Glad you guys are liking Damian's entrance into the batfamily. But this is where I got a little confused with ages. This is between Jason and Timmy's B-days and I'm not entirely sure if Cass is closer to Jason or Tim in age. *shrug* doesn't matter that much. Enjoy the kids' reactions to Dami! And how they first found out.

Dick-15 Jason-11 Cass-9/10(?) Timmy-8 Damian-21mo

The Overdue Arrival

Dick and the others were buzzing around the house excitedly, trying to make sure everything was ready. The place hadn't been this active since the League first agreed to work with Bruce over two years ago. And even then it wasn't quite this active, nor this nervous.

All of the commotion started though probably three months ago, when the four adopted children of Bruce Wayne came together one day to compare notes. Their dad had been acting strange lately, strange for him that is. Bruce had always been the obsessive-reclusive type, but for about a month straight he was nearly always gone. And for a man whose greatest obsession and joy in life is his children, his actions were truly bizarre. His mind would wander and he'd look off into space while he was around them. Sometimes he was scowling at the air. And when he wasn't with them or at work, he was in the cave working on some obscure project he wouldn't talk about.

That alone wasn't the only thing going weird in the manor. Each and every one of the children spotted Alfred going in and out of the old nursery, with cleaning supplies and even bags from several stores. It was considered very strange mostly because the room hadn't been used since Timmy was five and the last time it was even unlocked was when Bruce was engaged to the evil demon princess Talia and she was expecting a baby. That was nearly three years ago. Their father locked the door in near tears himself and wouldn't talk about it.

"We need to get in that room," Jason stated flatly, earning nods from the rest of them. "It's the only way to make sure."

"Do you really think he's adopting someone else?" Timmy asked nervously. He wasn't sure if he wanted a younger sibling now. Nearing eight, he was used to being the baby of the family, and liked it. Not that he'd hate whoever could come along, but he didn't want to lose his place in the family either. What if Daddy didn't love him anymore?

Cassandra shrugged. "Maybe. That room is for babies, isn't it?"

"Anyone under the age of five," Dick stated evenly, looking out the door to make sure the coast was clear. So far no Alfred. And judging by the smells, the old man was in the kitchen. Bruce wasn't due back until six at the earliest. "I think only Tim's used it since Bruce's day. Come on."

The four of them hurried three doors down and settled in front of the rarely used door. It was two away from the master bedroom (which was more like a mini apartment minus kitchen and laundry rooms) and three away from everyone else's. They got to choose their rooms. But this one was reserved just for the infants and toddlers that happened to live there. Apparently it was rarely ever used, like many of the rooms there.

Jason knelt before the lock and started tinkering around with it and a wire. Dick slipped into one of the neighboring rooms to try a different way in via windows. Cass and Timmy were lookouts, at least until the door was unlocked. It took a few minutes, but just as the last pin was about to give way in the lock, Dick opened it from the inside. He smirked at the preteen's scowl.

"I nearly had it," he growled as he stuffed the wire into his pocket.

"The window was faster." The acrobat thumbed over to the large glass doors leading to a sunny balcony. He had tricked the security system into believing no one had entered, then undid the simple lock on it within a few seconds. Little tricks he picked up after being chained up at a kidnapping. "Get in."

Quickly the three younger siblings darted in and started exploring the place. For the youngest, he felt like he was going down memory lane. "I remember that pony!"

He pointed to a wooden rocking horse not too far off. It was old, but looked like it was recently varnished. Many old wooden toys and fixtures in that room looked like they were recently repaired and renewed. Even some new hard backed picture books were on the shelves. A lifetime supply of diapers and wipes were on the shelves on one side of the room, and everything looked recently cleaned. Everything.

"This is really weird," Jason confirmed, looking around at new soft toys close by. Dick was looking through the new clothes in the nearby drawers. Cass just took one look at them and sighed heavily before browsing through the newer books on the shelves. Timmy had stopped looking for clues and was just playing on the toys he once enjoyed there. He still didn't know why they had to lock up that room and all the fun inside it.

"We're not getting a sister," Cass stated plainly, pouting slightly.

"No, and he's not going to be a baby either." Dick checked the age range on the clothes. "Maybe a two year old? There's a lot of different sizes here, but none for infants. All toddlers."

