A/N: Based off the photo above.

Bruce isn't the greatest of fathers. He is 100% focused on his work as Batman and has no time for his children. Leaving Dick to step up more and be in full charge of his siblings. Dick raises them on his own. When Bruce tries to come back into their lives and tries not to be a lousy dad anymore, Dick refuses. He has been his siblings 'father' for almost 3 years. He doesn't want Bruce to come back into their lives and hurt them, to let them down again.
Kids ages:
Dick: 17 1/2
Jason: 15
Tim: 7
Cassandra: 5
Damian: 2 1/2

Wayne Manor| 5:00 A.M.|

Dick's phone alarm suddenly went off. Dick blinked his eyes open and reached slowly over and turned it off. He sighed and ran a hand through hair and looked down at the small form that laid upon his chest.

Damian laid asleep on his chest, for it was once again a rough night for the two of them. Damian had trouble sleeping and often ended up in Dick's bed.
Dick reluctantly left Jason in charge for two hours while he went out on patrol, as soon as he got back, the place and his siblings were a hot mess.
Damian was bright red, screaming his head off, Tim had tears in his eyes and Cass was in the kitchen alone trying to get something to eat, making a mess in the process. While big brother Jason in charge, sat on his cell phone. Dick was rolling with steam, but he couldn't allow himself to be too angry at him. It was his fault, he should have known better and realized that he didn't deserve a break from his siblings, it was his job. It was his job, his life to take care of them and he failed them by being selfish.

So Dick slowly lifted Damian off his chest and easily moved out of his bed and quickly grabbed some of his school clothes and headed quickly towards the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so he could hear if Damian woke up. He threw his clothes on, and got himself together as fast as he could then walked out into his room and sat down on his bed to put his shoes on. As soon as he sat down, Damian woke up and pouted at Dick. Dick sighed and picked his baby brother up.

Dick after changing Damian's diaper and throwing a new outfit on him, slowly headed down stairs, with Damian laying his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes.
Dick quickly began to make some breakfast and get Tim's and Cassandra's lunches together. As he was cooking breakfast his wrist computer beeped and he sighed, setting the items down and heading upstairs to wake up both Tim and Cass.

Dick headed to Tim's bedroom first and quickly flipped the lights on and walked over and drew back the currents, allowing the rising sun light to shine in upon Tim. Tim right away pulled the covers over his head and moaned.

"No....Dickie please. M-more sleep.'' said Tim as he rolled over in bed. Dick still caring Damian reached over and yanked the covers off of him.
"Sorry Timmy but up and at'em, school is awaiting.'' said Dick as he went over towards Tim's closet and pulled out his school uniform that he already pressed last night before heading to bed.

"Can't it wait longer?" asked Tim, sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. Dick smiled and reached over and rubbed his head before heading out of the room and going towards Cassandra's room. Almost doing the same thing, expect for helping her get dressed.
Every single day was like this. Dick let a small yawn escape his lips as he glanced at Jason's door and knocked on it. He waited a few moments before setting Damian down and heading inside Jason's room, only to receive a shoe thrown at his.

"Jay! Get up!" Dick said loudly and flipped the lights on, to get a loud moan with the other shoe being suddenly thrown at him. Dick quickly pulled all the covers off of Jason then walked out of his room. Dick quickly rubbed his eyes and rushed downstairs.

Everyone but Jason was sitting at the table eating their breakfast. Dick after cutting up Damian's eggs and toast headed slowly upstairs to get Jason out of bed. It was a small battle but he managed to finally get him up.
Dick walking slowly down the hall, peeks inside Bruce's room to find his father passed out on the bed. Dick sighs and closes the door back, heading downstairs to take his siblings to school.

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Wayne Manor-- 3:45 P.M.

After a long and super boring day at school, they all walk home to the manor and begin doing their homework, which Dick has to help with. Just as the enter the house, Bruce is fixing his tie and walking towards the door, ready to leave and begin his day.

"See ya guys.'' he faintly say before leaving and heading off to work. Dick lowers his head and pulled his siblings into the study to being helping with their homework.

