A/N: UPDATE 07/20/17 I have added a link on my main profile with Addilyn's outfit!

Here we go again! I'm still somewhat ahead in my writing. I'm trying to remain half a chapter ahead in my writing so I can keep posting as regularly as possible! Mondays and Tuesdays are actually my Saturday and Sunday and this time around I spent most of them asleep unfortunately so I didn't get much writing done. Turns out, I needed a lot more sleep than I thought! I hope to have another chapter up at some point this week or maybe early next week! I love all the reviews I'm getting and I hope ya'll keep giving me your feedback! It definitely inspires me to keep writing!

As usual, I own nothing recognizable I'm just borrowing them for fun!

THREE: SETTLING

Hours later we finally return to the manor. The trunk and front seat are piled with bags of clothes and shoes and I'm pretty sure I've never owner so many articles of clothing before in my life. When we went up to the first counter to check out and I heard the total I nearly puked. Alfred and Dick didn't even bat an eye. A credit card was handed over and I think some part of me kept waiting to hear it was declined. But in just a few moments we were on our way. It took three more stores for me to somewhat accept how bottomless Bruce's bank account was. By that point I noticed how nice people were when you walked in with Alfred and Dick next to you. Saleswomen were practically falling over one another to help us, all smiles and laughs. They were even nice to me. It was a whole new experience.

I huff out a small breath as we finally turn through the gates of the manor, something in me relaxing as my new home comes into view. I am not good with social settings. They're stressful and a little bit terrifying for me and I always wind up exhausted when I'm finally alone or home again. Apparently that wasn't any different in this world.

"It's a little taxing, being the ward of Gotham's Prince but you'll get used to it, I promise," Dick winks at me as we park in the garage, sliding out of the car and moving to the trunk.

It takes the three of us four trips to get all of our purchases inside and on the bed in my room. By them time we're done I'm ready for a nice, long nap. But Alfred has other plans, "You should probably clean up and change into one of your new outfits, the child services representative will be here within the hour. We can work on putting all of this away after the meeting is over."

I sigh and nod, "Sounds good. I'll be down shortly."

"I can wait in the hall for you. I don't think you've been to the main living room yet and it's kinda hard to find the first few times," Dick offers.

"Thank you, I would really appreciate it. If you want, I can just come get you from your room when I'm done? Sitting in the hallway can't be very fun," I say, already digging through bags trying to find the bathroom items we bought for me.

"Sounds good. I'm two doors to the right."

Alfred seems satisfied with the plan and leaves the room with a small nod. Dick follows after him, shutting the door on his way out and then I'm left alone with the pile of bags filled with brand new clothes.

I manage to find the shower products within only a few minutes and after a few more I have an outfit put together as well. It's different from what I would wear before but I figured this was a new world and a new me so why not try a new look?

The shower is amazing. I didn't even realize how badly I needed it until the water started beating into my back and releasing the tension in my muscles. The warmth is nice too and the pressure is perfect. It's hard to step out twenty minutes later. The scent of strawberries and vanilla fills the room and I inhale deeply, pleased with my shampoo and conditioner choices. The bathroom is steamy and the entire mirror is fogged over now. I can't remember the last time I took a shower long enough to fog even a small mirror. Hot water wasn't to be wasted in my mother's home. There were seven of us who usually had to shower and the water heater had just enough storage to provide hot showers for each of us so long as they weren't longer than ten minutes each.

I towel off and run the new comb Alfred was smart enough to buy through my hair. It's a little different, not snagging on knots every few seconds, but it's definitely a welcome change. Soon my hair falls smoothly to my hips, cold droplets of water falling from the ends. I briefly debate putting my hair up before discarding the idea. If I was going to change my look, it was going to be a full change.

I go back into my bedroom, the clothes I picked laid out on the bed, and change quickly. While the shower was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I probably shouldn't have taken quite so long. Alfred said the representative would be here within the hour and I'd already used about half of that hour up. I didn't like being late. To anything. So the thought of the representative possibly being downstairs already definitely kicked me into gear.

