Elle Dawkins, dressed head to toe as Catwoman, ran into her living room and hid behind a large bookcase. She could hear footsteps running into the room behind her.
"I know you're in here, Catwoman!" A tiny voiced shouted. The footsteps got closer and closer until a small boy dressed as Batman stood in front of her. A batarang held up high above his head, ready to throw.
"Batman! You got me this time!" She said and began to tickle him. The tiny Batman fell onto the sofa, laughing hysterically. She loved these moments. The moments where everything felt normal. When she actually felt like she was a part of a happy, healthy family.
The doorbell rang and she ran to the door to answer it. She saw Merton's spiked hair through the distorted window on the front door. She opened the door and before either one of them could say anything the tiny boy in the Batman costume came running into the foyer.
"Uncle Merton!" He ran straight into Merton, nearly knocking him over.
"What's up, Max?" Merton asked as he hugged the little boy who looked at him confused and slightly angry. "Oh, I mean Batman! Did you stop Catwoman from stealing those diamonds from the museum?"
Max smiled and ran back into the living room, laughing the whole way. Merton looked at Elle in her Catwoman attire. She had always been a big fan of Batman and she loved costumes. The minute he found out she was pregnant, he knew she would be the best mother a child could have, even when she couldn't believe it herself.
"I don't know who enjoys this more – you or him?"
Elle smiled and took the Catwoman cowl off of her head, letting her long blonde hair fall down her shoulders. "I've had a long morning of thievery. I'm exhausted." Merton followed her into the living room, where Max was running around with his cape flying behind him. The two sat down on the sofa and watched the boy run all his energy out. When he finally got tired, he jumped on the sofa next to his mother.
"Is Gotham safe now, Batman?" Elle asked.
"Duh, Mom," he said and took off his mask. Merton couldn't believe how much he looked like Tommy. It made him feel like he was still in that wormhole talking to their younger selves before going to stop Boris. It was a constant reminder of Tommy' absence in their lives.
"Good, because Catwoman needs to start making something delicious for us to eat for lunch."
"Uncle Merton?"
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Are you my Dad?"
Elle had been playing with the little boy's hair, stroking it gently. She stopped and looked at Merton. They stared at each other for a long time, not knowing what to say. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. Even after 6 years, it still hurt like a fresh wound.
"No. I'm your Uncle, Max. You know that. Why would you ask that?"
Max sighed and fidgeted. "Well, everyone at school has a Dad. There's even a boy that has 2 Dads! I just figured since you were always around you were my Dad but, just had a weird name or something."
Merton looked at Max, not knowing what to say. The poor kid had never known his father. He couldn't imagine growing up without his father. There are tons of children that grow up with only 1 parent but, for Max it was different. He was half werewolf. Normal kids are hard enough to raise but, raising a child with supernatural powers when you're nothing but a mere mortal is much more difficult. Some questions had already popped up about why he was different and together, he and Elle had answered them to the best of their ability. But this boy really needed his father. Someone who could, from experience, teach him how to live as a werewolf.