"But why is Dad acting so weird and secretive?" Jason looked back at everyone as he asked the question. "He didn't when he got Tim or Cass."

"Dunno Jay," their big brother stated. "He was a little nervous when he brought you home, but not like this." He put the clothes away just as he found them and motioned to the others. "Let's go, or Alfred will know we've been snooping."

The following morning they decided to confront their father. "Okay Bruce," Dick started after Timmy had crawled onto the man's lap to keep him there, "who are you adopting?"

The billionaire froze while drinking his morning coffee. "Excuse me?"

"You and Alfred have been fixing up the old nursery," Jason explained, smirking slightly. "Only thing we can figure is that you're adopting another kid."

The man's eyes opened wide, staring at each of his kids before setting his cup down, a glimmer of pride on his face. "Not an adoption. But close."

The older two exchanged confused glances while Timmy looked up at his dad from his seat. It was Cass who spoke next. "Are we having a guest?"

"Colder."

"Are you having a baby?" Timmy asked innocently. His siblings laughed.

"Uh, Timmy," Jason started, grinning, "Mommies have babies."

"There are surrogates," Dick offered, but continued to watch the man's face to see if they were getting closer. All he saw was a growing smirk. "But that's not the case either is it?"

"Warmer."

"You're not getting married, right?" Jason probed. "'Cause last time you had that room open, your evil fiancé was having a baby."

"Haven't heard of any ex-girlfriends claiming pregnancy or illegitimate child lately." The oldest kept his eyes on the twitching on the man's face. He knew the man was glad they figured part of it out, but mentioning the rest right then had hit a sore nerve somehow. "Unless it wasn't lately."

The others gave the teen an inquiring look. He nearly had it and everyone could tell. Bruce gave a slight sigh before giving in. "Not lately. I've been doing a search to make certain before announcing anything. I didn't want to raise your hopes again after last time."

All but the oldest looked at each other in confusion, but donning lit in Dick's eyes. "Talia lied?"

Their father nodded. "Superman saw a young boy at Ra's hideout when they took down his Orpheus Plan. There were no other children in the compound and he is around the right age our child would be. Though there are strong possibilities that Talia lied and kept the baby a secret from me all this time, I couldn't be certain."

"Until now?" Dick edged on, getting excited. He knew how Bruce spoke.

But he shook his head. "Even now I'm not sure," the man stated evenly, "but I do know some things. There is an eighteen month old boy being hidden by the Shadows, hidden and highly protected. There are only a handful of people who even know of his existence, but rumors have come out among some members. Only name I've gotten for the boy is Ibn al Xu'ffasch. It means 'son of the Bat' in Arabic."

"That's a slam dunk if I've ever heard one." The older two were grinning now, both very excited for him. Cass was smiling in her own way but Timmy looked conflicted, troubled even.

"Maybe. Can't be certain until after a DNA test." He locked eyes on Cassandra. "But the League of Shadows is no place to raise a child either way."

"So even if he isn't yours—" Dick started.

"I'll be taking him in anyway." The smile on the man's face put most of them at ease. Blood or no, he wasn't about to leave a child in need behind. He gave the boy in his lap a quick hug, sensing his insecurity at that moment. It made the kid smile for the moment, relieved a bit. "You'll be getting a new baby brother as soon as the League and I find him."

The mishmash family spoke often after that about the new brother they were expecting. It was only a month ago when they learned the kid's English name (something Ra's and Talia used to mix people up should they learn something about him. It was easier to say too). A week when they finally had a list of possible locations for him. They helped cook up a plan for their new brother's extraction too.

So that evening, the four Wayne children were excited and nervous as they waited for their father to return home with their much anticipated new addition. "What do you think he's going to be like?"

"Dunno Cass," Jason told his sister, looking over the trinket he was planning to give the little tyke. It was something of a tradition Dick started when he came to live at the manor. Each of the kids would give the new arrival something for them to cherish. Dick gave him a teddy bear with batwings. Timmy received a stuffed dog with mask like patches over its eyes and Cass was given a large mouse with a cape. Dick seemed to think everyone had to have their own stuffed animal so no one else dared give the kid one that day. Must have been so no one could tease him about that stuffed elephant on his bed.

