"Does anyone in the house sleep?" Jason asked as he stretched and yawned entering the kitchen.
"Those of us who live in this house do," Alfred said. "I can't speak for those ones who sneak in the middle of the night and raid the cupboards."
Jason shrugged. "There's too many kids where I live. At least here is only one, annoying little kid."
"Hey!" Dick snapped throwing a whisk at Jason, hitting him in the chest.
"Whoa! Okay okay." The teen smiled and walked over to Dick rubbing the boy's hair. "You know I kind of like you."
"Should I be worried?" Bruce asked watching Dick fighting off the unwarranted hair ruffling.
"Happy Birthday Bruce!" Dick said smiling as Ace barked in agreement. "Oh now you do something. I was being attacked!" The boy looked to the dog.
The new sixteen year old entered the kitchen. "Thanks Dickie," Bruce yawned as he petted Ace's head before taking his seat across from the younger boy.
"Wait…it's your birthday?" Jason looked to Bruce.
"Happy Birthday, Master Bruce," Alfred said warmly setting down a plate hot fresh golden brown pancakes on the table next to hand whipped cream, Vermont maple syrup and fruit.
"Thanks Alfred, it looks great!"
"You're welcome sir, but it's Master Dick who made breakfast this morning."
"I even whipped the cream!" Dick smiled proudly.
"That explains the whisk," Jason took a seat next to Bruce.
Bruce smiled, "yes," he said to Jason before turning his attention to Dick, "that's why your up early on a Saturday," he teased causing to Dick to laugh.
While Bruce and Dick were distracted Jason used the opportunity to pile as much bacon on his plate as he could before they noticed. All residents of Wayne manor usually turned a blind eye to the amount of food Jason ate. Since was was about seven he bounced between the orphanage and the juvenile detention center.
The three boys continued to eat breakfast until Thomas came in.
"Good morning boys," Thomas said, he walked over to Bruce. "Happy birthday son," Thomas handed the boy a small wrapped package with his left hand.
"Thanks dad, what's this?"
"A present," Jason replied with a mouth full of waffled.
"We do not talk with food in this house, Master Jason." Alfred giving the teen a look.
"Open it," the older Wayne smiled.
Bruce unwrapped the neatly wrapped package and it revealed a smooth leather box. He opened it, inside was the golden watch he always saw his father wear, just noticing it was missing from his wrist, "Dad…"
Thomas smiled, "my father gave it to me when I was sixteen and his father before that."
"Thank you," Bruce smiled putting the watch on his wrist and looked at it. He never knew the history of the watch.
"Looks good," Dick gave a double thumbs up. "Now, here catch!" he threw a small gift Bruce.
Bruce caught it with his left hand. The gift was sloppily wrapped in balloon print paper with blue ribbon and green bow, it was clear Dick wrapped on his own. Bruce struggled to un tie the ribbon as Dick must have tripled knotted it. He finally got it off and opened the box inside was a tungsten G-clef note. Bruce looked at it, it was a thoughtful gift as he did play piano and Dick picked it out in his own.
"It's nice, thanks." He smiled turning it over in his hand to see 'Bruce Wayne' etched into the back. He looked up at Dick who had a goofy smile on a face. That was when Bruce had a moment of realization. "Dad your kidding me!" He looked to his father who held up a key.
Bruce ran over to his father to get the key. He looked at it and saw the logo of a Jaguar imprinted in the key. "Happy Birthday Bruce, go out front and have a look."
"Dickie let's go!" Bruce smiled with the younger boy right behind him, Ace quickly caught up as well.
"Hey! I wanna look!" Jason said following along
Bruce opened the front door it even bothering to put a coat on. It was lightly snowing out, but the sleek black car with a giant red bow stood out against the falling snow flakes. Bruce turned and looked at his father. "Thank you!" He hugged his father.
"You're welcome son," he smiled hugging his son back.
Jason looked out at the expensive car and whistled, impressed.
