A small whimper shook Dick out of his peaceful sleep. He cracked open an eye and saw Jack squirming next to him. Dick stretched as much as he could without disturbing Jack. His arm was asleep and his back hurt from staying in the same position all night. Dick sat up and picked up Jack. "Hey buddy, you hungry?" Dick asked. Jack whimpered and squirmed in his arms. "Let's go get something to eat, huh?"
Dick carried Jack down the stairs and through the sitting room. He stopped short at the sight of all the bags. "What's all this?" Dick asked Bruce who came in carrying the last few bags from the garage.
"This is for Jack." Bruce said setting down the bags. "I figured you were ready for him to stay so I went got everything you will need."
Dick stared at all the bags. "You went and got all of this?"
"Yes," Bruce said as he began sorting through the bags.
Dick chuckled. "How did the other customers take the sight of the mighty Bruce Wayne buying baby supplies?"
"They couldn't stop staring at me with wide-eyes and slack jaws." Bruce said with a smirk. He sighed as the smile vanished. "Dick, that's something we need to discuss."
"What?" Dick asked.
"People are going to wonder why Bruce Wayne was buying baby supplies. We're going to have to tell the public something."
Dick sighed and looked down at Jack. Bruce stood and crossed his arms. "Dick, I know this is hard for you…and if it makes it easier for you," Bruce looked over at Alfred, a little afraid to say it. He took a deep breath. "If it makes it easier for you, then we can say that Jack is my biological son."
Dick stared at Bruce in shock. "What?" he asked.
"Dick, I need you to understand that I don't want to replace you as his father. I just want to protect you. The press is not going to spare you any grief if they learn the truth."
"I know that, but" Dick returned his gaze back to Jack. "If I let you do that, I feel that I wouldn't… that I just… I don't know. I need some time to think about it." he said return his gaze to Bruce.
Bruce sighed. "Ok, but you need to make a decision soon."
"Ok." Dick said. Bruce gave him and encouraging smile. "There is one person I want to call."
Bruce stared down at Dick. "Are you sure?"
Dick nodded. "Yeah, she was there for me through the whole…incident and I think she needs to know. And it doesn't hurt that she's good at this kind of stuff."
Bruce was quiet as he contemplated the decision in his head. After a while he nodded. "I think you're right. She would be asset right now and Lord knows you need her in all of this."
Dick's smile grew. "Thanks Bruce." The stared at each other for a few minutes, eyes conveying words that their mouths couldn't say.
"All right, Master Bruce if you would finish sorting the bags. Master Dick, I do believe it is time to feed Master Jackson, but first," Alfred said before holding up a diaper and baby blue onesie with and airplane one the front, "he needs to be changed."
Dick looked at the diaper with wide-eyes. "Um, Alfred, do you think you could…show me how to…" he asked trailing off.
Alfred smiled warmly. "Of course Master Dick, I will be happy to teach you."
Dick's shoulders sagged in relief and he returned the smile.
Bruce busied himself with taking things out of bags and putting them in different piles. He couldn't help but listen to Alfred's lesson. "Alright Master Dick, set him down gently. Mind his head now. Hold his feet a little higher." Bruce smiled.
BREAKLINE!
Dick was pacing around the sitting room, nervously tapping a hand against his thigh. Jack was lying down a blanket, struggling to keep his head up to gaze at the few toys that were in front of him. Dick ran a hand through his hair. She was supposed to be here any minute. Just as that thought crossed his mind, the door to the sitting room opened. "Richard Grayson, why haven't you been at school and why on earth did I just see Bruce trying to put together a stroller?" Barbara cried as she strolled up to Dick.
"Barbara, there's someone I-" Dick started but Barbara continued.
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"
"Sorry, but I-"
"You didn't even bother to call. You just let me worry. If I had done this to you," Barbara stopped short, staring at something or someone behind him. "Um, Dick, care to tell me why you have a baby in your sitting room." She asked with a creepily cheerful voice.
Dick turned and saw Jack's head bobbing with the effort of keeping it up right. "Oh, that's Jack." He said.
Barbra moved toward Jack. "Let me guess, after all of his wild relationships, one of his girlfriends finally sent him his share." She said kneeling down next to Jack and playfully moving his toy.
Dick crossed his arms. "No, he isn't Bruce's."
"Whose is he then?" Barbara asked without looking at him.
Dick took a deep breath. Might as well get it over with. "He's mine."
Barbara froze, her eyes widened. Her hand hovered above Jack, still holding the toy. Jack attempted to reach for it, but still not being strong enough to hold himself up, did a soft face-plant into the carpet. She scooted the toy just with in Jack's reach before she stood. Barbara turned and saw Dick's serious expression. "You're joking right?" she asked fearfully.
Dick shook his head, "No"
Barbara just stared at him, slowly putting the pieces together. "If he's yours, then that means…that you…and Zatanna was…Oh My God!" she exclaimed covering her mouth with her hands.
Dick just nodded. Barbara stood and pulled him in to a hug, which Dick gratefully returned. "I'm sorry, Dick." She whispered.
"I'm not." Dick mumbled into her hair.
Barbara pulled away, looking confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, sure what happened was horrible and I never want it to happen again, but I wouldn't trade him for anything." Dick said looking at Jack with love in his eyes. Dick reached down and picked Jack up, cradling him in his arms.
Barbara gazed at father and son with a warm smile. "You're completely devoted to him."
Dick grinned. "He's all mine." He said before giving Jack an eskimo kiss. Jack let out a bubbly giggle. Dick jerked back in surprise.
"Was that his first laugh?" Barbara asked with a smile.
Dick nodded before doing it again, earning another laugh. Both Barbara and Dick laughed along with him. Suddenly the door to the sitting room open and Alfred stepped in. "Good morning, Miss Gordon, it is a pleasure to see you." He said.
"Lunch is ready." He said.
"Thanks Alfred, we'll be down in a second." Dick said to the faithful butler.
"Very well." Alfred said before leaving the room.
Barbara smiled toward the closed door. "Alfred doesn't seem changed by all this." She said turning back to Dick.
"Yeah," Dick replied. "But remember, he has done this before."
Dick suddenly felt a chill run through him. "I don't know if I can do this Babs." He whispered as he stared at the infant nestled in his arms.
"What?" Barbara asked having not heard him.
"What if I mess up? I am not nearly ready for this." Dick said a little louder.
Barbara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Dick, no new father ever feels ready for this. They just suck it up and do it."
"Yeah, but most of them have a lot more life experience than me." He replied with a bitter laugh.
"True, but that doesn't make them more qualified." Barbara said. She then moved closer to him so that their knees where touching. "Anyone can be a father Dick, but it takes someone truly special to be a dad. You can do this, I know you can." She finished with a smile.
Dick gladly returned her smile before another thought melted it away.
"What?" Barbara asked seeing the frown.
"Bruce thinks we should go public." Dick said looking over at her.
"Are you sure that's the best thing to do?" Barbara said concern showing in her eyes.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Dick replied. "I see the logic behind it with getting my story out first and everything, but there are always going to be people who are going to judge me and I don't know how that's going to affect Jack."
Barbara was silent for a moment. "I think Bruce is right. If you try to hide this, people are going to think you are ashamed and that you did something wrong."
"But, I didn't." Dick said.
"I know that and so does Bruce and Alfred, but I think you need to say something to the press, if only to calm the waters a bit."
Dick sighed. "Ok," Another flash of fear ran through him. "Will you stay with me?" he asked.
She gave him a small smile. "Every step of the way."