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"I know this is… strange. But I couldn't leave him." Damian tells Pennyworth.

"I have been presented with stranger requests." Pennyworth tells him as he discreetly watches Richard in the dining room. "I will admit that I did not expect this from you."

"Neither did I." Damian admits fully.

Pennyworth had waited a little before even attempting to question Damian on the situation. He greeted Richard and made him a sandwich before pulling Damian away.

"I do think it is very noble of you to want to give this boy a better life." Pennyworth places a hand on Damian's shoulder.

He can remember a time when he would never have allowed the elder man to ever do something like that. How things had changed.

"You don't think it's a bad idea?" Damian can't help the honesty. Pennyworth has always provided the best advice, no matter how it made someone feel it was always right.

"It is never a bad idea to help someone in need. And it's not as if we don't have the room. I only wonder what your intentions are."

"I just want to give him a safe life to live." Damian watches Richard too. Finally able to articulate his desires for this. "I want him to be able to live a full life, to have every opportunity. I just want him to be happy."

"Then I see no reason why he can't stay."

"I do feel I may have created a problem with Lieutenant Gordon."

"Why is that?"

"She allowed Sparrow to keep the boy for the night while she figured something else out. There is no way she won't see me, Damian, as obviously Sparrow keeping him indefinitely. She'll fight this."

"Then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now. We should get him settled here."

"There's something I need to do first." Damian tells him before exiting the kitchen and sitting in the chair next to Richard.

"Your house is huge." Richard tells him the moment Damian sits down.

"And very old."

"Do you live here alone?"

"No, my father lives here, along with Pennyworth, our butler."

"Your dad is Batman. Do you live with Batman?"

Damian can't say Richard doesn't know how to read between the lines. Damian has been more than a little surprised at how much he picks up from social cues alone. It's a reasonable conclusion to make in this situation. And if Richard does stay, it's not like he wouldn't figure it out eventually.

"He is. I do." Damian confirms.

"That is so cool." There's almost a smile on his face. Not quite, more like its shadow.

Damian hasn't seen him smile yet.

"Richard, I wanted to ask you something. I want to make sure you're okay with it before we go any further."

Richard's focus locks on Damian. The gaze is a lot sharper than Damian is used to out of children.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to stay here. Live with me and my father, for as long as you'd like. I understand if you chose not to or change your mind in the future. This offer won't expire. You can leave now and come back two weeks from now or ten years from now and you would be welcome. But I want you to know you have the option."

"I could live here? With Batman and the Sparrow?"

Damian huffs out a laugh. Of course that's what he'd focus on. "That would be the idea."

Richard thinks for a moment. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Like I said, this option is always available to you."

Richard scans the room again. "It must've been so cool to grow up here."

"You probably had a much 'cooler' childhood than me. I didn't grow up here. I lived with my mother until I was ten, then I came here."

"Why?"

"It was no longer safe for me there. She felt I would be safe with my father."

"Where's there?"

"I grew up on an island, far away."

Richard can see there are many details Damian is purposefully leaving out. He's sure Richard will learn them in time. But not yet.

Once he was finished with his meal, Damian showed him the room he would stay in.

"This is bigger than our trailer. I really don't share this with anyone?" Richard asks him.

"It's a very large house. There isn't a need to share rooms." Damian tells him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with all of this space."

"I didn't build the house. I also think my room is too large."

"Is Batman here?"

"No, he is on a mission with the Justice League."

"With Superman?"

"Yes, along with Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter and Hawkman and I believe a Green Lantern."

"Have you met all of them?"

"Yes I have."'

"How did you become Sparrow?"

Damian thinks for a moment. He'd never told that story before.

Richard notes his hesitation. "Is that not a story you like sharing?"

"It's not one I have ever shared."

"Oh. Why not."

"I've never had a need to. Anyways. There is plenty more in this house to show you. I'll give you the tour.

Damian could tell Richard was chatty. Part of it was that he simply liked to talk but the other part was something he was sure the child didn't even realize he was doing. Seeing how people responded to questions physically can be even more telling than how they responded verbally. Damian didn't have an audible answer for all of Richard's questions but he was getting one all the same.

