Chapter 27: Decisions
Batcave
Outskirts of Gotham City
Year 2010
December 19th
Jason is 11
Cass is 9
Tim is 8
Stephanie is 7
Robin is 13
Batgirl is 14
Batman is 30
Bruce was surprised when Alfred came to his study with Gordon following him. It was much earlier than he had expected Gordon to come. Once Alfred had brought refreshments and both men had taken a seat, Bruce voiced his question.
"Well, I was thinking about what you said," Jim began.
"And?"
"I want to speak to Barbara first. Making this decision will affect her too," Jim sighed. "But ever since you put the idea in my head I know if I don't do it I'll be thinking over that decision for the rest of my life."
Bruce nodded. "I'll find the kids then. I assume you want somewhere private to talk with Barbara?"
"That would be great."
Bruce had Alfred show him to an empty and barely used parlor. Then both left to go try and find the kids (not that they didn't know exactly where they were). Ten minutes later Barbara appeared in the room.
"Dad? Why are you back so early? Did you finish working with the case already?"
Jim motioned for her to come and sit next to him. "I think I might have found a solution, but I'd like your opinion on it as well."
"Really?" Barbara asked as she looked at him in confused hesitation. Her father almost never asked her for help with any of his cases, though she'd always asked if she could. She studied her father's face for a moment. "What is it?"
Jim grabbed her hands and took another deep breath before making sure that this is what he wanted, and what he thought would be best for them all. "What would you think for Stephanie coming to stay with us?"
Barbara gaped at him for a few minutes trying to take the whole thing in, before smiling widely. "Like to live with us? Like fostering? Or adopting?"
"It wouldn't be adopting. Stephanie's case is a difficult one. We'd be fostering her and some kind of witness protection all at once. It'd be hard to find a good place that can do both those things where she could be happy. I think if we took her in it could be different. Would you be okay with that?"
Barbara raised her eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? That'd be awesome. She's such a great kid and I've always wanted a sister. Have you asked her yet? Can I help? When can she move in?"
Gordon smiled softly and held up a hand. "Wait a second. I wish it was that easy. There's a few steps. Social services, the fostering system and the rest of the police department need to work something out if we don't want trouble."
"Yeah, but with Mr. Wayne helping you out and pulling a few strings that's easy," Barbara shrugged.
Gordon shook his head. "I know you're already comfortable with the idea, but I'm not sure about it yet. Not completely."
Barbara's grin turned into a frown. "Then why'd you ask me? And what's wrong with the plan? It seems awesome to me."
Jim sighed, removing his glasses, and rubbed his face with his hand. He looked seriously at Barbara showing the burden on his shoulders that she knew he always hid from her as much as possible.
"I wish sweetie, but the part I'm unsure about is me. Does Stephanie really need another parent who's never around? You've had to grow up way too fast and most days it seems you're the one taking care of me. I don't want to put that girl through that. I already feel guilty enough doing it to you."
Gordon looked down, but Barbara's eyes did not move an inch. She kept looking directly her father, studying him and trying to figure out what to say. For all of her excellent detective work, she'd never known he felt like this. She thought his stress all came from the job and the other things that happened to their family in the past.
The fact she had been the main worry all this time was startling. After all, she did everything she could to make sure he never had to worry about her. It seemed that had backfired. And yet, things would be just as difficult for him if she did nothing. He was right in some way, she parented him just as much as he looked after her.
She was also way more independent than most of her friends. Yet, she knew deep down that was something that came with being in a home with a single parent. Not to mention it came with living in Gotham. If you wanted to survive here you had to learn to manage on your own. It was just nice to know that she didn't always have too. And if she could convince her father, Stephanie wouldn't have to either.
"Dad….. I didn't know."
"I didn't want you too. But you're so grown up, it's only fair that you get to know these things. You deserve the chance to have a childhood, to enjoy your teenage years."
"And I am… I have a great life. Yes, you're not always around, but you try to be and that's what matters. Yes, you're busy with work, but that's part of having a job. And I might be growing up but that's also because I'm getting older, not to mention we live in Gotham.
