Author's Note: Here is my piece of candy to you all! Happy Halloween!
Special Note: My thoughts and prayers go out to all the kids and kids at heart, affected by Hurricane Sandy who cannot go trick or treating tonight. Keep safe you guys.
(Story set sometime, somewhere in season one timeline—because not enough happened between these two then. :})
Disclaimer: I own these characters as much as I own the Hershey's Chocolate Company. Clue belongs to Parker Brothers.
It was a dark and stormy night . . . seriously it was: the most cold and gloomy night that Gotham could throw at you.
And on top of that it was raining, and it was Halloween—which meant that all the kid's costume planning had come down to nothing. Not that there were too many kids in Gotham whose parents would let their children stay out past dark.
So that is how Dick and Barbara found themselves in front of a roaring fire at Wayne Manor playing Barbara's favorite game: Clue.
"Okay, ready?" Barbara asked him as Dick finished taking his sip of hot chocolate. He nodded and picked up his cards again.
"Go ahead." He told her. She picked up her notepad and stared at it carefully. Dick gave a grin. She always took things so seriously, like a real crime had happened. I guess it's what you should suspect when her father was a cop.
"Okay, so Mrs. White, in the Library, with the Wrench." She said it slowly and precisely. She looked back over at him as he shuffled through his cards. Selecting one carefully, he turned it around so that she could see it.
Barbara's face fell.
"You have Mrs. White? Dick I've been guessing it was her for the past four rounds!" She told him in a frustrated voice. He gave a grin.
"Yea, it's called strategy." He told her. "I'm leading you off the trail so that I can find out who did it before you."
She rolled her eyes.
"Well, duh." She pushed back her hair and one again picked up her notepad looking it over as if she might have missed something the first time.
Dick shook his head as he grinned, picking up the dice. He gave them a shake and rolled them across the board.
"Eight!" Barbara announced as she grabbed another handful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth.
Dick glanced over his cards and moved his piece into the Hall.
Barbara raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her cards again. He knew she hated the thought that he had a chance of beating her.
He couldn't help but start laughing.
She looked up at him confused.
"What?"
"You take this so seriously. It's funny." He said after he took a deep breath. Barbara glared over at the black haired, blue eyed boy.
"Crime is serious." She stated.
"But it's not a real crime!" Dick told her knowing the reaction he would get.
"We are pretending that it is so we can hone our detective skills." She told him using a tone of voice that he didn't try to argue with.
He sighed.
He didn't mind playing Clue with Babs, but detective work was kind of part of his life and sometimes it was nice just to play a game without it turning into . . .
A flash of lightening and a crack of thunder filled the air. They both froze. Barbara pulled the afghan around her tighter.
"It really is a horrible night isn't it?" She commented.
"Yep, no good for anything." He told her as he glanced out the window. He was glad that nothing had come up that required the dynamic duo.
"I trust we are all doing alright?" A British voice broke in saying. They both looked up to see Alfred standing over them with a bowl.
"Yea, thanks for letting me come over." Barbara told him. Alfred gave her a kind smile.
"It was no problem my dear. Your father is away at the station and Master Bruce is still at work, so it all worked out just fine. Master Dick and I would have been all by ourselves." Alfred informed her. "So who is winning?" He asked them.
"Alfred," Dick began, "No one 'wins' until the end. Up till then it's all a guessing game."
"We all at least know that Mrs. White didn't do it." Barbara said with a smile. "The funny thing is, she is usually my first suspect. I guess it's 'the butler did it' train of thought."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. Dick raised a hand to cover the grin on his face and cleared his throat.
Barbara picked up on her mistake.
"Oh, not you Alfred. I don't doubt your integrity in the least." She said solemnly.
Alfred gave a forgiving nod and set the bowl down beside them.
"I suppose that I do not have to try to hard to convince you two to eat some candy, do I?" He asked. They both shook their heads and grabbed a handful of assorted candies.
Barbara tore open the wrapper and tossed it into her mouth. She once again picked up her cards.
Dick swallowed.
"Okay ready?" He asked her. She gave a serious nod. "Professor Plum, in the Hall, with the Pipe." He glanced over at her as she stared up and down her sheet. Setting it down, she picked up her cards and picked one out.
