Title: Fathers and Sons

Author: Charlene Edwards

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: DC owns the Bat characters and Lori Elton. Dan and Johnny Martin are mine. NOTE: I couldn't find a copy of the old books so if I've misspelled Lori's last name that's all on me but for the purposes of this fic it's now Elton. LOL

Synopsis: An old girlfriend of Dick's comes back in his life with a surprising problem that she needs his help with.

Thanks go out to Patty for the great beta job. I've had this idea in my head for a while and started it Friday in the hopes of getting it done for Father's Day. Didn't quite get it finished but hey, Part one is here and it's still Father's Day in my time zone for another 22 minutes lol. I hope you all enjoy. Char :-)

FATHERS AND SONS: Part 1:

"Is Mr. Wayne in?"

Bruce Wayne's administrative assistant Connie looked up in to the sad blue eyes of the young blonde woman before her. She looked down at Mr. Wayne's calendar. He wasn't expecting anyone. Looking back up at the demurely dressed young woman she asked, "Can I help you?"

"I need to see Mr. Wayne if he's in. My name is Lori. Lori Elton. I'm an old friend of Dick Grayson's. I think Mr. Wayne will remember me."

Connie smiled as she rose from her desk. "Just one moment." She moved over and wet through the carved mahogany doors. A few moments later she opened the door wide. "Miss Elton, Mr. Wayne will see you now."

Lori smiled a sad smile at Connie as she walked into the ornate office. She watched as Bruce smiled and rose from his desk. "Hello Mr. Wayne, thank you for seeing me."

"Lori, it's my pleasure. I haven't seen you since Dick left Hudson University. What can I do for you?"

The young woman sighed and sat down. her hands were shaking. "I ... I need to ... I have a son. He's four and a half. He's the light of my life. My husband and I ... he's everything we have. He's sick. He needs an operation to live and ... and I need to ask you ..."

Bruce watched her as she was trying to work up the courage to tell her tale. "I'll be glad to pay for the surgery for you Lori," Bruce said hoping to relieve the young woman from her burden.

She looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Pay? I ... thank you Mr. Wayne. God knows we need all the help we can get to pay for this, but ... we need a donor first. That ... that's why I'm here. I need to find Dick."

"Dick? I don't understand why --"

"Dick is Johnny's biological father. I'm not a match. Dick's our best hope."

Bruce's jaw flexed as he found himself back in his overstuffed leather chair. He steepled his fingers together, elbows resting on his desk. "I see." Dick. Dick had a son. Dick had a son he had never mentioned, had never acknowledged. Bruce exhaled. This could be a hoax, an attempt to extort money ... no. Bruce looked into Lori's eyes. He was a detective, he knew how to tell when people were telling the truth. Her eyes didn't lie. Her eyes were full of pain and brutal honesty. "Do ... do you a photograph of --"

"Johnny," she smiled when she said his name. Opening her purse, she pulled out a small black billfold, slipped out a photograph and handed it across the mahogany desk. "That was taken last Christmas, before he got sick."

Bruce's heart leapt to his throat. He looked down at the photograph in his hand and the small image of a miniature Dick Grayson smiled back at him. He looked like Dick when he had first brought Dick to the manor ... only smaller ... younger. Bruce stood. "May I keep this?"

Lori stood as well, "I ... uh ... yes." She looked down.

Moving around the desk, Bruce gently laid his hand on her arm. "Leave your contact information, as well as your doctor's name and number with Connie. Dick and I will contact him and arrange a test for later today. Don't worry about," Bruce looked down at the smiling child in the photograph, "Johnny. Everything will be alright. I promise."

"Thank you Mr. Wayne."

"Thank you for coming to me Lori. I'm aware it couldn't have been easy for you." Bruce held the door for her and watched as she moved to his assistant's desk. "Connie, Ms. Elton has some information for you."

Lori turned back, "It's actually Mrs. Martin now."

