Here's the next part. Thanks for the feedback. Thanks also go out to Terry for the inspiration and Patty for the great suggestions and discussions. I've already written about 4 chapters of this story and I'll probably post one every other day. Let me know what you think.
Scribbles
Dick felt a hand grip his shoulder at the same time he heard Alfred's scandalized voice.
"Master Jason we do not treat new family members in such a way! If you do not apologize to Master Richard right this instance, there will be no desert for you at dinner tonight."
Dick looked up to see whose hand was on his shoulder and was surprised at what he saw. Bruce Wayne, still holding Tim in one arm, was looking down at him and he actually seemed sad. Why would Bruce Wayne be sad?
"Dick before we go any further, I want you to know you have as much right to be here as anyone else in the house. Please trust me on this. Jason gets a little upset when we rock the boat and Tim here gets a little shy, but you're here to stay. No one is going to make you leave. Alfred and I are glad you're here and the boys will grow on you. Now I think Jason has something he needs to say to you." With that Bruce looked down at his now middle son with a glare. Dick got the feeling Bruce used this look quite frequently with Jason.
Sighing, Jason stepped forward to deliver his apology. "I'm sorry I said I didn't want you here, Dick."
"There now, that's better Master Jason. I have finished preparing Master Richard's new bedroom. Who would like to show him the way?" Alfred said taking charge of the conversation.
Everyone turned and begin walking out of the room towards the stairs. Bruce set Tim down, and the little boy ran to the front of the group leading the way. Dick and Jason brought up the rear.
"Just don't think you're going to play with any of my stuff. I already have to share with Tim and I'm not sharing with you," Jason whispered to Dick when the adults turned their backs. He stuck out his tongue, too when he was sure he had Dick's attention.
Dick rolled his eyes and though he was new to this sibling thing, he had already discovered the truth millions of older siblings before him had found out. Having a little brother was not all it was cracked up to be.
The group continued its procession through the house as Alfred pointed out things of significance on the way. Tim would occasionally trip on the bottom of the blanket that trailed behind him, but someone was always nearby to grab hold of him before he fell. Dick's head was swirling with all the new information when they finally arrived at the door to his new room. Tim pushed open the door and ran inside. He looked up at Bruce with a big grin until he saw Dick come in. Quickly, Tim hid himself from Dick behind Bruce's leg.
Boy what strange kids, Dick thought. One hates me and the other is afraid of me. I never thought anyone could be afraid of me. Dick had always been a little on the small side coming from a family of aerialists like he did. A smaller frame was an advantage high above the crowds in the big top. Unfortunately, being small had no advantage when faced by a room full of delinquent high school kids at the JDC.
Dick turned his attention away from the small boy as Alfred started talking again and looked around his new room. A small gasp escaped him. His new bedroom was about half the size of the trailer he and his parents had lived in at the circus. Not only that, but everywhere he looked there where toys and games and furniture that Alfred informed him now belonged just to him. Dick couldn't believe this. Jason didn't have to worry about sharing his toys. He had all he needed right here in this room.
As Dick took in the sight of his new room, Bruce Wayne discretely watched the reaction of his new charge. It didn't take a detective to tell the boy was a little overwhelmed by his new room and new situation. Of course, it probably didn't help matters that Jason, in a fit of boredom, had decided to start chasing his younger brother around the room. Bruce sighed as the human whirlwinds brushed by his legs once more. If he could just bottle the energy his boys seemed to exude from every pore, he could sell it on the open market and single-handedly solve the world's energy crisis while making himself even richer than many small nations.
Deciding that Dick probably needed some time to himself to process everything that had happened today, Bruce signaled Alfred to start herding the munchkins out of the room. He walked over and once again placed his hand on Dick's shoulder.
"Dick, Alfred and I are going to take the boys back to their rooms and give you a chance to settle in. We'll be just down the hall, last door on the left. That's Jason and Tim's room. Someone will be by in about a half hour to take you down to dinner. Just give a shout if you need anything before then. Okay?"
Still a bit stunned, Dick gave a small nod and Bruce left following after Alfred and the boys. The noise level noticeably decreased the farther away they got.