Jason on the other hand had given both Timmy and Cassandra yo-yos, hand crafted by him. Painted by him too, so he felt they were more personalized. He made a point to teach them how to use them when they were old enough to use them properly. It was only a way to hang out with them more further on in life. Besides, he gave Bruce, Alfred and Dick yo-yos as well the Christmas before Timmy's arrival.

Timmy just gave Cass a crayon picture when she joined them, of the whole family plus her. He didn't have many ideas on what to give her since he was four at the time.

Now the question would be, what would these last two give their new baby brother? Jay just smiled at his sister. "We'll just have to wait and find out. Didn't know Timmy would be a child genius or you'd like reading so much after you learned how."

She smiled shyly. Reading didn't involve too many people and she was still a bit uneasy around them. Their bodies said so much to her without even trying. Like how her brothers were right then. Each and every one of them were excited, but Timmy was still worried about something in the back of his mind. Dick was particularly thrilled. He really liked being an older brother.

"It's nearly ten!" Timmy whined. Sure it was a Saturday night, but he was really getting tired. "When's Dad going to get here!"

"Relax Timbo!" Dick laughed as he pulled the soon-to-be big brother into a reassuring hug. "He'll be back soon, introduce you to our long overdue baby brother, and you'll see how great it is being one of the older ones."

"Are you sure nothing's going to change between all of us?" The kid really was scared their dad would forget him in all of this. He had nightmares of everyone treating the new baby of the family like royalty and he'd be nothing more than garbage. Plus he would be their dad's real first born child. They were all adoptions. This was very different than in the past.

Their strong big brother gave him a tight squeeze. "Nothing bad, I assure you. Believe me, I was scared a bit when Jay first came in."

"Really?" The second eldest questioned. "Because, I remember getting attacked by hugs, questions, and cookies."

"Hey I was an only child until that point," Dick jibed back. "Of course I was scared. Still wanted a baby brother I could play with though. Just like how I always wanted a dog."

"So I was your pet dog?" The former street rat gave him a mocking glare.

"The best." He grinned at them all, still holding Timmy close. "The kind I didn't have to potty train or put on a leash."

"Oh screw you." Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head as the others laughed. Alfred though gave them all a disapproving look. Jason just gave him a sheepish smile, saying sorry without losing any pride.

Suddenly they heard the clock chime, then open. All eyes turned to the entrance to the Batcave and the much expected return of one Bruce Wayne, carrying a near two year old within the black cape he once wore as Batman. One look at the little boy rubbing his eyes was all they needed to confirm the suspicions they had about his parentage. He looked much like Bruce in his baby pictures.

"Everyone," the head of the household started in the doorway, smiling broadly, "meet your brother, Damian Wayne."

Though all of them wanted to charge up to them in excited greeting, the kids controlled themselves and approached them slowly. Each of them were smiling in their own way as they drew closer, trying not to scare the little guy. Looked like he was either ready for bed or just woke up from a nap. Either way, the wrong step could lead to a lot of yelling and/or crying.

"Hey there little guy," Dick started first, smiling warmly at him. He was the first of them Damian made eye contact with. He had his father's eyes, no doubt about that. "I'm your big brother Dick." He waved a hand to the others as he introduced him. "And this is Cass, your sister. That's Jason and this big guy here is Tim."

"The old man in the suit is Alfred," Jason joined in, grinning impishly. "Think of him as the grandpa who actually cleans up after everyone. His cooking rocks, especially his cookies."

"I would hope so," said 'grandpa' chimed in. "After all these years perfecting the recipe for hungry little boys, it would be a shame not to have the best cookies in Gotham."

"Give yourself a little more credit!" Dick joked. "In the world. Best ever, hands down. Even the League says it."

Timmy tugged on Bruce's sleeve, the highest he could reach to get his attention. "Can I see him?"

The man chuckled at the request, then at little Damian who hid his face in his father's shirt. The little guy had barely started feeling safe and warm with this man, and now more strangers were coming towards him. Hiding himself for a few minutes was probably the nicest way to handle this situation. His father rubbed his back gently still.

"Everyone over to the couch," Bruce ordered in a low tone, keeping his voice gentle to keep the little one calm. Quickly the miniature mob moved towards the couch, leading their father to the center of it. Once the man sat down, he was surrounded by children. Cass and Jason opted to hanging over the back of the couch and Bruce's shoulder to see Damian better, while Dick and Timmy sat on either side. The toddler still clung to his father's shirt, not quite daring to look at the people around him quite yet.

