All of the characters and story lines and everything else I can think of are the property of DC comics and the WB network. The only bits that're mine are the words and the voice.
Chapter 5: Preparations
"I can handle it!" Barbara was angry.
"Nobody is saying you can't. This isn't about the chair—is that what you think? Forget the chair for a minute. The point is, we are a team, here. We all have a stake in this."
Barbara's face was still flushed. Her nostrils flared with annoyance. She started to speak. Dick cut her off.
"Look. You're on point—that's true. The bulk of the responsibility falls on you. But, Alfred and I are part of this team. I'm technically her brother. And Alfred has been raising members of the Wayne clan since…since…well, for a really long time. We want to be involved, that's all. We want to help out, to be a part of things."
Barbara was beginning to get hold of her temper. Her green eyes began to stop flashing. She took several breaths.
"Miss Barbara," Alfred spoke in that gentle, matter-of-fact way of his, "I raised Master Bruce after his parents were killed. I helped raise Master Richard. It would please me greatly to be able to be involved in the life of Master Bruce's daughter as well."
Dick hid a grin. Good old Alfred. Babs adored him—if he asked her to get the moon, she'd probably at least go looking for a ladder.
"It's been a bit lonely around the Wayne Manor these days, with Master Bruce gone. It might be nice to be around people," Alfred went on, "Of course, I shall certainly try not to be around underfoot too much. I should hate to be a bother to you, Miss Barbara."
Oh, the man was masterful! Dick felt he should be taking notes.
Barbara melted completely, "Alfred," she cried reproachfully, "You could never be a bother to me! Ever!"
"Then, you'll allow me to extend my responsibilities to include assisting in looking after Miss Helena?"
"Of course!" Barbara had apparently forgotten that she'd ever been against the idea of Alfred working in her household as a butler. How did Alfred manage that? Barbara and Dick would have been shouting at each other by now.
It must be an English thing.
"Okay, now that that's settled, what do we have left to do to prepare?" Dick inquired.
Barbara glanced at the checklist before her on the kitchen table. "Okay, I've gone through the background check, met with the social worker, had someone come here to check out my place..." She crossed off several more items on the list, reading them off to herself as she did so. "We're going to need to clean the guest room…I haven't done it in ages. There's a whole dust bunny warren living under the bed."
"I shall take care of that, Miss Barbara."
"And, we'll need sheets, pillows, school supplies, groceries…"
"Hey…" Dick had an idea that fell right in line with something he'd been working on. "Why don't you give her the room you've got your computer in? It's bigger. You could put a bed in there…fix it up nice…there's tons of closet space. That way, you'd still have a guest room."
"What would I do with the computer and all my office stuff?"
"Well…" Dick wasn't quite ready to share his ideas. "You could stow it in the guestroom for the time being. You use your laptop most of the time, anyway, don't you?"
"Hmmmmm…that would be a lot of work."
Dick glanced at Alfred. Alfred winked. Dick felt somewhat smug. Things were falling into place nicely.
"Alfred and I can handle it. Not to worry."
"Okay…while we have everything out of there, why don't we paint it. Think you can handle that, too?"
"Yes ma'am. Right away, ma'am!" Dick saluted.
"Good. You start moving things out of there while Alfred and I go pick out paint and bedding and all that. We want to be ready to go whenever they're willing to release her to us.
"Any word on that, yet?"
"Could be any time, now…if she comes before we get the room ready, we can stick her in the guestroom for a few days."
"Heck—you haven't seen me and Alfred in action. It'll be ready tomorrow. Go buy the paint—then I can paint while you and Alfred pick out the furniture and bedding and that."
"Tomorrow?" Barbara raised an eyebrow. "You'll never get all that done by tomorrow."
"Care to place a little wager on that?"
"You're on. Loser makes dinner every weekend for a month."
Alfred looked horrified. Dick laughed. "Don't worry, Alfred! You won't have to eat my cooking. I'll win easily."
"That is precisely what I fear, Master Richard."
"Hey!"