When Dick finally helps Tim, Jason and Cass with their homework he heads upstairs to put Damian down for a nap before trying to touch some of his homework and prepare dinner for the family. Today, of course Damian is being difficult and won't lay down. Dick on the edge of only sleeping 3 hours is about to crash and fall asleep, but sadly he can't. So since Damian won't go to sleep he has to put off doing his homework for later. Dick picks Damian up and carries him downstairs to go check on everyone else. Tim and Cass are in the study playing and coloring so Dick drops Damian off with them to play as well, while he goes and tried to find out where Jason went off too.

Jason is in the kitchen eating snacks. Dick quickly walks over and takes the snacks from him.
"Uhh...come on Dick!" voiced Jason as he hops off the counter top.

"Jaybird come on, you know I'm about to start dinner soon.'' said Dick as he walks over towards the stove and turns it on.

"Yeah, but not soon enough. I'm starving!" says Jason and lays his head on the counter top watching Dick. Dick looks back over at him and tosses him the bag of snacks he was eating moments ago.

"Fine! Geez!" says Dick as he begins making dinner. Jason smirks and pats Dick on the shoulder before leaving the kitchen.

Half way threw preparing dinner, he turns off the stove and Dick has to check up on his siblings and change Damian's diaper.
He walks into the study to find both Damian and Cass asleep on the floor and Tim watching TV. Dick pats Tim's head before going over and picking both his tiny sleeping siblings up and taking them upstairs. He lays Cassandra on his bed, while he wakes Damian up gently.

As soon as Damian is awake he starts crying and throwing a fit. Dick quickly changes him before waking Cass up and starting a bath for her in his room. He sets Damian in the play pin while he helps Cassandra with her bath, brushing her hair and teeth and getting her into her pjs. Once he is done with Cassandra he tells her to go to her room and get on her tablet, as he gives Damian a bath.

Once he is done with Damian's bath and helps him walk down the stairs because Damian threw a fit and wanted to be a 'big boy' and do it on his own, Dick with Damian at his side goes back into the kitchen and finishes dinner before totally getting off schedule.

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Dinner is done along with dishes and baths are done and the kids are all completely fine. Dick settles down with Damian laying on his lap chewing on his t-shirt, Cass sitting beside him, playing with his hair and making him as she put it a 'pretty pretty princess' while he attempts to start his homework. But he doesn't get far before he realizes what time it is and has to put Tim, Damian and Cass to bed. Setting his books down he picks both Cass and Damian up and heads upstairs towards Tim's room.

Tim laying on the ground coloring looks up at Dick and pouts. Dick chuckles and Tim latches onto his leg as he makes his way with them all towards Tim's bed. He sets Cass down and she quickly grabs a few books for him to read to them, like he does every night and he puts Damian beside her, but he quickly crawls out of the bed and tries to make a dash towards the door but Dick picks him up quickly and begins to tickle him.
After a bit, he gets them three into bed and reads them two storied before tucking Tim in and walking Cass and Damian to their rooms and then tucking them in as well. Dick knows it is only a matter of time before Damian is crying and ends up sleeping with him again.

Dick slowly makes his way downstairs and into the study, he finds Jason laying on the couch watching TV, so instead of doing his homework, Dick spends some time with Jason and watches TV with him.
Dick glances at the clock, it's now almost 10 P.M. so Dick taps Jason on the shoulder telling him to get ready for bed. Jason huffs and puffs and storms his way out of the study and up to his room, slamming his door. Dick waits and right on que, Damian starts screaming. Dick closes his eyes and leans his head back for a second before pushing himself up and going upstairs to get Damian before he wakes up Tim and Cass.

Dick once again tries to do his homework and for some reason he seems to have a lot of it tonight. Dick sighs and totally wants to shove it all away and do it another night but he knows he can't fall behind in his school work, this is his senior year of high school and he has to pass. Just as he has one more sheet to finish a loud crashing sound of thunder sounds outside and Dick runs a hand through his hair. It's only a matter of time before Cassandra is down here with him and Damian, for she is terrified of thunder storms. Minutes pass and Dick thinks maybe she didn't hear it but when another crashes outside he can here the pitter patter of her feet coming down the stair well. Dick looks over at the door and waits for her to throw it open and once she does she rushes to his side, with freshly fallen tears in her eyes.

