Can A Bird Trust A Cat? (A Young Justice FanFic)

Epilogue- Part One

DISCLAIMER: Y'all know the whole thing about how I don't own DC's rights and stuff.

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*Five Years Later*

Five years ago, my dad found me and took me to Denver, Colorado, where he lived, and away from Gotham, my home. I am now 19 years old, and am driving back to Gotham City. My dad killed himself about a year ago due to the grief of losing my mother, and to the hearing of my news. I had cancer.

Finally arriving in Gotham, I realized that I had no idea where Richard was. Oh, Richard. How I've missed him. Has he missed me?

Wayne Manor seemed as good a place to start as any. As I drove through the streets of Gotham, I could see that the streets looked a little dirtier, a little worse than when I had left. Not a significant difference, but a difference all the same. It had been a long time. Soon, I arrived at Wayne Manor, which had also changed a little bit. The hedges were a little overgrown, and the building looked older. Probably from time.

I parked my car in the roundabout and got out, adjusting my hat. Hats were a normal thing for me now, as my chemotherapy contributed to me being bald. Honestly, the news that I was diagnosed with lung cancer was shocking. But I had learned to cope with it to the best of my ability, even though the doctors had told me that I only had a short time longer to live since my last doctor visit. That was why I was here; to say the final goodbye that I never had the chance to tell.

Walking up to the front door, I rang the buzzer. Maybe Jason would be here. Maybe I could tell him goodbye as well. He would be around 16 by now...what had happened to the 11 year old I once knew? I expected Alfred to open the door, so I was surprised to find a boy who looked 14 at the other end of the door. His eyes were light blue, and he had short black hair. He raised an eyebrow when he saw me.

"Can I help you?" he inquired. This was not Jason. Where was he?

"Um, yeah. I'm looking for Dick Grayson. Do you know where he is?"

"Lives in Bludhaven. Who are you?"

"An old friend. Could I come inside? It's a little cold out here," I asked, and he opened the door more so that I could get in. So Dick lived in Bludhaven. That was almost 30 minutes away. Maybe I could find out where in Bludhaven he lived. The boy shut the door behind him, and led me to the kitchen. "Where's Alfred?"

"At the store- wait, how do you know Alfred?" the boy questioned me.

"Like I said, an old friend. Um, who are you? I've never seen you before."

"Name's Tim Drake. I live here with Bruce."

"Oh, so you must know Jason! How is he? Where is he?" I wondered out loud. Tim's face paled immediately after I said Jason's name. "He does live here still, doesn't he?"

"How long have you been gone?" Tim asked me, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"About five years, more or less," I responded.

"And your name?"

"Vanessa Edwards," I told him, and his eyes grew to twice their size.

"Oh my God...you're Nessie, aren't you?" When Tim called me that, I immediately saw Dick looking back at me, his 13-year-old self looking so warm and friendly. Blinking a couple of times, I saw Tim again, and nodded my head in response to his question. He smiled at me.

"So you know about the Team, about my other identity?"

"Yeah-wait, YOUR other identity?"

"Look, a lot has changed since you left. Dick's no longer Robin anymore, I am. Jason took over for awhile, but there was...an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Why was my heart beating so fast, like I knew what was coming?

"The Joker," was all Tim said. But that was all I needed to hear.

"He's gone, isn't he," I numbly replied. If I had just stayed in Gotham, this would never have happened.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa. I really am," Tim stated, remorse in his eyes and tears gathering in mine.

"I need to talk to Dick. That's why I came here. I need to tell him goodbye." I wiped my eyes, erasing the tears that were there.

"Goodbye? You're leaving again?"

"Yeah...for good. Maybe I'll see Jason where I'm heading," I replied. Tim's eyes grew wide as I took off my hat.

"You have cancer," he stated.

"Smart kid," I smiled, bittersweet.

"I'll give you Dick's address and let him know you showed up," Tim went to go get paper, but I stopped him.

"Don't tell him I'm here. I want to surprise him." Tim nodded. Soon, with an address in hand, I was in my car heading for Bludhaven. It tore at my heart to hear about Jason's death, but there was nothing I could have done to save him. I made a mental note to myself as the 'Leaving Gotham' sign showed up: When I die and go wherever it is that people go when they die, I was going to find Jason and take him to the best diner there is after death.

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If there was a town that looked worse crime-wise than Gotham, Bludhaven was the place. After driving through town trying to find Dick's house, I finally found the address, only to find an apartment complex. It was now late afternoon, and the sun was going down. Not wanting to go through the whole front-desk thing because the guy there gave me the creeps, I went around to the back and saw stairs that led up to a door with the number that Tim wrote down on the door. Taking a deep breath and adjusting my hat, I walked up the metal stairs and to the door. And I knocked.

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How are you all doing? I decided to split the epilogue into two parts so I didn't keep you all waiting any longer.

Nessie has cancer. And Jason died. ;_; I'M SORRY FOR THE FEELS ATTACK. At least she's going back to Gotham. Isn't that a good thing?

Thank you all for the TREMENDOUS support on this story. Honestly. It means the world to me. :)

Check out my friend meka016. She is writing a story called Red Moon, and it's worth reading. Really.

One more chapter....hang in there! I think you all will like the ending. :)

~~The Bat has left the room~~