Chapter 55: Adjustments

Gotham

Year 2010

February 2nd

Jason is 10

Cass is 9

Tim is 7

Robin is 12

Batgirl is 14

Batman is 29

Batgirl, Red Hood and Robin waited on top of the roof of the apartment building where Batman had last checked in with Tim. They knew David Cain was here and that Batman possibly needed help. So they disobeyed, coming as soon as they could to help Batman. Robin held his comm again. "There's still no sign from Batman. I think we should go in."

"Fine. He's gonna be upset," Batgirl told him.

"Isn't he always? Now lets go," Robin said chuckling.

"There's no need," Batman said stepping forward onto the roof. Cassandra stepped behind him. Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood immediately moved into fighting stances eyeing her warily.

"Uh, B? The girl, she's behind you," Robin said.

"Her name is Cassandra," Batman said. "David Cain is already tied up ready to be picked up by Interpol."

Batgirl and Robin exchanged glances. Batgirl stepped forward. "It's nice to meet you Cassandra."

The younger girl just stared. Batgirl's grin turned into a confused frown. Batman looked at his two partners. "Cassandra can't talk or read. She communicates in body language. It's the only language she knows. It's the way they made her a weapon."

Robin's eyes widened. "So that's why she was so good. She could read our moves before they came."

Batman nodded.

Robin looked at her again. "You sure we can trust her?"

"She ran from her father. She's a fighter, one who's not going to step down and I'm sure she never wants to kill again."

"You can't know that," Red Hood declared.

"David Cain was one of the League members who helped train me. I, like others, know how to kill. That doesn't mean I do it. Cassandra left because she didn't want to do it."

"I'm still not sure I can trust her," Red Hood scowled.

"I do," Batgirl said. "Dad told me yesterday a girl stopped him from being shot. One that looked like you. I trust her."

Robin grinned at Batman. "She's staying right? I mean where else will she go?"

Batman didn't answer but they all knew what he meant. Robin cheered and bounded toward the wide eyed girl. "Welcome to the family then Cass. Can I call you that?"

She smirked and Robin's grin grew wider. "Good. Now you can come home with us and meet—"

"Secret ID, chatterbox," Red Hood said. "She might be tricking us."

"She's not," Robin declared. "Agent A needs to know."

"He will," Batman said. "Cass will be a lot more work to settle in than everyone else. We need to teach her to talk and read. She doesn't exist in the system either so adopting her will be harder too."

"I'm sure if you explain where she came from to Dad he could help," Batgirl suggested.

"How do we explain how we met her then?" Robin asked. Cass looked at them. Then she looked at Batman and touched a bruise on his cheek. She pointed to Robin then downstairs with a scowl.

"I think she has a suggestion," Red Hood said.

"I think she wants to say we met her when she took down her dad. He was trying to hurt B. Is that what you want?" Robin asked. Cass's eyes widened unbelieving he understood her. Robin grinned.

"How'd you get that?" Red Hood asked. Robin just shrugged.

Red Hood sighed then looked at Batman. "If we take her home we should tell her who we are first. Right?"

Batman nodded. "This can't be told to anyone. Understood? If people know it puts me and them in danger."

Cass nodded now understanding that meant yes. Bruce pulled off his cowl. "I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Dick Grayson."

"Jason Todd-Wayne," Jason groaned not believing this was happening. Again.

"Barbara Gordon."

"If you come with us Bruce can adopt you too. Jason and I will be your brothers. So will Tim," Dick said. Cass looked around questioningly.

"He's not here," Batman explained. "If I adopt you that means I am your father instead of David Cain. Do you want that?"

Cass nodded again. She touched her heart. Then pointed at Bruce's, Jason's, Dick's and Barbara's. Robin grinned. "That settles it then."

Cass was adopted officially on February 10th. With a little more digging Bruce had been able to find more information about the mysterious girl. She had turned nine a few days after the first time they met her.

Tim had trusted her immediately much like Dick. Jason had taken a little longer to warm up. In the end though, all her brother's were extremely protective of Cass. Though she did easily beat all of their butts in sparring. It was part of being the only girl in the house. That was one of the hardest thing's about her moving in.

Her adjustment into the family was much harder than Tim's. Cass had no means of communication. Though the family quickly learned to translate her signs teaching Cass to speak became a priority. Every second of the day Cass was surrounded by speech. When one of her brother's, Alfred, or Barbara couldn't talk to her then she had audio books on, or the TV in the background.

Barbara had come up with trying to drill Cass with cards. They would teach her how to read and speak at once. Audio books played while the book sat in front of her and her brother's helped her point out the words.

In fact Barbara had proved very helpful in all areas. Cass was the only girl and that meant that a lot had to be done. Quickly the household was taught how to treat a girl right and make sure she had all she needed. Alfred turned a room inside out getting out some of Martha Wayne's old things.

The hardest thing for Cass was the adjustment around people. She had never experienced any except the targets she had been after, her father and the ones when she was on the run. She had no clue how to react to anything. When Dick had tried to embrace her during the first week she had grabbed his arm and almost broke his wrist before the other's stopped her.

It was an adjustment for all of them. But it was an adjustment they made work. Tim and Cass became each other's closest companions. Dick taught her about human affection, often translating her movements for others. Jason chose books for her to read and learn from. Cass taught them all to fight better as they taught her some of what they knew. She became one of them like she had always been meant to. From the side Bruce just watched them all happily as Alfred took pictures.