Selina was combing her hair in front of the mirror, gathering it into a bun. She was wearing a purple sundress with wide straps.
Dick had told her that Bruce was having a family barbecue and asked if she would like to attend. She happily agreed.
So there she was, getting ready for this occasion.
She had just finished fixing her hair when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in!" she called aloud.
Dick entered and she found herself amazed at his beauty. Sure, he would probably look good to her even dressed as a caveman, but details.
Regardless, he was wearing jeans and a brand new blue button-down blouse, matching his beautiful blue eyes that put the ocean and sky to shame.
The girl noticed that her boyfriend had his mouth open and was looking at her with wide eyes.
"How do I look?" she asked him with a smirk, pulling back a lock of hair.
Richard shook his head to clear his head and smiled sweetly at her. Her heart missed a beat at that wonderful smile.
"First, I want you to know that you look amazing every day." she smiled. "But now you are more than beautiful, Selina. Looking at you is like listening to angels sing."
Selina blushed heavily and her heart sped up so fast that she would not be surprised if her boyfriend heard it. That sentence was so sweet! Her heart must surely have filled with warmth because of the love he felt for her!
She rested her hands on his muscular chest, looked up and kissed him slowly, communicating all the love she felt for him.
They broke away after a few minutes to catch their breath.
"Are you ready love?" he asked her with a smile that she immediately returned.
She nodded. "Let me get the potato salad for the barbecue and we can go."
Five minutes later they were in the garage.
"Car or motorcycle?"
Selina thought about it. "The motorcycle has a glove box, right?" Dick nodded. "Motorcycle it is then!"
A smirk made its way onto Richard's face. "If you wanted to hold on to me, all you had to do was say so clearly, not all this round of big words!"
She laughed. "And can you blame me? Look at this muscle!" she said as she ran her fingers over his chest to prove it, causing him to shiver. "Meow." she whispered mischievously.
Her every touch drove Dick crazy. And how he loved it!
"As much as I'd like to keep flirting and maybe take it to the next step," Dick began in a low, sensual voice that drove her crazy every time. "we have to go." he finished.
She sighed exaggeratedly but nodded.
Dick handed her his extra helmet and placed the potato salad in the glove compartment above the more-than-sure case that contained an extra Nightwing suit. Selina held on to his waist (and the main reason was not because she did not want to fall) as they sped through the streets of first Bludhaven then Gotham toward Wayne Manor.
When they arrived in front of the Gothic-style gate, Richard pressed a button on the side of the bike and it opened.
The lawn of the huge manor was greener and more lush than any she had ever seen. A fountain bubbled in the rounded driveway in front of the marble steps. Bruce's eldest son dismounted and helped his girlfriend do the same. He put down the two helmets and picked up the potato salad and handed it to her.
"Come on, let's go." he said as he led the way. The 21 year old intertwined her fingers with his, enjoying his physical contact.
They both loved each other's physical contact; even the slightest caress was special.
It took them about two minutes to reach the back of the house, where a huge concrete patio extended in a semicircle from the back of the house. A white marble railing surrounded it, and rounded steps descended from the center onto the lawn.
The party had been held on the patio. The couple could smell the delicious smell of food cooking on the barbecue. A large table was set with a checkered tablecloth and gleaming cutlery (thank you Alfred). A refrigerator with various drinks was set up near the table. The 19 year old accompanied her toward the grill where everyone was talking.
The first people they saw were Bruce and Cassandra, who noticed them first. "Dick! Selina!" she greeted them with a huge smile.
"Ehy Cass! Bruce!" Dick greeted them.
"Good to see you again Selina." said Bruce with a gentle smile as the two siblings talked, with Dick holding a hand on his girlfriend's hip.
"You too, Bruce." the young woman returned the greeting.
Alfred came toward them. "Miss Selina, it's good to see you again."
Selina smiled warmly. "The feeling is mutual Alfred."
"I notice you have brought food. I'll put it with the rest." the British butler took the potato salad and headed for the table.
"Come on Selina, I need to introduce you to two people." Dick affirmed and led her toward two young women she had not seen before but knew them through her fiancé who mentioned them a few times.
