Blessing In Disguise

Thirteen

We get into the San Francisco airport around half an hour later. By then, Tim and I have explained, in a much more detailed way, our adventures. And then Dick has to point out that we're brothers now.

I'm content for a while. The plane has seats in rows of two by the window and three in the center, so Tim and Damian sit by windows, the latter behind the former. I sit beside the younger one, since Dick and I decided he's more used to me, and Dick settles beside the older of my little brothers.

Our plane takes off around two hours after we leave the tower. By the time we reach Colorado, it's been long enough that I've fallen asleep and so has Damian. Dick shakes me at one point and I sit straight up, waking instantly. "Shh, listen."

A crackling announcement is repeating over and over on the system, and somehow the younger boys are sleeping through it. I'm instantly glad for it. "We will be making an emergency landing in Austin, Texas, due to security concerns. Do not panic. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. We will...."

"They found us," I whisper, frantic, looking to Damian. He's asleep, his cheek touching the glass lightly and his eyes closed loosely. He sleeps so light with a panic in his eyes when he wakes, I don't want to rouse him. Dick pulls me from my fear with a gentle touch.

"Calm down, okay? If someone sees you freaking they'll think you're the problem. And I don't want either of them getting afraid."

"You're right. Okay. What do we do?"

"Just get off the plane. We can figure something out from that airport. Probably get to Kansas somehow and catch our backup ride there."

"What if-"

Before I can express my fear that we won't be able to leave that airport, or alive and with all of our pieces put together anyway, a flight attendant comes by. She makes Dick sit down and strap in, so I have to settle for deep breaths and focusing intently on anything but thinking.

We land and I wake Damian up. He gets up with a haunted look in the back of his deep, mournful eyes, so I ask what's wrong as we leave the plane. He shrugs. "I do not know. Perhaps I just experienced a nightmare that is already forgotten?"

"Maybe. Keep up, okay? Don't want you getting lost on me, now."

We regroup a little bit away from anyone else. Dick and I whisper a plan and end up ushering the others to a cab, where we are driven to a McDonalds.

"Gotta let you experience real American food here, Dami," Dick says brightly. With all four of us crammed into the bench that might seat three if they weren't muscular, lean men, it's tight. The youngest is on my lap, leaning over Tim in the middle, and Dick by the opposite window. Dick and I are both pressed to the doors, and Tim is trying to be as small as possible, but we're still in full contact with one another.

It goes without saying that the duffel in Tim's lap is making things even harder.

I'm immensely relieved when we get to our stop, untangle from one another, and stretch out. We relax at a long counter in the center of the restaurant, waiting for our food to come. Tim and Damian both get Happy Meals, which I find hilarious for a reason I cannot place. Maybe it's my thinking of both trying-and probably succeeding, in D's case-to fight crime and kill a dangerous enemy, and then they're enjoying chicken nuggets in bright red boxes.

Dick holds up his cup. "A toast?"

"Alright," Tim says, raising his. I lift mine and gesture for Damian to pick his plastic chocolate milk jug up. "A toast," I say, "to little D and I making it home, almost."

"And to survival, for all four of us," Dick points out. Dami puts in, "I suppose it would be fitting to also add that we are halfway across the States already."

"And of course to old friends," Tim finalizes, and we drink. I smile. "We have conquered! Survived! Journeyed! Reunited! If Bruce is not proud of us now I am renouncing my relations to him."

"I second that motion," my old friend murmurs. Dick nods, mouth full, and Damian sighs. "I cannot do so, for I am blood."

"True," I tell him. "But I can kidnap you, and leave no traces."

Dick and I laugh, and the current Robin looks mortified. The Wayne descendant merely appears confused.

After that, Tim hurries to finish, and then I realize that he wants to get to the empty Play place. I ask if he's going to take Damian.

"Oh, yeah! Of course I will," he responds. The kid in question asks, "What is it that you do in a... Play place?"

"You play, duh. Come on."