Chapter Text
It was Bruce that found Jason all those years ago. It made sense that he found him tonight as well.
Oracle spoke over the comms. A robin was spotted flipping across the rooftops in an old suit. Jason must have taken his old suit from the memorial. Which meant he knew about the memorial.
It was the last evidence of Jason that Bruce kept in sight in the manor. The photos and art projects had been moved to the attic, his room hadn’t been entered for more than a quick dusting since his death. But that memorial stayed up. Bruce stared at it some nights, usually when he fought with Red Hood. If it wasn’t for Roy he would have been able to take it down. He would have had his son back.
Bruce found Robin on a rooftop overlooking crime alley.
“Do you remember this place?” Robin asked. He didn’t. It was just another rooftop. But he knew it should have held some kind of significance.
“When I was little, I first became Robin. I got too rough with a criminal. I’m always too rough. We sat here and you told me that no matter what happens I’ll always be your son. That there was nothing I could do to change that.” He turned around to face his father and Batman could see the tears building up beneath his mask. “But you lied! I read my messages, I looked at my wedding photos! You lied to me!”
Bruce remembered getting the invitation. Jason and Roy were going to get married on Oliver’s estate. He was sure the ceremony was beautiful. Jason had always dreamed of one of the Bridgerton type weddings. Bruce blamed it on all of the Jane Austen novels he read as a child.
Bruce didn’t go to the wedding. Dick followed his lead, as well as most of his other children. But Alfred was insistent on going. He even took Damian along with him. Damian was benched for going against Bruce’s word, but he hadn’t seemed to care much.
“Robin,” Batman said softly, in that tone he always used when Jason’s temper got ahead of him. “Things are different now. When you came back… you came back wrong. The lazarus pit changed something, it–”
“I didn’t come back wrong, I came back angry! I’m angry now!”Jason screamed at him, looking back at the Gotham city skyline.
“You killed people, Jason, you wanted revenge. You wanted me to kill people.” Bruce explained.
“I didn’t want you to kill people. I wanted you to care. I wanted something to change.” Jason said, not looking back at batman. “I thought I was your son, B. But when I found out what happened, I kept looking, waiting to find your reaction. But you didn’t do anything. The Joker is still alive. You sent him to arkham. We send the Condiment King to Arkham, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Jason–”
“No! I’m talking!” he said with the commanding tone of the Red Hood. He was the Red Hood. But He was also Robin. Maybe there wasn’t much of a difference between the two. “Killing your son didn’t change the way you treat him. It didn’t change anything. My death didn’t mean anything.”
So that's what this was all about.
Batman closed the distance between them, holding his son close to his chest.
“Losing you changed everything. You can’t see it in the criminals of Gotham. But you can see it in the safety measures of the new Robin suits. You can see it in the cake we set out on August 16th, you can see it in every aspect of our lives.”
“Then why weren’t you there?” Jason asked between sobs. “Why did you push away every olive branch I sent out?”
Bruce rested Jason’s head under his chin. He had to reevaluate, he couldn’t lose his him again. As Bruce held his son that night, he remembered that eleven year old kid he found stealing his tires. He remembered that spark in his eye that told Bruce he could be a hero. He still had that spark, even after he came back, he never stopped being Jason.
“I failed to connect you to Red Hood. I thought you were different. That you weren’t my son anymore. I was wrong Jason. I’m sorry. You’ve always had your flaws. I promised to love you despite them and I failed. You are not your flaws, you are a complex person that I should have taken the time to understand. I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.”
Jason hugged his father tight. Something had shifted, he could feel it. The memories of the past eight years of his life flooding back.
He was scared, scared that Bruce would push him away again when the spell was over. But he had to trust, one last time. He had to trust his father to save him.
–
Roy woke up the next morning to a thankfully grown husband.
Jason seemed to remember the events of the past few days. He didn’t say anything about what had happened before Roy found him with Batman. But he assumed it had gone well.
Bruce offered them a seat at the breakfast table. Which Roy was hesitant to take. But Jason seemed happy, so he sat down.
The bats talked aimlessly about nothing of importance. It reminded Roy of meals with the arrows. He looked over to Jason, his husband was almost glowing. This is what he had been wanting. Roy knew that. All the effort he had put in to helping Roy repair his relationships, there was always that bittersweet smile on his face. He loved Roy’s family, but Jason was a bat. This is what he had been needing.
Roy looked around the table. He couldn’t stand most of these people. He hated how they stood by while Jason was mistreated.
But this was a start. He had to acknowledge that. This was the first step to healing. And if this family could heal, if Jason could be returned to his rightful place as Bruce’s son. That was a good thing.
Roy reached over and placed a hand on Jason’s thigh. Jason took his hand in his and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles. He looked over and smiled. Roy loved that smile.
It really was a matter of coincidence that this had all happened. One badly placed kick as Jason fought his father led to the bat family finally being his family again.
Jason had never wanted to be a prodigal son. But the good part of being a prodigal son is sometimes, you get to come back.