"Okay," Robin started, "I hear you, but I'm so tired I'm not even sure this is really happening."

There were nods off a number of heroes. The two kids from the future looked surprisingly at the young girl.

"I didn't think you got tired," admitted Rose.

"Maybe in the future I don't," grumbled Robin, tucking herself into Kid Flash's side.

"It will take us time to scope out the layout of the base, make adjustments to the plans, and I'm guessing you lot will want to help so we will have to add you into the plans." Vet sighed. "You can all sleep."

"We'll get some rooms ready." Green Arrow stood. "I'll make sure there are rooms for you lot too." He nodded at the heroes from the future.

Robin waved him off before heading to the 'lounge room' as Batman refused to call it. Once they reached the room she and Kid Flash slumped on the lounge. As she curled into his side she watched the other young heroes trickle into the room, obviously having followed her.

When the two children from the future came in she couldn't help but frown.

"I gotta say, this is weird," she commented, watching as the two awkwardly sat and tried not to stare.

"Yeah, the idea of you as a mother is kinda disturbing. You're younger than me!" Kid Flash shuttered. "I'm just making sure to remind myself that it's older you."

"Wow, Wally, I'm actually impressed you aren't imploding," commented Artemis as she sat on the floor with M'Gann.

"Why? I just said I'm reminding myself that it's older Robin, Nightwing, who is a mother."

"I more meant that you're a father," Artemis laughed.

"No I'm not."

Robin frowned, turning her head so she could look at her friend. "Not yet, but in the future you have Rose."

"No, she's The Flash's daughter."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Not with that hair! And you dingus, she's The Flash's daughter, but who's to say you didn't take up that mantle?"

Kid Flash looked at Rose, as though expecting her to deny it. Instead she looked amused.

"Sorry to disappoint you, dad." She gave a laugh, joined by Robin's chuckles.

"Okay, I now know how you're feeling, Rob."

"I still can't believe how relaxed you are," Nel commented, nodding to Robin. "It reminds me of what you were like before dad died.

"See I never met that side of her. She's always been mega strict." Rose sighed, throwing herself back into a lying position. "I always found it hard to see how she and dad would be so close, given everything people said about dad."

"I'm guessing Wally wasn't alive long after Nightwing's husband died?" M'Gann asked tentatively.

"They were never married, and no, he didn't. They died within days of each other." Nel smiled down at Rose. "Did you know The Flash used to tell me he was Santa?"

"That's that red guy kids used to think delivered presents in a night, right?"

"Yeah, he used to say that he would stuff a pillow down his shirt so people wouldn't recognise him. Every Christmas I'd find a present at the end of my bed. It was mostly something little, or handmade, but I still loved it."

"I'm not surprised Wally did that." Robin put her head on Kid Flash's chest, letting sleep wash over her. "Night."

"Goodnight," Kid Flash said against her hair.

/ / / / / /

He was as tired as Robin but couldn't fall asleep. One by one those around him either moved into a room that was put together for them or fell asleep in the arm chairs. His daughter and Robin's son were two in chairs. They had squished themselves into a love seat, one of Nel's arms wrapped protectively around Rose. Checking to make sure everyone was asleep, Kid Flash quickly and carefully moved Robin off his chest, not waking her before he raced out of the room. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but when he saw someone in the meeting room he stopped, walking through the door.

It took Wally a moment to realise it was older Robin, Nightwing, that he was looking at. She had shed her jacket, and was instead wearing a dark green, loose tank top. For a moment he was stunned, taking in the curves that his Robin was only starting to develop. As he looked up her form he noticed two tattoos on her back, one on her right shoulder blade of a cave with bats flying out, and another along the curve of her shoulders that looked like the silhouetted M of a flying bird. After looking at it though he realised it was she shadow of acrobats forming the path along her back from one shoulder to the next. The tattoo on her left shoulder started just after a large scar. Wally felt his heart stop for a second when he noticed that Nightwing's left arm was missing and in its place was a scarred metal arm, not a single shine to its surface.

