ElseWorlds™: Saving James

Chapter 13

By: Christopher W. Blaine

e-mail: darth_yoshi@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: Refer to chapter 1 for the disclaimer for this entire story.

"We've put this off for as long as we could, Rich," the lawyer said. Dick could understand the man's frustration. Every attempt at negotiating a fair settlement with the Joker's lawyer concerning Dick's assault had fallen through. Then, to top things off, it appeared that the Gotham "good-old-boy" network was working its way through the judicial system.

Dick Grayson had no criminal record and was, for all intents and purposes, a model citizen. Still, the criminal court judge was considering giving Dick the maximum sentence unless the lawyer could convince him otherwise. The prosecutor, a man hoping to run for congress the next year, was delighted to be putting away one of Gotham's golden boys and wasn't lifting a finger to help out. "Did you do something to this Judge Wankerhan in a past life?"

Dick laughed and shook his head. Two weeks before it seemed as if the world was going to come to an end. The alien monster Mongul had destroyed Coast City and four people pretending to be Superman raised from the dead had done nothing to stop him. The loss of life was incredible but the stain to the memory of the greatest hero ever was just the spoiled icing on top of the ruined cake.

Then, like a messianic figure rising from the dead, Superman returned and set things right. Coast City was gone and that was a terrible thing, but now there was a good chance that it would never happen again.

And that was the best thing Dick could hope for right now.

The past year had been an odd one. It started with Superman's death and his and Jennie's sudden, uncontrollable lovemaking. From that experience love had grown, but not without its share of bumps. Barbara had been so pissed that she still wasn't speaking to him and it was ironic that Dick was facing two years in prison for defending her honor.

Then Bruce had returned to Gotham City, but had yet to don the Batman costume again. Selina was with him with a wedding band on but no bun in the oven and she soon became the mother hen of Wayne Manor. Alfred, though, was still absent from the Manor, preferring it seemed to remain by Barbara's side while she raised James on her own.

And on her own was exactly what she was. There had been rumors about a relationship between her and Lois Lane and Dick had to admit it got his curiosity piqued, but he had been told in very plain language to stay away. That had suited Jennie just fine who had stepped into the role of his girlfriend without missing a beat. Through her, Dick managed to talk with Obsidian and even secured him an interview with the new Justice League.

"So, it doesn't look good?" Dick asked.

The lawyer looked at him with disbelief and then started laughing. "If I could have gotten this changed to a different jurisdiction, maybe. I don't know what sinister force has a grip on the local judges…" he made a motion with his hand like he was choking someone, "but it has choked the justice from the system! It's like there is someone behind the scenes pulling all of the strings."

"You noticed it too?" Dick asked as he got up and went into the kitchen. Jennie was in there, dressed in a halter-top and cutoff shorts, her favorite formal wear. She was cutting up carrots and watching the small television. They were still living in Barry Allen's old apartment rent-free. That did nothing to help Dick's self-esteem.

He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two diet sodas. When he closed the door, he came face to face with the small photograph of James. The boy was going on four and his hair was turning red. He had his mother's eyes but also the long slender nose of the Joker. Alfred had sent him the photograph.

"Hey, baby," Jennie said as she walked up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," he relied, taking his eyes slowly moving away from the picture to his girlfriend. She had let her hair grow long and straight since they got together, though it was still green. "Watching the news?" he asked.

"Yep; looks like there's a new Green Lantern in town. A young one at that. Kind of cute." She saw the sour look Dick was giving her. "Oh, don't worry, I'm addicted to Dick." It was her favorite line besides "I love you".

Dick took another offered kiss and then went back into the living room. His lawyer was still shaking his head. "Rich, a bit of advice off of the record…"

Handing over the soda, Dick shrugged and sat down as the lawyer continued. "Leave."

"What?"

