Bruce smiled as he watched his family bicker and laugh, as they ate breakfast. Stephanie leaned against Cassandra, sweet Cass who has been so hurt by this world yet remained kindhearted. It warmed Bruce's heart to see that not only was she healing but felt safe enough to engage in a relationship, and who better for that than a literal ray of sunshine like Steph? At first, when Tim had brought her to the mansion after befriending her in school, Bruce worried. He believed that she was a plant from Delphi, as her father had suddenly been incarcerated, her mother given a much better-paid job out of the blue, and she was given a scholarship to Gotham Academy from The Birds Society- a scholarship she had not applied for. However, with time Bruce learned to accept her into his family and realized she was not a plant, but a girl that needed a father figure. He even made sure that Steph knew she was still welcomed in the manor after she and Tim had broken up.
Tim... that sweet boy, neglected by his parents. Getting custody of him had been easy, the difficult part was to convince Timothy of taking that step forward, and later to make him believe he was part of the family. It took various sessions with Dinah (Yes, Batman is going to therapy. Dick had finally convinced him after Jason had died), individually, with Bruce, and with the whole family, but Tim had finally understood that they were his family and they had each other's back at all times. His self-care was much better these days, eating all three meals (even though, he had to be reminded), sleeping at least 6 hours a day, and his intake of coffee is three daily cups... honestly, much better than being an insomniac, that weighed less than a feather, and his blood was 80% coffee.
Sitting beside him was Barbara, who was comforting him after his breakup with Cassie, while her wife and Bruce's cousin, Kate, pushed him into going out with them tonight to party. That came as a big surprise to Bruce. He had always thought that Dick and Babs were going to be each other's endgame. However, his son's heart has been elsewhere since... that night.
The night in which everything changed for the Wayne Family...
It had been a year since the death of Jason, Bruce had pushed what was left of his family away. Drowned himself in work, walking more into a dark road than being the defender Gotham needed. But what else could he do? He had lost his son!
As he was brooding, while investigating a case through the Batcomputer, he heard, what has become a rare noise in the Batcave, the roaring of Nightwing's bike. It took all of Batman's willpower not to turn around for his last remaining son. It was better if he left Gotham and Batman, they destroy everything good.
"We need to talk B... no dad," that startled Bruce, making him turn his chair around faster than ever before. There in front of him, not wearing his domino mask, stood his first son, in his Nightwing uniform. "Cowl off, I'm here to talk with my dad, not Batman." Slowly and stonished Bruce followed the request. After all, Dick had never called him dad before. "You are not ok, dad. Neither am I. We've already lost so much... our birth parents, Jason..." Dick sniffled, breaking Bruce's already broken heart. "But we found new family, Agent A is your dad, and you are mine, we still have each other. So, let's call Black Canary and book a session... various sessions. Keeping everything in is not ok. We deserve to be happy... we deserve to be more than just good soldiers!"
Bruce flinched in guilt at those words. Knowing that his little shrine only brought pain to his family and dishonored what Jason truly was to the Waynes. He wasn't just a good soldier, but a son, a brother, a grandson, a bright boy with such hunger for knowledge and a huge heart.
So, Bruce, not Batman, stood up and hugged his crying son. If he had also cried, no one mentioned it.
After that, they contacted Dinah and started their process of healing. Bruce took down the shrine in the Batcave and built a better one in the manor, showcasing who he had truly been. Filled with his photographs and creative writing competitions awards. Dick came back to Gotham City and entered Gotham University for Non-Profit Management and Social Work. He had now taken over the Wayne Foundation as Chairman and Bruce could not be prouder of him. Especially, when he knew he had taken this path in life in memory of Jason.
Bruce was also very proud of his other children. Babs had graduated top of her class from Harvard with a law degree, and was now Gotham's youngest DA! Cass went to Julliard for a BFA in Dance and is now part of The American Ballet Theatre. they had all gone to watch her play last week, she had been beautiful! Steph followed Cass to New York and was studying medicine at Columbia under a Wayne Scholarship. Timothy, the little genius, was getting his degree in Business and Engineering at M.I.T. He was so proud of his kids. The best is that even though they have their apartments where they went or are going to university, whenever they are in Gotham City, they all stayed in the Wayne Manor.
Now if only he could understand what's going on in her eldest son's heart.