"I would keep pretending to not notice you," Nightwing said from where she stood in front of a holographic schematic, "but the staring is becoming awkward." She looked over her shoulder at him, giving him a sad smile. "It's good to see you, KF."

He sucked breath through his teeth. "You're still as beautiful as ever, Rob."

Nightwing blushed, turning to face him. She smiled when Wally's gaze swept down her figure, his eyes bulging. It hadn't crossed his mind what Robin would look like once she grew up and to see it so suddenly was shocking.

"Enjoying what you see?" Nightwing sniggered.

"Is that another tattoo?" Wally asked, covering his embarrassment. He pointed at the symbol sitting under her collarbone. It was a robin R made up of lightening.

"Designed it myself. What do you think?" Nightwing pulled her shirt strap to the side so that none of it was covered.

"Looks good." Wally walked forward, observing the hologram in front of Nightwing. "How goes the planning?"

Nightwing turned back towards the desk. "Pretty well. Dad had decided that the only way to stop Superman from worrying that we'll kill everyone is to have you all on the mission. Though, knowing him, he'll want the younger me out of any line of fire."

"You're not wrong. I agree with him. Do you mind me asking how you lost the arm?" Wally sat down, not able to take his eyes off the metal appendage.

Nightwing paused before pulling a chair to her, sitting down, and putting her feet up on the desk. "I lost it the same day I lost my husband. You can imagine what hurt more."

"I'm sorry. I thought Nel said you weren't married though."

"Technically we never were since there wasn't anyone to hold a ceremony but I cared about him and he was the reason I became a mother."

"You didn't say anything about loving him though?" Wally frowned.

Blue eyes took on a glazed, empty look. "Oh I love him. I love him so strongly that losing him broke me. Losing my best friend too destroyed me."

"Was it you… 'what if guy'?" Wally asked slowly.

"Subtle," Nightwing laughed. "Can't work out how to ask younger me?"

Wally shrugged. "It's not Pyro, is it?"

The amused smile the woman wore was Riley's trademark smile. It was impossible to not recognise her as the girl he loved.

"Ask the question you came here to ask, Wally."

"Do my actions help with your depression?"

Nightwing looked surprised. "Not what I was expecting. But yes, they do. When I lost you the only thing keeping me breathing is the kids. Nel and Rose mean the world to me."

"I'm guessing Rose's," he bulked around the word, "mother named her."

Nightwing chuckled. "I did. Her name is Rosaline, like the doll you bought me. You named Nel. We each just said a name to perfect to pass up."

"Nel? That's a weird name though." Wally wracked his brain for where he might have gotten that name from. Only one thing came to mind. "Nelson. After Kent Nelson, am I right?"

"Yeah. You wanted to honour the man who encouraged you to find your spitfire."

Wally bit his tongue, trying to stop the words from spilling out and yet failing. "But you're my spitfire. That other woman, whoever she is-"

"Wally, in my time we are in it's the end of the world. People fall in love with people they normally wouldn't." Every word sounded strained.

"That's why you didn't want Nel or Rose here. Because what you plan to do might lead to them not being born." Wally watched as Nightwing nodded slowly. "They don't know, do they?"

"No. they haven't realised. If there was any other way I'd take it but there isn't. I'm just hoping that they will somehow still be born. There is a chance that they will be even if we don't end up with the same partners. Nel does take after me and Rose is definitely a little you."

Wally nodded before stifling a yawn. "I should go back to Robin." He walked towards the door, stopping at the threshold. "Do I ever tell you that I love you?"

Nightwing smiled at him. "That was the question I was expecting. Yes, you do. Though if you really think I'm your spitfire you shouldn't wait as long as my Wally did. By then the world had already gone to hell."

Wally could almost hear the unspoken words: and by then we were already with other people.

R and R.