-Dick's POV-

The next day at the Watchtower, I arrived earlier than everyone else. Of course the ones who lived in the Watchtower -- Connor and M'gann -- and our team leader had gotten there earlier. I was happy to be there early too. The air around me seemed energetic and I had no idea why.

I stepped out of the zeta-tube, rubbing my eyes and running my fingers through my messy hair. I was still tired. I had barely gotten any sleep last night. It wasn't the first night I had not been able to sleep. Even though Victoria had accepted my affections, I still felt like something was off. She seemed a bit distant since she and Joker talked. The thought of them together still made me furious, but I had to convince myself Victoria could take care of herself. She was different from most of the girls I dated. If I tried to help or protect her, she would retaliate by putting herself in even more danger. Barbara was really the only girl who I knew that was like that. I had no idea why they weren't close, since the comparison was so obvious.

The sound of the zeta-tube being used caused me to turn around. "Tigress, B07. Kid Flash, B03," the computer explained. I was confused for a split second. When Artemis stepped out with a familiar red headed boy on her arm, I nearly screamed like a little girl.

"Wally, welcome back!" I said, trying to be nonchalant. Wally smiled and left Artemis. He stood in front of me. He wasn't in a costume, but then again, Bart was wearing his. We both stared at each other before I gave in. I hugged him.

"Alright, Dick. I have a girlfriend," Wally chuckled. We both dropped our arms. Artemis held a yellow and red uniform. She wiggled it around. With a flash, Wally changed into the costume. I guessed Artemis had taken the costume from the case it was placed in down in the dedication hall.

"This is awkward. One of us will have to change," Bart said, coming in from the zeta-tubes quickly. He quickly hugged his cousin. When Wally 'died' Bart reached just above Wally's waist. Now, Bart was up to his shoulders. Wally was very surprised of how much taller the smaller flash was.

"You've gotten bigger." Wally rubbed Bart's head.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me too, kid," Wally smiled, "do you mind being Impulse again?"

Bart darted away and came back in his old white and red costume. "Not at all. Believe it or not, your costume was a bit tight down south," he smirked. Wally's smile dropped and the two began chasing each other around the tower. I laughed along with the rest of my friends. We were all crying with laughter when Wally got Bart on the floor.

"What's going on?" Victoria asked, standing in front of the zeta-tubes. Her hand was on her hip, her eyebrow raised. She cracked a small smile when she saw how happy Artemis looked. I couldn't help but smile myself.

"Wally's back," Artemis told Victoria, although her eyes were lost deeply in Wally's. With a fast, graceful movement, Wally was holding Artemis. Her hands were in his hair and his were wandering along her hips. Victoria chuckled a bit before making her way towards the mission computers.

Before she even reached where Aqualad stood, I darted over and pulled her into me. Her feet left the floor as I spun her around in a broad circle. Dipping my head, I kissed her. I smiled against her lips, realizing we mirrored the couple opposite of us.

"Dick, what the hell!?" Victoria quietly yelled against my lips, "what do you think you're doing? Ever heard of keeping a secret?" Her teeth came down on my bottom lip, causing me to jerk back. I ran my finger against where she had bitten me. A small stream of blood coated my fingertip.

"You bit me," I said to her, "why did you do that?"

"Instinct."

"Oh, you're in trouble now." When I met her gaze again, she ran off. I chased her across the mission room until she unlocked the door and got to the main hall. I flipped up into the air, landing right in front of her. I reached out but she ducked underneath me and zig-zagged towards another door. She got safely inside the elevator to the rafters above the main hall.

"Get down!" I shouted up at her. Victoria stuck her tongue out and leaned over the edge. When the elevator finally came back down, I climbed aboard and bounded out as quickly as possible. She was already at the far end when I reached the upper floor.

"You'll never catch me, Boy Blunder!" She called out, climbing over the side of the rafters and hopping across to the zeta-beam portals. She landed on top of the structure that secured them. With a wink, she took off across the long structure.

I followed her pattern. If I didn't stop her here, she would be able to go to the containment facility and I would lose her. Just before she reached the end of the zeta-beam portals, I jumped from the rafters and grabbed her arm. The jump I took wouldn't of made it all the way across, so I pulled her down with me. She tried to get out of my grasp while we were falling through the air. Before we hit the ground, I secured my grapple on the rafter I had been standing on and we landed on the floor smoothly.