It took Damian a moment to realize just how much he was letting this kid in on. It was subconscious. He knew there was no malice intent. But it did point to an untapped skill. How he could manipulate situations he was in for information. Damian was not a natural at this, neither was his father. It had taken them both years to perfect the craft.

Yet this nine year old had no issues steering conversations around exactly where he needed them to go, and he was doing it all unintentionally.

Damian was kind of jealous.

He left Richard with Pennyworth to go on patrol.

With Batman gone and him working this case, the streets had been lacking in oversight. And he had some unfinished business with Gordon that needed to be addressed.

She stood next to the decommissioned bat signal. It hadn't been lit in years. Not since Commissioner Gordon's death.

"Lieutenant." Damian greeted upon landing.

"Sparrow. Where's Dick?" She asked. Her tone was clipped.

"He's fine."

"A little birdy told me was sent to be with Damian Wayne."

"I heard that as well."

"I thought that was odd since Damian Wayne turned eighteen like four months ago and showed no signs that he was wanting to be a foster parent or anything like that. And when I looked at Dick's placement, that isn't even what this is. This is certification permanent placement. Which takes months to go through. It's been less than twenty-four hours. I can only draw two conclusions from this. But I'm going to be nice and let you defend yourself. Give you the chance to clear all of this up."

"He's fine. That's all that matters in the end."

"I told you, he's a child. Not a pawn. From where I'm standing all it looks like is you are playing games with his life. I'm not going to stand for it. I don't want to come after you but I will if I must."

"You're evidence, if you want to even call it that, is circumstantial at best. Do you think I don't know how to cover my own ass? Gotham City's CPS system lost him. They let him get kidnapped by Zucco's men and didn't do a damn thing until you stepped in. I'm not really worried about how Damian Wayne suddenly taking this random child in looks when they have that on the record."

"I would be very careful of who you make enemies with Wayne."

"I'm not Wayne. Bruce or Damian. And even if I was, like I said your evidence is nothing. You have no case here. Grayson is safe. He'll be fine. It's not like he's somewhere where you can't check on him regularly. Let him be."

She wants to keep arguing. She is furious at how Damian has stepped over the line. Vigilantes aren't known for things like this. She had no way to anticipate what he would do. It is a little unfair.

"You can't guarantee his safety there." She's clearly grasping at straws.

"No one can guarantee safety anywhere. What I have guaranteed for him is the best chances in life that he could have. Your priorities don't need to be towards him anymore. Zucco got away. Perhaps you can focus on apprehending him."

"Are you saying it's my fault he got away?"

"Hardly. What I am saying is your priorities are askew. You did what you needed. Richard is safe and he is going to be fine. Now it's time to find the people responsible. I trust you can find him but I wonder now if you're willing to put forth the effort."

He's playing dirty. He knows it. She puts more than her fair share of effort into everything she does.

"Finish what your father started." He changes his tone. He needs her to be willing to work with him. "Take down Falcone and Maronie and The Penguin and The Red Hood. Dismantle organized crime in this city. It's what he fought for, it's what Batman fights for, it's what I fight for. We want to help you."

She stood there for a while, observing him. Going over his words.

"It's an ambitious fight." She replies warily.

"One you are more than equipped for."

"It's what you want? Organized crime gone? It's a lot of your top informants."

"With organized crime gone, we won't need them."

"I can't say I am going to agree with you all of the time."

"I would never expect that out of you."

"I'll consider it."

That's all Damian could really ask for at the moment.

When he gets back from patrol he's barely out of his suit before checking on Richard.

According to Pennyworth all had been quiet. He's relieved. Richard wasn't known for being rambunctious or problematic but, in a new environment, a kid's behavior can change drastically.

Damian goes into the study. He isn't sure why. He sits at his father's desk and gets lost in thought.

"You know you have never looked more like me than in this moment." His father tells him upon entering the room. "I hear you've had an exciting couple of weeks."

"You could say that." Damian tells him as he settles in a chair opposite the desk. "How'd the mission go?"

