Disclaimer: [checks] Nope. Still don't own it. DANG IT!
A/N: Okay, this isn't Benz's retribution quite yet—come on, they've got to have time to
plan! But in the mean time, some sappy stuff between Dick and Kory. Despite the way
Kory dislikes Barbara, they really are quite a cute couple, heh…
Don't worry, it won't be all sap. And I'm sorry if it's taking awhile to get these chapters
out. I've changed my mind about the direction I want this story to go, so I might take a
little longer than usual.
Chapter 12: It's Time
Kory returned from the soccer game without Kale, explaining that he had gone to
Joey's house for a weekend sleepover. Dick was rather relieved that he wouldn't have to
deal with his son's prejudices against Natalie and sighed.
"Just as well. Natalie's here."
Kory bristled. "Is she?"
Oh, if she started he would not be responsible for his actions. "You listen to me,
Kory. You've made wonderful strides the last few weeks in being nicer to Natalie. But if
you don't treat her well this weekend, I promise you will not like the results." He was
more savage than he had intended, and shuddered, pulling her close. "I'm
sorry…I…she's upstairs. She's just informed me of some things that happened to her a
few years ago. Things that hurt her, physically and emotionally."
A flash of maternal concern flashed across Kory's features and Dick almost
smiled. She did care about Natalie, but too often she let her grudge for Barbara dictate her
actions. "What kind of things? What happened?"
"She told me in confidence, and since I'm still on eggshells with her I'm not
going to betray her trust. It was very hard for her to tell me. Suffice it to say that I'm
coming out of retirement."
His wife's eyes were large. "Can I help?"
"I don't want you to see what I do to the boy that hurt her, love." He touched her
cheek gently. "I'll be assembling the others."
"Roy, Wally, Garth and Kyle, I assume?" Kory asked. "Do they know?"
"Not yet. I'll tell them what's necessary. They'll understand."
"What about Bruce?"
"I have yet to call him." He replied. Natalie knows he is technically her
grandfather, but she's seen little of him in the past few years. I may ask him to run a
search on the kid's recent activities, but right now, I'm not involving anyone who's not
necessary."
"Why not?"
He pulled away and rubbed his temples. "She doesn't know about us."
"You mean…Barbara hasn't told her?"
"We agreed not to tell her until she turns eighteen."
"But even Kale and Dominique know! Speaking of Dommy, where is she?"
"Upstairs with Natalie. Don't worry, she's smart. She won't say a word."
"That's not my point, Dick! She should know who her parents are, really!"
"Used to be, Kory. Used to be."
"You can't ignore it, Dick. Besides, she's already eighteen! She has been eighteen
for what, four months?"
A ghost of a smile graced his lips. "Kory, you remembered her birthday."
"Yes, well…" Kory smiled. "I may be alien, but I'm not a complete witch." She
sidled up to him and nuzzled him. "I know you love her. That's as it should be. And I'm
glad you're finally starting to act like her father, despite me."
"Kory…" Dick rasped out as her lips found his neck. "Kory!" He growled a
second time, "You don't know what that does to me…"
"I know exactly what it does." She purred. "Why do you think I do it?"
"Well, if you're going to torture a poor old man, there's nothing for it." He put his
arms around her waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Just as he was resigned to
carry his wife to the bedroom and make love to her for hours, they heard a giggle.
Pausing, he turned to see Dominique standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"And what may I do for you, Dominique?"
"Nothing!" She giggled again and turned to her left, addressing someone out of
sight. "It's okay, they're just kissing…Natalie? Are you okay?"
Kory frowned and walked forward. "Natalie? You can come on in. It's okay."
Keeping her eyes pinned to the floor, she stepped into view. Her hair was still
wet—Dick noted that she must have spent awhile in the bath, and he didn't blame her—
and she had a sweatshirt and baggy workout pants on. "Sorry. I can go upstairs…"
"No!" Kory said quickly. Biting her lip, she stepped forward and put her hands
very tentatively on Natalie's shoulders, wincing when she felt Natalie shiver. "Natalie,
you are always welcome to come and go as you please. And…I owe you an apology.
While I can't say that I like your mother much, your father is…right. I shouldn't let my
problems with her transfer to you." She took Natalie's chin and lifted her head to look
into her eyes. "You are my stepdaughter, and I'm ashamed that I've become the wicked
stepmother. I can't ask you to forgive me, but know that it won't happen again." She
turned to Dick with a small smile and he slipped his arm around her waist.
"Now, how long have you two been eavesdropping?"
"Not long, Daddy!" Dommy replied earnestly, holding up two fingers. "Promise!
We only came in and heard you sweet talking to Mom…" She gave him the classic
Grayson grin and he started to melt.