"Ha, got you," I bragged, pulling her against me. She didn't struggle. Instead, Victoria looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Taking that as an invitation, I kissed her once again. This time there was no biting. We both shared the sweet moment before Aqualad called over the transmission that everyone was ready for mission assignment. Victoria and I hurried back to the main computer hall.

Aqualad, along with most of the Team, were in position for assignment. Some members were missing of course. Even heroes got busy from time to time.

"I would like to first welcome Wally back to the Team," Kaldur said. Everyone clapped and gave their welcomes to Kid Flash. Wally just stood there, Artemis glued to his side. "Now, back to the real business. I have gotten news that the island we infiltrated yesterday was indeed Bane's island making and transporting Venom. He wasn't on the island when we were, but now he has figured out what we have done. Bane has been reported to be in Australia, trying to make his way to the refugee building in Sydney."

"Neptune's beard!" Lagoon Boy shouted, "if he entered straight from the East, there's no way we can stop him!"

"He entered through Melbourne. Australian troops are trying to keep him back." Aqualad pointed to a map he had pulled it up. It showed Bane's course from South America to Melbourne and where he wanted to go.

"Currently, Bane is in Wollongong. So, the mission teams need to deploy very quickly. I will split you all up into four teams," Aqualad said, "Alpha: Nightingale, Nightwing, Impulse, Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Blue Beetle. You will be fighting Bane head on." Although I was a little disappointed I wouldn't be fighting with my newly returned best friend, I was with my girlfriend. I couldn't blame Aqualad for always putting us on the same team, we did work together really well.

"Omega: Kid Flash, Artemis, Wonder Girl II, Zatanna, and Rocket. You will be securing the refugees and moving them to a safer location. Some of Bane's men might've already gotten to the building, so keep them out."

"Beta: Lagoon Boy, Beast Boy, Miss Martian, and myself. We will be blocking transportation to and from the island. Bane will try to secure the refugees and get them back to the island."

"Gamma: Batgirl, Robin, Static, Arsenal, Guardian, and Bumblebee. You will be inspecting the island and make sure all systems are shut down."

"Why does Bane want the refugees so bad? Can't he just get new people?" Beast Boy asked.

"He used them for experimentation. If he got new people, he would have to start all over again. Those specific people were already there for a very long time," Nightingale answered.

"Noted."

"Alright squads, deploy," Aqualad gave the final order before getting into the Bioship with M'gann. Alpha squad all got into place on Superboy's pet sphere and took off.

When we got to Australia, we hovered over. I could clearly see Bane and a couple of his hunchmen destroying the city as soldiers fired bullets on them. Our squad was full with many of our powerhouses on the Team. Bane wasn't going to be easy to take down. Especially since he was jacked up on Venom. His veins were green and popping out through his huge, muscled arms. It was kind of gross to look at, but you couldn't not see them. His black sleeveless shirt was definitely not helping.

"I say we send Superboy and Wonder Girl to attack straight on. They would be seen as the biggest threat to Bane and could distract him enough for us to take out the rest of his small guys," Nightingale insisted, "once those two have him in battle, Impulse and Blue Beetle can get the henchmen out of the picture. While the superpowered heroes are busy, Nightwing and I can work on getting Bane's Venom supply out of the way by strategically planning aimed attacks with the soldiers."

"Sounds good to me," Impulse said.

"How long will that take? Even with our two heavy hitters, Bane might still be able to do some damage before Bart and I are done," Blue Beetle seemed worried.

"If the soldiers are willing to comply and we are able to get some good shots, our part won't take too long. I don't know how strong Bane's tubes are though. If bullets don't do the trick--,"

"Then we'll attack him head on," I answered, finishing Nightingale's worry. She smiled a small bit of gratitude. She never ever gave me gratitude, so I was pretty happy that I had completed a solid plan.

"So Donna and I are basically just beating Bane to get him to expose his Venom supply?" Superboy patted Wolf's head.

"Yes."

"I'm in," he smirked.

