Danny Is Dick And Barbara’s Kid. PART 2

Danny is Dick and Barbara’s kid. PART 2

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“And what the hell was I supposed to do back then?!” Dick growls as he abruptly stands up from his seat and peels away the domino mask from his face in frustration, the sting of ripping it away not even registered. “I was nineteen and Babs was already feeling doubts about us and about the vigilante life!”

“You could have talked to me!” Bruce growls back, his much more controlled than his son’s, his cowl away from his face from the very beginning.

“How?! Could you even have listened to me?! Back then we were always fighting! How I was supposed to trust you?!”

Bruce lets a tired sigh escape his lips as both his fists make controlled contact against the desk, he clearly wanted to punch it hard given how his arms are shaking. “What about Jim?”

“He doesn’t know either.” Dick answer with low voice.

“Dick…”

“Barbara was terrified of his reaction.” The younger male cuts his father’s words.

Bruce gives another controlled punch to his desk as he closes his eyes in frustration and tightens his lips to not curse.

“We told Alfred.” Dick finally reveals and Bruce’s head snaps up in attention. “You know how he knows someone in every corner.” Dick finally turns to look at Bruce and Dick cleans the tears away from his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Remember when Babs went on an ex-change student program? She actually moved to Seattle and spend her pregnancy months there, when the baby was due, I travelled there and spent the whole week with her, a couple of hours after the child was born Alfred appeared with some mysterious government agent woman and she took away the baby. Couple of months later Alfred notified me that he had been adopted and given a name, he gave me and Babs a picture of the family that had adopted him… the same picture that the Fentons had hanging in their living room… please, don’t look at me like that.” He pleads as tears gather in his eyes gain.

Bruce is silent, his hands still fist on top of his desk, his steel blue eyes full of hurt and unshed tears. “Daniel James Fenton.” Another tired – frustrated – sigh leaves the big old bats mouth as he rubs tears away and all of a sudden, his all business, squaring his shoulders and giving one deep breath. “We have managed to place the Fenton siblings under the foster care of Bruce Wayne, they both should arrive to Wayne manor around dinner.”

Dick’s eyes shake as he looks at his dad.

“I do not want you or Barbara there for the first week at least…

“But-!

“This is clearly a very emotional matter and you both as well as Daniel and Jasmine need time to adjust. I’ll talk to the others and Alfred about the situation, but it is up to you and Barabara how you two want to proceed.” Bruce tone was definitive, it wasn’t an order as Batman but as Dick’s father.

“Don’t tell the brood yet… please let me be the one to tell them.” Dick pleads.

“Damian heard Barbara in the comms, Dick.”

“Then just tell him to give me time, that I’ll explain everything.” Dick says as he walks closer to Bruce, his gaze desperate.

“Fine.” Bruce grunts. “But you two better tell Gordon, Dick. He deserves to know.” Dick’s dad says.

“Yes, sir.” Dick agrees with defeated demeanor and shaking voice.

“One more thing, Martian Manhunter and Constantine are the ones in charge of Amity Park and Daniel’s case, do not go asking for information because they have been ordered to not share any information with you nor any other member of the family, specially you and Barbara.”

“Yeah… I get it.” Dick wobbly nods.

Bruce gets closer to his son and hugs him tight. “He is safe now, son. He is back home. We are gonna make it work.”

Dick’s forehead makes contact with Bruce’s shoulder as he tightens the hug and cries on his dad’s shoulder.

***

When Bruce teleported back to the batcave an hour after his talk with his oldest son the only one waiting for him with a worried gaze is Damian, who is sitting on one of the office chairs they have in the cave for meetings.

“What did Gordon mean back there?” The youngest son of Bruce’s quickly interrogates. “Who is that boy?”

Bruce tiredly sighs again as he closes his eyes, when he opens them again is to lock is steely gaze with his son’s vibrant, worried one. “Dick will explain everything once he and Barbara calm down. All I can tell you is that Jasmine and Daniel are now family and that your brother and sister need all of our support and understanding right now.”

Damian’s eyebrows scrunch closer together, his mind making connections. “Very well.”

