The Red Ghoul

ARC III: PART I

"Oh, Cass! You look beautiful!" Dick exclaimed, rushing to hug his little sister, who giggled and hugged him back in return.

Bruce silently approached them and smiled at his eldest children. He has been doing that a lot lately, showing his care and emotions to his children. He had been working hard with Dinah and as hellish as it felt, every torturous moment was worth it. Knowing that his children believed him dead and were not sure that Bruce loved them, had broken him in a way only Jason's death had ever managed.

"You do look incredible," Bruce murmured, kissing Cass' head, making sure not to disrupt her elegant bun. "The only thing that is lacking, is this." Bruce then took a string of pearls from his pocket and raised it towards his daughter.

Cass gasped when she realized what Bruce was holding in his hand. "Grandma's pearl necklace! I can't!"

"You can and you will," Bruce shook his head, smoothly clapping his mother's necklace around Cass' neck. "She would have passed it down to her first granddaughter anyways." Bruce took a step back to stare at Cassandra, looking like the lady she was and wearing Martha Wayne's pearl necklace, and smiled, eyes tearing up. "Now you look perfect."

"Thank you, dad," Cass threw her arms around Bruce's waist and hugged him hard.

Dick looked at them with tears in his eyes, heart filled with so much love. There were days he could still not believe how far Bruce had managed to come in only a few months. Then again, it seems that the Wayne stubbornness helped for more things than only vigilante work. Dick was very proud of the man and father Bruce was becoming.

However, Dick's smile slipped when his eyes landed on Tim. His Baby Bird had become more and more of a recluse since the Dark Ranger incident. Tim clearly blamed himself for putting his siblings in danger and the changes Bruce had gone through, even though the timestream was to blame for it. Dick has tried to explain that to his brother, but his words fell to deaf ears.

Dick approached Tim with a soft sigh, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors of the dressing room. Tim stood before the mirror, his reflection a picture of concentration as he straightened his red tie with meticulous care.

As Dick drew closer, he couldn't help but admire the younger boy's appearance. Tim looked every bit the picture of sophistication and charm in his burgundy slim fit suit, the rich color complementing his complexion perfectly. His black dressing shirt added a touch of sleekness to the ensemble, while his black dressing shoes completed the look with effortless elegance.

"Here, let me help you," Dick smiled and made a quick work of Tim's tie. Dick stepped back to take a good look at his Baby Bird and beamed, the suit slimmed Tim down and accentuated his natural body shape. "Perfect."

"Thank you," Tim looked down at their shoes.

"We will need to continue our Batcave conversation soon," Dick sighed, hating how Tim's body tensed in discomfort. "B already started to notice and will want to 'fix' this after Little Wing's book launch. Cass and Alfred can only run interference for so long."

Tim sighed, body slumping in defeat, but at least he was finally looking at Dick in the eye. "I get it... and I know you are right... but..."

"It's not easy, I get it," Dick patted Tim in the back. "It took me B 'dying' and you going missing in the timestream, plus Alfie and Jason dragging me kicking and screaming, to start attending sessions with Harley."

"Harley Quinn?" Tim repeated incredulously. He blinked repeatedly, stunned as if he could not believe what he had just heard. "She is your therapist!? Didn't her license get revoked after... you know, all her criminal activities! Also, since when do you go to therapy?!"