"We better get down there quick," Impulse said, pointing to all the damaged buildings. We all nodded in agreement. Superboy and Wonder Girl jumped out of Sphere, landing harshly in front of Bane. The impact sent him staggering back. Just as the three engaged in combat, Blue Beetle flew Impulse down to attack Bane's backup.

"Our turn," I turned towards Victoria with a smug smile. I grabbed her hand, but she pulled it away and grappled towards the barricade the soldiers had set up. I followed, leaving Sphere and Wolf to help the two groups fight.

"Alright, we need to get those glowing pipes on Bane to burst," Victoria explained to the people in front of us. She told them that if small groups of soldiers shot at a tube with snipers all at once then one might break. Before the soldiers could ask questions, I told them that when they shot, they needed to make sure to take cover again or Bane would charge.

"We'll do it," the general confirmed. I turned to watch my friends. Blue Beetle and Impulse were taking the henchmen down. Bane and Superboy were trading punches and Wonder Girl tugged at him with her lasso.

I stared at the scene unfold. Superboy managed to get Bane to have his back facing us. I raised my hand in a wait command. If they shot too early, Bane would know our plan. "And...fire!" I whispered. A group of four snipers hit one of the green tubes. There were six in total; two attached to his shoulders and four directly linked to the back of his head. The snipers had hit one of the tubes on his shoulders. Green liquid slowly trickled out.

"Nice," Nightingale complimented, "now for the others." Again, we awaited a shot. Her group of snipers also got a lucky shot and hit the other shoulder tube. Bane didn't seem to let up though, he was still attacking like those two hadn't even been touched.

"Go for the other four," Nightingale commanded. The snipers lined up.

"No!"

"What? Why?" Nightingale turned towards me. The remaining tubes were attached to his head. The other two were easy shots. If someone missed, the bullet would just hit Bane's arm without any damage. But the other four were different. If someone missed, they could kill him.

"We have to go get the last four ourselves on close combat. The opportunity for gunfire is too risky," I pulled out my escrima sticks, sending a jolt of electricity through them.

"If you die during this fight, I will not be going to your funeral. This is all on you," she abused. I rolled my eyes and kissed her cheek for good luck. She pulled out her katanas and used the handle to wipe where I had kissed. Man, I love seeing her act like that, I thought.

While Bane had his back turned, Nightingale and I crept closer. Blue Beetle and Impulse were still fighting, but they had about four guys left. Superboy and Wonder Girl were both being constantly knocked away and attacked before they would take their turn. Nightingale held her hand up, the signal for wait. She then held two fingers meaning we needed to split up. Then, she pointed to the left. Finally, she made a gesture to the right and a circle motion. Her plan was for us to split up, her go to the right and circle to the front to join Superboy. My job was to sneak to the left and try to get the tubes while she distracted him.

Just as told, I crouched and walked slowly to the left of Bane. Nightingale ran and jumped in front of his face, tossing a smoke pellet. She was buying me some time. I jumped up and pulled out a Wing-Ding. Grabbing the thick tube between my hands, I began to slice. My Wing-Ding's were sharp, but the plastic was tough. Bane noticed me and reached back to grab me from off his back. Before he could, Nightingale flipped into the air and grabbed his forearm. She stabbed her sword through his arm, making him jerk his arm away from me. Superboy grabbed the other arm while Wonder Girl kept him steady.

"What are you doing!?" Nightingale called. I finally managed to slash through the tube. Green Venom covered my entire face as it blasted out. Bane seemed to be affected by it.

"I got this!" Blue Beetle dove in, hitting Bane with a sonic. Since Superboy, Nightingale, and myself were all in the way, we all were blown back along with Bane. "Sorry..." Blue Beetle mumbled.

I stood to my feet just as Bane got off of me. Superboy was already up and Nightingale was running along after him. Bane was pissed. He leaped into the sky, grabbing a hold of Blue Beetle. They both crashed to the ground. Blue struggled to get free from Bane, but he wasn't strong enough.

"Blue!" Impulse bolted towards the two. He landed multiple punches; punches I couldn't even see because his hands were moving so fast. With Bane distracted by the tiny impacts, Blue managed to get free. He flew up towards the sky again.

