As the day comes around, it takes Jason some time to convince Tim not to go looking for Venta if they're going out later. Tim is thrilled to be helping with the Penguin to the point Jason finds the whole thing a little funny. Jason was always excited to go out as Robin. It was the coolest thing ever but Tim really is over the moon about it. Jason doesn't think Tim has ever been happier about it and it actually worries him.

As much as Jason is happy for him, he is worried. He's worried Tim will put his all into Robin and lose himself in it, just like Dick and Jason did. Robin was never something they got to do. It was given to them as a way to cover up their grief. It was a way to weaponize their grief rather than work through it. Jason hopes that won't be the case for Tim. It doesn't seem that way. It seems he just wants it for the greater good and he's just excited. And the way he's excited is still very serious like he knows he can't let that excitement out onto the field so he lets it out now where it's safe. It's something he knows he has to take seriously. Jason worries but he hopes it'll work out because he can tell that Tim will be a good Robin.

Sam meets the boys back at Jason's around midnight, a case in hand with her suit. She's pretty excited to go out on a mission with not only Tim for the first time, but also Jason. She really misses that stuff with him. But, with Tim, it's new and she's excited to see how he does. They can't stop him from being Robin and being out there, so they might as well embrace it and that's what she's doing even if she's terrified of it.

"Really gonna take down the Penguin." Tim says almost in awe once Sam is dressed and back in the main corridor downstairs.

"Pretty sure we're not taking him down, really." Sam nods her head as Tim moves his staff around with pent-up energy.

"Kind of." Tim defends.

"We're just securing the guns and turning them over to Babs." Jason reminds him as he walks in now in his Red Hood suit, the helmet on his hip. "Not taking out Penguin, he's not even supposed to be there this time."

"The fuck he is doing that he's not gonna be at his own shipment?" Sam questions, her stare directly at Jason and she can't help but feel maybe that's a bit weird.

"Fuck if I know, Penguin things." Jason lets out a scoff. "Could think we wouldn't come for him since we haven't." Jason shrugs casually, it's not the first time Penguin hasn't been around so he isn't too concerned about it.

"What a weirdo." Sam lets out a sigh, shrugging the uneasiest from her bones with the ease of Jason's voice.

"Yeah." Jason chuckles softly. "Alright, let's get going. Tim, you ride with Sam." Jason hands Tim a spare helmet. Jason heads for the exit, the two of them right behind him. "And just make sure you do what we say."

"Got it." Tim nods.

"Then, let's get out of here." Jason nods once as the three of them exit the building.

The three of them ride over to the warehouse near Harbor Penguin is using. The three of them get to a roof, laying down to look over the edge as they closely watch as the shipment is taken from one of the boats and moved into the warehouse. Penguin isn't here it seems and only a handful of his goons are. That's a red flag, Jason and Sam can both sense it. They exchange a glance but they're already here and they gave Babs a heads up. It'd be a little hard to leave now so they just keep watching, hoping this won't cause too many problems.

Once the lot is cleared of goons, the three of them make their way to the roof of the warehouse, Tim trailing along well. On top of the roof, there's a skylight where they can see the crates in the center of the room with the goons armed and looking around. This isn't anything Sam and Jason haven't done before so they give Tim a quick rundown of a plan. Tim gets two goons while Sam and Jason will take out the rest and if he's in trouble just call out. Once Tim seems to be up to speed, Jason and Sam break the window first, using their grappling hooks to lower themselves down quickly, Tim right behind with his own grappling hook.

Sam takes her own four goons with ease while Jason takes the other four, leaving Tim with just the one two. Sam and Jason find themselves looking over their shoulders to make sure Tim isn't laid out but every time they check, he seems to be holding his own pretty well. By the time Sam and Jason have their goons down, Tim has his down, a proud smile on his face.

"I got them." Tim says breathlessly. "Wasn't so bad."

Sam looks over to Jason with the roll of her eyes. "Okay, Robin." Sam nods once before she lets out a breath.

"Let's make sure everything is here and we'll put in the call." Jason says as they start opening the crates finding several automatic weapons.

"What's he doing with all of them anyway?" Tim asks, standing beside Sam.

"Penguin things." Sam and Jason say at the same time.

"Right..." Tim lets out a breath.

This has gone pretty well so far according to Sam and Jason but that is what's not sitting right. Nothing with these guys ever goes exactly according to plan. That was one of the reasons Jason wanted to bring Tim so he would have to learn to adapt but nothing else is happening. Penguin isn't here and his goons barely even put up a fight. They need to get out of here, this isn't right.

