6-13-14

Wow, guys, thanks for all the support! Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed!

So, this chapter by itself is longer than the previous one plus its author's note. So yeah, longest chapter yet, and probably the longest in this story.

Once again, limited knowledge as to what's canon, so sorry if there are any mistakes!

Enjoy!

2.

Five days later...

Gotham City
April 26, 10:24 EDT

Dick stood nervously at the entrance to the Gotham Elementary playground, slightly unsure of what to do. He fiddled with the hem of his T-shirt, watching as kids ran around the play structure. Dick had never been to a "typical playground" before. Growing up in the circus, he spent all his spare time practicing his acrobatics and swinging on a trapeze. He had had no need of a play set when anything and everything was his personal play place. Well, except for Mr. Haly's trailer. And Peter's throwing knives. And Mr. Zorro's magic hat. And...

A familiar hand placed itself on his shoulder and Bruce's deep voice broke through his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

Dick shrugged, twisting his shirt around his fingers. "I've never really played with...normal kids before."

Bruce chuckled, the comforting sound making Dick feel minutely better. "I'm sure you'll be fine. The playground is a good place to make friends during the summer. Don't you want to get to know the kids who'll be in your class at school?"

Dick wrinkled his nose in disgust, scuffing his shoe on the ground as tears welled up in his eyes. "I've never been to school before," he announced. "Mommy and Daddy and the rest of the troupe homeschooled me."

Bruce hesitated. He squeezed the boy's shoulder awkwardly. "You'll be fine," he repeated.

"Hey, Bruce!"

Dick glanced up to see a man striding toward them, a wide smile on his face. He appeared to be around Bruce's age, maybe older, with slightly greying red hair and a bushy mustache. His eyes twinkled merrily in the sunlight, and his smile warmed Dick down to his toes.

Bruce returned the smile, reaching out to shake the man's hand. "Commissioner Gordon! It's good to see you. How's it going down at the station?"

The man shrugged. "Eh, it's going." Then he caught sight of Dick, and his smile softened. He knelt before him, his kindly eyes sparkling. "And you must be Richard."

"Dick," Dick corrected reflexively.

At the man's surprised expression, Bruce quickly clarified: "He prefers to be called Dick."

"Oh," the Commissioner said, his features relaxing. He smiled again, crinkles forming in the corners of his eyes. "Well, hello, Dick. How're you liking Gotham so far?"

Dick considered the question. "It's nice," he said finally.

The man ruffled the boy's hair. "I'm glad to hear it." He stood up, brushing the dirt off of his khakis. "Well, a recent police report told me that someone was getting a little lonely being cooped up in that big old mansion for so long with only two stuffy old fogies to play with."

Bruce frowned. "I'm still younger than you, Jim."

The Commissioner looked at Dick, jerking a thumb over at Bruce. "So he keeps saying." He covered his mouth with his hand, leaning down and lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Sometimes I think he's got bats in his belfry."

Dick grinned at the man, giggling slightly. He decided that he liked this Commissioner Gordon. He reminded him of Mr. Haly.

Gordon straightened again, smiling innocently at Bruce's scowling expression. "Anyway, I thought you could use a playmate." He turned toward the playground, raising a cupped hand to his mouth. "Barbara! Could you come here for a moment, please?"

Dick curiously looked to the playground, searching for the person Mr. Gordon had been calling. A few of the children had looked up minutely at the initial shouting, but all had returned to whatever they were doing soon after.

"Hi!"

Dick's head jerked around in surprise. He gasped. Standing in front of him was a girl—a very pretty girl. Her fiery red hair shimmered in the midmorning sun, her turquoise eyes as bright as her gleaming white smile.

She stuck her hand out to him. "My name's Barbara. What's yours?"

Dick realized he was staring like an idiot. He closed his mouth quickly, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks as he shook her hand. "Dick," he murmured, staring at his toes.

Barbara's smile widened. "Well, hi, Dick. You wanna come play with me? I managed to save a couple of swings."

Dick gaped at her. He looked uncertainly up at Bruce. To his surprise, there was a small smile on his guardian's face.

Bruce gave a slight nod, encouraging him to accept.

Dick turned back to Barbara. "Um...sure."

The blinding smile returned to her face. "Great!" She snatched Dick's hand again, and before he could protest, was dragging him across the playground to the currently empty swings. "We have to hurry before someone takes them!"

Dick allowed himself to be dragged along, missing the knowing smiles passed between the men behind him. He looked around in awe as they passed various play structures, the brightly colored plastic and metal glinting merrily in the warm sun. Kids swung around on various bars that looked like horizontal ladders, sliding down long ramps that sometimes curled or bumped along the way down. He stumbled to a stop as the girl pulling him skidded to a halt in front of what Dick assumed was a swing. He studied the structure, deciding it looked a lot like a low, thick, curved trapeze.