"Hold him while Nightwing and I get the Venom!" Nightingale ordered. Superboy and Impulse started punching Bane while Wonder Girl wrapped her lasso around his stabbed arm. Blue Beetle shot blasts, which seemed to stun him.

"Like this, dumb ass!" She lashed out at me. Victoria grabbed hold of one of the tubes and pressed her boots into Bane's back. With a long tug, she pulled the tube straight from his head. That is a way better way. I copied her and pulled two more out. Joining together, we both pulled the last one of his tubes out.

"AHHHHH! GET OFF OF ME, YOU RATS!" Bane howled.

"Move!" Nightingale kicked me in the ribs, sending me flying off of Bane's body. I landed against a building with a crack. When I hit the hard wall, I saw Bane grasp Nightingale in his huge band. He smashed her body against the concrete, going back and forth before his strength dimmed down. Wonder Girl and Superboy stepped in, tying Bane up. I stood up as fast as I could, ignoring the pain in my ribcage.

Nightingale was lying in a small hole. She was crumpled up and bleeding. I sighed in relief to see that her chest was still rising and falling. No doubt we had both broken a couple ribs. "Vic, are you alright?" I stepped into the hole and picked her up in my arms. At first she was slack, laying in my arms like a ragdoll. She had passed out. Then, she tensed up.

"P-put me down," she managed to say, "I can walk m-myself." Blood was rolling out of her mouth as she talked. Her usual white teeth were red and her nose was crooked at a weird angle.

"For all I know, your leg is broken. We're dating now. This is what a boyfriend is for," I told her, hugging her closer to my snapped ribs.

"Just because we-we're dating, doesn't mean I can't handle myself," she retorted. With a frustrated growl, I secured her by locking my hands tightly on her thighs. She raised a fist to pound against my chest but put her hand down when she realized four of her fingers were broken.

"Is she okay?" Superboy approached. His eyes were wide with worry. Just then, I realized how much the Team did care for Victoria. She was always telling me how they didn't like her or didn't trust her. But the way Connor stared down at her, I knew she was wrong. Most of the Team did care about her. Except, maybe for one. I met Donna's eyes as she rolled them and tossed Bane into the air.

"We should get Bane to Blackgate now," she directed.

"Yes. I agree," Victoria mumbled through her split lip. When Connor saw that she could talk, he hopped aboard Sphere. Wolf took the seat beside him. Blue Beetle hopped in the back beside Impulse, who wouldn't stop talking about how amazing we all were. Donna sat next to me as I gingerly helped Nightingale up. I had gently rested her down to sit beside me. Her head had lolled onto my shoulder as soft snores escaped from her mouth.

"That was a pretty successful mission, huh?" Donna turned toward me, smiling. Bane was tied up beside her. She had given him a sedative to keep him from fighting again.

"Yeah, except for Nightingale getting all banged up. I guess it's alright though, now that she's asleep."

"It's been awhile since we actually talked," Donna chuckled. It really had been awhile. Donna and I had broken up for the second time a few months before I met Nightingale. I had kept myself busy with being a hero and graduating high school. Donna had gone back to Paradise Island with Princess Diana and stayed there. When Victoria showed up, I was always too busy with the whole situation to hang out with old friends.

"It has been," I answered.

"We should catch up. You know, hang out."

"Agreed. You free tonight?"

Without a moment of hesitation, Donna replied, "yep! Can you meet me in London? I know Bruce has private jets for you Wayne boys to use at will."

"He does," I laughed, "I can meet you in London. Are you staying there with Diana and Cassie?"

"No, Cassie is with her mom. I'm only staying with Diana until I go to college in September."

"Ah, I see. So, want to meet at the London Eye at say, around eight?"

"Sounds great! Make sure to dress nice, Mr. Sweatpants," she jabbed her finger playfully into my bicep.

"Alright, fine. It's a date!" I said.

Donna dropped Bane off and we were back at the Watchtower at around five in the afternoon. The other teams had gotten there first. We were all smiles as each squad reported their success. I made sure to get Victoria to the medical center as soon as we entered the tower.