The first could not have been more than fifteen years old. She had long blond hair and brown eyes. She was openly gesturing as she spoke and Selina could already tell she was a feisty, vivacious girl. She recognized her as Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler.
The second was in her mid-20s to early 30s. She was taller than Stephanie, had long fiery red hair and green eyes. She was listening carefully to what the other girl was saying and occasionally added something. She must have been Katherine Kane, Bruce's cousin and known in the hero world as Batwoman.
Selina wondered if they knew that she was actually Catwoman. Dick, who understood the question his girlfriend was asking, nodded.
"Steph! Kate!" Dick called to her. The two girls turned and returned the greeting. "Selina, this is Stephanie, and although she was not adopted by Bruce since she lives with her mother, she is like a little sister." he pointed to the girl in question. "And this is Katherine, Kate for short. She's kind of like a cousin or aunt to us." he declared as he pointed to the redhead. "Girls, this is Selina, my fiancée."
Kate was the first to introduce herself and extended her hand to shake it, and Selina returned the gesture. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the girl who made Dickie lose his mind." she affirmed with a warm smile.
A smirk appeared on Selina's face. "Dickie, huh?" she teased him and giggled when she saw him blush slightly.
"Kate!"
"What?" she replied innocently as she gently pinched his cheek.
As "Dickie" became indignant and Kate good-naturedly poked him, it was Stephanie's turn to introduce herself. "It's nice to meet you, Selina."
"You too, Stephanie."
"You can call me Steph." she said with a smile that she returned. "You know, in case you still have insecurities, neither Kate nor I judge you for your previous activities."
"That's true, she is right." Katherine intervened once she had finished teasing Dick.
A genuine smile made its way onto Selina's face. "Thank you girls. I'm really glad to hear that."
Steph smiled back as did Kate. Dick wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist as the redhead turned to the boy. "I must inform you that Commissioner Gordon is also present at the barbecue." she warned him.
Dick was about to nod when suddenly he froze and his eyes went wide. "Is there also...?" Stephanie nodded and Richard silently cursed.
Selina arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Who is also there?"
The two women took this as a sign to give them some privacy to talk. Dick opened his mouth to speak when a voice preceded him. "Dick! Good to see you again my boy!"
The couple turned to see a burly man of medium height. He was probably in his 50s and maybe more. He had white hair, brown eyes and a white mustache. He wore a pair of glasses that fell over his nose. Selina immediately recognized him as Commissioner James Gordon.
Dick smiled, although Selina noticed that it was slightly faltering but she doubted that it was for the man in front of them. "Commissioner. Long time no see."
Gordon good-naturedly rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you to just call me Jim? I've practically watched you grow up all these years."
This time Dick's smile was more composed and sincere. "The same times I tried to get Alfred to call me just Dick instead of Master Richard. I settled for Master Dick."
Selina giggled and the commissioner's attention shifted to her. "And who would you be, lovely young lady?"
She smiled. "Selina Kyle and I am Dick's fiancée. He has told me wonderful things about you, commissioner. Also, as a native of Gotham, I admire you very much for the things you have done for this city."
Gordon smiled at her, although the 21 year old noticed that there was a tinge of sadness as soon as she said she was Dick's fiancée. She wondered curiously why. "It's nice to hear that. When I'm off duty, you can call me Jim."
She nodded. "All right, Jim."
The commissioner turned to Dick. "See, my boy? What do I have to do to convince you to call me Jim?"
Dick chuckled and shrugged with a smile.
"Ehy dad, what's going on?" came from behind the commissioner a female voice. Selina noticed out of the corner of her eye Dick stiffen slightly.
Selina saw to whom the voice belonged. It was a young girl, in her early twenties, in a wheelchair. She had short red hair and blue eyes. She, like her father, also wore glasses.
And that's when Selina completed the puzzle.
The girl was Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham's police commissioner.
Formerly known in the hero world as Batgirl and later as Oracle.
She was also Dick's first flame.
Her boyfriend had told her that before they got together, they were very good friends but had a bad breakup (on her part) and since then the two had not spoken to each other except for professional reasons.
