Collection
Acethebatdog2039
Chapter 10
Summary: After a night of heavy drinking Terry needs a ride home. He calls the one man that has never given up on him.
Timeline: 'Post Return of the Joker, Terry is about 22 almost 23.
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The phone ran around two am. Bruce blinked a few times before reaching for it. He was trying to get some sleep. He rolled to his side to answer the phone. "Hello?" There was a pause from the other line. "Hello? Anyone there," he asked.
"Bruce?" The voice was gruff and weary. A cough on the other end. "Bruce, can you come pick me up?"
"Terry?" The older Batman sat up. "I thought gave you the night off?"
"Can you come get me?" Bruce could hear the sound of cars and cabs rushing past the younger man.
"Where are you?" There was a pause from the younger man before Bruce got the answer he was looking for. "Alright. I'll be there soon. Don't move."
Leaving the tee he had worn to bed Bruce quickly changed his pants, making sure to bring the dog as he headed to pick up Terry.
The drive there was quick it had started to mist on the way there. He found the twenty-two year old standing near the door of the bar where he was at. The kid looked upset and starting to come down from his drunken high.
Terry climbed in the car not even looking at the older man. He looked at his shoes as Bruce drove away from the bar. The twenty-two year had called Tim to pick him before but never Bruce. The current Batman was hoping the old man would wait with the interrogation till they made it back home.
They made it one stop light. "What's going on, Terry?"
The younger man shrugged, "Don't know what you're talking about." Bruce glared at him before driving on. "If I remember correctly, Terence, you and your new girlfriend were going on a date." Terry snorted a laugh in his seat at the use of his full name. Terry looked out the window. "We did. We were having a great time till we ran into Dana."
Bruce turned the corner to get on the highway. "Let's say that didn't go well. Dana didn't take well to seeing me with another girl." Bruce couldn't help but roll his eyes at the younger man's comment. "I don't get it. I mean she broke up with me. So I don't get why the hell she was getting mad at me. It's none of Dana's damn business if I'm dating Chase." Terry huffed. He laid his head back against the head rest of the car.
Bruce didn't say a word while the younger man went on a rant about his ex-girlfriend. After a while Terry grew quiet, Bruce stole a quick look at him before looking back at the road. "Hey Bruce?"
"Yeah Terry?" Bruce turned onto the road leading them to the manor.
"Can I ask you a question?" Terry's head rolled to look at the older man. He didn't wait for Bruce to answer. "Did you ever wonder what everything would be like if things were different? Ya know, like our lives?"
Bruce turned on their street before he answered the younger man. "Not sure."
"Why not sure?"
Bruce sighed heavily. "Well think about it Terry, if things were different then I wouldn't have what I do now."
"But what if you were happier in the other life?" Terry leaned over in his seat. "Don't you want that Bruce? To be happy?" Bruce opened the garage door. "I mean, you could have a family in some other place."
Bruce sighed softly. "I have a family, Terry."
Terry grunted. "It's not the same thing." Bruce put the car in park telling the twenty-two to get out of the car. "It's not the same," he said softly slowly standing up. Terry blinked a few times before taking a step. The almost twenty-three year started muttering to himself. Bruce let Ace out of the car and the Dane mix followed the younger man to his room.
Bruce headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and aspirin for the younger man. When he finally reached upstairs Terry was face first in his pillow. Bruce put the bottle on the table telling the kid to roll over. There was a groan and the almost birthday boy did so. "You're going to be feeling it tomorrow."
Terry grumbled again. "I'm feeling it now." He sat up a bit to take the pills from Bruce. The older man uncapped the bottle handing it to Terry. "Drink the whole bottle, Terry." Terry made a face as he did so. "I'll see you in the morning, Terry." Bruce turned around to head out the door.
"Hey?" He paused with his hand on the door knob. "Happy father's day, Bruce." A small smirk formed on the old man's face. "I'll see you in the morning, Terry."
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The next morning the old man came downstairs smelling coffee. Maybe the hangover didn't kill the almost twenty-three year old after all. There was a card and small box on the counter near the coffee maker. Bruce picked up the card finding Terry's messy handwriting on the inside.
'I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me. You have been there for me where others haven't. You've never given up on me and for that I would like to thank you. I know you can never replace my father and I don't want you too. But I'm one lucky kid to have you. Love you old man. – Terry.'
Bruce put the card down opening the box that left next to it. Inside a medium size book filled with pictures. Photos of his sons, all of them, starting from the first few months of Dick's new life with him and Alfred till now with some shots of Bruce and Matt. On the back cover a photo of Terry with Dick and Tim. Looks like Dick and Terry worked out their problems after all. There was a little note on the bottom of the box; Bruce couldn't help but chuckle at what it said. It was simply Terry asking to be woken up in a week.
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A/N: In my headcanon Terry was born in June. So his birthday is normally around Father's Day. Also I like the new angle with a new girlfriend. You'll see more of her. I promise.
Ace.