raised his head. Alfred and Desdemona opened their eyes. Damian jerked around, searching his room, before his eyes landed back on his window. All of the fireflies were still there, still blinking, but they'd moved. They were now creating a circle, a sort of halo around the bottom of the glass.

Sitting on the windowsill, in the center of this mysterious presentation, was a small creature. An animal, Damian guessed immediately.

A tiny bird.

A…a robin.

It was the robin that was making the noise, jabbing at the window with its beak and waving one of its wings. Even in the darkness, Damian could see the other wing was injured, unusable.

And Damian didn't think as he leaned over and unclasped the lock. Didn't think as he pushed up on the window. Didn't think as he cupped the bird with his hand and pulled it inside. Didn't think as some of the fireflies followed the robin into the room before he closed the window.

The robin was still flapping its good wing, though it didn't appear to be in fear or fight. It almost seemed…jovial.

A feeling began to grow in Damian's gut. But he tried to squash it, because it was impossible. There was no way…

The bird began chirping. Singing, really, as it hopped into Damian's hands, nuzzled against his fingers.

The noise was soft, soothing even, but Tim heard it anyway. He jumped slightly, but turned, leaning his head against Colin's to go right back to sleep.

"Drake?"

Tim grumbled a response.

"Aris told you he was going to try something." Damian whispered quickly, as the bird continued to cuddle. "Are you sure he didn't say what, exactly, he was going to try?"

Tim made a noise that indicated he was thinking before his voice bubbled lowly. "Possession."

Damian's eyes widened. He ducked his head, while simultaneously lifting the bird closer to his face.

There was no way.

"…Aris?"

The bird tweeted loudly, excitedly.

The fireflies began to disperse, floating aimlessly around the room.

"Oh my god." Damian breathed, smiling in disbelief as the robin pecked lovingly at his nose. "Oh my god, oh my god."

Spiritual possession was never something he and Aris tried, or even discussed. But from the evidence making itself – himself, because that is Damian's clone encased in that little bird body – comfortable in his grasp, the situation wasn't too hard to figure out. Aris came across a little injured animal, maybe even dying, and worked his ghostly magic.

"I will never forget you, because I will never leave you."

Aris had been serious. Damian just never realized how much.

"A robin. Good choice." He laughed as he leaned back into his pillows, as the bird – as Aris – hopped onto his chest. "Guess I'll have to make you a little yellow cape, like the rest of us had."

Aris trilled. Tim let out a snore. Colin, Titus and the cats just kept on sleeping.

Bruce appeared in the doorway once more then, carrying a small tablet in his hand. He didn't look up as he walked across the floor, as he plopped down next to Damian on the edge of the mattress while stabbing at buttons. Colin let out a light grunt and Bruce peeked upwards only momentarily.

A few more seconds, and then – "Mister Malone to Birdwatcher."

There was static. Light and droning. As it buzzed, Bruce handed the device to Damian with only a brief, uncertain glance at fireflies suddenly overtaking the room, and the bird crawling up his son's shoulder. "Try not to wake the others."

Damian nodded, and was going to answer, but suddenly the screen burst to life. Dick was sitting at a desk – a desk Damian knew he had memories of, but they were fading, and fast – leaning on the back two legs of the chair, staring absently out the window.

There was a light ping on Dick's side of the call, and he dropped his chair back down to the ground. "Mister Malone, this is Birdwatcher. I've got you loud and-"

Dick turned to look at the screen and stopped cold.

Aris tweeted happily.

"…clear." Dick's shoulders dropped as a smile washed onto his face. A bright smile, one of the brightest Damian thinks he's ever seen. Dick leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand as his eyes became misty. "Hello, Damian."

Damian couldn't stop his own grin in response as he felt Aris settle against his shoulder, as he could see his animals, his best friend, his brother and his father totally surrounding him.

Alive. For once, in what seemed like eons, they were all alive.

"Son," Bruce murmured, tapping the mattress with his finger. The mattress Damian noticed he was suddenly floating a few inches above. Aris chirped in amusement as Damian quickly lowered himself once more. He moved gently into Bruce's space, partially to keep himself grounded but mostly because of the peace it brought, and leaned his head against his father's shoulder.

"Hello, Grayson."

~fin