A Super Halloween
By Gaeriel Mallory

DISCLAIMER: All characters except for the rabbit and the chicken are property of DC Comics. I do not own them. This story is meant for entertainment purposes only and I am making no money off of it whatsoever.

Alfred opened the door and smiled at the red-headed girl on the other side. "Why hello, Miss Gordon."

Barbara grinned, showing gleaming braces, and walked through the door. "Where's Dick?" she asked.

"Master Richard should be down shortly. If you want, you could wait in the family room."

She shook her head. "Nah. I'm fine out here."

Bruce Wayne strolled down the stairs, black cape swirling behind him. He pulled his sword from his sheath and struck a fencing pose. "Well," he asked the duo. "What do you think?" He performed a few lazy passes with the sword before resheathing it.

Barbara giggled while Alfred gave a dry, "Very dashing, Sir Zorro."

Bruce straightened his mask and fiddled with his fake mustache. "I do thank you for doing this, Barbara. I know you probably have a party you'd rather be going to or something."

The girl shook her head. "Not really. It was either stay home or be dragged with dad to the Halloween party down at the station."

Just then, a red and blue blur streaked down the stair banister and flipped off the end, landing on the floor of the foyer. "Babs! Do you like my costume?"

Barbara grinned at the sight of Dick Grayson dressed as Superman. "I love it. You look just like the real thing."

Dick smiled at his babysitter and turned to Bruce. He fidgeted. "Can we leave now?"

Bruce felt his lips twitching at the petulant tone in his young ward's voice. "Just a moment, chum. I think Alfred wants a picture of the two of us before we head out."

"Quite right, sir." Alfred picked up his camera that was lying on the front table. Aiming it at his two charges, he said, "Smile."

The two obliged and the flash went off. Bruce then picked up Dick and swung him in his arms. "Now, you be good for Barbara. She'll take you trick-or- treating around Gotham and then back to her house. We'll pick you up later tonight."

"Sure thing, Bruce," Dick answered eagerly. "I have my sack and everything." He held out his empty pillowcase that would be weighted down with candy before the end of the evening.

Bruce let him down on the ground and he ran out the door. "You slowpokes coming or not?"

The three laughed and followed Dick to the car.

* * *

"Ah, come on, Babs. Just one more house. Please?" Dick begged. He clutched his pillowcase full of candy in his hand and looked up at Barbara with puppy-dog eyes. It was growing late and most of the other trick-or-treaters had already gone home.

Barbara laughed and ruffled his hair. "Fine, squirt. Just one more house. But that's it."

Dick jumped up and let out a cheer, running towards the first house on the next block. Barbara laughed and followed behind, though more slowly. Neither of them registered the two figures hiding in the alleyway until they stepped in front of Dick.

"Well, well." A bigger kid than Dick grinned at his friend. "What do we have here, Tommy?"

Tommy grinned evilly. "Looks like a little kid out trick-or-treating, Ron."

"Aw, how cute." Ron looked at Dick. "You know, that's an awful lot of candy you have there. Didn't you know it's nice to share?"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Dick studied their costumes and resisted the urge to laugh. "I'm being held up by the Easter Bunny and a chicken. Oooh. Scary."

"Hey, you leave our costumes alone!" Tommy said. "My mom picked this out." He patted the floppy ears and wriggled his whiskers at Dick. "And I didn't ask you if you liked our costumes. I want your candy. Hand it over." He held out one hand and Dick bit is lip to keep from giggling again. Tommy's hand was encased in the costume's enormous paws.

"You leave him alone!" Barbara ran forward and grabbed Dick's arm, pulling him backwards so that he was behind her.

"What's the matter, kid?" Ron the chicken sneered. "Gonna let your girlfriend protect you?"

"From a rabbit and a chicken? I don't think so." Dick stuck his tongue out at the two older boys.

Ron reached out and tried to grab Dick but Dick was no longer there. "Too slow," the younger boy taunted. "Aw, what' the matter? Chicken?" Barbara let a giggle escape in spite of herself.

Tommy stepped towards Dick. "Come on, kid. Hand over your bag and we'll leave you and the girl alone."

"I don't like bullies," Dick stated. "You can find your own candy."

Tommy sighed and charged at Dick.

