A Batman Beyond Fic

Batman's Crush

By: Malaizjan DeJesus

Author's Notes: I know I haven't worked on any of my other fics and I'm sorry. Life is getting in the way. But I have been helping others and enjoying quality time with my man. This fic would not leave me alone ever since Reina Grayson (a fellow author) has borrowed my characters for some of her fics. So if you want to read the next generation YJ team in the BB universe, start with Reina's fic 'Batman's New Sidekick'. The read, 'Meeting Your Family', 'Meeting Your Family Part 2', then 'Legacies Best Forgotten' and 'Meeting Your Family Part 3'. I am using her OC Red Bird (Areina Greyson) with her permission.

Also, read Reina Grayson's other fics and give her some love! Now, on with this fic!

"Molly…why aren't you more trained?" Terry asked the ten year old.

The first Robin convinced the original Batman to allow Terry to train with the team. Since the team was in various stages of training individually, it would be a great way for Terry Mc Ginnis to train and learn.

About a month ago, Terry and Areina, aka Batman and Red Bird, were welcomed onto the team. The covert team consisted of the original team's children and a few others. Like the original Robin. He has been Nightwing for many years, and with his wife, Lady Merline, had three children, all of them on the team: Nightwing II, Rave and Miracle. Tigress had her son Archeron on the team. Flash has his son, Kid Flash II, on the team. Tempest (Kaldur'ahm) had his son, Aqualad II. Superboy and Ms. X (formerly Miss Martian) had their two kids on the team: SBP (Superboy Prime) and Eclipse. Warhawk, a member of the Justice League Unlimited, had his son Airhawk join the team. And Gear, Static's best friend and retired partner, had his son Syfon join the team as well. The kids were a covert team, just like the original team had been and while most had retired, modern medicine had allowed a few of them to stay young enough to continue the good fight, and without the League's consent. And a few were magically immortal. Nightwing was the one to deploy the missions that the team went on, and he was also in charge of training. Not bad for the first Batman protégé.

Well, this training mission was supposed to be himself, Areina, Orin and Billy (Batman, Red Bird, Aqualad II and Syfon). But Molly wanted to join the group and it was a 4 person training simulation so Orin bowed out. Dick (Nightwing) didn't see an issue. Molly was more trained than Luna and Andrew (Eclipse and Airhawk) but not as trained as her sister and brother (Rave and Nightwing II).

So she was that 4th person.

The simulation didn't go well.

The simulation was Inque stealing a disc with company secrets on it. The four were having a relatively easy time with her.

Until Mordred came into the picture.

Miracle, the only magic wielder on the team, held off Mordred while the others try to finish off Inque.

Then Drow came into the picture. The meta human blinded everyone with his 'Dark Matter'. Billy was taken out of the fight in a few minutes. Areina, Terry and Molly were strained but they held in there. But Drow focused his attention on Molly. She was just getting a beating but she got up every time she was knocked down.

Terry ended the simulation by getting in a lucky shot to Drow's face, knocking him out. Which cleared up the 'dark matter' and the other bad guys went down just as fast. Billy was okay, just bruised.

But Molly sported a long, deep cut on her arm.

Terry unzipped the top half of his suit, pulled off his undershirt and wrapped it around the girl's arm. Now Terry knew Molly was tired, otherwise she'd heal her own injuries.

Hence, the question he had asked. He was curious. He doubted that Nightwing would have trained his youngest child better than she showed.

"Because I want to be a doctor." Molly then stared at Terry's naked chest and blushed, looking away.

Areina grinned. Her baby cousin had a crush on Terry! Oh this would be good because he seemed so clueless!

Terry watched as Molly started to glow. "So you want to be a doctor?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's who I am." Molly smiled at Terry, blushing.

He saw how Areina was looking at them. He didn't understand the Greysons. They were almost as hard to read as Bruce. Areina had been raised by Bruce, so she was nearly impossible to read.

He saw Billy's stare too. He was smiling.

What were they smiling about!?

The rest of the team, minus the two leaders, ran into the simulation room, including Dick.

"Everyone alright?" Dick had asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Dick," Areina answered. "Where's Mathen and Meygan?"

"Mathen went to New Gotham. Meygan's training with Raven."

"Wait. Bruce is letting someone else take patrol!?" Terry was shocked. Bruce was still picky about who was in his city as far as heroes went.

