Sparrow

Chapter Three

Harri yawns as he and Jason watch the sun rise over the rooftops "You should be getting back, Riri." Jason tells him. "I don't want to, I want to stay with you." Harri tells him, tears in his eyes. "I know, I want you to stay with me too but I need to know that you're safe. I may not get along with him but I know that you're safe with B." Jason explains, wiping Harri's tears away. "But I want you, I want you to come home." Harri cries. "Don't cry Riri, I promise that we'll see each other again really soon, okay?" Jason tells him, kissing the top of his head. Harri snuffles and clings to Jason "I want you, I don't want you to leave." he sobs. Jason wraps his arms protectively round Harri "I'm not leaving you ever again, Harri. I just need you safe while I work some stuff out." he tells his brother. Just then Dick arrives on the roof in his Nightwing suit, stopping when he sees Harri clinging to Jason while sobbing "Jason, Harri." he greets, walking over and sitting next to them. Harri hides his face in Jason's chest, not letting go of him "I need to go deal with some stuff but he won't let me go." Jason explains quietly. "Birdie, Jason needs to work some stuff out before he comes home. I'll bring you back tonight to see him, okay?" Dick tells Harri.

Not getting a response, the two older boys look down to see Harri asleep in Jason's arms "I didn't think he'd remember me." Jason mumbles. "Of course he does, Alfred and I made sure he remembered you. He got in a fight yesterday because of a kid talking bad about you, got himself suspended til the week after next. It's scary how much he's like you." Dick tells him. Jason smiles slightly "Thanks for being there for him, Dick." he says. "Of course, I wasn't there for you so I swore to myself that I'd be there for him. He's my baby brother too. Or as Alfred likes to say, I'm his Mama Bird. He thinks I've raised him more than B." Dick explains. "You probably have, B was never good with the whole raising kids thing. I mean look at Riri, he's already in a suit." Jason sighs, holding his brother closer to him. "I tried to stop him but B said it'd help him with his anger, that he needed an outlet." Dick shakes his head. Jason looks at Harri "How did he get his broken arm?" he asks. "He won't tell anyone, he keeps saying he fell. Tim, Alfred, Barbara and Cass don't believe it for a minute. Tim said he's been having trouble with a kid at school. Harri is in some high school classes because he's so smart, because of it they see him as an easy target. We've been trying to stop it but we can't prove anything and Harri won't tell us what's happening." Dick explains. "A high schooler did this to him? He's eight! He's just a kid for fucks sake!" Jason exclaims.

Harri nuzzles his face into Jason's chest more, Jason holding him close "I didn't want him involved in this life." Jason admits. "Neither did I, all we can do is help him be the best he can be." Dick tells him. Jason nods "Can you... Can you take him home? I need to go deal with some business." Jason asks. "Yeah, I'll bring him back here tonight." Dick nods. "Thanks." Jason responds, carefully passing Harri over to Dick. "He's your brother, Jason. I would never keep him away from you." Dick tells him. Jason nods, kissing Harri's head before pulling on his helmet and leaving. Dick watches Jason leave before sighing and leaving himself, gently carrying Harri in his arms. Once in the alleyway, Bruce arrives in the Batmobile "Where's Jason?" he asks. "Don't know, he just told me to take Sparrow home." Dick responds. "You let him go?" Bruce asks. Dick sighs "I'm taking Sparrow home." he tells him. "I'm going after Jason, take the Batmobile. Tell Sparrow that he's grounded when he wakes up." Bruce says. "You can't ground him for wanting to see his brother, B. Jason has been out of his life for five years already, you can't stop them from seeing each other and reconnecting." Dick glares. "I can and I will. Jason is dangerous right now, he needs to be stopped." Bruce retorts. "He would never hurt Sparrow and you know it. The more you try and stop them, the more they're going to pull away." Dick tells him, climbing into the Batmobile and driving back to the cave.

Dick stands in the cave, frowning at the batcomputer as he thinks "What's wrong?" Tim asks. "Just thinking about everything." Dick responds, looking over to see Harri still asleep. "About Jason and Bruce?" Time prods. Dick nods in response "Bruce wants to try and keep Birdie away from Jason, which is not going to end well for anyone." he explains. "But Jason wouldn't hurt Harri, he cares for him too much." Tim points out. "I know." Dick sighs, running a hand through his hair. Cass walks in, frowning when she sees Harri asleep. Looking at Dick and Tim, she points at Harri "He was up all night with Jason." Dick explains, making her nod in response. "What if we can prove to Bruce that Jason is the best thing for Harri? I mean, we all know that Harri has abandonment issues with everything that has happened in his life already. If Bruce takes Jason away from him, God knows what it'd do to him." Tim suggests. "How though? Bruce is the most hard headed person I have ever met." Dick tells him. "I'm not sure yet, but we'll work something out." Tim sighs. 'What about getting Harri to tell Bruce?' Cass signs. "Bruce wouldn't listen to him." Tim tells her. "What about Alfred, though? We all know he listens to him." Dick smiles. "Who listens to me, Master Richard?" Alfred asks, walking down the stairs. "Bruce, we're trying to think of a way to stop him ripping Harry and Jason away from each other." Dick explains. "I'll see what I can do, no promises though." Alfred tells the three teens.

Harri sits in a chair, glaring at Bruce as he gets lectured "What you did was extremely reckless and very dangerous." Bruce tells him. "JJ would never hurt me! He's my big brother!" Harri retorts. "He isn't stable right now, Harri. He needs help." Bruce explains. "So let me help him." Harri tells him. "You're just a child, Harri. Jason needs real help." Bruce sighs. "Then let me talk to him." the boy responds. "Harri, it is too dangerous. From now on, you're grounded. You're not to leave the Manor or its grounds until I tell you that you can, the only time you can leave is for school. Even then I want you to go straight to school and straight back here. You're not to see Jason under any circumstances." Bruce tells him. "You can't do that! He's my brother!" Harri shouts. "I can and I will. I'm your legal guardian and what I say goes." Bruce glares. "I hate you!" Harri screams running out of Bruce's study and to his room, making sure to slam the doors as he does. "That went well." Bruce sighs.