Dick moved over to his new bed and sat down to ponder the sudden changes in his life. It was all a bit overwhelming and Dick felt a little bit of panic at the way things had been changing so quickly over the past few weeks. First having to leave the circus and the only home he had ever known only to be dropped without even a kind word from his social worker into the jungle that was the JDC. Dick had gotten into the odd fight here or there when he traveled with the circus, but he had never had to fight a pack of boys nearly twice his size and weight. Dick thought that if the guards hadn't of come when they did to break up the fight, he might not have lived long enough to leave the JDC. As it was he had to spend several days in the infirmary at the Center. Now after the viciousness of the JDC, here he was in the lap of luxury. It was enough to make anyone's head spin.
If he thought about the previous hour meeting Bruce Wayne and then his new foster brothers, it almost felt like he had come full circle ending up in the middle of another circus, the Wayne family circus. The only normal person here seemed to be the butler!
Dick thought back on meeting Mr. Wayne and his sons. He had seen a few kids like Jason before. They covered up being a little scared by pretending to be tough. Dick could handle that. Tim was another matter. While he was unquestionably cute, the little boy was very quiet. In fact thinking back on the meeting, Tim hadn't said one word the entire time he was in Dick's presence. Even when Jason had been chasing Tim around the room, the little boy didn't utter a sound, though he had pasted a big grin on his face. That was a little strange since in Dick's experience with the circus, you couldn't get kids that age to be quiet for longer than five minutes.
That brought him to Mr. Wayne. Dick admitted to himself that even though Mr. Wayne had been nothing but nice to him, he was still a little afraid of the man. He was just so big! You could tell just by looking at him that he was really strong, too. It was probably being silly, but Dick would still be a little cautious around the man.
Several Hours Later
Dick awoke gasping sitting straight up in his bed. It was the same dream he had almost every night while in the JDC. In his dream Dick watched helplessly as his parents once again plunged to their deaths on the floor of the big top. The only difference between the dream and reality was that in the dream his parents looked at him with accusing eyes as they fell. It was all his fault his parents had died, Dick was sure. Dick laid his head on his knees and sobbed for all he was worth. It hurt so much, like a stabbing pain in his chest every time he thought about his parents' death. It hurt so much it was hard to breathe sometimes. Almost as bad was the gnawing emptiness Dick felt inside whenever he realized that the only two people in the world that had loved him completely were now dead and he was all alone. He never knew you could hurt this bad inside and still be alive. Dick suddenly felt very small in the big room.
When his sobs had subsided a bit, Dick decided that he would get up and try to find the kitchen and maybe a glass of milk. Dad had always made him a warm glass of milk when he couldn't sleep. Dick couldn't warm the milk up by himself, but maybe it would be close enough to make him feel better. As with many things in his new life, Dick would have to make do.
As he wandering downstairs, he heard some noise coming from the study where he had met Mr. Wayne for the first time earlier today. Who would be awake this late at night and what could they possibly be discussing? Could they be talking about him? Dick knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop on someone's conversation, but the boy desperately needed to feel a little bit of control in his life at the moment and listening in might give him that. If they weren't talking about him, he'd just leave.
Dick crept softly up to the door and peered inside. Mr. Wayne was once again sitting behind his big desk, but this time he had the little boy, Tim, in his lap. Bruce was speaking quietly to him.
"What are we going to do about these nightmares of yours, Tim? Five-year-old boys should be happily asleep in their beds at this time of night. I suppose its going to take more singing to get you back to bed, huh little guy?"
Tim nodded his head yes and Bruce let out an exaggerated sigh. "The things I do to keep you happy. Okay I'll sing, but don't let it get around that Bruce Wayne sits up half the night singing about teapots. I could just imagine the looks at the next board meeting if that got around."
The little boy had no idea what Bruce was talking about, but he still had a big happy grin on his face knowing he was about to get his way. Bruce sat the boy on the desk in front of him and began to sing.
"I'm a little teapot short and stout. Here is my handle and here is my stout..."
Dick watched from his hiding spot in disbelief. Here was the richest man in Gotham city singing and making hand motions as if he were a giant teapot! Just a little while ago Dick was thinking about how Mr. Wayne frightened him a little bit and now this! Shaking his head, Dick stole away from the door back to his bedroom, his glass of milk and nightmare forgotten. He suddenly had other things on his mind, namely what kind of weird place had he landed in!
