Title: My Richard. Part Eleven
Author: Simon
Characters: Dick/OC
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Letter from Laura
Warnings: None
Disclaimers: These guys aren't mine, they don't belong to me, worst luck, so don't bother me.
Feedback: Hell, yes.
Thanks again, Jim.
My Richard
Part Eleven Four years agoMy Richard,
Well, that wasn't what I thought was going to happen, y'know? I wasn't trying to really hurt anyone, I just wanted to let you know that you were making a big mistake and I think you even knew that because right after that stupid wedding you broke up with that disgusting freak girl.
I read the papers, you know, I'm not stupid.
Anyway, I was just trying to stop you from doing something dumb which I knew you'd regret and no one would listen to me. I wrote you and I tried to call you—I even tried to call Bruce at his office, but his bitch of a secretary wouldn't put me through even after I told her that I was going to marry you and that I really knew Bruce and that I'd been over to the Manor like a thousand times.
I hate her and I wish you'd tell Bruce that he should fire her ass. She's really bad for his image because she's so mean and I know that isn't how he wants people to think about him.
He tries to come off all serious and stuff, but he's really pretty nice.
Why am I telling you this? You KNOW that, right?
I even wrote that girl a couple of months before you even announced that you were getting married, when you were still duking it out with that stupid Nightwing guy for her and wasn't that just embarrassing? I mean, God—what if she was even dumber than she already is and decided, for some stupid reason, that she wanted him instead of you? Like anyone could decide that. I'm not sure how I would have felt about that. I mean, you would have been upset and I don't want that, but I sure didn't want you to end up with her—you see what I mean?
I guess that's what they call 'conflicted', right?
Anyway.
The trial. God, that was awful and I'm glad that you were allowed to give your testimony mostly all on one day so that you didn't have to sit through the whole thing.
I was pretty upset when you told everybody in the courtroom and that judge you don't have a relationship with me and that you hadn't willingly seen me since we were fifteen years old and then you said that I'd been stalking you for like years.
Where did you get THAT idea? God, all I ever did was write you a few letters and send you some presents I thought that you might like. Was that such a big deal? I was just being nice to you.
God, it was so embarrassing. They were talking like I'm crazy, the stupid jerks, when all I'm guilty of was falling in love with the most incredible person in the whole world.
You know that, don't you? It's not like I haven't told you only about a million times, right?
Well, it's still true—I love you, I love you, I love you!!!!!
I really hated all the reporters who were there, too. Just because you're sort of related to Bruce there were all these stupid people wanting to know everything there is to know about you and me and Bruce and my family—I just hated that and I know you did, too.
That's one reason I know we're so perfect together. We both even hate the same things!
I was telling my roommate just the other day about you—how handsome you are, how smart and how amazingly nice you can be. I even told her that you were raised in a circus and she thinks that may be the reason you can get along with people so well—you had to when you were little because you were always traveling around and stuff.
I guess that makes sense, but I think you'd still be the nicest person in the whole world even if you'd spent all your life in Wayne Manor with all that stuffiness in the place.
You know what I think?
I think that even though you needed a place to stay when your parents died (I can say that, can't I? I mean, it happened a long time ago, but I don't want you to feel bad because I reminded you about that. It's okay isn't it?)—Anyway, I think that even though you needed a place to live I think Bruce needed you just as bad as you needed him and I think that even Alfred would agree.
In fact, now that I think about it, I think that maybe Alfred needed you, too.
I mean, think about it.
You have this big, spooky old place with just two men living there. It's almost like a Gothic novel or something—and then this little kid shows up and he needs someone to love him and take care of him and he's really upset because he's this orphan (I'm sorry—can I say that?).
It's like you probably made them get their heads out of their own butts and think about someone other than themselves for once.
Is that what happened?
I bet it is.
I bet that you were the one who made them air that old museum out and let in some sunlight and fresh air.
I bet that when you showed up the place finally started feeling like it was a home instead of a mausoleum.
And the fact that you're this incredibly amazingly beautiful and astounding sexy Gypsy didn't hurt, either, if you know what I mean! No, no, no—I don't mean THAT! I know you and Bruce didn't ever—you know. But you are incredibly sexy, you know!