"You didn't think this would be that easy did you?" A nasally voice says from the platform above them.

The three of them turn to see Penguin with his right hand right next to him. He looks a bit too excited and happy to be here. Jason wants to bang his head against a wall and Sam is nearly rolling her eyes into the back of her head. This was too easy and for Penguin to seem awfully pleased with himself, this is about to get very bad.

"We can take your goons all night, man. Or you can just walk the fuck away." Jason offers as he crosses his arms.

Penguin tilts his head back and laughs. "That won't be necessary. The two of you really are some replacements. And you even have your own sidekick!"

"Hey!" Tim yells.

Sam grabs his arm with a tight grip. "Shut up." Sam grits her teeth at him. "Sounds like you could use a sidekick or two though." Sam quips back to Penguin. "Planning this with the Bat to of town? What? You scared or something, Penguin?"

"I'm not scared." Penguin says it so casually it sends a chill down Sam's spine. "I knew you'd get in the way which is why I prepared for that!" Pengiun chimes. "You really should know something about that, Red Hood." Penguin mocks before he pulls out a detonator.

A bomb. Of course, it's a fucking bomb.

"Have fun." Penguin smiles at them before he presses the button and immediately starts walking out.

Sam and Jason exchange a stare as a ticking echoes around them. They won't have time. Penguin planned this so they wouldn't have time even with his warning. There's no time to find the bomb and disable it, there's not even enough time to get out of the building. How did they miss this?

They know.

It's all going in slow motion as Jason can see the panic wanting to stretch over Sam's face, Tim looking petrified right behind her. There isn't time to even reach them. And even if there was, what's he supposed to do? He can't catch a building. There's only one thing to do and it's as if Sam shares the exact same thought that he does in that single second.

Jason and Sam turn at the same time to run towards the exit, Sam grabbing Tim by the arm to drag him along. The ticking quickens from above them. They're out of time. They're out of time and there's nothing else left to do. The ticking echoes and echoes and in a split second, Jason is running behind a pillar and Sam grabs the edge of her cape before wrapping it around Tim as she tackles him to the ground.

And the bomb goes off less than a second later.

The warehouse rumbles and vibrates as Jason is tucked into a ball behind the pillar, his hands covering his neck as if waiting for a tornado to hit. The rumbling shakes his bones and it's so loud. Every rumble and echo shatter through his bones. His eyes are slammed shut as the warehouse fills with smoke as the roof starts to collapse. Jason's chest starts to burn and it shouldn't.

The mask has a ventilator. His chest shouldn't hurt but it does and he thinks his ears are bleeding. His bones are stinging. Why are his bones stinging? Why is so hard to breathe? His eyes burn and sting even with them closed. Not again. This can't be happening again. Panic spreads itself over Jason like an itchy weighted blanket. He doesn't want to die again. dying is terrifying and the building is collapsing around him. A part of him thinks he can hear the crude laugh of the Joker echoing somewhere through the shattering concrete. It all feels too much and he can't breathe. Every part of him is shaking as he's been left out to the elements in the middle of February. This can't be happening.

And then it all falls eerily silent. 

Jason's breath is quick and uneven as he tries to ground himself. It's silent, the collapsing is over. It takes him a few minutes to try to gather himself, desperately trying to pull his mind away from the edge of terror. This is the first time something like this has happened since the Joker. Jason thinks the fear isn't any better the second time around.

He thinks it's worse.

But, he finds it in himself to finally slowly pull his hands away from his neck, his arms feeling like warm jello as they shake. He slowly sits up partially, looking around what was the warehouse. It's cloudy, filled with dust and smoke. It's hard to even see a few feet in front of him but he looks over to where Sam last was with Tim and he can't see anything. The dust is too thick and he can't help but let the panic start to flood his blood again.

He has the helmet. His eyes are protected but what about hers? Her mask has a ventilator but what if it doesn't work? Does Sam even communicate enough with Bruce to make sure her equipment is working? And Tim doesn't have any eye protection or a ventilator. It doesn't matter if Sam is on her own, her and Tim are Jason's responsibility. He's the oldest. He's the most experienced. He should have known this wasn't right. Something should have went off in his head. He should have fucking known. Why didn't he know?

