Hailey heard happy voices coming from the manor entrance. She'd been reading in her room. But the voices carried up the stairs and through her open doorway and distracted her. She padded out into the hallway and peered over the rails in time to see Richard and Tim happily chatting as they made their way to Bruce's office behind the stairs. She thought it was odd to see them together. Although, the Drake's were their neighbors so it was a safe bet they'd met before.
Hailey wanted to greet Richard. It wasn't very often she got to see him. But when she knocked on the office door no one answered. Her curiosity got the better of her and she entered the room. Only to find that it was empty. Maybe they'd walked out again. She searched for them in the kitchen, the main living room, and the media room before she gave up and made her way back to her room. She knew she was missing something but decided not to dwell on it. The manor was too big to search everywhere and she figured she'd just see them at dinner.
She'd fallen asleep on her window seat where she'd curled up after dinner. She'd been sad she hadn't seen Richard and that he hadn't stayed for dinner. It'd gotten pretty lonely in the manor since her brother's passing. She regretted not having gone into Gotham that day. She figured she'd sneak away the next day. But in the morning Bruce knocked on her door waking her. She quickly got up just to be informed that her stepmother, Lynn, was dead. Hailey wasn't sure if she was supposed to care about a woman who not only hated her but chose to send her away as soon as her dad was out of the picture. But for some reason hearing that the same man who'd killed her dad had killed Lynn, made her feel numb.
"There are some people that don't stop at hurting just one person because not even the law can stop them."
Jason's words came back to her. He was right. He'd been right all along. Hailey just didn't know what he was talking about at the time. But now, she understood perfectly well…
"Jason was right," Hailey murmured just loud enough for Bruce to hear.
"Hailey," Bruce said and placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She'd gotten lost in her thoughts after what he told her and he thought he'd leave her to them but now he wasn't so sure. "What are you talking about?"
Hailey looked up at Bruce a bit surprised as if she'd forgotten he was even there then shook her head. "Nothing."
Bruce nodded and got up. He decided it was best to leave her alone for a bit. Hailey followed him to the door.
"Dick and Tim are here. They'll be having breakfast with us," Bruce told her hoping to see some reaction from her.
"I'll be down after I change," Hailey said but she hadn't truly registered what he'd said to her. She shut the door behind him and then leaned against it. She didn't feel like going downstairs at all. But she'd already told Bruce she was so she made an effort to change and get ready to have breakfast with her family.
Bruce sighed and made his way downstairs. He hadn't expected the news to hit her so hard. Hailey never even asked about her stepmother or said she missed her like she did about Jasper in the beginning. She'd never even asked why she couldn't live with the woman. Though Lynn's rights had been removed when she was suspected of wanting to kill Hailey as well as having a hand in her husband's murder. But there hadn't been enough evidence to even take the matter to court. Lynn was released and never bothered to enforce her parental rights. Bruce was glad that was the case and managed to legally hold on to Hailey without Lynn's knowledge of where she was. Now that Lynn was dead, Bruce could begin the process to adopt Hailey. He just hoped Hailey wouldn't object to that. He didn't want her to think that he didn't want her. He'd done a spectacular job of making her think that was the case in the aftermath of Jason's death. Though in her own way, Hailey made him aware of it and didn't hold it against him. She was a bright girl and Bruce truly cared for her as he did his boys. Unfortunately, his mission came first. But that didn't mean he couldn't take care of her. And he didn't consider placing her with a different family even though he was now certain she was no longer in danger. Alfred simply worried too much for his own good.
During the remainder of her summer break, Hailey was becoming increasingly worried about Tim Drake's presence in the manor. He was there almost every day and even seemed to have his own room. At first, Hailey hadn't batted an eye. She was still reeling over the fact that Lynn's death hadn't affected her other than to make her angry about the fact that criminals were just able to do whatever they wanted. Nothing seemed to stop them short of taking them out. Having those thoughts constantly on her mind made it hard for her to see what was right in front of her. It was during dinner one night when Hailey noticed Bruce smiling about something Tim said that she decided she couldn't overlook the situation any longer. But she didn't know what to do about it. Then Tim said something to her that she hadn't even paid attention to but she lost it due to his attention on her.
"No!" she said furiously startling both Tim and Bruce. She stood up and stalked out of the room. "I will not put up with this!"
"Hailey?!" Bruce called out to her and she stopped in the hallway. Bruce stood up and followed. "Hailey, is everything alright?"
"Of course, it isn't!"
"How about you explain it to me then," Bruce said calmly. He had no idea what had gotten into her. "Maybe I can help."
"Help?! You did this!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "How could you?"
"I don't follow," Bruce said with a slight frown. He couldn't remember having done anything that would make her this upset.
"Tim!" She gestured wildly in the direction of the dining room.
"What about Tim?" That was a revelation. Was she upset that he was coming over so often?
Hailey screamed out of frustration and ran off to her room slamming the door behind her. Bruce heard her scream again and he sighed. He had absolutely no idea how to deal with a pre-teen girl. The boys had been easier to understand and they mostly argued with him about having more independence. As far as he was concerned, he'd given her a wide berth especially now that he knew what she did with her free time in Gotham.
"Bruce, do you mind if I talk to her?" Tim said nervously as he looked up towards the second floor. He couldn't help but take what had happened personally.
Tim had been worried about the way Hailey had been ignoring him as of late but he wasn't sure how to broach the subject without making it even more awkward. Especially since he thought she was upset that he was training with Bruce and Alfred to become Robin. He had known that they couldn't keep that part of his life from her but he didn't know when he'd slipped. How had she figured it out so fast? He'd been so careful.
