Author's Note: Enjoy this one guys! So this is set a year and a half ahead of my last chapter. I will be skipping forward a week or two in each, as things happen that Alex doesn't see.

Court of Owls - Part 1

"Alex? You ready?" Tim's voice came through my bedroom door, he knocked softly and walked. "Wow, you look amazing."

I turned to face him, "Thanks, you clean up good yourself. Where's Damien?" I smoothed out the slight crease on my flowing, strapless, blue dress. My raven black hair flowed down to the centre of my back and my grandmother's necklace hung down from my neck sparkling in the light.

"Here!" My brother said from behind Tim. I motioned for Tim to move and I grabbed Damien, "Hey!" He protested.

"Stay still!" I ordered and straightened his bow tie and smoothed out his jacket. "We all need to look our best for tonight, this event matters a lot to Dad." Damien managed to wriggle out of my grasp.

"Where is he by the way?" Tim asked doing up the last button on his suit. "Him and Dick were meant to be back ages ago."

I pursed my lips, "I don't know they were meant to be back a half hour ago."

Damien grinned up at me, "Is someone annoyed?"

I glared at him, "Of course I'm annoyed. When you have a girlfriend one day and Dad suggests that for a mission she go to Arkham Asylum for three days, then you can come and talk to me!" I straightened my dress again impatiently, but it was true. Dad had sent Dick in undercover into Arkham for three days, I don't think I've ever been so angry at him.

"Wow has it been that long?" Tim asked, "Way to go Grayson." He mumbled.

"Come on, they should be heading up, lets check the Grandfather clock," I motioned for them to get moving.

We walked down to the sitting room, I could hear people chatting in the ballroom down the hall from us. I looked at the grandfather clock and suddenly it opened, swinging outwards on its hinges.

"Finally," Damien sighed, as our father walked through the passage way.

"It's the who's who of Gotham in there," Tim gestured back to the Ballroom.

I spotted a grin I knew from behind Dad. Dick skirted past him and grinned at me, I walked over and he wrapped me in a hug. He leaned down and kissed my neck and I leaned up and kissed him on his lips, I never felt so relieved in my life. I heard an awkward cough from Dad, and we broke apart.

"So how was it?" I asked them, slotting in beside Dick and he put his arm around me.

"Productive," Dad answered, "Computer, facial recognition on."

"Tell me he isn't using the facial rec for the party," Tim rolled his eyes.

Damien turned to him, "The party? No he's using it to remember who you are Drake."

"Oh, burn!" Dick laughed.

I heard in my ear piece, "Facial Recognition starting. Dick Grayson, Former: Robin, Current: Nightwing, Access Level: High. Alex Wayne, Former: Batgirl, Current: Blade, Access Level: High. Tim Drake, Former: Robin, Current: Red Robin, Access Level: High. Damien Wayne, Current: Robin, Access Level: High."

"Ok, that isn't irrataing at all!" I said rubbing my ear, "Please tell me that isn't going to be going all night?"

The ballroom was packed with people, waiters dodged through the crowd with trays of food and drinks. A guy offered Dick and I some champagne and I gladly took a glass. I scanned over the crowd and spotted someone I hadn't seen in a long time, Barbara Gordon.

"Babs!" I called waving. She spotted us and walked over, her flame red hair set in beautiful waves around her face and a green dress flowed around her feet.

"It's so good too see you two!" She smiled hugging us both. "Where have you been?"

"Oh around," Dick shrugged, "If you're out on patrol some time we can catch up properly."

"Lincoln March, C.O.O March Venture. Current: Gotham City Mayoral Candidate." The radio in my ear called out.

"Damn thing," I swore to myself reaching up to my ear and taking out the small piece. I looked over to where Dad was talking to a man. He was little taller than Dad, if that was all possible and he was beaming a smile, complete politician I thought, always looking for money.

The night wore on and Dad did his speech about the new Gotham, what it was going to be with building works commencing in the next few months to pick up the city. I had to stand on Damien's foot to stop him giggling, but to be honest I almost had to stop myself from laughing too, and if I caught Dick's eye I would have certainly been gone. Hearing Dad speak in public is nothing like he is normally, in public he is louder, bolder and more charismatic, but at home, well he's Batman.

But being a Wayne I had to do some smiling and talking myself, I talked with senators, councilmen, judges, lawyers, you name an elite job, I had to talk to them. Of course Dick was there too, but they were more fascinated about the fact the he used to be in the Circus and would ask him about that, he got all the easy questions. We did get some respite and got talking to Commissioner Jim Gordon. But as I was talking I felt a tug on my dress, I looked down and there was Damien, I smiled, he suddenly looked young.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, "Alex, can I go up to bed?"

I looked at my clock, it was almost twelve and last night we had been up until five in the morning then we were up a few hours later, "You tired bro?" I asked. He nodded and looked like he was fading fast, poor thing wasn't used to running on three hours sleep yet. Jim Gordon smiled down at Damien, but then his cell rang and he excused himself.

"I'll bring you up," Dick said then scooped Damien up in his arms, "Back in a few." He said to me then began to walk threw the crowd back upstairs. I smiled as I saw Damien's head lolling slightly on Dick's shoulder and his eyes beginning to close, for all the hardness and quick wit, you forget that he is only just eleven.

