Fic: Blood and Family 3/3. Everyone. PG-13.

[museofspeed]

Title: Blood and Family 3/3
Author: shananagin
Claim: supporting characters
Characters/Pairing: Ted/Babs, Dick/Babs, Tim/Bernard, Bruce/Selina, hints of Dinah/Helena and Steph/Cass. Pretty much every bat-related character you can think of, plus a few arrows.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4000
Prompt: For dcu_freeforall: 55. Writer's choice, for au_abc: Vampires, for fanfic50: 23. Fight, for wtf27: 24. Slaves.
Summary: Babs is mad at Ted, Tim's worried, Bruce is vengeful, and Cass can kick your ass. Oh, and there's a huge vampire battle.
Author's Notes: YES ANOTHER WIP DONE! This is still dedicated to cissie_king and unrequited_rain for suggesting the idea and wanting me to write random ass AUs respectively. Also, thanks to julius12 for being a kickass beta. This didn't end up going exactly as I expected it to be. For instance, it went from being predominantly a Cass/Steph piece to having practically zero Cass/Steph in it at all. In fact, Ted/Babs was supposed to be a side-pairing! But I'm happy with it. Part of Blood and Family. Follows this part.



"It's disgusting how little he cares that Jason's dead," Tim said.

"Well, he really loves Selina," Dick said. "Sometimes love blinds you."

"Dick, if you could stop being a hopeless romantic for five minutes?"

"Sorry," Dick said. "What were we talking about?"

"Jason," Tim said. He looked out over the city. "Bruce doesn't seem to care about his death."

"I'm sure he does!" Dick said. "Bruce is very caring underneath the blood-sucking evil undead monster thing."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "We're bloodsucking evil undead monsters too."

"I know," Dick said. "No need to remind me."

"I was just – " Tim broke off. Something was wrong.

"Just what?" Dick said.

Tim grabbed his head. It felt…no, it couldn't be.

His connection to Bernard had broken.

But the only way to break the connection between a vampire and his servant was by killing one of them. Tim was no deader than usual, so somehow, they must have killed Bernard.

Which meant Tim must have completely misjudged the slayers.

Dick was giving him a concerned look.

Tim smiled shakily at him. "Nothing," he said.

"Are you sure?" Dick asked. "Timmy, you know, whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I – " Tim hesitated. It might be helpful. If he could phrase it in a way that would keep Dick from figuring out his true motives. "You won't tell Bruce?"

Dick threw an arm around him. "Of course not."

Tim leaned into him. "I may have…fallen in love."

"You? Really?"

"Don't laugh."

Dick squeezed him. "I'd never laugh. I'm just surprised."

Tim nodded. "Well…I took…you have to promise not to tell Bruce."

"I would never tell Bruce."

"I took him as a human servant."

"That was a mistake. It…isn't the same if they have to love you."

"I know how you feel about this, Dick," Tim said. "I mean, you told me you ordered Barbara to escape but…I don't know. I thought it would be different."

"And it wasn't?"

"Well…I think…I think the slayers killed him."

Dick was silent for a moment. "Killed him? Are you sure?"

"You know the connection you feel to them in your head?"

"No. Remember, I've never had one of my own, only Barbara, and Bruce ordered her to follow my commands."

"Oh. Well…I just felt it severed. I can't compel him any more. And since there's no way to make someone no longer a human servant, he must have died."

"I'm sorry, Timmy," Dick said. "That's…that's hard."

Tim nodded. "At least I'll know better next time."

Dick hugged him. "I'm glad you're not as heartless as Bruce."

You have no idea, Tim thought.



Barbara stared at Bernard on her monitor. He hadn't moved for an hour after taking the cure, just sat there quietly with his head in his hands.

Barbara had let him. She had predicted a similar reaction. She remembered some of the things Bruce had made her do without any remorse, but she knew that if it weren't for the vampire's control over her, she would be completely disgusted by the very thought of them.

But Bernard had been sulking long enough. They didn't have time for Bernard to recover. Barbara turned off the monitor and walked to the room.

"How are you holding up?" she asked Bernard.

"Oh, I'm fantastic," Bernard said. "I can't believe I let that…that thing…ugh."

Barbara squeezed his shoulder sympathetically. "It's hard, I know. But Bernard, I need you to tell us all you can now. I know it's painful to remember, but is there anything you can tell us that can help us take them down?"

Bernard wiped his nose on his hand. "I can tell you what they're planning. I know how many of them there are and where they're massing forces."

Barbara sat down and pulled out a recording device. "Tell me," she said.