The dust starts to dissipate with every passing second and Jason gets a better glimpse where Sam and Tim last were. He swears he's going to be sick as his heart stops beating as it shoots into his throat. There's a pile of cement from the ceiling. A long pile where that part of the ceiling collapsed and there is no sight of blue or red. There's not yellow or black. It's just brown and grey.

No.

Jason gets to his feet as fast as his legs will allow him and he sprints over to the cement. Not her. Not her. Not her. It can't be her. He grabs one of the cement blocks and starts trying to pull it away to make a hole in the pile. He can feel the panic taking over again.

It's been better. It's been better again since he started seeing Leslie again. He can feel the panic sometimes but it's better. He can fight through it usually and it doesn't cause him as much distress out in the field. But, now it's coming back like a wrecking ball. It's been easier because he hasn't someone to look out for. It's been easier because he hasn't had to worry even if he always does. It was always fine if he had to eat it. But, being here and digging through a pile of cement in hopes they're alive, that's different.

If he had to die again, that'd be fine as terrifying as it is. But, the thought it being someone else, being people that he actually cares about, that's an entirely other story.

"Blue!" Jason yells as loud as his can, his voice is raw and he hates the sound of it in his ears. It sounds desperate and scared but he is both of those things. Not her. "Robin!" He calls after, this time stronger, hoping he'll hear one of them yell back.

The thought of seeing Sam crushed brings instant tears to his eyes and his stomach twist. He thinks about how they haven't talked in a month and that's such a waste. Why the fuck didn't he just call her? He should have fucking called her. He's panicking and he hates it but seeing her dead is his greatest fear today. He knows what it's like to die and to die scared. She was scared. She doesn't deserve it. It can't be her. Please, not her.

And he knows Dick is gonna kill him if Tim dies on his watch. Tim just started and he volunteered for this. He can't be punished for wanting to do something for the greater good, for just wanting to help. It can't be Tim either. Somehow, they need to be alive under this pile. Jason's teeth grit before he rips the helmet from his head, annoyed by the vision of it. And he gets to work on the cement again. They have to be alive. There is not another option. They have to be. And then he gets a glimpse of a bright blue fabric.

Jason forgets how to breathe and he works faster, pulling the concrete away as fast as his muscles will even allow. He's able to make a big enough hole in the pile to reach them and just as he looks into the hole, there's movement. He still isn't breathing as he waits to see who it is and not a single part of him can even think to hope who he wants it to be because it has to be both.

And then Sam looks up at him.

Jason lets out a breath.

Her eyes are wide and her face is covered in dust, a stream of blood falling down the side of her face. But he can tell by the softness in her eyes that she's relieved to see him, too.

The building fell on them. The building fucking collapsed on them and Sam has no idea why she thought her cape would help but it was something she could try. And then they got pinned. She thinks she'd normally start to panic because she was practically entirely on top of Tim and she couldn't move. They could have been trapped there but she knows Jason has a habit of living through some fucked up shit. Something in her knew if he made it, he'd be there. He'd never let either of them rot under a pile of concrete. She knew he'd come.

Jason always comes.

And then Tim looks up, too.

Jason shakes his head, looking down for a second to gather himself before he offers a hand. Sam takes his hand in hers as Jason pulls her out. He's careful but deliberate making sure she doesn't slip. Once she's on solid ground, he wastes no time in looking her over, his hands coming to her cheeks.

Besides the blood coming from a small cut near her hairline, Jason doesn't see any other visible injuries. It doesn't bring him. Much relief because internal injuries are still a thing and he thinks they should go to the Batcave and do some scans. For all he knows, it's a lot worse than a small cut and they have to get out of here quickly just to make sure. He just needs to make sure.

"Are you okay?" Jason asks quickly, still looking over her.

Sam's hands shake as they come to his hands on her cheeks. "I'm fine." Sam's voice is soft as she answers him, her thumbs running over his hands. He looks absolutely terrified. Sam isn't sure she's ever really seen this look on his face before. "I'm okay." She nods against him as she watches a small part of his face dissolve into relief as his eyes meet hers.

She feels okay though very shaky and weak. Her limbs and back are sore, her ribs feel a little achy but nothing feels wrong. A part of her feels a little out of body and terrified anyway, like there's leftover panic still running through her veins. Being crushed by a building wasn't something she thought would happen and it definitely wasn't something she was prepared for. Gong toe-to-toe with bad guys with guns and knives and fists is the easy part. The uncertainty of a bomb and a collapsing building is a bit horrifying. But, physically, she thinks she's okay.

