Chapter Two: Family Affairs
Batman didn't even make a sound as he moved beside Nightwing, the look and form was enough to show that he wanted some type of explanation of what was happening.
Nightwing thought it best to tell it like it was, but he decided to pull the strings a little, to see how far he could get without going to far. With Bruce, it was always a risk, and Nightwing rubbed his hands together, thinking over the situation.
A grunt came from the black and shadowed figure besides the young man, and then a growl. "Tell me happened." It wasn't a question. it was an order.
"What happened." Nightwing repeated as he hung his head, scanning the area below. "Nothing, and you know what. nothing else is going to happen! How many times have we gone over this situation?"
Batman's head snapped up at the words. "What?!?" The tone was a callous whisper.
Nightwing found himself shirking, like he used to do as Robin.
"You should know that the commissioners life is at risk here, and as much as it happens, it shouldn't make a difference!" There was a pause.
"There is to much going on Bruce. to many people are crying wolf."
Batman hissed. "Go home."
Nightwing couldn't believe what was happening. "What?!? Go home?!" His voice strained the word home. "What the heck does that mean? Whose home Bruce? Yours? Go home. Ha! I am no longer Robin! So if you want to growl and strike someone, Tim is available."
There was a slight movement from the shadow. "You are being foolish."
"How so Bruce? How so? Is it because I won't abide to your rules? Is that it?" He took in a deep breath. "You forget who you are talking too. this is Nightwing.I have my own home, I don't live with you. I pay my own taxes. I shave now. did ja' know that Bruce? Did you?"
There was no answer to the question, and Nightwing didn't expect one.
"I'll go to my house Bruce." Then with that, he left, feeling the anger rising up. He needed to talk with someone about this.
*******************************
Tim worked what he would say to Dick in his head. He would calmly explain the situation how he saw it, and then ask what Dick thought. It couldn't go wrong. or he didn't think so. But as he lifted his hand to knock on the door before him, he knew that it was all going to become one big wreck. and it would backfire.
The door swung open with such force, that it scared the boy, and he jumped back. "WooW!" His head turned and studied the figure that glared down him. "Er, hey Dick. do you mind if I come in?"
Dick shrugged, and allowed room for the boy to enter, then slammed the door behind him. "Did Bruce send you here?"
"No. I came on my own. er, he doesn't know." There was a pause, and Tim sighed, releasing some stress. "I was thinking about you and Barbara. and well." His eyes rose up to look at Dick with some concern. "I mean, the way I see it. well. you both like each other. I mean it's more than like. its almost categorized under love."
" I don't like where this conversation is headed."
"I know." Tim licked his lips, and managed a small smile. "But you agree inwardly. I know you do."
Dick let out a mocking chuckle. "I agree? How would you know Tim? You are how old?"
"16..."
"16... well, that just gives me a huge amount of confidence."
"Please Dick, don't make this harder than it should be." Tim managed as he looked at the ground, shoving his hands deeper in his sagging pants.
Dick plopped down on the couch and looked at the younger boy who he had always listened to, who he had always talked to when stressed out. "Ok Tim, I bite.what do you want me to do?"
A small smile spread across the youths face. "Tell Babs how you feel!"
"Besides that."
Tim chuckled, and slammed down next to Dick on the couch. "Come on, I know the truth! I mean, you two are falling over each other like I fall for the Gothem Knights."
Dick sighed, and looked at his friend, studying him, and wondering how he missed the sudden growth spurt Tim had taken on. The kid was taller than he was! "There is a difference between baseball and girls Tim. you might not know that yet, but there is."
"Heh, I know. but I was trying to use some, er, personification in my literature."
"You are the stupidest kid I know." Dick grinned as he shook his head.
"Ever hear of foreshadowing?"
"Shut." Dick chuckled. "Up."
Tim just sat in a small daze, grinning. "You know, I remember that time at Christmas about two years back when Barbara got you that dictionary called: 'Richard Grayson's Dictionary.' and when you looked up any word, it said: 'You are right'."
Dick threw his head back in laughter. "Yeah! It's because I always tried to show her I was always right, and I was. almost all the time!"
Tim raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I hate to say this. and no pun intended but. I was right."
"Huh?"
"Ah-HA! Foreshadowing. I foreshadowed this!"
"Nooo, I don't feel for Babs in that kind of way!"
Tim leapt to his feet as the phone rang. "Urp, I'll get that!"
Dick watched, and wondered who was calling. No one ever called him. A light blush came over his face as he found himself hoping it was Barbara. He listened as Tim picked up the phone. "Who is it?" Dick demanded, managing to get to his feet and smooth a hand through his hair. "Tim?"