Bruce smiled, "Yes, Mrs. Martin. We'll contact you later Lori." Bruce continued on to the elevator and pushed the brass call button. He moved in past the brass doors and unconsciously pressed the button leading to the executive garage. He looked down at the photograph in his hand and his jaw flexed again. Dick had some explaining to do.

Dick Grayson stepped out of the shower. water beaded on his body and dripped from his black hair. He dried off quickly and wrapped a towel around his middle and headed out into his bedroom. Dick stopped and stared at his empty bed. Moving to the covers, he threw them back puzzled. He could have sworn he had lain a uniform out. His only clean one too. Scratching his still wet head, he looked around the room. his mouth dropped open as he saw "Bruce!"

Bruce sat in the chair in the corner of the room. "You called in sick. You won't be going to work today."

"Dammit! Why do you do that? I'm a grown man. I can call in for myself. If something's going on and you need me, all you have to do is tell me and I can --"

"Shirk your responsibilities. I didn't plan on giving you the opportunity," Bruce growled standing to his full height. "Now get dressed."

"Shirk my ... what the hell are you talking about? I've never --"

"I never thought you would ... until today." Bruce's eyes bored into Dick. "I am so disappointed in you."

Dick's mouth dropped. The words stung. He felt red heat move into his face. Silently he watched Bruce walk to the door and then leave the room. He wanted to call after him, scream after him, but he found he had no voice. He watched his bedroom door close behind Bruce. Dick yanked the towel throwing it across the room. "DAMN!"

Minutes later, Dick emerged from his bedroom. He announced his presence by slamming the door as hard as he could. Bruce didn't reward his petulance, instead he simply sat on the sofa watching him. His hardened face devoid of emotions. If he had any, no one could tell. Dick stormed over, a drop of water from his still damp hair rolling into his eye. "Are you going to tell me what the hell this is about? What have I done now to disappoint you?"

Bruce's jaw flexed. He heard the pain in Dick's words underneath the anger. His resolve started to waiver. Then, he thought of a sick little five year old and his eyes again hardened toward the most important person in his world. He handed the wallet size photo of the child to Dick. "Did you ever plan to tell me I was a grandfather?"

Dick's eyes went wide. Absentmindedly, he took the photo and looked down at it. He looked back up at Bruce, his face a mask of confusion. Sitting on the coffeetable, directly in front of his father he asked, "What?"

"Your son."

"I don't have a --"

"Your son by Lori Elton."

Dick went pale. By Lori. "I don't have a child by," he looked down at the photo in his hand. The resemblance was unmistakable. "She ... she never told me. I ... I never knew she was pregnant. I," Dick looked up at Bruce. His eyes pleading with Bruce to believe him. "I never knew. I honestly never knew."

Bruce looked down. Of course Dick hadn't known. He wouldn't have abandoned his child. Bruce knew that. he should've known that. He never should have questioned Dick. He closed his eyes as guilt rushed over him. "I ... I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"For doubting you. For ... for what I said. I ... I should have known better. I'm sorry."

Dick smiled. "I'm going to have to write this on my calendar. Bruce makes a mistake ... and admits it."

"Cute."

"I know I am. It comes naturally," Dick quipped. He then looked down at the photo in his hand. "So, I have a kid. How'd you find out?"

"Lori paid me a visit today," Bruce replied solemnly.

Dick ran his hand through his hair. "You're sure she's just not trying to get money. I mean the kid's five years old, she's not tried to contact me before and now that I'm your legal son. Maybe she thinks -- "

"He's dying."

Dick looked at Bruce. "Who's dying?"

Bruce's eyes met Dick's. He reached up, taking Dick's hands in his. "Johnny is dying."

"Johnny? His name's ... he's ... " Dick felt as if he had been sucker punched. His head was pounding, his ears throbbed. "No. He ... he can't ... he's just a little boy. He can't be ... how?"

