Part Two:
"Fighting isn't all about defense," I said. "It's about knowing what your opponent is going to do before they do it. You wanna do more damage in the least amount of blows."
Barbara stood with her arms crossed, humoring me while I went through my instructor's speech. I'd practiced it in the mirror. A while back I'd found a room ideal for training: padding floor to ceiling on everything but one wall, which was covered in mirrors. I assumed there used to be weights and exercise equipment in the room, but that was long gone. I never thought I'd have use for it, but here we were.
"Now, you're in good shape," I told her. "But it's not enough just to be thin. You've gotta have muscle too."
"You're thin," She remarked.
"And I have the circus to thank for that," I said. "In my experience it's pretty beneficial to be thin and strong. It allows for swiftness. It's how I'm gonna train you. Now if only you could keep your mouth shut, you might actually achieve stealth."
She smirked.
"I'm assuming you know a little self- defense?" I said.
"I know enough," She shrugged.
"If it was enough we wouldn't be here," I told her. "Now hit me."
"Hit you?" She repeated. "That's really how you wanna start this training?"
"I could have you painting my fence," I suggested.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, you've already got the condescending part of Mr. Miagi down," She told me.
"If you don't hit me I won't be able to make an accurate assessment of the work that needs to be done," I sighed,
Babs just looked at me.
"Come on," I prompted. "I promise I'll go easy on you."
"Don't even think about it," She sneered.
"So hit me," I said again, "Prove to me what tough stuff you're made of."
She glared at me, angry now. That was good. She made a fist and hurtled it at my face. I caught it, so easily it was almost laughable, and then spun her around, pinning her arms to her sides. She was wearing only a sports bra so her bare back brushed against my chest, which was also bare. Maybe I would've had time to think about how much that frustrated me if she hadn't strained her arm from my grasp, trying to elbow me.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that," I said into her ear.
"We're only just getting started," She replied.
Her elbow collided with my jaw, deterring me only long enough for her to turn around and try once more to hit me. I caught both of her wrists, pinning them behind her back so we were chest to chest. She pulled against my hold, but I had her locked.
"Now what?" I asked. "Now what are you gonna do?"
"Let me go," She said.
"Would Bane let you go?" I asked.
"That's not fair," She gritted.
"I got a news flash for you, girl scout," I said. "Fair means nothing to the bad guys."
"What do you want?" She asked. "You want me to admit that you were right? That I don't know how to fight? Because I think it's pretty obvious."
I released her hands, "Looks like you've got yourself an instructor then."
She punched me. I wasn't expecting that one, but apparently I'd made her a little too angry. She was Jim Gordon's daughter and if I had learned anything in the few weeks I'd known her it was that she had an ego that bruised pretty easily and a temper that wouldn't be trifled with.
"Yeah," She said tersely. "Looks like I do."
The next day, she was barging through the front door- she doesn't knock anymore- a duffel in her hand and another backpack over her shoulder. I lurched up from the couch, tossing my evidence folder aside.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.
"Just bringing some of my stuff," She said nonchalantly.
"Why?"
"If I'm gonna be here all the time, I might as well have a few extra things to change into," She replied.
"I'm sorry, when did I agree to let you move in?" I asked.
"I'm not moving in," She said. "Just being logical. I'm sure your training isn't all physical stuff and as much as you'd love to see me running around in a sports bra all the time, I'd like to have some normal clothes too. And I can't very well go back to my dorm smelling like I ran a marathon, can I?"
"I don't know about this, Babs." I said.
"Relax, Dick," She said. "I've spent the night here before. I can restrain myself from jumping your bones, if thats what you're worried about. Clean slate remember?"
"That's not what it is, Babs," I said. "What are you gonna tell your father?"
"My father?" She asked. "Why would I have to tell him anything?"
"Don't you think he's gonna notice?"
"No," She said. "He doesn't usually stop by my dorm and if he does he calls."
"You don't have a roommate?"
Babs shrugged, "She's used to me being gone overnight. Here, take this."
I took the duffel she offered me and followed her up the stairs, "You're a little slut aren't you?"
"Why? Because guys can go out and get drunk and have sex, but girls can't?"
"Touché," I admitted.
