Part 3 for my series: Hopes for a Bastard!
Part 1 for Hopes for a Bastard: Give Me Back My Mind!
Part 2 for Hopes for a Bastard: Rock Meet Bottom
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I Do Not Own DC Comics, Movies/TV, or Animation
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It's the Holidays, We're All Miserable…
It was the official mark of the holiday season as Wayne Manor was decorated by the professions in a get up which would rival the White House's own decorations. It was the biggest deal for Christmas aside from maybe Rockefeller Center. There was nothing more Christmas than the Wayne Manor (well, after having actually seen Rockefeller center Jason felt it was a draw, but he was also from Gotham and Wayne Manor had been the 'it' Christmas thing since before he was even born).
Which brought him to today, December 1st, as he tried to evade the little duckling he'd managed to imprint on and had following him around at all times of the day.
No, he did not mean an actual duckling, he meant Terry.
Terry had taken to following him around on his chubby little legs, since the Black Friday fiasco caused by Cass and Tim, and since then Jason could not get rid of the kid. The baby followed him everywhere, well, him and Raven because Jason usually hung around Raven. Raven was still the only person he fully trusted in this godforsaken mansion.
Not that it mattered, as the girls (Cass, Steph and Kori), had dragged Raven off to a different part of the Manor for a girls only afternoon and evening.
Which brought Jason to where he was currently hiding out from his two most obnoxious and persistent followers and the dog. Damian also trailed after him, but Jason also felt that's because the demon spawn had a crush on the little bird, and he was often with the little bird.
"Jay!" a squeal had him bolting up to his feet as he spun up, twisting around as he saw the drooling terror, Terry, waddling over to him.
"Fuck!" he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, as he forgot about the book he was reading to walk over and scoop the tiny terror up before the kid fell. The kid squealed in delight, Jason grunted as his ribs protested the action, but looked at the kid in his arms. Those bright blue eyes, that happy, wet, smile, kid was kind of cute, but Jason just wanted some PEACE!
"Kay, which moron did you ditch this time?" Jason asked as he walked out of his hiding spot; an abandoned guest room in the east wing.
Incoherent babble was his answer and Jason slowly walked down the stairs the kid had somehow climbed and gently patted the baby with his slung hand until he was at the bottom of the stairs. Jason avoided the workers who were designing the Mansion's Christmas decorations as he looked for a responsible member of the Bat family to hand the kid off too.
"Terry! Terry!" Dick's frantic voice could be heard and Jason whistled, Dick skidded around the corner then.
"Oh thank God! I thought he'd wandered outside," Dick sighed.
"And I thought he was in the nursery, in the west wing with his family," Jason said sharply.
"What?"
"I was in the east wing, alone, and he found me," Jason stated as he moved to hand the kid off to Dick. Terry screamed an ear splitting scream then.
"Fuck! Fuck Fuck! Take it!" Jason shouted as Dick took the kid.
"He wants you, hold him!" Dick ordered as he shoved Terry back into his arm, Terry quieted immediately. Jason scowled. "Seriously, you've got to be the baby whisperer or something because they both like you more than any of us aside from Selina; they like Selina. They don't even settle for Babs."
"I hate you all," Jason muttered as they walked for the kid's nursery.
"But you love the kids!" Dick chuckled.
Jason just sighed, Dick wasn't too far off. Jason had a major soft spot when it came to kids. It also did not help that one of the ways he'd made quick cash in Crime Alley was babysitting from time to time. He just… kids made sense to him, they were easy to get, and he actually liked them (but not right now). Terry patted his cheek, and Jason looked tiredly over at the kid.
"Jay," he grinned.
"Yeah, yeah, Duck," he muttered.
"Duck?"
"You know, because he waddles, and follows me around, like a duckling," Jason explained and paused to wonder why his sleep deprived mind was now spilling his logic to Chuckles here.
"Cute! Mind if I borrow it for Terry?" Dick asked.
"What the fuck, it's not like it's copy righted!" Jason snapped. "Where's the old man and Selina?"
"Selina's check up, then they were doing public Christmas shopping," Dick filled in.
"And you're in charge of Helena and Terry?" Jason tiredly surmised.
"Yeah, considering it Dad practice, but I can't seem to keep Terry in the nursery," Dick muttered.
"Wait, What?" Jason did a double take of Dick then. "Dad practice?"
"Shush!" Dick grabbed his shirt and Jason stumbled into the nursery as Dick shut the door and locked it before turning on him. Helena was snoozing and Jason set Terry down then.
"Kay, you can't tell anyone, only Raven knows," Dick said.
"Tell what?" Jason demanded, feeling like he was about to get the low down on some juicy blackmailing material.
"Kori's pregnant," Dick said.
"What?" Jason blinked; that was not the news he was expecting. Oh, he figured Dickhead was taking on a Bruce trait and about to start adopting orphans or something; after all, Bruce was about Dick's age or younger when he adopted Dick.
"Yeah!" Dick grinned giddily.
"Kori? Princess Traffic Light, is pregnant with your kid? And only Raven, and now I, know," Jason surmised, he was too tired to really process this.
"Yeah," Dick grinned.
"Mmmhmmm," Jason hummed. "Bruce know?"
"No, I haven't told him, and Kori and I are waiting," Dick said.
"Oh…" Jason smirked deviously then.