Still singing in the study, Bruce noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw a teenage sized shape slowly move away from the study door. He smiled and realized this secret at least was now shared by three.
Scribbles
Dick felt a hand grip his shoulder at the same time he heard Alfred's scandalized voice.
"Master Jason we do not treat new family members in such a way! If you do not apologize to Master Richard right this instance, there will be no desert for you at dinner tonight."
Dick looked up to see whose hand was on his shoulder and was surprised at what he saw. Bruce Wayne, still holding Tim in one arm, was looking down at him and he actually seemed sad. Why would Bruce Wayne be sad?
"Dick before we go any further, I want you to know you have as much right to be here as anyone else in the house. Please trust me on this. Jason gets a little upset when we rock the boat and Tim here gets a little shy, but you're here to stay. No one is going to make you leave. Alfred and I are glad you're here and the boys will grow on you. Now I think Jason has something he needs to say to you." With that Bruce looked down at his now middle son with a glare. Dick got the feeling Bruce used this look quite frequently with Jason.
Sighing, Jason stepped forward to deliver his apology. "I'm sorry I said I didn't want you here, Dick."
"There now, that's better Master Jason. I have finished preparing Master Richard's new bedroom. Who would like to show him the way?" Alfred said taking charge of the conversation.
Everyone turned and begin walking out of the room towards the stairs. Bruce set Tim down, and the little boy ran to the front of the group leading the way. Dick and Jason brought up the rear.
"Just don't think you're going to play with any of my stuff. I already have to share with Tim and I'm not sharing with you," Jason whispered to Dick when the adults turned their backs. He stuck out his tongue, too when he was sure he had Dick's attention.
Dick rolled his eyes and though he was new to this sibling thing, he had already discovered the truth millions of older siblings before him had found out. Having a little brother was not all it was cracked up to be.
The group continued its procession through the house as Alfred pointed out things of significance on the way. Tim would occasionally trip on the bottom of the blanket that trailed behind him, but someone was always nearby to grab hold of him before he fell. Dick's head was swirling with all the new information when they finally arrived at the door to his new room. Tim pushed open the door and ran inside. He looked up at Bruce with a big grin until he saw Dick come in. Quickly, Tim hid himself from Dick behind Bruce's leg.
Boy what strange kids, Dick thought. One hates me and the other is afraid of me. I never thought anyone could be afraid of me. Dick had always been a little on the small side coming from a family of aerialists like he did. A smaller frame was an advantage high above the crowds in the big top. Unfortunately, being small had no advantage when faced by a room full of delinquent high school kids at the JDC.
Dick turned his attention away from the small boy as Alfred started talking again and looked around his new room. A small gasp escaped him. His new bedroom was about half the size of the trailer he and his parents had lived in at the circus. Not only that, but everywhere he looked there where toys and games and furniture that Alfred informed him now belonged just to him. Dick couldn't believe this. Jason didn't have to worry about sharing his toys. He had all he needed right here in this room.
As Dick took in the sight of his new room, Bruce Wayne discretely watched the reaction of his new charge. It didn't take a detective to tell the boy was a little overwhelmed by his new room and new situation. Of course, it probably didn't help matters that Jason, in a fit of boredom, had decided to start chasing his younger brother around the room. Bruce sighed as the human whirlwinds brushed by his legs once more. If he could just bottle the energy his boys seemed to exude from every pore, he could sell it on the open market and single-handedly solve the world's energy crisis while making himself even richer than many small nations.
Deciding that Dick probably needed some time to himself to process everything that had happened today, Bruce signaled Alfred to start herding the munchkins out of the room. He walked over and once again placed his hand on Dick's shoulder.
"Dick, Alfred and I are going to take the boys back to their rooms and give you a chance to settle in. We'll be just down the hall, last door on the left. That's Jason and Tim's room. Someone will be by in about a half hour to take you down to dinner. Just give a shout if you need anything before then. Okay?"
Still a bit stunned, Dick gave a small nod and Bruce left following after Alfred and the boys. The noise level noticeably decreased the farther away they got.
