A/N: I had already told that a few chapters of this story were typed on my phone, unfortunately two months ago my phone was stolen while I was working. I lost everything and had no back-up. So it took a little longer than usual because I had to think of what I'd written before. I hope you all like it though...

Thanks for all the reviews/followers/favorites! You're awesome :D

"You now have to listen very carefully to me, Master Bruce." Alfred said with an angry look. They were in one of the many rooms of the mansion, sitting at the old oak table while facing each other. In this room Bruce had already had several sermons by Alfred, including the criticizing talk about the fact that he had decided to begin his secret life as the crime fighter Batman. "What are you planning to do with Master Dick? And do not dare to say that you do not know it yet because the time that I had given you to think about this specific subject has just ended."

Bruce looked at his cup of tea with a neutral facial expression, but in his head there were going all sorts of thoughts around. Alfred sighed and took a sip of his tea before he continued. "You must choose, Master Bruce ... in the interests of the child." Bruce shook his head; he really got a headache from all the thinking of the past few days. "Alfred ... I can't do it. I've always been bad at dealing with children, and Dick is even more difficult to deal with."

"May I remark Sir, that I got the impression that you really haven't tried to take the role of a father upon yourself?" Alfred said with a confrontational gaze. Bruce rolled his eyes and threw his arms in the air in frustration, "But how, Alfred? Tell me how I can build up a bond with someone who doesn't make any contact?!"

Alfred looked at him with pity. "I know it's difficult, but from my experience with Master Dick I can tell you that if you are preserving and if you give a little more attention to him, that the relationship as father and son will be getting better between you two. And remember that if you'll never try, you will also never get the desired results."

Bruce looked straight ahead, and before he realized it himself, he had already opened his mouth and asked the question he had in mind. "How do you see yourself Alfred? Do you see yourself as his grandfather?"

Bruce regretted his question as soon as he saw Alfred's facial expression. He had clearly brought a sensitive issue to the surface by asking him this. "I'm sorry Alfred, it was not my intention to-" but Alfred interrupted him while he raised his hand.

"An apology is not necessary, sir. We have to be open about this subject if we want to improve something. Returning to your question, Master Bruce, if I have to be honest, I must admit that my behavior towards Master Dick is unprofessional. I know I should be his butler and not his grandfather. Sadly, I really must admit that if you had to describe the bond between me and Master Dick, it would come close to one between a grandfather and grandson."

A long silence followed in which Bruce quietly processed what Alfred had just said. It was clear that Alfred cared about Dick and it would break the heart of the butler if he didn't change his decision. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Alfred stood up and he gathered the cups of tea on the tray, a sign that he was finished with talking.

While Alfred prepares to leave, he's saying one last thing that made Bruce pay attention. "You know, Master Bruce, you were going through a dark period in your life when you had just lost your own parents in a terrible way and for me it was also absolutely not a good time in my life. Currently, Master Dick is going through a very dark period too, but I believe that even in the darkest of times there is always something beautiful. Perhaps you cannot see the beautiful thing, that bright spot, but it's there. You just have to look at it."

"Do you think that we are the bright spot in Dick's life?" asked Bruce as Alfred walked past him. The butler did not answer, but his smile had already given the answer away, which only brought up more questions in Bruce's mind.

"I'll explain it to you, Dick." Bruce said, putting down the paper on the wooden desk of his home office. Dick looked at the sheets of paper in front of him and he quietly grabbed the pencil which Bruce offered him. "On these pages are some questions. The questions will be progressively more difficult. Try to answer all the questions and if you do not know the answer then just skip the question. You get two hours and then I'll come back to check everything. Is that clear?"

Dick nodded obediently and began to read the first question. Bruce let him work in peace, and he went to Alfred who at that time was busy with cooking. "Hi Alfred, it already smells good here." Alfred looked up and nodded to Bruce who went sitting on the bar stool. "I hope you have been thinking about our conversation, sir." the butler noted with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I did indeed. And I've decided to test him. I've been curious for a while how clever Dick really is and what his potentials are." Alfred looked at him questioning for a moment, but he decided to let it go. "Master Bruce, I'm glad that you decided to show some more interest in your son." Bruce nodded once and he quickly glanced at his watch, "I'm going to handle some business in the study room. I'll be back within two hours." and with that said, he stood up and he disappeared out of the kitchen.

"Put your pencil down Dick." Bruce said as he walked into his home office. Dick did what was asked of him and he slid his test ahead and Bruce picked it up while he flipped through it. "Well done Dick, go to the kitchen and you'll get a treat from Alfred. I'm going to check your answers and then I'll be right there."

Dick nodded softly, and he climbed out of the big chair and then he quickly walked out of the room. He already was looking forward to a treat especially after he had to concentrate for so long. Once in the kitchen, he sniffed up the smell quietly. Alfred had made an apple pie and the smell reminded him of his old home, the circus.

"Hello Master Dick, I'm baking a tasty apple pie for tonight and I promise that you will also get a slice." Dick looked curiously into the oven at the already delicious looking pie and his stomach started to rumble spontaneously. Alfred smiled, "I hear that your stomach is impatient." and he walked to the fruit bowl and picked up a banana. "I hope this will keep your stomach a little satisfied until dinner, young sir."

Dick grabbed the banana grateful and he quickly sat on his stool. Alfred picked up the drawing stuff and gave it to Dick, it had become a routine. Dick started quickly on his next drawing of an elephant, and he was almost finished when Bruce walked into the kitchen.

Alfred stopped cleaning the counter and he followed Bruce with his eyes as he sat down on the bar stool next to Dick. Bruce placed the test beside him and he looked curiously at the drawing. Dick went on undisturbed; he finished his drawing of the circus elephant by drawing a feather headdress and a ball with a star on it. Under the elephant he wrote the name Zitka.

"Was that an elephant from the circus?" asked Bruce suddenly and it surprised Dick. He nodded once and then put his crayons down. This was apparently the moment that Bruce had been waiting for, "I have checked your test Dick and I must say that you have pleasantly surprised me. You had a lot of questions correctly; you even had a few questions correct for children of an older age. And the test indicates that you have learned and can write several languages." said Bruce as he increasingly was getting more enthusiastic. Dick tried to take everything in and then grabbed his notebook.

So, have I done well?

He pushed the notebook towards Bruce who immediately picked it up and began to read it while a small smile appeared on his face. "Yes Dick. You could even say that you are gifted. I'm going to call some people who will give you some extra brief lessons besides the lessons that you already get from Alfred." and Bruce picked his mobile out of his pocket and left the kitchen again while Alfred watched him with a very tiny smile. Dick was still amazed at the fact that Bruce was so excited about him. Maybe Bruce was going to like him after all...