"You have the money. This is a bullshit case and we both know it. The Joker murders hundreds of people, rapes innocent women and gets to sit in Arkham Asylum while they want to throw you into Blackgate." The lawyer pinched the bridge of his nose and swore. "The only thing else we can do is throw ourselves on the mercy of the court and work on an appeal."

Dick sighed and sat back. Bruce had already spoken with him and indicated that he would look into the entire issue from the background. But, as he had pointed out, he had broken the very first rule that he had been taught when becoming Robin. "If you break the law, expect to pay a price," the Batman had said.

Dick always argued that as vigilantes they were technically violating criminals' civil rights.

"Who all will be there?" Dick asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, I talked to Barbara's lawyer and she…"

"'She'?"

"Yep, another lawyer." The attorney leaned in close. "Seems that Barbara is facing another motion in court by the Joker and this one is a doozy!"

"But you can't tell me, can you?" Dick said sarcastically.

"All I can say is that the Joker has a big set of them," the lawyer commented.

Dick looked over at the shoulder of his lover and girlfriend wondering if she was sleeping yet. "I'm awake," she said as she back up to him, placing her cold bottom against his stomach.  "It's hard to sleep, you know?"

"Worried about me?"

She flipped over and propped herself up on her elbow. The thin cover fell away, revealing her breast and he felt the familiar stirring. She saw the look in his eye and wanted to oblige, but there was something they needed to talk about. "I'll wait for you," she said.

Dick reached over and traced the outline of her shoulder and chest with his index finger. "I don't think that there is any prison that could be made to keep the daughter of Green Lantern out."

"I'm serious, Dick," she said. "This past year has been so great. I've never been so happy." She started to cry and he pulled her close. "I don't want you to go."

He imagined that those were the words that Barbara had been thinking when she discovered his infidelity. He felt guilty about it but there was nothing he could do about it now. He loved Barbara, loved her on a level that was too difficult to explain. He was sure that she loved him as well, but his decision to end their relationship had damaged their friendship beyond repair it seemed.

Jennie, however, was able to look past Dick's flaws. She had stood patiently on the sidelines while he took care of his problems with Barbara. She had been supportive of his desire to maintain a relationship with James, even if Barbara hadn't. In exchange, he had done his best to get her brother away from the corruption that was Gotham City.

And there was the thing that really consumed Dick's deeper thoughts. It wasn't like the whole world was going mad, but more like the city had. Barbara's rape seemed to have offended the Great Lady and she had tossed away her favored children in her anger. The Batman was essentially dead, as was Nightwing and Batgirl. Jim Gordon had become involved in a revenge scheme that probably cost him his soul. The top crime-fighter in Gotham City now was the Huntress and she was a pathological killer with a badge (when the Oracle Group was dissolved by the state, the county had stepped in an deputized her).

"I'm pregnant," Jennie whispered.

Dick's jaw dropped. "How?"

She gave him a "no-shit" look and he realized how stupid the question had been. "Dick, I love you and…"

"I thought you were on the pill?" Dick asked as he sat up and turned on the light. She sat up as well and pulled the cover over her. He realized she was probably scared of his reaction and he wasn't being very supportive. He took a deep breath. "Look, it's just that I think that people who have children together should be married."

"Fine. Marry me."

"That's the worst proposal I ever heard," Dick lamented.

"The pill isn't 100% effective, dear; you have strong sperm. It goes with the biceps," she said, wanting him to smile. He finally did and she started to feel better. "I wasn't sure until I saw Dr. Mid-Nite."

"But I'm going to jail tomorrow…probably," he said, the weight of the statement even heavier on his shoulders. "Shit."

"You shouldn't go around punching people," she chided, but it wasn't a joking matter. "You know, I could get this fixed," she said holding up her palm. The green power-pulse from where she got her powers glowed. "A little mental suggestion, maybe?"

"So I can have your father beat me up? God, what is he going to say?"

She leaned over and kissed him. "If you marry me, then he won't say anything."