"He has a form of leukemia. He needs a bone marrow transplant. That's why she came to me. She's not a match. Lori's doctors have been having a hard time finding an exact match for him. She needs you. As his biological father, you might be a match. Lori didn't know how to contact you, so she came to me. I've already scheduled a test for you at Wayne Memorial this afternoon. I thought, afterwards, we could go and meet your son."

Dick nodded. "We. I like that."

Bruce placed his hand on Dick's shoulder as they looked up at the two-story white frame house in the center of the cul de sac. "Are you ready? We can always come back."

Dick sighed and shook his head. "I want ... no I need to do this now."

"Alright," Bruce said following Dick up the stairs onto the porch.

Taking a deep breath, Dick rang the doorbell and waited.

Moments later, the door opened by a young sandy haired man around Dick's age. He smiled at the two strangers on his porch. "Can I help you?"

"Um ... I'm Dick Grayson ... an old friend of ... Lori's. Is she here?"

"Yes. Uhm ... is she expecting you?"

"Uh ... not really. She uh ... spoke to my father," Dick said pointing behind him to Bruce, "Earlier today about ... her son and the treatment he needs."

"Oh ... uh ... yes. Mr. Wayne. C'mon in," he said opening the door for them. "I'm Dan Martin, Lori's husband. She's right in here. Lori?"

Dick and Bruce followed Dan inside the house. Dan leads them to the living room. Dick was looking around at the photographs on the wall. Photographs of his son. As he entered the living room, his heart leapt when he saw Lori sitting on the sofa holding her son. Holding HIS son. Dick felt Bruce's hand squeeze his shoulder.

Dan walked on inside. "Lori ... An old friend of yours is here."

Lori looked up from her child. Her mouth dropped open as she saw Dick standing in her living room. Her arms wrapped protectively around her child. "Dick?"

Bruce moved around Dick. "We just came to finalize some of the details for the treatment. I wanted to let you know that testing for a donor is underway."

"A donor?" Dan asked moving over quickly. "The doctors think they have a donor? Lori --"

"Dan I ... I'm sure Mr. Wayne has a lot of connections." She turned back to see Dick sitting beside her and Johnny on the sofa. She bit her bottom lip at the resemblance.

Dick looked at his son, stroking the boy's hair. Smiling he said, "Hi Johnny, I'm ... an old friend of your mom's."

"Hi," Johnny said shyly as he leaned into Lori.

"Hi. My name's Dick. How old are you?"

"Five!" Johnny said smiling and holding out one hand. "I gotta pony for my birfday!"

"You did? Wow! I like ponies," Dick said glancing at Lori. She was glaring at Dick. "Maybe you can show me the pony one day. I'd like that."

"Yeah-huh," Johnny replied nodding his little black haired head.

Dan sat on the other side of Lori taking Johnny on his lap. "What is it you need from us?"

Dick looked at them, the family unit they seemed to be with his son and then he looked at Bruce. Bruce broke the silence. "We just wanted to let you know that we'll do everything we can for Johnny so he gets well and then he can show us his pony."

Dan stroked the child's thick black hair. "Yeah." He sighed and hugged his boy. "He'd like to do that."

"Dan," Lori began, "why don't you take Johnny upstairs. It's time for his nap." She turned back toward Dick with a fake smile.

Dan nodded and stood with the five year old. "C'mon champ."

Dick stood and smiled, "Bye Johnny. I'll see ya later." He watched as the child waved and then hugged Dan as they disappeared around the corner heading up the stairs. The smile fell from Dick's face and he turned on Lori. "How could you?"

"How could I what?" she asked coolly.

"Keep MY child from me! NOT tell me! Why'd you do that to me?"

"Keep your voice down! You left and never looked behind. I didn't do anything to you but what the law allowed."

"Law allowed?" Dick asked confused as he turned to Bruce then back to Lori. "What're you talking about? I didn't know you were pregnant. You didn't tell me."

"How could I? You weren't exactly accessible to me. You were never around. I went to a lawyer to take care of my boy! You have no rights to him. The court terminated them."