I change quickly, leaving my borrowed clothes on top of the dresser and head for Dick's room. I knock lightly and wait a moment, hearing movement from inside. A moment later the door is open and Dick is grinning out at me, "You are definitely a girl. That took forever."

I scoff, "It did not take that long."

He laugh and shakes his head, stepping into the hallway. As he's shutting his door behind him I notice his eyes move up and down my body, taking in my new look. The blush is back in his cheeks now and he clears his throat, motioning down the hallway, "Well, let's go then."

For a moment I wonder if maybe my clothes are no good. I chose something rather simple. Blue sweatshirt over a black tank top, fingerless black gloves, a black skirt with a blue belt, thigh high blue tights and black converse with blue laces. It's different from what I used to wear but I'm pretty sure it's normal for this place. I remember how the other members of the Team dressed and this really isn't that odd. So maybe…

I cock my hip and tilt my head to the side, "What? Do I look weird or something?"

His cheeks are flaming now, "N-no. You look…you look good."

This time it's my cheeks heating up as I smile, "Thank you."

He nods mutely and once more we move in silence down the hallway.

We're at the stairs when Dick pauses and turns to me, "Don't be nervous. I had to go through about twelve of these little meetings when Bruce took me in. Back then he was new to this so they had to vet him a little more thoroughly. If you're luck you'll only have a couple of these meetings before everything is settled. They're basically going to ask you how you wound up here and other questions about your treatment and stuff. It's generic stuff they have to ask. Obviously you can't tell them how you actually wound up here."

"I was going to say I was wandering around and when I became hungry I tried to get into the kitchen of the first place I stumbled across which happened to be here. Alfred found me and when Bruce was told he gave me a meal and asked about me before offering me a place to stay. I figured that would work and it is partially true," I shrug slightly, glancing down the stairs where I can hear voices coming from somewhere down one of the side hallways.

"That's good. They probably won't go into too much detail with you. Apparently being on the streets is considered 'traumatizing' and talking about it can bring back bad memories," Dick rolls his eyes now, "It's all a little ridiculous if you ask me."

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By the time we get to the main living room Dick has gone over just about everything question I could be asked and we've discussed my answers as well. I'm feeling pretty confident about this meeting and any nerves I was feeling have been settled. I just have to make it through this meeting and maybe one or two more and then I'll be a ward of Bruce Wayne. I still can't really believe this is happening.

"Ah, Miss Pierce, there you are. We were about to come find you. Thank you for escorting her, Master Richard. I've made a fresh batch of cookies if you would like to accompany me to the kitchen?" Alfred is standing across the room from us while Bruce is sitting in an armchair with a woman I don't recognize on the couch across from him.

Dick nods, giving my arm a short squeeze, "Good luck."

And then he's walking out another door with Alfred behind him and I'm left alone in the room with Bruce and a social worker. All those nerves suddenly come flooding back and I swallow thickly before moving to the armchair to the left of Bruce. The social worker is smiling kindly, her salt and pepper hair pulled back into a low bun and glasses perched on the edge of her nose. She reminds me of my grandmother and I find myself smiling back.

"Hello, Addilyn. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dorothea Wilkins and I work with Gotham Child Services. I've been assigned your case," her voice is soft and warm, matching the smile still stretching over her face.

"It's nice to meet you too," I say, not really sure what else I'm supposed to say at this point. I've never met a social worker before, never needed to have a meeting like this.

She turns to Bruce now, apparently satisfied for the moment, "Mr. Wayne, I understand you are trying to obtain legal custody of Miss Pierce? Similar to the guardianship you have over Mr. Grayson, yes?"

Bruce has a wide smile on his face. I recognize it as the one he only ever uses in public, when he has to be the golden child everyone expects him to be, "That's correct. I believe Addilyn found her way her for a reason. I have the means to care for her and Richard seems to have taken a liking to her as well. It would be nice, to have another young face around."

Dorothea nods, scribbling something down on a notepad, "And Addilyn, how did you wind up here? Your last foster home said you went to bed one night about a year ago and by morning you were gone. No one has really seen you since."

