HOMEMADE DYNAMITE !
❝ COMMUNICATION ISSUES. ❞

HE CAME BACK LIKE A SHIPWRECKED SAILOR. Like a sun-dozed, sea-swept lost boy, returned from the stars. As though he'd been sinking, drowning, and had finally broken the surface, free from the pull of a dark abyss. He sat up abruptly, grasping at his chest, gasping for air, dragging it into his oxygen deprived lungs like the last drops of sun in winter.

Rachel skidded away in surprise, Abby fell backwards in shock. It wasn't possible. It wasn't right. Now all she could think of was fear. Fear that this unnatural saving grace would turn him into something he wasn't. She'd seen what resurrection could do to a being. How it could corrupt them. It made an infernal coldness coat her bones.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes taking in the newly rejuvenated Dick Grayson with his bright eyes and rosy cheeks and saturated skin. With all traces of Death erased entirely from his being. He looked more alive than she'd seen him at any point these past few days. At least she didn't have visit Nanda Parbat.

"So, does someone care to explain why the fuck we just had a Pet Cemetery reenactment?" Jess blurted out, hands still hovering over a wound marring the green haired boy's head.

"Does my face like I know the answer to that?" Abby replied in her typical sarky tone. "Who's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Jessica choked out, cheeks almost as red as the blood staining her forehead. The green haired book looked the same. "This is Gar."

Abby smiled, though there was still a wicked gleam in her eye, "Nice to meet you, Gar."

The boy nodded nervously, watching pensively as Dick stood to his feet, offering the brunette his hand, who grimaced in pain and took it, still bloodied and bruised. He pulled her up gently, watching with a frown as she avoided his gaze and instead moved to help Rachel up.

Abby began almost limping away, Rachel supporting her best she could silently, knowing better than to try and help the former superhero in any physical way. Dick laughed softly to himself, watching her go before smiling coyly.

"For the record," Dick called after her. She slowed, but didn't stop. "Coming in here alone was a pretty suicidal move, Abs."

She stuck her middle finger up over her shoulder. "You're a fucking hypocrite, Grayson — for the record!"

"Keep living up to your name, buddy," Jess mused, patting him on the back, "You're doing great."

Dick turned to her with a clenched expression, only to find she'd already began to leave, Garfield a her side. He huffed. This is why he didn't want to half-adopt a pair of teenagers. Kory appeared at his side as he began making his way back through the house.

"Whatever you did to hurt her," Kory began, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "You're gonna have to work a harder than that to make her forgive you for it."

"Yeah, no shit," Dick muttered, hands shoved firmly into his pockets as they strode through the front door of Caulder House.

Abby and Rachel were already stood by the Porsche, the former leant on the bonnet as she finally relented to letting the possibly-possessed-teen inspect the damage. It didn't mean she was happy about it — the firmly crossed arms across her chest screamed that loud and clear.

"Gotta love her," Kory chuckled, shaking her head fondly as she descended the steps and began making her way towards the other car.

Dick didn't move from where his stood, his mind still catching up with what had just happened. Catching up with the fact that he should be dead. That he'd nearly died. It didn't change the facts. That he'd do it again. That maybe he could've rested in peace knowing in some way, somehow, he'd made it up to Abby. But it meant Death had once again arrived at the Titans' door. What scared him was that it seemed here to stay.

"Where will you go?"

Gar's curious voice, plagued with disappointment, filled the cold night air. Rachel's hands hovered in front of Abby's face, who herself turned to look at the green haired boy. Kory stared with a frown from where she leant on the open door of her car, and Jess stood opposite her, hand still resting on the roof of it as she stopped half way between getting in. After a moment, all eyes drifted to Abby.

Silence suffocated the air between them all. Abby finally let out a sigh, an echo in the void. She pushed off the Porsche, dropping her arms and beginning to make her way around to the driver's side. She was pretty sure her rib was not supposed to hurt like that when she was sighing dramatically. Fractured? Probably. Gonna stop her? Never.

"We're in Ohio. I have a friend who lives a couple cities over," Abby pulled the door open, starting to clamber in. "Let's hope he hasn't moved."

"Well, isn't she a little ray of pitch fucking black," Kory scoffed, though a smile curled at her lips as she shared a raised eyebrow with Rachel, who rolled her eyes.