He swung his bag of candy around in his hand. "You want it so bad? You can have it!" He let loose and the pillowcase soared through the air and hit Tommy in the stomach. The rabbit was knocked onto the ground. Dick then grabbed his bag back and turned, catching hold of Barbara's hand. "Run!"

The two ran, glancing over their shoulders. Behind them, Ron and Tommy were picking themselves up from the ground and looked to be debating whether or not to give chase. Just then, a bus pulled up at the end of the block and Barbara and Dick managed an extra spurt of speed, reaching the bus and clamoring on. Barbara fumbled in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out two quarters and dropped them into the slot.

The two collapsed on a seat and looked at each other. "Well, that was some adventure there, squirt. Where'd you learn to move like that?"

"I grew up in a circus, remember?" Dick grinned at her.

She smiled back. "Yeah. You act like it too!"

"Hey!"

"Well, this is certainly a night that I won't forget."

Dick smiled. "Yeah, and I still kept my candy!"

Barbara grinned and hugged him with one arm. "You should have just given it to those guys. There was plenty of candy back at my house. You could eat yourself sick there."

Dick sighed, enjoying the feeling of Barbara's arm around him. "Hey, you know what, Babs?"

"What?"

"I think I like trick-or-treating."

The two dissolved into giggles and the bus driver looked at the two of them in the rearview mirror. He shook his head and smiled. "Kids," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Fifteen years later--

"Hey, what do you have there, Dick?" Barbara asked as she rolled into the living room of her apartment.

Dick looked up and smiled at her. "Just an old photo album of Bruce's. I thought I'd bring it over and we could go through it."

"Anything interesting, Shortpants?" She moved so that she sat next to Dick and looked over his shoulder.

He pointed to a picture. "Look familiar?"

She smiled at the sight of a ten year old Dick Grayson in a Superman costume. "I remember that!" she exclaimed. "Those two guys tried to scare us but then you kicked their butts."

He looked up at her. "Want to take me trick-or-treating again, Babs?" he asked with a grin. "It is Halloween tomorrow."

"Like you could still fit into that Superman costume," she teased.

"I could try!" He looked back down at the picture again and the other figure in it. "It's odd seeing Bruce smiling. I forgot sometimes that his muscles do move that way." He sighed. "I had so much fun that night, not because of those two guys, but because I was with you."

She impulsively leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He looked up in surprise at her. "What was that for?"

She moved out of her wheelchair and onto the couch next to him. "Just for being you," she said as she leaned back against his chest.

He reached up and brushed her cheek. "I love you, Barbara Gordon," he whispered.

"I know," she whispered back.

They sat that way for a long while, just enjoying each other's company. They had spent so much time dancing around each other, wasting so many years. Now finally together, each was still a bit amazed how well they fit together.

Their quiet moment was interrupted however, by Cassandra Cain opening the front door and bounding through it. Barbara smiled at the girl. "What's up, Cass?"

"Robin say take me trick treat!" she exclaimed happily. "Get candy!"

"Oh, really? What's going to be your costume?"

Cassandra grinned again. "Ba--"

"No, you cannot wear your Batgirl costume to go trick-or-treating." Tim entered the room and leaned against the wall. He sighed heavily and looked towards Cass again. "You're supposed to dress up as something that you aren't. Can't you go as a fairy or a princess or something?"

Dick shared a grin with Barbara.

Cass shook her head. "Batgirl costume is costume. Why not?"

"But you are Batgirl!" Tim ran a hand through his hair. He turned towards the two on the couch. "Help me out here," he pleaded.

Barbara sighed and got back into her wheelchair. She looked at her watch. "Come on, Cass. I'll take you to get a costume. It's kinda last minute but we'll make do."

"Go shopping?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes. We'll go shopping." Barbara wheeled into her bedroom and returned a moment later with her purse and a jacket.

"Mall?"

"Um, sure. I guess the mall will work."

"Mall good," the girl who now wore the mantle of Batgirl exclaimed. "Have fountains. Pretty."

Barbara smiled. "I'll let you throw some coins in, okay?"

Cassandra nodded happily and skipped out the door. Barbara looked over at Dick and Tim. "You guys can stay here. We shouldn't be too long." She started to leave but stopped. "Oh, one more thing. Don't. Touch. The. Computer." The door slammed shut behind her.

