Six Years Ago

I didn't wait for Dick that night when I stepped out of the warehouse. I left without a glance back, hopped in the bat mobile and rode straight back to the mansion, trying my best not to bleed on the interior.

If Batman was going to be upset I used the batmobile, at least I could make sure he couldn't complain that it wasn't returned in the condition it was taken.

Considering how much time ahead I had, I was surprised to see Dick pull his bike in next to the batmobile as I climbed out. He leaped off it cleanly and went straight for me, grabbing the wrist of my injured arm and making me hiss out in pain. He dropped his hold quickly and apologized. "Let me take care of that," he said.

"I don't need you to," I snapped. "I'll do it myself."

"Yeah? How?" he countered. "You're left handed and were shot in your left arm. How are you going to stitch that?"

"I'm ambidextrous."

"Bullshit. Let me help you."

"Help me?" I laughed incredulously, looking at him as though he'd gone insane. "Why should I let you do that? Why should I trust you enough to take care of this when you clearly don't trust me?"

"What are you talking about?" Dick said, genuinely seeming confused. "When did I say that?"

"When you went off and nearly got yourself killed rather than let me help you," I answered. "I'd say that's a giant, flashing neon sign saying you don't trust me."

"Really?" he scoffed with a shake of his head.
"Because I'd say that's more of a neon sign saying you're an idiot."

I didn't know why, but the words pissed me off way more than they probably should have. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"You're an idiot," he had the nerve to repeat.

All the adrenaline from the warehouse came flooding back. Left handed or not, my right could land a painful punch.

Dick dodged the hit, grabbing my arm in mid swing and I used the leverage to throw my knee up against his torso. It likely hurt me more than him, but it pushed him back enough for me to pull my arm free, landing a hit against his jaw. He grunted, annoyed, and staggered back against the hood of the batmobile before shooting me a glare. "Madalyn, stop, I'm not going to fight you," he said gruffly.

"Well that's just stupid on your part, isn't it?" I returned, hitting him behind the knee with the heel of my foot.

He stumbled down to one knee and I threw my elbow out to hit him again but he ducked last second and I slammed it into the car window instead. I cursed under my breath at the sharp pain that vibrated up my arm and he used that moment distraction against me. Dick swept his leg out and around to hook around my legs and take them out from under me. I tilted backwards towards the stone floor but before my head could slam into it, Dick had maneuvered himself so his arm cradled my neck. The rest of me still slammed painfully to the ground, reverberating throughout every nerve so I couldn't even think about moving and the next thing I knew, Dick was on top of me.

His knees were on either side of my hips, his strong legs pinning mine down beneath him while his hands kept my wrists pinned painfully above my head, together. Quickly, he freed one of his hands to remove his eye mask, tossing it aside, before placing his hand back. Then he took one of my wrist in each hand and adjusted them to either side of me while still keeping a firm grip.

The new position kept my injured arm from straining too much.

"Get off of me," I nearly hissed at him, trying unsuccessfully to get free.

"Not until you stop trying to fight me and just listen," Dick said back gruffly. His upper body hovered just inches from mine and I could see him breathing a little more unevenly then I would've expected.

If Batman found out how much so little effort winded him, he definitely would make him train more.

"Why should I?"

"Because there's no reason to be fighting me!" he snapped, the hair curled in his face quivering along his forehead.

"You called me an idiot!" I fired back and watched his jaw muscles tense briefly.

"Because that's what you're acting like," he replied, obviously forcing his response to be more calm than he felt. "You swear I didn't let you come with me tonight because I didn't trust you but that's the farthest thing from the truth. I trust you almost as much as I trust Donna and that says a hell of a lot considering I'm not a very trusting person, let alone in such a short amount of time."

"Yeah?" I scoffed. "If you trust me so much, then why didn't you let me go with you?"

"Because I didn't trust myself."

I stared up at him in silence for a few seconds, waiting for the explanation that didn't come. "...I'm sorry, what? I'm going to need you to explain that because, you know, that makes no sense whatsoever."

Dick sighed, his hold on my arms loosening slightly. If I wanted to, I could've broken free and reversed the situation.

If I wanted to.

"I went out there tonight to get answers," he said slowly, looking me directly in the eyes as if to prove how honest he was being. "I didn't care how or what happened once I did. I didn't trust myself to believe that I would be back here, no matter the result of the night. When you asked to go, I...panicked. I didn't want to put you at risk and the thought of something happening to you because of my rash decision...I couldn't let it happen. I was trying to protect you; it was never a matter of me not trusting you."

"I'm a big girl, Grayson, I don't need you protecting me," I replied snarkily and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch with the smallest smile.

"I know you don't. But it was something I needed." Finally, he let go of my wrists and pulled away, leaning himself against the door of the car behind him. He sat with one knee bent, an arm leaning against it, and looked over at me casually as I started to sit up. "I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise. You have to understand, I'm not used to having people I care about. The last ones I did, are dead. Showing emotion and making connections doesn't come as easy to me as it does others."

"Believe me, I get it," I said quietly, seeing him differently than I had before. He was no longer Captain Obvious, Jr Detective Hardass Dick Grayson. Now I saw him for what he really was; a lost boy in a grown man's body, desperately trying to find the answers to his dark past and not wanting anyone else to pay the price. He just wanted closure to his past, same as me.

"I know," he smiled softly at me and I laughed a little. His eyes drifted to my arm again, his head tilting slightly and I thought I knew what he was going to say next. Still, it didn't surprise me when I was wrong. "Why didn't you tell us about your sonic scream?"

"Honestly, I didn't know about it myself," I shrugged. "Today was the first I've known anything of it. And at that, I still don't even know what I did."

"Do you think you could do it again?"

"I don't know, maybe," I answered and he nodded thoughtfully. I'd seen the look on his face enough to know that whatever he was thinking was going to leave me bruised and exhausted. "Please tell me you aren't thinking of calling Black Canary in to train me with it."

Dick raised his brows curiously at me, a smirk forming on his face and telling me I'd fucked up even before he did. "Actually, I was just thinking of the circumstances which brought out the ability. But your idea is a pretty great one; I'll get in contact with her ASAP."

"Ugh, fuck my life," I groaned, flopping back down on the ground in annoyance. I was beginning to understand more and more the phrase 'you are your own worst enemy.'

Whoa! Two chapters in two days? Crayyyyzzzzy lol

I just wanted to get this little chapter out in preparation for the next few where the crew is going to be very preoccupied with ALOT of things. Also, this is sort of an early valentine's post to show the start of when Maddie started seeing Dick differently and bonding with him personally.

Side note: THANKS FOR 10.7K READS AND NEARLY 500 VOTES! I really appreciate all the love and support you guys have been showing this story so far and I hope I can do you all justice by its end.

As usual, feel free to comment and let me know what you think below! I enjoy reading the comments more than I should haha xD