"We gotta do some scans at the cave, alright? Make sure there's no internal bleeding or some shit." Jason keeps his eyes on hers, trying with everything in him to control the panic in his voice.

"I'm fine—"

"No." Jason cuts her off. This is one risk he's not willing to take. Her life is the one risk Jason will never take no matter what Sam wants to argue. "You don't know that, okay?"

Suddenly, it's as if Sam is back on Amusement Mile that night. It was dark and gloomy, nothing too unusual for a night in Gotham City. But, it felt colder and it all felt wrong. The pit in her stomach gnawed and begged her to turn around. She remembers knowing with the very sight of the yellow on the Robin cape. She remembers how terrified she was walking up to his body, waiting for the confirmation of her biggest fear. She's thinking she might have shared a similar look to the one Jason is giving her now.

"Okay." Sam agrees with a gentle nod. 

Jason sucks in a breath, his brows still pulled together with worry. "Good."

"Yeah, uh, a little help, please?" Tim calls from behind them.

The two drop their hands and immediately turn around.

"Fuck, yeah sorry, man." Jason rushes.

"Sorry!" Sam calls as the two of them rush back to the hole in the pile Jason made to help Tim.

Once Tim is out of the pile, Jason and Sam look him over quickly, making sure he isn't missing a limb and nothing is deformed.

"I'm fine." Tim assures them, not missing the worry between them. "That was crazy though." Tim looks around with ease, almost like he's unbothered. Sam and Jason give him a confused look. Why is he so fine?  "We caught a zombie Deathstroke and are fighting a few demons. I was also shot and killed by Scarecrow." Tim shrugs casually, already growing used to seeing his life in danger which is not nearly as reassuring as he thinks it is.

"Alright." Sam rolls her eyes, wishing he'd give some insight on how he's able to handle things well.

"Sure, man." Jason nods his head, unsure if he's completely convinced someone can just walk away from major traumas perfectly fine. "We're still doing a scan. Let's get outta here." Jason jerks his head towards where he threw his helmet.

"You, too." Sam states as Jason grabs his helmet and starts walking towards the exit.

"Me, too what?" Jason asks, adjusting his helmet on his hip.

"Scans." Tim adds in as him and Sam start to follow Jason. "If you're forcing us, you have to, too." Tim states, thinking that's probably a good idea for all of them anyway. Jason's limp doesn't go unnoticed by Tim and Tim can feel his shoulder starting to ache. He knows Sam took the brunt of the force.

"Aww, you're learning." Sam chimes.

Jason lets out a groan, swearing he's the one that's fine. He was not crushed by a building but he's not in the mood to fight with either of them. "Fucking fine." He doesn't bother protesting knowing damn well Sam will get what she wants. She will win. She always wins when it comes to him.

The three of them get on their bikes and head out of the city and to Wayne Manor, something Tim is very excited about. He wasn't really going to complain about getting any scans done. Getting scans means going into the Batcave again and this time, it won't be taken over by Crane. Getting scans means getting to actually hang out in the Batcave this time. Tim would never turn down the opportunity now.

Sam still wants to protest but she saw the worry over Jason's face. She feels fine besides a headache. But, she isn't going to take the risk for Jason's sake. She thinks back to the times they said they'd die for each other and she thinks that's easy. She'd run in front of a bullet for him even today. It doesn't matter but making sure she's okay enough to live feels harder. She doesn't want to die or anything but maybe she'd normally brush this off and then that might be it. But, Jason looks at her with all the love his heart could muster and she can't do it to him. She can live for him, too.

Once they're at the manor, the three of them use the tunnel to enter the cave immediately. Jason and Sam go to the changing area, Tim following right behind them. There are always extra sweats there, just in case in a variety of sizes. Sam grabs some for her and Tim while Jason grabs himself a pair. The three of them go off into different changing rooms and get changed before they meet out in the med area of the cave. Sam goes for the scan first just to get it over with.

Tim of course sits beside Jason as they watch the imaging load. It was something Bruce taught him to look for when Jason first got hurt as Robin. They look for internal bleeding, broken bones, swollen organs, anything they can't see from the outside. They can't just go to the hospital every time they're hurt. That would raise some questions so they do the scans here. If something is serious, they go. Which has yet to happen in Jaso's time as Robin. But, he takes what he learned from Bruce and he passes it onto Tim.

