I forgot to say thank you very much to Artemis Raven Courtney for her inspiration for this series.
GOTHAM
BATCAVE
Damian walked down the staircase holding Helena bundled to ward off the chill in the Cave. He glanced down at the days old baby that he held securely. She blinked up at him. Ma had told him that it could take weeks, even months, for a baby's eyes to change but he was certain that he could see a difference.
"We're going to go talk to Father, Helena." He told the baby as he strode across the Cave to the medical bay. "This behaviour is simply unacceptable. He is a brilliant man our Father. You will learn that as you grow. He just does not deal well with emotional chaos. I did not see him when Jason and I were taken from him. This situation with Kyle is highly disturbing. He must pull himself together. Gotham needs him. We need him. You need him most of all."
Damian stopped outside the medical bay. "He has not left here since the night you were born. It is not right. I will get through to him if I have to beat some sense into him. You will help me." Damian smiled slightly. "I know, you are a baby what could you possibly do? You are cute and you are his. That is an important tie. I know that better than anyone. More importantly, you are hers. That will get through to him. We will make it get through to him. You just have to be more stubborn than Batman, little sister, and all will be well. I promise you."
With a deep breath, Damian stepped into the medical bay. Bruce sat in a chair with his head in his hands. He hadn't bathed in several days and his face was forming the beginnings of a beard.
"Father." Damian spoke from the doorway.
"Not now Damian." Bruce didn't so much as lift his head from his hands.
"Yes now, Father." Damian stubbornly held his ground. "How long do you plan to stay down here Father?"
"I don't answer to you Damian." Bruce finally lifted his head to look at Damian and flinched slightly at the sight of the bundle in Damian's arms.
"Did you forget you have a new daughter?" Damian's tone was dry with sarcasm.
"No. How could I possibly forget that? No matter how much I might want too?" Bruce's response was ice cold.
Damian was taken aback. He knew his father was in pain, suffering, but he hadn't expected this, that his father would just want to forget Helena regardless of what her birth had caused. No, his father hadn't meant it. It was simply the pain talking.
"None of this was Helena's fault. Ky – Selina would rain down Hell on your head if she could hear you, see you. You have not even looked at Helena since Lance carried her from this room. Selina would never forgive you for that." Damian glared at his father.
"Damian, you don't understand. I just…" Bruce stared as Helena shifted in Damian's arms. The blanket fell away and Bruce saw his daughter's face for the first time since she was born.
It had been a bit of a blur. Dinah and Alfred had whisked her away quickly while Leslie worked frantically on Selina. He'd heard her cry from behind him and then Alfred had returned to help Leslie. She looked like him, though, didn't she? It was hard to tell at a few days old but he was certain she looked more like him than Selina. It made an odd sort of sense since Damian was almost an exact copy of him.
"I hope her eyes will turn green." Damian interrupted his thoughts. Bruce realized he was not only standing but had crossed the room. "Ma says it could take a while but they could turn green like her mother's."
"Like yours." Bruce said softly. He suddenly wanted to reach out and touch her. "May I hold her?"
"….Yes." Damian disliked giving her up but they were here to convince their father to recognize his daughter. Damian gently passed her over.
Bruce stared at her with wonder in his eyes and then his gaze flicked to Damian. "She looks like us, doesn't she?"
"I like to think so." His mouth quirked up. "Although, Todd is claiming she looks like him."
"Of course he is." Bruce looked back down at Helena. "Your brothers are going to fight over you. It's going to drive you crazy but no one will fight harder for you either."
"Grayson is calling her 'cub' already." Damian told him.
"Cub?"
"Selina was unable to provide an appropriate nickname and she calls you 'Tiger'. Hence 'Cub'." Damian rolled his eyes. "Grayson said it was his right as eldest."
Bruce smiled slightly. "Yes, I think she would like that."
"Father…" Damian hesitated slightly. "I will be blunt. You need a shower and a shave. Some sleep would not be amiss either. I will stay here until Pennyworth agrees you may return."
Bruce eyed Damian silently. Damian braced for the argument. Finally Bruce nodded.
"There is one thing I need to do first." He turned and walked to the medical bed he had been sitting next too. Selina lay in it comatose. He lay Helena on top of her careful not to disturb any tubes or wires. He leaned down and kissed Selina. "You have to wake up now. We all need you. Most importantly, our baby girl needs you. You don't want to leave her here with me, do you?"
"I'm going to go upstairs for a little while. Damian and Helena are going to stay with you." Bruce kissed her again. "I'll be back."
Bruce straightened and walked out of the medical bay, pausing to give Damian's shoulder a squeeze on his way out. Damian waited until he was gone to take the chair at Selina's bedside.
"Good job, Cub." Damian stroked a finger done the baby's back. "Your next assignment is harder. You have to get your mother to wake up. Catwoman is much more stubborn than Batman. I have faith in you."
Damian settled back in the chair to wait.