"The good lord gave me a big brain and a nice ass," She said. "It'd be a shame not to use 'em."
"So you didn't even think to ask me when you decided to move your stuff into my house?" I asked.
"Well, technically it's not your house," She corrected. "And I figured, after a year, you'd be a little tired of being alone."
"I've been alone longer than a year," I said.
"Well then I came along just in time,"
"I'm actually still on the fence about deciding to train you," I told her.
"There's no turning back now," She warned. "You're in it for the long haul, baby."
"I actually have something for you," I said, setting her bag down on the bed in her room.
"Ooh, presents?" Babs asked.
"Don't get too excited," I said. "I can't guarantee you'll like it."
I took her down to the kitchen, where I'd left my list and handed it to her.
"Apples, protein, sit ups- what the hell is this?" She asked, reading over the list.
"This," I said. "Is your new diet and exercise plan."
Her red eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?"
"You said you wanted me to train you," I said. "And in order for me to train you I need you in shape."
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're not supposed to call girls fat?" Babs asked, but she didn't sound that upset.
"I didn't say fat," I told her. "Just… squishy."
"I'm not sure that's better,"
"Look, I can't be watching you every second of the day," I told her. "And the only way I'm ever gonna let you out there is if you make the effort."
"You mean you're not going to quit your job and spend every waking moment with me, teaching me the ways of stealth and precision?" She asked, sarcastically.
"Believe it or not," I said. "I actually have a life outside of you."
She quirked an eyebrow at the innuendo, but let it slide, "No, you don't. If my stalking has proved anything it's that you are about as outgoing as a hermit crab. You don't even have a girlfriend."
"After dealing with you, I'm just about ready to give up women entirely," I said. "Now, why don't you have an apple…" I handed her an apple. "and go to the gym or something."
"I'm beginning to see why you don't have a girlfriend," She said, taking a bite out of the apple. "I'll be back later. Don't be too boring without me."
I'll say one thing for Babs, she was a fast learner and despite her being completely uncooperative in every other aspect of life, she took my instruction without too much question. She had a completely incorruptible drive for this, and Gordons weren't known for sitting back and doing nothing, so I hadn't expected any less.
Mostly, we trained at night. Babs had class and whatever else Barbara Gordons do on regular days and I had duty, but since Jim Gordon knew me and my past and my situation, I didn't have what you would call regular work hours. Basically, I did what I wanted and they called me in when something catastrophic happened. Truthfully, I was somewhat glad to be training Barbara. My life had been pretty dull since Bane and it was nice to have someone to talk to that I didn't have to lie to.
I started mainly with core strengthening and muscle building, because she had to have the capability to fight before I just sprung it on her. She was willing to learn and already had basic training so it wasn't all work. Barbara Gordon and her big mouth and unprecedented nature proved to be more intriguing than infuriating, which I wouldn't have expected. Maybe it was just because I knew that I had to put up with her so I found something to like, or maybe I did actually like her. I didn't know quite what to think and, for the first time in my life, that was okay.
All at once, Barbara Gordon had become this constant in my life. Constant what was the question because she couldn't be defined by one category alone. There was a part of me that wanted to figure her out, to open her up and figure out what made her tick, what made her think the way she did. Then there was a complete other part of me that wanted to run away and forget I'd ever met her. She was equally as interesting as she was complicated and I wasn't sure what exactly I was supposed to do with her, but in the end, it turned out I didn't have to do anything because she would continue on being regardless of the world or people around her. It seemed the world was adapting to her, rather than her adapting to it.
She ate mat pretty hard the first few weeks of training, going home with bruises the size of oranges and strained muscles. She kept up with it though, eating right and working out when I wasn't training her. She possessed a certain determination that I had only seen a few times before and I respected that. Not to mention that despite the pain and frustration that came with perseverance she never once complained. I respected that, too.
One night in particular I walked in on her in an ice bath.
"Relaxing," I remarked.
She huffed out a laugh, breathing heavily from the temperature, "Care to join me?"
"I would," I said. "But I like my balls attached, thanks."
"Your loss," She said.
"You planning on going back to your dorm tonight?" I asked.