Dick hushes her and she lays her head on his chest, right beside a fast asleep Damian as Dick tries to finish up his school work.

Finally, at 4 minutes to midnight, Dick is done with his homework. He is so tired that he almost falls asleep on the couch but decides not to, cause he would be very sore in the morning. He then carries his baby siblings upstairs and into his room,cause he knows that they won't last long in their rooms, especially since there is a thunder storm tonight. After he lays them down he hops in the shower real quick then gets himself prepared for bed. Just as he is about to lay down he hears the front door open and goes to greet Bruce.

"Hey Dad.'' calls Dick as he walks slowly down the stairs. Bruce just quickly waves his hand without looking at him.
"Dinner is in the fridge.'' says Dick who just sighs as he sees Bruce enter the batcave. Dick shakes his head and goes upstairs, he had no energy whatsoever to check up on how Gotham is doing tonight.

As he opens his bedroom door he sees Tim standing there, with tears in his eyes.
"A nightmare, great'' thought Dick as he quickly makes his way over towards him and wraps him up in a tight, warm hug.

"It's okay Timmy'' whispers Dick as he releases him from the hug. Tim brushes the tears away and looks up at Dick.

"C-can I...can I stay in here t-tonight?" Tim asks and Dick just nods his head, pulls the covers up and lets Tim slid into his bed. Dick walks on the other side and picks Damian up from the bed before he gets into his bed, placing Damian on his chest with Cass on one side and Tim snuggled up on the other side of him. It doesn't take long before his eyes shut and he drifts off to sleep.

But sleep doesn't last too long for Dick tonight.

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3 A.M.

Dick is awaken by a blinding bright light and then Damian crying from being woken up suddenly. Dick blinks a few times before his eyes adjust to the light and his vision clears. He looks real quickly to see Cass awake and by the light switch but Tim is no where to be found.

"Cass? Cass...what's going on?" questions Dick pushing his tired body into a sitting position. She doesn't answer but only points towards Dick's bathroom. Dick turns and sees the light on in there and looks back at Cass for a moment before setting Damian aside.

"Cass stay with Dami'' orders Dick and she nods her head before running and jumping back into bed and holding Damian close towards her. Dick moves without thought towards the bathroom and throws the door open to see Tim sitting on the toilet seat with his inhaler within his shaking hands. He looks up at Dick, tears in his blue eyes.

"Oh Timmy'' Dick says and rushes over to him and kneels before him.

"I-I...I told h-her not...not t-to...to w-wake you'' stutters Tim as he inhales sharply, his breath completely uneven.

"It's okay Tim. I need to know about this stuff, okay? I'm your big brother.'' Dick says and stands up and fills a cup of water up and hands it to Tim.
"How many puffs did you take?" asks Dick and Tim holds up 2 fingers. Dick nods his head and then leans forward, pressing his ear to Tim's chest and listens to him breath. He is still pretty wizzy and can clearly tell that he is still struggling to breathe. So Dick takes the inhaler from him and gives him 2 more puffs before setting the inhaler down and picking Tim back up and walking him back into the bedroom.

As soon as the enter the room, Dick sees Cass asleep with Damian playing with her hair.
"Dami quit, your gonna wake her up'' whispers Dick as he sits Tim down and pulls Damian's hands from his sister's hair.

Dick then tucks both Tim and Cass in and turns off the light. Tim is back to sleep in no time and Dick takes Damian's hand and exits the room, he wants to go and check on Jason since he is already up. He pushes the door open and glances at Jason. A small smile crosses his face. He looks down at Damian then back at Jason, there was a time when Jason was as small as Damian. Dick sighed, "those where the days, everything was so much simpler then" thought Dick. He slowly walks over and pulls the earbuds out of his ears and plugs his phone in to charge, then turns the desk light off. He looks back at him and slowly pulls the covers over Jason's shoulders and leans forwards a plants a small kiss against his forehead.