"All right. Go on and play. Kale is spending the night at Joey's, so it's just the
four of us this evening." Turning to Natalie, he added, "There's a hairdryer under the sink
in the bathroom if you want to use it."
She nodded thankfully and gave a motion with her head for Dommy to follow her.
"Come on, Dom. I brought something with me I wanted to show you. It's in my bag
upstairs."
When they had disappeared upstairs, Dick turned to his wife. "That was close."
"You need to tell her, Dick. Especially now that you plan on coming out of
retirement."
He nodded. "It's time."
Natalie's heart was pounding when they reached her room. It was true, Dommy
had come into the room just as Dick and Kory had begun their amorous exchange. But
she on the other hand had heard almost their entire conversation.
There was something her parents weren't telling her, something they intended to
tell her when she was old enough, which could be never. But Dominique and Kale
knew…why couldn't they tell her? What could be so important that they keep it from her
and tell her younger siblings?
"Dommy…"She started to ask, but thought better of it. She was a Grayson.
Dommy knew how to keep a still tongue in her head, even if it meant denying her sister.
Instead, she walked over to her portfolio and pulled out two charcoal pictures; one of her
siblings, and the picture of Dick she had started at Kyle's. "Look at these. What do you
think? I only had your school pics for this one." She indicated the portrait of Dominique
and Kale.
Dominique's eyes were wide. "Wow, Natalie! That's great! But—is that Dad?"
"Yeah…I did that one from memory, so it's not exactly accurate."
"Yes it is! These are amazing! Can you teach me to do that?"
She smiled. "Sure thing. I brought extra supplies. Let me just pull them out and
we'll start with the basics, okay?"
She quickly forgot her wet hair as she introduced her sister to the messy joys of
charcoal. They started small, with just shaded shapes like spheres and cones. Eventually
Dominique got tired of inanimate objects, so Natalie sat for her portrait, unable to laugh
as her sister's face grew furrowed in focus. It was all very serious.
"Natalie! Stop laughing! I can't draw you if you keep moving!"
"Sorry." Natalie murmured, pursing her lips and fighting the mad urge to laugh.
They worked for two hours, and by the time Kory came up to get them for supper, they
were absolutely covered in charcoal.
So much for the bath.
A/N: Okay, horridly short, horridly written, but I'm having a massive case of
Cerebrum to Paper Deficit Disorder, and I wanted to get SOMETHING out. Sorry!
A/N: Okay, this isn't Benz's retribution quite yet—come on, they've got to have time to
plan! But in the mean time, some sappy stuff between Dick and Kory. Despite the way
Kory dislikes Barbara, they really are quite a cute couple, heh…
Don't worry, it won't be all sap. And I'm sorry if it's taking awhile to get these chapters
out. I've changed my mind about the direction I want this story to go, so I might take a
little longer than usual.
Chapter 12: It's Time
Kory returned from the soccer game without Kale, explaining that he had gone to
Joey's house for a weekend sleepover. Dick was rather relieved that he wouldn't have to
deal with his son's prejudices against Natalie and sighed.
"Just as well. Natalie's here."
Kory bristled. "Is she?"
Oh, if she started he would not be responsible for his actions. "You listen to me,
Kory. You've made wonderful strides the last few weeks in being nicer to Natalie. But if
you don't treat her well this weekend, I promise you will not like the results." He was
more savage than he had intended, and shuddered, pulling her close. "I'm
sorry…I…she's upstairs. She's just informed me of some things that happened to her a
few years ago. Things that hurt her, physically and emotionally."
A flash of maternal concern flashed across Kory's features and Dick almost
smiled. She did care about Natalie, but too often she let her grudge for Barbara dictate her
actions. "What kind of things? What happened?"
"She told me in confidence, and since I'm still on eggshells with her I'm not
going to betray her trust. It was very hard for her to tell me. Suffice it to say that I'm
coming out of retirement."
His wife's eyes were large. "Can I help?"
"I don't want you to see what I do to the boy that hurt her, love." He touched her
cheek gently. "I'll be assembling the others."
"Roy, Wally, Garth and Kyle, I assume?" Kory asked. "Do they know?"
"Not yet. I'll tell them what's necessary. They'll understand."
"What about Bruce?"
"I have yet to call him." He replied. Natalie knows he is technically her
grandfather, but she's seen little of him in the past few years. I may ask him to run a
search on the kid's recent activities, but right now, I'm not involving anyone who's not
necessary."
"Why not?"
He pulled away and rubbed his temples. "She doesn't know about us."
"You mean…Barbara hasn't told her?"
"We agreed not to tell her until she turns eighteen."
"But even Kale and Dominique know! Speaking of Dommy, where is she?"