"Nothing of note to report back. All very routine. Alfred did mention I should come see you, apparently there is something you want to talk about."

"I assume you already know."

"That you took in the Grayson boy? Yes, I set up an alert whenever your name pops up in legal documents. Just in case."

"Pennyworth doesn't think it's a bad idea, but, I don't know. I just can't shake the feeling that I'm ruining his life."

Father sighed. "Do you remember when your mother sent you to live with me?"

Damian furrowed his eyebrows. "I do."

"That first six months was rough. You hated it here and I felt completely inferior. I didn't think I was cut out for taking care of a child."

Damian does remember it like that. He had run away several times.

"It was on the six month mark, I think, when you came back after the third runaway attempt. I was going to contact your mother to discuss other options."

He hadn't been aware of this. That his father had at one point attempted to hand him off.

"Alfred said that I should give it one more week." Father continued. "One more week with all my effort going into developing a relationship with you. I distinctly remember telling him it wouldn't change anything and he told me to do it anyway. Something changed that week, do you remember it that way?"

"I do."

"I realized all you were wanting was proof I cared. Once I provided it, the rest was easy."

"That doesn't feel very relevant to my situation."

"Damian, you've provided plenty of proof you care. The rest is easy. I'm not saying taking care of him will be easy, because that's not true. Taking care of you is one of the most difficult things in my life. But the relationship, that will be. The best thing you can do for him and continue doing for him is proving that you care every day. The rest will fall into place with time."

"I didn't think you were able to provide solid advise." Damian teased lightly.

His father huffed out a laugh. "Sometimes I have wisdom to share."

"Sometimes."

Damian heard when Richard came down for breakfast. He wasn't trying to be quiet.

"He must be awake." His father commented while reading the day's newspaper.

"Must be." Damian agreed, focusing back on his breakfast.

Damian listens as Richard greets Pennyworth before being instructed to wait at the table.

Richard steps into the dinning room, he locks eyes with Damian before noticing the back of Damian's father.

"Good morning Richard. This father is my Bruce, he got back last night."

"Oh." His voice is barely audible.

Father turns slightly to see Richard in his peripheral vision. "Join us."

He sees Richard hesitate slightly before going to Damian's other side to have a seat.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Richard." Father greets the boy warmly.

"Oh, us it's Dick, everyone calls me Dick. Except for Damian."

"I haven't heard a child nicknamed that in a very long time."

"Oh, I don't know, everyone's always called me that."

"Where are you from Dick?"

"I'm Romani but I was born in Spain. I had family there at one point. But I think she died."

"Did you spend a lot of time in Romania?"

"Not really, but I've never really spent a lot of time anywhere."

The conversation is interrupted when comes back out with what appears to be a plate of eggs.

"Thank you Alfred." Richard tells him as Pennyworth disappears back into the kitchen. He watches maybe a minute more before stage whispering. "Are you Batman?"

His father is unprepared for the question. He looks at Damian questioningly.

"He knows father." Damian confirms. "You wouldn't have been able to hide it for long anyways. He catches on very quickly."

"So you are Batman." Richard asks again.

"Yes." Father tells him helplessly.

"How'd you become Batman?"

"It's a long story but, in short, like you my family was taken from me when I was young. I made an oath that I wouldn't let something like that happen again. I'm sorry I couldn't stop it from happening to you."

Richard studies him. "That wasn't your fault. I thought about what Damian asked me yesterday."

"Did you." Damian hopes he's anticipating correctly.

"I want to stay here. This is all new but I think I should stay."

Damian smiles widely. He doesn't do it often. He can't suppress it, no matter how much he tries.

"I'm glad you decided to stay with us."

Richard smiles back just as wide. It's the first time Damian has ever seen him smile.

"Can I fight crime like you guys?"

"Absolutely not." Damian is firm. That isn't an option.

"C'mon, I'm a quick study. I can learn."

"Maybe later in the future. When you're bigger." Father offers.

"Well then you can train me until then."

"No." Damian repeats.

Richard's smile turns mischievous. This fight was not going to be easy, and Damian worried it was not a fight he was equipped to win.

Almost done, posting the epilogue tomorrow