Charon – Part V

"Did you like the show?"

Jason felt he was inside a weird dream. He had heard kids talking about dope and acid trips but he had never tried himself. It sounded good, but a lot of bad things happened when you let yourself to lose control like that. And now, he was afraid too. To lose himself in the dream. To let himself just accept that was his reality now. Because in his experience, all sense of safety was misleading. But it was hard to make his heart stop hammering inside his chest, his mind was blown by all the colours, the dancing, the songs!

"Jason?" Bruce sounded worried now and they stopped by the corner of the atrium, out of the way of the people leaving the theatre.

He didn't see the two adults exchanging a look, and then Selina was in his line of vision, crouching somehow balancing herself on her high heels.

"Did one of the cats get your tongue?"

It was so cheesy it brought him to reality, or the dream, he couldn't tell them apart anymore. Jason snorted.

"That was lame."

She stood up and fixed his hair, it felt so good to be touched like that, she was so gentle.

"The show wasn't" she tried again.

"No. It was awesome."

He did see the relieved look the adults exchanged, and that made him happy, like fireworks in his stomach.

"Yeah?" asked Bruce "which cat was your favourite?"

"The twins! They were funny" they were walking again now "we're going back now?"

"I don't know" sighed Bruce lacing his hand with Selina's, he'd offer the other one to Jason as he'd have done with Helena, but he knew he wouldn't take it. "We don't need to. Are you hungry?"

Selina snorted.

"He's always hungry."

"Hey!" The boy complained.

"You are no better, kitty cat" and Bruce suffocated her rebuttal with a kiss.

"Ew, seriously?"

"You should be used to us by now, kid" deadpanned Selina.

"I don't want to."

They fell in uncomfortable silence until they reached a little bistro and Bruce guided inside. They sat and ordered. Jason was sitting by the window, it was another wet night in Gotham. People hurried to get out of the street. He hated nights like that. He was sitting in a comfy chair in some fancy restaurant with internal heating, wearing a warm jacket with woollen lining, something that when he were back to the streets could feed him for a whole week, and yet, he still felt the cold.

"Jason, what do you mean by not wanting to be used to us?" Asked Selina.

Jason sighed, he played with the napkin on the table avoiding their eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"We really don't, chum" said Bruce earnestly. "But Alfred thinks you believe we are going to send you away. Why would you think that?"

"Why would you keep me?"

"You don't want us to?"

Jason sighed.

"It isn't that… I just already seen this movie, alright? Kids like me are some charity project for people like you. You will get tired and dump me somewhere in a few months."

Selina went livid, and Bruce held her fisted hand under the table.

"You know we have two older adopted kids, don't you?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"Yeah, perfect girl and the golden boy. I'm not like them."

"Jason, son" began Bruce concerned. "Why do you think that?"

"No, he's right" stated Selina letting go of her husband's hand and forcing herself tot relax. "He is nothing like Holly and Dick" hear that was like a punch in Jason's stomach, he had said that so many times to himself, he thought it would protect him. It didn't. "He is like me."

Jason didn't expect that last sentence, he stared at Selina with his brow frowned in confusion.

"Selina…"

"You know it's true. Holly saw some ugly shit but she was just a few months on the streets, she never really got used to it, or enjoyed it, and Dick never went through a whole day of his life in which he wasn't loved and it shows." She turned back to Jason "you in other hand... You are just like me when I met Bruce. A street brat."

"You?" Getting his bearings, Jason crossed his arms and stared at her unconvinced.

"Yeah, me. My dearest mother let me in an orphanage when I was five. I was never adopted. Went thought some shitty foster parents, fled to the streets, brought back, fled again, learned to fend for myself, became a real talented pickpocket. Really, the best. And when I was thirteen I met Bruce through a con."

"It wasn't a con, Selina…"

"Oh please, I just wanted a taste of the billionaire life for a while. I had zero intentions of helping you."

Bruce sighed.

"You don't really believe that…"

Selina ignored him and continued talking to Jason.

"I guess you even miss the freedom of not having anyone around to care about you. Don't have to answer to anyone, and just do whatever you feel like doing. I get it. To be honest when Bruce is brooding, Alfred is complaining, Mary is crying non-stop and you and Helena are driving me crazy, I wish I could just go back to eating from the trash again to not have to deal with it."