"Upstairs with Natalie. Don't worry, she's smart. She won't say a word."
"That's not my point, Dick! She should know who her parents are, really!"
"Used to be, Kory. Used to be."
"You can't ignore it, Dick. Besides, she's already eighteen! She has been eighteen
for what, four months?"
A ghost of a smile graced his lips. "Kory, you remembered her birthday."
"Yes, well…" Kory smiled. "I may be alien, but I'm not a complete witch." She
sidled up to him and nuzzled him. "I know you love her. That's as it should be. And I'm
glad you're finally starting to act like her father, despite me."
"Kory…" Dick rasped out as her lips found his neck. "Kory!" He growled a
second time, "You don't know what that does to me…"
"I know exactly what it does." She purred. "Why do you think I do it?"
"Well, if you're going to torture a poor old man, there's nothing for it." He put his
arms around her waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Just as he was resigned to
carry his wife to the bedroom and make love to her for hours, they heard a giggle.
Pausing, he turned to see Dominique standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"And what may I do for you, Dominique?"
"Nothing!" She giggled again and turned to her left, addressing someone out of
sight. "It's okay, they're just kissing…Natalie? Are you okay?"
Kory frowned and walked forward. "Natalie? You can come on in. It's okay."
Keeping her eyes pinned to the floor, she stepped into view. Her hair was still
wet—Dick noted that she must have spent awhile in the bath, and he didn't blame her—
and she had a sweatshirt and baggy workout pants on. "Sorry. I can go upstairs…"
"No!" Kory said quickly. Biting her lip, she stepped forward and put her hands
very tentatively on Natalie's shoulders, wincing when she felt Natalie shiver. "Natalie,
you are always welcome to come and go as you please. And…I owe you an apology.
While I can't say that I like your mother much, your father is…right. I shouldn't let my
problems with her transfer to you." She took Natalie's chin and lifted her head to look
into her eyes. "You are my stepdaughter, and I'm ashamed that I've become the wicked
stepmother. I can't ask you to forgive me, but know that it won't happen again." She
turned to Dick with a small smile and he slipped his arm around her waist.
"Now, how long have you two been eavesdropping?"
"Not long, Daddy!" Dommy replied earnestly, holding up two fingers. "Promise!
We only came in and heard you sweet talking to Mom…" She gave him the classic
Grayson grin and he started to melt.
"All right. Go on and play. Kale is spending the night at Joey's, so it's just the
four of us this evening." Turning to Natalie, he added, "There's a hairdryer under the sink
in the bathroom if you want to use it."
She nodded thankfully and gave a motion with her head for Dommy to follow her.
"Come on, Dom. I brought something with me I wanted to show you. It's in my bag
upstairs."
When they had disappeared upstairs, Dick turned to his wife. "That was close."
"You need to tell her, Dick. Especially now that you plan on coming out of
retirement."
He nodded. "It's time."
Natalie's heart was pounding when they reached her room. It was true, Dommy
had come into the room just as Dick and Kory had begun their amorous exchange. But
she on the other hand had heard almost their entire conversation.
There was something her parents weren't telling her, something they intended to
tell her when she was old enough, which could be never. But Dominique and Kale
knew…why couldn't they tell her? What could be so important that they keep it from her
and tell her younger siblings?
"Dommy…"She started to ask, but thought better of it. She was a Grayson.
Dommy knew how to keep a still tongue in her head, even if it meant denying her sister.
Instead, she walked over to her portfolio and pulled out two charcoal pictures; one of her
siblings, and the picture of Dick she had started at Kyle's. "Look at these. What do you
think? I only had your school pics for this one." She indicated the portrait of Dominique
and Kale.
Dominique's eyes were wide. "Wow, Natalie! That's great! But—is that Dad?"
"Yeah…I did that one from memory, so it's not exactly accurate."
"Yes it is! These are amazing! Can you teach me to do that?"
She smiled. "Sure thing. I brought extra supplies. Let me just pull them out and
we'll start with the basics, okay?"
She quickly forgot her wet hair as she introduced her sister to the messy joys of
charcoal. They started small, with just shaded shapes like spheres and cones. Eventually
Dominique got tired of inanimate objects, so Natalie sat for her portrait, unable to laugh
as her sister's face grew furrowed in focus. It was all very serious.
"Natalie! Stop laughing! I can't draw you if you keep moving!"
"Sorry." Natalie murmured, pursing her lips and fighting the mad urge to laugh.
They worked for two hours, and by the time Kory came up to get them for supper, they
were absolutely covered in charcoal.
So much for the bath.
A/N: Okay, horridly short, horridly written, but I'm having a massive case of
Cerebrum to Paper Deficit Disorder, and I wanted to get SOMETHING out. Sorry!