Chapter 12: Diana's Visit

"Hi," Dick said after a moment's hesitation. He walked forward to meet her. "I'm Richard Grayson but everyone calls me Dick." He held out his hand and she shook it.

"Well it's nice to meet you Dick," Diana replied. Barbara and Tim slowly walked forward to greet her.

"Hi, I'm Barbara Gordon," Barbara stated as she held out her hand. Diana shook her hand as well.

"And I'm Tim Drake," Tim said.

"It's nice to meet you," Diana responded.

"So how do you know Bruce?" Dick asked.

"We met at the museum auction a few days ago," Diana answered. "He invited me over but he give a date so I figured he wouldn't mind me dropping in. So how do you know Mr. Wayne?"

"I'm his adopted son," Dick informed her. "And so is Tim. Barbara's a friend of mine from high school. Oh, and Bruce should be down here in a minute." As if on cue, Bruce walked down the stairs in a sky blue buttoned-up collared shirt and blue jeans.

"Hello Miss Prince," Bruce greeted. "It's good to see you again." Tim rolled his eyes; he was doing his "Bruce Wayne" voice again.

"It's good to see you as well," Diana replied.

"We'll leave you two alone," Dick said before ushering Barbara and Tim out of the room; Alfred went back to cooking breakfast.

"I know we agreed on three but you never said when so..." Diana started.

"It's fine," Bruce responded. "My fault for not giving you a date." He paused not sure of what to say next.

"Daddy, what's going on?" The two turned to see Cassandra Cain standing at the top of the stairs looking down at them. She turned to look at Diana. "Is she your friend you mentioned before?" Bruce nodded and smiled. He gestured for her to come down.

"I'll introduce her to you," Bruce said to her. "Come on down." Cassie slowly and shyly walked downstairs and right next to Bruce. "Cassie this is Diana. Diana this is Cassandra or Cassie."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Diana said as she held out her hand. Cassie hesitantly took her hand before shaking it.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Cassie responded. She turned to Bruce. "Daddy, I'm thirsty. Can I have something to drink?"

"Alfred should have something in the kitchen for you," Bruce said.

"Okay, thank you," Cassie responded with a smile before racing off towards the kitchen.

"So what's her story?" Diana asked. "She called you daddy. Is she your-"

"No, no," Bruce interrupted. "Despite my image I'm not THAT perverted. She's adopted or at least I'm planning on adopting her. I'm still going through the paperwork which is why she's not in school and such. We wanted to keep it quiet until I finished making it official. She doesn't need to have a camera stuffed in her face yet. And if I have my way, hopefully she won't ever. But knowing the media, she's gonna have it whether I like it or not."

"So you're not adopting her for publicity?" Diana questioned. Bruce shook his head fiercely.

"No," Bruce answered. "No." He looked outside. "It's a nice day; why don't we continue this conversation outside?"

"Sounds good," Diana responded. Bruce opened the door and they walked outside into the garden.

"Alfred, may I have a drink?" Cassie asked once she entered the kitchen.

"Of course Miss Cassandra," Alfred responded as he went to the fridge.

"Mister Alfred, please call me Cassie," Cassie told him. He pulled the refrigerator door open and took out a vial of blood before closing the fridge door.

"Here you go, Miss Cassie," Alfred said. He handed her the vial.

"Can you please just call me Cassie?" Cassie replied.

"Old habits die hard, miss," Alfred stated. Cassie started drinking the vial. "Where is Master Bruce and Miss Prince?" Cassie shrugged her shoulders.

"So how do you know her?" Diana asked as they walked through the garden. "What made you want to adopt her?"

"I knew her mother," Bruce answered. "We were friends; her husband had abandoned them when Cassie was young and she was barely getting by. She got really sick and she wanted me to take care of her since she was no longer able to. She died not too long ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Diana responded. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine," Bruce said. "You didn't know."

"But what about Dick and Tim?" Diana asked. "Why did you adopted them?"

'Okay Bruce, time to get your stories straight,' Bruce thought. 'Or at least Tim's story since I first met him as Batman.'

"Dick was originally part of a trapeze act along with his parents," Bruce started. "They were called the "Flying Graysons". One night their circus came to Gotham and I went to the show. But also earlier that night a man named Tony Zucco had tried to do a business arrangement with Mr. Halley, the ringmaster, but he was turned down. Zucco threatened him that there would be consequences and there were. He sabotaged the trapeze ropes so when Dick and his family went to perform, the ropes snapped with Dick's parents still on them. And here's the thing, they always performed without a net, so when they fell..."

"It was...to their deaths," Diana finished. She paused. "How old was he?"

"Dick was nine when it happened," Bruce answered. "I stayed and saw the police arrived some time after. I couldn't leave after that. They took statements from Dick and found out about Tony Zucco so they started sending out searches for him. So they needed a safe house for him since they feared that Tony might go after him since he was a key witness. So I offered and he stayed at my house for the time and eventually later on, I adopted him."

"Did they ever catch Tony Zucco?" Diana asked.

"Yes, but it wasn't for some time," Bruce responded.

"How about Tim?" Diana asked.

"He was a friend of Dick's," Bruce started. "When he found out Tim was living on the streets, he asked if I could take him in and I did."

"That was very kind of you," Diana responded.

'I hate having to lie to her,' Bruce thought. 'But I really don't have a choice.'

"You have a beautiful garden," Diana said.

"Thank you," Bruce responded. "It was one of my mother's pride and joys when she was alive. She loved taking care of plants and would be here every chance she got."

"She certainly took great care of it," Diana replied. "You said 'was' one of her pride and joys."

"She died when I was eight," Bruce informed her.

"OH, I'm...I'm sorry," Diana said. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine you didn't know," Bruce responded. "Well, enough about me, how about you? What do you do outside of work?"

"Well, I have a side job that's pretty demanding," Diana started. "So I mostly due that."

'Makes sense when your side job is stopping crime,' Bruce thought.

"But you don't due anything else? No hobbies?" Bruce asked.

"Well I do like playing the lyre," Diana said.

'Now that I did not know,' Bruce thought.

"I also enjoy reading," Diana added. "Playing board and card games though I still don't understand all of them. I also enjoy listening to music and watching some movies."

"Like?" Bruce questioned.

"I enjoy watching movies like Braveheart, The Last of the Mohicans, The Eagle, things like that," Diana said.

"So no chick flicks?" Bruce asked. Diana groaned and rolled her eyes.

"A friend of mine once made me sit through one," Diana said. "I HATED it. I still do."

"How about music what kinds of music do you like?" Bruce asked.

"I enjoy classical, jazz, and rock," Diana answered. "How about you?"

"Well, I'll be," Dick said as he observed them from the kitchen's glass door. "He's actually having a conversation that is non-work related."

"Do you think she'll last?" Tim asked.

"I hope so," Dick admitted. "She'd be a good match for him."

"Agreed," Barbara said. "Better than Talia or Selina?"

"By FAR," Dick agreed. They then saw that the pair was heading back towards the house so he backed away from the door and gave them space to come in. Bruce opened the door for her and then proceeded to walk in after her.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mr. Wayne; I will be sure to come and visit you again soon," Diana said. Bruce smirked.

"I'll see you in a few days then?" Bruce responded. Diana nodded.

"Goodbye Mr. Wayne," Diana said. "Hope you have a good rest of your day."

"You too," Bruce replied. Diana smiled before walking out of Wayne Manor.

"Soooooo..." Tim started. "Is she your new girlfriend?"

"I'll be in the cave," Bruce responded angrily. He then marched off to the cave.

"I'd take that as a no Timmy," Dick told him.

"Don't call me that!" Tim exclaimed.