The commissioner turned and smiled warmly at his daughter. "No big deal. Just making new acquaintances."
Barbara rotated her own wheelchair until she stood beside her father. She noticed Selina holding hands with Richard and a frown materialized on her face.
She probably knew she was Catwoman.
Well, too bad.
Note the sarcasm.
"Selina, this is Barbara, the commissioner's daughter. Barbara, this is Selina, my fiancée."
Selina appreciated how Dick introduced her to Barbara evenly, professionally; without making things awkward. On the other hand, however, she noticed how the redhead's frown deepened as soon as he uttered the word "girlfriend."
Well, apparently Selina will have to show her who Richard John Grayson-Wayne really belongs to.
Selina feigned a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She could tell that Barbara returned a fake smile. "Same here."
Dick wandered the garden with his eyes until he caught a glimpse of his siblings. He mentally thanked them and gave his girlfriend's hand a squeeze, causing her to look up at him. "We still haven't seen my brothers. Let's go greet them."
She nodded and they greeted father and daughter.
As they headed toward his brothers, Dick spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't know she was coming too. I didn't even know the commissioner was coming."
She kissed him softly on the cheek. "Don't worry, pretty kitten. It's not your fault. Besides, this way I'll show her where you belong."
He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling with pure love. "I am yours and yours alone."
She smiled back at him with the same intensity of love present in her beautiful emerald green eyes. "Just as I am yours."
They walked in silence until they reached Dick's brothers. Tim was the first to notice them and waved a hand in greeting. The others turned and saw them.
"Ehy little brothers!" Cass coughed. "And little sister!"
"I'm not your little brother." Jason vehemently objected as they approached the pair.
"I demand that you stop comparing me to a child, Grayson. That's ridiculous." agreed Damian, crossing his arms.
Tim arched an eyebrow toward the younger man. "Maybe it's because you're a child."
Damian squinted his eyes menacingly. "I'm not a child, Drake!" he growled.
"Tim is right, in a way. Sure, you're not a normal child, but technically you still are." Cass pointed out to him.
"Cain, you're losing the slightest respect I have for you." he warned her.
Jason sneered. "I didn't know the little demon felt respect for someone other than the golden boy."
"Maybe because Cassandra can easily kick his ass." speculated Tim.
As they continued to argue, Selina turned to Dick with an incredulous and amused expression. "Are they really fighting about you calling them little brothers?" he nodded, not looking surprised. "Wow, I didn't know you were fighting about everything."
Dick shrugged. "It is probably a Wayne family trait."
Jason advanced toward them, ignoring the others who continued to argue. "Selina, it's a sight for sore eyes to see you again." he flirted.
Before Dick scolded him (no one can flirt with his girlfriend, not even his brothers), Tim caught up with him and hit the back of his head hard. "Don't flirt with Dick's girlfriend. Besides, girls like her are impossible for you."
"Are you telling me you have a chance with them?" asked the second son, raising a very skeptical eyebrow.
"Surely they will go for smart guys instead of stupid ones."
"You little ass-"
"You seriously think you're smart, Drake? You overestimate yourself too much." declared Damian.
Before Tim objected and another argument broke out, Cass hit the back of the head of the three brothers. "You're all idiots. End of discussion."
Dick chuckled and Cassandra hit him as well. "EHY! What did I have to do with it?" he asked indignantly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"It didn't seem right to exclude you from a typical family activity."
"And by 'typical family activity' do you mean every single fight?" asked Selina curiously as up to then she had been enjoying watching the siblings fight with each other.
She nodded. "It is the most frequent."
"Trust me, I noticed." she muttered with an amused smile.
She loved Dick's family, if it wasn't obvious.
"We all love each other in the end, though! Don't we guys?" said Dick with a huge smile.
"Speak for yourself!" exclaimed Tim, Jason and Damian in chorus.
With a widening smile, the older man turned to his girlfriend who was holding back a laugh. "See?"
At that point Selina could take it no longer and laughed openly, followed closely by Dick, Cass, and Tim. Jason was secretly smiling, and Damian did not have a frown, which to him amounted to a smile.
God, they were so much fun to watch. They were better than a comedy!