"Wanna go for a ride Dick?" Bruce asked opening the driver side door and looking in at the black leather seats.
"I wanna for a ride," Jason complained.
"You can ride in the back," Dick said making his way to the passenger side and opening the door and going to move himself into the seat.
"Yeah little squirt?" Jason asked going over to help the boy.
"I don't need help." Dick snapped.
Jason put his hands in the air and backed away, making is was to the driver's side.
Ace slipped passed everyone and jumped into the car at Dick's feet, the boy promptly backed up to give the dog more space.
Thomas walked around to Bruce's side to show some of features the new car had to off while Alfred went inside to get coats for the boys. Even if they didn't want to wear them while in the car at least they would have them if they wanted to stop anywhere.
"Ace can't ride in the front seat," Thomas said, he knew Dick was too small to ride in the front as well, but it would just disappoint the boys if he told him that.
"Get in the back with Jason!" Dick told the dog, who complied. Once the dog was back he looked at Jason and panted
"Really?" The teen looked at the dog.
Ace's response was licking Jason's face.
"EW! Gross!" Jason pushed Ace away and the dog stuck his head out the now open rear passenger window.
"Okay, can we go now?" Bruce said impatiently.
"You can, but I have a few rules. Buckle up, No more passengers. Drive the speed limit. Drive safe. Call if you get into trouble."
The three boys buckled themselves in, and Bruce smiled wide. "Yes! Okay!" Bruce revved the engine and then took off.
"You have a lot of trust in Master Bruce," Alfred commented.
"I let Ace go with them knowing a dog can't go many places. And I had a GPS tracking system installed." Thomas smiled pulling his phone from his pocket.
"You think of everything sir," Alfred smiled, "but don't you think they will consider that you placed a tracking system in the car?"
"I have, they are both smart boys. That's why I have picked the perfect place to hide it."
Alfred thought for a moment. "Is the same type you use for your extra curricular activities?"
"Yes, why would you ask?"
"You know that Master Dick can easily hack into that armed with only his cell phone because you taught him how."
Thomas's face fell in realization.
"So the students shall pass the master," Alfred said nodding.
The pair walked back into the house and to the kitchen. Alfred started to clean the dishes, while Thomas sat down with a cup of coffee. He looked around at the places at the table, in particular to the setting that didn't require a chair.
"That phone call, it my lawyer Tenaya…We finalize Dick's adoption sooner than we thought." Thomas smiled.
"What excellent news," Alfred smiled as well, knowing how much his younger of the two wanted the adoption of Dick to be legalized incase anything were to happen because of his life as Batman.
Bruce, Dick, and Jason looked over the list of ice cream flavors.
"We should get a monster sundae that has twenty scoops and all the toppings! Tim is on his way, I just texted him," Dick said.
"Bruce, your brother is nuts."
"He is," Bruce agreed.
"Do you think they would let us have twenty different flavors?" Dick asked.
"They suggest, four or five, flavors that go together." Bruce said. "and we are just each getting our own sundae."
"Aww, that's sad." The bell above the door chimed "Tim! That was quick!" Dick smiled.
"Happy Birthday Bruce," Tim said extending out his hand.
"Thank you," the teen replied taking the hand.
"I was at the library studying," Tim said.
"We are each getting sundae! Pick a flavor!" Dick said excitedly.
"I want cotton candy!" Dick smiled. "with everything on top."
"Vanilla," Bruce said.
"Chocolate," Jason said, he shifted his eyes, "with sprinkles."
"Coffee, with chocolate sauce." Tim smiled, "my parents never let me have any."
The girl behind the counter placed the four sundaes on the counter. Everyone's sundaes looked simple with their whipped cream, cherry and minimal toppings. That was except for Dick.
"Don't eat mine okay?" Jason said, "you have enough."
Dick held up his spoon, "yeah? Then hurry up, before I finish mine! Onward Noble Steed!"
"Oh yeah?" Jason said with a twisted smiled before he took off running.