"All squads did great work. Bane is back in Blackgate, all refugees were secured, and the island was taken out for good. Great job, Team," Aqualad announced. We all shouted horrays and clapped.

"Don't forget, eight o'clock, Grayson!" Donna called before she zeta-beamed home. Huh, I thought, Donna never calls me Grayson. Most of the Team members were going home. The only one who stuck around was Kaldur. As far as I knew, he never left. He didn't really have a reason to. There were rooms for every Justice League member. And most leaguers had their own house back on Earth. So, Kaldur, M'gann, and Connor all lived up in the Watchtower. Zatanna used to, but she had moved just as soon as she had turned eighteen. I couldn't blame her, the Watchtower wasn't really that fun.

I walked into the medical center to check on Nightingale. When I came in, a stolen batarang was tossed at my head. Luckily, I ducked right before it made contact. "Sorry, instinct," Victoria said. She had already put on an extra set of clothes and had pulled the IV out of her arm. I remembered the computer analysis saying that she was to stay overnight in the hospital. My girlfriend sure is a tough cookie.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I stood in the doorway, preventing her from leaving. She sighed through her nose and pinched the bridge of her recently reset nose.

"Yes, okay? I'm fine. I have been through much worse, trust me." I did believe she had been. Pictures of the secret scars I had glimpsed flashed through my mind.

"Let's go home then." I let her through. She strode towards the zeta-tubes and left in a hurry. I chased behind her, leaving the tower.

When we arrived, she headed down into the Batcave where all our medical equipment was kept. I followed, knowing I needed treatment too. She grabbed a large ball of white gauze. I needed it too, so I could wrap my broken ribs and keep the pressure. This was definitely not my first time breaking one of the fragile bones.

Victoria stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. Peeling off her shirt, she tried to wrap her rib cage with her dislocated arm. I rolled my eyes and tried to take the bandages. When she jerked away, I tugged it firmly out of her hands.

"Let me help. Remember how frustrating it was when I was hurt and I wouldn't let you give me a bath?" I said, raising an eyebrow. Victoria sneered when I smirked.

Victoria had broken five ribs, but she didn't seem to show any pain whatsoever. Her whole abdomen was covered in bruises and her arm hung limply at her side. I made a note to myself to have Alfred reset it after I wrapped up her ribs.

Gently putting my hands on the area of break, I taped a strip of the white bandage on her tanned skin. She stood still and didn't flinch. I tenderly wrapped around her body, occasionally lifting her arm to get underneath it. I had seen her without a shirt on one other time. But, never up close. I silently continued to do what I was supposed to do while internally taking note of every detail. Her body was more toned than I had previously thought. I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful body in front of me. It was any boy's dream! I couldn't help it. I grazed her hip bone with my thumb, causing her to jump a little bit. I cut the strand of gauze and wrapped it up tightly.

"All done," I started to say, but my voice got quieter as I looked away from the bandages. Victoria's soft blue eyes were intense and full of something I had never seen before. It was the same look she got when she was in a fight. Adrenaline? Happiness? Maybe...passion?

Neither of us had time to even catch a single breath before we lunged forward. I pulled her tight against my body, sharing the heat that radiated from her. My chest was sore, but I didn't care. Her lips pressed against mine hard as they slid into motion. I kissed back just as hard. Her hands scratched at the fabric of my shirt as they pawed for the skin underneath. I reached behind my head and tossed my shirt down on the floor. My hands traveled up and down her sides. She kissed down my neck before reaching just above my collar bones.

"Give me the gauze," she whispered against my skin. I was so out of control of my body that I instinctively handed her what she wanted. When the white gauze landed in her hand, she backed up out of my space. Her hands moved quickly as she wrapped my rib cage up.

"All done," Victoria stood up. Her shirt went back on as she left. I sat confused for a bit on what had just happened. Finally, I followed after her, putting my shirt on as I went.

"What was that?" I asked, leaning in her doorway. I was definitely not taking any chances on breaking Bruce's rules.

"What was what?" She didn't even look up as she crashed on her bed and pulled up her computer.

"The whole kissing thing? And then you leaving?"

"It's called human hormonal instinct. Happens all the time. I just wanted to make sure you were secure too."

