Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Past Woes ❯ You Replaced Me! ( Chapter 4 )

Dick swallowed nervously and rubbed his chest absentmindedly. He really wished he were anywhere but Wayne Manor at that moment. Bruce was silent for a moment before walking forward and sitting on the couch across from the boy. More silence ensued.

"Well…" Bruce finally said. "How have you been?"

"Really?" Dick asked with a snort. "That's what you want to ask me?"

"No, but it's a good start."

Dick shrugged at that. "I'm fine. A bit…Well, fine overall."

"How's your chest?"

"Bruised ribs."

"Yikes."

"Yeah," Dick muttered.

More silence. Dick sighed and leaned back into the chair. He lay there until Bruce stunned him with a question he had hoped he'd never face.

"Look, this playing around is ridiculous. Why on earth did you attempt to steal from me?"

Dick felt sick to his stomach and he could feel himself pale. He swallowed and concentrated all his attention on a spot on the floor. He felt tears sting his eyes and he sighed.

"I…It's something…He made me do it," the boy finally answered.

"Don't lie to me," Bruce said angrily, standing up.

"I'm not," Dick said brokenly, slumping his shoulders.

Something in his body language must have told Bruce that he was telling the truth because his demeanor softened and he reached over.

"Who?"

"Slade," Dick said quietly, his tone full of burning anger. "He blackmailed me. He threatened to kill my friends if I didn't do what he said. I couldn't watch them die…" he trailed off and tears poured down his cheeks. "I hate him. He's gone now, but I still hate him."

Bruce continued to watch him silently.

"Damn it, Bruce, say something!" Dick shouted. "Tell me you hate me! Tell me I'm horrible for doing that! Tell me you never want to see me again!"

Bruce sighed softly and stood, coming over to kneel in front of the teary-eyed boy. "I can't say any of those things, Dick, because none of them are true."

"They…They're not? But you're supposed to hate me, Bruce."

"Why?" the man asked, genuinely confused.

"Because I hurt you. Because I said those horrible things a couple years ago. Because you can't possibly love a circus freak who can't even handle his own emotions."

Bruce suddenly pulled him into a warm embrace and Dick lost it, sobbing desperately into Bruce's shoulder. He gripped his mentor tightly, not wanting to let go and come back to himself. Bruce held him, rubbing his back comfortingly. When he finally calmed down, Bruce pushed him an arm's length away.

"Dick, I never could hate you. We've been through too much together. I love you, differences and all." He paused to hug the boy again. "Oh, and one more thing. You're not a circus freak. You're my son."

"Son?" Dick asked quietly. "I'm…your son? You actually said it."

"Yes. You should know that."

"Thanks…Dad," Dick replied then laughed softly. "I was so worried about you hating me all these years that I didn't come back. Now I find out you still care."

"Always," Bruce said with a warm smile.

Dick snuggled into yet another hug then pulled back and smiled. "You think my friends and I could stay for supper?"

"Of course," Bruce said with a laugh. "I'm sure Alfred has already started it, with you in mind."

They walked down the hall into the dining room together to find Alfred had already filled the table with good things to eat and had seated his friends. Dick hurried over and seated himself in his chair beside Raven and across from Starfire, who smiled at him.

"On Tamaran, such a feast would mean you were engaged to be married. Tell me, who is the lucky one?"

Alfred froze where he was and Dick laughed. "Nobody Star, this is just a big meal with friends."

"Oh, alright," she said. "May we now begin the dining?"

"Don't forget we're on Earth, not Tamaran," Dick warned, knowing how violent and messy Tamaranian eating was.

"Yes, Dick," Starfire said, her eyes sparkling. "But may we eat?"

"Yes," Alfred replied, setting the final dish down.

"Sit with us, Alfred," Dick said. "Eat with us."

Alfred hesitated before doing as the young boy asked. They sat and ate together happily, the conversation flowing naturally. Dick felt better than he had in years. After dinner, he and Bruce took a walk back to the study and sat down. They talked quietly about their adventures away from each other. Dick was just telling Bruce about the horrible date he'd had with Kitten when something happened that he hadn't expected.

"Hey Dad, are you home?"

Dick turned to look at the door and froze. There was a boy about twelve with strawberry blonde hair staring at him with big blue eyes staring at him. Dick felt his jaw drop as he realized what had happened. He felt rage build within him as he leaped up and gave a yell of outrage. His friends came running, pushing past the boy Dick was drilling into the ground with his eyes. The boy was cowering away from him and jumped as Dick spoke in a voice so full of anger that it was cold, not hot.

"You replaced me?!"

"Dick, I could never-" Bruce started.

"Well, obviously you did. He's standing right there Bruce! What's his name, huh? Why does he get to call you Dad when I didn't for all those years? Is playing with my emotions just a big game to you? You were just saying all that stuff, weren't you? Pretending I was him, is that it? Huh?"

"No! No, Dick, I meant all that I said. I just…he was an orphan and needed a home, so I did what I did with you. I took him in, gave him a home! Are you going to begrudge him that?"

Dick felt his heart break at the gentleness in that voice, the tenderness he had always strived to get and rarely received. He felt the dam break again and he was crying.

"I hate you! All you do is hurt me. You and all the great superheroes pretty much abuse your sidekicks, pushing us to limits that we can barely reach. You don't give a damn about me. You have him now. You're just like Green Arrow. When you find out I'm not perfect, that I do things people my age aren't supposed to do, you kick me out. This has to do with my drinking doesn't it?!"

"What? No, Dick, I-"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up! I never want to see you again! You already have a son, so just hope he can save your ass next time you need it! Come on, guys, we're leaving!"

Dick walked away and didn't look back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For a few months, Dick and the Titans went back and acted like the visit had never happened. Everything changed when Dick had the dream. He had seen the boy with strawberry blonde hair again. The Joker stood above him, a bloody knife in his hand and laughing maniacally. Dick sat straight up in bed and gasped, breathing heavily.

He got up and began pacing. The last time he'd had a dream like that, it had come true. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just let the boy die…could he?