Disclaimer: I don't own anything! If I owned Batman Beyond, do you think I'd still be writing fanfiction? Heck no, I'd be out there writing the comic books and getting paid for it! Batman Beyond is the property of DC Comics and WB animation. Batman is the creation of Bob Kane, and the characters from Batman Beyond like Terry McGinnis and Dana Tan were created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. I just like to play with them. I write for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others; I've not nor will I receive any payment for this fic, so please don't sue.

Author's notes: In China, it's traditional for the paternal grandfather to name his grandchildren. I think that explains the subject of this chappy.

Traditions

"No," Bruce states firmly.

"But it is tradition," Dana quips as she reaches up a cupboard to grab some cups and then begins to arrange the tea tray.

Bruce glares at her. He's horribly flattered and touched that she even considered asking him to do this, but it would raise a lot of uncomfortable questions, and besides, it wasn't his place. "It's meant for family."

"Yes, it is," she tells him, before looking up from her task, and pins him with her own intense gaze, "And as a wise old man once asked me, 'isn't that what you are?'"

"This is a completely different situation-" he beings.

"Oh, so I can be a part of your family, but you can't be a part of mine?" She interrupts, "How is that suppose to work?" Bruce doesn't have a reply for once. Knowing this, the young Asian goes back to the task at hand. When she's done she brings it over to the little table where he's sitting. She pours them both some of the white tea she had gotten from Chinatown, before sitting down across from him.

"J'onn is better qualified-" he starts.

"And who do you think named my mother and her siblings?"

"What about your father?"

Dana gives him a small shrug, "As much as I love him, I know he still thinks I shouldn't have married Terry. That doesn't really endear him to me at the moment. But if you're worried he'll feel insulted or slighted, Terry and I were going to ask him to come up with a Chinese name for the baby."

"So why not just use that name for the baby?"

Dana grimaces. "I know that Chinese names are more common now than they were 50 years ago, but let's be honest. How many people do you know that are able to pronounce my Chinese name properly?" He's about to reply so she adds, "That don't speak fluent Chinese?" Bruce then closes his mouth again. When did Dana get to be such a smart mouth? He's not sure who he can blame for that, Terry or himself?

He's about to list off all the reason why he shouldn't even be considering what she's asking when she whispers something.

"You're not sentimental. At least, you're not overtly sentimental." Dana takes a sip of her tea and then looks out the window for a moment. "You know, most people these days don't really understand how much power a name has over someone," she states almost absently. "There are going to be a lot of expectations placed on this child, and we both know I'm not talking about the company. The last thing this child needs is the burden of trying to live up to someone else's memory because of a name."

Bruce wonders if Terry or Mary wants the baby to be named Warren if it's a boy.

She looks up again; her brown eyes bore into his blue ones. "It's important to know and to have ties to the past, but I don't want this child to be bound by it. You'd be able to do that. You'd give this baby a name that means something important to you, to us; but he or she won't feel chained by it."

Bruce stares at her while wondering who she was named after to feel this way. He looks down at his tea. He still has very mixed feelings about naming the baby even if he is the paternal grandfather. He takes a drink. On the other hand, he knows he doesn't have much time left; and Dana is offering him to be a part of a legacy more personal than the company, and possibly Batman.

They sit in silence for a while just looking outside and drinking tea, when Terry enters the kitchen looking for a snack and he notices the two of them. He also notices the silence between them, and asks if everything is okay. It is Bruce who answers, "Oh, Dana and I were just discussing traditions, and I was just telling her how much I admire some of the Chinese ones."

"Like how they used to think bats were immortal and bearers of good fortune?" Terry jokes.

"I was thinking more of their naming traditions," the older man replies.

Terry takes another look between the two before looking at his wife, "You asked him didn't you?" His tone takes on a slight accusing tone. Bruce doesn't understand why he feels insulted by Terry's tone.

Dana shrugs, "Yes, I did." She turns her head to face him, "Is that a problem?" While her face is calm, her tone has a slight edge to it.

It almost looks like Terry is about to list off reasons why it would be, before he shuts his mouth. Blinking, he starts again, "Nope, none at all." Terry looks back at his father, "So will you?"

Bruce takes another sip of tea; he really shouldn't even be contemplating it. He shouldn't be wondering about all the different variations there are to the name Leslie or Alfred… "Well, one doesn't go against tradition." He tells them.


Jadeling's notes: J'onn doesn't get enough love on this site.