Alfred joined them with his usual composure. "Gentlemen, the barbecue is ready, if you would like to take a seat."
Now, normal people would have walked quietly to the table.
Too bad the Wayne brothers were not normal people.
"Last one in is a stinking starving rat!" shouted Dick and ran.
"That doesn't count!" objected Jason but ran anyway, followed by Tim, Damian, Cass and Selina (who can tell, they were infecting her).
As she ran, Selina felt free, happy; and none of this would have been possible without the best person and boyfriend in the entire universe: Dick Grayson, who always believed in her.
Be that as it may, the last to sit down was Tim, and for that he was teased by his kind brothers.
Dick stood between Selina and Katherine and in front of him Bruce, Selina between Dick and Tim and in front of her Stephanie.
Alfred handed the meat to each person before Bruce called to him. "Alfred, sit with us." he urged him.
The butler was about to protest when the commissioner patted the empty seat to his right. "Come on Alfred, sit next to me."
With some more encouragement Alfred relented and sat down next to Gordon after he put the meat on his plate.
They ate and chatted happily. Bruce even laughed over and over at his sons' arguments/discussions, and Selina noticed that this was the first time she had heard him laugh openly.
It was a little disturbing to hear Batman laughing, now that she thought about it.
Often Dick would squeeze Selina's hand or stroke it gently, and each time the girl smiled fondly, ignoring the looks Barbara was giving her.
Jason, Damian, Dick and Tim were standing (with the eldest having his arms around his girlfriend's neck) when Jason posed a question to Stephanie. "Hey blondie, are you going to finish the potato salad that golden boy's little girlfriend made?"
She looked at him grimly. "My name is not blondie, white wisp."
Tim, Dick, and Cass laughed while Damian sneered. Selina giggled as did Kate, Jim and Bruce.
"Steph beat you, Jay!" taunted Tim in laughter.
"Shut up replacement!" snapped the second son. He turned his attention back to the blond girl. "Just answer the question!"
She sighed. "Yes, you can take it."
Jason smiled, and just as he was about to take the plate, Dick reached out and took it first. Jason looked at him with a murderous frown. "You'd better give it back to me if you want to go on living." he threatened him.
Dick was obviously immune to his threats and smiled. "Who wants it?"
Damian and Tim crowded around him but Bruce's eldest son raised his plate in the air, teasing his brothers. "What, you don't get it? I'm sorry, but you're too low." he declared in a mock disappointed tone of voice.
Damian scowled. "I demand that you hand me the food, Grayson!"
Tim pouted. "Please?"
Richard made an 'aww' sound "Do you know you are so cute when you pout?"
"I don't pout!" yelled Damian in protest.
Meanwhile, everyone else had finished eating and was enjoying the show.
Jason walked briskly toward his only older brother, who was distracted by his little brothers, and stole the plate (miraculously without dropping anything) and put the first piece in his mouth and ran away.
His three brothers screamed and followed him until Tim tackled him and they both fell to the ground with the plate in the air.
Dick caught it in one piece but before he could brag he was tackled by Damian and this time the food was not saved and fell on the grass.
But by now the food was forgotten and the four were in a tangle fighting with each other.
Everyone at the table was laughing out loud at the comical scene, and Alfred even took pictures that he would later send to each person present.
Selina applauded loudly when she saw Dick victorious with one foot on top of Tim who was lying on his stomach on top of Jason who had the same position as him and (again Dick) with one hand blocking Damian's head on the lawn (thank his acrobatic flexibility).
Dick smiled and blew her a kiss with his free hand. His hair was comically disheveled and he had a few blades of grass on his T-shirt and jeans but nothing more.
Selina smiled when he sent her the kiss and again ignored Barbara's gaze fixed on her.
After eating and finishing this comical scene, those present stayed for a few hours.
Selina was currently standing slightly aside, looking with a smile at the people in front of her.
Tim and Stephanie were talking quietly; Cass and Barbara were joking with each other with Damian scowling at their side; Bruce was smiling and laughing with Dick when suddenly Jason climbed on his father's back shouting. "Let's see who's the strongest now, Dick!"