"Do you think he knows what a steed is?" Tim asked Bruce.
"I don't think so," Bruce laughed as he watched Jason using the sitting area as an obstacle course, and Dick smiled and laughed.
"Bruce! Tim! Save me!" Dick called, he tried to be serious, but he was laughing.
"Hey! Stop!" A worker yelled to Jason and Dick as the teen nearly crashed Dick into a another worker.
"Alright, enough let's find a seat." Bruce called.
"Already have one!" Dick called causing Jason to laugh.
"Table," Bruce said rolling his eyes. He picked a table himself to avoid any more incidents
The four boy spend their time eating ice cream and laughing. All four boys came from different backgrounds, but they didn't stop them from being friends. Anyone would would have seen them would have thought them to be friends for much longer than a month.
"This should a tradition!" Dick smiled. "We get ice cream on all of our birthdays!"
"Sounds like a good tradition," Tim agreed eating the last of ice cream.
"He's only saying that because his birthday is next month," Bruce laughed.
"No! It's really a good tradition!" Dick said defensively.
"Don't worry Dickie, we will get ice cream for your birthday," Jason said.
"When's your birthday?" Dick asked
"August 16th," Jason replied.
"July 19th," Tim said. "I'll be nine."
"Well then we have the dates set. March 20th, July 19th and August 16th." Dick smiled.
"Sounds like a plan," Tim said.
"As long as I'm not in juvie," Jason smirked.
About one month later
Dick laid in bed at looked at the digital clock on his bedside table, it currently read 11:59, the night of March 19th. In one more minute it would be his ninth birthday. This was going to be his first birthday without his parents.
A year ago at this time he was getting for opening night show, April 1st. Haly's never opened in Gotham, last year was the first year. Dick blinked and looked looked at the clock, 12:01.
Dick looked up at the ceiling. "Mom…Dad…" he tightly held his stuffed bear to his chest. "I love Thomas…he's great….Bruce is the best big brother too…but…I miss you…" Tears started to slide down his face. "It's just a count down now until I lost you…and..and I lost." He blinked. "The only things I want for my birthday, I'll never get…I want you two back and to talk again…" he sighed, "I know I can't have either…so I'll smile and pretend everything is okay…just put on a show for the audience." He sniffled and closed his eyes. He knew when he went out for ice cream later with Bruce, Jason, and Tim that he would put on the best fake smile he could.
"Flip the pancake now, Master Bruce," Alfred said.
"But it doesn't look ready." Bruce said.
"Trust me sir."
Bruce flipped the pancake folding it in half in the process.
"Damn it! How the hell can Dick make them look perfect!"
"The great Bruce Wayne, heir to Wayne Enterprise and Batman, foiled by the simple pancake." Jason said picking up a piece of bacon. "The bacon is good. Alfred made it?"
"Shut up," Bruce snapped trying to flip another, "Dick made my entire birthday breakfast. I can't flip one single pancake!"
"Master Dick also practice. Do you remember the first time he made breakfast for you and Master Thomas?"
"Yeah…he burnt them, but not like this…But he could still flip them! How!?"
"Perhaps you can assist in another way sir," Alfred suggested noticing that there was not one single usable pancake.
"How?" Bruce asked adding a sixth pancake to the plate of unusable food.
"The cream still needs to be whipped," Alfred said.
Jason started to laugh.
"It's not as easy as it looks! The spatula is too small!" Bruce said annoyed
This caused Jason to laugh even harder, this time he started to choke on the bacon he was eating. His eyes started to water. He had never seen Bruce fail so hard at something.
"It's not that funny," Bruce huffed as he whipped the cream.
"Your pancakes are raw and burnt at the same time," Jason continued to laugh.
Bruce shot Jason a glair while he continued to violently whip the cream, until Alfred took it away from him for fear butter would be made rather than whipped cream.
"Morning!" A bright voice came from the doorway. Dick was smiling in the doorway, with Tim next to him and Ace in front of them.