"It's something that comes with the circumstances of our lives. It's unavoidable, but that's not to say you're not a great dad. We have dinner and movie night at least once a week, not to mention you make time for me when you have to be at the station as well. You've come to majority of my gymnastics meets and are there for anything I need. Plus, we always have help from Alfred and Mr. Wayne. And Stephanie will have me as well."
"I don't want you to have to suddenly be responsible for a little girl on top of everything," Jim reasoned with her.
"That's part of being a big sister, isn't it? Either way, you'll be there a lot more than her parents ever were. Plus, you're already thinking in a way that shows you care about her too."
Jim laughed. "Remind me, is one of the fifteen clubs you're in the debate team?"
Barbara grinned. "Nah. Not for me. Tried it, but didn't like it. And I'm not in that many clubs."
Jim ruffled her hair and leaned over to hug her. "Thank you, honey."
"Just telling the truth. Are you gonna ask Stephanie now?"
Jim nodded. "Yes, I will. Go get her, but don't say anything. And I know you want to be here for this, but I think I should ask Stephanie this by myself."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded again and got up, Barbara followed his lead as he continued to the door, opening it for her with a shared look. After one last grin his daughter ran off.
It took a few minutes before she arrived in what the kids called the 'main kitchen' aka what Alfred used on a daily basis. There was a nice table there and stools near the island they like to sit on. She could smell cookies baking. That must have been what the others were doing while she talked to her dad.
Sure enough, every one was eating the leftover chocolate chips. Cass was looking at the oven, as if her stare could make her cookie's bake faster. She looked up for one second to acknowledge Barbara, but then returned to her quarry. The little girl's shift of focus got everyone else's attention.
Dick asked first. "So, what was that all about?"
"Dad got back early. He wanted to ask me something quickly."
"It wasn't so quick," Jason commented. "We had enough time to bake cookies."
"Well, now you know what the Flash feels like while he's rushing around while everyone else moves at normal speed," Barbara shrugged.
"Anyway, what did he want to talk about?" Dick pressed on. "Your dad doesn't usually just come back from work just to ask you something."
Barbara didn't reply, instead taking a seat on one of the stools by the counter. She watched as Alfred took the cookies from the oven to cool on the counter and batted off the hands that were reaching for a taste.
"So are you and Stephanie leaving soon?" Tim asked. Today had been one of the best play dates he'd ever had. Possibly because he couldn't tell Harper and Cullen about his other life, but it was nice to finally have someone to share it with.
"Nah. Dad did want to ask her something now though," Barbara said.
"Me?" Steph asked looking up from where she and Cass were sitting at the table. Cass was teaching her some simple signs as they waited to get some cookies from under Alfred's watchful eyes.
"Yeah. Someone want to take her to the parlor he's in?"
Cass nodded and got up signing for Steph to follow. Steph signed a clumsy response before going with her. Dick watched them leave and waited for a moment before turning back to his best friend to whisper to her. Jason noticed but shrugged deciding to converse with Tim instead.
"Are you going to tell me what that was about now?"
Barbara didn't move. "I don't know what you mean."
"Your dad coming back from work early? And to talk with you? And then with Steph? He didn't find out about everything… Did he?" Dick asked nervously.
She shook her head. "No. Just wanted an opinion on what's going to happen next."
Dick stayed silent for a second then nodded. "Makes sense. I knew Bruce was making a few suggestions. He said we couldn't take Stephanie in. Maybe he talked to your dad about someone who could?"
"Close. I'll tell you later. Just not yet," Barbara promised.
Stephanie followed Cass down the twists and turns of the hallways of the manor. She wasn't sure how any one figured out where to go in this place. Instead she walked after Cass in the eerie silence. The other girl turned to look behind her from time to time with a bright smile. It made this musty unused part of the manor feel a bit more like the other rooms she'd been in, like the kitchen, full of warmth and good memories, instead of stiff and formal.