Once Sam's scan is over, she joins the boys, sitting beside Jason. The scan doesn't take much longer to load and it seems everything is okay. It's a relief for all of them even if Jason isn't totally sitting with ease over it. It's a relief but there is something still making him worry anyway. But he keeps it to himself while Tim jumps up, ready for his turn. Once Tim is ready, Jason gets the scans going.

With Tim is the machine, that leaves Sam and Jason to themselves and Jason can't quite keep his stare on the computer. She's been hurt before and he hasn't felt like this. Once they get confirmation she's fine, it starts to fade away but tonight, it's as if he's run out of places to dissolve his worry and paranoia. He's not sure what he'd do if something happened to her.

"Let me help." Jason points to the cut on Sam's forehead before he gets up and grabs some of the supplies.

"Oh, uh, yeah, okay." Sam nods before she sits on the counter.

Jason takes out the alcohol pads and carefully wipes some of the blood, Sam hissing in response. Jason mumbles a quick apology but continues working. It's not bad. Jason doesn't even think she needs stitches and he thinks she's lucky. Sam though, she's just watching him carefully. So much has changed and yet this feels like nothing has changed. It feels like it did that first night after Jerry. Something about him moving carefully, gently, but a little rough. He doesn't say anything and he dodges her eyes. And Sam thinks her stomach is swirling and bubbling just as it did that night.

"What've you been up to?" Sam asks quietly, eyes looking right at him.

Jason pauses, looking down at her before he goes back to cleaning the cut on her forehead. He shifts slightly, the feeling of being exposed starting to fade right over him. "Usual." Jason answers. "Taking out dickwads, reading, researching, helping Babs."

Sam looked in the mirror after she changed, the cut wasn't bad. He should be done by now but he's taking his time. He's still dodging her stare and he's minding his right leg. His mouth is pressed into a straight line. He's seemed okay besides tonight, happy even. She really hopes this doesn't set him back because he should be happy. It's what he deserves. And she wonders if it was all just some sort of facade because Jason hates people knowing what he's thinking. Maybe it was just an act for Tim or for her for some reason.

She hopes not.

"Are you happy?" Sam whispers to him, hoping he'll be honest if he's not and hoping he really is happy with the life he's making for himself.

Jason freezes.

Maybe in the grand scheme of life he is. Generally speaking, he thinks he's happy most days. He isn't miserable. And his relationship with Bruce is getting better and his relationship with all of the Titans is getting better. Molly is still one of his best friends. He likes what he does. But, he can't quite bring himself to say he's happy. It's the ache in his bones he can't shake and the white streak of hair that won't go away. The Y scar that stares back at him when he looks in the mirror after a shower. The way his leg still fucking hurts sometimes and the nightmares. The panic attacks sometimes that seem to hit him like a freight train out of nowhere. The fact that he feels lonely.

He was so fine being alone for so long and then he was comfortable not being alone. Now, he's just lonely. He lives alone and he spends a lot of time alone and it's just lonely. His heart feels like it's contracting in his chest while a lump finds its way at the ease of his throat. And he misses Sam. Maybe he could live with that choice if it weren't for everything else. But, he thinks he could live with everything else if he didn't miss her so much.

"I don't know." Jason answers, not wanting to give the real answer but not wanting to lie entirely. "Are you?"

Sam thinks she's happy most of the time. She lives with Molly so she isn't alone and she is eternally grateful for that. And they have movie nights. She even has movie nights with Gar and Tim over FaceTime. Her and Rachel talk a lot now and they're on good terms. She loves what she does and she loves helping Babs. Bruce doesn't want to kick her out of Gotham. Things feel like they're getting better. The nightmares have gotten a little better even if she wakes Molly up sometimes screaming. But the guilt always comes at night, weighing down every bit that could make her happy. The guilt of everything that happens just chews away part of her happiness as if she isn't allowed to be happy. And maybe she could live with it, if she didn't miss Jason like she needs oxygen. She misses him more than she could ever miss anything.

"I don't know." Sam answers the same way as if she understands and Jason feels seen so he shifts his feet, tossing the alcohol pads into the trash under the table. Jason presses his hands on the counter, resting them beside her thighs as he leans in slightly. He doesn't even fully realize he does it. "You deserve to be happy, Jay." Sam keeps her voice quiet as Jason's brows pull together as if he's in pain.

"So do you, Sammy." Jason nods once.

"What would make you happy?" Sam asks and isn't sure why she did. Maybe she hopes he'll even joking say her and then that'll give her a reason to tell her guilt to shut up and take a backseat. And she thinks he might say it because his eyes finally lock on hers and the pain in his face starts to fade.

