A/N: I hope you all enjoy Chapter 14! Sorry it took so long to write since I got back yesterday, but my stupid computer hasn't been working that well - the internet connection keeps turning on and off - plus I have to share it with nine siblings, so I have limited time. So I pretty much wrote like Hell to get this finished. But its done, so please read on!

And review please, it makes me happy!

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SONS OF WAYNE

CHAPTER 14

"Do you want any help Alfred?"

Alfred looked down at six-year old Dick Grayson-Wayne, and he chuckled. "Thank you for offering, Master Dick, but I can clean it up myself just fine,"

Dick frowned. "But I don't want to be lazy and rude like Wally and not offer to help," he said.

"I AM NOT LAZY AND RUDE!"

Dick stuck his tongue out at his brother, who was sitting on the couch, playing with his brand new Playstation 2. "Yes you are!" he retorted.

"No I'm not!" Wally Grayson-Wayne said, crossing his arms. The eight-year old kept one eye on his Tony Hawk video game (also brand new) while using the other one to glare over at Dick. "It's my eighth birthday, so I can do whatever I want!"

"Now now Master Wally," Alfred reprimanded, walking by and patting Wally on the head. "There is no need to sound so spoiled,"

"Sorry Alfred," Wally apologized.

"On another note," Alfred said. "I am glad you had a good birthday party,"

Alfred frowned when Wally and Dick's faces both became sad looking. Dick sighed and stared down at the floor, while Wally paused his video game and slowly wrapped his arms around himself.

"Could've been better," Wally whispered.

The butler quickly realized what was bothering the two boys. He sighed and sat down on the couch beside Wally, motioning for Dick to join them.

"Boys," Alfred said carefully. "I know you're upset that Bruce was unable to make it but-"

Alfred paused. He thought about how Bruce had called and said that League business was going to make him late, and Alfred had told the boys that Bruce had been called into an emergency meeting with his company.

Dick and Wally had been very sad, but they held onto the hope that Bruce would eventually make it and celebrate. The boys friends from Gotham Elementary - Barbara Gordon among them - as well as Oliver Queen and Roy Harper all the way from Star City...all the guests had arrived with presents and celebratory remarks.

But surprise surprise...

Bruce didn't show up.

"...But his meeting just ran late," Alfred finished.

"IT ALWAYS DOES!"

Alfred flinched in surprise when Dick suddenly got off the couch, his face angry. "He always used to spend time with us, but now he NEVER does! The last time he did was Christmas, and that was so long ago!" he cried, clenching his fists together.

"Dick," Alfred said, trying to sound comforting.

Wally suddenly scoffed. "Why are YOU angry? Bruce cares about you more than he does me!"

Alfred was shocked. "Wally, how can you say such a thing?" he asked, astounded.

"Well, Bruce went to his birthday party," Wally pointed out, sneering at Dick. "But no, he can't come to mine!"

Dick's mouth opened out of surprise, and he glared back at Wally. "You jerk!"

"Brat!" Wally shouted back.

"I'm not a brat, you are!" Dick yelled, shoving Wally off the couch and to the floor.

"DON'T PUSH ME!" Wally looked furious and he pulled Dick to the ground, and the two boys proceeded to wrestle, trying to punch the other in the face.

"BOYS!" Alfred cried. Both of the boys stopped and looked up at him. Their faces shone with shame and discomfort when they saw that Alfred was glaring down at them. "I will not tolerate fighting in this house!" the butler continued. "Now go to your room!"

"B-But-" Wally started.

"I do not care that it is your birthday, you are both grounded! Off!" Alfred pointed in the direction of the door. "You may come out when you are ready to apologize to each other!"

Wally and Dick got off the floor, looking down, and began walking to the door.

Wally paused for a moment. "Why doesn't Bruce care about us anymore?" he asked, seemingly to himself.

Alfred's eyes widened, but before he could say anything to Wally, the boys had exited the room and headed for the staircase leading to the upper levels of the house.

Bruce, Alfred shook his head and resumed cleaning, half-heartedly. I hope you fix this...or I'm going to kill you.

Alfred was waiting down in the Bat-Cave when the Batmobile finally re-entered the cave...at two in the morning.

The butler tried to make his face look passive, instead of annoyed like he felt inside.