"It's okay Damian," his father tried to coax him as he let the cape fall off around him. "They're your brothers and sister. They aren't going to hurt you."

"Yet." His joking comment earned Jason a quick glare from everyone older than him. "We'll wait until he's six at least. Then he can really take a punch."

Cass smirked. "He's right. Timmy threw a punch at six."

"Enough of that," Bruce ordered, a little sharper than intended. It gained Damian's attention, making him look up at him in surprise. "No one is going to hurt Damian while under this roof. Is that clear?"

"As a rule or as a policy?" This earned another glare from his father. Jason threw up his hands in his defense. "Hey, you said not to make any promises I can't keep. When his punches start to hurt, I'll be hitting back, guaranteed. Until then, he's safe."

"Seems fair," Cassandra added.

Their father sighed heavily. "You two are setting bad examples already."

"Hey Dami!" Dick stuck a hand behind a pillow behind him, grinning from ear to ear. Already everyone knew he was ready to give out presents. "Got something for ya."

The toddler actually looked at him for a long moment silently, not sure how to take this stranger before him. But once the stuffed animal appeared, making everyone's eyes widen in surprise, all fear and hesitation left him. "KITTY!"

In Dick's hands was a custom made cat plushy, dressed to look like Batman. Damian's hands immediately left his father's shirt and jerked towards the clearly prized stuffed animal. His grey eyes brightened and he nearly fell off his father's lap as he tried to grab his new toy. Bruce quickly put both hands on his son to keep him safe while Dick brought the toy closer for him to grab. "There you go Damian. Your very own Bat-kitty."

His eyes alight as he held and stared at the toy, no one could stop from chuckling now. Alfred took out a camera and started taking pictures of the six of them on the couch. Timmy came closer to see both his baby brother and the doll in curiosity. Cass was nearly pulling herself over the couch to get a better look as well while Jason just watched from his place in amusement. Both Dick and Bruce's faces glowed in happiness watching the kid break out of his quiet revere at last, nearly smiling at the custom doll.

The best photographic moment of the night came just seconds after, when the boy looked up at his father and then to the doll. "Fwader kitty?"

It was far past eleven before Alfred was given a chance to hold his near grandson. Dick and Jason both had a chance, but after the near panic attack the kid had in the second's arms, they thought it best to let the boy adjust to everyone around him slowly before giving both Cassandra and Timmy a chance. The former youngest wasn't quite sure if he wanted to hold him either. Damian had whipped his stuffed toy around and hit his face with its tail. Though it was an accident, Timmy was still on the fence on whether to like this kid or not. Thus would start the normal sibling jealousy and rivalry in the future, they were sure.

It was when that said boy had curled up on the couch silently and his sister had rubbed her eyes that Bruce thought it best to call it a night. It was far past everyone's bedtimes, even for a Saturday. He gently passed Damian, the Bat-kitty, and the bat covered fleece baby blanket Timmy gave him, over to Alfred for safe keeping as he carefully took the younger two to bed. Jason and Dick protested for a minute about being sent away but stopped when both had yawned in the middle of their speeches.

Though the older three could put themselves to bed without too much difficulty, Timmy insisted on being carried to bed. His father gave a slight chuckle as he did so, holding this boy just as closely as he had his other.

"Daddy…" the kid moaned as they entered his room.

"Hm?"

"Who do you love more?"

Bruce took in a slow deep breath before releasing it. He sat on the edge of Timmy's bed and propped him on his knee to talk for a moment. "Timmy, I love each and every one of you equally."

"But we all have different birth Mommies and Daddies," the boy explained. He really seemed troubled by this. "Damian's your one real son, right?"

"True," the man admitted, "'but blood does not mean family. Alfred comes from a different country than I do, but he's been family for me since the day he came into my life. I think I was five when I first met him."

"Do you love him more than your real parents?" Timmy asked innocently.

A prickle of pain came to the man's chest. He missed his parents sorely, but… "Sometimes I wonder.

"Timmy," Bruce looked the boy straight into the eye as he explained, "just because Damian's here doesn't mean I love you any less. You just have to get to know him. You'll grow to like him, just like Jason grew to like you too. It's easier when he's a cuddly twenty-one month old and you're a strong, brave eight year old, because you can help him become someone just as amazing as you."

