Disclaimer: Bruce Wayne and related characters are the properties of DC COMICS. This is an original fan fiction story, not written for profit and not intended to infringe on their copyright.
Summary- Dick is tired of Damian's stunts to keep him and Bruce apart
Rating- PG/T
Bruce Wayne: Adventures in Parenting
By: Shannyn Grayson Ivy
"What's this about?" Bruce Wayne demanded. His son's, twenty three year old Dick Grayson and thirteen year old Damian Wayne, stopped their fighting long enough to stare back at him.
"I'm sick of this kid! Bruce you've got to do something here! You would have never let me get away with the things this kid does!" Dick shouted.
"Lower your voice and calm down. What exactly do you think Damian has done?" Bruce asked. He had tried to be patient but it was wearing thin. Dick and his seventeen year old son Tim refused to give the newest member of the home any slack at all. Yes, he had a nasty streak and yes he could be deadly if not handled correctly but he was just a boy. It was hardly his fault that he had been raised by Ra's Al Ghul and trained by the League of Assassins. All things considered the boy was adapting adequately. Wasn't he?
Dick searched his adopted father's face and seen that this was an argument that he could not win. Exasperated he threw up his hands and walked away.
"They…hate…me" Damian sobbed and quickly wrapped his arms around Bruce's middle. Bruce placed an arm around the boy trying to reassure him. Before he could comment however, Dick turned around and spoke evenly.
"Yep. Sure do. And right now, I'm not too crazy about your old man either!" Then he left the room with a slamming of the door.
Bruce Wayne's jaw instinctively flexed. It was going to be another long day…
XXXXXXXXXX
Damian sat at dinner, barely touching anything and taking every opportunity to shoot his father despairing looks. It hurt Bruce to see the child so miserable though he was at a loss over what could be done to help him.
"Dad?" Damian asked softly as he pushed the food around on his plate once again.
"Yes, Damian?"
"I was thinking maybe you and me could go somewhere this weekend. Just you and me." Damian asked hopefully.
Noting that it was unusual for Damian to reach out to him, Bruce's interest was piqued.
"Where would you like to go?" Bruce asked curiously.
"There's a new water park opening up in Metropolis. I thought it would be fun for just you and me to go. Spend some time together. But if you're busy this weekend…" The boy let his voice trail off.
"What day?" Bruce asked, pleased that Damian was finally coming around.
"Sunday, sir. I want us to go on Sunday." Damian answered in his sweetest tone.
"Okay. Sunday it is. Just you and me." Bruce smiled and continued eating dinner, completely missing the gleam of mischief in Damian's blue eyes…
XXXXXXXXXX
"Rise and shine Master Bruce!" Alfred chimed happily. "I should think your children would start piling in here at any time."
Bruce Wayne rolled over in his king size bed and opened one very blood shot eye.
"What?"
"It's Father's Day sir. Remember? You and your brood are to go boating on the river today. Water skiing and lots of sunshine. Does this not ring a bell with you?" Alfred asked amused.
"Oh,no. NO. NO. NOOO." Bruce all but yelled. Damian's words replaying in his mind.
"I doubt it will be as bad as all that, Master Bruce." Alfred replied watching the man he considered his own son as a look of panic filled his face.
"I told Damain that I'd..."
"That you would what?" Dick's voice entered the room before he did. Suddenly both of Bruce's eyes were open. All this before even a drop of coffee…
"I didn't realize the date. I told him I would take him to a water park that is opening up in Metropolis." Bruce shot Alfred a look for help but Alfred wasn't as receptive to the idea as he had hoped.
"Oookay. We'll scratch the river and go to the water park then." Tim suggested coming up behind Dick.
Bruce couldn't miss the look on his oldest son's face. They had made these plans over a month ago. Suddenly feeling worn out from being tugged and pulled in every direction, Bruce sighed.
"No. We planned the river and it was a great idea. I can take Damian to the water park another time." Bruce explained and watched as Dick smiled at Tim. Okay, maybe today could be salvaged after all.
From the doorway, no one noticed as Damian Wayne's eyes shot fire and his fist balled at his side. He made a vow to himself right then that it would be the last time Dick Grayson got between him and his father. And he was ready to do whatever it took to make sure of it…
XXXXXXXXXX
Alfred marveled at how his bachelor surrogate son had acquired such a large family. Dick and Tim sat behind him on the left side of the boat fighting over who would get to ski first as Jason and Cassandra sat on the right side behind Bruce arguing over which drinks would have a place in the cooler. In the back of the boat, Damian sat quietly.