I looked around for Dad, but he had disappeared, typical. I found Alfred instead, "Alfred, where's Dad?" I asked him.

"Master Bruce had an urgent matter to attend to," He said giving me a look, translating as; Batman urgent matter.

I nodded, then Dick appeared beside me, "Hi Alfred! Good to see you."

"And I you Master Richard," Alfred smiled then left to help a woman find her coat.

Dick wrapped his arms around me, "Hey you wanna head back to mine? It was rather lonely in Arkham." He pulled a sad face.

I reached up and pulled his cheeks, "Aw poor baby, and with Harley and Ivy in there, surely there was some company?" I teased him.

"Not funny," He rolled his eyes, "Come on before all of Gotham decides to leave." He kissed me lightly and took off his jacket putting it around my shoulders then looped his arm around me as we walked out.

Once the doors were opened I was almost blinded by the flashing of cameras and microphones being shoved in my face, "Alex! Alex! Alex! Can you comment on what you think about your Dad's new ideas for Gotham?" Question after question was hurled at me.

I took a breath, "Thanks for all your questions, I think my fathers ideas for Gotham are going to help the city and create new jobs for its people." I saw Security pushing the press back from Dick and I, he got his fair share of questions too. But we had been schooled in this sort of thing since we were kids, but not really for what came next. A man came out of the crowd, he looked out of it on drugs, his face was pretty beaten up and his clothes were torn in places. He reached out and grabbed Dick's arm, clawing into it his skin.

"They're real. They're everywhere. And they are sending him for you - all of you." He croaked out.

I looked up at Dick, he was as equally shocked as I was, "What…?" Dick tried to ask him, but security hauled him off mumbling apologies.

We made it to the car and Dick unlocked it, he started the engine and began to head back to the city. I looked at his left arm, "Dick, you're arm," I said pointing. His forearm had four marks streaking down it.

"It was the hobo guy, when the guards grabbed him he didn't really left go," He said flexing his muscle. I took his hand and ran my fingers threw mine.

"So how was Arkham, relaxing?" I asked raising an eye brow.

Dick briefly looked over at me, the moon catching his face, "Yeah it was a barrel of laughs!" He rolled his eyes, "No, I just passed off as The Joker thanks to 'Alfred School of Acting'. But three days was a little much."

"A little much? I was fit to kill Dad," I said nearly jumping in my seat.

Dick laughed, "He said that after all the work I've been doing I deserved a break."

I turned in my seat, "He said that to me too, but it involved training Damien and sitting in on some meetings. If he wanted to give us time off a couple of nights in the Gotham Plaza would have been better."

A week later:

"Knock Knock," I called out in the Batcave as we parked up the bikes, "Anyone home?" Dick dismounted his bike and took off his helmet. We had been out on patrol and noticed a severe Bat absence, so we decided to check in at home base. But on the way we got a call from the Bat himself, he told us that a John Doe had been found with Dick's DNA on it, we both were a little bemused but told Dad we'd be right over.

I rounded the corner from the parking bays and my eyes went wide. Dad was standing in costume, "Look I'll be in touch," He finished a phone call. But what got my attention was a hologram of a dead body hovering in front of him.

Dick got it sooner than I did, "Whoa, you installed a photogrammetric scanner in the city morgue…..?" Ah now it sort of made sense.

"It simplifies things," Dad answered not turning his attention away from the image.

Dick walked closer to it and reached out, "No more sneaking in and out. Come on, though. Admit it. You're gonna miss that ventilation shift, the one with…"

"This John Doe I briefed you both on earlier. The one that had your DNA under his finger nails," Dad looked down at Dick for a reaction.

"Well it's a good thing that you keep all the Bat-Family DNA protected isn't it?" I said then took a step closer myself, but something struck a cord with me.

"Do you recognise him Alex?" Dad read my expression.

I nodded, "Yeah, I do. Remember that guy that came over to us after the Gala last week?" I said to Dick.

"Yeah," He agreed, "It was as we were leaving, he grabbed my arm, and told me that 'they' were coming. The guards pulled him off but he was holding pretty tight. Left a mark, I can show you if you want?" He looked up at Dad.

"No need," Dad said quietly.

I tapped my foot on the ground, "You've already checked the surveillance tapes haven't you? That's why you don't need to check Dick's alibi."

Dad shut down the system and turned to us, "You both know me better than anyone, except maybe for Alfred, of course I checked the surveillance."

I smiled then pulled up the information about the case, which got me a glare from Dad, "You raised me," I shrugged, then I spotted something. "Hang on! Dad what's this about?" I asked, bringing up the image. On a wall in fire where the John Doe was found, it read; 'Bruce Wayne will die tomorrow.'

"No idea just yet. Good night you two, I have to go," He turned to leave.

"Be careful Bruce, because according to that flaming love note, you've got less than twelve hours to live." Dick shouted after him. I decided to stay at the cave, Damien was coming down to train and I said I'd supervise. Dick was going to go on patrol with Tim. "Good luck," Dick said kissing me, then ran to his motor bike before I could change my mind. I rolled my eyes then thought about Dad, twelve hours, many people had threatened Dad over the years, but they always underestimated him.