Word got around fast. Selina had been the first to join them, but there were many who would like the Slayers gone for good. Harleen Quinzel and Pamela Isley had shown up shortly after Selina. Oliver Queen had shown up, along with Dick's friend Roy. Bruce hoped Roy could alleviate some of Dick's lovesickness. As much as he wanted Dick to be happy, Bruce worried that Dick's love was making him weak. Harvey Dent and Edward Nigma had reluctantly shown up. Bruce wasn't surprised at all that Oswald Cobblepot wasn't there. He probably was hoping that he could move up through the ranks if the Slayers killed any of the vampires.

But Bruce had other things to worry about. Tim was acting strangely. He was nowhere near as happy as he usually was. He seemed more solemn, more serious.

It had started shortly after Jason died.

That must be it. Tim missed Jason.

Bruce made a mental note to sire a new brother for Tim and Dick. That would get Tim to cheer up.

And he still planned to turn one of the younger slayers into a human servant for Tim. The boy deserved to be happy. Bruce would keep him happy. Keep both his sons happy.

No matter what the cost.



Barbara left Bernard in a guest room with firm orders to rest. He'd told her a lot. Enough that she felt the beginnings of a plan forming in her head. She walked quickly to the Monitor Room, absorbed in thought.

"Oh, sorry!" she said automatically when she bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" Ted said, hastily putting down the book he'd been reading as he walked.

"Oh," Barbara said. "I have to go work."

"Babs, wait," Ted said. "I am sorry. Please, just let me – "

"No. I can't right now Ted. I'm busy. I've got a vampire massacre to plan."

"Just let me explain – "

"There's nothing to – "

Ted grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her.

Barbara was too surprised to react, and before she could gather her wits Ted pulled away.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm fully expecting a slap now."

"Ted," Barbara said. "I've told you. I can't right now."

"I know," Ted said. "And I wanted to explain. I'll wait for you. I'd wait forever if I had to."

"You're just saying that," Barbara said.

"No…well, maybe," Ted admitted. "But I'd wait a damn long time. And I would love you with or without paralyzed legs. You've got gorgeous legs, yes, but they aren't what I love about you."

"What do you love about me?" Barbara asked.

"Everything, Babs. I love how brilliant you are, and how you won't give up for anything, and how brave you are, and the way you're always so grumpy in the morning, and how you always pull on your earlobe when you're thinking hardest, and how you get all my stupid, geeky jokes, and everything."

"You're sounding besotted."

"I am besotted," Ted insisted. "I'm be-whatever you want! Barbara, the only, only reason I suggested we, you know, have sex is for you. If you're paralyzed from the waist down, there's a very good chance that'll include your, er, genitalia, and if we go through with this, it might be your last chance. For anyone, not just me." He looked down. "I get that I put it entirely the wrong way. The offer's still there, of course, but I won't be hurt or anything if you don't want to do it. Sorry, I'm a total idiot."

"You're not an idiot," Barbara said. "But Ted, I need a friend right now."

"I can do that too," Ted said. "I won't proposition you again."

"I liked it when you joked about it."

"So you want me to make jokes about something I'm dead serious about?"

"Yes."

Ted grinned. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Barbara laughed and hugged him. "Thanks, Ted."

He hugged her back. "Yeah," he said softly, "Anything."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "And Ted? I…I don't think I'll say no forever. I love you too. I just…not now. I need to be free."

"I understand," Ted said, wrapping his arms around her. "I'll wait."



"Is it just me or are Barbara and Ted being even more weird around each other than usual?" Steph said.

Cass shrugged.

"I think they did it," Steph said. "See, they're being all careful not to show any kind of emotion to each other. That totally means they did it."

"Did what?" Charlie asked, coming up behind them.

Steph jumped. Cass didn't react.

"Charlie! What are you doing here? I thought Babs sent you off to boarding school!"

Charlie shrugged. "She's bringing everyone here, didn't you hear? There's like, a gigantic slayer meeting."

"Why didn't Barbara tell me this?" Steph complained. "Cass, did she tell us?"

Cass nodded.

"Well, not when I was paying attention!" Steph said.

Cass smirked.

"Oh, you shut up," Steph said crossly. "Who else is here, Charlie?"

"Well, Helena, Zinda, Barda, and both Kates, of course," Charlie said. "And Renee too."

"I mean the people we care about," Steph said.

"Oh! Uh, Cissie and Anita came. And Mia and Rose." Charlie made a face. "And Lori."

"Ugh, Lori," Steph said. "Because we really need more angst."

"Not so bad," Cass said.

