Notes: Still hope you enjoy reading this fic :)


"Grays-!"

Dick whipped around to cover Damian's mouth with his hand, firmly ushering the boy out of Dusty's room. He took a final glance back at his sleeping son before shutting the door. When he was sure he had made Dusty's sleep as un-disturbable as possible, he finally turned back to Damian - and Damian's fuming scowl.

"I do not appreciate your method of pushing me out, Grayson." Damian's tone was quiet. Deadly quiet, like he was about to skewer you with a sword and was calmly telling you exactly how and where he was going to do it.

"Sorry, little D," Dick backed off carefully, his eyes not leaving the boy's. Damian when irritated resulted in scathing replies. Damian when ticked off usually meant blows would be exchanged. And it was often a little difficult to distinguish when the new Robin would waver between irritated and angry.

Speaking of which, the boy was still staring at him with arms crossed. Waiting. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are we not going patrolling tonight?"

Dick could only blink at the boy's question. "Uhh, that is..." he glanced back at Dusty's room but Damian suddenly grabbed his wrist and started dragging him to the Bunker. "Damie, wait! What are you-"

"I warned you," the newest Robin snarled, pulling him close. "You may have found new duties as a father but I refuse to let you forget your other duty. Let Pennyworth handle the infant now."

"Damian, I'm Dusty's father! I can't just-"

The newest Robin's smolder never wavered and Dick thought it might be best to let the kid have his way, this time. It was now obvious that Damian was jealous - though whether of the time Dick would have to dedicate to raising Dusty or that he was more fond of Dusty, Dick wasn't sure. But he was certain it wasn't because he was more affectionate towards the baby. Damian didn't appreciate his affectionate gestures after all.

"Meet you in the Bunker in five," he told the boy with a sigh. It was nearing time for patrol.

Alfred was putting a tray of dough clumps in the oven when Babs dropped by.

She spoke without greeting the butler, "I've lost him, haven't I?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Miss Gordon," he gently shut the oven door and set the timer. "Lost whom?"

"Dick," Babs sighed and wheeled herself closer. "I've lost him," she stopped by the kitchen counter, slumping in her chair.

"Now, I highly doubt that. If I know Master Richard, he would be in Master Dustin's room right this instant."

"Dustin." Babs repeated with a laugh. "And Dick shortened it to Dusty."

"I would give the poor child some dignity and refrain from calling him an unbecoming name." Alfred sniffed, tearing a louder laugh out of Babs.

But the laughter died quickly and she found herself staring at the empty baby bottle in the butler's hands. "Need any help?"

"If it pleases you," he handed over the bottle and a canister of baby milk powder.

She was measuring the powder into the bottle - Dick wasn't the only kid she used to babysit in her teenage years - when Alfred spoke again, "It remains a choice, Ms. Barbara."

Her hands stilled. "What choice?"

"Whether to see this situation as a sign of Master Richard's betrayal, or an opportunity to be together. Things can only be a hindrance if you let it."

"Hey, Alfred, can you watch Dustin while-" Dick suddenly poked his head in, pausing in mid-sentence when he spotted Barbara. "Uhh.. Hey Babs." he deliberately turned his gaze to the butler. "So, Alfred, will you watch Dusty? Damian and I are going on patrol."

"Certainly, Master Richard."

"Thanks, Alfie. Uh, bye Babs." There was a pause in Dick's footsteps as he left; Babs knew it was to take a final glance at her but she refused to look up and meet his blue eyes. Her thoughts were swirling and it was all she could do to keep it inside, to keep her emotions in check, because she knew one glance at those bright azure eyes she grew up with would break the dam she'd been building. So she shook the baby bottle until finally, Dick's footsteps faded into the hall.

"That boy," Alfred sighed, "I know I taught him better on how to treat a houseguest."

"Don't, Alfred," she choked, feeling her eyes water.

"Miss Gordon?"

She raised a hand, swallowing down the beginnings of a lump in her throat. She won't cry now, not when this wasn't the worst that life had given her. Not when this wasn't the worst hurt Dickdid to her.

"Dick...you idiot..." she whispered to herself.

"A lesser man would agree," Alfred's hand was on her arm. "But a lesser man wouldn't see that this is between you," he smiled patiently, "and Master Dustin."

She looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I simply mean, that this is a choice of whether the baby is a hindrance or support. What you see of this child is entirely your decision." He smoothly turned back to his midnight snack preparations. "In the meantime, would you bring up the baby milk formula you have just made to Master Dustin's room?"


The night wore on and the worst the Dynamic Duo had to face was a drug den raid. Even then, GCPD was already there so all Dick and Damian had to do was make sure the drug runners didn't pull any surprise shootings. Dick had only managed to wave at the officers before Damian was swinging away for their next bust.

He followed after his youngest brother - because really, Gotham just wasn't prepared for a solo Damian yet. They stopped on the top of a high-rise office building. Robin had already whipped out a pair of binoculars and was dutifully scanning for suspicious lurkers in the city's dark alleys.

Dick stood next to his partner, leaning over the waist-high parapet to scan the street below. This high up the cars resembled brightly colored matchbox toys that ran along predetermined road tracks. Most people would be feeling dizzy being so high, but not him. He'd been defying gravity from almost the time he was born and heights had never bothered him.

"It's a quiet patrol," he told Damian. "Let's call it a night, Robin."

"So you can go back to your infant?" Damian's tone was nasty, the same tone he used when there was a particular criminal he didn't think much of. But then, Damian doesn't think much of any criminal at all.

"His name's Dustin, Robin. You can call him Dusty."

"No names while in uniform."

Dick sighed. He definitely wasn't going to get any polite conversation out of Damian tonight.


Later that night, Damian stood at the doorjamb of what was now the infant's room, scowling. As per Grayson's wishes, Batman and Robin returned to Wayne Tower early. Gotham was enjoying a rare, slow night of crime and Grayson took advantage of it. Damian watched the man change out of the suit as soon as he stepped into the penthouse and made a beeline for the infant's room. Several minutes later, Grayson came out with a wistful smile on his face and headed for bed, leaving Damian alone at the penthouse.

He honestly could not understand what was so wonderful about a smelly, drooling, all-around disgusting creature. And how could Grayson love it so much after just meeting it.

Silently, the young boy strode into the room to get a closer look - not that he was interested or anything - and discovered that the baby was not asleep like he had originally thought. Dusty's innocent blue eyes gazed upon his uncle with fascination while chewing on a tiny fist.

Damian's scowl intensified ten-fold.

The baby seemed to find the expression funny, giving the ten year old a wide, gummy, smile and a giggle.

"I am hardly funny, infant" Damian spat.

Dustin's grinned widened, and he reached chubby hands towards the older boy.

"Please" The ten year old scoffed. "You are a disgusting creature, why would I pick you up?" True to his word, he didn't pick the infant up, but he did stick his hand within Dusty's reach, letting him grasp his hand with tiny, drool covered ones. Disgusting.

"What is it about you?" Damian asked quietly. "What is it that draws him to you; love you, even though he's just met you?"

Dustin was fully enthralled with playing with his uncle's fingers.

"Why couldn't my father love me, the way Dick loves you?" the ten year old sighed, then gently pulled his hand away, leaving the room as silently as he entered.