“Thank you, son. Also, do not tell you other siblings about it just yet, Dick wants to be the one to drop the bomb.”

“Alright.” Damian says as he nods, the boy clearly understanding the severity and privacy of the situation.

Bruce puts one of his hands on top of Damian’s head and messes his dark lock in appreciation as a small, sad smile draws itself on the older male’s lips. “Could you please tell Alfred to wait for me in my office while I shower?”

“Does he know something?”

“Unfortunately.” Bruce says as he allows his hand to languidly fall from his son’s head.

Damian nods and stands up from his seat, walking towards the exit.

“Oh, and Damian…” Bruce calls and his youngest turns to face him. “Jasmine and Daniel will arrive today a bit before dinner.”

“Understood, father.”

***

Alfred is already in Bruce’s office when the big bat walks into it after a calming hot shower and changing into something comfortable, the older man in the room has brought him cheesy-veggie soup with three pieces of slight toasted garlic bread.

Bruce really wants to be angry at him, to feel betrayed so he could scream at Alfred, but he completely understands why his parental figure did what he did; Bruce and Dick were always fighting, sometimes even fists were involved, Barbara was drifting away, finding her own person, then Jason died… yeah, the child was better off away from them back then, that’s why what Bruce feels now as he sees Alfred is a profound sadness for knowing that he is about to break his heart.

“Master Damian told me you wanted to talk?” Alfred asks as he dutifully stands by Bruce’s desk facing the door.

“Sit down, old friend. You are not going to like it.” Bruce solemnly says as he closes the door behind him.

Tim is in W.E., Jason is off planet, Duke is patrolling the city, Cass is in her ballet practice, Steph is at school, Damian is probably keeping his mind busy while painting and Dick has gone to Barbara, so right now it is only Bruce and Alfred.

Bruce sits down on his side of the desk, back to the window, while Alfred occupies the seat that is usually reserved for the mischievous kids of the house; it is Bruce moving away the comforting food what warns Alfred that something terrible must have happened.

“Master Bruce-?”

“I know about Daniel.” Bruce cuts Alfred’s talking. “Dick and Barbara’s kid.”

Horror quickly spreads inside Alfred, if Bruce is telling him this after coming back from a JL mission… oh no.

“Is he alright? Master Bruce is the boy safe?” The older man questions with desperate voice.

“He is fine Alfred, he is safe.” Bruce quickly informs him as he holds Alfred’s hands. “I am not going to torture you with the details, all you need to know is that from now on he and his sister are going to stay with us here.”

Tears rolls out of Alfred’s eyes as his looks at Bruce. “That family was supposed to be safe.”

“We cannot know what the future holds, Alfred.” Bruce speaks as he rubs Alfred’s hands for comfort. “Maybe they were good before but lost their way somewhere in the middle. It wouldn’t be the first time and it won’t be the last. What matter is the Daniel has been returned to us.”

“Goodness.” Alfred mumbles as he cleans his tears away. “What about master Dick and misses Barbara?”

“Dick went to her as soon as all was said and done. I told them not to come for the first week, they need to calm down and Daniel and his sister need time to adjust.”

Alfred nods at Bruce’s answer and cleans his eyes from the tears again. “When do they arrive?”

“Tonight, bit before dinner.”

“Oh my.” Alfred quickly stands up and fixes his uniform. “So much to do and so very little time. Anything else?”

“Only Damian knows, he heard Barbara in the comms. The others do not know who Daniel truly is, Dick wants to be the one to tell them.”

“Understood.” Alfred nods, his eyes shining with remaining, unshed tears. “I am deeply sorry, master Bruce. What I did-”

“Was necessary back then, Alfred.” Bruce assures the older man. “Let’s not think about it anymore. Jasmine and Daniel now is what matters.”

“Correct.” Alfred says, more to himself than an answer to Bruce. “Everything shall be ready by dinner.” He adds after discretely sniffing.

Bruce nods and Alfred walks away, leaving the office’s door open. Once Alfred is completely out of sight Bruce sighs again and when he lifts his gaze, he sees the now cold food Alfred had brought him earlier. He takes the tray and puts it in front of him, eating the cold cheezie soup and bread.