"But I don't want to go away." Dick was sitting at the dining room table, looking up at Carly with tears in his eyes.
"I know Dick, I know." She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to be comforting. "This is just temporary. Mrs. Clarke and the people from the city, they just need to make sure that Mr. Wayne, Alfred and I are good people."
"But I already know you are good people. And I don't want to live with anyone else." The tears were now trailing down his little cheeks.
"We don't want you to live with anyone else either." Carly tried to think of how to explain the situation in a way he would understand. "When you would train with your parents, learning new tricks and routines they must have told you that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things, right?" He nodded. "Well this is like that. We want to make sure things are done to right way so that no one can ever take you away from us again, okay?"
"I guess." He sniffled.
"Let's go pack your things." Carly got to her feet. "I'm sorry I have to break my promise about taking you back to the circus, Dick." He didn't say anything, didn't offer her any words of comfort. Instead he ran out of the dining room and up the main staircase.
The next half hour was painstakingly sprit crushing for everyone involved. Alfred cleared away the remnants of breakfast, knowing no one would feel much like eating anymore. Carly found one of Bruce's older suitcases in the hall closet and packed what few things belonged to Dick in it. It was much sturdier than the cardboard one he had been using. Bruce toured the lower two levels of the house with Mrs. Clarke who had already put together a long list of recommended changes to be made. By the time every one met again in the foyer there were sullen expressions all around.
"Richard, I am Mrs. Clarke…"
"I know who you are." The ten-year-old interrupted. "And I know I have to go with you, but it's only until Mr. Wayne and Miss Carly can show that they are not bad, right?"
"Something like that, yes." Mrs. Clarke nodded, and looked down at her watch. "I'm afraid we've already spent far too much time here. We must leave. Say your good-byes quickly."
"Good-bye, Alfred." Dick said pulling the butler into a tight hug. "Good bye Mr. Wayne, thank you for letting me stay in your mansion."
"You're welcome back anytime, Richard." Bruce promised before giving the boy a stiff handshake.
"Miss Carly? Can you do something for me?"
"Anything." She agreed, kneeling down so that they were speaking at eyelevel. The boy turned to the suitcase he'd just been gifted and dug through it for a minute. Out of the zipper he pulled Elinore the elephant.
"Will you take care of Elinore while I'm gone?" Carly's eyes were watery again. To stop herself from losing her composure completely, she nodded silently and pulled the boy into a tight hug. She swallowed hard, willing herself to hold back her tears until Dick left.
"It would be my honor." She promised, rising to her feet. "We'll come and visit as soon as we're able." Then Mrs. Clarke picked up Dick's suitcase and ushered him out the door.
"I do not like that woman." Bruce announced the second Alfred had shut the front door behind her.
"Neither do I." Carly choked. She held Elinore close to her chest and leaned her head on Bruce's shoulder. They were both staring at the door, afraid looking away would make the situation feel all the more real. "She took our boy away."
"Our boy?" Bruce raised one eyebrow, locking eyes with his butler, who was still standing by the door. "You don't have to get involved in all of this Car. You can walk away."
"You know as well as I do that I can't do that. Bruce and Carly, Carly and Bruce. Remember?"
"Do I need to remind you of yesterday morning when you broke a pair of my plates just because I asked you to move in?" Bruce sidestepped and held his girlfriend out at arm's length.
"That was different." Carly was sadly stroking the toy elephant in her arms. She rubbed her thumb back and forth over one of its ears. "I'm going to go upstairs." She announced. "I have some things to think about."
"I've really made a mess of things, haven't I?" Bruce asked the butler once Carly was up the stairs and well out of earshot. The Billionaire crossed the room and sat on the steps. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"If I may say so sir, things are not nearly as bad as you perceive them to be." Alfred now joined Bruce on the steps. "Your main concern these past two years has been telling Miss Carly your secret. You feared she would leave us and never return. But she is here and she wanted to stay. The rather unfortunate situation with Mr. Greyson affects her much in the same way that it affects you. She is thinking, as I assume you are, that it would be best if the tragic death of his parents were the worst thing to ever happen to him. She wants to be involved in any way that she can. She wants to rescue him."
"You don't think that we would both be in over our heads in this?"
"I did not say that." Alfred shook his head. "You display the nurturing skills akin to that of a rattlesnake and while Miss Carly is charming and very intelligent, organization and planning are not her strong suits. I think, should you choose to take this boy in, that you would both be very much indeed 'over your heads' as you put it. But that does not mean that you should not try. There's no limit to what a man can accomplish with ambition and a strong woman beside him."
"For once could you just..." Bruce pulled at his hair again in frustration. He pressed the palms of his hands hard against his temples and swore. "Just tell me what to do without making it a morality riddle."
"I'm afraid my time for advice giving has passed." Alfred sighed, slowly rising too his feet. "You'll have to make this decision, not on your own, but certainly not with me. Excuse me Master Bruce, there are dishes that require my attention."
A/n: The drama is slowly unfolding now. I still have so many exciting plans for this story, so thanks for sticking with me everyone! Special thank you to Maple Sparks & wolfimus prime for your reviews of Chapter 19! Hopefully I'll be back with a new chapter soon.
