Chapter 30

Nothing made sense anymore. Dick felt like the whole ground got spun around and around under his feet and he couldn't ever keep his balance anymore. It was a no fun feeling.

After talking with smart-older-worried Tim, Dick was more confused than ever.

He'd been fighting with the idea, ever since he met Jason, that, even though this was such a weird world, Daddy might not have liked the different rules, and maybe Dick should be more careful about having good new rules.

But then… then Tim and new rules and… and… if Dick had had a Mommy, should he know who she was?

Dick was still mad. He hadn't ever been mad before… he tries to think back tries to remember being mad at not-himself and… it hurts to remember, but he doesn't care… he has been mad, mad at Daddy, but the hurting made it go away.

But Dick wasn't supposed to be mad at Daddy. So… maybe the pain-hurting was good? It helped him? It wasn't like… Daddy could do something bad to Dick. That wouldn't make any sense. You couldn't do something bad to a bad not-person. That was silly!

Dick would just… remember his place and try super duper hard to be good and not-mad. Daddy would be back one day and Dick didn't want him to be mad when he came.

Damian walked in and eyed Dick sitting where Tim had left him. .Tim hadn't looked at all happy when he went away… Damain didn't look happy either. He looked pale and tense…

"Richard." (Dick's Mommy had named him Richard which meant 'strong ruler'... maybe he'd been a Prince before?) "Let's go. You shouldn't be sitting here."

Really? Oops. Dick hadn't known that. He hopped up to make sure Damian wouldn't be mad at him… but it was almost like olderbutlittle-strong-fierce Damian hadn't been talking to him at all.

"Come on. We'll watch cartoons. Have you ever watched cartoons before?"

Dick hadn't. "No, Damian." He also hadn't shown Damian his pictures. Maybe they could do that after cartoons?

Dick followed obediently as Damian moved lifelessly along beside him. Dick wondered if he'd been talking with Tim recently. Tim hadn't looked very well when he left. Maybe he was still sick from coming over here?

Dick knew he was shifting or fidgeting, but he couldn't help it when he had a question. Plus, when he did that, his brothers (he felt himself smile: he had brothers, he couldn't help it!) his brothers would call on him and ask him to ask his question, so he knew they didn't mind.

Damian didn't seem to notice, though. Purposefully not-thinking so he wouldn't really be trying to break the rules, Dick tripped a little to get Damian's attention and kept fidgeting.

"Richard. Do you have a question?"

"Mm, yes, Damian! After we do cartoons do you want to look at my pictures?"

"Yes. Yes I will."

Brave-fierce-strong Damian still didn't sound right. Oh! Of course! Dick knew what to say to make him feel better.

"Damian? Tim gave me some new rules. He said you wanted 'm too. I-"

"Yes. I know, Richard. They apply to myself as well. If that is what you are asking."

Damian was sounding better now. Yes! Dick was doing a good job! He had another question. He fidgeted.

"Yes, Richard?"

Damian was getting better at this. "What are we going to watch, Damian?"

"I do not know. Whatever is on."

Dick fidgeted.

"New instructions. Just ask whatever questions you wish of me. If your timing is inconvenient I will simply tell you so and you can ask later."

Damian was so smart! "Thank you, Damian! Did you ever watch cartoons when you were little?"

"No, Richard. Televisions were not used for fun where I came from."

"Oh. They aren't used for fun where I came from either, Damian."

"Well. I have it on good authority that you will enjoy them. Particularly Bugs Bunny and the Jetsons."

"What're those about?"

"Talking animals for one. and the other is a family with a dog and a robot in the future."

"Damian, that's so weird! I haven't ever heard about stories like that!"

"Well, before coming to my new family, neither had I."

"... Damian? What was it like, with your first family?"

"... Hollow. People, affections, goals, motovations. But very big. Bigger than almost anything else, in fact. But all hollow inside."

Dick falls silent, finally, as he thinks this over. Damian still sounds funny… and he doesn't think he understands what Damian means. But it sounds important.

When they walk in the living room, Dick stands awkwardly in the middle of the room while Damian does something to the television. It turns on, displaying the closing credits to The Incredibles. Oops! Dick had forgotten to take it out! Damian didn't seem mad (though maybe Dick could do something to punish himself later) and he took out the disk himself.

When Damian ruffled through the cases of Bluray, finally turning to place his selection into the player, Dick wondered if, perhaps he could say sorry for that. It was one thing to not know the new rules, but wasn't it much, much worse to make a super obvious mistake that he knew better than to do?

Damian stepped away and tilted his head toward the couch, an obvious order to sit down. Dick has never disobeyed an order before (or maybe he just doesn't remember?) so he does as he's told.

When he does, and focuses on the screen, he tilts his head in surprise. Daddy never watched anything that wasn't either the news or very serious. Since Dick was watching a talking rabbit (at least he thinks it's a rabbit) throw a pie at a very small hunter-man Dick does not think this is either. It's even different from the movies he watched with Jason, where some of it was funny but also some of it was serious. This is very different. But he has a hard time trying not to laugh.

The hunter chases the rabbit up a tree (up a tree, running like on the ground!) before ducking inside the tree, which was hollow? Both the little hunter and the rabbit completely disappeared except for their eyes, and the rabbit tricked the little hunter into running into a bear's den!

Dick snorted, and his hands flew up to cover his mouth. Damian, fuzzy in the corner of Dick's eye, sighed very slightly, and shifted a little to face Dick. "You can laugh. That is actually the point."

Dick glanced at Damian to confirm that he'd meant what he said, then felt an untamable twitching playing at the corners of his mouth. He turned back to the TV screen, with its colorful not-real people playing on it, and smiled.