"I cannot believe you are allowing me to drive the boat." Alfred remarked to Bruce. For Bruce to give up even that much control was a very good thing. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen him so relaxed.
"Just don't make me regret it Alfred. Last time you hit a huge rock as I recall…" Bruce teased.
"You have no video evidence to support that opinion sir. I still hold to my story that the huge rock, did indeed, hit me…" Alfred retorted with a grin.
"Whatever you say, Alfred" Bruce nodded mockingly.
"Alf, hold up here. This looks plenty deep enough." Dick informed the elderly man and then grinning at Bruce he added "And it doesn't look like there are any rocks here for you to hit either."
Bruce laughed at Alfred as he pretended to be upset. Alfred and Dick had always had a great relationship. Sometimes Bruce envied the way Alfred could so easily convey his feelings. Still today was not a day to dwell on such things. All his children were here and having a great time. It was a great day to be a dad…
"Who's up first?" Bruce asked. He wasn't surprised when they all volunteered.
"Well it was my idea so I go first!" Dick stated firmly. "So who wants to be my partner?" Dick searched them all as they all yelled 'me, me, ME' then his eyes settled on Bruce's and the two held a look of respect and admiration for each other, speaking to one another without the use of words. Just like it had been in the old days…
Bruce stood up and patted Dick on the back. And Damian hurled all over the deck…
XXXXXXXXXX
"Well that was a fun day." Dick stated sarcastically as they all entered Wayne Manor, only an hour and a half after they had first left it.
"Dick. That's enough." Bruce warned. "He couldn't help getting sick. We will go back to the river another day."
"Absolutely! Because time to spend with you as Bruce Wayne comes around sooooo frequently…" Dick growled.
"I'll make it up to you?" Bruce answered in a lighter tone, shrugging his shoulders.
"Doubt it." Dick answered flatly.
"Dick, come on man." Tim interjected with a plea filled look.
"What? I'm just saying that what with all the holidays, special occasions and just general everyday stuff that he still has to make up to me, today is pretty far down t that long list." Dick glared at Bruce. He knew he was being harsh but he could do little to change how he felt and he was tired of holding it all in.
"So if I'm such a terrible father why are you here?" Bruce challenged.
"Hell if I know." Dick answered honestly and sat down in Bruce's favorite chair with a huff.
Before Bruce could comment, Alfred came into the study with an update on the youngest child in Bruce's charge.
"He is resting comfortably now, sir. No fever so it is possibly nothing more than motion sickness."
"Probably nothing more than a deliberate act because he was mad that we were with you." Dick spat. His anger to the boiling point he chose to ignore Alfred's raised eyebrow.
"I'll go check on him." Bruce told Alfred and left the room without looking back at the others. Once on the other side of the open door, he rested against the wall trying to get control of his emotions. He couldn't let Dick see that he had hurt his feelings. He knew his oldest was just blowing off steam but it had stung, all the same.
"I'm outta here. Tell Damian's dad that I said bye." Dick informed Alfred with all the smart ass tone he could muster.
"You will do no such thing. Father's Day is but once a year, Master Dick." Alfred replied with a no nonsense tone. Looking to the others he simply stated "The rest of you go to the game room and await Master Bruce's return. Master Dick you will stay here with me."
Knowing that the game room was code for the cave, Bruce was relieved that they wouldn't be walking past him since he had accidently found himself eavesdropping and for some reason wasn't inclined to stop just yet. He was very interested in what Dick might say, what his true opinion was. And he knew if anyone could get through to Dick it would be Alfred.
"And I thought I had issues with Bruce…" Jason muttered to Tim who agreed. "I think we all do."
"Not me." Cassandra added sweetly. "He likes me. Maybe all of you should be girls." She stated in her often simple way.
Tim looked at Jason and shrugged. "Something to consider, I guess."
"More likely you don't have issues with him because you are the only one of us that could knock him on his Bat buns. For that you have his total respect. The rest of… not so much." Jason answered matter of factly. "Oh, and I'm not going to have a sex change for anybody, not even him."