"I don't know," She said. "I've still gotta take a shower and I have my laptop here, so probably not. Why? You need me out of here?"
"Yeah, I was planning on bringing a hot date back so we could have rough sex all over the house," I said sarcastically. "And I wouldn't want you to get caught in the crossfire."
Babs snorted, "When pigs fly."
"I actually don't have to go in tomorrow," I said. "So if you want we could do some extra training."
"Ugh," She sighed. "I think I've had enough training for the week. And I've got midterms at the end of the week so I'm thinking we should take a breather."
"I've finally worn out the great Barbara Gordon," I said. "I didn't think I'd ever see the day."
"In your dreams, boy wonder," She said. "I could go all night. I just wouldn't want to hurt that pretty face. Here, help me up."
She held out her arms and I reached over the tub to grab her hands and I could feel the cold from the ice as she stood up. Babs stepped out of the tub shivering even though she was wearing a sports bra and tiny shorts. I could see the goosebumps blossoming all over her arms and legs and stomach. She turned to grab her towel and I caught sight of a huge black and blue bruise taking up half her back.
"Jesus, Babs," I said. "Are you okay?"
"What?" She asked.
"The continent sized bruise on your back," I said.
"Oh, yeah," She looked over her shoulder, stretching her back a little. "It's not too bad."
"That looks really bad," I said.
"Occupational hazard," She shrugged.
I watched in cautious silence as she continued to dry herself off, seeing how the bruise moved with her muscles and I couldn't imagine that it didn't hurt. The ice bath probably helped, but it covered half her back and there wasn't enough ice in the world to stop that from hurting. I tried to think of what move had caused it, which time she hit the floor that it caused something so bad. It could've been any number of exercises and for the first time I felt a little guilty about working her so hard.
"Look, Babs," I said. "If I'm ever too hard on you, you can tell me. I won't think you're weak or anything."
"Dick, come on," She said. "I'm fine. And I need you to be hard on me. I'm not gonna get anywhere by you holding back."
"I'm just saying, I don't wanna push you past your limits," I said.
"We can't afford to have limits in our line of work, Dick," She said. "Do you think Bane or the Joker would've held back with me?"
"No,"
"Then you shouldn't either," She said. "Contrary to popular belief ignorance is not bliss and in my case it could actually get me killed. So stop freaking out about a bruise and go arrest some purse snatcher or something."
I smiled back at her, "Tough as nails, aren't you?"
"Tough as nails," She replied. "Now get out. I have to take a shower and you are not joining me for that."
"A bomb strategically placed in Gotham National Bank's basement detonated tonight at 7:26 diverting any and all attempts for law enforcement to enter the vault where an unknown assailant emptied it of all its precious jewels and gold. According to our sources there were a number of police officers and a SWAT team already in the bank, having received an anonymous tip of the bomb just hours before. Unfortunately none of the bomb squad or the officers present at the scene were able to locate the bomb and the attack was executed anyway. There is no exact number of casualties or injuries at this time, but rest assured Gotham's finest are doing everything they can to salvage anything and anyone from the wreckage and find the offender and bring him to justice."
I was still in my suit, standing in Wayne Manor's living room, watching the newscast. It had been a long six hours at the bomb site picking through the rubble and we had no leads. The commissioner and a number of officers were at the scene as soon as they'd gotten the tip, I wasn't invited probably because I had a reputation for being hotheaded and impulsive in such situations. It was true, but being left out made me all the more hotheaded and impulsive.
The best I could figure it was the same jewel thieves from the museum, and I suspected that they had called in the tip as well. I had to give them props for pulling such a ballsy move. Blowing up a bank full of police officers wasn't an act committed by amateurs and if they had done this I was certain that they would strike again.
The door downstairs slammed and I instinctively reached for my gun.
"Dick!"
I relaxed when I heard Barbara's voice and turned the television off. She burst into the room, coat flying, her eyes wide and tears streaming down her face.
"Did you hear? Were you there?" She demanded, frantically grabbing at my jacket.
I gripped her shoulders, steadying her shaking body, "Yes, I was there. What's wrong?"
"Did you see my father?"
"No, he was gone by the time I got there," I told her. "Jesus, Babs. What's wrong?"