Tim didn't reply for a while, and when he did speak, it wasn't to Dick. "Er, yeah. I get you." His voice wavered, and Dick's curiosity got the better of him.
He wandered into the kitchen, as if looking for something to eat, but staring at Tim out of the corner of his eye.
"Ok. sorry, I didn't that it would matter. Hell, I get it." He paused, and shrunk down. "I understand." Then with that he hung up, looking up at Dick with wide eyes. "I need to go home."
"Let me guess, that was Bruce. did you sneak out or something?"
Tim drummed his fingers on the counter, deep in thought. "It never mattered before. Huuhhhh." He let out the final sigh then straightened up. "Of course he never caught me before. he was never home."
Dick's attention snapped at this. "Never home?"
"Yeah. I wonder what he is doing there now, oh well. I am sure I'll get a full-blown lecture over it. You mind driving me home?" Tim questioned, knowing very well that Dick would oblige to the request.
"Uh, sure thing." Dick snatched his keys and followed Tim out to the car, wondering how he got here in the first place, but not daring to ask. Knowing Tim, it was probably illegal.
***********
Dick pulled up to The Manor, casting Tim a glance. "You figure that it's something important?"
Tim shrugged callously, a smile across his face. "It could be. Dick, this is Bruce we are talking about.not Captain Planet. there isn't always trouble when he comes around."
Dick shook his head as Tim jolted out of the car. "Have you even seen that show? The Planeteers call him."
"All I know is that the show is old school, and I don't really care. I can get out of trouble with Bruce, Dick. I know how to do it, and what to say. You forget who I am."
"Tim, the trouble is I can't forget."
"I think I was slightly insulted with that comment. you coming in to watch the master at work?" Tim offered, his eyes slightly pleading.
"Er, Bruce might get all the more infuriated at you if he sees me lingering around in the background." Dick replied, trying to think of another excuse. "He and I don't really see eye to eye on all things."
Tim chuckled. "Ok, well. I had better head in and get to work, just remember what I said about Babs, all right?" Then with that Tim slammed the door shut and jogged up to the house, as if without a care.
That amazed Dick, Tim didn't even seem in the least bit afraid of his mentor. Dick grinned as he started up the car. 'That's probably because Bruce is yelling at him everyday for his grades.heh.'
END (To be continued)
Batman didn't even make a sound as he moved beside Nightwing, the look and form was enough to show that he wanted some type of explanation of what was happening.
Nightwing thought it best to tell it like it was, but he decided to pull the strings a little, to see how far he could get without going to far. With Bruce, it was always a risk, and Nightwing rubbed his hands together, thinking over the situation.
A grunt came from the black and shadowed figure besides the young man, and then a growl. "Tell me happened." It wasn't a question. it was an order.
"What happened." Nightwing repeated as he hung his head, scanning the area below. "Nothing, and you know what. nothing else is going to happen! How many times have we gone over this situation?"
Batman's head snapped up at the words. "What?!?" The tone was a callous whisper.
Nightwing found himself shirking, like he used to do as Robin.
"You should know that the commissioners life is at risk here, and as much as it happens, it shouldn't make a difference!" There was a pause.
"There is to much going on Bruce. to many people are crying wolf."
Batman hissed. "Go home."
Nightwing couldn't believe what was happening. "What?!? Go home?!" His voice strained the word home. "What the heck does that mean? Whose home Bruce? Yours? Go home. Ha! I am no longer Robin! So if you want to growl and strike someone, Tim is available."
There was a slight movement from the shadow. "You are being foolish."
"How so Bruce? How so? Is it because I won't abide to your rules? Is that it?" He took in a deep breath. "You forget who you are talking too. this is Nightwing.I have my own home, I don't live with you. I pay my own taxes. I shave now. did ja' know that Bruce? Did you?"
There was no answer to the question, and Nightwing didn't expect one.
"I'll go to my house Bruce." Then with that, he left, feeling the anger rising up. He needed to talk with someone about this.
*******************************
Tim worked what he would say to Dick in his head. He would calmly explain the situation how he saw it, and then ask what Dick thought. It couldn't go wrong. or he didn't think so. But as he lifted his hand to knock on the door before him, he knew that it was all going to become one big wreck. and it would backfire.
The door swung open with such force, that it scared the boy, and he jumped back. "WooW!" His head turned and studied the figure that glared down him. "Er, hey Dick. do you mind if I come in?"
Dick shrugged, and allowed room for the boy to enter, then slammed the door behind him. "Did Bruce send you here?"