"You only say that cause you could totally beat her," Charlie said.

Steph threw an arm around Cass. "Cassie can beat anyone," she said proudly.

"I'd get annoyed and ask her to spar, but yeah, she could totally beat me," Charlie said.

Cass just smiled.

Barbara walked in with Barda, Kate Kane, and Helena. "Meeting, girls," she said. "Ten minutes. Upstairs."

"Sure, we'll be there," Steph said.



"Everyone understand the plan?" Barbara asked.

"It's not that complicated," Helena said. "We go down there, we kick vampire ass. What's to understand?"

"I like to think it's slightly more nuanced than that," Barbara said. "We've got different forces going at different times to throw them off – "

Helena rolled her eyes. "Got your megastake ready, Barda?" she asked.

Barda nodded. "Of course," she said.

Helena pushed open the door on Ted's ship. "Then let's go!"

Barda grinned, and the two of jumped down.

"Uh, should we go help them?" Charlie asked as vampires surrounded Helena and Barda.

"Yes, yes, go," Barbara said.

"Daaaaark vennnngeance!" Charlie screamed, bouncing into the fray. Kate followed.

"Steph, Cass, you're going with Zinda," Barbara said. The girls nodded, and Zinda led them away. "Ted?"

"Here with the cure," Ted said. "And you have no idea how terrible a plan I think this is."

"Oh, I know, you've said so several times," Barbara said, rolling up her sleeve.

Ted injected the cure. "You'll still feel the compulsion, but you should be able to resist it," he said. "Any chance I can convince you to stay out of the action?"

"Nope, not a chance," Barbara said. "You'll just have to follow me out to save my butt when we kill Wayne."

Ted laughed and hugged her. "Kiss for good luck?"

Barbara pecked him on the cheek. "Take what you can get."

Ted turned his head and kissed her quickly on the mouth. "What if I can get that?"

"Don't press your luck," Barbara said, smiling. "But we don't have time. They need us out there."

"Let's go!" Ted said. He pressed a few buttons and the Bug landed. Barbara and Ted climbed out and dived into the battle.

Wayne saw her. "Barbara Gordon!" he commanded. "You're fighting the wrong enemies. Slay the humans!"

Barbara felt tempted, for an instant, then she smirked. "You've got no power over me!" she yelled, and staked a nearby vampire.

"Babs!" Grayson shouted. He pushed through the crowds. "What are you doing here? I told you – "

"Does it matter?" Barbara asked. "You're my enemy. I'm not going to do what you say, am I?"

"I'm not your – " Grayson started.

"Dick! Kill her! Somehow she's thrown off our control!" Wayne shouted.

"You did?" Grayson said. "Babs – "

"You heard him," Barbara said. "You're supposed to kill me."

"I don't want to hurt you?"

Barbara smirked. "Just try."



"Do you see Wayne?" Steph asked.

Cass darted under two vampires, staking both of them. She pointed.

"Let's go!" Steph said.

They ducked and dodged, slaying any vampire that threatened the other, until they got to Wayne.

Cass raised her stake and lunged. Wayne saw her and caught the stake.

"You two killed Jason," he said. "Now, you die!"



The battle was as chaotic as Tim had hoped, but somehow, he wasn't enjoying it as much as he could have been. He'd planned to have Bernard with him. Somehow, it wasn't as enjoyable now.

Tim saw a pair of sunglasses fly out of the fray.

Sunglasses. In the night time.

No, it was impossible. Tim dodged over to where the sunglasses landed anyway.

They were Bernard's. He'd recognize them anywhere.

Tim looked up. Bernard was there. Alive.

Though not for much longer if he continued attempting to move through the fight like that. Tim ran to Bernard and tackled him, pushing the two of them away from the fight.

Bernard's eyes were wide. Tim touched his shoulder gently.

"I thought you were dead," he said. "I felt the connection sever."

Bernard looked down. "Yeah…I was cured."

"Cured?"

"Long story. Look, I have to go. I've got – "

"Bernard."

Bernard didn't look up. Tim gently guided his head up. Bernard looked terrified. Tim felt regretful, for a moment, that he'd brought Bernard into this life.

"I missed you," Tim said. He leaned forward to kiss Bernard and screamed.

The pentacle on Bernard's necklace glowed.



Helena wielded a cross in one hand and a stake in the other. She staked vampires left and right, clearing a path to the only one she really cared about.

"Queen," she growled, shoving aside Roy Harper with her cross. She ignored his screams.

"Bertinelli," Queen said, drawing his bow. "I've been waiting for this. My pretty bird was so sure you'd come to her rescue."