I shrug, "I was hungry. I decided to stop at the next house I found and take what I could. It just happened to be Mr. Wayne's home and his butler. Alfred, found me. I thought they were going to call the cops for sure and I would wind up back in foster care or maybe even juvie. But Mr. Wayne offered to let me stay here. He said he knew what it was like to be alone in the world. He told me about Di-Richard and how he helped him. I thought it sounded too good to be true until now."

Dorothea's smile has widened by this point and I can tell she's more than a little eager to let Bruce have his way in this. After all, another happily placed child means less work for her. She looks back over at Bruce, "Well, since we've already been through this process with you once it should be much simpler this time around. We know your home is suitable and we know Miss Pierce will be well cared for. Plus, it's always better to have children placed in the custody of one family if possible. Stables environments are always ideal!"

Bruce chuckles and smiles brightly, "Well, I'm glad to be of help. We're more than happy to take Addilyn in and provide her a healthy home."

Dorothea clicks her pen shut and puts her notepad in her bag, "Well, that should do it for today then. We should have all of the official paperwork ready for you to sign within the next week."

"Sounds perfect."

Dorothea stands, brushing a hand down her clothes to remove any wrinkles and turns to me, one hand held out, "It was very nice to meet you Addilyn. You're a lucky girl, finding Mr. Wayne like you did."

My smile is a little more forced this time as I take in the double meaning behind her words. I wonder just how many people will think the same thing of me: the orphan girl who ran to the richest person she could find. None of them will know I didn't mean to end up here, they'll just see the child who wanted a rich benefactor. I take her hand in mine, "It was nice to meet you too. I'm very lucky it would seem. Mr. Wayne is very generous to offer me a place in his home."

Dorothea turns her gaze back to Bruce, removing her hand from mine quickly and holding it out to him instead, "Always a pleasure, Mr. Wayne."

"The same to you Dorothea," he agrees, shaking her hand and leading her toward the door.

I sigh and fall back into the armchair once they're out of the room. The meeting was much shorter than I thought it would be and Dorothea didn't ask nearly as many questions as I was expecting but I still feel stressed out from the whole ordeal. She very easily could have denied Bruce custody and taken me from here. I don't know what I would have done then.

"That was quicker than I was expecting," Dick's voice makes me jump. He is standing right behind my armchair, resting on the top of it. I didn't even here him come in. Freaking Bats.

"She asked me one question. That's it," I tell him.

He frowns, "That's definitely less than what they asked me. Maybe it's because you were already in the system. Technically they already knew everything about you."

"That's true, I didn't think about that. I guess I was just expecting all the questions about parents and siblings and feelings. But they probably already did all of that when I was younger."

Dick nods, "More than likely. Plus, people don't really like telling Bruce no and since they already went through this once with him they trust him and have a file for him already. Not really much else to do."

Bruce comes back in then and the smiling billionaire is gone replaced by the stoic Batman, "That went well. Once the paperwork is signed they won't bother us anymore, they learned last time not to try and make me jump through all their hoops."

"So, I guess that means I officially live here?"

Bruce nods, "It also means you will need self-defense. Alfred said he mentioned it to you this morning?"

"He did," I pause and glance at Dick, not really sure if I should mention joining the Team yet. Dick just nods encouragingly and I take a deep breath, "I was also wondering about possibly joining the Team at some point?"

Bruce's face goes till but I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. I know he's probably calculating our all the risks of allowing me on the time and weighing them against the possible pros of having me join them. I hope the pros outweigh the cons but there's really no telling with him. I may know a lot about Batman and his world but I was always more focused on Dick and how he reacted to things. He was my favorite after all.

After contemplating for several more minutes he seems to reach a decision, "We'll see how you do with self-defense first. You'll need to train until I'm satisfied you won't get yourself or any of your team members killed. If you manage to reach my standard, I will let you join Dick on the Team. Of course, you will have to hide your identity as well and none of them will know you're from another world."

I'm beaming by the time he's done, "That sounds perfect! So, when do we start?"

I swear I see a slight twitch of amusement but it's gone a moment later, "If you already have workout clothes purchased we can start immediately."

"I do! I'll meet you in the cave in like five minutes!" I'm practically bouncing on the balls of my feet now, excited about the idea of getting to train with the Batman and maybe even Robin.

