The Devil's Sister

Two weeks later, after Tim and Samantha come back from a brief honeymoon, Tim and Dick go shopping for Christmas when both are kidnapped and taken to Chicago where they meet the devil's sister, Victoria Devlin.

Part 25: A Wrench In the Works

Once Dick and Barbara arrived at the clock tower, Dick was a flurry of activity. It seemed a change was what he needed, except for Barbara maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. Dick began by re-arranging her furniture so he could do his usual somersaulting and workout routine that he had done in his own apartment in Bludhaven, before moving back to the Manor.

Barbara had left her old wheelchair out, a reminder of where she had been several months ago, and where she didn't want to end up, again.

"You know, since you don't need this anymore," Dick said. "We should donate it or get rid of it somehow, take it down and have it scrapped at the junkyard by that crusher that crushes cars."

"I'm not ready to," was all Barbara could say. The thought of getting rid of the wheelchair never occurred to her, it had become a permanent fixture in her life.

"How about we turn your computer room into a nursery?"

"I don't think . . . "

"Or your gym," Dick said without missing a beat. You won't be needing it for a while."

"Now wait just a minute . . . "

"We'll have to babyproof everything." Dick was on a roll.

A headache was forming behind Barbara's eyes, not to mention a very sharp pain in her lower back. Barbara would really like to tell Dick to stop. This was her apartment and she should be the one to decide what was going to be done with it. Five minutes later, another sudden pain. The pains she was feeling became more intense. Too late, Barbara realized she was not going to get that chance. She had gone into labor in the middle of what was supposed to be a pleasant vacation time away from everyone.

"Dick . . . " Barbara tried to get his attention as a third contraction almost caused her to double over. Dick kept rambling on about what he would do once the baby arrived.

"Dick!"

"What?" Dick turned to see Barbara doubled over and there was water all over the floor and her clothes were wet.

"The baby's coming."

Dick's eyes went wide. He picked up Barbara in his arms and rushed from the clock tower. Instead of rushing her to the hospital, Dick rushed her back to the Manor. He found Samantha in the nursery feeding her twins, again. Dick didn't realize how hungry babies could be.

"Samantha!"

"Dick? What are you doing back here?"

"What do I do? The baby' coming!'

"Easy Dick," Samantha tried to sooth his fears. "Why didn't you take her to the hospital?"

"There wasn't time."

"If you had time to drive clear out here, you had time to take her to the hospital."

"Oh, um, but what do I do?"

"I'll help you through it."

"AAaggh," Babs groaned as another contraction hit.

"Lay her down, and sit behind her. She's going to need support while she pushes. I'll get some towels.*

Samantha placed Caleb back in the crib with his twin brother, his eyes wide with interest. What members of the household who were home were awakened from Dick's frantic reappearance by then. Jason and Sasha rushed to the nursery with their twins. Alfred was already in the kitchen placing water in a teapot. Some were just returning home. Tim was on his way to Titan's Tower, but changed his mind at the last minute, and Damian had returned with Bruce from patrol after having a heated argument.

Everyone gathered in the nursery once they learned what had happened. They waited anxiously as Samantha helped Dick and Barbara deliver their child. It took only three hours for the baby to come and without as much pain as before, as Samantha helped Babs with the worst of the contractions. Once the umbilical cord was cut and the baby was cleaned up, weighed and measured, Samantha wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed Dick his little girl. He held onto her and didn't want to let her go.

"She's going to need her first feeding," Samantha said. "But there's a problem."

"What problem?"

"Barbara's milk hasn't come in. She doesn't have the necessary nutrients in her milk, since the baby is early."

"What? Is Bab's all right?"

"I don't know why that is so," Samantha stated, "She won't be able to breastfeed the baby. It's essential for mothers to bond with their babies."

"Here," Tim handed Dick a bottle. "We share in the feeding. This bottle has what she's going to need."

"How did you know Babs would need this?"

"I had a feeling," Samantha stated. "It's my own breast milk. I made sure there is enough for my twins." Samantha didn't want to tell Dick about her and Bab's conversations. She didn't know if that had affected her in producing milk. She would have to ask Doctor Thompkins about that issue later, since she had been helping out at her clinic. And Right now wasn't the appropriate time.

Dick took the bottle and placed it in the baby's mouth, and the little girl began to suckle on the rubber nipple.

"What's her name?" Bruce asked.

"Her name's Haley," Dick said.

"Has someone called Commissioner Gordon?" Tim asked.

"Could you do that, Timoti?" Samantha asked.

"Sure." Tim left to get his phone in his room when Alfred came up the steps. He was holding a folded sheet of paper.

"Excuse me, Master Bruce. I need to speak with you in private."

Bruce left the nursery while everyone else gathered around Dick to greet the new baby. "What is it Alfred?"

"I did not wish to disturb everyone on this joyous occasion, but this came for you. There are two men waiting downstairs in the smaller parlor." Alfred handed Bruce the folded sheet of paper.

Bruce looked it over and his eyes narrowed with anger. "Is this some kind of joke? This a court order that states Timothy's adoption is now illegal, and that he is to be removed from the premises."

"That is impossible," Alfred said. "You have his adoption records."

"I have copies," Bruce replied. "The originals were filed at the Hall of Records by my lawyer who was murdered. And there was that fire."

"Not all of Master Timothy's records could have vanished," Alfred questioned. "What about the obituary information about his parents' deaths or his birth certificate."

"Everything is gone," Bruce said quietly. "As far as the state is concerned regarding documentation, Timothy Drake-Wayne is now a non-person." Bruce read over the court order. "It says here, he's to appear in court for a hearing for adoption proceedings, five days from now."

"You're his legal parent," Alfred argued. "Who wishes to adopt Master Timothy? By legal standing Master Timothy is also a married man."

"The marriage certificate was also destroyed, at least the filed copy was, but the state isn't going to care about that. Tim is still considered a minor until he turns 20," Bruce corrected.

"This is terrible Master Bruce. Master Timothy and Master Richard have barely been home a week. Master Timothy is a new father. Master Richard is just getting over that illness he suffered and now he is a father as well. This is a blow to both of them. Who could have done such a thing?"

"I don't know Alfred. There is no mention of the plaintive and I intend to find out."

Continues with Part 26