He eyed her suspiciously. "That sounds a lot like a shotgun wedding…"

She threw back the covers, revealing her emerald body. Even after all of the times he had viewed it, he still found himself speechless. The first time they had made love, he thought the world was going insane when in fact she had become his anchor in sanity. He did love her.

Yet marriage frightened him and it always had because of the implications. Once someone got married, they were expected to have children and then there was the chance those children would become orphans. He wanted kids so much but he was afraid of creating another one of him, or worse, another Bruce.

Perhaps it was the reason why he had always picked women that were so difficult. Even though he and Kory had been engaged, he knew they would never marry. The same was with Barbara; there was a woman who could never settle down for hearth and home, whether by her decision or not. Their friendship had kept him on the periphery, putting his life on hold and now…

"We're leaving," he said finally.

"What?" she asked, not believing it.

"My lawyer is right; this entire case against me is bullshit. Somehow the Joker is pulling the strings and I need more time to figure out how. Meekly going to jail isn't going to solve the problem." He stood up and walked over to the window. "I have a place in Canada and Bruce is good friends with their Minister of Justice."

Jennie tumbled out of the bed and raced up to him, grabbing him from behind. "You're going to fight back?"

"My stupidity was the start, but my humility should have ended it. The Joker is pushing this for everything its worth, but I don't know why." He turned to her and met her lips. "I love you Jennie; will you go on the lam with me?"

She laughed. "Toronto is a great place for photo shoots! Yes, I'll go with you!"

She stepped away and went into the walk-in closet, reappearing a moment later with a bundle. She unfolded it to reveal the Nightwing costume. "Now, let's play my favorite game."

"Fine," he said with a wink. "I'm the super-hero and you're the evil green smuggler…"

"Did you hear about your ex-boyfriend?"

Barbara looked to her lawyer. "Charlene, I have many ex-boyfriends. None of them are worth the conversation."

"Seems Mr. Grayson skipped town before his sentencing and has surfaced in Canada. They have refused to extradite him for lack of evidence." She chuckled. "They said in a Canadian court he would have gotten six hours of community service, not the two years the judge was wanting to hand down." She saw the look on Barbara's face. "Girlfriend, let me tell you something: that boy loved you, but you allowed the separation. Stupid. Never let a man live on his own!"

Barbara nodded. She knew she should have fought with Dick to stay, but she was so concerned about losing James. The boy was in preschool, paid for by Bruce Wayne, the unofficial grandfather of the boy. Since returning to Gotham City, Bruce and Selina had been doing a lot of charity work. The goals of the Batman were the same only now he wanted to end the cycle of violence that had created the situation for Barbara's rape.

So long as the Joker remained in Arkham, Barbara was sure the Batman would remain at Wayne Manor. "It doesn't really matter now," Barbara said. She looked over at the Petitioner's table and saw the Joker there with the same lawyer, Dr. Quinzel seated just behind them, smirking.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Barbara asked.

"According to the papers, the Joker is claiming you are an unfit mother." Charlene looked through the motion papers again. "There is a claim that you can't raise young James in a, and I quote, 'proper environment that is suitable to meet the desires and requirements of both parents'." She put them down. "Is there anything I should know, some dark secret in your past?"

Barbara didn't know where to begin. "No," she lied.

Charlene didn't believe her, but she understood that this woman with the tired look in her eyes had endured so much in the past few years that she had the right to keep some secrets, even from her attorney. Charlene was used to dealing with dead-beat dads and abusive spouses, but dealing with a homicidal madman that suddenly wanted to be civil was much more of a legal challenge.

Judge Wankerhan stepped in and the bailiff called everyone to rise. Barbara did not see the twinkle in Dr. Quinzel's eyes as she met the judge's gaze. He understood what was expected of him today.

The Joker's lawyer began the proceeding by stating that the Joker was concerned about the moral environment that young James was being exposed to. "Exactly what are you talking about?" the judge asked.