Dick cackles from behind me and moves toward the door, "Come on the, I wanna get some training in too. We can head back down together so you don't wind up lost in a random hallway somewhere."

"You know, I am going to figure out the layout of this house eventually and you won't get to say things like that anymore!"

"Yeah, but until then I'm milking this for all it's worth."

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Ten minutes later I'm standing in the middle of a sparring mat in the Batcave still not believing this is happening. Dick is standing across from me, a smirk on his face, stretching while Bruce's finishes something up on the Batcomputer. Dick has changed out of his sweatshirt and pants and is now wearing the blue and white tank with black bottoms I remember seeing in an episode. My clothes are just as simple: blue tank top with black spandex shorts. Dick also handed me a pair of boots when I first came in. They're feather-light and made of a strange material I've never seen before. Apparently, they help with stealth and they don't hinder movement like normal shoes. I love them already because of how comfy they are.

"You ready to get your butt kicked?" Dick asks as Bruce walks into the room. Even he's changed into workout clothes: black shirt and black shorts with the same black shoes Dick handed me. Somehow, the amount of black is not surprising.

"In your dreams, Bird Boy," I scoff, my slightly competitive nature seeping out. This is the most normal I've felt since waking up and I can't help but let a little sass through. I need to move one and acting like myself is the best way.

Dick barks out a short laugh, "Oh, this is definitely going to be fun!"

Bruce approaches us and stops a few feet away from me, "First things first, do you have any fighting experience?"

I blink, "You mean beside three years of karate when I was seven and extremely basic self-defense?"

Bruce nods.

"No."

Dick cackles again, "Yep, definitely fun."

Bruce's mouth twitches into the smallest of smiles as he glances over his shoulder at Dick, "Go practice on the bars for a bit. I'll assess her skills and we can go from there."

Dick groans but moves toward the other end of the room where all of his gymnastic equipment is set up. I watch him for a second as he swings easily onto a set of bars and starts throwing his body around them like it's nothing. A tiny twinge of jealousy goes through me before I push it down. He was raised as an acrobat, it only makes sense he's that good on gymnastic equipment. Still, I want to be that good one day.

"Alright, we'll run through a few basic moves and some light sparring just so I can get an idea what we're working with. Why don't you show me your defensive stance?" Bruce's voice draws my eyes away from Dick and back to what I should be focusing on.

"Right," I think for minute, trying to remember the karate lessons from my childhood. I'm pleased when my body easily slips into the old stance, somehow remembering how it feels. Huh. I can't even remember the last time I practiced any sort of karate.

Bruce walks around me slowly, studying me for a moment in silence, before humming softly, "You said you took karate classes as a child?"

I nod, "I started when I was seven and stopped when I was ten."

Bruce pauses for a moment, adjusting my elbow ever so slightly, "Your stance is different than I would expect from karate classes. You never learned Akido?"

I blink, "Not that I know of. I'm not really even sure what that is."

"Interesting."

Before I can even blink Bruce's fist is flying toward me. My body seems to move almost on its own, grabbing the fist and twisting my body until I'm suddenly behind him with his wrist in my hand and pressed between his shoulder blades. I squeak and drop his arm immediately, "What the heck just happened?!"

Bruce rubs at his wrist for a moment, "I was testing something. It looks as if you've somehow managed to acquire a bit of fighting ability. I don't know how. Perhaps whatever dragged you here wanted to make sure you could survive as well."

"So you're saying I can fight?"

Bruce nods, "Somewhat. You'll still have to train a lot, your moves are sloppy, but you're not a blank slate and you have raw potential. Strength, too."

"That's so cool!"

Bruce just nods and lets out a high-pitched whistle. There's a soft thump on the mats behind us and in a moment Dick is standing next to me. His eyes are bright and excited, "Do I get to spar with her already?"

"Yes. But remember she hasn't been training as long as you have. We don't need her breaking any bones on her first day."

Dick gives Bruce a mock salute, "Aye, aye Captain!"

Bruce moves back a little ways as Dick positions himself in front of me. He looks like he's about to burst from excitement as he bounces from one foot to the other, "You ready for this Addi?"