The 19 year old, who never pulled from a challenge, turned his gaze to see the person closest to him who was Katherine.
"Come on Kate, get on my back!"
The redhead, obviously acting like a responsible cousin/aunt, obeyed and there was an impromptu fight between Bruce and Dick with Jason and Katherine on their backs respectively.
At first it looked like Jason had the advantage over the redhead and just as he was about to throw her down on the grass (hey, they've all suffered much worse injuries!), Dick shifted at the last second causing him to momentarily lose his balance.
"Jay, hurry up and regain your balance!" shouted Bruce at him but Selina could clearly see the amusement written all over his face.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Dick moved closer to them to allow Kate to push Jason hard onto the lawn. Momentarily surprised by the loss of weight on top of him, Bruce screamed (yes, Batman screamed) when he too was pushed to the ground by his first-born.
Katherine dismounted from Dick and the two embraced and jumped singing for their victory.
"Of course the one time I team up with Batman he loses." grumbled Jason annoyed in a low voice without being heard by the commissioner who is not aware that they are actually the Batfamily.
Or maybe he is, who knows?
Dick approached the losers to tease them when he felt extra weight on his back and instinctively surged it. He looked up to meet Kate's, who was smiling broadly and victoriously at him. "Since it is because of me that we won, you owe me a ride on my back for the rest of the day until we leave!"
Richard muttered under his breath but agreed anyway.
Selina laughed amusedly and made a mental note to be carried around on Dick's shoulders more often, both as Selina and as Catwoman.
"Having fun?" came a familiar voice from behind her.
She turned and saw the commissioner smiling slightly at her. She smiled back at him. "Very." she admitted.
Selina felt a pair of eyes on her back and turned to see that it was Barbara who was looking hard at her with her arms crossed. Cass had joined Tim and Steph while Damian was annoying Jason. Bruce was talking to Dick who still had Katherine on his shoulders and she had even rested her chin on his head. She caught sight of Alfred on either side taking many pictures left and right with a sweet smile to commemorate this beautiful day.
The commissioner noticed the look his daughter was giving Selina and he reassured the latter. "Don't worry about her. I'm sure there are decisions she wishes she could change." and with a pat on the back, Gordon walked away.
Selina sighed and turned around only to find her fiancé joining her. "Ehy baby!"
She arched an amused eyebrow. "Really? "Baby?" I would have expected something more original from you." she stated shaking her head pretending to be disappointed.
He shrugged causing Kate to rise and fall on his shoulders making her laugh. "Right now I didn't have anything better." he confessed with a small smile.
"So, do you like this crazy family?" asked Katherine.
Selina looked up at her and smiled. "Are you kidding? It's great! It's better than a comedy!"
The redhead smiled back and raised a thumbs up.
"Hey Kate, how about coming downstairs for a minute?" asked Dick.
She understood why and came down winking at the couple. "Take your time!" and she walked away.
Immediately Dick put his hand on Selina's hips and drew her to him, kissing her passionately. Selina squeaked adorably and she immediately relaxed into the kiss, closing her eyes and resting her hands on his chest.
They didn't know how long they were kissing for (and they didn't care anyway) but they were interrupted by wolf whistles and howls of joy. They broke away and saw Jason and Stephanie who were whistling at them; Tim, Cass and Kate who were making party noises; Damian did not have his usual frown and was even smiling slightly; Alfred happily took a photograph of them; Bruce had a huge grin plastered on his face; the commissioner had a small smile on his face; and Barbara...was staring at them coldly.
"Go Dickie-birdie! Get her!" yelled Jason as he raised his arm in a fist but was slapped lightly by Steph.
Selina giggled when she saw a small shade of red spring up on her boyfriend's cheeks.
Half an hour later Dick had one hand wrapped around Selina's hip and spoke to her. "We'd better go, love."
She nodded but they were interrupted by Barbara who was approaching them. "Dick, may I have a word with Selina?"
Richard looked nervously between the two women. "I don't know if-"
"Don't worry, I'll see you in five minutes." Selina interrupted him. He reluctantly nodded and she pulled him by the shirt pulling him toward her to kiss him gently. They broke away and Dick gave her one last kiss on the forehead and pulled away. The redhead watched this exchange with a stony expression. Selina turned to her, crossing her arms. "So, what did you want to tell me?"