Batman stepped out of the Batmobile, and Alfred blinked when he saw that the Kevlar suit looked like something had picked Bruce up in its teeth and shook him, ripping it to basically shreds.

"What happened to you, sir?" Alfred asked as Batman shuffled over to him.

"Tourists lost on an island of radioactive giant animals," was the muttered answer.

Alfred was following Batman as he walked by, but he stopped. After a few moments, he replied "That...sounds far too much like a science fiction film,".

"This world is insane," was his, once again muttered, reply.

For the new several minutes, it was silent as Batman stripped off the tattered suit, revealing the body of Bruce Wayne covered in several scratches and bruises. The man sat down on the same bench he always did when Alfred needed to patch him up. Right now, it could be clearly seen that Alfred Pennyworth was not just Bruce Wayne's butler - he was also his friend.

Who else will fix your wounds night after night?

However, tonight Bruce quickly noticed that Alfred seemed to be...not as gentle as he usually is.

In fact, Alfred was pretty much making sure that the stitching and cleaning of his wounds was as stinging as possible.

"Alfred," Bruce said when he seemed to press into his bruises a little too hard.

"Sir," Alfred replied.

Bruce sighed. "Alfred, I am aware that I missed Wally's birthday party-"

"Oh, well, as long as you know," Alfred interrupted curtly.

"Alfred, I can't abandon my responsibilites as Batman," Bruce said. "Or to the Justice League, not for every thing that Wally and Dick want to do,"

"I know sir," Alfred said understandingly. "I always knew that Batman would come between you and the boys,"

Bruce knew it was true, but he still hated the sound of it. He loved Dick and Wally with all his heart, he truly did...and sometimes Bruce wished that the cowl didn't have to come between them. He always wished he didn't have to be Batman...but the fact was, he was Batman. And he always had a job to do. Unfortunantly, the mission always had to come before everything else.

Even his sons.

...It still sounded awful.

"But sir," Alfred continued speaking, breaking Bruce out of his thoughts. "I'm sure things would be better if you would just tell the boys that you are Batman. I do not mean to sound disrespectful sir, but my God they've been living with us for a year and a half,"

"I know," Bruce replied.

"So?" Alfred inquired, wrapping Bruce's arm.

Bruce sighed again. It was silent for a couple seconds, but he spoke.

"Alfred, I want to tell Dick and Wally...but I believe it might've been a mistake to not tell them earlier,"

Alfred raised an eyebrow. It was surprising for him to hear Bruce admit that. "I agree sir, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Because if I told them now...well, I don't need to tell you what their reactions might be," Bruce said. "They might become angry that I withheld this from them for so long, that I might not trust them enough...or they may become worried for my safety,"

"I think that is unavoidable in any way," Alfred pointed out.

"Really?"

"I know I still have slight heart attacks when I see you like this," Alfred mumbled.

Bruce gave his butler and friend a look. He knew Alfred didn't approve of Batman when he first started out...that old dissaproval still lingered from time to time.

"I should tell them...but I also wonder if they could keep it a secret," Bruce continued.

"What?" Alfred stopped cleaning his cuts, staring at Bruce. "You think the boys would expose your secret?"

"They are young children, Alfred," Bruce said softly, looking up to the ceiling of the cave. He knew that the boys room was directly above their heads in the mansion. "Young children...aren't as controlled with themselves as adults are,"

"No offense intended, sir...but that is absolutely prepostrous,"

"Oh?" Bruce asked, looking at Alfred out of the corner of his eye.

"Dick and Wally love you greatly," Alfred said, feeling Bruce's skin tense under his fingers. "And they are smart enough to know how important it would be to keep this kind of knowledge a secret,"

"They are still children,"

Alfred sighed. "So do you intend to tell Dick and Wally, or not?"

Bruce rubbed his forhead. "Not now," he decided. He felt Alfred's dissapointed eyes, so he looked up and met them with a hard frown. "Not now, but soon...when they're older,"

"So what are you going to do about the fact that your sons feel you no longer love them enough to spend time with them?" Alfred asked, unable to keep his annoyance out of his voice.

Bruce's face dropped ever so slightly. "Did they really say that?" he said, his tone becoming more regretful.

"Well, Wally said something similar," Alfred said. "But it was practically written on their faces,"

Bruce put his face in one hand and sighed again.