Dick began making his way down the steps, hesitant on which car he was going to, only stop as Jess's frantic (and kinda desperate) voice hurriedly grabbed the attention of the nearly departed Doom Patrol.

"Come with us!"

She didn't say a name. She didn't have to. It was clear from the look on her face who she was talking to, and the boy looked up at her in surprise, eyes brightening. A metal hand landed on his shoulder, his face fell as he turned to look at the cyborg behind him.

"Go." the metal man's words seemed to catch Gar by surprise. "Go with them. Go have a life."

Garfield frowned, looking between his family, "But you guys, and— and the chief—."

Abby's sharp eyes watched from inside the car. She saw the Mummy-Man (he didn't get a say in what she referred to him as) reassure Gar that they'd take care of him. Watched the beautiful women beside him pass the boy a red rucksack and kind smile. The four hugged, Gar sniffling slightly, before slinging the bag over his shoulder and racing down to Jess, who smiled and opened the back door.

Two teenagers in the back, it seemed they were only waiting on Kory — but she pointed to the blue haired girl beside Dick's car, "Get in the car, Rachel."

Rachel pouted, "But I wanna go with Abby!"

"Tough shit. In."

Rachel let out a huff, trekking between the cars and flinging open the passenger side's door, dropping down into the seat. It was Kory's turn to roll her eyes, before she gave Dick a pointed look and climbed in, turning on the ignition. Dick watched the car with an unreadable look. He seemed completely oblivious to Abby starting the engine of his Porsche and the impatient look on her face.

But he seemed to notice the deafening honk the horn made when she slammed her palm into it. Heart halfway up his throat, he shot her a glare and jogged over, clambering into the passenger seat, the door hardly closed before Abby was manoeuvring off the drive, slipping up higher and higher in the gears as she tore off, Kory at her heels.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN, right? Probably. But not for four hours, five cities, a stop at a car dealership and two toilet breaks. Abigail didn't seem to get the memo, regardless of how often Dick tried to make it clear to her. She'd spoken five words, max, since they got in the car at Caulder House. Max. Five years ago you couldn't get the girl to shut up if you wanted to.

But he supposed five years was a long time.

Now darkness was creeping along the sky, dragging the moon, stars and night with it as dusk consumed the day, and Abby found herself flicking her middle and index finger up at every moron who didn't turn their full beam off. Quite frankly, he was sick of the damn honking they got in response.

"Okay, pull in here," Dick muttered, gesturing at the deserted motel on the right.

He immediately found himself squished against the window as Abby made a sharp turn, pulling onto the parking lot and stopping the car. Kory pulled up beside them, revving the engine of her newly acquired car. I tried, her reasoning had been, but I could probably set the damn thing on fire and it would still smell like vomit and death.

Abby quickly pointing out arson was not the way to go had ended with a trip to the closest car salesman. The magenta haired woman and the three multicolour haired kids in the car with her seemed much happier.

Climbing out of their respective cars, the six of them huddled before the two cars, staring up at the stretch of rooms, Jess and Rachel already shivering against the cold bite of the air. Gar slipped off his coat, offering it to Jess with a sheepish grin. Abby shrugged her leather jacket off, pulling her wallet and phone from her pocket, offering it Rachel, who took it with a small smile.

After she'd pulled the jacket on, she turned to look up at the motel, "We're not actually staying here are we?"

"You know," Kory joined in, piping up with a slow tone, "there's probably a nicer place down the road."

"We're being hunted by sociopaths," Dick stated frankly, glancing over his shoulder, "Nicer places draw attention."

"Yeah. Well they also make it easier to sleep," Kory retorted, grimacing.

Dick shot her a stern expression before pointing to the way they'd come in, "One road. Same road out. Only one point of access we have to watch."

"It's a shithole," Abby deadpanned, looking to him with a quirked brow, "Who are you trying to kid, Grayson?"

"I'm not," Dick snapped back, "It's quiet, empty. Trouble comes along we'll know about it."

"Great. You can stand first watch then," Abby interrupted, pushing off the bonnet of the car and making her way towards the office.

She could sense Dick's exasperated sigh has she left.

The woman behind the desk seemed unable to hide the look of surprise that crossed her face as someone entered the office. Abby didn't blame her. Eleven o'clock at night was probably not the peak time for customers — or any customers, by looks of her car park.

