Sorry for the really long wait, but I have no time to do anything. At all. Ugh.
Enter Babs and Alfred! And some Bats and Dick bonding. Yay!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing
Dick was waiting by the airplane terminal. Bruce had specifically told him not to get a taxi, he'd have someone come and pick him up. He hadn't said who, so now he was waiting and wondering.
Suddenly, he was all but tackled by someone. He tensed, readying for a fight, but relaxed when he caught a glimpse of red hair. Of course.
"Hey, Babs. Long time no see. Did you miss me?" He laughed.
"Miss you?" Barbara yelled, sounding part outraged, part happy, part relieved, and part amused. "We didn't know where the heck you were for three years, or even if you were alive, and now you finally reappear and everything's just fine and dandy?" She took a breath. "Of course I missed you, idiot!" She hugged him, hard. Dick hugged her back.
Barbara released and stood back, looking him up and down. "Damn, Dickie, you grew. You're a lot taller."
"Is that all anyone can comment on?" Dick asked, amused. "I missed you too Babs."
They stared for a few moments, then Barbara sighed. "C'mon, hunk wonder." She teased. "I'm supposed to take you to the manor, but I have to call Bruce first. Something about Alfred?"
"Oh yeah, we're trying to surprise him. He doesn't know I'm coming." Dick informed her.
"Good luck with that." Babs said, with a bit of an evil smirk. "Make sure you get a video of his reaction. And for god's sake. don't give the man a heart attack." Dick shrugged. "I'll do my best."
Once in the car, they drove in silence for a few minutes before Barbara spoke up. "I'm going to kill Bruce." At Dick's questioning look, she elaborated. "He didn't tell me about you. He just told be to come to the airport terminal, and I'd know why when I got there." Dick smirked. "Guess that's as close to a prank as Bruce'll get."
They called Bruce, and then silence reigned again, before Barbara asked just where the heck you've been for three years, to which Dick replied, "Jump City." She smacked him and told him to explain. Smirking, he told her that he had taken up the mantle of Nightwing, which led to another smack and a demand about why he hadn't told her. This led to a conversation in which Dick told her about the Titans and life in Jump with Barbara frequently asking questions or smacking him. It lasted all the way to the manor, where Babs dropped him off. Bruce opened the door for him.
"He's in the kitchen." Bruce said quietly, winking at Dick. "Good luck… and welcome home."
Dick smiled at him. "Thanks, Dad."
He continued past him and snuck into the kitchen. The butler was just pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven; some things never changed.
"Would you care for a cookie, Master Richard?"
Dick froze. "How… how did you?"
Alfred gave him an odd look. "Master Richard, I raised both you and Master Bruce. I am quite capable enough to know when he is up to something. In addition, I am observant enough to notice when Master Bruce is assembling elaborate care packages, making plans to take most of this month off, and switching out the linens in your room. It was not difficult."
Dick laughed sheepishly. "I should've known. Bruce isn't very stealthy when he isn't being Batman. And I would be insane to turn down your cookies, especially since I haven't had them in forever, Alfie."
Alfred rolled his eyes at the nickname and passed him the cookies. Dick quickly polished them off. "Man, I missed your cookies." He said contentedly. "There's nothing like 'em in Jump."
Alfred nodded. "So you are Nightwing then." Dick stared at him. "How did you… you know what? Never mind." Alfred hid a smile. It was good to keep the masters guessing sometimes.
Bruce walked in and announce, "I put your stuff in your room, Dick. I hope that's alright."
"It's fine." Suddenly, he turned and punched Bruce. "That's for being about as subtle as a train wreck and giving Alfie enough clue to put everything together. No cookies for you."
Bruce smiled indulgently at the boy. "I suppose you'll be eating all of them then?"
Dick smiled innocently. "Well, we wouldn't want all of Alfred's hard work to go to waste, would we?" Bruce's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Of course not."
Alfred watched from the side with a smile. It was so nice to see father and son acting like, well, father and son again instead of enemies. He only hoped it would last, and it seemed like his hopes were about to be put tot the test. Bruce was about to go over some rules.
"Dick, about patrol…"
"I can't go out with you, I know. If Dick Grayson and Nightwing appear in the city at the same time, someone'll put the clues together and get the right answer. It's smarter if I stay back in the cave and help with things then. Plus, Nightwing has no association with the Bats anyway, and I sure as heck am not trying to squeeze into my old Robin's costume." He grinned.
Bruce blinked. He had been expecting some sort of argument. Dick apparently read his surprise in his expression. The young man shrugged.
"I've learned to look at the bigger picture more, look at things from every perspective instead of just mine. Think more strategically, realistically. More… rationally I guess."
Bruce starred at his surrogate son, surprised and impressed. Maybe going to Jump had been good for him. Then again, Bruce could tell how worn down he was, and there was a haunted expression in his blue eyes that he couldn't hide. Bruce knew that Dick had been through hardships while in Jump, and that he was hiding something from Bruce. Bruce would try not to pry though. If there was one thing Bruce had learned, it was to trust his son.
And he would
Yay! Bruce is learning! He's not a stubborn idiot! All the time...