"She's not yours!" Helena said. "And I have a hard time taking seriously a vampire that plays with pointy sticks."

"Arrows are cool!" Queen said.

"And much more deadly to your kind than mine."

Queen loosed an arrow at Helena. It grazed her hand, forcing her to drop her cross.

"Aah!" she shouted, lunging at Queen. "I'll kill you!"

"Too late, already dead," Queen said. He loosed another arrow. It hit Helena in the side.

Helena dropped her stake as the pain hit her. She grabbed her side, faltering.

"Too bad, isn't it," Queen said. "You almost got close." He leered and leaned closer to her. "Of course, I could always just take you as another human servant. I'm sure Dinah would appreciate the company."

With a shout, Helena ripped the arrow out of her side and stabbed it into Queen's heart.

"Shouldn't…use pointy sticks…" she gasped, smiling slightly as Queen exploded into dust. She pressed her hand to her side. She was losing too much blood.

"You're free, Dinah," she whispered as she blacked out.



"I heard you were tough," Steph taunted, dodging Wayne's blows as he swung at her. "Babs painted this picture of a huge, macho, scary vampire man, but you're not that scary."

"I thought you slayers were supposed to be smart," Wayne growled. "Taunting vampires isn't wise."

"But it's fun!" Steph said. "Banter's part of slayer training."

"Right," Wayne said. "How did Barbara escape? How is she evading my compulsion?"

"That's a secret," Steph said, lunging at him with a stake.

"I'll find out," Bruce said, grabbing her arm. He twisted and Steph heard a sickening crack as the bone broke.

"Steph!" Cass shouted.

Steph winced at the pain and kicked Wayne in the crotch.

Wayne dropped her. "Was that part of slayer training?" he asked, wincing.

"No," Steph said. "But that was." She pointed behind him.

"I'm not falling for that," Wayne said.

"Good," Cass said, planting a stake in his back.



Dick was holding back. He fended off Barbara's attacks, but he wouldn't attack her back.

"Try and hurt me, you bastard," Barbara shouted.

"I never wanted you to come to any harm!" Dick said.

Barbara screamed as her spine broke. Her legs gave out and she collapsed. Bruce was gone.

Dick leaped forward to catch her. "Barbara!" he shouted.

Barbara glared at him. "Put me down!" she gasped.

"You're hurt!" Dick said. "What happened?"

"Wayne is dead," Barbara said. "That's at least half you bastards gone. More if any of my agents have found that brother of yours."

"Leave Tim out of this. Barbara, if we don't get you help or something soon, you'll die."

"You shouldn't care!"

Dick kissed her.

Barbara shoved her stake into his heart.

Dick pulled out of the kiss and looked at her, relief in his eyes.

"Thank you," he mouthed as he crumpled into dust.

Barbara fell to the ground and wondered if she'd die.

"Babs!" Ted shouted. "Wayne's dead! We are getting you out now!"

"Ted," Barbara muttered. "You're here."

"Of course I am, Babsy. Come on, I called Pieter. He'll help you if anyone can."

"Thanks, Ted," Barbara said as Ted used a stretcher to carefully move her into the Bug. She thought she saw Misfit defending the two of them, but she couldn't be sure. She knew that Pieter Cross was a brilliant doctor. He'd do everything he could to cure her, but she was prepared for the worst.

"Love you, Ted," she whispered. "Wanted you to know…before it's too late."

"It won't be too late," Ted said. "I promise."

"Still," Barbara said. She couldn't really feel the pain anymore. Just blackness.

"I love you too," she heard Ted say, then everything was silent.



"Give up, Drake," Steph said. She, Cass, and Cissie had found the third of Wayne's children cowering at the edge of the battlefield with the kid Barbara had taken in. "Wayne, Grayson, Todd, all of them dead and you're not as powerful as them."

"Right, so I should just offer myself up to be killed," Drake said, holding the kid in front of him like a shield. "Good plan, but I'll pass."

"So fight us!" Steph said.

"I'm not stupid," Drake said. "I know I'll lose."

"We're not letting you continue terrorizing the city," Cissie said.

"I don't plan on it. I'll walk away from here and lead a quiet life that consists of only drinking as much blood as is necessary to live and not killing anyone," Drake said. "I promise."

"Like we'd trust you," Steph said.

"Fine," Drake said. "You let me go free, and Bernard lives."

"Please," the kid said. "I don't want to die."

"Cass can take you out before you blink," Steph said.

"I don't need to blink," Drake said. "I just need to snap his neck."