"I just want to warn you not to get too attached to him."
"Excuse me?"
"He easily loses interest. I am one of his cases."
An angry blush colored Selina's cheeks and she clenched her fists, trying to calm her anger. How dare this bitch say these things about Dick? "You know what I think instead?"
"What?"
"I think you finally realized that you lost the best boyfriend in the whole universe" at this the redhead taunted her and Selina struggled not to break her nose. "and you're one of those jealous ex girlfriends who don't want him to be with another woman." she declared coldly.
"Tsk, like I want to get back together with him."
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, why did you give me a murderous look every time Dick and I kissed if you're not jealous?"
"As I told you before, I don't want you to end up heartbroken just like what happened to me."
"Heartbroken? You? Please don't give me that crap. Dick told me that you were the one who left him and now you regret it. And you know what?" Selina crouched down to be on the same level as the redhead and looked at her coldly, emotionless. "He is no longer yours. He is mine and mine alone. And you were a mindless fool to let him go."
Barbara dared not show her that Selina was frightening her with that icy stare and retorted. "You're just a fool to think Dick loves you. Why should he love you, Catwoman?" she spat the last word as if it were poison.
"Honestly, I don't know why he loves me. But if I am 100 percent sure of one thing, it is that he is in love with me. And if one day he stops loving me, I will let him go even though I can never love another man the way I did with him. No one else will be able to reach his level. I will love him until the day I die."
"I don't know what he sees in you. All I see is just a dirty thief flirting with the first guy who comes along."
Selina growled dangerously and noted with some satisfaction that Barbara shuddered. "If you listened to the news you would know that I have become full vigilante of Bludhaven along with my pretty kitten. Also, just to let you know, the only person I flirt with is only Dick. I have no reason to flirt with anyone else when I have him as my boyfriend. This news you should know, Batgirl. Oops, lapsus, I meant to say Oracle." she knew that last part was a low, very low blow, but Selina couldn't help it: Barbara was irritating the hell out of her.
Barbara blushed, whether in anger or shame, Selina did not know. Either way, the redhead huffed and turned away from her. The 21 year old took deep breaths and calmed down when she felt her boyfriend embrace her from behind. She rested her back comfortably against his chest and sighed blissfully.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, worried that Barbara had said something bad to her.
She nodded. "Now that you are here with me, yes, pretty kitten."
He smiled and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Let's go say goodbye to everyone."
The couple said goodbye to everyone and returned home to Bludhaven.
Selina just closed the door when Dick lifted her up bride-style and she let out a squeak of surprise. "Dick! Put me down!" she ordered in laughter.
He shook his head as he joined in the laughter and they walked to their bedroom and threw her on the bed before he did the same. "Happy?"
She nodded. "As long as I'm with you, yes, I will be."
He smiled sweetly at her. "Then you won't mind being happy for the rest of your life, will you?"
She gasped and tears of happiness and love threatened to overflow.
Don't cry Selina! You're Catwoman, for God's sake-oh fuck it, I just want to be with Dick forever, and from his sentence, he wants that too!
Dick's eyes went wide. "Selina! Did I say something wrong?" he was panicking.
Fight the Joker? He could do that with one hand.
Defusing a bomb? He can do it with his eyes closed since he was nine years old.
Dealing with a girl? Well ... Bruce hasn't taught him that (and who knows why).
He doesn't want to mess things up with Selina, and that is his biggest fear.
Selina repeatedly shook her head. "No, stupid!" she said between giggles. "It's just that I want to be with you forever too!"
Dick gently wrapped her in a hug. "And so it will be, you don't have to worry." he murmured gently in her ear.
Suddenly Selina pinned Dick under her, having a firm grip on his wrists. "Do you know that today was one of the best days of my life?" she began, in a low, seductive voice that always gave her boyfriend goosebumps. He nodded stunned. "Well," she gently traced his face before reaching down to his chest and unbuttoning the first buttons of his shirt. "I know perfectly well how to end it in an even better way." and with that, she kissed him deeply.