"He was there- during the explosion," She said. "And I don't know where he is now and he's not answering his phone and neither is my mom and nobody at the precinct will tell me anything and-"
"Hey, just calm down," I wiped her face free of tears and pulled her over to the couch. "Just breathe. I'm sure your father's fine."
"I just- I just don't know," She said. "If I knew it would- well it would still suck, but I'd know, you know? And when I went to the- to the hospital it was a freaking zoo and I couldn't find him or anyone to help me and I didn't know what to do so I-I came here. I'm sorry."
"No, you don't have anything to be sorry about," I said, swiping another tear from her cheek. "It's fine. It's not safe out there anyway, whoever did this is probably still running around. You did the right thing, okay?"
I'll admit, I was freaking out too. The police commissioner MIA? That was grounds for a freak out, but Babs was already in pieces so I figured one of us had to hold it together. It was easy to be strong around her.
"God, Dick," She sighed. "I just can't do it again. I can't- wait by his hospital bed while he withers away. I can't."
"Listen to me," I took her face in my hands. "He's gonna be fine. He was fine last time and he'll be fine this time. He's a tough guy. You've gotta give him more credit than this. Just give it a little time to settle down and then you'll know, okay?"
She burst into tears again, burying her face in my neck. I wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. She was still wearing her wool coat and I could feel the cold clamminess of her cheek from the tears and the cold outdoors as it pressed against me. It was such a weird thing, seeing Barbara Gordon vulnerable like this. It wasn't that I thought she was weak, but it surprised me that there wasn't an extreme she couldn't reach.
After a few moments she calmed down, but stayed pressed against me, one hand on my thigh and the other on hers, clutching her phone like a lifeline. I really didn't have an idea of what to do or say, but Babs didn't seem to require anything other than my presence so we stayed as we were.
I turned the TV back on, the newscast had ended, which was nice. I didn't know how Babs would've reacted to that. I didn't change the channel from the late-night talk show, but neither of us were watching it anyway. I reached up to pull her hair off her sticky cheek and brought it back behind her shoulder.
"Mmm, that feels nice," She murmured.
So I did it again, combing my fingers through her hair at her temple and following it all the way down to the middle of her back. Just a few minutes of that and her breathing was slowing and she relaxed further against me. I didn't blame her. I was exhausted as well and it was almost two in the morning.
Wayne Manor was quiet and, so it seemed, was the city around it. The whole environment seemed to be in awe of the whole situation. Me? I was mainly in awe of Babs herself, being so open with me. She had some undying trust of me, secured deeply inside her that refused to die or be diffused by anything. There was a strange amount of pressure that came with that and I felt like I owed her something. I felt like I had to live up to her expectations of me, or at least try.
The sudden ringing of Babs' cell phone snapped me out of my almost-sleep and she jumped out from under my arm to answer it, "Mom? No, I'm fine. Where are you? Where's dad? Oh, my God. Thank God."
At that I assumed the commissioner was okay and a bit of my apprehension fell away. Still, I didn't know what condition he was in and it could be some time before we had any solutions.
"Yes, mom," Babs said, exasperated. "I'm fine. I'm…" She looked over at me and held my gaze for a moment. "With Dick. But I'm leaving now. I'll be there as soon as I- No. Mom. I'm not just gonna sit here. He's my father! I should be there. Mom, that's not fair and you know it. Jesus. Fine. Fine! But I will be there first thing in the morning. Yes. I know. Bye."
She ended the call and turned back to me, "He's fine. Some bumps and bruises and a concussion. But he's fine. Visiting hours are over, but my mom's staying there tonight and I'm gonna go in the morning, but I guess, for now, I'm stuck."
She sat down at the window seat with the last word, shrugging out of her coat. A beat later she dropped her face into her hand as more tears spilled over.
I lurched from the couch, kneeling down in front of her, "Come on, Babs." I said. "He's fine."
"But he so easily couldn't have been," She said. "There's so many ways this could've gone wrong. So many ways he could've died."
"But he didn't, Babs," I reminded her. "That's the point. He didn't die."
"How many times can he do this?" I said. "How many times can he cheat death?"
"It's his job, Babs," I said. "You know the risks."
