Original idea: AU version of how the batfamily comes together and still functions in a more real life world. Still have all the crazies in it though. XD This is a more real life take on how the Batfam would exist in a more grounded, realistic world. Mostly new takes on their origin stories, told to one person in particular.

Wayne Family Orphanage

Welcome to the Manor

The police car rolled up to the gate's intercom, carrying only two occupants, soon to be one. The officer inside pressed the button and called in. "Bullock here with another one for ya. Looks like a semi-permanent. Case file already in the big guys' hands. Open up!"

As the iron gates opened before him, Bullock glanced over to the kid in his passenger seat. Black hair, blue eyes, semi-comatose state, tragic past, yeah, this kid was going to fit right in. The boy couldn't be older than seven and hadn't said a word since the incident.

That wouldn't last long. Every kid he ever met who went to this place, even for a little while, became loud and excitable within a month. It was like the Olive Garden: when you're here, you're family.

As soon as the car was in front of the house, the greeting party ran towards it. Bullock thought it was best to warn the kid now. "Well, here yer are. Yer home away from home until this mess gets sorted out. They're a bit weird kid, but they mean well. And besides, yer've got a lot in common with them."

He reached over the boy and opened the door for him, nudging him out of his seat. The kid stared at him for a moment, then scooted out the door to face the elaborate building and the two young adults grinning at him from the stairs. The boy hardly heard the car door slam behind him or the vehicle drive off. He didn't even respond when both adults were coming towards him. It was only when the tall, limber man knelt down before him, placing his hands on the boy's shoulder that he responded.

The young man grinned happily as he spoke. "Hey there kiddo. Welcome to Wayne Manor. I'm Dick Grayson, the first official orphan resident."

The boy gaped at him silently, bewilderment filling his eyes. Dick couldn't help but to smile. "I know, I'm old enough to live on my own, but Bruce needs as much help as he can get around here. I kinda owe it to him since he started all of this because of me.

"This is Barbara Gordon," he tilted his head over to the redhead in glasses behind him. She waved with a smile, leaning over a little to be on eye level with him. "She's a regular volunteer here too. Her dad's the Commissioner, and he's personally working on your case."

To this the boy's face opened up a fraction. He heard about the Commissioner of Gotham City before. He was the head of the police department right? That meant he was the best. The best was going to help him.

"In the meantime though," Dick continued, "you'll be staying here with us. Come on inside and meet the rest of us."

"There's lots of room," Barbara started, picking up the kid's one bag. Dick gently took the boy's hand, letting him still hold onto his stuffed monkey. Slowly they helped him up the stairs to the manor's large doors. "This was originally the Manor House of the Wayne family, built back in the early eighteen hundreds. It's had hundreds of renovations over the century and more rooms than there's ever been residents.

"Well, permanent residents at one time," she amended. "Since Bruce turned this place into an orphanage for violent crime victims, there's been hundreds of residents since then. But only a handful of permanent ones."

"And permanent doesn't mean unable to be adopted," Dick insisted. The boy looked up to him, confusion in his eyes. "It means we didn't want to leave. Bruce believes very strongly in giving us choices. If he could adopted everyone, he would have."

The boy cocked his head to the side, still not understanding. Barbara picked it up quickly and punched Dick in the arm. "Hey stupid, you're going too fast for him."

Dick laughed it off as he pulled one of the double doors open for them. "Sorry sorry. I get ahead of myself sometimes. Let's take it back a notch.

"It all started with me when I was eight," the man began, leading them into the front entryway of the manor. "I saw my parents fall to their deaths during a show at our circus." The kid's eyes widened in shock, suddenly remembering his own trauma for a moment and unable to fathom how this guy could laugh and smile now.

"It wasn't an accident like people first believed. The other day I overheard Tony Zucco threaten the circus manager if he didn't pay protection money. Then before the performance I saw him near the ropes, pretending to be one of the hands. But few people would believe me when I told them, so I was sent straight to a juvenile facility without any say in the matter.

"Bruce Wayne was in the audience, and considering his own past…" Dick let it hang, shrugging. The kid looked at him blankly. He didn't know anything about this 'Bruce Wayne', and so far no one would tell him a thing.

Seeing his confusion, Barbara explained. "Everyone who lives here is an orphan kid, and by rule of thumb, only you're allowed to tell your story. At least the first time around."