"Have dinner with me," I blurted. With a laugh, Victoria shook her head.

"Can't. I have plans for tonight," she continued to stare at the screen in front of her.

"Tomorrow?"

"Missions."

"Wednesday?"

"Archery training with Roy and Artemis."

I sighed loudly. "Come on, Victoria! You can't just kiss me and reject a date every time I ask!"

"First off, it takes two to makeout. And second, hell yes I can." She sat up, glaring at me. Alright, tread on careful water here, Dick. Careful, careful.

"Please, Victoria. I want to be able to take my girlfriend out on dates," she still seemed unconvinced, "at least think about it?"

"Ugh, fine. I'll think about it. Now if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be," Victoria pulled off her shirt and replaced it with a long, turquoise sun dress. She pushed past me, making her way to the zeta-tube in the Batcave. I looked down at my watch. I figured I should be getting for the date with Donna.

After a quick change of clothes, I zeta-tubed to London right before eight. I had brought flowers for Donna to show that I really appreciated the night out. It was nice to get away from being a hero. I rarely got to go out with my friends, but I was hoping now that we got my fun-loving Wall-man back, that that would all change.

Just as usual, Donna was fashionably late. She wore a long black dress with a slit that exposed her left leg to her upper thigh. With a red purse and shining diamond jewelry, she looked just like a rich Gotham girl. Her dress was tight in specific places to highlight her specific features. Wide hips, long legs, big chest...

"Wow, Donna," I gasped, "you look amazing."

She giggled and rested her hands right above the deep neckline of her dress. "Thank you, Grayson. You look so hot in that suit." I accepted the compliment and handed her the flowers. "Aw, thanks! You know how much I love roses!"

"Well, I've known you for forever. So, what're we doing this fine evening?" I took her hand and placed it in the bend of my arm. Her small hand rested gently on my bicep, caressing it mindlessly with her fingers.

"Hm, Haly's Circus is in town!" She shouted, "oh, I-I'm sorry Dick. Nevermind, let's just go get dinner or something."

"No, the circus is fine. I've been to it since my parents deaths you know. If you want to go, then we'll go," I insisted.

"I don't want you to be sad. This is supposed to be a good night."

"And it will be. We're going."

"Alright, handsome. Lead the way."

Calling a taxi, we drove to the site of Haly's Circus. It was the same as I had remembered it. There were so many bright, cheerful colors. Donna's hand wedged itself in mind as we walked in. It felt nice to have someone beside me.

We bought tickets and sat front row. The show was about to start when Mr. Haly himself walked up to us. He was more wrinkly and more white than the last time I had seen him, but I still could make out the happy smile he always wore around children. I stood and wrapped him up in a hug.

"Ah, Dick Grayson. It's been forever," he said.

"Truly. I missed this place," I glanced around the packed circus tent.

"Not too much or you would've come back earlier." Although it was a joke, it hit me hard. I had been kind of ignoring Haly's since I was ten. I would watch parts of the show through a window as I was Nightwing or swing by to get a glimpse of it, but I never had actually visited. I always felt a little guilty for leaving everyone behind.

"I'm sorry. I'm here now though."

"Yeah and with a beautiful girl by your side. I am Mr. Haly. And who might you be, princess?" Haly turned towards Donna, who was blushing wildly. She gave her hand to the old man and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of it.

"Donna," she said, smiling.

"You got yourself a keeper, Dick. Don't tell Raya you have a girlfriend though," Haly winked.

"Donna's not my girlfriend," I reassured. Donna's face lost the blush and her smile dropped. She bit her lip and crossed her arms.

"She's still beautiful," Haly said, "I have to go. Excuse me, Dick and Donna. Sounds like a name of one of my couples act," he said, laughing as he walked away.

I took my seat and looked over at the girl beside me. I needed to get rid of the tension in the air. "Weird how he thought we were dating huh?" Oh no. I made it worse.

"Not really. Someone sees two people together and they are forced to be together for no reason," Donna answered, "happens really frequently, actually. Couples forming just to please someone else." Something in her voice indicating she was hinting at something, but I had no idea what her meaning was.

"Yeah, I guess. Haly has never met any of my girlfriends though."

"Why not introduce him to Victoria?"