"He's done enough," She said. "He's just like the Batman. He's just gonna keep giving and giving and giving until he dies and I can't just let him do that."
"Keep in mind that this is what you're asking me to do," I said.
"You're different," She said. "You'll know when to stop. And it's always the reluctant hero that's perfect for the job. That's why you have to talk to him."
"Talk to him?" I repeated. "Why?"
"You have to get him to stop," She said. "Talk some sense into him. He listens to you."
"It doesn't matter who he's talking to, Babs," I said. "Because he's not gonna listen to anyone. You know your father. He's gonna do this until he dies and that's perfectly fine. That's what he wants."
"It's not fine!" She shouted, shooting to her feet. "You're telling me my father's gonna put himself in danger he doesn't need to be in and I'm just supposed to accept that? You're even crazier than I thought."
I stood up with her, "And if someone told you to stop because it would kill you you'd just drop it?"
"That's different," She said through clenched teeth.
"Why? Because his life matters and yours doesn't?" I shot back.
She tightened her jaw, keeping silent. I'd won, but it'd take the jaws of life to get her to admit it.
"That's what I thought," I said. "You gotta let him do what he thinks is right even if you don't agree with it."
She scoffed.
"Hey, look at me," I turned her face to look at mine. "He's gonna be fine. The universe doesn't let people like your dad just die. And he sure as hell isn't going down without a fight."
"What am I supposed to do without him?"
"You'll be fine," I wrapped an arm around her, reaching around to wipe more tears from her face. "And besides, now you've got me."
"Oh, that's reassuring," She half chuckled, leaning into my side.
"Dick," I heard. "Dick, come on. Wake up!"
Part of me wanted to ignore it, wanted it to go away so I could go back to sleep, but another annoying part of me registered the voice as Barbara's and pulled me awake.
"Hmm?" I mumbled.
"Dick, get up," She said.
I rolled over, squinting at her in the darkness, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," She said. "I think the power's out."
"You think?"
"None of the light switches are working," She said. "And it took me freaking forever to find your room and I think I broke a priceless vase of some sort."
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Like three AM," She said. "I don't really know. I left my phone in my room. Will you get up?"
"I'm up, Jesus," I grumbled throwing back the covers.
At first Babs was just a silhouette illuminated by the faint moonlight peeking in through my blinds, but eventually my eyes adjusted and I walked over to her. She was wide-eyed and covered in goosebumps, wearing a small blue nightgown.
"What are you wearing?"
"Believe it or not, I sometimes sleep in other things besides your t shirts," She said.
"Hmm," I reached over and flipped the switch a few times. "Well, looks like you were right. Let's go downstairs."
She followed me through the corridors, her bare legs catching in the moonlight. She didn't catch me staring, though, because she was too busy trying not to trip down the stairs. Nearly a month here and she still didn't know a damn thing about navigating the manor. I decided not to help her.
We reached the kitchen and those lights did jack as well and Babs stood there, arms crossed, like I was supposed to do something.
"Doesn't Bruce Wayne have, like, his own power source or something?" She asked.
"Maybe Bruce Wayne did when Bruce Wayne lived here," I replied.
"Do you think it has anything to do with the bombing?" She asked.
I looked over at her and noticed the dark rings under her eyes, which were still puffy. I figured there was a reason she was awake to discover the power was out.
"I don't think so," I told her. "If it were it probably would've happened right after the bomb. It's probably just a power outage. I'll call the precinct and find out."
Babs nodded appreciatively. Never before had I thought I'd be any good at consoling anyone. Nobody was ever that consoling to me, except right after my parents died. That faded quickly though, and was replaced by the ridicule and hostility of the boys' home. I guess I just didn't want anyone to feel like I did and Gordon wasn't dead, so that made it easier.
"Gotham Police Department, 108th precinct, how may I help you?" Jason Todd said through the phone.
"Jason, it's Dick," I said.
"What in God's name are you doing up, Grayson?" He asked. "Weren't you at the bank for, like, ten hours?"
"Six," I corrected. "And I'm calling about this power outage. Any relation to the bombing?"
