browngirl

This is my other story for

crackformary, and I wrote it because I've been in love with Mary's Gold-verse ever since I first read it, because

brown_betty wrote a story in it too, and because Mary keeps coming up with wonderful, shareable AUs, as any fan of Pretty Good Year knows.

And because I've fallen hopelessly in love with Robins.

Title: A Heart In Port
Fandom: DCU (AU: "Gold-verse" from "Five things that never happened to the Robins" by

monkeycrackmary)
Summary: You may have to do some things alone, but your family will be waiting when you return.
Characters: Dick, Jason, Tim, and Steph.
Rating: PG
Dedication: To

monkeycrackmary for, among many other things, writing AUs which draw others in to want to inhabit them.
Beta reader who deserves all gratitude:

petronelle, who looked this over at a moment's notice.

Gotham still looks unfamiliar, and it'll probably always look a little weird. It's been six months since the end of No Man's Land; the broken buildings are mostly gone, but their replacements are the sort of standard square skyscrapers a person could find in any city that's tall enough. Steph kinda misses the quirkier old-style Gotham buildings, all the gargoyles and Art Deco spires and giant freaky novelty things, as she stands on a streetcorner gawking up like a tourist at the scaffolding-covered Miller Center for Women's Studies. Silently she dares anyone to mug her; she can take them down without even disturbing the rush hour crowds streaming up and down the sidewalks. She kept in practice while she was gone.

But it's time to be back.

People see what they expect to see, Steph reminds herself, as she takes a deep breath and grabs a rung on the scaffolding. They'd notice Robin in bright spandex, but an ordinary blonde girl in a jeans jacket doesn't draw any notice as she climbs up the side of the building till she can reach the paneless window she saw from the street. From there it's a quick elevator-surf to the top floor, and an air duct to the roof.

Steph's missed the rooftops. The breeze is stiff, making her hair snap, pulllng her jacket away from her body. She closes her eyes, feeling the air rushing over her face, and wonders who'll find her first. If they haven't changed the patrols since she left, Dick and Jason should be on now, Tim in two hours, unless someone drops him a line or he uses his freakboy powers to figure out she's back.

The city lies around and below her, glinting with warm afternoon sunlight reflected from thousands of windows. Steph remembers saying she was sick and tired of Gotham, just after she got the news, and now her mouth twists ruefully; how could she ever get sick of this? She can see half the city, across the tall buildings and construction sites, cranes and streams of traffic to Robinson Park and the Botanical Gardens, and beyond them to the dark, gleaming Finger River. If she turned she could see Miller Harbor, the Sprang River, out to Arkham and up to Old Gotham, but she's still looking forward when Dick gets there.

Not that she hears him land, of course. But she can hear the jumpline whistle, and she grins as he walks into her peripheral vision, on his hands. "Hey, Robin."

"Good to see you, Robin." Dick flips upright, which is always fun to watch, and gives Steph a big cheerful grin and a hug that makes her eyes prickle. She presses her cheek against his lightly-armored chest for a long moment before she steps away. "How are you?"

"I'm..." When Steph has to think about it, she's not sure. She was so angry before, sad under it; she left her suit behind because she knew she'd do a few things in a not quite Robinly way, and there are a few thugs still in the hospitals in various suburbs and towns. Now... maybe she's calm, maybe she's just numb. If Cass weren't in Coast City with the Crows maybe she could look at Steph and tell her what she's feeling.

She grins at that thought, and it feels a little weird on her face, but ok. She looks up at Dick, and he's watching her, and waiting, not impatiently. A part of her wants to tell him to mind his fucking business. Most of her is really glad he asked. "I'm ok."

Dick grins again, wide and bright. "OK. Good. If you ever wanna talk."

"I know. Thanks." Steph looks down at the roof, trying to think of some sort of sensible question to change the topic.

Which makes the faint, "waaa!" she hears all the more welcome; she looks around just as Dick starts laughing, just as Jason goes from faint to really really loud. "--HOOOOOOOOO!" Jason flies in feet first, pulling in his grapple, tucking into a roll that takes him right to Steph's feet. She could kiss him.