"Court ... terminated ... I ... what?" Dick's head was spinning. "Look Lori, you broke up with me. You knew how to contact me when you needed me. You could've contacted me then. You just didn't want to! As for my rights to him, you can't take them away. NO one can! He's MY -- "

"Dick," Bruce interrupted calming Dick with the sound of his voice.

"I broke up with you because I had to. You could never have a good time. You were always too serious about everything ... except me. I got tired of playing second banana to whatever the hell you were doing."

"Dick's jaw flexed. "So you punished me by taking my son away from me?"

"He was never yours to take away. He was the only good thing to come from our relationship. Get over it Dick! You can't show up here and think that you being here changes a damn thing."

Dick moved closer to her until he was almost on top of her. He grabbed her by the arm. "NO! You get over it! I'm here, I'm in his life. He's as much mine as he is yours."

"No he isn't! Not legally or any other way. Now let go of me!"

Bruce was there in an instant, his hand on Dick's. Dick released Lori's arm. "I'll do what I have to save his life and then things ARE changing."

"What will you do *DICK*?" Lori asked as she walked over to the fireplace. "Show up and tell him that everything he's known is a lie? That the man he loves to be with isn't really his Dad? That he doesn't really belong with him. You have no rights and if you force it, I'll file for a restraining order."

Dick was balling and unballing his fist. "YOU put him in this position! NOT me. But I'm not going to argue with you Lori. Not now. But this is not over."

She looked at Dick, venom in her eyes. "Yes it is. I followed the law. I gave you notice. I told you through the newspaper. I only came to your father because Johnny needs a transplant --"

"Newspaper! What the hell? Dick bit his lip and took a breath. "I'm not discussing this with you. Not now. But this isn't over." He turned to Bruce. "We'd better go. The doctors will call with the test results as soon as they have them. If I'm a match, we'll set up whatever we need to."

"Fine." Lori glared at Dick, fire in her eyes. "Mess this up for me Dick and I will make you very sorry."

"I already am sorry Lori," Dick replied as he headed toward the door. With a slightly trembling hand, he turned the knob and moved through the door towards Bruce's car.

Bruce watched after him a moment and then turned to Lori Martin. With an icy voice, he warned, "You're out of your league. I've been patient for the sake of your son and mine ...but that time is rapidly passing. Compromise is a beautiful thing ... if you don't, you'll lose everything. Remember that." With that, he turned on his heel and moved toward the door.

Dam was coming back down the stairs and met Bruce in the front hall. "You're leaving Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce smiled. "Yes. We're done for the moment." He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a silver business card holder. Opening it, he handed a card to Dan. "If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to call ... for information or anything…anything at all for Johnny. I'll take care of it. We'll set up the doctors for you and anything else you need."

"Thank you," Dan said with a genuine smile. He walks Bruce to the door and waves after him. Then he turned to his wife. "You never told me you knew Bruce Wayne. So, that's the Dick Grayson you used to date. He seems nice."

Lori growled, "Appearance can be deceiving."

The first part of the ride back into the city was quiet. The only noise was the humming of the Bentley as Bruce maneuvered through traffic. His eyes keep glancing at his pensive son sitting beside him. Dick seemed to be watching the suburbs melt into the city as they drove. Bruce knew that his son's mind was still back in that small two story house. "Dick?" Dick turned to look at Bruce but didn't say anything. "We just have to be careful and be realistic here.

"Realistic?"

"Realistic as in ... Johnny has a father and a mother. Fitting you into that will destroy his world. We have to be careful. As much as I want to hurt her ... I won't hurt anyone else involved."

"So ... so ... what do I do? Just ignore the fact that I have a son? That she stole him from me?" Dick asked, anger and hurt in his voice.

"No ... we have to be careful."

"Bruce, I don't want to hurt Johnny. God that's the last thing I want to do. I just ... I ... I want to be what I am. I'm his father and he doesn't even know it. There's so much ... his family, his heritage, you ... Alfred ... so much I want --"

"I know."