He thinks it's her.

"I don't know." He answers anyway because admitting it seems unfair to both of them. They've been here before and yeah, they know. They know it shouldn't have been the way it was then but it's different. He isn't pushing to self-destruct. He just wants to be ready if he tells her and he isn't sure he is. "What about you?" Jason asks, thinking if she says it, he'll say it anyway.

She thinks it's him.

"I don't know." Sam echoes and she shakes her head before she leans forward, pressing her forehead against his. She feels him relax and she almost wants to cry. Jaosn's hands slowly move onto her thighs and he wants to burst at the seams. Sam making the move tells Jason everything he needs to know. And Jason relaxing with his hands on her thighs tells Sam everything she needs to know. It's still him and her. "Happy you're here though...happy you were there tonight." Sam says honestly.

"Me, too. Happy you came along tonight." Jason says back as he pulls away but he keeps his hands on her thighs.

"Thanks for coming to save us." Sam offers him a subtle smile.

"Of course." Jason nods his head softly. "You and me?" Jason offers the same smile.

Sam's hand comes to his cheek, running a thumb along the skin and his shoulders relax. "You and me." Sam echoes.

It's silent for a few seconds as if they're both wanting to see where this will go. Unsure where they want it to go. Before, they both knew. They knew they wanted each other so they'd jump the second they could. But this isn't that. They want each other but there is so much caution in it. They're terrified of overstepping boundaries and ruining whatever they're trying to rebuild. They're terrified of hurting each other again. They're worried they aren't ready for something again. So as much as they want each other, a part of both of them almost feels okay with waiting to make sure it's right this time. For each other even if they want to explode.

And then Tim clears his throat.

"Uh, so...am I gonna die again?" Tim quips making Sam and Jason pull apart.

"Yeah." Jason answers immediately, glancing at the screen and earning a light tap from Sam which makes him laugh. Jason actually takes a second to look over the scans before finishing his sentence. "Eventually but not tonight. You're fine." Jason finishes.

"Shithead." Sam mutters with the roll of her eyes but a smile finds itself across her lips.

"Babe." Jason grins.

"You two are weird." Tim mutters as he walks up to them.

"Your turn." Sam taps Jason on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, alright." Jason pulls in a breath and makes his way to the scan.

Once Jason is situated, Sam gets the machine going before she looks over Tim. The scans are clear and he seems fine. He actually looks really happy which Sam knows is because he's sitting in the Batcave. He's still looking over the Batcomputer, his eyes wandering around the cave every so often. She can't say she blames him really but she is surprised and relieved he's handling things well. 

"You can explore if you want, ya know?" Sam suggests.

"Really?" Tim's eyes nearly bulge out of his head.

"Yeah? You are Robin." Sam lets out a soft laugh and before she can even say another word, Tim is out of his seat.

"What's going on with you guys anyway?" Tim questions as he makes his way over to the case holding Jason's Robin suit, the blood still staining it. "Looked like I interrupted something." Tim glances back at Sam and then the suit before he moves on.

"No." Sam shakes her head, keeping her eyes on the screen. "Catching up a little bit."

Tim rolls his eyes and lets out a scoff. "You guys forgot I was crushed by a building." Tim defends, making his way over to the training area.

"I said I was sorry and so did he." Sam defends even though she knows she'll be feeling guilty about that for awhile. "Don't tell Dick though."

"Wasn't going to." Tim chuckles softly. "Seems like there's something going on." Tim states as the cave falls silent. He looks as she glares back him, very clearly unamused by his observation. "I'm just saying." Tim states as he shrugs his shoulders, going back to looking at the variety of knives Bruce has.

Sam lets out a sigh and decides maybe she will ask Tim for his input. Everyone else so much about her and Jason, not just as a couple but as vigilantes. Tim, on the other, doesn't know that side of it. This is the first time Tim is actually even hanging out with Jason for more than a few minutes. He might actually be the perfect person to talk to.

"Alright, listen, can we talk about it later?" Sam asks. "I do honestly have a headache and to dig into that right now is not what I want to do. But we can talk about it later."

"Alright." Tim sighs as he starts making his way back to Sam.

"Any word about Bernard?" Sam asks as Tim takes his seat back beside her.

"No change."

"I'm sorry, Tim." Sam says softly. "You guys will figure it out. He'll be okay."