"I'll make it up to them," Bruce muttered.

"One day that won't be enough sir,"

Bruce stood up, moving his arm in a circle. "Thank you Alfred," he said, rubbing his arm. He walked to the place where he saw Alfred had set out his pajamas. He stripped off what was left of his costume, putting on a clean pair of boxers, sweatpants, and a white t-shirt.

"Did you at least get Master Wally a present?" He heard Alfred ask in an exasperated tone of voice.

"In the Batmobile," Bruce replied. To prove it, he walked over and opened the door, pulling a large box out of it.

Alfred smiled at that. "You kept it in the car?" he asked, amused.

"It's not as if any criminals are going to see it," Bruce replied with a small grin. Then he frowned and started upstairs. "I'll give it to Wally in the morning, before the boys leave for school,"

"Very well sir,"

The next morning, Bruce woke up early and immediantly picked up the present he had set on his dresser, and walked out of his bedroom. He had thought about checking in on the boys in their room, but he was exhausted from his long battle the day before. So he went straight to bed.

He walked down the hallway until he came to the door of Dick and Wally's room.

"Wally? Dick?" he asked, knocking on the door. "Can I come in?"

His request was greeted with silence. Frowning, Bruce opened the door.

When he flung the door completely open, he started to wish he had checked on the boys when he got home.

"Boys?" Bruce said louder, a little alarmed. The room was empty. Before he could get too panicked, however, he noticed their backpacks were gone.

His eyebrows crinkling in confusion, a thought occured to Bruce and he looked at the clock on the wall.

"Shit," he mumbled. He now realized that he hadn't bothered to reset his alarm clock when he went to bed - he had slept in. Dick and Wally had already left for school.

"Sleep well, sir?" a voice asked.

Bruce turned and saw Alfred standing in the doorway, holding a tray and not looking very happy at all.

Bruce glared at him. "I know, I know, I missed them," he said, dropping the present on Wally's bed.

Alfred sighed. "I suppose your apology will have to wait until after the boys have stirred in their anger at school, sir,"

Bruce didn't say anything as Alfred walked out of the room. He smacked his forhead and rubbed it. He felt horrible for missing Wally's party, and not being able to give him his present in time.

Did the boys truly believe he didn't care about them anymore, he wondered.

He prayed they would let him explain.

...Because maybe he should tell them.

Trying to push his self-reproachful thoughts out of his head, Bruce got a cup of coffee, changed into a suit, and quickly drove himself to Wayne Enterprises.

He arrived shortly, as traffic was low. However, the moment he walked in the door, he knew something was wrong.

Tamara, the receptionist who sat in the lobby of the building, was a nice girl. She was the daughter of one of Bruce's fathers oldest friends and business partners, so Bruce made sure she had a well-paying job. She was also a good flirt.

Bruce found Tamara had immediantly gotten up from her desk and flung herself at him.

"Oh, Mr. Wayne, I'm so sorry!" Tamara cried.

Worry and anxiety instantly filled Bruce's body. "What is it, Tamara?" he asked in concern.

Tamara gasped. "You-You didn't hear?" she asked, astounded.

"Hear what?" Bruce asked.

Tamara tugged him over to a small television set she kept at her desk. Bruce always tried to make her get rid of it, but he noticed it was on the news.

"It just came ten minutes ago!" Tamara was babbling. "It's awful! Oh, Bruce, I'm sorry!"

Bruce didn't hear her. His eyes were glued to the screen. His body felt cold, and his chest tightened.

"Oh God no..." he whispered.

The newscaster continued speaking, unaware of the horror filling Bruce Wayne's body. "...demands are unclear, but the situation is dire and quickly growing worse. For those of you just joining us, the notorious supervillains Joker and Harley Quinn, earlier this morning, commandered a school bus that was driving students to Gotham Elementary School. The bus driver was found dead with a note pinned to his chest, proclaiming that the children on board are now in the Joker's captivity. A list of all the children kidnapped has been provided, including the Comissioner James Gordon's daughter Barbara Gordon, our stations own Tiffany Demacoles twins Edward and Regina, as well as millionaire Bruce Wayne's adopted sons Richard and Wally Grayson..."

A/N: And the action begins.

Adios for now!