"Are you sure having a party is the best idea?" Bruce asked, nervously adjusting his tie. He pondered his own reflection in the bedroom mirror. He tugged at his tie once again wrestling the thing off his neck and tossing it to the ground.
"Truthfully? No." Carly sighed. She bent down and plucked up the tie from the floor. She coiled it properly and put it away in the correct drawer. "But Diana thinks it might help draw out whoever is after Dick."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Bruce turned away from the mirror to look at his wife. "What if something like the other day happens again?" Carly lips began to part as she tried to reassure Bruce, but a small voice was calling for her down the hall.
"Wear this one and we'll talk later." Carly handed Bruce one of his favorite silk ties before kissing him on the cheek. She ventured out into the hall where Dick was standing, still dressed in his pajamas. "Dick, Honey, you're supposed to be getting ready for school."
"Do I have to wear this uniform?" Dick frowned, holding up the child-sized blazer from his school uniform. It was midnight blue with a gold school crest embroidered proudly on one side.
"I'm afraid so." Carly offered him a sympathetic smirk. Dick's face wrinkled into disapproval.
"It looks stuffy." He complained.
"At least they're not making you wear a tie." Bruce sighed stepping out from his bedroom. "When I started going to Gotham Academy, they made us wear ties as young as four."
"That's lame." Dick announced. "So is this jacket. I hate this jacket and I hate school!" Dick tossed the blazer on the ground, ran into his room and slammed the door.
"What do you think that's about?" Carly asked Bruce.
"I don't know. Maybe I can work something out of him. Why don't you go tell Alfred to keep breakfast warm?" Bruce suggested.
"You're going to talk to him alone?" Carly was skeptical.
"He's my son too, Car." Bruce reminded her. "I can handle this one."
"Alright." She nodded. "I'll check in with Alfred." As Carly walked away Bruce approached Dick's room. He knocked on the door.
"Dick? It's Bruce. Can I come in?" He asked.
"I Guess." Dick mumbled from the other side of the door. Bruce pushed open the door and found Dick laying face down on the bed.
"I want to talk about that outburst out there." Bruce said, wheeling over the chair from Dick's desk. He sat down.
"I don't want to talk about it." Dick told him.
"I understand, talking about your feelings can be hard. But Carly and I have never seen you act like that before. I think we deserve an explanation." Bruce told him. Dick didn't say anything. He laid in bed, sulking. "I imagine this has something to do with you starting school." Again, Dick didn't reply. "It's not easy to start something new, is it?" Bruce continued to pry.
"I don't understand why I have to go to school!" Dick burst at last. "I never went to school before, and I never had to wear stupid outfits before! I hate it! I want to go back to the circus."
"Well, you've like hanging out with Leo and you liked going to the movies with Carly, right?" Dick nodded silently. At the mention of Leo Dick plucked the cat up from the edge of the bed and held him in his arms. "Sometimes changes are good, but changes can also be scary. Maybe something like starting school for the first time?"
"I'm not scared!" Dick disagreed. "What if I'm no good at school?" He asked quietly.
"Well, you'll never know if you don't try." Bruce explained. He realized just how much he sounded like Alfred in that moment.
"What if no one likes me?" Dick asked even quieter. "When I was at that other house I got into fights. The other kids would pick on me. What if that happens again?" Bruce wondered if perhaps Carly had been right. Maybe he was in over his head with this topic. Although, he'd been a boy once. He'd been worried about starting school before. What was it that his father had said to him all those years ago?
"You can't think about all of the things that could go wrong, Dick." Bruce advised. "All you can do is hope for the best and the rest will fall into place."
"Do you think that would really work?" Dick continued to snuggle Leo close to him as he waited for Bruce to answer.
"I know that's what Carly does." Bruce nodded. "It's always worked for her and it's how we decided to take you in, and that's worked out so far hasn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess." Dick mumbled.
"Well, you'll never know until you try. Why don't you finish getting dressed and we'll see you downstairs for breakfast." Bruce stood up and left the room so that Dick could finish getting ready for school. He headed downstairs and joined Carly and Alfred who were both waiting in the dining room.
"So?" Carly questioned him expectantly the minute his muscular frame filled the dining room doorway. She held her coffee mug between both hands and waited for her husband's answer.
"It went well, I think." Bruce shrugged. He sat down at his usual spot at the table and reached for the stack of newspapers that Alfred left for him every morning. Yes, Billionaire Bruce Wayne still read printed newspapers.
"What did you talk about? What did he say? Why was he so upset?" Carly jabbed one of her pointer fingers into his bicep. She continued poking him and probing him for answers. Bruce felt like they were little kids again.
"Will you stop?" He playfully swatted her hand away.
"Good morning." Dick greeted them timidly. He was wearing khaki dress pants, a crisp white button up shirt and the small blazer he'd cast aside earlier. Carly and Bruce both stopped to watch him. Dick's eyes were trained on his shoes as he shuffled towards the table. "I'm sorry I yelled. And said school was lame. And slammed my door."
"We're taking things one day at a time." Bruce reminded him with a stern smile. Dick didn't know that it was possible for someone to look so serious while smiling but Bruce managed it. "Thank you for your apology. I suggest that you enjoy some breakfast if you want to eat before school.
"Okay." Dick agreed quietly. Alfred served the boy portions of sausage, eggs and toast before removing any left-over food to the kitchen. Everyone turned their attention to the food in front of them. They sat mostly in silence until Dick piped up. "Hey Bruce, I know Alfred is supposed to drive me to school but I was wondering," He paused to gauge his guardian's reaction but as usual Bruce's expression was hard to read. "Could you take me instead? I think it would make me feel better."
Only someone who knew Bruce as well as Carly did would be able to detect the sudden change in Bruce's posture. He adjusted himself elver so slightly in a way that appeared as if he were sitting a little taller. There was the smallest of proud smirks in the corners of his lips. A sense of joy and pride had taken hold of him.
"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem." Bruce obliged quietly.
"So, Dick, Bruce and I were thinking about throwing a party." Carly tried to ease into the topic. After the big blow up they'd just had upstairs, she didn't want to overwhelm the young boy again. "We thought it might be a nice way to introduce you to some of our friends. Would you be okay with that?"
"A party? I've never really been to a party before." Dick thought about the possibility of attending a party and one thing soured the for him. "Would I have to wear fancy clothes?" He frowned.
"No, you could wear whatever you want." Carly assured him.
"Like my Superman shirt?" He asked excitedly.
"Yes. Like your Superman shirt." She smirked.
"That could be cool." Dick nodded. "I'd like it if we had a party."
"Then it's settled." Carly said, looking directly at Bruce.
"Finish your breakfast, Dick. We've got to leave so that we can get you to school on time." Bruce got to his feet. He leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. "You always seem to get your way, don't you?" He whispered low enough for only her to hear.
"I love you too." She answered back. "I'll see you at the office later. Have a good day at school Dick."
"I'll try." He said as positively as he could. "Have fun at work doing…work stuff." Dick gave Carly a hug before he and Bruce walked out of the dining room.