"She hates the circus," I exhaled.

"But this was your home for so long. How can she hate something so nice and beautiful?" Donna looked around the tent. I followed and glanced at it all again. It was amazing. I would've really loved to show my cold-hearted girlfriend.

"I don't know."

"She doesn't seem to like a lot of cheery stuff, does she?" Her eyes stayed glued to the scene as she leaned on the bar in front of us. My eyes drank in the sight of her backless dress.

"N-no," I tried getting my head screwed on straight, "she really doesn't. She's kind of dark and bull-headed when she wants to be."

"Must be frustrating," Donna said, turning to face me. She grabbed my hand again. "If anything ever goes bad, just tell me, okay? You know I care about you, right?"

I nodded, swallowing hard. I took my hand from hers and focused on Mr. Haly entering the center of the circus tent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present to you, Haly's Circus!" He announced. Elephants dressed in bright costumes bounded out along with people doing flips. Everyone clapped as he continued to speak. "Tonight, we will be starting out with our trapeze act!"

A familiar red head and an unfamiliar brunette swung out from the shadows. Raya let go of her bar, her catcher quickly doing his job. I smiled, remembering all the good times I had there. Raya did familiar routines as I had done once upon a time as well as adding in new ones. I pressed my hands to the bar I was being held back with. I imagined myself up there again. Raya did a flip and landed perfectly onto the other bar. Her red hair was swirling around her. Another smile lit me up, making me feel warm inside. Raya was my first crush, after all. What could I say? I had a thing for redheads.

More acts came on that got just as much attention as the main trapeze act. I wasn't really seeing any of it though. I was too busy daydreaming about past memories and past love. I was awoken when a hand grabbed my chin and forced me to look.

"Listen Dick, Diana just called me. She needs Wonder Girl. I had a really great time, thank you," Donna explained. She stood up to leave. Before she did, she pressed her red lips against my cheek. It was more like the end of my mouth, since it was very close. Her lips lingered there before she pulled away.

The show ended shortly after Donna had left. I was getting ready to leave when Raya came up to me.

"Hey stranger," she teased, putting a hand on her hip. Her fire red hair hung loosely in a ponytail. Her catcher seemed to have retired for the night.

"Raya!" I wrapped my arms around the girl. Her arms locked around my neck as I spun her around. I was bit dazed when I began to think about Victoria and how I hugged her just like that earlier. But, when my eyes met Raya's again, I only saw her.

"Haven't seen you in ages," she said, her long eyelashes batting away the dirt and sweat that collected on them.

"Yeah, I've been busy."

"Oh, I see. Big shot Waynes don't have time for us low life circus freaks, is that it?"

I was appalled! Is that what they thought? "Raya, no," I grasped her arms, "you guys were my family. Are my family."

"Mhm. Did you like the show?" Quickly changing the subject, Raya straightened up. She had changed a lot since I was ten, but she was still the same. Her green eyes still were as bright as summer grass and her red hair was still as fiery as her personality. Except now, she had grown. Her tight trapeze costume showed off just how much she had changed.

"Yeah, you guys were really good!"

"Coming from one third of the Flying Grayson act, that's a real compliment," Raya smiled, making my heart beat quickly like I was a kid again, "I should be going. Haly will want a head count and I better be there. It was nice seeing you again, Dick." She hugged me again and I feared she could feel my heart beating wildly.

"It was really nice seeing you again, Raya," I let her go. As she walked away, I was reminded of the last time I abandoned this place. Raya and Raymond had begged me not to go, but I couldn't stay after what happened. When Raymond died, I knew I wouldn't be able to face Raya at the funeral. I had let go of the people I loved too many times.

Suddenly, I became inspired to keep my loved ones close. I got to the quickest zeta-tube. I had to go hug Tim and I had to go hug Bruce, if he would let me. But most of all, I yearned to go kiss Victoria.

~~~~~~~ I didn't update much over spring break, so here's a long chapter! I hope you guys aren't getting bored with the story. If you are, let me reassure you, things are going to do down in the next couple of chapters. Like, throw down go down. So, be prepared for that. Also, don't forget to vote, comment, and follow if you aren't already!~~~~~~~~