A/N: So I checked and its about time for an update.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Batman

January 12th

Wayne Manor

Dick Grayson felt tiny. He felt smaller than ever as he curled up in the big chair in the room. He had pulled an old comforter over himself. With it over him, it didn't even look like he existed. He was so small that he simply disappeared into the scenery.

That was what he wanted to do: disappear. If he did, then maybe all his fears would go away. All the terrible nightmares would be gone. Maybe then he wouldn't be scared all the time or so sad.

He knew Bruce was trying. The man had been around more and had been kind to him in the seven months since he'd been adopted. Bruce was caring for him. Bruce wasn't the warm happy person his parents were, but Dick still… he still loved him in his own way. And he knew Bruce loved him back, or at least cared for him.

But even that didn't stop him from feeling so sad. He missed his parents so badly. It was nights like these that were the worst: when he'd wake up in the middle of the night entirely alone. Alfred and Bruce would just seem to disappear and he couldn't find them so he was all alone with his nightmares.

Dick began to drift off in the chair. Darkness was about to take over his senses when a sudden woosh sounded. Dick froze. Slowly he crept up, peering over the edge of the seat.

The grandfather clock had risen! Somehow the tall clock was now hanging from the wall, revealing a dark shaft behind it. Then, even more surprising, Alfred stepped out of the shadows! Dick covered his gasp. Alfred pulled a lever and the clock once more fell back into position, covering the opening behind it.

The butler didn't seem surprised about what had just happened. He dusted off his jacket briefly before going on his way.

That must have been where Bruce was! He and Alfred must disappear to- to well, wherever that thing lead- during the nights.

Curious, Dick crept to the clock. He found a lever behind it. When he pulled, the clock moved up on the wall, silent as ever.

Dick's eyes widened as he stepped into the dark cavern behind it. Then, without warning the clock fell back down in place. Dick gave a cry as a metal door closed in front of him. Then he was moving.

It was an elevator! It only took a few moments before the elevator doors opened again.

"Woa." Dick gasped,

It was a giant cave. Not only that, but it was a giant cave filled with high tech gadgets. A huge computer lined the wall, with only a single chair before it. There were four cars below and behind them even more vehicles. He crept out, staring. And there! There was a giant penny! And over there a stuffed dinosaur! Then there a whole rack of weapons.

Suddenly the computer lit up. A picture of the Bat symbol appeared on it.

"Batman." He whispered softly.

This was the Batcave! He'd heard about Batman since he'd come to live in Gotham. He was the silent protector of Gotham. Some said he was evil, others said he was good. He was part of the Justice League though, so Dick just knew that he was a superhero.

Vroom!

Dick jumped away from the computer with a gasp. The batmobile was pulling into the cave. He was suddenly terrified. What would he do? He'd probably get in trouble! He knew he wasn't supposed to know that the Batcave was here!

He darted behind the computer consol just as Batman walked past him.

Batman!

The large black figure walked right past him. Dick breathed a sigh of relief and ran. Suddenly a hulking black shadow was in front of him. Dick skidded. His limbs seemed to freeze as a terrible icy stared fixed on him.

"What are you doing here?" The Batman growled out, deep and menacing.

"I-the-the clocked opened!"

Batman glanced behind him at the elevator, almost looking like he blamed it. He glanced back at Richard and glowered. "Upstairs. Now."

The boy's shoulders slumped at the anger in his tone. Batman was angry with him! What did Batman do when he was angry with someone? Dick was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

He slunk towards the elevator, not sure what to do from there. Then, a moment later, Batman was in the elevator with him. Batman pressed a button and they were rising up.

Dick stared up at the man. He was covered head to toe in dark armor. It was glistening slightly from the rain. He must have been out fighting crime. Dick wondered who it was. What was it like to glide over the rooftops? What was it like jumping off Wayne Tower?

"What?" Batman growled as the elevator doors opened.

"You're Batman!" Dick was embarrassed by how much his voice squeaked.

"I'm well aware of that." Batman said tersely. "Sit." He pointed to the chair Dick had just been in previously. Dutifully Dick sat, but his eyes never left the Batman.

