Jason didn't dream often. Not the good kind of dreams, at least. Most nights, his mind was a battlefield—flashes of violence, echoes of the Joker's laughter, and the relentless guilt that gnawed at him from the inside out. But tonight was different. Tonight, something shifted, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Jason wasn't trapped in the past. Instead, his mind drifted somewhere unexpected—somewhere peaceful.

He found himself standing in the middle of a quiet kitchen, the smell of fresh coffee and pancakes filling the air. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the room. The sound of laughter echoed from down the hall, high-pitched and carefree.

Jason blinked, momentarily disoriented. This wasn't Gotham. It wasn't dark or cold or dangerous. It was... home.

He looked down, surprised to find himself dressed casually, a soft gray shirt and dark jeans replacing his usual body armor. The tension that had become a permanent fixture in his shoulders had melted away, leaving him feeling lighter, more at ease. The space around him was open, inviting, and familiar in a way that tugged at his heart.

Then he saw her.

Aubrey stood by the stove, her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing one of his old shirts and a pair of black shorts. She was flipping pancakes, humming softly to herself, and for a moment, Jason could only stand there, watching her. She looked so natural, so at peace in this space, and the sight of her like this—domestic, happy—stirred something deep inside him.

He took a step forward, the warmth of the room wrapping around him like a blanket. "Aubrey?"

She turned at the sound of his voice, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased, setting down the spatula and wiping her hands on a towel. "You're just in time for breakfast."

Jason blinked, still trying to piece together what was happening. This felt too real to be a dream, but it couldn't be anything else. He never imagined his life like this—never thought he could have something so... normal.

Before he could say anything, the sound of tiny, pounding footsteps echoed through the hall, followed by a pair of giggling voices.

"Daddy!" a voice squealed, and Jason turned just in time to see two small figures barreling toward him. They were twins—one boy and one girl, both with bright eyes and wild hair, full of energy. The little boy reached him first, crashing into Jason's legs with a giggle, while the girl was just a step behind, her arms outstretched.

Jason knelt down, instinctively catching them both as they threw themselves into his arms. His heart swelled at the sight of them, a strange mixture of awe and disbelief flooding him. They were his—his kids. He could feel it, the love and connection to them so strong it nearly took his breath away.

The boy, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, grinned up at him. "Mommy made pancakes!" he announced excitedly, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

The little girl, a spitting image of Aubrey with her dark curls and mischievous smile, tugged at his shirt. "You have to eat with us, Daddy," she insisted, her voice just as commanding as her mother's could be.

Jason chuckled, his chest tightening in a way that was both unfamiliar and comforting. "Yeah? Think I can sneak some of those pancakes before you two eat them all?"

The twins giggled in unison, their laughter filling the room as they clung to him. Jason felt a surge of warmth wash over him—a kind of happiness he hadn't felt in years, if ever.

Aubrey leaned against the counter, watching them with a soft smile, her eyes shining with something tender. "I told them not to bother you, but they couldn't wait," she said, her voice filled with affection. "They've been talking about showing you their new superhero costumes all morning."

Jason looked up at her, his heart swelling with emotion. This wasn't just a dream. It was a glimpse of something he never thought he could have—a future, a family, a life that wasn't overshadowed by pain and violence.

As if on cue, two more tiny figures entered the room—a younger boy and an even smaller girl, their little feet padding softly across the hardwood floor. The boy, with messy brown hair and big, curious eyes, held a toy car in his hand, while the baby girl clutched a stuffed animal, her thumb in her mouth as she toddled toward Aubrey.

The younger boy smiled shyly at Jason, then shuffled over to the table, climbing into a chair with practiced ease. He was quieter than the twins, but there was a gentleness in his eyes that reminded Jason of himself. The baby, who looked barely old enough to walk, let out a small giggle as Aubrey scooped her up, balancing her on her hip.

Jason stood slowly, his gaze traveling over each of them—his kids. Their kids. The twins, full of life and energy, the quiet, thoughtful boy, and the baby who fit so perfectly in Aubrey's arms.

"I..." Jason's voice caught in his throat as he struggled to find the words. "I don't know what to say."

Aubrey walked over, the baby still perched on her hip, and she smiled at him—the kind of smile that made everything feel right in the world. "You don't have to say anything," she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "This is us, Jason. This is our life."

He looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to believe it, wanted to let himself get lost in this world where nothing could hurt them, where the past didn't matter. But even in the dream, he felt the tug of reality—the weight of the darkness that always seemed to follow him.

"How?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "How could I ever deserve this?"

Aubrey cupped his face, her thumb brushing gently over his cheek. "You do, Jason. You deserve this. You deserve all of it."

Her words settled deep in his chest, soothing the doubt that had been festering inside him for so long. He glanced at the kids again, watching as the twins climbed onto the chairs at the table, eagerly waiting for breakfast. The younger boy was carefully lining up his toy cars, and the baby had started babbling softly to herself in Aubrey's arms.

Jason swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the rush of emotions flooding through him. This—this was what he had always secretly longed for. A life where he wasn't haunted by his past, where he could just be... happy.

"Jason," Aubrey's voice pulled him back, and he met her gaze, the love and certainty in her eyes grounding him. "You don't have to keep fighting alone. You have us now. We're your family."

Jason's throat tightened, and he pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead against hers. He could feel her warmth, her heartbeat steady and strong against him, and for the first time in years, he let himself believe it—believe that maybe, just maybe, he could have this.

As the kids' laughter filled the room, and Aubrey's presence anchored him to the moment, Jason let go of the darkness, even if just for now. He let himself sink into the dream, into the life he had always thought was out of reach.

For the first time in a long time, Jason Todd dreamed of tomorrow.

But, like all dreams, it couldn't last forever.

The edges of the dream began to blur, the sounds fading, the warmth slipping away. Jason felt himself being pulled back to reality, back to the cold, dark world of Gotham. But even as the dream faded, the image of Aubrey and their kids lingered, a beacon of hope in the depths of his heart.

And as Jason opened his eyes, lying next to Aubrey in the quiet of her bedroom, he knew that someday, maybe, that dream could be real.