Chpt.3
"So, let me get this straight. I get on a train, you sit across from me, we talk, you promise to help me, you drive me to your home, your sons are the people I'm looking for, and they are coming to eat with you in about a half hour?" Ruari questioned. She was sitting in the living room of Wayne Manor while Alfred brought out some tea.
"Sounds about right." Alfred said with a small grin.
"How do you know Dick and Jason?" Bruce inquired.
"I knew Dick because we were neighbors for a while. He helped me out a bit. I've known Jason for a long time. We're… um… friends with benefits." Ruari mumbled but Bruce had heard her. "I mean, we were until Sam came along. Well, even after Sam… yeah, I'll stop talking." Ruari sighed.
"So Sam, was he your fiancé?" Bruce inquired.
"Yeah. She was." Ruari whispered, her eyes looking at the ground sadly. Memories of Sam encroached into her head, but she quickly tried to chase them away. "Anyway, what were they like as kids? I'm dying to know. Was Dick always so happy go lucky or did he have an emo teenaged rebellious stage? And what about Jason? Any embarrassing stories about him?"
"I don't think they'd appreciate it very much if I told." Bruce smirked, but could see that Ruari was trying to not talk about her fiancé. "But, I can say that Dick went through a mullet stage."
"A mullet?" Ruari laughed. "I can hardly imagine it!" Bruce couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of how Dick looked. He wishes he could tell Ruari some funny things that Jason had done, but they were mostly suppressed memories.
After Jason died, he kept the outfit but he hated thinking about the boy. Thoughts of him was a smack in Bruce's face of how he let a strong willed young boy die while under his care. And when Jason came back? The only memories Bruce had were hardly funny or good.
This upcoming meal was going to be the first time Bruce and Jason talked without death threats or masks in years.
"Hey Bruce, is the meal ready yet?" walking down the stairs was a young man with black hair and bright blue eyes. Quickly his eyes locked with hers and he smiled apologetically.
"Sorry Bruce, I didn't know you had company over."
"It's alright. Tim, this is a friend of Dick and Jason's, Ruari Eve Whelan. Ruari, this is another one of my sons, Tim Drake." Bruce informed, and Tim moved closer to the two.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Whelan." Tim smiled, putting his hand out to shake with the girl's. Ruari chuckled a bit, honestly not being able to remember the last time when people called her Ms. Whelan so often. She shook Tim's hand firmly with a smile on her face.
"The pleasure's mine, Mr. Drake, but you can call me Ruari." She informed.
"Alright, Ruari, then please call me Tim."
"That shouldn't be too hard." Ruari grinned, then looked at Bruce. "So, any of your sons biological, or do you like adopting a lot of blue eyes black haired boys?"
"He has me." a young boy stomped into the living room with his arms crossed and an indignant look on his face. "I am Damian Wayne, the one and only biological son of Bruce Wayne, thus making me far superior to Drake."
Ruari noticed how Tim seemed to stiffen as the boy entered further into the room.
"That's quite a lengthy title." Ruari smirked. "But, I suppose I should give you my name. I am Ruari Eve Whelan, the one and only biological daughter of the Whelan crime family, thus making me far superior to other mob bosses daughters."
"Tt." Damian huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Damian, be polite." Bruce reprimanded, then turned his attention to Ruari again. "You are part of a crime family?"
"No. My parents were part of a crime family. I had and will refuse to have any doings in their business." Ruari stated firmly.
"You said they were part of a crime family? Did your parents stop?" Tim inquired.
"No. They were killed. My cousin's in charge of it now." Ruari informed with a tone of bitterness in her voice. "Don't like talking about it much. You know what they say, you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family." Ruari smiled, trying to make light of her situation.
"So is it your cousin that is after you or another mob?" Bruce inquired and Ruari stiffened.
"Uh… it's… complicated. Really really complicated." She sighed, running a hand through her brown curly hair.
"I'm confused. What exactly is going on?" Tim inquired, his eyebrow furrowing in concern.
What is going on? My life is falling apart, that's what. She thought however she couldn't say it.
"Nothing. Nothing's going on. I'm so sorry but the less you know the better. I just… I really need Jason and Dick." Ruari stated, anxiety filling her veins.
She was too out of place, too unfamiliar with her surroundings. Her breathing picked up as she felt her heart thudding in her chest. Rapidly, Ruari felt frozen with fear. She felt Bruce gently grasp her hand and saw his mouth moving, but she couldn't hear anything. That just made her panic even more, then, darkness.