"Man. You'd think she didn't trust us or anything." Tim joined Dick on the couch. "So, what's up, bro?" he asked.

"Not much. Just hanging out with Babs." Dick looked at Tim curiously. "So why are you taking Cass trick-or-treating?"

"Dude! Did you know that she's never been? That's, like, a crime." Tim shook his head woefully. "You get to dress up and run around like crazy and people give you candy. For free. Halloween is the best night of the entire year."

Dick smiled. "Well, I wouldn't know about that. But I gotta admit, the free candy is good. So, really. Why Cass and why trick-or-treating?"

"What? It isn't enough that I'd like to spend some time with her when we're not on stakeout, getting shot at, or trying to beat the living crap out of each other?"

"You try," Dick said. "She's the one who does most of the beating, though."

"Ow." Tim clutched his chest. "Low blow there, Dick. You hurt me." He fell back onto the sofa and played dead. A pillow was thrown into his face. "Oof." He sat up and glared at Dick. "That was mean."

"I know." Dick leaned back on the couch. "So, your intentions are purely innocent, huh, Boy Wonder?"

"Of course."

"You just want Cass to have some fun right?"

"Absolutely."

"Relive some of her non-existent childhood."

"You got it, bro."

"And you think she's hot."

"Oh, definit--Hey!"

Dick smiled triumphantly at Tim. "I knew it!" he crowed. "You think she's hot!"

Tim was turning red in the face. "Okay. So what if I do? She is!"

Dick held his hands out in front of him. "I'm not disputing that! But still, it's kinda funny..." He chuckled to himself.

"Why is it funny?" Tim asked indignantly.

"Robin and Batgirl, sitting in a tree," Dick began. "K-I-S-S-I-N--Hey!" Dick caught the pillow easily before it hit him. "Easy there, Timbo. No need to try and take my head off."

Tim stuck his tongue out at the man who was like an older brother to him. "You suck, Dick."

"Yeah, but Babs sure likes it." He grinned evilly at Tim.

"Ah! TMI!" Tim held his hands over his ears and winced.

"Okay, all fooling aside," Dick sat back. "I'd think you and Cass would make a cute couple."

Tim looked at Dick suspiciously. "You do?"

Dick shrugged. "Sure. Batgirl and Robin. It's happened before. It can happen again."

Tim blushed slightly and looked down at his hands. "You think so, Dick? Because, well..."

"You really like her."

Tim nodded, still not looking at Dick.

"Been there, bro. Believe me. But me and Babs are finally together so everything worked out all right in the end."

"Thanks, Dick." Tim noticed the photo album on the coffee table and picked it up. "Hey, is that--It is!" He started laughing. "Aw, look at little Dickie in his Superman outfit. How cute."

"Careful, kid," Dick growled. "I don't *have* to let you live, you know."

"Yeah right. Like you'd want to explain to Bruce why you killed his partner." Tim studied the picture some more. "You know, this would make prime blackmail material. Especially if it happened to end up in a certain Amy Rorhbach's mailbox."

Dick plucked the book out of Tim's hands. "Nuh uh. Then Bruce would kill you for letting a picture of him as Zorro loose into the world."

"Dude! That was Bruce?" Tim tried to grab the album back put Dick held out an arm and pushed him back.

"Hey, as much as you may make fun of the costume, let me tell you something. Barbara took me trick-or-treating that night and look where we ended up." Dick smiled smugly, still holding on to the photo album.

"Yeah," Tim scoffed. "As if you two got together because you dressed up like Clark as a kid."

Dick waggled a finger at Tim. "Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it."

* * *

Barbara opened the door to her apartment and entered tiredly. She smiled at the two men on her couch. "Well, I survived. Whether you'd like a second opinion on that is up to you."

"You find a costume for Cass?" Tim asked.

Barbara rolled her eyes. "I think she tried on every single one in the store. Firefighter, ballerina, Xena... You name it, she wore it."

Tim tried to banish the mental picture of Cass dressed in warrior princess garb and failed.

Dick looked curiously at Barbara. "So what did she finally pick?"

"See for yourself." She wheeled out of the way to let Cassandra enter.

The girl walked into the room, red cape and skirt fluttering. She placed her fists on her hips and grinned proudly. "Me Supergirl!"

--fin--

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