"Serenity had a hand in the decision."

Terry grinned. Lady Merline, who was Serenity's hero name, had an issue with Batman. She, the granddaughter of Merlin, met Dick after he had gone solo a year in Bludhaven. Both were after Morgan La Fay. They joined forced to stop her.

Over the next five years, they'd team up (with Flamebird, Areina' mom from time to time) to deal with wizard villains. Dick fell in love at some point. They dated. He asked her to marry him.

The rest was history.

But when Bruce was forced to retire he wanted Dick to take over for him. But he wouldn't. He was retired himself, and had been since Meygan's birth. Second, Serenity was pregnant and he didn't want to leave his wife's side. So it took far longer for Bruce to have a replacement.

Hence, enter Terry Mc Ginnis.

"So Areina and I have the night off?" Terry asked.

"Yeah." Dick grinned. "Why don't you two come over for dinner?"

Areina answered for both of them. "Sure!"

Terry was going to go along with it. Besides, when would he have another chance for a night off?

"Just to warn you, Serenity cooks a lot of food, so I hope you have your appetites ready," Dick teased.

"I'll come by!" Brian had announced. He was Flash's son, Kid Flash, with all of his dad's abilities, including the overactive metabolism.

Dick just shook his head. "In fact, I think you all should come. Get a chance to meet the original team."

The Next Day…

Terry, Max and Dana were at the mall. It was a date for Terry and Dana since 'the old man' was feeling generous about giving Terry some time alone, to socialize. But Max needed a lift to the mall and they gave her one. She occasionally checked in, otherwise it was just Dana and Terry.

The young couple was leaving Dana's favorite shop when a little girl with strawberry-blonde hair pulled into pigtails walked toward them. Her red skirt and lacy tank top blew with her skipping toward them.

Terry groaned. He knew who it was.

Dana stared at him oddly.

The little girl caught up to them. "Hi Terry," Molly said to the young man. She held out his shirt, the very one he used to slow down the bleeding from her arm. "Here's your shirt back."

"Terry, who is this!?" Dana asked. She wanted to know why this girl was giving her man back his shirt, for one.

"This is Mister Wayne's youngest granddaughter, Molly. Molly, this is Dana, my girlfriend." Terry saw the hurt look in Molly's hazel-blue eyes. He thought she was still hurt so he asked, "How's your arm?"

"It's okay. It burns when mom cleans it," she said. Molly then scowled when Dana took Terry's hand into hers.

"How did you get hurt?" Dana asked Molly.

"Climbed the fence at Grandpa's. I fell and the fence cut my arm. Terry took off his shirt to stop the bleeding," Molly told the lie, being polite.

Dana took the shirt from Molly. "He's a sweet guy, isn't he?" she asked the little girl.

"Well, he's my boyfriend so stop taking his hand!" the little girl suddenly snapped at them.

Terry looked like he had just been arrested for murder.

Dana glared at Terry and saw his reaction. She then realized that he had no clue Molly had a crush on him. So like him, so oblivious…

"Molly…" Terry began.

Dana put her fingers on his lips to quiet him. She then got on her knees to talk to the young girl. "Molly…I don't mind that you're crushing on Terry. I think it's cute. But he's too old for you. And I love Terry very much. Do you love Terry?"

"I like him," admitted Molly.

"And that's okay. But you want someone to love you back. I'm afraid Terry doesn't. Right Terry?" Dana asked.

The young man nodded, knowing that tone of voice from Dana.

Molly looked ready to cry and Terry then felt horrible.

Dana saw it too. "But that doesn't mean you can't like Terry. He's a great guy." The young lady stood up, her boyfriend forgotten. "And I don't mind sharing as long as you understand that he's my guy."

"He is cute," Molly said with a giggle.

Now it made sense with the way Molly was acting around him. A crush! He was going to get the team back for not telling him. And Bruce probably knew it too. Slag it! Terry was so dense sometimes…

"Would you like to go shopping with us?" Dana asked.

"Sure!" Molly wiped at her eyes and grinned. "Can Terry carry the bags?" she asked innocently.

"Hey, I'm right here!" Terry cried.

"Why not?" Dana answered.

"Hey!" Terry protested.

The two girls laughed.