"Bring it on Dick!"

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Two hours later, I'm a sore and sweaty mess sprawled over the sparring mats. Two hours of having my butt handed to me has made me seriously doubt Bruce's first assessment. I can't fight, not even a little bit. Obviously it was just beginner's luck and I'm going to have to train hard for years before I can even begin to hold my own. I'm never going to be part of the Team at this rate.

"That was good! Bruce is right, you're sloppy but we can train that out of you!" Dick is grinning as he stands above me, looking like he isn't even tired.

I roll my eyes, "Good? That was awful! You kicked my butt all over the place."

Dick cackles, "Yeah, but I've also been doing this since I was nine so…"

"Yeah, yeah but it's going to take me forever to get as good as you!"

"Not if you practice! Come on, Alfie doesn't like when we show up for dinner sweaty," Dick offers me a hand and I take it, letting him pull me up.

I groan as the muscles in my arms and back twinge painfully. God, tomorrow is going to suck, "I could use a nice, long shower anyway. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow."

"Maybe Bruce will go easy on you and only make you train for half the day."

"I'm gonna be sore forever, aren't I?"

"Nah, just for the first couple of weeks probably."

"A couple of weeks? Man, I'm really regretting not being more active in my previous life."

"Don't worry, you'll catch on quickly. You really are doing well already! Bruce was right, you have raw potential you just don't have any training yet so it's kind of useless. You'd survive a fight with some of the lower level goons but you're definitely not at boss battles levels yet!"

"Boss battle? Is that what you call your fights with Joker?"

Dick nods with a wide grin, "I mean, in video games he would be the boss battle so I figured why not call it that in real life? It definitely feels like a boss battle whenever I go against him."

"Those battles do seem to be a little bit harder from what I remember seeing. Especially Joker," I shiver, "I don't ever want to be alone with him. He's terrifying."

Dick gives a small nod, "Bruce tries to keep me out of the battles involving Joker."

"With good reason! Joker is insane."

"I know. He kind of terrifies me too. I won't ever tell Bruce that though, he'll never let me near another Joker mission again if I do."

I nod, knowing he's right about that. I can still remember reading about the incident with Two-Face, Batman wouldn't let Robin on patrol for a long time after that. He technically fired him. That was hard to read and seeing Richard so injured was awful. While that battle didn't happen in this version of the multiverse, I imagine Bruce's reaction would have been fairly similar in this multiverse to his counterpart's.

"Honestly? He terrifies me too and I've never actually met him," I tell him quietly.

He gives me a lopsided grin, "I think that's normal. If you weren't afraid of him I would think something was wrong with you."

"I would have to agree with you on that. I bet even Bruce is a little scared of him," I say quietly.

Robin gives a slow nod, "I think so too. He wouldn't be so hesitant to let me near him if he wasn't."

"Definitely."

Dick grabs a towel and wipes at his face, "We should probably go shower now. Bruce is going to come looking for us soon."

I nod, knowing he's probably right. Bruce left us to train on our own once Dick started walking me through basic takedown moves and kicking my butt quite effectively. It was obvious by that point I was going to need a lot of training and Dick obviously had a handle on the basic stuff well enough to teach it to me.

"Hey Dick, I didn't actually have the upper hand with Bruce did I?" I ask before he disappears into the locker room.

He smirks and gives a small chuckle, "No. He was testing you. He could have easily taken you down but he wanted to see what you would do."

I frown, I guess I should have expected that. Me? Getting the upper hand with Batman? Yeah, as if.

"If it makes you feel better, you passed," then he disappears through the locker room door and I'm left feeling oddly satisfied.

And that's another chapter down! I hope you all liked it! I didn't want Addilyn to be totally useless but I also didn't want her to start out at like Robin level. I've seen that done way too much! I am planning a few things in regards to her…capabilities. I plan on revealing those at some point in the next few chapters! I am in love with the amount of reviews I've been receiving and all the feedback ya'll have provided me! It's all so useful and I definitely take into account all of your thoughts when I'm writing! So keep those reviews coming!

Until next time,

Mercy