"Alfred? Alfred!" Batman was hollering into the Manor.

The butler hurried in. "What is it Master Bruce… oh." Alfred trailed off. His eyes went from the batsuit to Dick, then back again. "Are you alright, Master Bruce?"

"He found out." Batman hissed, pointing at the child.

Dick gasped. Bruce. Bruce was Batman. Bruce was Batman!

"Given the circumstances, it was only a matter of time before he found out." Alfred pointed out simply.

Batman – Bruce – scowled. "He didn't need to know. He shouldn't know!" He turned his gaze to the boy. "Ok. Let's talk about what you saw."

"You're Batman! You're the Dark Knight. You stop criminals. That's you!" He pointed at Bruce as this would help prove anything.

Batman scowled. He leveled the boy with a dark look. Then, abruptly, the look faded. Batman's shoulders fell and he sighed. He pulled off his mask, revealing that he definitely was Bruce Wayne. Bruce looked tired and haggard.

"Dick," Bruce said slowly, kneeling before the boy. "You can't tell anyone about this, ok? If people knew I was really Batman, they'd hurt me. Not only me, they'd hurt you and Alfred as well."

Dick nodded eagerly. "I know. It's a secret identity."

"You have to understand Dickey. No one can know. You have to promise me you will never tell anyone."

"Promisiune." Dick swore. He held up his pinky finger.

Bruce gave a small smile and intertwined his pinked with Dick's. "Pinky promises are binding you know." He said.

"I know that." Dick said with a giggle.

He saw Alfred smile over Batman's shoulder. "Well then, I think we should have some hot coco." The butler announced and left.

"How did you become Batman?" Dick asked eagerly. Bruce sat beside him and Dick climbed over him. "Can I look in your utility belt? How much does that weigh? How come your hair isn't messed up?"

"One question at a time." Bruce said with a small chuckle. He pulled out a batarang to show the boy. Dick stared at it in awe, slowly turning it over in his hands. "I started years ago. I trained all over the world to learn different fighting techniques, different detective skills, and much more."

"What were you doing tonight?"

Bruce found, oddly, that talking with Dick somehow made things… better. Being Batman wasn't an easy job. It was a rather thankless job too. He was a vigilante working on the worst city in the world. He got beat up by criminals and mad men on a regular only person he could talk to about it was Alfred.

It was…nice. Nice to have someone to talk to. He'd never had someone stare at him in awe, or listen with such rapt attention, or be so intrigued by what it was. He talked to Richard about being Batman long into the day. Alfred was bringing them their third round of hot chocolate when Richard was finally starting to drift off, the excitement wearing off by then.

Then he asked the dreaded question. "Why did you become Batman?"

Bruce froze. His muscles suddenly tensed. His eyes immediately flicked to the photo of his parents over the hearth.

He didn't need to say anything. Dick understood. "You did it for them." Dick whispered.

Bruce nodded. "When they were killed I wanted to make sure that wouldn't happen again." A lump lodged itself in his throat as he looked at the boy beside him. "And I failed you."

Dick's face fell. He looked away for a moment. Then he looked back up at Bruce. "It wasn't your fault. That was Zucco." He said softly. He slipped under Bruce's arm, cuddling up close.

Bruce felt the lump disappear as the warm body pressed against his. They said nothing for a long moment. Dick was playing with the batarang, turning it over and over in his hands.

Then, softly, Dick said. "You're doing it to stop anyone else from hurting, right?" He asked, and at Bruce's nod Dick grinned. "I want to."

"Want to what?"

"I want to fight crime too!"

Bruce scowled. "I don't think so."

"I could be your partner!"

"I don't need a partner."

"Sidekick?"

"No." Bruce glowered. He turned away as Alfred came in the room with their third round of hot chocolate.

Suddenly there was a thunk. Bruce stared at the wall where a batarang had now impaled it. "Oops." Dick mumbled sheepishly.

Bruce felt himself smiling. Then again, maybe a partner wasn't such a bad idea.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the Chapter! yes, I know it was sort of short, but don't worry, the next one will be longer!

Please let me know how I did! I'm curious to how you think I did with this take on how Dick found out that Bruce was Batman.