You want to know what I never really understood, though?
I mean, you have this grandfather over in Europe who you really love and I guess he really loves you—how could he not? This is YOU we're talking about here!
Anyway, you have this actual relative you could have gone with and the courts or whoever decides these things gave you to this total stranger instead. What was that about?
I think I figured it out finally. I do. Tell me if I'm right, okay?
I think that you probably wanted to go with your grandfather but the courts wouldn't let this orphaned, traumatized kid fly over to Europe alone to some old relative you probably hadn't seen in God knew how long when there was this really powerful rich guy who was greasing wheels and palms to get what he wanted. Besides, your grandfather, remember you told me that he lives in some stupid place like Romania or Hungary or Yugoslavia or something? I mean, do you even speak Romanian? Who would want to send a kid to some crappy little village in like Transylvania when he could have this plush home with one of the richest men in the whole world, y'know?
Talk about your no-brainer.
Okay, so you ended up with Bruce and that was really good until the rumors started, right? Come ON, Richard. EVERYONE had heard them, right?
Single rich guy, cute little boy all alone in that big house? Yeah, uh-huh. Two plus two equals four, right?
Well, I never believed what they said. I know you know that, I just want to tell you.
I know you like girls and I know that you like me. I know you love me, in fact.
You know, I was thinking that when they let me out of here maybe we should go away for a while. Wouldn't that be nice? We could relax and maybe reconnect a little.
I was thinking maybe the Caribbean or maybe Hawaii or even the Mediterranean would be nice, but anyplace you want to go is fine with me. You know that.
Just so long as those creepy friends of yours don't come. I mean. Slut Donna can stay home, thanks and that creepy guy with the purple eyes who hardly ever talks—where do you find these people? I know that they're your friends and all, but God—they're just so creepy, if you ask me.
You want to know a crazy thought I had the other day?
You'll laugh a lot when I tell you this.
I was reading that special issue of People Magazine the other day, you know, the one that was all about the super heroes and their love lives and all? You must have seen it around.
Anyway, most of it was pretty dumb, but I was looking at some pictures of that new guy, the one named Nightwing? The one who wears that black outfit with the dark blue on it? Pretty depressing, if you ask me. He's the one who's mostly down in Bludhaven (though why ANYone would want to go there, I'll never know) and sometimes he's around up in Gotham and even New York.
Oh, God—of course you know about him because of that whole wedding thing. I know, duh—brain fart for me.
Well, anyway, you're going to say I'm crazy, but I think that you kind of look like him. I mean, you're a lot more handsome and he wears that stupid mask and all, but you do look a little like he does. I mean, if you look at the shape of his face and his build and all, you're pretty much the same type.
I just stared and stared at the pictures and then something else caught my eye. You know how I said that the special issue was about their love lives and stuff like that?
Well it turns out that this guy was dating that freaky girl you were going to pretend to get married to before I stopped you from making that big mistake. I mean, he was supposedly dating her for a while before you hooked up with her and went through that weird period you were going through—WHAT were you thinking?
Pretty weird, isn't it? Both of you dating the same girl and both of you not minding that she's this weird freak? How lame is that? I mean, I'm sorry and I would never hurt your feelings, but that was like pretty dumb.
Well, maybe freak girl likes a certain type—like who wouldn't like you, right? But still, y'know?
Oh and they said that he's this really, really good athlete who can do all this martial arts and I started thinking about you and your gymnastics. That's pretty close, isn't it? I mean, it's sort of the same kind of moves and you have to be really strong to do that stuff, don't you?
You're like the strongest guy I think I know.
And that's another thing.
There was this section in the magazine about the Titans. You know them, right? They keep changing their members so it's kind of hard to keep track of who's who there, but some of the members even look a little like those friends of yours who we went swimming with that day at the Manor.
I know that sounds stupid, but they said that there's one member who's even got purple eyes, just like your shy friend and there's this girl who keeps changing her name who's this stacked brunette.
Pretty small world, huh?
I just thought that you'd get a kick out of that. I wonder if anyone else has noticed that, too? I mean I wonder if anyone else has noticed how alike you two guys are?