"Do that and you've lost your bartering chip."

"But you'll have failed to protect him. How will Barbara Gordon feel about that, hmm?"

"Let him go," Cass said.

"We can't!" Steph said. "We're so close to completely destroying them."

Cass touched her shoulder. "We get him later," she said.

"I don't trust him," Cissie said.

"I'm shocked," Drake said. "Now, are we going to discuss this more? Because I really need to get to shelter. And I would have plenty of time to kill Bernard before the dawn killed me, by the way."

"Oh god," Bernard said. "Please, just do what he says, I didn't want to get mixed up in all this to begin with, please – "

"How do we know you won't just kill him anyway?" Steph asked.

"You don't," Drake said. "But I won't."

Steph stared at him for a minute. "You let go of him before you get out of sight or we'll come after you and kill you."

Cissie pulled an arrow from her quiver. "I'm good at distances," she said.

"I will," Drake said. "Please, move to one side, I'd rather not have any of you at my back."

Drake backed away from them, holding the terrified Bernard in front of him. When he reached the corner, he pushed the boy forward and dashed away before Cissie's arrow could hit him. Steph and Cass rushed forward, but Drake was gone.



Barbara woke up in a clean hospital room surrounded by flowers and Ted, who was reading in a chair next to her bed.

She moved to sit up. Her legs wouldn't respond.

"Barbara!" Ted said, dropping his book and reaching for her.

"My legs – "

"We couldn't save them," Ted said. "I'm sorry, Babs."

Barbara nodded. Her head felt weird. "Painkillers?"

"Yeah, enough that you're probably high as a kite right now."

"Did we win?"

Ted nodded. "We killed about two thirds of them, we think. Tim Drake's the only one that survived from Wayne's clan."

"How about us?"

"Amazingly, no casualties. Helena was pretty badly hurt, but Pieter managed to save her."

"Bernard?"

"Sent him home. Helena's going to keep an eye out for him. Oh, and Dinah's back."

"Good," Babs said. "I think I'm gonna pass out again now."

"Babs, wait," Ted said, grabbing her hand. "Right before you blacked out, at the battle, did you mean it?"

"Ted – "

"I need to know."

"I meant it, Ted."

Ted kissed her forehead. "That's all I wanted to know. Sleep now. Heal."



It had been a week since the battle. Tim was lying low, just as he'd promised. He was thinking of finding a new, smaller town with fewer slayers in it. Maybe in California or something. But not until things settled down a little more.

An hour after sunset, someone knocked on the door.

Tim stood up wearily and went to answer it. The slayers wouldn't knock, so most likely it was someone who lived nearby getting too curious for their own good. In other words, a meal.

"Who is it?" Tim asked as he opened the door.

Bernard was standing there.

"Bernard," Tim said. "Brought your friends with you?"

"That's not fair," Bernard said. "I went along with your plan, didn't I? I did everything you asked of me."

"You were cured! I didn't even know that was possible! And you were wearing a holy symbol! I didn't even know you believed in any of that stuff!"

"Well, I didn't know you were a vampire. Guess we're even," Bernard said. "And don't you think it would have been a mite suspicious if I'd resisted taking the cure? Or wearing some protection? I told them to go where you wanted them to go and they killed off your vampires for you. Everything went exactly as you planned! Except holding me hostage, of course. Did I ever thank you for not killing me?"

"I wouldn't have killed you."

"Great. How reassured I am now!"

"How'd you find me?" Tim asked.

"One of your vampire friends. Damian or something. Said he was one of Wayne's children. I think he thought I'd tip off the slayers. You're not very loved."

"That brat," Tim muttered. "Why did you find me?"

"Because I'm an idiot," Bernard said. "And I guess that even though you're an evil creature of the night, I still sort of am in love with you. Now, I'm sure you don't return my feelings, but I figured I might as well let you know."

"It isn't safe for you out here," Tim said. "Go back to living a normal life."

"Your life is more interesting."

"Too interesting."

"Tim, you need company. You'll go insane all alone all the time."

"You won't live forever. Better to cut off ties now."

"You could make me live forever," Bernard said, touching Tim's shoulder. "But go all the way this time. Make me a full vampire like you. Not just a human servant."

"You don't really want that," Tim said. "Think about it. You'll be a teenager forever. It's not nearly as fun as it sounds."

"But I'd have you with me, wouldn't I," Bernard said.

Tim turned toward Bernard. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am," Bernard said without hesitating.

Tim smiled and let his fangs extend. He bit into Bernard's neck and started feasting. Eternity would be a lot more interesting with some company.