"Well, sir, the Mr. Napier believes that raising a male child in a household dominated by the lesbian lifestyle is not conductive to a healthy mental state." He smiled and looked to Charlene. "And I think if anyone can attest to the problems with a poor mental state, it is my client."

"Your honor," Charlene started with a quick look to Barbara. She was seething with anger. "There is no requirement under the laws of this state that a single parent adhere to any certain lifestyle, so long as that lifestyle does not endanger the child."

"Hold on," the judge said, raising a hand. "You can't be serious about this counselor."

The Joker's lawyer shrugged. "My job is to present my client's argument, your honor. Mr. Napier is a converted Catholic and he is required by his faith to ensure that his child is raised in a good home. He understands that because of his past actions, he is unable to raise the child himself…"

"Because he's a manipulative, psychotic killer and rapist! Your honor, you cannot even begin to consider this motion. I was under the impression that Mr. Napier believed that my client was abusing her son."

"My client," the Joker's lawyer began, "believes that to be so. His position is that gay relationships create an environment that is detrimental to proper social attitude."

"So, what does his client propose, your honor? Perhaps the child should go on a killing spree and rape a nun!" Charlene took a deep breath and let it out, knowing full well what the price of Contempt of Court was in front of this judge. "Courts throughout the land have held up the rights of same-sex partners to raise children."

"Certainly; but how many studies have been conducted to see what the effects are? My client is convinced that in an effort to try and appear politically correct, the courts have jumped the gun." The lawyer reached down and picked up a large stack of papers. "These are all studies conducted by many prominent sociologists and psychiatrists that conclude that children raised in same-sex partner homes are more likely to have anti-social behavior."

"You honor," Charlene said, gripping the edge of the table. "This is nothing more than veiled bigotry against gays. For that matter, there is no conclusive evidence that my client is gay. She lived with another woman for a year; this is not uncommon. I had a college roommate, does that mean I'm gay?"

The judge paused and then shook his head. "Alright then, Ms. Gordon, would you stand up please?"

Barbara did so, very slowly, her eyes burning with inner anger and fury. Her entire life was not being put on display, just as her body had been when she had been raped. It never stopped. "Ms. Gordon, I realize that this is a personal question and your lawyer would advise you that you do not have to answer this question. However, this is important. You can end this right now by answering the question." He paused and then spoke slowly. "Are you gay?"

She nearly started crying and ranting at the same time. Charlene leaned over and told her not to answer, to take the Fifth as it was called. She could not be made to make any statements that might incriminate her and there was no way the judge could force her to answer it anyway. He could ask it, but she could refuse to answer.

Barbara took a deep breath.

"Your honor, Mr. Napier, Mr. Napier's attorney…all of you can kiss my ass," she said in a voice that was almost too calm.

"Excuse me?" the judge said. Harleen worked very hard to keep her face straight. It was going exactly as she had thought it would. Barbara Gordon had been pushed to the edge too many times; her hold on reality was starting to crumble. It was by sheer luck that Clark Kent had been found, forcing a separation between Gordon and Lois Lane.

The Joker had seen it and told her that it was time for the final phase of their plan in which all of their enemies would pay a heavy price for the relative peace they had received over the past few years. It would start with, as always, the child.

It was funny that the legal system, set up to protect the rights of children, was the greatest weapon to use against them. The Joker had dreamed up the lesbian issue a year before, but had to go through the Catholic conversion process to make it seem legitimate. The judge was supposed to let the arguments boil over into a mess and then call for a series of hearings that would allow experts to offer testimony as to whether or not same-sex parents were worse than the jerks that were already raising children out there.

In the meantime, young James would be shuttled off to foster care and Harleen was already in bed with a social worker who would see to it that James got the worst parents possible. Hopefully, that would bring old Jim Gordon back into the mix and the little bitch he was sleeping with now as well.

That would in turn shake the bats out of the belfry.