"Nope, they've got that pretty much cleaned up," He told me. "It was just some drunk idiot that ran into the power lines. Split his damn car in half, killed him instantly. They're working to get it fixed as soon as possible. We've been getting calls left and right about it."
"How is it going at the bank?" I cast a sideways glance at Barbara. I could she was trying to look uninterested and not eavesdrop, but she wanted to know.
"Still no evidence," Jason said. "Six dead, I don't know how many injured. One SWAT guy was killed, new guy too. We sent Martinez out to tell his family. Service is next week, but no ones gonna be happy until we find out who did it. Gordon would probably want you in tomorrow, but given the circumstances Foley's in charge and I doubt he'll be calling you in unless it's a last resort, so you can just relax until we get something more."
"That's reassuring," I deadpanned. "Anyway, I was just calling about the power. How long do you think it'll take to be fixed? It's gonna start getting pretty cold here in a about an hour if people don't get their heat back."
"I don't know," Jason. "Maybe an hour, maybe more. It only took the drunk guy three seconds to fuck it all up. Tonight's the night from hell, Dick, let me tell you."
"I hear you," I said. "Call me if I can do anything."
"Will do, Dick. Get some sleep."
I set my phone down on the counter and looked up to see Barbara looking at me expectantly.
"It's fine," I said. "Drunk driver ran into the power lines. Should be fixed soon."
Babs nodded, but didn't look any more relaxed. I didn't know what it was about a power outage that had her so on edge.
"Afraid of the dark?" I teased.
She shrugged, "Irrational fear."
That night was perhaps the most surreal night I ever had with Barbara Gordon (Yes, counting the night we slept together). It was so out of character for her to be so open about her fears and vulnerabilities and usually she tried so hard to hold up her made-of-stone front. I could see the truth regardless, at least I thought I could, but that night she was so exposed. It made me slightly uncomfortable and cautious like if I said just one wrong word or touched her too roughly she'd break.
"I was gonna go check on the boys," I said, pointing towards the other side of the house with my thumb. "Wanna come."
"Won't that be a little weird?" She asked. "You popping up with a half naked girl?"
"Nah," I said, which was a lie. Of course it'd be weird. "If I showed up with a half naked girl they'd worship me even more than they usually do. You'd be doing me a favor."
I was trying to make her feel better, without being obvious, but I suspected that she knew what I was doing anyway. She didn't call me on it, which was the unusual thing, but we both went with it, ignoring the elephant in the room.
I reached over to the kitchen drawer, pulling out a flashlight, which I gave to Barbara and my keys to the adjoining door.
"You lock them out?" Babs asked.
"I can't have them walking in and finding out Bruce Wayne's secret identity, now can I?" I replied. "Besides I do a lot of unbecoming things in here. Wouldn't want to scar the boys further than they already are."
The lock always stuck in the door between mine and the boys' half of the house. I had to practically launch my whole body at it to get it to open. When they built the wall separating the two sides they didn't do it quite to the standard of the rest of the manor.
Babs and I burst inside to a corridor lined with doors with white boards and posters and other paraphernalia of the like covering their surfaces. This was where the older boys stayed. Because of Bruce Wayne's will we now had enough money to support boys from ages as young as six months to 18 years.
In my opinion there were two types of boys that lived in these kinds of homes. The first, and most popular, was the bitter and tough. The ones who were angry at the world and by default everyone in it. The second kind was the quiet and sad, the ones that kept to themselves and stayed out of the fights and away from the angry ones. I didn't like to admit it but I was the first kind for most of my time at the home. The circus was teaching me how to be strong and wise, but when my parents died those lessons were cut short and I had to adapt to a whole new lifestyle.
The boys at the home figured out as soon as they could that I was a carne and proceeded to use that against me. Through that I learned how to be strong and resilient. I had to survive and in order to do that I had to toughen up, learn to fight, learn to roll with the punches and detach myself from emotion because emotion was weakness in the home. It took me longer than I like to admit but eventually I transformed from the first kind to the second kind. I had the best of the both worlds, it would seem. I started to remember what the circus had been trying to teach me and I started to combine that with what I'd learned at the home.