"Thanks." Tim mutters as he leans onto his elbow.

Jason's scans finish a few minutes later allowing him to rejoin the other two. Sam looks over the scans, feeling relief come over her. She figured he was fine, Jason usually is. But, it is nice having actual confirmation he's okay even a part of her will still be glancing him over and watching him carefully just for extra security. Scans can be wrong.

"So?" Jason questions with a knowing look, knowing he is fine.

"Yeah, yeah, you're fine." Sam waves him off with eyes wide to mock him. "Just to be safe."

"Yeah." Jason pulls a breath into his lungs and he knows.

He wonders if she'll always be more worried about him. With no talking now and the whole shit with Crane before, he hasn't had too much time to even think about it. And she was so worried that whole time because of Crane and because he had just died. But, he wonders about now. Now that some of the dust has settled and she's been away from him. He can tell by how she's still glancing over him as if expecting him to start gushing blood from an invisible wound that she's worried. And he thinks she's more worried than she normally would be. A scan and a look over would usually be enough but not tonight. He wonders if it's because he died. Maybe she'll always be trapped in a spiral of worry knowing it might happen again.

Jason thinks that sounds like torture.

He wants to find a way to assure her he's fine but he's not really sure what he could possibly do. He's not fine since dying. It's hard to walk every day with that kind of weight around his chest but he is physically fine and he wants her to know that. He breathes today and he did yesterday. Before, he thinks he would have made a joke and then kissed her. It's what he always did and it always calmed her nerves. They would have slept together and if he were injured, she would have known. It was always harder hiding any type of injury from her because either she'd see it, she'd catch him slipping, or he'd flinch when they laid down together. He can't very well do any of that now. And he can't possibly say anything because Tim is right here and the last thing Jason wants is to further expose himself to anyone else. So, he just bites back his comments and shrugs it all off.

"We can head back out if you guys are ready." Jason suggests.

The three of them grab their things before they head from the Batcave and go back to Jason's place. It's quiet in their comms. Tim chalks it up to being tired, the adrenaline wearing off for all three of them. Jason just wants to get home and shake the night from his spine. Sam finds herself wondering if the gravity of vigilante life will ever wear off when something like tonight happens. She loves it and she swears she does, it's just really hard sometimes and she hasn't quite found the right way to cope with it.

She could have died tonight which is a reality most nights and it never seems like too big of a deal to her because it's her and the person with a gun or a bomb or a knife. It's just them. Not talking to Jason or seeing him has made it a little easier not to think about him doing the same thing. But tonight, the weight of loss collapsed her shoulders the second that roof fell. Jason pulled her out of the rubble. She heard the way his voice sounded, the tremble and the fear etched into his windpipe. She saw the look on his face when he pulled her out.

Panic. Relief. Panic. Terror. Anger.

And something else Sam doesn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole.

Something about the idea of him suffering in the way she did makes her want to turn the bike around and go as far as she can without looking back. And she thinks about how he could have been hurt again. Sam and Tim were trapped easily. What if he was, too? What if the roof fell on him and he died? Sam isn't so sure she'd be able to survive the loss of him again. Even as they are today.

When they get back, Tim says a quick goodbye to Sam before disappearing into the building. Jason takes his time though, watching her brows pinch together as her stare falls anywhere but on him.

"You alright?" He asks carefully.

Sam nods and offers him a fake smile. "Yeah, all good." Sam chews the inside of her cheek and she just doesn't want to go home. Going home sounds scary and like maybe it won't feel quite like home this time.

Jason nods back. "What's wrong?"

He keeps his distance from her. He's standing three feet away from her and he's thinking that's for the best. Sam isn't normally quiet after missions like this. It's as if talking always reassures her that they're both fine. But, tonight she was quiet and she looks uncomfortable in her own skin. Jason doesn't want to overstep. He doesn't want to move closer and that be the real problem. They got a little close in the cave and Jason knows how Sam is with that. He's betting she still likes to run so, he keeps his distance for right now.

"Nothing, why?" Sam asks and she keeps her stance from him.

She wants to kiss him and tell him she's glad he's okay. She said it but she wants to kiss him until he knows fully. Jason has never been one to take words at face value. He responds better with action and the only way she knows to show her love for him is by touch. But, that's not fair to either of them. Sam would give anything to go back to how it was even if it's just for one night. She wishes they could both forget everything that happened, pretend none of it happened. It would be so much easier that way.

