Pawn of the Sea

Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at writing a story in this fandom. I basically became a Nightwing fan from reading fan fiction so I suppose that's where a lot of my information has come from. Please keep this in mind as you read. Thanks to B for doing the beta work.

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Dick Grayson was in the process of applying his Nightwing mask when he heard his computer chime. He smiled to himself, rushing over to the machine to quickly answer the call. He set the mask on the desk beside him and grinned at the handsome face on the screen. "Garth! You made it safely?"

The Atlantean ambassador ran a hand through his dark, curly hair and sighed loudly. "Yes, I'm finally here."

"You okay?" Dick leaned in closer to the screen.

"Yes, fine, but here is not where I want to be. A month is too long to spend away from you, Robbie."

Dick's smile lit up his bright blue eyes. "I know it is, but you have duties as an ambassador, and one of those duties is spending time in Atlantis. I knew that going in."

"Ah, you bat boys and your endless sense of duty."

"The pot calling the kettle," Dick answered snidely.

Garth smiled in return. "Touché, love."

"How is Arthur?" Dick asked as he leaned back in his chair and pulled one leg up to start stretching his quads. Garth smiled inwardly, knowing his lover was beginning to prepare himself for a night on the rooftops. He wished he was there so he could try to distract him. Trying to entice Nightwing into spending a night in was one of his favorite games, even though it was not usually successful. The times it did work, though, were amazing.

Garth pulled himself out of his reverie. "Arthur is...well...Arthur."

"Yeah, a regular Mister Rogers, huh?"

"Who?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Old TV reference."

"Oh, okay. Well, I suppose I should go. I have a state dinner to attend. I am the guest of honor."

Dick eyed his lover silently through the computer screen and Garth regarded him back, equally silent.

"Boring!" they both called out at the same time and then broke into laughter.

"Okay, I'll say good bye, then," Dick said when he had settled down.

"Robbie, wait," Garth called out.

"Yes?"

"I...I want to tell him. I want to tell Arthur about us."

"Are you sure? I mean, you know who the first person he'll call will be. Are you ready for them all to know?"

Garth smiled gently. "Yes. I want them all to know. I love you, Dick, and I want to tell everyone we know. I want to tell the whole world!"

"Whoa, slow down, gillhead," Dick chuckled. "Let's start with Aqua man and the Bat, and see how it goes from there. Give me a few days to get my courage up, though, will you? You know I'll have to tell Bruce before Arthur does it. He'll kill me if he hears it from anyone but me."

"I won't say anything until you're ready, but I want to do it while I'm here. He at least deserves to hear it in person."

"Agreed."

"I really have to go now, Robbie. I love you."

"You too, Garth. You'll call me tomorrow?"

"Yes, and every night we are apart."

"Until then."

"Until then." The link went dead and Dick reached over to close the window. He smiled to himself as memories of the blissful past few months with Garth washed over his brain. He stood up and applied his mask, did a few stretches and climbed out his window, getting ready to shoot off a line. He paused for a moment. Oh, Lord, he was going to have to tell Batman that he was in love with Tempest, Garth, the Atlantean ambassador, and worst of all, Arthur's foster son. Holy awkward conversations, Batman!

When Nightwing slipped out his window, a clear, gelatinous mass moved out from the entertainment center, and made it's way to the front door. It then slid under the door and into the hall where it oozed under yet another door that led into a utility closet. There, it quickly formed into a man-like shape and donned clothes that would disguise him enough to get him back to the waterfront without being noticed.

The Jelly-man was elated. His boss would be very interested to learn what he had heard tonight. Yes, he would be extremely pleased.

He tucked in a stray tentacle, opened the door and made his way out into the night.

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A week later Dick leaned against his squad car while he waited for his partner, Sgt. Amy Rohrback, to come out of the coffee shop. He sighed heavily and flipped open his cell phone. Garth had gently prodded him last night to make some time to talk with Bruce about their relationship so he could finally talk to Arthur. Dick had begrudgingly agreed, and had said he would have a time set when Garth called him that night. It's not that Dick was ashamed of Garth. Far from it. He knew without doubt that he had found a life partner in the other man. It was just that he didn't feel like he had the time or energy to go there with Bruce.

Dick was bi-sexual. It wasn't something he necessarily hid, but he didn't broadcast it either. To be honest he and Bruce never talked about stuff like that at all. And while Bruce wasn't homophobic, he wasn't sure how the older man was going to react to Dick being in a relationship with a man. That wasn't even the worst of it, though. The most difficult thing for Bruce to accept was going to be that it was Garth, someone who was not a part of the tight knit Bat clan. It's not that he didn't trust Garth, it was just that he wasn't "bat" and that would be a strike against him. Not to mention how Bruce would feel about being in-laws, after a fashion, with Aquaman.

He finally dialed the number for Bruce's cell and waited for him to pick up.

"Wayne."

"Hey, Bruce, it's Dick."

"Dick! It's good to hear from you, son. How are things in Bludhaven?"

"Oh, same cesspool as always. I broke up a major drug ring two nights ago." Dick wanted to kick himself at the eager, approval seeking tone of his own voice.

"That's great, Dick. You make me proud."

Dick grinned goofily and then gritted his teeth. "Yeah, um, thanks. Well, listen, I'd like to talk something over with you. Can we hook up? Maybe tonight?"

"Sure, why don't you come to the cave after patrol?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine, but, Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"I need to talk with you, not the Bat."

"Oh, well, okay, that's fine. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, fine. In fact everything's great."

"I'm glad, son. I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, bye, Bruce."

"Good-bye."

Dick closed his phone and tucked it back in his pocket, smiling as Amy emerged from the coffee shop, carrying two steaming cups.

"Here, Rookie," Amy said as she handed one of the cups to Dick. "Maybe this will put a little zip in your step today. You look tired."

Dick smiled gratefully at her, lifting the hot, caffeine filled liquid to his lips. "Yeah, late night."

"You should lay off the partying, Rookie," she chastised him.

If only, Dick thought to himself. They both got back in the car and Amy pulled away from the curb. Suddenly a car clipped their rear bumper, causing Dick's coffee to fly out of his hands. "Shit!"

The blue car didn't bother to stop, and sped around them, into traffic. "Oh, he did not just do that," Amy muttered as she flipped on her siren and lights and took off after him. The car led them on a chase down to the river front and then made the mistake of pulling out onto an abandoned dock. "Got you now, you bastard," she gritted out. The car stopped and a figure, wearing a hooded sweatshirt jumped out. Before Amy could even come to a full stop Dick was leaping from the squad car in pursuit.

Much to Dick and Amy's surprise their assailant ran to the end of the dock and leaped into the dirty river.

Amy saw that Dick was not slowing down his pursuit and yelled after him. "Rookie! Dick, no! Don't you dare!"

Dick didn't even slow down as he smoothly dove into the river after the caller.

The icy cold water took his breath away as he opened his eyes and tried to find the other man in the murky water. Dick's eyes widened as he saw the black sweatshirt, the man had been wearing float by. Dick's head broke the surface and he could hear Amy yelling at him as he looked frantically for the man he'd been chasing. Suddenly something wrapped around his foot and he felt a searing pain in his leg as he was dragged under. He tried to fight, but his limbs seemed almost paralyzed.

Amy watched her partner being jerked under and screamed. "Dick! Dick!" He didn't break the surface of the filthy water as she frantically placed the 'officer down, needs assistance' call, while staring at the river, hoping to see some sign of her partner.

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