Dick moved over to his new bed and sat down to ponder the sudden changes in his life. It was all a bit overwhelming and Dick felt a little bit of panic at the way things had been changing so quickly over the past few weeks. First having to leave the circus and the only home he had ever known only to be dropped without even a kind word from his social worker into the jungle that was the JDC. Dick had gotten into the odd fight here or there when he traveled with the circus, but he had never had to fight a pack of boys nearly twice his size and weight. Dick thought that if the guards hadn't of come when they did to break up the fight, he might not have lived long enough to leave the JDC. As it was he had to spend several days in the infirmary at the Center. Now after the viciousness of the JDC, here he was in the lap of luxury. It was enough to make anyone's head spin.
If he thought about the previous hour meeting Bruce Wayne and then his new foster brothers, it almost felt like he had come full circle ending up in the middle of another circus, the Wayne family circus. The only normal person here seemed to be the butler!
Dick thought back on meeting Mr. Wayne and his sons. He had seen a few kids like Jason before. They covered up being a little scared by pretending to be tough. Dick could handle that. Tim was another matter. While he was unquestionably cute, the little boy was very quiet. In fact thinking back on the meeting, Tim hadn't said one word the entire time he was in Dick's presence. Even when Jason had been chasing Tim around the room, the little boy didn't utter a sound, though he had pasted a big grin on his face. That was a little strange since in Dick's experience with the circus, you couldn't get kids that age to be quiet for longer than five minutes.
That brought him to Mr. Wayne. Dick admitted to himself that even though Mr. Wayne had been nothing but nice to him, he was still a little afraid of the man. He was just so big! You could tell just by looking at him that he was really strong, too. It was probably being silly, but Dick would still be a little cautious around the man.
Several Hours Later
Dick awoke gasping sitting straight up in his bed. It was the same dream he had almost every night while in the JDC. In his dream Dick watched helplessly as his parents once again plunged to their deaths on the floor of the big top. The only difference between the dream and reality was that in the dream his parents looked at him with accusing eyes as they fell. It was all his fault his parents had died, Dick was sure. Dick laid his head on his knees and sobbed for all he was worth. It hurt so much, like a stabbing pain in his chest every time he thought about his parents' death. It hurt so much it was hard to breathe sometimes. Almost as bad was the gnawing emptiness Dick felt inside whenever he realized that the only two people in the world that had loved him completely were now dead and he was all alone. He never knew you could hurt this bad inside and still be alive. Dick suddenly felt very small in the big room.
When his sobs had subsided a bit, Dick decided that he would get up and try to find the kitchen and maybe a glass of milk. Dad had always made him a warm glass of milk when he couldn't sleep. Dick couldn't warm the milk up by himself, but maybe it would be close enough to make him feel better. As with many things in his new life, Dick would have to make do.
As he wandering downstairs, he heard some noise coming from the study where he had met Mr. Wayne for the first time earlier today. Who would be awake this late at night and what could they possibly be discussing? Could they be talking about him? Dick knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop on someone's conversation, but the boy desperately needed to feel a little bit of control in his life at the moment and listening in might give him that. If they weren't talking about him, he'd just leave.
Dick crept softly up to the door and peered inside. Mr. Wayne was once again sitting behind his big desk, but this time he had the little boy, Tim, in his lap. Bruce was speaking quietly to him.
"What are we going to do about these nightmares of yours, Tim? Five-year-old boys should be happily asleep in their beds at this time of night. I suppose its going to take more singing to get you back to bed, huh little guy?"
Tim nodded his head yes and Bruce let out an exaggerated sigh. "The things I do to keep you happy. Okay I'll sing, but don't let it get around that Bruce Wayne sits up half the night singing about teapots. I could just imagine the looks at the next board meeting if that got around."
The little boy had no idea what Bruce was talking about, but he still had a big happy grin on his face knowing he was about to get his way. Bruce sat the boy on the desk in front of him and began to sing.
"I'm a little teapot short and stout. Here is my handle and here is my stout..."
Dick watched from his hiding spot in disbelief. Here was the richest man in Gotham city singing and making hand motions as if he were a giant teapot! Just a little while ago Dick was thinking about how Mr. Wayne frightened him a little bit and now this! Shaking his head, Dick stole away from the door back to his bedroom, his glass of milk and nightmare forgotten. He suddenly had other things on his mind, namely what kind of weird place had he landed in!
Still singing in the study, Bruce noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw a teenage sized shape slowly move away from the study door. He smiled and realized this secret at least was now shared by three.