"So", Vincent said, facing Dick interestedly, "I'm working on my degree in law right now, hoping to take over part of the family business from my father. How about you, have you been to college?"

"Well", Dick replied, "I went to Hudson University for a while but then I dropped out after one semester and became a cop for a little bit. Now, I just do this and that, work for Wayne Industries a little too. Had a circus for a while, that was cool."

"Hmm", Vincent said dryly, "how lovely, and what about you?" He turned to Jason, who was discreetly braiding a few strands of Damian's hair.

"Ohh", Jason said, looking up, "I've never been employed, like, for a real steady honest job or anything. Didn't go to college either. Now, I just kind of live off Dad's money. I get an odd job every once in a while. I was a stripper for a few months, that was an interesting experience, let me tell you. I think everyone should spend a month or two as a stripper, it really opens up your eyes. I can get you a job lined up at this really nice place I know."

"Uhh… no thank you", Vincent said awkwardly.

"You sure?" Jason asked, "It'll be no trouble." Tim elbowed him viciously.

"Ouch", Jason snapped, "what?"

"He doesn't want to be a stripper Jay", Tim snapped, "nobody but you and possibly Dick would want to be a stripper."

"But, you never know", Jason replied, "he might make a pretty good stripper. You can't really tell until they get their clothes off."

"Jason, that's like saying I might make a good stripper."

"Ohh no, you couldn't be a stripper." Tim gave him an incredulous look. "You'd crash under pressure Timmy, I just know it."

"I thought you couldn't tell until they got their clothes off", Tim said defensively, "I might make an excellent stripper. I'd definitely make a better stripper than you."

"Are you kidding me Tim?" Jason scoffed, "You'd be so self conscious. You'd die in the stripper world."

"Ohh yea, well maybe someday I'll try it just to prove you wrong."

"No", Jason said sharply, "I forbid it." Tim gave a snort.

"I can do what I want."

"No", Jason said, adamantly, "I wouldn't be able to handle all those people looking at you like you're a piece of meat. It's shifty people that go to those places Timmy, shifty men especially. I wouldn't want those people touching you and shoving money in your pants. What if one of them tried to take you home? I'd have to kill him if he touched you Timmy and you know how Dad is about me killing people."

"I don't care Jason", Tim snapped, "If I want to be a stripper, I damn well will be."

"Nope", Jason said, shaking his head, "Dick's not going to let you either, are you Dick?"

"What am I not going to let Timmy do?" Dick asked, engrossed in fussing with Damian's tie until he heard his name.

"You're not going to allow Timmy to be a stripper, are you Dick?" Dick looked up, shocked, at Tim, who turned a little pink.

"Tim", he said incredulously, "you are not allowed to be a stripper. You are not allowed to even think stripper thoughts. Put that all out of your head this minute."

"Why couldn't I?" Tim asked defensively.

"All those shifty men would be… looking at you and Timmy, I simply couldn't allow that, you're my innocent Timmy."

"That's what I told him", Jason said.

"I can do what I want", Tim said, "you guys can't tell me what to do."

"Well, maybe we can't but dad can. Dad!" Jason bellowed at the top of his lungs so Bruce could hear him, "tell Tim he's not allowed to be a stripper." At the head of the table, Bruce gave a nervous little, "heh, heh", tugged at his tie and turned to Mr. Tibbles next to him.

"My kids, heh, heh, such jokers, aren't they?" He cast such a murderous look at Jason, the Red Hood lowered his head a little and turned back to his brothers.

"Alright Tim", he said, turning back to his younger brother, "here's the deal, we're gonna go home and you're gonna give me your best damn stripper show and if I think it's good enough, you can be a stripper."

"Fine", Tim replied adamantly, "prepare to be dazzled."

"I don't know", Jason replied, "I've seen some pretty good stripper shows in my day. I doubt anything you do could possibly compare."

"So anyway", Dick said, deciding a conversation about strippers would be counter productive to Bruce's business deal, "Max, what school do you go to?"

