Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

A/N: Hey guys! I'm still alive, but I'm working now so there will be very little fanfiction. More after the oneshot!

The Run

-DG-

Wayne Manor

Gotham City

One look at his schedule told him that he had class that morning, but he didn't care. He cared enough to get on his computer and send a mass email to his professor telling them that a close friend had suddenly died, and then intended to no longer look at his inbox.

The morning after he arrived in Gotham he woke up very early, just before sunrise. Instead of lying awake in bed for the longest time, Dick got up and pulled on some exercise clothes. He decided to bring along his ipod to play some tunes while he ran. As he walked towards the front door he paused in front of the grandfather clock.

Bruce was still awake. He'd know that Dick was awake and leaving. Dick waved a little to the camera he knew was just outside the grandfather clock before making his way to the front door.

He ran out of the manor grounds and into the heart of Gotham. The sun rose as he ran down the street. Some people recognized him and waved, so he waved back.

The city stirred to life as he ran. Business owners opened their shops. People walked to work, rode their bikes or called out for a taxi. Other joggers joined him, though only for a brief moment. Traffic became heavy as the early morning commute began.

These runs usually lasted over an hour. Any less and he never felt like he worked out enough. He ran all the way to a park, where he sat on a bench and watched other joggers run by. Some of them had dogs running alongside them. They all made him smile.

Dick pulled out his ear plugs and took a deep breath. It felt so good to be alive.

Vic was right: Dick was glad Slade was dead, even if he didn't want to admit it out loud. Everything was finally over. He wouldn't have to worry about meeting Slade in combat again, or worry about Slade tapping his phone line, or anything like that. Wintergreen would never do such things, and he would disappear to live his own life. It really was all over.

Putting his thoughts and feelings into words was the most difficult part. Could Bruce understand? Some villains had died even though Bruce tried to save them. But Bruce had never, never had an intensely personal relationship with any of the villains in his rogue gallery.

Dick turned around and punched a tree behind the bench. Holy crap, was he grieving over Slade's death? There was nothing about Slade that Dick missed, nothing except the knowledge that Slade didn't have to die.

Or maybe he did.

No more people were going to die because of Slade. No one would die from a contract again. Perhaps Dick should have the Titans clean out Slade's haunt, now that the shock from Terra's death was over.

Why, then, was he feeling this way? Was it because they had a history of violence? Because Dick had gotten to know Slade as a person, had gotten to understand the enemy in order to defeat him? Because Dick used nearly everything that Slade had taught him in his crusade against crime?

Maybe Dick couldn't explain his feelings to Vic or anyone else because he didn't know the real reason. But maybe that was okay. Maybe it showed that he was compassionate even towards assholes like Slade Wilson. Maybe it showed that he cared for people, and that he was willing to help people even when they didn't deserve it. But maybe, perhaps the most important thing of all, it showed that he was nothing like Slade. And that, more than anything, rationalized Slade's death for him.

Dick ran at full speed back to Wayne Manor. His lungs felt like they would give out, but he stuck to his speed, determined to get a good workout, determined to make himself feel something other than guilt.

"Morning, Dick," Bruce said. "Have a good run?"

He had stayed up the entire night. Dick could tell. Jason was eating breakfast in front of the television and watching some action show Dick didn't recognize. Dick wiped the sweat from his face with a kitchen towl.

"Yeah, I did."

"You got up this early to run?" Jason shook his head. "You're crazy, man."

"It's nothing compared to what I used to do." Dick smirked. "Why, you wanna join me?"

Jason scoffed and turned back to the television.

"Where did you pick this one up, Bruce?" Dick asked in a lowered voice. "And why didn't you tell me that you were going to adopt another boy?"

"He tried to take the hubcaps off the Batmobile."

Dick laughed out loud. It had been a long time since he had laughed so loudly at something Bruce had said. It felt nice. Just like old times.

"He'll give you a run for your money," Dick said, still laughing. "Holy crap that's hilarious."

"What are you laughing at?" Jason demanded.

"Nothing, little man, nothing at all."

Jason turned back to continue watching his program, though Dick felt as though the kid would try to listen in. So Dick spoke in a lower voice.

"Does he know who you are?" Dick asked.

"No, not at the moment."

"Will he replace me?"

"No one can replace you, Dick." Bruce drank his coffee thoughtfully. "Would you give the blessing if he wanted to become the next Robin?"

"You'd let him? Even after everything that happened with me?" Dick leaned over the kitchen sink and turned on the tap to wash the sweat from his face. "Do you really want to take the risk that something bad will happen to Jason as well?"

"Dick, I never regret training you one bit. Even knowing everything that happened later, every bad thing, I still don't regret training you. Everything that happened was beyond your control, and you dealt with it in the best way you could." Bruce paused. "Is that how you really feel, Dick? That everything I taught you was a waste of time?"

Dick turned off the tap. He leaned against the sink and felt like vomiting. "No. It wasn't a waste of time. Without it I wouldn't have survived."

"Jason will have a choice, just as you had a choice."

"He doesn't need to beat up crooks now. That's not the solution to his problems. He needs you, Bruce. He needs Alfred. He needs stability in his life. Take my advice: you raised me first, after all."

Bruce reached out and squeezed Dick's shoulder. "Don't worry, I will."

Dick scooped some water into his mouth and straightened. "Thanks for listening to me, Bruce."

"Anytime." Bruce crammed the rest of his toast into his mouth. "OK, I gotta go. Watch Jason for me, will ya?"

"Of course I will."

The kid hadn't moved from his spot in front of the TV. Dick got the sense that Jason was a little intimidated by him. Not outwardly hostile, but wary. Well, who wouldn't be intimidated by the big bad older brother?

It would take some time for them to get to know each other. Instead of running off to Jump City or Bludhaven every other weekend, maybe Dick could come back to Gotham to hang out with Jason. No one except Alfred had been there for Dick when he first moved to Wayne Manor. So long as Dick had the power to make things better, then he would use it.

A/N: So, because I'm working, I'm going to cut back on fanfic (as if I haven't cut down already). I will try to finish my Star Wars fic at least. I'm basically trying to retire from fanfiction because I'm working very hard on my both my fantasy and a sci fi webcomic (which I intend to put online for free). Please refer to my tumblr for updates.