"I have the Hall." She told him showing him the card. He took note of it and carefully checked it off his list with a flourish.
"Don't mock me." She said sticking her tongue out at him.
"Your turn." He said with a smirk.
A flash of lighting cut though the room followed by a boom that shook the house.
They both froze as the lights flickered. Alfred re-entered into the room with a pair of flashlights.
"Do either of you need a torch?" He asked holding one out to Dick. Barbara raised an eyebrow, but took one as well.
"It means the same thing." Dick whispered to her.
"If you two need me, I shall be in the library. Alright?" He told them.
"We'll be fine Alfred, thanks." Dick said grabbing another piece of candy. He looked over at Barbara whose attention had turned back to the game board.
"What are you thinking?" He asked her.
"The Library." She said slowly. He could practically see the wheels churning in her head. She reached for the dice.
Lighting once again filled the room, followed by a crack that knocked out the electricity.
Barbara and Dick stared at each other across the game board. The fire still lit up the room partially.
Thunder cracked again.
"Maybe, we should go find Alfred." Dick suggested turning on his flashlight. Barbara nodded and grabbed hers as well.
Dick stepped out into the darkened hall.
"Ouch!" He called out as he rammed his foot in to the chest of drawers that sat in the hall. He rubbed his foot tenderly. "Forgot that was there."
Barbara shook her head as they continued down the hall.
"It's kind of spooky in here." She said out loud as another flash of lightening came in through the window. A loud crack of thunder followed. "Hey. . ." She said pausing behind him.
"Yea?" He asked stopping as well, turning to face her.
"We're in the Hall heading towards the Library." She said staring down the way. Dick raised an eyebrow.
"It's just a game Babs." He told her. She gave him a look.
"Come on, let's get Alfred." He tugged her arm.
Their flashlights lit up the covers of the various books on the shelves as they entered the library. Every chair was empty. Dick scratched his head.
"He said that he would be in here. Maybe he's looking for us?" He suggested glancing at Barbara.
Her mouth was in a worried line.
"We should have passed him. . ." She murmured.
Lighting flashed again lighting up the substantial sized room. In between the lighting and the thunder, a loud crash was heard and it echoed into the library.
In an instant, Dick realized that he could barely breathe . . . probably because Barbara had suddenly wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"Release. . .death. . . grip." He was able to sputter out. She instantly loosened up, but stayed close to him.
"Sorry, that was really freaky. What was that?"
"It sounded like metal. Pots and pans?" He hazard a guess.
Barbara shook her head.
"It came from the wrong direction." Barbara pointed out. "It came from back up the Hall."
Dick looked around as the room lit up again and thunder cracked soon after.
"There's a suit of armor in the hall by the front door." He told her.
"But that's really big. How would it tip over? Who would make it tip over?" She asked.
"Maybe Alfred fell into it?" Dick suggested although he knew it couldn't be true.
Barbara put on a brave face.
"Let's go see." She pointed her flashlight towards the door. "You can go first."
Dick stared at her incredulously.
"Why me?"
Barbara bit her lip.
"Because you know the layout of the house better? Because I'm your guest?"
"I though it was 'ladies first'". He pointed out.
"But in dangerous situations guys have to go first. Unless it's on like a ship or a plane in trouble and you have to get out quickly, then its ladies first." She explained.
Dick continued staring at her.
"I think men are getting shafted." He told her. She smiled and rolled her eyes. He turned to face the door. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be the one to throw tradition out the door." He said taking a step forward. Barbara followed closely.
They slowly went back out into the Hall, and took the left hand turn that opened up in to the main hall that ended at the front door.
There, on the floor, lay the fallen suit of armor, as if it had been taken out by an opponent. No Alfred.
Their flashlights scoped out the scene. Barbara knelt down next to inspect it.
"How did the victim die, Lieutenant?" Dick managed to joke. Barbara looked up at him and gave him a glare.
"Seriously." Dick said.
"It looked like he just fell over." She stated. "I'll have to wait for coroner's report." She added, managing a smile.
"But how? Why?" Dick flashed his light around towards the front door and up the stairwell. Barbara stood up and walked over to the front door.