'It's Maximilian", the boy drawled arrogantly, "and I don't go to school, I'm home schooled by some of the most prestigious professors in the nation. I am sure that I am far more advanced than most any other child in my grade." He turned a haughty eye on Damian, who glared back with the beginnings of a snarl on his young features.

"That's nice", Dick said pleasantly, pulling Damian onto his lap, seemingly nonchalantly, "Dami here's at the top of his class, aren't you kiddo?" He smoothed Damian's hair maternally. The small boy scowled at the other across the table, hate blazing in his eyes.

Suddenly, a waiter swept up and stood in front of the eight boys at the end of the table. "May I interest you sirs in an appetizer?" he said stiffly, chest puffed out in the fashion of an arrogant restaurant you and I couldn't afford.

"Now", Jason said, turning around in his seat to face the man, "lets just make sure I've got this "that's the little meal that comes before the big meal right?"

"Yes sir", the man said.

"Alright", Jason said brightly with a wave of his hand, "bring me whatever." The waiter stared at him helplessly, not quite sure what to do.

"Just bring us all some salad and some bread please", Tim murmured helpfully.

"Yes sir", the waiter replied and swept away.

"My father is bigger than your father", Damian said suddenly.

"My father has a mustache", Maximillian replied.

"Boys", Dick said soothingly, "why don't we focus on what we have in common, like we all have fathers, we have nice homes, stuff like that." Jason rolled his eyes.

"I didn't think you could get any lamer Dick, but it's official, you have." Dick gave him a sour look. You couldn't back me up on this. Jason shook his head, a sarcastic smile on his face. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Here are your appetizers sirs", a voice above them said.

"Sweet", Jason cried, "food, food, food." A plate of salad was put down in front of him. Jason glared at it for a moment as if it were a sinister beast. "It's got lettuce", he said.

"Yea", Tim replied, taking a bite of his "it's a salad, what did you think it was going to have in it?"

"Meat", Jason replied, "excuse me sir, but could you perhaps bring me a meat salad?"

"Umm, a meat salad sir?"

"Yea", Jason replied, "you know, a good old meat salad."

"Todd", Damian hissed, "there is no such thing as a meat salad, quit embarrassing me!"

"Sorry sir", Dick said, dismissing the waiter, "don't mind him, he's just kidding." The waiter nodded and left, wishing anyone but him could be serving the table he had been assigned to. In fact, when the waiters had found out the Waynes would be eating at their restaurant, they'd had a vicious competition in order to decide who would have to serve them. Jacque had lost and subsequently was forced to deal with the well known family for a whole night. His resignation would be on his manager's table in the morning, if he survived that long.

"I was serious guys", Jason whined, "I wanted a meat salad."

"Shut up and eat some bread", Tim growled, shoving the breadbasket towards the Red Hood.

"Gee", Jason grumbled, "you all are so rude to me. Ohh, bread." He perked up considerably when he noticed the basket teeming with bread in front of him and promptly pulled it towards himself.

"You are not going to eat all of that?" Alexander asked incredulously.

"Yea I am", Jason replied, mouth full.

"Jason", Tim hissed, "that's for all of us to share."

"But, I want all the bread."

"Go find somebody else's then."

"Fine", Jason huffed, standing up at the table, "maybe I will."

"So", Bruce said, a smile on his face as though he actually cared what he was talking about, "what're your views on the internal revenue service, Mr. Tibbles?"

"Well laddie", Mr. Tibbles replied, "I believe it needs quite a bit of reform."

"Ohh, so do I", Bruce replied. Right then, just as Mr. Tibbles was about to shed some light on exactly why he thought what he did, Jason walked up and picked up the basket of bread in front of them. Both men looked at him incredulously.

"Ohh, don't mind me", Jason said, shoving an entire breadstick in his mouth, "I'm just taking all your bread." With that, he walked away. "See Tim, I told you I'd get my own damn bread!"