"Can ... can the court take my rights away without telling me?"

"Yes ... technically she notified you via public notice. That's all it takes."

"You can do that?" Dick asked running his hand through his hair. "Just put something in a newspaper and say I knew?" His blue eyes burned with fire. "That's not right! That's not fair! I didn't know and she could've found me if she wanted to!"

"I know and we'll try and fight it but if she followed legal proceedings it's going to be public and nasty," Bruce reasoned.

Dick sighed, "With no guarantees I'll win."

"No. None at all. We have a better shot in pressuring her through her husband. I don't think he knows." Bruce smiled at Dick. "Let's talk to some of my highly priced lawyers and see what our options are. You may not be able to win back parental rights ... but let's see if there's a way to get other rights. That child is my first grandchild. She will not keep me from him. She didn't terminate my rights."

Dick smiled slightly and leaned back against the taupe leather seats. "I almost feel sorry for Lori." Dick's face scrunched up as a thought hit him. "I'm gonna have to tell Babs."

Bruce frowns. "I know. And for that, you're on your own."

"Geez, you're a big help," Dick chuckled.

"I'm a help, I'm not suicidal," Bruce replied with a half-smile.

Dick sighed. "She's not going to be happy about this is she?"

"No. But she will understand." Bruce pulled the Bentley up outside the clocktower. "You might as well get it over with."

Dick rolled his eyes as he looked at Bruce. "You're not supposed to throw your only son to the wolves."

"She will understand."

Dick got out of the car, gave Bruce the patented Grayson grin and waved. "I can't have you fight all my battles for me, I guess. Have fun with those high priced lawyers of yours."

"Call me if you need a ride home ... or to the hospital."

"Yeah yeah yeah."

Dick sighed as he stood outside Barbara Gordon's door. He had been standing there a good fifteen minutes. He stared at the key he held in his hand. the key she given him, symbolizing the trust she had in him. Dick couldn't use it. Not now. It wasn't his fault, his conscious mind told him, but he couldn't help feeling as if he had betrayed her.

Pocketing the key, he rang the doorbell. He heard the click. He knew she had automatically opened the door when the monitors saw it was him. Taking the knob in hand, Dick pushed open the door.

"Did you forget your key?" her voice called out from her monitor room.

"No," he said softly making his way to the hub of information central for the world's good guys.

"Then why'd you ring the bell?" she asked finishing a search string she had been running.

Dick shrugged. "I dunno. I just ... I," he sighed. "Babs, we need to talk." He visibly saw her body tense as she turned her chair to face him. Silently, she said nothing. Dick pulled out a computer chair and sat directly in front of her. "Do you remember an old girlfriend of mine, Lori Elton?"

Barbara looked confused. "From Hudson University? Yes."

"She came to see Bruce earlier today."

"Why?" Barbara asked coolly.

"She needed to contact me ... about ... our son." Dick watched Barbara's face. Her watched her try to mask her emotions. Watched as she tried to build up her wall. She couldn't hide it from him though. He saw the pain in her eyes, the hurt. yet, she said nothing. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he nudged. "Barbara?"

"What?"

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Barbara's green eyes never looked away from him. "Yes," she started. "Get out."

Dick looked down and sighed. "Babs, look --"

"Get. Out."

"No."

"GET OUT! Get out of my house Dick! NOW!" she screamed, red heated blush covered her face.

"No. I've got things that I need to say and you're going to listen, and then if you've got something to say, you're going to say it and I'm going to listen. That's how people in relationships communicate. I am not going to let you drive me away or crawl back into your shell. Not over this. We are going to discuss this like rational adults."

"Rational ... you want rational. Okay, here's rational for you. My boyfriend walks into my apartment and announces he has a love child with his old girlfriend and I haven't shot him yet so I think that's rational. Now get the hell out of my house!"

"Will you calm down," Dick yelled grabbing her hands before she could find something to hurl at him.