Bruce looked at the now unconscious girl and sighed.
"That was a very extreme panic attack." He sighed.
"You think she's telling the truth? About not being part of the mob and everything?" Tim questioned.
"We'll just wait for Jason and Dick to get here. We'll see how well they know her." Bruce stated.
~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~
"So… Damian and Tim might also be eating with us." Dick stated as he drove, knowing that in the car would be his best shot at telling Jason instead of before they left or once they got there.
Jason would have punched Dick if he weren't driving.
"What the fuck Dick! I wanted to work with everyone slowly! Christ, this will be the worst meal ever! The little demon shit will probably try to kill me and you know how much I hate the replacement." Jason spat. Dick sighed, knowing that Jason would have this reaction.
"Tim isn't that bad and Damian can be… contained. It'll be fine and it will show everyone that you mean no harm." Dick explained and Jason grumbled under his breath but didn't reply.
They pulled up into the driveway and Dick had to drag Jason out of the car to the front door.
"Ring the doorbell." Dick stated.
"You ring the fucking door bell." Jason grunted in response, crossing his arms.
"Don't make such a fuss and make it at least look like you wanna be here. C'mon, let's see a smile." Dick stated, and Jason just shot him a glare.
"That's not a smile." Dick said as he poked Jason's face and pulled his lip into a smile. Jason quickly swatted his hand away.
"At least smile for Alfred!" Dick groaned and Jason sighed, looking tired.
"Fine. Just because it's Alfred."
Dick ended up ringing the doorbell, and was greeted by Alfred. Jason smiled a bit and Dick grinned ear to ear.
"Hey Alfred. We're not late, are we?"
"No, just in time." Alfred nodded, then looked at Jason. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Jason. It's been a long time."
"Too long, Alf." Jason grinned, gently hugging the man for a short time, then releasing him.
"Unfortunately, the meal I prepared might have to wait." Alfred stated as he, Dick, and Jason walked further into the room.
"What happened?" Dick inquired but then his eyes widened when he saw who was lying on the couch. "Ruari?"
The girl was lying on the couch and looked almost life less. Next to her on the couch was Bruce, who appeared to be keeping a vigil watch over her.
Jason swiftly was next to the girl, brushing some of her hair out of her face.
"Is she unconscious? What happened?" he questioned, then looked to Bruce. "What did you do?" he immediately was looking at Bruce accusingly.
"Jason, I didn't do anything. She had a panic attack and fainted." Bruce explained calmly.
"A panic attack? That doesn't sound like her." Jason frowned. No. Ruari's always calm and laid back. She knows what situation she's in and how to get out of it. I don't think she's had a panic attack in her life. Jason thought.
"From when we talked, I could gather that she is very stressed. She said she came here looking for you and Dick." Bruce explained and Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"It must be serious if she's looking for us." Jason stated, looking up at Dick.
"She said that she was being chased by some mob and that they killed her fiancé." Bruce informed and both Dick and Jason's breaths caught in their throats.
"Sam? Sam's dead?" Dick questioned.
"According to Ruari, yes." Bruce nodded and Jason shook his head.
"No wonder she's so shaken up. She's not used to having lasting relationships but Sam was special. Sam meant the world to her." He sighed.
Ruari started to stir and Dick walked closer to her.
Her green eyes fluttered open and she looked at Jason then Dick, then the rest of her surroundings. The family could read how confused she was for several moments until the situation came crashing down on her.
"Jason." She whispered, then looked over at the other boy. "Dick."
"Hey, Ruari." Dick said, giving her a small smile.
"Guys… I found you. Heh." Ruari smirked a bit as she sat up. "I guess I got a little worked up. Sorry. Ummm." Ruari paused. She wanted their help but she wanted to relax for a moment. Now that she was with Jason and Dick, could she finally relax?
"We heard about what happened to Sam. We're so sorry." Dick whispered and Ruari's eyes widened, trying to rein back the memories of her fiancé.
"It's fine." she said quickly. "Anyway, Bruce told me that you went through a mullet phase. What didn't I know that about you officer?" she questioned to Dick, smiling brightly and trying to move away from the subject of her dead fiancé.
"Ruari…" Jason sighed. He knew her the best out of everyone there. He knew what that look on her face meant. "Ruari, relax. Relax and mourn. Don't just cry for a minute and finish. Mourn." Jason stated firmly.
Those words seemed to brake Ruari as she crumbled into Jason's arms and sobbed. He held her, tracing circles on her back to help her keep calm.
For the first time in several days, Ruari was able to relax and mourn.
