All characters belong to their respective companies

Damian's only detour had been stopping at Leslie Tompkins clinic to have Richard checked out before taking him to Gordon.

He'd learned that he preferred to be called Dick (Damian has already told him he's not calling him that) and that he's fluent in at least three languages but had only started learning English in the last year when he learned that they would be touring the east coast.

His English was near flawless. Damian was impressed and a little shocked Richard didn't consider this one of his fluent languages and registered it under the category of comfortable. There were a lot of languages he was comfortable with, he could speak in full sentences and knew more than just basic questions. He, honestly, probably had more range than Damian. It was very impressive indeed.

After Dr. Tomkins had deemed him safe and provided a dry change of clothes, Damian contacted Gordon to let her know that he had Richard.

Damian wanted to avoid relinquishing him. He was very afraid that they would lose track of him. A likely possibility anymore. One he wasn't going to risk. But Gordon would fight that. No way would she let Richard hide away illegally with Damian.

They'd come up with a neutral meet up spot that wouldn't draw too much attention.

Richard clung to Damian's arm. He was exhausted and rightfully afraid. What he really needed was a warm meal and a safe place to sleep. But he'd promised Gordon, and while he didn't call her the minute he had him he did call the moment he genuinely was safe.

She nearly leapt out of the patrol car when they approached but calmed herself.

"Do you remember her?" Damian asked Richard.

He eyes her suspiciously as she gets closer. There isn't immediate recognition.

It's obvious she wants to scoop him up in her arms and run. She hesitates with whatever she's going to say. "Hi Dick."

"You're the police officer." His voice is so quiet Damian almost doesn't catch what he says. He still hasn't let go. Damian was doubtful that he would. His fingers dug into Damian's armor..

She smiles lightly before nodding. "I am, and Dick, I- I am so sorry. I didn't know they were going to send you there. I wouldn't have let them if I'd known."

Damian knows that's true enough. She would do a lot of things if people would provide her with all of the information the first time.

Richard shrinks up against Damian's side, as if he was trying to hide. "You said I wouldn't have to go back."

"And I meant it." Damian replies firmly. "I won't let you go back there."

"You're not going back there Dick." Gordon confirms. "But you can't stay with him either."

"Why not?" Richard's voice fills with emotion so quickly. He's been so overwhelmed by the night's events.

"Dick, he's- He's a vigilante. I know he does a lot of good, and I don't think for a second that he would ever purposely hurt you, but it's not safe with him."

Richard doesn't budge. Damian certainly isn't going to make him.

She lets out a long breath through her nose. Almost sounding like a frustrated sigh. She looks up at Damian.

"I can't let him go with you." She sounds defeated.

"He's been through enough tonight. He'll be safe with me."

"Maybe that's true enough. But what about long term? Hm?"

"I already have a plan."

"Sparrow. This is a human child. Okay?" Her tone is borderline offensive. "This isn't some evidence from an active crime scene, this is a child. I cannot let you just keep him in your hideout."

"I'm not taking him to my hideout." Damian shot back. "I am taking him home. Where he can have a warm meal and a bed to sleep in. Where he isn't harassed by the kids in St. Agnes or Zucco's thugs. He'll be safe."

"You know Hood killed four of those guys."

"If you're looking for sympathy from me, you're going to be looking for a while."

She looks back at Richard, who now is essentially hiding in Damian's cape. Gordon wants to fight this choice. She doesn't want to lose Richard again, but she doesn't want to cause him any more stress.

"I'm going to find a better situation for him, but for tonight. Just tonight." She very clearly wants to cry.

Damian can fight that easily enough.

Richard's grip doesn't relax at the news. Damian turns slightly to scoop him up. He buries his face in Damian's shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He tells her.

"I suppose so." She whispers before she turns to go back for her car

Richard sits at the counter on one of the bar stools. His head resting against his closed fist as he fights sleep.

Damian decided to take him to a safe house instead of home. It would have everything they needed and would most definitely be way less overwhelming than the Bat-Cave and Manor.

He resists the urge to smile as Richard is clearly fighting a losing battle. "Here." Damian places a bowl in front of him. "I'm sorry it's from a can. I'm not much of a cook."

Richard picks up a spoon. "This is fine, thanks."

"There is only the one bed here, you can have it. I will sleep on that couch over there."

"Oh, well-" Richard protests.

"I insist."

That seems to end the dispute.

Richard, exhaustion be damned, is ravenous. Damian thinks he probably should've just given the boy a straw as the spoon appears to be slowing him down.

"Did they not feed you at all?" Damian asks.

"I mean they did." Richard wipes his mouth with his sleeve. "But it was just peanut butter crackers and stuff like that. It wasn't real food."

"Do you want more? I have more."

"No no this is more than enough."

Damian doesn't believe him, but won't argue that point. This can hold him until morning.

When Richard does go to sleep Damian is struck with the realization he now had a child under his care. He's never taken care of a child before. He had no idea how he was supposed to do that.

He's not sure why this didn't dawn on him sooner. If he didn't hand Richard over to Gordon he would be taking care of him. He isn't sure if he's lucky or not that Richard isn't an infant. He worries that he somehow persuaded Richard to come with him instead of going with a better option. If this was the worst idea in the world. He worries what his father will say, what he'll think?

If Richard does stay, permanently, will his father permit that? Or will he say it's too dangerous. Will he attempt to teach Richard how to fight crime or will he send him back to the circus with people that know and love him.

Damian doesn't even realize he's spiraling until he's up and pacing the living room.

He can't help but feel he's made the worst decision of his life, of this kid's life.