"Why do I feel like I regret telling you first," Dick asked suddenly, and Jason smiled. Okay, the holidays might be a wee bit more interesting now.
Raven was reading through a few of the demon books Constantine had left with Jason's things, her eyes scanning the ancient magic language as she looked for a solution to her power shortage problem, and to a few other questions she had about her own physiology. So far she had learn much about her own species and saw why it was so easy for the world to dislike her kind.
Looking up from her book she noticed the girls chatting and stood up as she walked away from the girls to hunt up a snack; an apple specificially. Walking through the Manor she avoided the workers, but found herself at the front door when there was a knock, Raven looked around for a moment before peeking outside to see the Amazons; which had her hesitantly opening the door.
"Hello," Raven greeted.
"Raven! I am glad to see you are up," Donna greeted her, Raven was startled at the other's smile directed at her.
"Donna," she acknowledged.
"I am glad as well to see that Trigon has not escaped his prison and that you are well," the Princess of the Amazons smiled at her which had Raven hesitating as she held the door open.
"Yeah, he's… blessedly silent," Raven said.
"Not on my end he's not," the youngest of the three Amazon's muttered.
"We are making progress though," Donna countered.
"Uh-huh," the teen glowered.
"Have you seen Bruce?" Diana asked.
"Last I heard he and Selina were going to Selina's doctor's appointment, I think Alfred is out shopping but… the boys are home," Raven offered.
"Is Jason here?" Donna asked her.
"Yes, We're kind of bound together until I'm able to break the seals binding me here, I think he's…" Raven started.
"Right here," Jason announced with Dick on his heels.
"Hey Diana!" Dick grinned as he hugged the Princess of the Amazons.
"It is good to see you Richard," Diana greeted.
"Hey Jason," Donna greeted.
"Come on I'll show you to your rooms," Dick announced.
"Where are you going little bird?" Jason asked.
"To get an apple," Raven answered as she walked off while resuming her book, looking over the text. Reaching the kitchen she walked to the fridge to get her apple. Her eyes narrowed ona part of theoretical text as she tapped her foot to this.
This was not encouraging; but it couldn't be proven either as there were not many female demons to confirm it and Raven wasn't entirely certain if her breeding would permit it.
"Interesting book?" Jason appeared.
"Informative," she answered.
"Why did Constantine leave you books in a language that no one can read?" Jason asked as he gingerly sat down.
"Because this is the language of magic, a universal language," she said.
"Really?" Jason asked.
"Yes, all magic is in the same language, depending on the age," Raven said.
"I thought the Zataras spoke backwards," Jason said.
"They do, and Fate uses Egyptians, I use Azarathian, and many exorcists and other magicians use other languages, but the written language of magic is universal, this book is about demons," Raven said as she flipped a thick page carefully and continued her reading.
"That's very confusing," Jason said.
Raven chuckled then. "I suppose, but it's helpful to the magic world, simplifying many things between cultures."
"I bet," he rolled his eyes then.
"You're the linguist, wouldn't you think it helpful," Raven mused.
"I don't know, a universal language would defeat the purpose of learning other languages," Jason shrugged.
"True," she nodded.
"Hello Jason, I was told he was trailing for you," Donna smiled as she walked in.
"Oh come on!" Jason groaned, Raven hide her laughter at the sight of Terry reaching for Jason by eating her apple then. "Come here duck."
"He is rather adorable," Donna mused.
"He's a pain in the ass who's turning out to be a little escape artist," Jason growled.
"He loves you," Raven gently slid her fingers through Terry's hair. The baby smiled at her a tooth grin.
"He's a drool monster," Jason muttered.
"I was informed the Amazons had arrived," Damian appeared then. "Oh, there you are Jason, Grayson was looking for… I see you have him now."
"And there's the other duckling," Jason muttered.
"Be nice, they love you," Raven warned him lowly as she picked up her book and left Jason, Donna and Damian in the kitchen with Terry.
"Hey! Wait! You're leaving me with them!?" Jason shouted.
"Good luck!" she called to him as she walked away from him with her nose buried in her book.
"Traitor!"
"Demon!"
He was sitting on the bathroom floor of a feeling light as a kite from his latest score as the baby slept, he feeling… alright, for the first time in over a week he was feeling like himself. His head feel back as he just let the heroin do it's work, numbing his soul, the baby was sleeping soundly in the carrier.
He couldn't keep doing this, he knew that, he stared tiredly at ceiling smiling as he felt like he was flying. He had to stop, again, for the good of the baby in the carriage, which was why this would be his last time ever.
Looking at the small white packet.
This was the last one, then… then he'd go, he'd go to get the help Croc had given him the first time. Laying back against the wall he let his eyes shut as he accepted that this was his last time ever. He couldn't keep doing this, he couldn't… he couldn't stop either. Not on his own.
And God knew he couldn't go home. He couldn't go there, not after Thea… No.
But looking at the muted TV, his head fell back again as he saw a picture of the people he could turn to, he was going to need their help, he was going to need a lot of help.
A shuddering breath left him as he let the high carry him off from his minimal lucid thoughts then. A worry for a different time.
Fuck It!
My Life Sucks Right Now, So Fuck It.
I'm going to post this early now, and work my problems over and hopefully get a change of pace for a change.
Not really counting on a change.
Kind of want to go get hammered right now, so I'll do the responsible thing instead and write and work my problem
Responsibility sucks.
Enjoy Holiday Express Shipping folks.