I mean, there's this rumor that Nightwing looks and acts a lot like Robin used to. You know Robin—as in Batman and...? Well, everybody knows that Batman isn't real and so I guess that means that Robin isn't, either, but IF he was I mean.
Look, Batman is supposed to be in Gotham and you used to live there, right? And Robin was in the Teen Titans a while ago. Now this Nightwing guy is a member and he lives—or works or something—in Bludhaven and so do you, even though you're wasting your time now working in some crummy bar. He used to date that Kory girl and you almost married her before I made you understand that would be a big mistake.
He's a kind of acrobat or a gymnast and so are you.
I don't know. It just seems pretty interesting, if you ask me. I haven't said anything to anyone about this silly idea of mine—I mean, why would I do that, you know? Besides, who would believe anything as dumbass as that?
And it's not like you're some kind of hero or anything, well, except to me, of course.
I guess people would be pretty weirded out if they thought that about you, wouldn't they? I know you'd hate to have something like that known--I mean if it was true.
Which I know it isn't.
I guess I'm just being stupid.
So, I was wondering what you've been up to besides that stupid bartending thing you're doing? I bet kazillionaire Bruce just about had a fit when he found out that his son was serving beer to drunks.
But that's okay with me. If that's what makes you happy, then that's what you should do as far as I'm concerned. I just want what you want, you know that. And it must leave you with a lot of free time for your hobbies and stuff, doesn't it?
I was thinking about something else, too. Since we're both like twenty-two now, don't you think that's the perfect age to get married?
I do. (I do, I do, I do!!!!)
If we get married this year, we could go on our honeymoon someplace wonderful and maybe I could be pregnant before Christmas, wouldn't that be perfect? I don't think you'd want a big wedding like that stupid thing before with you and the freak, but if that's what you have your heart set on, you know I just want whatever you do. Do you think Vera Wang would be right for me? I know her custom things are kind of expensive, but this will be in all the magazines and I want to make you proud of me, Richard. I want to look beautiful for you, even though no one could ever look as good as you do.
I've heard that some people sell the rights to their wedding to some magazine or something as an exclusive so they can control the press—do you think that would be a good idea? We could give the money to some charity if you want. I just don't want to see the most perfect day of our lives ruined by someone like that horrible woman Lois Lane or that unctuous Jimmy Olsen.
I've been doing really a lot of thinking about our wedding and when I see you we can go over everything. We'll make it just the way you want it to be, I promise. I just want everything to be perfect because this is the most important day in either of our lives.
I can hardly wait!
I haven't told anyone about any of this because I'm afraid that the story will get out that we're still in love and then it will be all over the stupid tabloids and I know how much you'd hate that to happen.
But I've been saving the best news for last!
They said that they were going to release me in four days because I've made so much progress and I can hardly wait! I asked them not to tell my parents or my brother or anyone. It's a big secret. The doctor—he's so stupid—he smiled and said he understood, because it was such a high profile case there would be reporters if they let anything leak, so they'd keep it a big secret just like I asked them.
Anyway, I was hoping that you could maybe be here to pick me up and I could just walk through the door and you'd see me and we'd hug and you'd kiss me and you'd say all of those things you've been saving up as long as I have. God, I can't wait, my Richard.
Oh—my parents don't know about this. I write them all the time but I know that we'll want to have some time together, just the two of us, so we can get reacquainted. Maybe we could rent some cute little cabin somewhere for that? I was thinking that there are lots of those really sweet little B&B's you can got to for a week or two and they're all filled with quilts and antiques and they have these wonderful big breakfasts that I bet they'd serve us in bed.
Wouldn't that be perfect?
Tuesday at nine in the morning, that's when I'm being released. I'm mailing this to you in plenty of time and I'm counting the minutes, just like you are.
I love you!
Your Laura.
The letter was sent via overnight mail to Wayne Manor, arriving the next day to be added to the box of mail the post office was holding until the Wayne place reopened in two weeks when Mr. Wayne returned from London with his butler.
Dick Grayson hadn't joined his former guardian—now his adopted father—in England. He was living temporarily in the dorm of the Police Academy, having almost finished the training course that would lead to his appointment as an officer in the Bludhaven Police Department in one week.
TBC
14