But, at the same time, the very idea of letting him go somewhere else. Of sending him with some other foster family or back to the circus, wherever they ended up, kills him inside. He hasn't known this child for more than three hours and he can't let him go.

Damian glances through the ajar door. He can make out the sleeping figure. He realizes he made this choice that cold, dark, rainy night. It was always going to end this way.

Richard was staying.

Normally, for something like this, Damian would opt to work with the appropriate channels. It's important to remind himself that the system is still necessary. But it would take months to authorize himself as a guardian and it would take even longer to get Richard back in his custody. He absolutely refused to leave the boy in limbo for an unknown amount of time.

The only person who would truly question the decision would be Gordon herself. Damian knew how suspicious this would look to her. He's basically telling her he's Sparrow by doing this but he will not subjugate Richard to the system any longer.

It's not hard to forge the needed documents and authorizations. This is the only time Damian is mildly thankful that the CPS system is woefully incompetent. He still plans to make major changes in due time.

By seven in the morning he had successfully secured custody of Richard. He can now keep him in the manor without raising suspicion.

Damian doesn't even realize he'd dozed off until the sunlight shining through the window is glaring in his eyes. It's only a couple of hours later. Almost noon. He's a little surprised Richard wasn't awake. Everything he'd heard about small children was that they were all early risers no matter when they were put to bed.

When Damian goes to check on him, he's still sound asleep. He belatedly realized this was probably the first good night's sleep he's had in over a month. He needs to figure out something to feed the kid.

He didn't keep produce or anything that would go bad quickly in any of his safe houses. No bread, milk, eggs, vegetables, or anything else of that nature. It was too wasteful. He kind of wishes he'd at least left bread here. Everything was designed to be stored for months on end. He tries his best to check on his various safe locations to keep everything in working order but if he does get busy for whatever reason, he doesn't want to deal with cleaning out the pantry.

He does know he can't just leave to go and get stuff. There's no point with them leaving when Richard does wake up. He doesn't want to walk around in the open too much. He doesn't want to draw attention. This needs to stay under wraps for both of their safeties.

Staying here much longer also ran that risk.

Damian still feels completely out of his depth. He remembers the stress his father was put under when he was presented with the opportunity to raise Damian himself instead of leaving him with his mother. He wondered if his father had also had these thoughts. If he'd attempted to back out of it at any point.

He'd only been a little older than Richard when he'd been sent to live with his father. The reasons were also drastically different. Damian remembers hating it and wanting to go back to his mother. He knows why now but he didn't then.

Does Richard understand what's happened to him? Probably not. He's only nine. That's not very old. He would with time. Damian already worries what that will look like in later years. He worries Richard may become resentful that his autonomy was stripped from him, that he was snatched from his home and culture and forced into a new way of life. That he may resent Damian for the part he played no matter Damian's reasons behind it.

Damian doesn't really know how long he stands in the kitchen, braced against the counter, questioning the logistics of this decision. He doesn't hear Richard come out, he doesn't even know the child is there until he's standing in Damian's line of sight.

"Hello." Damian greets, straightening up.

"How long were you standing there?" Richard asks him.

"I am not sure. How did you sleep?"

Richard can feel the awkwardness of the exchange. "Fine." He looks out the window. "What time is it?"

Damian checks his watch. "Two."

"Wow, I slept for a while." Richard walks closer to the window to get a better look.

"Have you ever been to Gotham before this?" Damian finds himself asking as he moves to stand next to him.

Richard doesn't look at him, he's taking in what he can see from the window. "I'd never been to America before this. I was hoping I would get to see Superman when we were in Metropolis but I didn't get the chance."

He says it almost wistfully. Damian often forgets that most people don't really see the League in person. He never gained the novelty of meeting people he'd seen on the news and TV, it was just never an option.

Richard would possess this novelty. He'd only seen the Leaguers in their glory. He would jump at the opportunity to see his favorites in action, especially on their home base. Damian is not at all surprised it's Superman. He's often the favorite of small children which Richard does still qualify for.

"Perhaps I can introduce the two of you some day." Damian offers.

Richard's gaze snaps up at him, there's an innocent wonder in his eyes that Damian thought would've been extinguished. He's glad it's still there.

"Really?" The wonderment of his tone almost forced a smile on Damian's face.

Almost.

"I have known him for a very long time. I'm sure I could work something out."

Damian seriously doubts Kent would have any issues with it anyways. He regularly visits children's hospitals and makes appearances at charity events for this very reason. He understood the way he was viewed. Kent has never been one to think of himself as above everyone else, he has always been one of them.

That and the look on Richard's face is more than enough to convince Damian that he must meet Superman.

"We will head home shortly." Damian tells him.

"I thought you lived here. That's what you told Lieutenant Gordon last night. That you were taking me home. You're home."

"I figured that would be a bit much for you. This is just a place I can go to as needed. If I'm injured or too tired to make it back that night."

"Oh. Do a lot of superheroes have places like this?"

"Yes, they are incredibly useful for a variety of things."

"How many do you have?"

"Three. This happened to be the closest one."

"Do you live far away?"

"Far enough that we cannot reasonably walk there. We'll need to get a cab or something."

"Why not just take your bike?"

"Because it's the middle of the day and we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. There are still people after you."

Richard's face falls with that news. "I thought that'd be over by now."

"It won't be over for a while."

He seems to fall back in his thoughts.

"Well, I was really only waiting for you to wake up." Damian tells him. "So let's head out there now so that we can also have some real food to eat that isn't from a can."

Well it looks like this year is gonna end... weird. Don't start any fires this New Years!