"I'm locking the bolt." She told him as she clicked it over. "Locks are too easily picked."
"Do you think someone came in?" Dick asked her, almost not wanting to even mention it. He watched as she bent over and ran her hand across the rug that lay in front of the door.
"It is kind of wet." She said slowly. She looked back over at him. They both were silent as another boom sounded.
Suddenly, a thought hit Dick. Maybe Alfred was down in the cave! He was probably checking on something. He breathed an inward sigh of relief.
"Okay, let's go back to the . . . Lounge. . .or whatever you want to call it." He said with a smile. "Then I want to go check something."
"Alone?!" Barbara said immediately.
Dick shrugged.
"Men first right? I won't be long." He tried to assure her.
"I don't think that sounds smart." She told him. "There is safety in numbers." She argued.
"Really, Babs I'll be okay. It's not like. . . .what is that?" He paused speaking.
"What?" Barbara asked shining her flashlight at him. He raised a finger to his lips.
Barbara stood there listening carefully.
A knocking sound could be heard. Her eyes grew wide.
"I am calling my dad."
"I think it's coming from the Kitchen." Dick said, shining his light back from the way they came.
"It could just be a branch against the window? There is no tree over on that side is there?" She asked answering her own question.
"Yep." Dick agreed.
"Well, let's go see." Barbara said straightening her shoulder as she walked back down into the Hall.
"Hey! I though I was supposed to lead!" Dick called after her.
He rushed to follow her. He found that Hall empty. He slowly crept along the way staying close against the wall. He carefully pushed the kitchen door open and scanned his flashlight throughout the room.
"Ow! Watch the eyes please!" A voice said as his beam hit open a familiar face.
"Sorry Babs." Dick said lowering his flashlight.
He looked around the room. Everything seemed in place. The pots and pans hung properly from their racks and there was not a single dish that needed to be washed.
Dick walked around the center island and set his flashlight on the counter facing up.
"So what do we do?" Dick asked Barbara. "Is it all in our heads?"
She twitched her lips as she stared out the window at the falling rain.
"Are all the knives in the butcher block?" She asked suddenly.
Dick's eyes grew wide.
"Why do you even ask questions like that?" He said going over and staring at the knives. "They looked to be all here. But seriously, are you trying to scare me?" He scolded her.
"Where is Alfred?" She stated still at the window.
"Calm down Babs." He said walking over to her. She rubbed her arms as if she was cold.
"I just don't like something about this." She said putting a hand to her chin.
"Well, how about we go back. You can go call your dad and I will make us some more hot chocolate." He suggested hoping that she would agree and that while she was on the phone he could sneak down to the cave.
"Well, okay." She conceded and allowed him to grab her hand and pull her back down the Hall.
"Everything is going to be fine Babs." He assured her. He pulled her into the Lounge and they took their places by the fireplace. The thunder could be heard rumbling outside.
"Well, at least I didn't do too much work on my Wonder Woman costume." Barbara muttered. She looked over at Dick and caught him smirking. "What?" She asked him.
"Huh?" He replied innocently.
She put her hands on her hips and said, "You always smirk when I mention that."
"Do I?" He asked putting a hand to his face. At this point, he couldn't help it; he actually knew Wonder Woman and seeing anyone else trying to be her was funny. Once you met the real Superman, any kid running around with a blanket for a cape just was amusing.
"Yea you do." She said pointedly. "You never did tell me what you were going to be."
Dick shrugged.
"I didn't really start." He told her as he stood up.
There was really no point, Halloween was a busy night. With more kids on the street, Batman and Robin were always sure to be busy. Even if he could go, it was never for very long.
He took one last look over his shoulder at Babs who was still sitting on her cushion in front of the fireplace, glancing at their forgotten board game.
Dick made his way quickly to the secret entrance to the Batcave that hid inside Wayne Manor. Double checking that Barbara had not followed him, he pressed the hidden switch.
He pressed the switch.
Pressed the switch.
Pressed the. . .
It wasn't opening!
"What is going on?" He said nervously. He hurried back to where Barbara sat.
She looked up as he entered.
"Could you not find the hot chocolate?" She asked him.
He shook his head nervously. "Is something wrong?" She asked sensing his mood.
