Bats in the Attic
Mary Quite Contrary

"What's Grayson doing here?"

The familiar-sounding voice sounded irritated, drawing Dick's eyes up at the corner of his mouth twitched into an awkward smile, wondering what he'd done now to warrant such a tone. The voice indicated a female, and his mind wandered to the letter again, yet brushed it aside, noting the chances of finding the writer so easily were next to none.

Locks of short red hair framed the woman's face, yet for some reason, he found her familiar. A pretty face, he found himself falling for again. Warren also looked up at the same time, a frown spreading across his face. "Mary, what are you doing here so early?"

The woman opened her mouth, yet Dick found his tongue slipping yet again. "Mary?" For some reason, this didn't seem right. "Isn't your name Helena Kyle?"

Her eyes bored scathingly, it seemed, into his soul. Glancing away, Dick caught sight of a small figure hunkered at Mary's side, watching him carefully as he clutched a stuffed bat toy in his free hand. The vivid blue eyes of the child seemed familiar. Dick quickly brushed the feeling away as the toddler simply giving him a scowl which matched the woman who held tightly onto his hand. His mind also noted the boy appeared around two to three years.

Lifting his hand up, Dick waved at the boy. "Hi."

The boy buried his face into the woman's pants before Warren reached out. "Terry. Come here." With little effort, the boy swiftly climbed up in the long seat next to Warren, again diving into the man's side, looking at Dick cautiously. The man looked Mary in the eye. "Again, what are you doing here so early?"

"We have a problem, Warren."

Dick's eyes blinked, his eyes drifting between the three people. "Um..."

"She's my ex-wife."

"Warren."

"Right. We have a problem."

Dick started to stand up, finding himself rather nervous regarding the family situation. "I think I should be going."

"No. Stay." Warren lifted a hand up, beckoning Dick to stop moving. "Mary's early, so the least she can do is explain."

"It's called your obligated duty to provide childcare in order to keep custody of Terry fell through." Mary leaned against the table. "As such, I had to pick up Terry from her place before my visitation with him was supposed to occur."

"I'll talk to my mother."

"She's not going to budge." The woman took a deep breath. "Look, Warren. I'm not wanting to take Terry from you. You know that. But the conditions of the divorce state you'd make the arrangements for child care while we both work, otherwise..."

"I know. I know." Warren pulled Terry a little closer, rubbing the boy's shoulder. The boy's eyes were wide, and Dick pushed his uneaten pie towards the child, hoping to alleviate some of the anxiety the child likely felt.

"Grayson!"

Dick flinched, but Warren got a glint in his eye. "I know! Grayson!"

"What?" Where things were going, Dick wasn't sure he liked.

"I was asking you just before Mary showed up whether you have a place to stay, let alone a job."

Dick wasn't sure he liked where his friend was going with his train of thought, only for Mary's next comment to confirm his suspicions. "Wait. Are you actually suggesting that Grayson be our child's nanny, let alone his live-in nanny?"

"Hold on..." Taking a deep breath did not do anything to subside the anxiety he currently felt, so he found himself glancing back at the window, worrying his lip as he did so.

"Well, it would solve everyone's problems, wouldn't it?" Warren began to drink his coffee in deeply, seeming quite pleased with himself.

"Warren! I've told you I don't want Wayne having anything to do with Terry! I've told you multiple times!"

"Wait." Dick felt his throat tighten. "Are you telling me Terry is Bruce's child?"

Yet again his tongue got the better of him. Warren reacted by choking on the coffee he was drinking. Mary, on the other hand, leaned in, forcing the young man to back up to the wall next to the winder, hunkering down as she grabbed ahold of the table top and the back of the seat. "What did you say, Grayson?"

"Dick..." Warren's tone seemed to indicate some kind of warning to stop speaking, yet Dick Grayson's tongue couldn't stop.

"Isn't that why Terry looks like Bruce?" The tension running through his back was far from comfortable, yet his jaw also set as he watched her perpetual death glare bore into him.

