Three months later.

"Jason, get your ass over here!"

The shout comes from the door of the living room, which had been transformed by Alfred into a party room. Jason turns, searching the room for the source while mentally ticking off suspects. Bruce doesn't swear, Alfred doesn't swear, Barbara doesn't swear at him, and that left…

"Dick, if you want to talk to talk to me, you're going to have to come over here."

With a dramatic sigh, his older brother makes his way throughout the buffet, pushing a balloon out of his way. "Alfred wants to take pictures," he explains, grinning at the exasperated look on Jason's face.

"I don't like pictures," Jason groans theatrically but he follows Dick's winding path between tables and guests.

"He says that this is, and I quote, 'a family reunion in the true sense of the word' and that we haven't taken any pictures in years," Dick replies.

Jason widens his eyes and responds, "And thank goodness for that. Can you imagine what would happen if he had taken photos of us? We would have shelves of scrapbooks of us running around in tights and saying things like, 'Gosh, Batman!'"

As Dick roars with laughter at the thought, Jason takes a moment to revel in the normalcy of the moment. A year ago he never would have dreamed of having this; a birthday party, for chrissake. When was the last time he had been to a party where everyone was sober?

He has gained so much in the last few months; it is still a shock to him. He can't believe it when he gets calls from his brother in the middle of the day, just to say hello. He couldn't have imagined how much nicer it was to sleep in an actual bed. And Alfred is so amazing to have around, not just because he cooked and did laundry.

"Jason, come on!"

With a start, he comes back to himself and follows his brother to where Alfred, Bruce and Barbara are huddled around a camera.

Barbara beckons him excitedly, her face glowing.

"Here, get one of me and Jason," she calls to Alfred who obediently takes the photo before Jason has time to rearrange his features into anything but startled compliance.

Bruce and Dick shake with laughter as they look the picture over, Jason scowling. "I wasn't ready," he complains, a reluctant grin tugging the corner of his mouth.

"Fine, take another," Dick orders. Smiling slightly, Alfred complies.

The flash goes off again and again.

They take at least five photos of Barbara with Jason who's still pouting petulantly. He finally caves and gives a reluctant smile for the camera and Barbara kisses him on the cheek. Dick manages to get a shot of Jason looking surprised and pleased with Barbara's lips still on his cheek.

Jason leaps at Dick, aiming for the camera, and a brief scuffle ensues, with Jason coming out on top, the camera clutched in his right fist. A gloating smirk graces his features and Barbara manages to get a picture of that too, his eyes bright with triumph then shock at the appearance of a second camera.

Bruce takes a picture of the three of them together, laughing like maniacs and Jason mussing Dick's hair in time for the third picture of them. Dick's look of outrage and Jason's delighted grin at his brother's reaction dominate the picture, Barbara in the background, smiling.

After much persuasion, Alfred finally permits them to take a few photos of him. Barbara takes one of him and Bruce together, then Jason takes one of all of them together and finally, they set the timer and take at least five of all of them.

Jason takes three photos of Barbara and Dick, taking pleasure in capturing Dick's expression as Barbara kisses him too. He also takes a photo of Dick and Bruce together, both of them trying desperately to keep a straight face and neither of them succeeding.

Barbara bullies Dick and Jason to take a few photos together, the two of them harassing the other the whole way through. First Jason spills a drink on Dick's shirt, which he swears is an accident and Barbara, giggling with laughter, captures on film. Then Dick ties Jason's shoelaces together while he's being distracted by Bruce and Alfred, resulting with Jason nearly tripping into a bowl of iced punch which is also miraculously photographed by a triumphant Bruce and finally ending in Jason pulling his shoes off altogether and lobbing them at Dick who is pulled away from flirting with Barbara by the heavy dress shoes nabbing him in the back.

Jason, of course, makes it all worthwhile by catching it on tape. Even better than pictures.

By the end of it, they're all exhausted and the guests have gone home, leaving them to clean up.

In a fit of relaxation, Bruce declares that they needn't worry and calls a cleaning service at which Alfred protests, insisting that he clean up the wreck. Bruce, of course, refuses and gives him the rest of the week off but they all know that Alfred will serve them raw meat before actually taking off a week.

Finally, exhausted, Barbara gathers them around the sofa to open her presents which were collected by Alfred and deposited at the coffee table.

First, she opens Bruce's which is a new pair of black gloves for her uniform and Alfred's which is a gift certificate for a store specializing in gym equipment. She thanks them both.

She gets to Dick's which is a collection of pictures of her over the years that she hadn't realized had been taken. Most of them are with her in uniform and in the middle of a fight though a few of them show her before or after a battle. All are complete with a date on the back and a caption.

Needless to say, Barbara is pleased. Very, very pleased.

Last is Jason's, which makes him nervous. He didn't know what to get her and he isn't sure this will be something she'll like.

It's a pair of eskrima fighting sticks.

And she likes them.

It's about a year after Barbara's party.

It won't go back to being the way it used to be. He won't go back to being Robin.

While nothing will ever be the same, Jason's happy. And so is everyone who matters.

He has a family. He has friends. After being harassed about it by Bruce, he finally enrolled in a university. He was never a stellar student but he's better now than he was before and he even has a professor he complains about less than the others when he gets home.

Every now and then, Jason puts on the suit as Red Hood and goes out to do his thing. It isn't the way it used to be but it suits him. He visits his brother in Blüdhaven and he's living with the rest of his family in the manor so he sees them all every day.

It isn't just good enough. It's perfect.

Author note: Thank you if you stuck by me this long. Special thanks if you reviewed (hint: you can leave a review now and have my special gratitude.) Hopefully, you liked this. If you did, well, you're in luck because I'm seriously considering doing several more following after this. If I do decide to go that route, it will include Tim, Stephanie, Cassandra...the works. A couple will include Damian but a few won't. I'm sorry, I love the little guy too, but it would be too complicated. This follows my own universe where I pretend what ever I'm writing is real because you have no idea how much I wish this story had actually happened. This is my universe-

Tim is Robin (if Damian is in the story, Tim is Red Robin and Damian is Robin)

Dick is Nightwing (he moved into the manor after Blüdhaven was blown up)

Jason is Red Hood

Stephanie is Batgirl

Cassandra is Batwoman

Barbara a.k.a. Babs is Oracle (if I decide to make Babs Batgirl, Stephanie will be Spoiler)

Bruce is Batman

There is no Katherine Kane.

If I decide to go through with this, I will include Selina. A lot. I mean, A LOT.

Also, ages will vary slightly, depending on the story.

So, see you all later!

P.S. I know there are a few Nightwing fans who say it's escrima sticks. I looked it up; you can spell it both ways. Thank you.