Barbara released his hand in favor of latching onto the chain on one of the swings, turning around and hopping into the seat. She patted the swing next to her. "You can have this one."

Dick hesitantly turned around, sitting down on the somewhat flimsy material. The chains grew taught, the seat dipping with his weight and bending into a neat U shape. He examined the chains he hung by, noting the shiny metal and lack of rust. The seat material seemed sturdy enough despite its flexibility, supporting his weight easily. Satisfied that it wouldn't fall out from under him, he glanced over at Barbara, wondering what to do next. To his surprise, the swing next to him was gone. "Barb—"

"Whee!"

Dick yelped in surprise as Barbara came into his view, going backwards through the air. He turned, watching as the girl's momentum ran out and she paused momentarily midair before sticking her legs straight out and swinging forward and up, seemingly trying to touch the sky.

"Come on, dummy!" she cried. "Don't just sit there! Swing with me!"

Dick studied the swinging girl, watching as she went back and forth, back and forth. It seemed to have something to do with how she moved her legs...

Suddenly, Barbara stuck her feet down, scraping the ground with her shoes. After a couple more passes, she planted her feet into the mulch, bringing herself to a complete stop. She turned to stare at him, eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong? Haven't you ever seen a swing before?"

Heat crept up Dick's cheeks. "Not really," he admitted.

An incredulous look appeared on Barbara's face. "Seriously? Your parents never took you to a playground?"

Dick studied the legs of his jeans, rubbing a finger against the rough fabric. "No."

Barbara frowned, as if that information didn't line up.

Dick waited with baited breath, silently willing her not to pursue the matter.

After a moment, her expression cleared. "I suppose I'll just have to show you, then."

Dick blinked in confusion. "Show me what?"

"How to pump a swing, you dummy," Barbara giggled. She slowly backed up, keeping herself firmly in the seat, stopping when she couldn't go back any farther. Then she lifted her feet from the ground and swung forward, her legs straight out in front of her. It was an admittedly small arc compared to how high she'd been going earlier, and she quickly lost speed. She bent her knees, leaning forward and pushing the swing back. "It's all about building up momentum," Barbara explained, continuing to pump herself back and forth. "The more you give it, the higher you go."

"Like on a trapeze?" Dick asked, a strange little shiver running up his spine.

She turned to face the still-grounded Dick, eyebrows raised. "Yeah. Something like that. Now you try."

Dick walked backwards, mimicking what he'd seen Barbara do a moment before. The chains grew taught beneath his fingers, his feet just touching the ground. Then he jumped up, allowing the swing to carry him forward. He began to pump, struggling to catch up with the rapidly ascending Barbara.

"You got it!" Barbara called down encouragingly. "Just keep going."

Back and forth, back and forth. A small thrill of excitement vibrated through him as he began to gain altitude, coming level with Barbara. He laughed excitedly, the sound carrying throughout the park as he swooped up and down, his feet stretching up into seemingly endless blue above him.

"So," Barbara said casually as they swung side-by-side. "Where are you from? I know Bruce is your adopted father—"

"Guardian," Dick corrected. He glanced at her suspiciously. "How'd you know that?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "My dad and Bruce have known each other since forever. My dad told me about you." She glanced at him curiously. "Where are you from?" she repeated.

Dick turned and continued pumping, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "The circus."

Barbara's eyes widened. "Wow. Really?"

"Yep."

Barbara raised an eyebrow, disbelief etched in her features. "You're pulling my leg," she decided.

Dick scowled at her. "Am not. I did trapeze."

Barbara's eyebrow went higher, her lips curling up in a smirk. "Prove it."

A jolt of fear shot through him, and he could swear he could see his parents falling beneath his swinging legs. He swallowed thickly. "I'll pass."

Barbara gave him a strange look. "Okay, then. I would have thought a circus kid would love to show off."

Dick shrugged, keeping his eyes glued on his pumping feet.

They continued swinging in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey," Barbara called suddenly. "Stop for a moment."

Reluctantly, Dick dug his feet into the ground as he'd seen her do, jerking himself to a stop. He frowned at her. "What?"

Mischievousness sparkled briefly in Barbara's eyes, disappearing almost as fast as it appeared. "Would you like me to push you?"

Dick cocked his head to the side, confused. "What?"

"Push you on the swing, silly," Barbara said. "You'll go much higher that way."

Dick hesitated, a small spark of fear burning in the back of his mind. But the thrill of flying through the air, the excitement from swooping like a bird in the sky overwhelmed him, urging him to go to even greater heights. "Yes, please," he said eagerly.

Barbara smiled almost evilly, jumping off her swing and coming up behind him. "Hold on," she warned, grabbing the swing and pulling him off the ground. He felt hands shove him in the back, propelling him forward. With every push, he felt himself swing a little higher. He began to feel almost weightless as the height increased, going much higher than he'd been going on his own power. "Um, Barbara?" he said hesitantly. "Can you slow down?"