"Master Richard, this came in the mail for you today," Alfred entered the dining room, handing Dick a fancy envelope.
Everyone stopped talking as they watched Dick warily receive the envelope and open it. They all watched in astonishment as Dick's face turned from weary to shocked, to giddy.
"Alfred, please make all the preparations for a trip to New York. I'm leaving next week!" That was all he said before rushing towards his room.
"What the hell did just happen?" Spoiler, aka Steph, asked in shock.
"Language," Alfred scolded her, but he, like the rest of the family, was also shocked by Dick's strange behavior.
"Look, something fell from the envelope!" Kate grinned like a cat that got the cream, as she stood up and picked the pamphlet up. "Emerald Gallery? Why is Dick getting so excited about an art show?"
"Who is the artist?" Barbara asked her wife with a thoughtful expression.
"Damian Thomas Zumarud, why?" Kate answered.
"D.T.Z..." Babs murmured.
"I know that guy!" Timothy exclaimed. "He became famous around five years ago, not only in the art world but the music world as well. He has Recital Halls and Art Galleries all over the world! He went to Julliard for a BFA in Music, excelling in both violin and composition. He won every award possible and has been invited by every famous symphony out there. He has two albums and every song in them was composed by him. His art was honed in The Royal Academy of Art in London, he sells over six figures a painting. His Art Shows make millions every time."
"So, he is famous," Steph summarised, not surprised that the family's stalker and art fanatic knew so much about him.
"Not only that but half of all of his yearly earnings go to the fice ONGs created by Delphi. He also works with them to use his galleries and recital halls for the outreach programs, sell paintings and sketches from talented orphans, and give jobs to those in need." Tim explained, getting the attention of every member of the family. "He has two sisters and two brothers, all fostered by him as soon as he turned eighteen. He is now twenty-five, like Dick. What's curious is that there's only information about two of his siblings. Rachel Mara Zumarud and Suren Alfred Zumarud, are eighteen and sixteen respectively. Rachel had been accepted into the Psychology program of Oxford."
"Why do you know so much about this family?" Bruce asked his son cautiously.
"Because I believe they've got ties to The Renegades and Delphi. Various of those galleries and recital halls used to be known safe houses used by The Shadows." The mood in the room turned from serious to tense. "Also, I'm almost sure that Rachel is Raven, Damian is Corvus, and Maya Ducard is Damiana's second sister."
"Then why is Dick eagerly running towards him?" Kate inquired confused.
"Do you guys know the painting in Dick's room? The portrait of him with angel wings?" Babs questioned them out of the blue.
"Yes, it is Dick's most precious possession alongside his Flying Graysons poster and his elephant teddy," Bruce replied.
It is a work of art that no words would be enough to explain. It was a painting that immortalized Dick, the scars in his body painted tenderly, with so much care and love. His eyes, the perfect shade of blue, showed Richard as he truly was, all open and vulnerable. But at the same time, it showed him strong and ready to attack at any moment. Like a guardian angel.
All Bruce knew, was that it was painted with so much love.
"The initials on the lower-right corner are D.T.Z," Barbara announced.
"So, the person Master Richard was seeing during the summer all those years ago was Mr. Zumarud," Alfred deduced.
"What do you mean?" Bruce asked him confused.
"I do not blame you for not noticing, it was back to the time Master Richard had returned to the manor and you were busy with Miss Dinah, Master Timothy, and searching for Miss Cassandra," the butler explained. "Master Richard was sneaking out almost every day to meet with someone. I did not say anything because the sparkle in his eyes had returned. When he returned one night with the painting I understood what was going on. I congratulated him on the beautiful acquisition... but the sparkle was gone. I believe it was around the time Mr. Zumarud had gone to London for his studies."
"He could never kiss me in his bedroom, let alone sleep with me. As if he was betraying someone." Barbara commented, gaining back everyone's attention. "His heart had always belonged to someone else," her gaze locked in the pamphlet.
"What should we do dad?" Tim asked the Head of the family, making everyone turn to look at Bruce.
However, before he could reply the doorbell rang. That made everyone tense up. Who was able to evade the security system and pass through the gates of the manor. An enemy? Then why would they ring the doorbell alerting the family of their presence?
Alfred calmly headed towards the door, with Cass quietly guarding him in the shadows. As soon as he opened the door, the butler gasped: "It can't be... Master Jason?"
"How are you Alfie?"