"Is this some kind of joke, Grayson?" Her nose was inches now from his own, but worse, he felt somewhat masochistic at that very moment.

"Come on Grayson. She's Warren's ex." Dick took a deep breath. "Joke?"

"Mommy mad?" Terry's voice drew his attention away from Mary, and he noticed two vivid blue eyes watching the scenario. Dick swallowed, wondering how the toddler in front of him was taking things.

Terry...

"I got it. I shouldn't have mentioned it in front of the kid. I'm sorry."

"Grayson!"

"Mary..." Warren took a deep breath.

"I get the fact Grayson is one of your best friends, along with Wally..."

"Who?" Dick felt the word come off his tongue, turning his head to look Mary in the face yet again. She seemed even more livid than before.

"Very funny Grayson, playing coy. The joke already went too far when you accused me of, well, that."

"Accused you of having an affair in front of your husband - i mean ex-husband?" His breath went in tightly, his eyes darting around looking for some kind of escape.

"Of..." Mary's voice trembled. The anger remained, yet it seemed as if he'd said something to make her cry. "You! You bully! Keep this joke up if you want, but..."

"Mary. Grayson isn't joking around. He honestly doesn't know. Not anymore." Warren spoke quickly, almost standing up.

"What..." Her voice softened as Dick's eyes closed. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't know Bruce is your father."

"Warren! We don't talk about that! Particularly in front of Terry! You know I want nothing..."

"Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean..." Dick felt like an idiot. To his luck, Mary backed off when Warren interfered, allowing him to sit up and lean into his arms. "Good grief, I feel stupid. He looks like Bruce because Bruce is his grandfather."

"Well, you should! You know full well that man's my father, and Selena Kyle is my mother!"

A groan escaped his lips. "You mean to tell me I was right in guessing your name is actually Helena Kyle?"

"I don't go by Helena anymore."

"Mary..." Warren cleared his throat. "Regarding Grayson's situation..."

"Warren, we've got our own problems."

"Just, hear me out."

"I don't want him telling that man about Terry."

"It's not as if Mr. Wayne doesn't know about Terry. He simply respects your wish of no interference."

"But..."

"Look." Dick shoved his hands into his pockets. "Bruce and I aren't on talking terms, so you don't need to worry about that." He took a deep breath. "Look. I hadn't planned on interfering with your personal family drama, so if you don't mind..."

"Wait. Why aren't you and Bruce talking?" Mary sat down, preventing him from leaving. Dick took a deep breath, turning his head to the side. He found himself looking at the reflection and saw Terry peeking around Warren at him.

"Because we aren't."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have pried." Mary took a deep breath. "I'm not one to talk, considering I'm his biological child, and don't want to talk to him. I should know he gives plenty of reasons not to talk to him."

Dick frowned. "How do you know the reason's Bruce's fault and not mine?"

Her eyes blinked, her mouth forming a frown. "You? Your fault? You mean the person who happens to be his favorite? Who can do no wrong?"

"See. Told you that things aren't likely the way you think they are. Just..." Warren piped up, patting the top of Terry's head, reminding Dick slightly of how Bruce took him in and patted him on the top of the head, telling him things would be okay despite the fact there was nothing okay about seeing his parents smashed into the ground below you.

"Do no wrong? You act like I'm perfect, yet I never ever lived up to his expectations." Dick took a deep breath. "Never, and I don't really want to know what I did to warrant his ire. I just don't. I should really go."

Mary took a deep breath, leaning back in her seat. "Go where? Do what?"

"I'll figure something out." He took a deep breath. "It isn't as if..." He glanced over at Terry, who snuggled closer to Warren with his bat toy. "It isn't as if I'd make a good nanny."

"I don't know. You did well with Damien, which says a lot." Mary took a deep breath. "And, we're desperate, so why not?"

"Why not?" Dick found himself unable to say why, yet he found himself wondering yet again what he'd walked into.