"I always know when something's wrong, Sammy." Jason sucks in a breath and he didn't think he'd be the one pulling for answers from her.

She shakes her head and lying to him never came easy.

She swore she'd never lie to him.

"Scary." Her voice is so small and Jason almost closes the distance between them to engulf her in the tightest hug he could manage without hurting her.

But he cements his feet to the ground below him.

"You're okay, though. So, is Tim." Jason assures, his words careful.

"Yeah..." Her voice is still so small and Jason takes one step closer to her, knowing her and Tim aren't her full concern.

"I'm fine, ya know? Like...all good." Jason keeps his voice level as his eyes scan over her face, looking for any change.

"No, I know." Sam nods softly, her voice bigger this time.

She's worried he isn't. The scans say he is and he says he is. She knows he wouldn't lie to her with her being worried. She knows but she's worried anyway. He gets a second chance and he deserves it. He deserves it so much and she just wants him to be happy and healthy. She wants him to be able to live as the Jason Todd she fell in love with. She doesn't want him to have any more trauma to try and bear. She isn't so sure he could bear it anymore.

She thinks what would have happened if they didn't get lucky tonight.

No part of her has to guess how it would go.

He'd blame himself. He'd torture himself inside and out just like she did.

"Just..." Sam shakes her head. "Can you promise me something even if it's not very fair?" Sam's eyes finally land on his.

"What?" Jason asks.

"If-if, uh, something happens to me...like anything, c-can you, uh,...not blame yourself, please?" Sam asks. "I-I know how you are and I saw the way you looked at me tonight. I know what it's like and..." Sam's voice trails off.

"What?" Jason pushes, trying to wrap his head around the question. Of all the things she could be worried about, she's worried about how he'd react to her dying.

"I don't want you to suffer for it." She states. "You'll torture yourself, I know you will. So, if something happens to me, can you promise me you won't do that? Because I would never blame you."

"What if it is my fault?" Jason scoffs. "Tonight--"

"It won't be." Sam cuts him off entirely with so much certainty, it freezes Jason. "I know, despite it all, you would do everything to make sure I was okay. You, uh, you have always just, uh, j-just tried to keep me safe. So, if something happens, I know it won't be your fault."

"Nothing's gonna happen anyway." Jason answers back, digging his feet in because even a hypothetical question sends his head into a panic.

"But something did happen, Jay!" Sam yells back in desperation. "Something did!" Sam's eyes water before her voice comes back down. "I don't want you to be like me."

She nearly begs him and Jason is so thrown by what she says, he has to pause and try to understand. He swears she is the best person he has ever met. He loves her. He knows that it got messy but he also knows between those lines, him dying changed a part of her. It led her into a guilt she can't shake and that he feels is on him. The least he can do is make the promise and try to keep it but he swears nothing can happen to her. He can't let anything happen.

"Then you have to stop fucking blaming yourself, too." Jason states back. "I died. That's not on you, Sammy." Jason says it so bluntly Sam nearly chokes on her own heartbeat. "I promise but...you gotta promise me then you're gonna stop blaming yourself, too. There was nothing you could have done." The words are sour and bitter on his tongue. Knowing it was his fault he got himself killed is one of the hardest pills for him to swallow.

Sam nods her head softly and she can't make the promise but she can promise to try. "I promise to try."

"Good." Jason states and he watches her tug her sleeve down over her wrist. Maybe he is very worried about her, too. Tonight was heavy and a lot to handle even if it all worked out. It almost didn't. Maybe it's stupid but he doesn't want to be alone tonight and he's betting she doesn't either. "Did, uh, did you wanna stay tonight?" Jason asks.

"W-what?" Sam stutters, the question catching her off guard.

"Did you wanna stay here?" Jason asks again, this time trying to make his voice sound far more casual than he's feeling. "Look, it's not like we haven't done this shit before." Maybe he's worried the scans are wrong, too and he just wants to look out for her. He misses her. "Just friends." Jason assures her.

She was really hoping he'd ask.

"Can you, uh..."

"Of course." Jason finishes before she gets the chance to finish because he already knows. "I get to pick though, you picked the last three books." Jason says with a tender smile and he gets one in return.

"Okay, Jay." Sam nods as she takes a step forward. "Thank you."

"You and me." Jason offers her his signature smirk with the casual shrug of his shoulders.

Sam sticks her hand out and Jason takes it with ease. "You and me." Sam echoes while Jason pulls her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders before the two walk into the building.

"You and me."