"Well," Dick continued, "not everyone's an orphan. We've got a few who live here because of other reasons. But nearly everyone's connected by violent crimes."

"Or just violence," Barbara murmured.

"Anyway," the man tried again, helping them into the main parlor, "back to my story and how this all started. Bruce wanted to take me in back then, make sure I had a good life. But due to his playboy reputation and tendency to travel the world back then, the courts denied him. All the money in the world can't buy you a kid nobody wants it seems.

"So Bruce found a way to beat the system!" Dick grinned broadly as he finished his tale. "He decided to turn this huge place of his into an orphanage for all of us. Trauma victims, criminals' kids, key witnesses, all the ones the cops should keep track of but sometimes forget. He and Alfred run the place with a few other workers.

"We have a resident doctor, cook and jack-of-all-trades here. Lots of room to run around, and so many options, you'd think we were living in the lap of luxury!" He looked around cheerily as he finished his tale. "Bruce took on me and probably two dozen more problem kids from the local orphanages, keeping it to a certain criteria, and that's how all of this started."

"Most of the kids are reconnected with long lost relatives who actually give a… hoot… about them," Barbara explained, placing the boy's bag on one of the couches in the room. "Bruce is all about family and making certain people can recover after what happened to them. If none can be found—"

"Especially after a million background checks on those he does find," Dick piped in. "He's not leaving anyone with a psycho."

"Then they go on adoption."

"Always to a good family that'll love them and keep in contact with the rest of us." The man grinned. "I've got quite a few friends out there."

"We all do." Barbara smiled fondly at a memory of someone for a moment. "Since Bruce opened up his home, his whole image has changed."

"Hmm… mostly." The sneaky look on Dick's face would have made anyone over the age of ten laugh. He gestured over to the mantel where several individual photographs stood. On either side of the fireplace were rows upon rows of group pictures, each with a year at the bottom of them. Looking at them all, there was only two years when this man's face was not present, somewhere in the middle of this timeline.

"The world now views him as a big time family man, one who still can't get a wife for himself. Everyone on the mantel there are us permanent and semi-permanent residents. Meaning we've been here for at least three years straight and really don't care to leave."

The kid looked over the pictures on the mantel, curiously looking at each one. He saw Dick on the end closest to him, grinning from ear to ear in a police uniform and showing off an award he received. Next to him was another young man, this one with a white lock of hair in front and giving the camera an annoyed glare with his green eyes while he was trying to get out of the engine of a car. Then came an Asian girl who merely looked curious while fiddling with the dress she was probably forced to wear. Besides her picture was one of an amused late teenager in glasses looking over his shoulder from his computer. Another young lady was in the picture next to his, much older than he, wearing a business suit and looking like she'd like to teach someone a lesson in manners. The last photograph on the mantel was a kid no older than twelve with a surly expression in a prim suit. Each of them had black hair and the majority had blue eyes of varying shades.

"Dick, Jason, Cassandra, Timothy, Helena, and Damian," Barbara concluded. She gave Dick a chiding glance. "I still think Stephanie and I should be included since we've come here all the time since we were kids but…"

"Rules are rules Babs." Dick shrugged helplessly. He looked up in thought. "Besides, if we included you two, we'd also have to add Bette and Kate. Maybe even Selina, or Katrina."

"Katrina's a runaway," the redhead insisted. "I don't care if her family sucks, she shouldn't just run away from them. Report them sure, but to just run off and bug Selina like that—"

"GIVE IT BACK JASON!"

And that's where I stopped.

Now that I think about it, I came up with a lot of alternate universes...

I didn't even get to the point where I gave the name of the new kid. That's Terry McGinnus. Everyone's in this story, including mentioning the teen titans, all generations. Mostly I take out the aliens, supernatural enemies, serious crazies, and demonic organizations, and replace them with our typical mafias, gang bangers, thugs, and so forth. There's also corporate espionage. I think this may have been an early blueprint for DNB too. Mostly though, it's a retelling of how they came to Bruce's manor, why they stick around, and how they help each other still as a more normal, disjointed, family. Terry's there to guide the audience through this world, especially since he's a traumatized kid who's dad was murdered and his mom and baby brother Matt were kidnapped. he's a material witness in the case and that was the best place to put him.

Really should have finished the first chapter. Ah well. Up for adoption! Just remember to keep it as realistic as possible. I've watched a lot of cop shows over the years so I've got a fair idea how things would go. Not perfect, but fair. Enjoy!