"Selina!" offended.

"Shut up, Bruce. But look, that kind of freedom is not worth the danger, and the solitude, you don't have to live that way forever."

"You already belong to our family," followed Bruce "there is nothing you can do to stop thinking of you as such. But we will not proceed with the adoption process if you don't want us to. And we'll find a place more of your liking if you want to leave."

Jason blinked astounded.

"Adoption? You're joking?"

"Nope." Said Selina with a smile. "We've got the papers ready. It's up to you, kid."

"If this is a joke I'll slash your tires instead of stealing them this time" and he meant it.

Bruce chuckled at that and they were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food.

"So, what do you say?" asked Selina with a mouth full of cappeletti.

"God, Selina…" began Bruce with laughter in his voice, but in a fond way.

"Later, Bruce" she sent her husband a heated warning look.

Jason pushed his plate away groaning.

"You will still be like that like, all the time won't you?"

"Your parents should be annoying and embarrassing, kid" said Selina matter-of-factly. "It comes with the package."

"What else? I mean, I don't… I don't know…"

"You don't trust us." Said Bruce, Jason looked away. "It's okay. We will work for it. And you'll have to work for ours too, but you already know a lot about us, that gives you power that we don't have."

"What if I do something that make you really mad?"

"Oh, I bet you will. But guess what, kid? We all make each other really mad all the time. But we'll remain family no matter what."

Jason looked from Selina to Bruce searching assurance, he never had that before. The certainty of the unconditional bond of family. And as much as he have told himself over and over again that he didn't need it. That he could be the one being there for himself. That relying on other was weakness. He also knew he would be able to go that way for much longer. He was so tired. And if those people really meant that offer… Well, he couldn't really afford to say no.

"Yeah…" He muttered.

"What?" Asked Selina.

"Yes." Jason said louder, firmer.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you" she said again, clearly pretending.

"YES!" He shouted his heart pounding in his chest.

"Whatever he's having, I want it too" they were interrupted by a known deep voice. Selina and Bruce turned their smiling faces to greet the other family, Jason felt like his balloon popped. They were friends with cops. Worse, the Commissioner himself. Had he just made a mistake?

"Jim" said Bruce pleased welcoming the Gordons as they approached their table "Dr Thompkins, Barbara Lee. What a coincidence."

Selina reached for Babs that entered her half-hug mindlessly, resting her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"Yeah, I said there was no way they were making me to eat frozen lasagne to dinner tonight."

"Barbara" reprehended Jim in a mortified voice.

"She is right, Jim" sighed Lee.

"You know how to solve this," preached Selina. "Coming to dinner, Jeeves likes having people praising his food. And Helena misses you" she added to Babs that became stiff and untangled herself from the hug.

"Well try to fix our schedules, we've working so hard lately that we almost don't see each other anymore" explained Gordon with a chucking nervously and scratching the horrible moustache he was still insisting in growing.

"Well find a table to ourselves, it was nice to see you all well," stated Leslie "especially you, Jason."

The boy jumped alarmed when Leslie addressed him.

"What? You'll sit with us, of course" said Selina in her typical non-nonsense tone, then she stood up. "Hey, you!"

Not only the waiter, but everyone inside the restaurant looked at them.

"Selina…" complained Bruce embarrassed.

"Shush, I said later" Bruce took a sip of his drink avoiding the other couple's confused looks, Selina turned to the waiter that was servicing them. "Hi, bring another table, they are joining us."

"So," asked Gordon when they were all finally sitting "you seen to be celebrating, what are the good news?"

"Jason here" announced Bruce proudly "accepted to become officially part of our family."

"Really?" asked Leslie smiling at the boy. "That's wonderful!"

"Congrats" offered Barbara Lee too.

"You are very lucky, young man" said Gordon solemn.

"Nah" said Selina looking at the boy fondly "we are the lucky ones."

Hiii. I'm sorry I haven't been posting as fast as before. I am a woman with three jobs now. Things have been crazy. But I somehow find time to post two chapters of a new fic called "Want", it will have five chapters one for each season of the show and they are all missing moments focused on Selina. I'd really appreciate if you take a look.

And yes, Bruce and Selina took Jason to see Cats XD

I'll see you soon. Take care!