"Happy Birthday, Dickie!" Bruce said getting up to hug his brother. "good morning Tim."
"Thanks," Dick smiled. "Hey Jay."
"Morning Bruce. Smells good in here Alfred."
"Happy birthday squirt." Jason smiled, "and your lucky you weren't here when Bruce was trying to make pancakes."
"Wait...Bruce tried cook!?" Dick said shocked.
Alfred wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and then walked over to the boy to give him a hug. "Happy birthday, Master Richard."
"Thanks Alfie," Dick smiled.
"Now come, breakfast is served. Chocolate chip pancakes for the birthday boy."
"Now see Bruce, this is a pancake," Jason said taking a bite of the fluffy confection. "Hey Maybe Ace can have yours!"
The dog's ears perked hearing his name and made his way to Alfred for his own breakfast.
"I'm sorry Ace, just dog food for you today. I can't subject even you to Master Bruce's cooking."
Bruce grumbled at he took a bite of his, not even giving Jason the satisfaction of a reply, and choosing to ignore Alfred's comment as well. Dick laughed at his brother's reaction, knowing full well his lack of culinary skills.
"Happy Birthday Dick," Thomas said ruffling the boy's hair to gain his attention.
Dick turned his head and smiled. "Thanks."
Thomas looked at the four boys eating. He was glad to see both his son's happy and smiling. He knew it took Bruce a long time to get to this point. He owed so much to Dick for bringing lightness back into the manor, if only it didn't take another tragedy for this to happen.
"I have something for you," Thomas pulled the box out from behind his back. It was rather thin, but long. It was wrapped in gold paper.
Dick carefully unwrapped the gift, once the paper was clear of the plain box Dick opened it only to find tissue paper, he unfolded that and then saw a piece of paper laying there. He was a little confused by this. He picked up the thick paper and opened it. Tear fell down his face as he read it.
"Thomas..." Dick looked at the paper again. 'Certificate of Adoption' he noticed there was a second page, this one was an amended birth certificate, with Thomas's name under father. Dick looked at his full name. Richard John Grayson-Wayne.
"I know I can never replace your father—"
Dick rolled back and turned his his chair to face Thomas. He wrapped his arms around the man's waist. He was hiding the fact he was crying from the other boys.
"But I promise to do everything I can to protect you. This just makes it all legal."
"Officially a Wayne," Bruce smiled.
Dick kept his face buried in Thomas's chest. He didn't know what to say.
Jason looked at them, a family. He felt a hand on his shoulder. "A family isn't just blood or a piece of paper Master Jason," Alfred said.
The teen nodded, "I know."
"Friends are also family," Alfred nodded, he look to Tim who had a bitter sweet smile on his face seeing Thomas and Dick, causing the butler to think that the young boy didn't get that attention in his own home.
Jason gave a half smiled. "Yeah."
"Want me to take a picture sir?" Alfred asked.
"Sounds like a great idea," Thomas smiled.
"Jay!" Dick called. "You coming?" As he pulled Tim's arm to force him into the picture.
"Me?" He asked pointing to himself.
"Yeah! You and Tim are like brothers to me," Dick smiled. "Alfred, you should come too!
"Who's going to take the picture?" Jason laughed going over to them.
"I don't have to be in," Alfred smiled, "now gather around." He took the picture, he never minded not being in the pictures, he much preferred seeing everyone's smiling faces through the lens.
A/N: SO much packed into one chapter! Hope it makes up for the long time since posting. To be fair I have been working on For Nightwing as well.
I hope you all enjoyed this fun chapter! Just some info in Jason and Tim that's floating in my head. Jason just shows up and sleeps on the couch and eats their food all the time. Thomas let's him stay, and doesn't really question it. It makes it harder to be Batman, but he knows Jason needs safe place to stay. As for Tim, his parents tend to ignore him. When Thomas first meet Tim he didn't even realize Jack and Janet had a son.
Thanks so much for all of you have read, comment, and reviewed this fic! I love hearing from all of you.