20. The Vanishing Shadows
A delayed bat flew through one of the cave's many small openings and landed in a dark corner just as the old man came down the stairs. His walk still had hint of its earlier strength, which had made him feared by his enemies in his younger days, but he now had to brace himself with his cane as he stopped at the foot of the stairs and cast a glance over at the young man, who was sitting by the big computer. The old man just stood there for a second and observed the young man, who meticulous read page after page on the screen, as a strange warm feeling began to grow inside the old man's heart. He had in his younger days believed that he couldn't care about someone without losing that person. Alfred's dead had been the last straw, which had closed his heart. He afterwards just stopped caring about anyone, but now as he stood there and saw this young man, who had taught him so much in the last couple of years, then he really wished that he had never had done that. Maybe he then could have saved this young man's father and…
"Are you trying to sneak up on me?"
The words broke the old man's line of thought, which made him take a surprised step back as he realized that it was the young man, who had turned around to face him. A worried expression immediately came on the young man's face and he quickly jumped up from his seat and hurried over to the old man.
"Bruce, are you okay?"
Quickly he sent the young man a reassuring nod and walked over to the computer. As so many times before his eyes quickly scanned the screen and he recognized his own writing.
"It is just your brother. He… I can see that you are reading the new cases"
Terry nodded and walked over to Bruce's side.
"The quicker that I can get back to work the better. The Justice League have really done a great job keeping an eye on Gotham for me, but I can't expect them to do my job forever."
For a second Bruce unconsciously placed a hand on Terry's shoulder, but he quickly pulled it away as he realized what he was doing.
"You have really matured in last couple of months… but right now you job is to drive yourself and your brother to school."
Terry hastily cast a glance down on his wristwatch and saw to his surprised how late it was. He quickly walked over to the stairs, but he stopped at the foot of them and looked back at the old man.
"I have never thanked you for taking Matt and me in. I really don't know what we should have done, if you hadn't done that."
Bruce sent him one of his scarce smiles.
"It seems that I have a soft spot for stray cats."
Terry laughed as he walked up the stairs to the mansion.
-o-
There was a very gloomy atmosphere in the car as they drove down the manor's driveway and it wasn't help by the rainy weather, which now had laid over Gotham for days. Terry took his eyes away from the road for a second and cast a quick glance over at the young boy, who was sitting in the seat next to him. Matt, who always had been such an outgoing boy, was now sitting quietly in his seat and stared out of the windscreen with empty eyes.
"Have you made all your homework?"
Matt made a small movement with his head, which Terry took as a yes, but otherwise he didn't move a muscle. Terry was just about to turn his attention back to the road, when he saw a tear fall down Matt's cheek. As a reflex Terry wiped the tear away with his hand and he was just about to pull his hand back, when grab Matt it.
"She is going to dead like dad…"
Matt's voice died as Terry quickly drove into the side of the road and stopped the car. He turned towards Matt and met his pleading eyes as he tried to put his own fear aside.
"She is… she is…"
He knew what Matt wanted him to say, but he couldn't get the words over his lips. Matt had grown a lot since their father had been killed, so maybe… A small hope rose in Terry, but only one look at Matt's face killed it. Matt wanted him to tell that everything was going to be all right. That even thought the world was going to change, then Matt's small world was going to stay like it was. It would have been the easy way. Just telling Matt what he wanted to hear, but the problem was that Terry couldn't get himself to do it. He couldn't lie anymore. He had to tell the truth. In that moment he realized that maybe their mother really was going to die. The doctor had said a couple of months, but he had never believed it – not before now.
Matt wiped the tear away from Terry's cheek. Maybe he just to be sure that it really had been there, but it woke Terry from his thoughts and as their eyes met, then there was no longer any need for words and they met in a hug. They sat there close together for a long time as the raindrops methodically felt down on the car, but they didn't hear them. It was first, when Terry's mobile phone began to ring, that they ended the hug and Terry quickly answered the phone. It was Bruce.
"Is there anything wrong with the car?"
Terry was first very confused, but then he realized that Bruce still was able to see them up from the manor.
"No, I just thought that I saw something in the scrubs, but it turned out to be nothing."
In the other end Bruce seemed to accept his excuse and ended the call as Terry quickly started the car and began to drive again. The atmosphere in the car was now completely changed, but Matt was still very quiet. They were almost at his school before he began to talk.
"I can't… I can't remember dad anymore."
"Didn't the photo album help?"
Matt shook his head lightly as he answered without looking at Terry.
"Not anymore. He is just a vanishing shadow and I don't want the same thing to happen to mom. I don't want to lose her as I have lost him."
Terry could hear on the tone of Matt's voice that he was very serious, so he drove in to the side and stopped the car again.
"Matt…"
He hesitated as he realized that he hadn't thought about their father for months. Not even Matt, their mother or his friends here in Gotham had he thought about very much as he had been on the boarding school. He had been too busy. Was that how it is growing up? Or had he just ran away from his problems and had hoped that he never had to look back? The only thing he actually knew was that this young boy really needed him now as well as in the future.
"…we… you can't never lose him and he will always be in your hearts. Maybe you can't remember how he looked like, but that is naturally. You lived with mom and was very young back then, but now…"
He couldn't get himself to say the words. Even to think the thoughts was too much for him, so he broke the eye contact with Matt and looked out through the windshield instead. Somehow the few words had been enough for the young boy and he opened the car door, but before stepping out he sent Terry a furtive glance.
"You almost looked liked dad, when you said that. I can remember…"
Matt stopped himself for a second and smiled as he realized what he was saying.
"He is still there! I can still remember him!"
The school bell rang, so Matt quickly said goodbye and ran over to the school, which he reached just as the gate was about to close.
Terry just sat there for a while as he tried to get control over his own thoughts. He was so far away in his thought, but he didn't realized that before one stray tear from his cheek ran landed on his hand and woke him up. Quickly he started the car and drove over to his own school as he cursed himself. He was going to be late – really late – and it wasn't the first time.