"Hi!" the woman stuttered out, pushing a smile onto her face as she stood up.

"Hi." Abby replied with a tight lipped smile, stopping at the reception, tapping tarnished nails on the wood. "Six rooms, please... close as you can accommodate."

The woman's eyebrow shot up, hands hovering over the room keys. "Six?"

"Yeah..." Abby glanced over her shoulder at the group stood still in the lot. "Family road trip."

"Right," the woman nodded, smiling, before picking up the keys and holding them out to her, "Well, six rooms. Relatively close. Sorry."

"No worries," Abby laughed lightly, pulling out her wallet from her back pocket, brandishing her card, "Card?"

The woman gestured behind her. "Let me just grab the machine. It's charging out back."

The brunette disappeared, leaving Abby's gaze to trail around the reception, drinking in the dramatic decorations and peculiar themes. The bell rang.

"Hey." Dick's slightly annoyed voice assaulted her ears as he came to a stop beside her, "Could've done with some support back there."

Before she could reply, the owner returned, holding up the car reader. Abby smiled politely, paying quickly before scooping up the keys and beginning to make her way back towards the others. Dick was out of the door right behind her, matching her pace.

"Don't know what you want me to say, boy blunder," Abby turned to face him, eyebrow raised, tone sarcastic, "Sometimes you just have to put on your big boy pants and handle it yourself."

Dick grabbed her arm, the momentum of her stride causing her spin back around to face him. His jaw was set. "What the fuck is going on with you, Lance?"

"Get off me. Nothing is going on." Abby snarled, wrenching her arm free.

"I've known you over ten years I can tell when you lie, Abby," Dick pointed out.

Abby let out an irritated huff, "Do you really need me to tell you?"

"Clearly I do, because from this end all I'm getting is a shit tonne of anger," Dick snapped back.

Abby squared up. "You took an arrow to the chest for me and you could've fucking died. I don't know who, or what, in that house brought you back, but you're fucking lucky they did because I don't know what I would've done if—."

She cut herself off. It sounded like sob. She swallowed the lump, clearing her throat.

"It was stupid and reckless, Dick." Her voice had fallen to a whisper, "Don't do it."

"Didn't realise I needed your permission," Dick said quietly, under his breath. 

"Didn't realise you were such a moron but here we are," Abby quipped back.

Dick let out a low chuckle "Okay. You don't need me to save you anymore. Got it."

"I never did in the first place!" Abby exclaimed indignantly.

Dick scoffed, "You definitely did."

She let out a sigh. "I don't want your blood on my hands or my conscience, Grayson."

Dick raised an eyebrow, tone mockingly confused, "You're angry at me for saving your life?"

Abby looked up him with a thinly veiled smile, "When you say it like that I sound like a dick."

"Probably cause you're acting like one," Dick muttered, laughing as Abby shoved his chest, before catching her wrist. "Look. Abby, I'm always gonna save you — even if you don't need me to."

Abby stared at him for a moment, fixed on the lopsided smile he was wearing, before she rolled her eyes, "You're such a sap, Dick Grayson."

She slammed a set of keys into his chest, and turned on her heels and making her way back towards the quartet stood by the cars, before he could see the smile creeping onto her face.

"I think mom and dad were fighting," Jess commented slyly.

"Shut up, Jess," Kory said sternly, curbing the girl's sarcasm.

Abby passed four of the keys onto Kory as she strode past, "Weren't fighting, Jess — just having some communication issues!"

Rachel leaned over to whisper to Garfield and Jess, "They were totally fighting."

"Are none of you focusing on the fact they just fell out about Dick saving Abby?" Gar asked slowly, a frown etching into his forehead.

Jess patted his arm pitifully. "You'll learn pretty quickly that they have a lot of issues."

NOTE!
i just wanted to say thank you, for all the love and support you've given this book. every vote has meant the world. every comment has brightened my day. honestly, guys — i know lately i've been awful at answering your comments, but i do see them, and i really really love them 💕

anyway, sappy moment over!! this chapter spiralled i'm so sorry i don't know what's happening anymore,,, abby just isn't the type of person who is chill with people dying for her — dick in particular

and y'all know the drill — whatcha think of this chapter, my loves??