Instead she punches his shoulder, of course. He grins up at her, grabbing at her wrist, and she's stoked that he misses. So he shoulders her in the knees, the bastard, and she falls over him and only her fingerless gloves save her from skinned palms as she flips, nearly overbalanced by his smack to her ass. "Fucker!"

"Language, Girl Wonder." Jason jumps up, and Steph's totally up for this, fists up and heart beating faster already. Dick's still laughing, but he steps between them. Killjoy.

"Sorry, Robins," Dick says between giggles. "But it's still daylight."

"You're no fun," Jason complains, making a big show of trying to get at Steph, and so-coincidentally pressing his chest against Dick's hand. Steph blows him a kiss between her own giggles, till being so happy starts to hurt and she has to bite her lip. This is where she's needed to be, all this time, on a roof with her fellow Robins. This is home.

Jason slides around Dick and holds out his arm, and Steph bumps his hip with hers as she tucks herself under it. "So you're back?" He can't quite keep the question out of it.

Steph punches at his cheek, he blocks it, and she squeezes him around his waist. "I'm back," she confirms. "I should swing by the Cave and get my suit, but I wanted to hit the roofs first. Maybe do a little birdwatching." Jason snickers. "How's everything been? And everyone?"

"Not bad," says Dick. "Everyone's fine; Alfred's got your bed turned down for you." Steph smiles at that, her cheeks prickling. Alfred's the best. "There were a couple of Arkham breakouts and a short crime wave around the long weekend."

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Jason squeezes her across her shoulders. "I'm headed in to restock anyway. Come back with me?"

Steph gestures to her outfit. "In plainclothes?"

"That's not a problem," says Tim from behind them, and Steph turns to see him climbing over the side of the roof, a satchel over his shoulder. If Steph didn't know him she couldn't see how fast he suited up, but there's a tiny bit of his mask left unstuck over his eyebrows, and his hair's still floppy Tim-hair, not all Robined up. Because of her. Steph's face is burning, and she grins at Tim as he swings a leg up over the edge of the roof and pushes himself up, and smiles so wide she can see teeth.

Jason lets go of her and Steph grabs Tim, bag and all, and hugs him as hard as she can. He makes a little "oof" sound and hugs her back, fingers stroking her shoulders like he's trying to be sure she's really there. She could hug him way too long if she let herself.

She pulls away, and Tim almost doesn't let her go for a moment. "Welcome back, Steph," Tim says, so quietly it's almost drowned out by the breeze. "And--" she knows what he's about to say-- "I'm sorry."

"Our condolences, Brown." Dick's voice is as gentle as his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Jason curls his hand around her arm.

Dammit, they're not gonna make her cry. Steph squeezes her eyes shut tight and shakes her head, once, twice, till her eyes prickle a little less and she can raise her head and smile. "Thanks. Robins, Thanks. I'm fine."

"We've all been..." Dick's still looking at her solemnly. They all are. "We've all lost parents. If you need anything..."

Boys. Steph waves her arms violently. "Really, I'm fine!"

That backs them off, finally. Tim pulls the duffel off his shoulder and hands it to her. "So. Here's your suit."

"Gold, you're the best." Steph tucks the bag against her side. "But... think I should let the big guy know I'm back?"

Tim smirks at her. "Who do you think told me?" And Jason's snickering behind her. Sometimes Steph really doesn't know why she puts up with any of them. She lifts her foot like she's about to step forward, and kicks backwards instead. Feels like she caught a shin, and Jason's "ow!" is really sweet. His kick grazes her quad as she hops forward, laughing.

Dick's smiling loud enough to be heard. "Go get changed, Robin. Wayne Tower, 1930?"

"About time, too." Jason's trying to sound pissed off, and failing miserably. "I'm tired already of double goddamn shifts."

"Poor little Gr-- ow!" OK, she got cocky. Steph rubs her shoulder and grins at Jason, and Dick, and Tim. "Well, what are you waiting for? Lemme go change already!"

Dick snickers, once, and takes off at a run, throwing himself off the roof like he always does. Jason waves and shoots his grapple. Tim smiles, says, "It's good to have you back, Robin," and takes off after Dick.

Steph shoulders her bag and finds her way off the roof again. Her dad's dead and nothing will change that, but Steph's back where she belongs, and her suit, and Gotham's skies, are calling.