"LET GO OF ME!" she shrieked.

"I will when you calm down. I know you're upset, but it's not like we're married or engaged."

"I am calm. Computer ... Monk Apple Troy."

Dick whinced at her command waiting to be zapped by one of Barbara's security devices. After a minute of nothing happening, he cracked open one blue eye. "I didn't get shocked or electrocuted or anything?"

She looked at him with hard green eyes. "No. The computer's dialed 911 and made a report of an intruder. If I were you I'd get my non-married, non-engaged ass out of my house before the cops come. REAL cops." She started to turn back to her consoles. She didn't want him to see the tears that had welled in her eyes.

Grabbing her by her shoulders, Dick turned her back to face him. "I said I'm not going anywhere. You want to arrested, fine. You want to use another one of your devil devices on me, fine. But I am not leaving here until you've heard me out."

"Then say it and LEAVE!" Barbara yelled as tears fell down her cheek.

Dick let go of her hands and stood, his hands went deep into his jeans pockets. Pacing the room, he started. "Lori and I have a son. His name is Johnny and he's five." Dick turned back to face Barbara. "I didn't know. I never knew ... never knew until today."

"So says the world's second greatest detective," Barbara snorted.

"Dammit, you know I'm not lying. I wouldn't have abandoned my child. You know me well enough to know that. Everything that we have together, you know me."

And you won't now! So what does it matter? What does it matter what we had. You have a child and that will be your one and only priority. And why the hell did she tell you now? Now and ruin everything. What she wants a guy with money?"

"She's not like that --"

"Are we defending her now?"

"No, I'm not defending her. I'm just telling you," Dick stopped with an exasperated sigh. "Shit. Babs, my son may be dying. I may be his only hope."

"Dying," Barbara said with a soft voice. "What? I don't ... don't understand."

"He has a rare blood disease ... that's the only reason I know about him. Lori ... she didn't have any other choice. She ... she went to Bruce to find me and to pay for the treatment. It's expensive, if it works. They haven't been successful in finding a matching donor. She ... I may be a match. At least, that's what we're hoping. They're running the tests now at Wayne Memorial." Dick say back down, a single tear rolled down his cheek. "It's just not fair Babs."

She reached her hand out and stroked his hair. "I know, I know it's not."

His hand reached up and covered hers, moving it to his cheek. "It has nothing to do with you and me. It doesn't change anything with us. Nothing could change what we have."

"Dick, I ... I don't want anything to change it, but ... she's going to need you and she's going to use the child to draw you back in and draw you to her and --"

"Shh, shh. Babs no. That is not what Lori wants. It's the last thing she wants and even if it was, it wouldn't happen. I'm with you. I love you. Nothing and no one will change that. And Lori doesn't even want to. She's married. As far as she and her husband are concerned, he's Johnny's father. I ... I don't know if he's adopted him or what --"

"Adopted, but you didn't sign," Barbara stopped herself from continuing as she thought. "She had your parental rights terminated, didn't she?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah. Bruce is talking to his lawyers to see what we can do, but ... that's not the important thing right now, the important thing is Johnny getting well."

Barbara smiled as she leaned her head into his. "He will get well too. We'll all make sure of it. Together."

Dick looked at her monitors and laughed. "Well, while we're together will you tell the cops at the door not to arrest me."

"What?" Babs turned to the monitors and saw the officers getting ready to storm her door. "Oh I forgot about the 911 call. Let me tell them that my boyfriend came in and didn't turn the alarm off."

"Who me?" Dick asked pointing at himself.

"Yes you. You get to be inept or an intruder. Your choice."

"Inept."

"I thought so," she said as she started to roll past him. He took her hand in his and squeezed. His cell phone started ringing. "You better get that," she said moving into the living room to greet the members of the Gotham City Police Department who had answered the 911 call.

"This is Grayson," Dick said as he flipped his small phone and pressed it to his ear. "Bruce what ... I'm a match ... what do we do now?"