"Night Jay'' whispers Dick and turns with Damian to leave. He cracks the door open and walks away, not hearing Jason whisper back, ''Night Dickiebird.'' Jason rolled over and went back to sleep.

Dick and Damian make it into the kitchen because Damian on the whole way down kept repeating: milk.
Dick grabbed his sippy cup full of milk and handed it to Damian how smiled widely at Dick and leaned held his hands up to be picked up by Dick. Dick smiled and reached down and pick him up and walked towards the study.
He sat down upon the couch and turned on the TV to listen to some news, he felt bad for not being able to be a good hero, and leaving his father to rescue the city all on his own. As he watched, his eyes grew heavy but he shook his head and tried to stay wake with Damian drinking his milk in his arms. Some time past and Dick didn't know how long he stayed awake watching the TV but Bruce exited the Batcave and simply glanced at Dick before marching upstairs to go to bed. Dick sighed and looked down at a sleeping Damian. Dick gently lift Damian up to his shoulder and walked slowly into his room.

Dick climbed into bed and shut his eyes only for his phone to go off, telling him to get up. Dick groaned and pushed himself back up and laid Damian down. He was so tired, his whole body felt like a thousand pounds, but he pushed through it and did his normal routine, getting himself and his family up, dressed, fed and off to school.

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11:15 A.M.

Dick was in gym class, his body still felt heavy and now he had a killer headache but he was trying his best not to think about all of that. He had a math test next period and he was also thinking about what else he had to do today after school. He had to get Cass to ballet class, and Tim to soccer practice. "Jason doesn't have anything today, thank god'' thought Dick.

When suddenly he got a sharp pain in the back of his head, him just thinking it was a really bad headache continue to do his best in gym glass when suddenly he felt something wet run down his face. He reached up towards his nose and when he pulled his fingers back he saw blood on them. Dick looked up and everything was blurry.

"That's not good'' he thought, when just then his vision went from being blurry to black.
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Bruce suddenly gets a phone call about Dick and he sighs. Dick is being taken to the hospital from exhastion but Bruce can't do nothing at the moment he had an important meeting in the next 10 minutes but he suddenly has to chancel his other ones for this afternoon cause Dick is out, he has to get the kids. "Great'' thought Bruce as he walks towards his meeting.

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Jason is standing outside of the steps of Gotham academy with Damian in his arms and Cass and Tim standing by him waiting from Bruce to show up. After waiting for about 20 minutes Bruce pulls up and they all get in. Jason and Tim quickly asks how Dick is but Bruce just tells them that he is fine and will be home soon.

Jason is both relived and also angry, he had hoped, just a little bit that Bruce cared more than how he acted but apparently not. Jason rolled his eyes and as soon as he got home he went straight to his room and locked his door, there was no way everything that Dick did around the manor was going to fall onto his shoulders. And Jason half expected that is what Bruce was planing on doing.

After doing his homework which at the moment he could truly careless about, he grabbed his phone and sent Dick a text.