"Oh come on," Barbara chided. "You're not chickening out now, are you? I thought you did trapeze."

Dick gritted his teeth, gripping the chains so tightly his knuckles turned white. As he swung forward, all he could see was sky, giving the illusion that he was air born. His bottom came minutely off the seat before slamming back down again as he swung backward.

Dick clutched at the chains, blood pounding through his ears as he found himself facing the ground, the links once again going slack before tightening as he began his forward curve. Sweat erupted on his palms, his fingers suddenly feeling numb and frozen. "Stop!" he cried, his breath wheezing through his lips as his grip began to slip.

"Just one more," Barbara insisted, shoving him hard in the back.

He crested forward, rising to the peak of his forward climb...and the chains slipped through his fingers. Terror tore through him as he actually flew through the air, his hands clawing for nonexistent handholds. Instinct took over as he began to fall downwards, turning a forward somersault and twisting midair so he was facing the swing set and a horrified Barbara Gordon. He landed on his feet, his knees bending to absorb the impact. He sprang upright, his arms spread habitually toward his "audience."

Every person in the area, parent and child alike, had their eyes on him.

Dick lowered his arms, slightly unnerved by their wide-eyed stares.

A slow clapping sound echoed in the silence, and he turned to see Barbara approaching him. She whistled appreciatively, smiling shakily. "Well, what do you know. You are a circus kid."

Bruce and Commissioner Gordon came running up to him, worry and amazement etched on their faces.

"Dick, are you okay?" Bruce asked, crouching before his ward.

Dick stared at him. Then, without warning, he flung himself into his guardian's arms, gripping the back of the man's suit tightly. His entire body trembled in shock, but Bruce was surprised and relieved to see that no tears came from the young boy's eyes. "Fine," Dick whispered.

After a moment, Bruce carefully pulled away, a small smile quirking at the corners of his lips. "That's the first time I've seen you flip around since nearly a month ago."

Dick blinked, realization dawning in his baby blues. "Oh." This was the first time he'd performed any form of aerial acrobatics since his parents' "accident." He realized with surprise that even though he had been scared out of his mind...he'd actually reveled in the freedom as he shot through the sky.

"I'm so sorry," Barbara babbled as she reached them. "I didn't know your grip was slipping. I should've known to stop, you could've gotten hurt, you—"

"It's okay," Dick interrupted. He turned to look at her over his shoulder, a small smile on his face. "Circus kid, remember?"

Barbara looked at him in surprise, a grin slowly stretching across her face. "Yeah."

Just then, something chirped. Bruce reached into his pocket, peeking at his cellphone. He glanced at his watch and frowned. Replacing the phone in his pocket, he placed both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Listen, Dick, I've got to go to a meeting now. Is it okay if I leave you here with Mr. Gordon for a little while? Or would you rather go home with Alfred?"

Dick stared at the Commissioner, a thoughtful expression on his face. Suddenly, he brightened. "Will Barbara stay too?"

Jim smiled. "Of course, sport."

"Then I want to stay," Dick decided. A sheepish expression came over his face as his guardian raised an eyebrow. "Um, if that's okay with you."

Bruce clapped him lightly on the back. "Of course, chum." He got to his feet, gesturing toward the now beaming Barbara. "Now go have fun."

Dick turned toward her, a somewhat devilish grin on his face. "You so owe me, Babs."

Now it was Barbara's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "Babs?"

"Your new nickname," Dick announced, running forward and snatching her hand. "Get used to it. Now come on, let's do that horizontal ladder thingie."

"How about 'monkey bars,' Bird Boy?" Babs suggested.

"Yeah, those," Dick agreed. He paused. "Bird Boy?"

"Your new nickname," Barbara cried, sprinting ahead of him. "Get used to it. Race you!"

So what do you think? Were the Gordons OOC? Was it too drawn out? Too descriptive? Let me know in a review!

Also, you wouldn't BELIEVE how hard it is to try and explain what a swing looks like and how it works. It's one of those things you never would expect to describe, you know? :P Sorry if it's weird that Dick has never seen a swing before. In my head, he practically lived in the circus camp. Kind of one of those situations where you go and see a lot of places, but don't really explore. I just thought it would be cute. Sorry if it bothered you :P

So, the next couple weeks are about to get EXTREMELY busy, so I'm going to apologize ahead of time if I don't update on time! We're going to go on vacation with another family, so I'll have little to no writing time. Plus, the bedroom I sleep in doesn't have wifi. So yeah, make that no writing time :P

I'm taking the ACT tomorrow... Wish me luck!

Hopefully see y'all soon! Don't forget to review! (It'll make me feel better after a long morning of testing ;D)