"Really?" He kept his eyes on his father, wanting to believe this a little.

"I'm sure of it." The man smiled warmly, giving his son a strong hug before helping him get into bed. He handed the groggy child the stuffed masked dog he received on his arrival there. Timmy took it and cuddled it eagerly before smiling and letting himself go off to slumberland. Bruce laid a hand on his head fondly before whispering, "Sleep tight."

Bruce checked on each of his children before returning to Alfred trying to settle Damian in the nursery. The little guy was starting to fuss, pouting and squirming on occasion in the old man's arms. "Something the matter?"

"I believe he has a dirty diaper sir." The butler looked over to the master of the household, raising an eyebrow. "And we have talked about this."

The younger man gave an awkward smile. "Right. I'll take care of it."

"Very good sir." He handed the child back to his father, taking out the necessities to make the unpleasant task easier on them all. "I trust the other young masters and miss are well?"

"Jason didn't even bother with blankets." The CEO carefully laid his boy on the changing table and undid the onesie he was in, changing that out along with the diaper. A toddler still running around in this onesie… well, at least it was a form of Kevlar. He mentally prepared himself for the surprises he was about to face, changing his first used diaper. "All of them fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow."

"Very likely," the butler stated, bringing over a simple set of green pajamas. "Most of them were up by seven this morning. A most exciting day truly, waiting for your return. I trust Miss Talia is well?"

"Well enough to send nearly a hundred of her guards after me when I finished talking to her." The man tried to make quick work of the smelly mess as he talked to his most trusted friend. It made the task seem less daunting. Practicing on dolls had helped him become proficient, but not perfect. "She's not happy about this. She and Ra's are likely to retaliate."

"So the Justice League is on alert?"

"Naturally. Until my sources tell me differently, we assume everyone is a target. Damian's not going back to her, no matter what." Determination grew in the man's voice, gaining a curious look from his naked son. Bruce handed him Cassandra's gift to him, a plastic toy car, to distract him a few minutes more. "She was starting his training as Ra's heir. They're planning on making him a weapon, a tool for their cause. Can you imagine him having to go through all of that? All of my training, and Cassandra's, starting at two years old? What kind of mother would do that to her child?"

"One truly not deserving of the title." Silently Alfred's old charge nodded, sadly.

The child finally cleaned up and dressed comfortably, Bruce took him back into his arms. He wrapped the blanket around his boy's body and handed back the Bat-kitty for him to cuddle for a while longer. The man yawned himself then, really tired from the day's excursions. His little son followed suit, making both men chuckle.

"May I advise having him sleep with you tonight sir," the butler offered quickly. "For both safety and emotional security that is. I fear with how easily Masters Richard and Jason managed to come in here without our knowledge, this room will need even more security than the rest of the house."

"Probably right." The younger man smiled at his father figure before heading to his own room. "Goodnight Alfred."

"Goodnight Master Bruce, Young Master Damian." Alfred smiled fondly after the two. "Sweet dreams."

A/N: Tada! and that's how the baby bat joins the family! Timmy's obviously a little jealous and wary, but that's normal for kids who aren't the youngest anymore and have that large of an age gap. Just thinking of how I'd comfort my child in the future if that happens. The change in Timmy starting to be called Tim is around now, along with him calling Bruce Dad instead of Daddy. Cass is talking more too, and I decided to make her a bit of a bookworm since she's learning to read at an early age instead. Heh, yeah, Cass is gonna be a bit different.

Anyone recognize the bat-kitty? I have two comics on my DA page about it. Though there Tim was the one who got it for Damian. =P Also visiting in this one was Peanut/Elinor/Zitka, Dick's stuffed elephant made famous about a decade ago by one amazing writer. We also have Bat-bear (Jason), Mystery Dog (Tim) and Mighty Mouse! (Cass) XD Thought it'd be something Dick would do

Thanks for the ideas with Selina, I've got one now and it won't be long til you see it. It kinda ties into the dangerous tone at the end of this one. Yes, the two leagues clashing is possible, but I haven't really thought of how to expand that yet. Dami's individual story isn't done, but this arch is. Until the next one! ^^V