Many hours later…

Terry and Molly got back to Wayne Manor late afternoon, toward the evening hours. He ended up carrying everyone's bags as Dana and Molly talked. But as much as the new Batman complained, he got to know Molly better. She was really like any other 10 year old with a rich family. Just not spoiled and always giving. Both of her parents were rich but she and Meygan and Mathen had to earn everything, which wasn't the norm. Terry liked Molly. She was a younger sibling that wasn't annoying! He'd trade her for his brother any day!

Molly opened the door. "Grandpa!" Molly called out. She took most of the bags from Terry.

Ace barked happily and waited until Terry closed the door before jumping on him.

"ACE!" Terry cried.

Areina, Bruce's granddaughter and Molly's cousin, came in, her ebony colored hair loose down her back. She grinned as Molly set her many bags down. The young adult was the daughter of the late Flamebird (OC) and Red Arrow. "Molly, did you tell Aunt Serenity where you were going?"

Molly flushed with guilt.

"Oh man! Slag it!" Terry went for his cell phone.

"Aunt Serenity knows, Ter. But Molly's in trouble," Areina told them.

"I hope you parents aren't too hard on you," Terry told Molly.

The 10 year old nodded, then blushed. As soon as Molly headed downstairs, Terry looked at Areina. "Areina, I need your helps. It's about Molly."

Areina paid attention to Terry at that moment. "What's wrong with Molly?"

"She's…I don't know how to say this…"

"I will burn your shirt off if you don't-"

"Molly's got a crush on me!" Terry cried.

Red Bird (Areina's hero name) slowly grinned, her eyes dancing with laughter. "That's all?"

"That's all!? Areina, it's bad enough that Dana thought it was cute. I don't need that from you too! Tell me you're on my side!"

"Oh Terry…of course I'm on your side. I don't think it's cute…I think it's adorable."

"AREINA!? This is not sway in the least! She's your cousin! Do something! Help me!" Terry pleaded.

"Well…" Areina opened a cookie jar and stole from cookies from it. "I rather watch." The fire controller walked away, chuckling to herself.

"A-rei-na!" cried Terry, clearly distraught.

Molly made her way to the Bat Cave. In a sense, it was her birth right but she had walked away from the life of a hero. She went down the staircase, seeing her parents and grandfather as she made her way down.

The ten year old didn't even take five steps away from the staircase before she hear her name.

"Molly Trinity Greyson!"

She made her way to her parents, head down. The young healer knew she was in trouble.

Serenity Greyson, Molly's mother, got to her knees and hugged her youngest tightly. "Molly! Why would you scare us like that!?"

"I didn't mean to," Molly almost sobbed.

"Don't cry." Dick got on his knees too and smiled at his youngest. "We were worried when we couldn't find you. But when we saw you with Terry and his girlfriend, we knew you were safe."

"But next time, tell us where you're going," Serenity told Molly. "We don't want anything to happen to you."

The girl's parents had powerful enemies. For Dick, aka Nightwing, he had Deathstroke, Time Stalker and Red Hood. For Serenity it was Morgan La Fay, her son Mordred, Calico and Fieldjolt. But together, the power couple took them on and won many times. So any of the villains could kidnap their children. So they tended to be overprotective.

"So…you and Terry?" Bruce said.

Molly blushed. "Dana said I could share him with her."

Serenity and Dick looked at each other. Then they broke out laughing.

Molly was confused.

Bruce shook his head and made his way upstairs.

Terry was dumbfounded.

His own partner. He couldn't believe Areina wasn't going to help him with Molly. She was just a kid. How was he going to get her to get rid of her crush on him!?

The young Batman saw Bruce leaving the study and Terry jogged over to catch up to the old man. "Bruce, I have to talk to you."

"About Molly's crush," Bruce said.

"How did-never mind. Any ideas on how to deal with it?"

"Why are you asking me?" Bruce never raised his voice, but he was clearly annoyed with the conversation.

"How do I handle her?" She's your granddaughter," Terry told his mentor.

"She's your problem. I never had to deal with such things." Bruce never stopped moving as he made his way up the steps.

"Not even with Batgirl and Talia a' Ghul?" Terry teased.

Bruce turned around and batglared him in a way that scared Terry.

Terry knew he was going to get punished for bringing them up. "You're not going to help!?" Terry was shocked. He shouldn't have been shocked. But he was. Oh, he was going to get punished real soon. That glare was a vow of it.

"No."

"Why!?" Terry asked.

"Because Molly is going through a phase. Get over it."

The End