"Did something happen between the two of you?" Bruce asked curiously but sternly.
"What?" Tim said and looked at Bruce. He realized Bruce was upset about some nonexistent problem when he caught the slight frown forming on his brow. "No! I just think she knows why I'm really here."
"I doubt that's it but if you want to take a stab at it," Bruce said and looked a little unsure.
Tim nodded and bounded up the stairs. He knocked on Hailey's door and announced his presence. The door creaked open and Hailey peered at him through the crack suspiciously.
"If you're here to convince me to go along with their arrangement, you have another think coming."
"Arrangement? What are you talking about?" Tim said thoroughly confused.
Hailey opened the door wider and stared at him.
"The betrothal."
"What?!"
"Your mom obviously talked to Bruce and he agreed. Why else would you be here practically every day?" Hailey crossed her arms over her chest as if she was daring him to challenge what she'd just said. She had thought Tim was in on it. But it seemed he hadn't known.
"Are you sure about that? You heard them talking about it? Because I have not heard anything about that. Like at all," Tim said gesturing with his hands, slicing one through the air to punctuate his statement.
Hailey huffed in annoyance and stomped down the stairs. She would get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Tim followed at her heels. He needed to know if it was true. Jeezus. Was that the reason his mom was always talking his ear off about Hailey to him. What if it was true? Dear god.
"Dad!"
"Bruce!"
Bruce stepped out of his office when he heard the kids calling out to him. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he waited for them to tell him what was going on.
"Tell him!" Hailey said pointing at Tim.
"Tell him what?" Bruce said looking from Hailey to Tim hoping to receive some sort of clarification.
"Did my mother convince you to arrange a marriage between us?" Tim asked pointing from Hailey to himself. He was sensible enough to give all the facts without assuming the other party knew how to read minds.
Bruce smiled as he looked at them. He couldn't believe they were worried about that. Janet Drake had brought up the topic to him in passing but she was not especially serious about it. She simply toyed with the idea even though Jack rolled his eyes in the background. He was not planning to arrange a marriage for Tim. And Bruce would never do that to Hailey. But seeing their concerned faces and the increasing worry the longer he stayed silent, made him chuckle.
"Bruce?" Tim said now sweating and wiping his brow. "When-when did you even talk to my parents about this?"
Hailey screamed in aggravation and ran up the stairs slamming her bedroom door. From her room, they heard her say, "I'm not getting married! You can't make me!"
Bruce laughed and squeezed Tim's shoulder.
"Tim, there was no such arrangement made."
"Why didn't you say so?!" Tim said in utter frustration. He felt his body slump after the buildup of the anxiety he'd been feeling dissipated quickly once he found out he had nothing to worry about.
Bruce shrugged, chuckled, and walked away.
What the hell? Since when did Bruce have a sense of humor. Granted it was at Tim's expense but still, it was so freaking bizarre.
It took Tim half an hour to convince Hailey that they were not betrothed. It wasn't until he told her that he was over so much because he was undergoing some training that she finally relented.
"Training?" Hailey said curiously then flipped onto her stomach from her back.
She'd been laying on her bed as the argument droned on. She was just giving Tim a hard time. She had believed him the first time he told her. He was extremely emphatic as he did so it was hard not to believe him. And she knew Bruce could be an ass when he wanted to be.
"Like coaching for business stuff?" She peered at him closely. He was sitting on the chair of her desk. "Are you trying to usurp your dad's business from him like Hugo?"
Usurp? Who the heck talked like that?
"Who's Hugo?" Tim said trying to think if he knew anyone by that name.
"Sebastian Bennet's son. The once owner of Bennett Worldwide," Hailey said sitting up and leaning forward.
"Bennett Worldwide? Never heard of it," Tim said with a shake of his head. He thought she was making all of this up but so long as she didn't question him about his training he didn't mind.
"That's because Hugo took it from him without his father's knowledge. Then he gave it to his mistress who in turn swallowed it up into her company Skyscend. How do you not know any of this?"
"Skyscend? Where is this company from?" Tim said humoring her. She had a very wild imagination.
"Riverside, duh," Hailey said and sat back. She kicked her feet up and down. "Anyone who watches 'Moments of Ours' knows that."
"You're talking about a soap opera?" Tim said incredulously. His mother watched that soap all the time. He didn't think anyone his age watched it. And what she asked him... "You're comparing me to a fictional character?"
"Shut up!" Hailey said standing up and rushing over to Tim to slap a hand over his mouth. "You can't call them that or one of them will die."
"Mmmffgh!"
"Tim! You probably killed someone off the soap!" Hailey covered her mouth and stared at Tim wide-eyed. "Why?"
"You're crazy," Tim said and crossed his arms over his chest.
Hailey dropped her hands and smiled widely. At Tim's quirk of an eyebrow, she just started to laugh.
"Oh my god, this whole family is crazy!" Tim said and stood to leave. First Bruce now Hailey. What the hell was wrong with them? Was it pick on Tim Drake day and he was the last to hear about it?
"It's Mrs. Saurez's favorite soap, you know. And she's very superstitious. If someone dies, I'm telling her what you said. She'll be so mad at you she'll refuse to come to the wedding," Hailey said matter-of-factly.
"There will never be a wedding!" Tim said already in the hallway.
Hailey just laughed again and jumped back on her bed pulling out a book from under her pillow to start reading.
She was very happy to know that what she had presumed wasn't true. Tim was cool and all but she was way way way too young to get married.