"Just. . .I thought . . . I knew. . .did you get your Dad?" He asked running a hand through his hair.
She nodded. "He said he would be over in a little bit. I tried not to sound worried; I didn't want to scare him."
Dick nodded as he plopped back down onto his own cushion.
"Mysterious are more exciting when you don't play a leading role." Babs muttered staring at the game board.
Lighting flashed again as the rain picked up once more.
Barbara grabbed the afghan that lay next to her.
"When I was little," She began. "I used to make a hut using couch cushions and hid inside until a thunderstorm was over." She gave a small smile at the thought.
The thunder cracked.
"Think you remember how?" Dick asked looking at her out the corner of his eye.
The knob on the front door to Wayne Manor twisted slightly. Once it opened, it revealed the figure of Bruce Wayne and one very soaked butler.
"I don't really understand what happened sir." Alfred explained as to Bruce as he took off his rain coat.
"I was going to get one of the potted plants off the front porch. When I opened the door a large burst of wind swept in, and I tried to rush out quickly, but then the door slammed shut and I heard an awful noise on the other side." Both men paused to take in the fallen suit of armor.
"I then tried to go around and try to get in through the kitchen, but to no avail. I even tried to knock, but the thunder must have been too loud for Master Dick or Miss Gordon to hear me." He put a hand to his mouth. "I can only hope that they were alright in my absence."
Bruce managed a thin smile.
"I'm sure they are fine. They probably didn't even notice." He remarked. Alfred looked down and noticed that he was starting to create a puddle of water on the floor.
"Oh, my, I must clean this up."
"Take care of yourself first." Bruce ordered. "Before you get pneumonia." Alfred gave a swift nod, but still eyed the pool of water.
"Maybe I will just grab some towels first." Alfred mentioned as he went down the hall.
"Dick?" Bruce called out.
He waited for an answer; he got none.
"Where were they Alfred?" Bruce asked the butler as he came back with an armload of towels from the kitchen.
"Oh, by the fireplace; they were playing Clue." He recited as he laid the towels in front of the door.
"They always play that game." Bruce responded.
"Well, Miss Gordon likes to play it and Master Dick is never one to disappoint anyone, especially her." Alfred added with a smile.
Bruce maneuvered around him as he headed towards the Lounge.
Open entering; he paused taking in the sight.
"Alfred?" He called. "Come here."
The butler quickly got up and walked to the entrance to the room.
"What is that?" Bruce asked pointing to a mound of couch cushions that had been piled up in the shape of a makeshift hut. An afghan was thrown over the top as a roof.
"I believe it is a pillow fort sir." Alfred explained walked towards the pile. "You built one once yourself if you can remember. Right before some big party of your parents. Your mother almost had a hard attack when she noticed all the cushions gone—took me forever to put them all back." He added with a whisper.
Bruce gave a wistful smile as he turned to stare down at their forgotten board game.
Alfred carefully lifted a corner of the blanket and peered inside.
"Master Dick?" He whispered. From the light of the fireplace, he could make out two forms inside the small space.
Dick was asleep; sitting with his back against one of the outside walls, with Barbara slumped against him.
Alfred laid the blanket back down as more thunder cracked through the night sky.
A flash soon followed.
"Well, they are quite alright." Alfred reported quietly to Bruce who was still looking at the game. "Oh!" Alfred said suddenly and then lowered his voice. "I was going to mention that the button to . . ." He looked around, "the cave is acting up again. It got stuck again. I was going to fix it again, but . . ." He jerked his head in the direction of the cushion fort.
Bruce nodded understandingly.
"I'll take a look at it after she's gone."
The doorbell rang.
They both looked up.
"That must be Commissioner Gordon." Alfred said as he headed for the door still in his wet clothes.
Bruce knelt down and picked up both of the notepads that held Dick and Barbara's game notes.
He looked them over carefully. Looking around the room, he picked up the envelope that contained the three correct answer cards.
"Colonel Mustard, in the Conservatory, with the Wrench." He whispered under his breath. He pulled the cards from out of the packet and each card came out one by one as he had guessed them.
Random End Notes: Everyone have fun out there tonight! (Snickers in the best candy!)