The three laughed as they left the study and entered the cave, leaving Dick and Alfred alone. Alone with the exception of one very upset eavesdropping father…
"He's right, Alfred. Bruce doesn't respect us. He doesn't appreciate anything that we do for him and believe me Alfred, we do it all for him." Dick said sadly.
"I believe in your heart you know that statement is not true." Alfred said softly and pulled up a chair so that he was now situated directly in front of the young man he considered his grandson. "Why don't you tell me what is really going on here? You are literally seething with anger. This is not like you Richard."
Dick smiled when Alfred called him Richard. He had to let him get away with it for all the times he called him Alf.
"Why can't he see, Alfred? See all that we do for him? All that he means to us? I mean every since Damian came into his life he doesn't even see the rest of us. It's like we don't exists anymore. Why can't he see that the Demon's seed is in that devil child upstairs? Damian plays him constantly. I try not to think that it is because Damian is his 'blood' child but honestly, I don't know what else to think. I mean, I don't remember Bruce ever being this stupid with the rest of us. He lets Damian get away with murder. And although that's a figure of speech, I wonder how long until it will be before it is a literal statement as well…"
Alfred looked at Dick in a whole new light, he was beginning to understand. "So this isn't about jealousy then?"
"Oh sure it is. Damn straight it is." Dick's temper flared but he remembered he was talking to Alfred so he toned it down a bit. "But it's way more than that. I don't trust the demon. He tried to kill Timmy. That tells me all I need to know. But Bruce plays it off. Ignores it. Dismisses it. Dismisses us."
"Yes, I too have been concerned about the young master's actions." Alfred stated tactfully.
"His discipline is joke, Alfred. And the little rat faced bastard keeps purposely trying to come between me and Bruce. Like he and I NEED another obstacle…" Dick growled. "So I don't trust Damain in our quaint little family personas and I don't trust him in our quaint little family business. I can't get Bruce to listen. The more I try the more he tunes me out."
Alfred, just this once, decided to ignore Dick's foul language. There would be another time to speak with him on that, a time when the young man was not so upset. He chose instead to look towards the door and clear his throat. Dick almost smiled at the signals that Alfred and Bruce had worked out over the years…
Dick had sounded so frustrated and hurt that Bruce mentally kicked himself. He hadn't realized how things looked from Dick's and the other's point of view. He hadn't taken the time to consider it. And now, as was often the case, it was the small things that he overlooked that bit him the hardest in the ass…
"Alfred, may I speak with my son?" Bruce asked softly. Alfred looked to Dick to see if it would be alright to leave the two alone. Seeing the slight nod of Dick's head, Alfred exited the room.
"You were listening." Dick stated firmly. It wasn't a question. Not surprised that Dick knew of his presence Bruce simply nodded yes. He came to rest in the same chair Alfred had been sitting in moments before. Looking into Dick's stormy blue eyes, Bruce wondered again for the millionth time how it was that Dick put up with him at all…
"How can I fix this?" Bruce asked sincerely.
"……"
"I love all my children, Dick, adopted and blood related. No matter their race, sex or creed. And I am trying to be as good a father as I can be to the diverse group of young people that I am honored to call family. I can't raise you all the same because no two of you are the same. Different personalities, different situations all call for different approaches. Some work, some fail. But I am trying Dick. I'm sorry if that doesn't always seem the case."
"I know, I know. You love us all the same… yadayadayada…" Dick mumbled.
Bruce sighed. He wished it hadn't come to this but it was time that Dick knew the truth.
"No. I don't love you all the same and I suppose that is why we are having so many problems. I try to over compensate with the others to make up for the fact that my affections are so polarized."
"So you admit then that Damian is your favorite." Dick said between clenched teeth.
"A favorite is something a parent should never have. It is wrong on so many levels. And it literally means that you could do without all your other children as long as you had the one to hold dear. Though I have fought hard not to, for it plaques me with guilt, I have come to realize that I do have a favorite and I know in my heart that I always will. But it isn't Damian..." Bruce stated with emotion.
Bruce's eyes met Dick's and they simply stared at each other with so much love and respect, each understanding the other without the use of words, just like it had been in the old days…
From the other side of the doorframe, Alfred smiled, pleased that his two favorite people were once again in harmony.
"Happy Father's Day, Master Bruce." Alfred whispered.