J: Dickie how are you? You scared the shit out of us!
D: Hey little wing, I'm okay. Just a bit tired.
J: Tired my ass
D: Jay, language. :/
J: Sorry...not sorry. But you know what I mean. Your doing too much! It's not your job Dick!
D: It Is My Job Jay! It's my job as your guys big brother. I have to take care of you!
J: Dick, he should be the one taking care of us, not you! You need a life, you need a chance to live while you still can, cause this just proves that your running your ass into the ground for all of us and it's not fair! You deserve more...deserve better than what Bruce is giving you!
D: Jason
J: Don't Jason me! You know it! You just can't allow yourself to believe it and let it happen.
D: Jay, how are the others? Did Cass go to ballet? She was very excited about it this morning. I had to find her pink glittery ribbons to put in her hair this morning. And what of Timmy? He should be back by now from practice? Did he like it? And is Dami okay? He had another rough night again.
J: Dick stop! Are you even worried abt yourself right now???
D: Jay I told you, I'm ok. Just tired, the school over reacted thats all.
J: Over reacted?!?! I heard you passed out, your nose was bleeding, that's not over reacting Dick. That's serious man!!
D: Jay
J: And No by the way.
D: No what???
J: No Cass didn't go to ballet and no Tim didn't go to practice. Idk how they are right now, I'm in my rm.
D: What!?! Okay, that's it.
D: I'm coming home now.
J: Huh?
J:No your not!!
D: Yes I am Jay.
J: No you need your rest. Stay there!
D: Jason
J: PLEASE!!!!
J: We will be fine, I promise you! Just-
D: Just what???
J: Just please for once take care of yourself. Please Dicky, promise me.
D: Jay, idk how to. And i'm worried and stressing out like crazy here abt you guys now
J: We are fine!!
J:Just rest!
J: I'm gonna help them with their hw. Call me later and stay put!!
D:Fine only for a lil bit but then I'm coming home!
J: Cool, later
D: later Jaybird and take it easy.

Jason tossed his phone onto the bed and fell backwards, "Gosh why was Dick so hardheaded!" thought Jason as he quickly got up and went downstairs.
They were all int he kitchen and Bruce was trying to help them with their homework plus give then different snacks. Jason rolled his eyes, "Dicky would be having a fit right now if he saw his. Snacks before dinner, oh man!" thought Jason. He looked at Bruce and could see that he looked stressed out. Jason chuckled at this. He opened the fridge to find Damian sitting inside on the bottom shelf with his cup of milk in his hand.

"JAY!" he shouted and held his arms up to be picked up. Jason picked him up and looked around the room, he then felt kinda bad. He knew Dick did a lot but hell Dick kept everything running, Dick kept everything together and he felt bad for not stepping up and helping him at all. He was glad that Dick allowed him to still be a kid and instead of an instant father but still he felt bad, Dick did too much and no one ever thanked him, let alone helped him out and that's why he was currently laying in the hospital from exhaustion.
Well that's what he thought but an hour later Dick came walking into the manor and Tim, Damian and Cass stopped what they were doing, yelled Dick's name at the top of their lungs and ran to him, throwing their arms around him.

Jason looked over at Bruce and he looked a bit jealous of Dick right now, that made Jason smile a bit. He should be jealous. Dick was the only father Damian knew. Since the moment Damian came to the family, Bruce went M.I.A. and Dick took over and raised Damian from day one along with himself and the others. Jason then looked at Dick, he hated that Dick felt like he had to return but he was super glad he did, he only gave the house to 10 P.M. before it was caught on fire.

"Dick.'' said Bruce and Dick slowly rose to his feet. "We need to talk.''
Dick nodded his head and followed Bruce out of the room and into the hallway. As he walked past Jason, he shot his a look but Jason couldn't really place it.

Jason sat with the others playing near him, Damian sitting in his lap sucking on his thumb when suddenly they all heard Dick shout. Jason looked at the closed doors and moved Damian off his lap and rose to his feet. Tim got off the ground and walked next to Jason. More shouting could be heard. Jason glanced at his siblings and moved towards the doors and threw them open.

Dick was shaking with anger and Bruce looked pissed at Dick.

"What's going on?" asked Jason, he was worried about Dick. Dick looked at him and he could see tears in Dick's eyes. "Oh this wasn't good'' thought Jason.

"Bruce wants to be more in your lives, but he can't handle it! He...he wants me to step back, so he can be a father to you guys. He said he missed Dami, he doesn't even know Damian and Dami thinks he's a stranger'' said Dick angrily. It made complete sense for Dick to be angry and upset. he has been bending over backwards to raise Bruce's kids. He has sacrificed having friends, being on the swim team and having friends, plus his job as a hero too.

"That's not true! I'm his father! I'm their father and I can take care of them all on my own without you!" Yelled Bruce.

"Really!?! Since when?" questioned Dick, and Dick did have a point. He hasn't been in their lives for almost three years now. As much as Bruce was their father, Dick was their dad, he was always there for them no matter what, while Bruce was no where to be found.