"No. I came on my own. er, he doesn't know." There was a pause, and Tim sighed, releasing some stress. "I was thinking about you and Barbara. and well." His eyes rose up to look at Dick with some concern. "I mean, the way I see it. well. you both like each other. I mean it's more than like. its almost categorized under love."
" I don't like where this conversation is headed."
"I know." Tim licked his lips, and managed a small smile. "But you agree inwardly. I know you do."
Dick let out a mocking chuckle. "I agree? How would you know Tim? You are how old?"
"16..."
"16... well, that just gives me a huge amount of confidence."
"Please Dick, don't make this harder than it should be." Tim managed as he looked at the ground, shoving his hands deeper in his sagging pants.
Dick plopped down on the couch and looked at the younger boy who he had always listened to, who he had always talked to when stressed out. "Ok Tim, I bite.what do you want me to do?"
A small smile spread across the youths face. "Tell Babs how you feel!"
"Besides that."
Tim chuckled, and slammed down next to Dick on the couch. "Come on, I know the truth! I mean, you two are falling over each other like I fall for the Gothem Knights."
Dick sighed, and looked at his friend, studying him, and wondering how he missed the sudden growth spurt Tim had taken on. The kid was taller than he was! "There is a difference between baseball and girls Tim. you might not know that yet, but there is."
"Heh, I know. but I was trying to use some, er, personification in my literature."
"You are the stupidest kid I know." Dick grinned as he shook his head.
"Ever hear of foreshadowing?"
"Shut." Dick chuckled. "Up."
Tim just sat in a small daze, grinning. "You know, I remember that time at Christmas about two years back when Barbara got you that dictionary called: 'Richard Grayson's Dictionary.' and when you looked up any word, it said: 'You are right'."
Dick threw his head back in laughter. "Yeah! It's because I always tried to show her I was always right, and I was. almost all the time!"
Tim raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I hate to say this. and no pun intended but. I was right."
"Huh?"
"Ah-HA! Foreshadowing. I foreshadowed this!"
"Nooo, I don't feel for Babs in that kind of way!"
Tim leapt to his feet as the phone rang. "Urp, I'll get that!"
Dick watched, and wondered who was calling. No one ever called him. A light blush came over his face as he found himself hoping it was Barbara. He listened as Tim picked up the phone. "Who is it?" Dick demanded, managing to get to his feet and smooth a hand through his hair. "Tim?"
Tim didn't reply for a while, and when he did speak, it wasn't to Dick. "Er, yeah. I get you." His voice wavered, and Dick's curiosity got the better of him.
He wandered into the kitchen, as if looking for something to eat, but staring at Tim out of the corner of his eye.
"Ok. sorry, I didn't that it would matter. Hell, I get it." He paused, and shrunk down. "I understand." Then with that he hung up, looking up at Dick with wide eyes. "I need to go home."
"Let me guess, that was Bruce. did you sneak out or something?"
Tim drummed his fingers on the counter, deep in thought. "It never mattered before. Huuhhhh." He let out the final sigh then straightened up. "Of course he never caught me before. he was never home."
Dick's attention snapped at this. "Never home?"
"Yeah. I wonder what he is doing there now, oh well. I am sure I'll get a full-blown lecture over it. You mind driving me home?" Tim questioned, knowing very well that Dick would oblige to the request.
"Uh, sure thing." Dick snatched his keys and followed Tim out to the car, wondering how he got here in the first place, but not daring to ask. Knowing Tim, it was probably illegal.
***********
Dick pulled up to The Manor, casting Tim a glance. "You figure that it's something important?"
Tim shrugged callously, a smile across his face. "It could be. Dick, this is Bruce we are talking about.not Captain Planet. there isn't always trouble when he comes around."
Dick shook his head as Tim jolted out of the car. "Have you even seen that show? The Planeteers call him."
"All I know is that the show is old school, and I don't really care. I can get out of trouble with Bruce, Dick. I know how to do it, and what to say. You forget who I am."
"Tim, the trouble is I can't forget."
"I think I was slightly insulted with that comment. you coming in to watch the master at work?" Tim offered, his eyes slightly pleading.
"Er, Bruce might get all the more infuriated at you if he sees me lingering around in the background." Dick replied, trying to think of another excuse. "He and I don't really see eye to eye on all things."
Tim chuckled. "Ok, well. I had better head in and get to work, just remember what I said about Babs, all right?" Then with that Tim slammed the door shut and jogged up to the house, as if without a care.
That amazed Dick, Tim didn't even seem in the least bit afraid of his mentor. Dick grinned as he started up the car. 'That's probably because Bruce is yelling at him everyday for his grades.heh.'
END (To be continued)