The room that they ended up in seemed to be one of the most formal. Jim Gordon looked just as uncomfortable sitting alone in their as she felt. He looked up as she entered, snuffing out the cigarette he'd been smoking and giving her a smile. He looked to Cass, who still stood by the door. "Thank you, Cassandra. You can go back and after we talk Stephanie and I will join the rest of you soon. I hear there are cookies baking?"
Cass nodded and smiled again before disappearing before either of the other occupants in the room could blink. Stephanie looked tentatively at Gordon who was standing and tapping his finger on his cigar nervously. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did," Jim smiled down at the little girl, feeling like it was more of a grimace. He quickly tried to fix it. "Should we sit down?"
Stephanie took a seat near him and looked up at him again. "I'm not in trouble? Did you guys find something? Are you sending me to jail like my dad? Barbara said people go to jail even when they don't do something bad."
Gordon interrupted her. "Of course, they don't. And you're not going to jail. You haven't done something meriting that."
"So you won't send me to jail? Even if you can't get me a good place to live? Cause that's what happened with Dick," Stephanie said. "He told me about it. I'd rather do what Jason did and live on the streets. He said he'd teach me all kinds of cool things."
Gordon sighed already feeling the future headaches that would cause him. "No. You aren't going to jail. And the laws have changed since Bruce took in Dick, largely because of what happened to that poor boy. Children who need homes in Gotham are put in places that are good for them, at least that's what we try to do. And it's what we're doing for you as well."
Stephanie froze. It took her a minute before she spoke. "You found me a place to live?"
"We're going to try it. We'll see what they allow, and how much you like it."
"So if I don't like it, I can leave?" Stephanie asked. "Because even if you don't let I'll run away."
"I have no doubt that you would. But if you don't like it we'll figure something else out."
Stephanie nodded. She took another minute of silence. Then she looked at him warily. "So where is this place?"
"Here, in Gotham. Nicer than where you lived with your parents, but less nice than this." Stephanie snorted at that statement. Encouraged, Gordon continued. "It's a single parent home. And I know that you've had that, and it wasn't always great. The father tries to be home as much as possible, but he has a job that keeps him busy."
"What kind of job?"
"He's a cop."
"Oh. Do you know him?" Stephanie looked for more hints in Gordon's face. "Are there any other kids? And he's a good dad, right? Not like mine."
"Not at all," Gordon soothed her. "And I do know him. He has a daughter, older than you, but she'll be able to stay with you when her father isn't around. Even then there are plenty of others who will be there for you."
"Like you?" She turned the blue eyes up at him hopefully.
"I was thinking, more like Bruce and Alfred."
"Oh."
The little girl was looking down at her hands in her lap trying to hide her disappointment. Jim reached to grab both her little hands in one of his own, using the other to turn her face back towards him. "Stephanie, look at me."
The periwinkle eyes were slightly teary as she did. He squeezed her hands in a comforting manner. "Do you feel that?"
"You squeezing my hand?"
"Yes. Because that means I'm there. And I'll try and stay there. You'll see me. Even when I'm busy with work. After all, I'm a cop, but I'm also a father. And no matter what I'll try to stay with my girls."
Stephanie sniffled and then stiffened as her eyes widened. There was a small breath. "You? You want me to come and live with you?"
Gordon nodded, squeezing her hand again. "Yes. With Barbara and I. And like I said, it's your choice. I work a lot, so I'm not always around, but I hope I can be a better parent, the one you deserve.
"You're a special kid, what you did was one of the bravest things I've seen, and this is Gotham. I've seen a lot, but not many kids as tough, determined and still as sweet as you. You deserve a great home, and I hope I can give you that. We'll have to wait for approval from CPS and other legal issues, but we don't think it will be much trouble. All that we really need is for you to decide."
Stephanie's answer was a tight hug around his waist, nestling her head against his shoulder. Jim hugged her back, eyes squinting as he looked out at the setting sun on the manor's great lawn, and he knew one thing. He was not going to let this girl go.