"Since always!" yelled Bruce.

"Okay! Did you know that Tim has Asthma, or that he is on the soccer team? Or how about Cass, that she is in ballet and is terrified of thunder storms. Or what about their favorite food or color or TV show, huh? Do you know what fruit Dami is allergic too, or what about Jason's grades at school, or how he just made captain on the lacrosse team!?!" yelled Dick.

Jason looked over at Dick, he just found out this morning about that, he was planing on telling Dick this evening about it before everything went to hell. Bruce sent a bat glare Dick's way but Dick didn't back down.

"Fine, there are some things I have to learn, but that doesn't mean that I'm not their father. I'm their dad and I am raising them, not you!" said Bruce.

"No!'' yelled Dick.
"Excuse me?" asked Bruce and suddenly stepped forward, closer towards Dick. When he did that Jason took a step forward too, he was going to have Dick's back no matter what, but Dick held his hand slightly out at him to tell him to stay put.

"You heard me, there is no why in Hell I am letting you raise these kids without me!'' Dick yelled.

"It's really not up to you.'' said Bruce.

"Really? I'm turning 18 in two months, I can and Will be their legal guardian if need be. Don't push it Bruce." Dick said and took a step back.

"IS that really how you want to play this? Fine!'' said Bruce and turned to face Jason, Cass, Tim and Damian. "Pick! Pick me or Dick, do it now!''
Jason's eyes widen, he wasn't expecting that, but there it was. He quickly walked over and stood beside Dick and crossed his arms. Bruce narrowed his eyes at him but then looked at Tim and Cass. Cassandra was gripping tightly onto Tim's t-shirt, she clearly didn't like all of this yelling.

"Damian come here son'' said Bruce. Damian looked at him then over at Dick and Jason. He dropped his sippy cup and rushed over towards Dick, who bent down with his arms opened wide. Damian jumped into Dick's waiting arms and Dick picked him up and held him closed to his chest. Dick buried his face into the crock of Damian's neck and sighed then he looked over at Tim and Cassandra.

"Timmy, it's alright. Come here buddy.'' said Dick, he could clearly see the fear in his eyes, he could also tell that Tim had forgiven Bruce right away because he was their father. Tim glanced over at Bruce then quickly at Dick and silently began to cry, in fear of choosing wrong, but in his heart he knew he had to go with Dick, for Dick was all he has truly had in his life. Dick walked slowly forward, trying to make it somewhat easier on Tim.

"Timbo, do you want to come with me?'' asked Dick and Jason could hear the fear laced in each of Dick's words. Tim silently nodded his head along with Cassandra. Dick smiled and reached down and took Tim's arm then glanced back at Bruce. Jason could see how angry Bruce was and thought it was best that they got out of there right away. Jason reached forward and placed his hand on Dick's arm, silently telling him, 'lets go'. Dick nodded and pulled Tim and Cass behind him and exited out the front door. Jason froze in the door way and turned back to face his dad.

"Bye old man'' said Jason and slammed the door shut behind him. Then walked with his siblings down the driveway.

Jason glanced over at Dick and saw tears streaming down his face. Jason grabbed his shoulder and pulled Dick into a hug, Damian still in Dick's arms reached out and began to pull at Jason's hood. Jason smiled and hugged Dick tighter as he shock.

"My kids....your my kids. Your safe.'' said Dick in between sobs and Jason heart broke a bit for his big brother. Jason looked at Dick, he was still very pale and probably should still be in the hospital resting but he was very grateful that Dick did come home when he did.
Jason knew right then he was going to have to step up or risk losing Dick forever.

"I love you Dickie'' whispered Jason and Dick hugged his tighter still shaking with sobs, as everything came crashing down upon him.

"I-I love you too Jay.'' he said then pulled away and looked at them all. "I love all of you guys.'' said Dick and brushed the tears from his face. Jason threw his arm around Dick's shoulder and they walked off, away from the manor and away from Bruce.