Boys' homes are a little miraculous that way. Everyone goes through a transformation like mine. Most from quiet to angry and some from angry to quiet. I guess I went from quiet to angry and then to some happy medium. Bruce Wayne played a huge part in that. I saw him, handsome, rich, successful, orphaned and I wanted that. I didn't want to end up in jail like too many of my orphan constituents. I think Bruce Wayne went through life thinking that he had to be the Batman to change things, to leave a mark, but he was wrong. He made the impression of a lifetime on me, and probably many others, Barbara Gordon included, by just being who he was. I don't think he realized that it's the little things you do that make the biggest impact on the world.
"Freeze, damn it!" A voice called from the darkness.
I immediately held my hands up in truce and Babs shone the flashlight towards the voice, where I saw Tim Drake with a baseball bat poised for smacking, standing in his doorway.
"Jesus, Tim," I said. "Put the bat down."
He lowered the weapon, "What the fuck are you doing, Dick? It's the middle of the night."
"The power's out," I told him. "What did I tell you about using that kind of language?"
Tim was 17, muscled from being on the Gotham High wrestling team and had lived in boys' homes since he was five and found wandering, filthy and alone through the streets of Gotham. He was one of the boys I had bonded with the most since the transformation of Wayne Manor into the orphanage. He wasn't exactly a first or second kind. He fluctuated between the two, but he had a genuinely good heart. He was the one I expected the most to turn out like me. Not that I was exactly a role model, but he could turn out worse.
"I'm this close to aging out," Tim told me. "I don't have to listen to a damn thing you say." He shouldered the bat and looked past me to Babs standing awkwardly with the flashlight. A sly grin came over his face, "Who's your… friend?"
"Don't even think about it," I warned. "You ain't got a chance."
"I don't know," Tim said, looking her up and down. "Maybe we should let her decide, eh baby?"
"Shouldn't you be playing with blocks or something?" Barbara replied dryly.
"Ooh, she's a feisty one," Tim mused. "I like that."
"Alright enough," I said. "Where's Nancy?"
"In her room," Tim said. "Why don't you go find her and I'll keep your little redhead company."
"Nice try," I slid an arm around Babs waist and steered her in front of me. "Go back to bed, Tim."
"At least now I know I'll have good dreams!" He called after us.
Babs looked over at me, smiling bemusedly.
"Told you," I said.
"Nice to know I can still 'do it' for high school boys," She said.
"I'm pretty sure you 'do it' for older guys too," I told her.
Nancy's room was at the end of the hall. She was the resident adult for the 14-18 year old boys. They had their own choice nicknames for her, but I preferred warden or keeper. She was in her mid-fifties, brown hair that a few gray streaks had snuck into. She wasn't the biggest person and she had a kind face and nature, but God be with you if you crossed her. She could go from respectable nun to angry drill sergeant in 2.5 seconds. I interacted with her the most out of the four wardens in the home because I seemed to bond more with the older boys. I had some idea that I could whip them into shape before they were thrust into the world.
"No one on the other side of that door is gonna hit on me, are they?" Babs asked as I knocked softly on Nancy's door.
"I don't think so," I said. "But that dress might be enough for people to reassess their sexual orientation."
"Yeah, that makes me feel better," Babs muttered.
Nancy finally came to the door, wrapped in a robe, with droopy, ringed eyes. I felt kind of bad for waking her.
"Dick," She said. "What are you doing here at this hour."
"I came about the power," I said. "It's out, you know."
"Yeah, I just got off the phone with the power company," She rolled her eyes. "'We'll have it fixed as soon as we can ma'am.' That could mean anything from an hour to three days for all I know."
"Jason down at the precinct said it should just be a few hours," I reassured her. "But I wanted to warn you in case it takes longer and the cold starts setting in."
"I appreciate it," Nancy said. "I don't think anyone really noticed. Most of them are just sleeping."
"Not Tim," I said. "He came at us with a bat, nearly scared the skin off Barbara here."
"He did not," Babs protested, swatting my arm.
"Well, hi," Nancy said, shaking Barbara's hand. "I'm sorry we're meeting like this, but nevertheless it's always nice to meet any of Dick's- ahem- friends."
"Barbara Gordon." Babs replied.
"Gordon," Nancy repeated. "Any relation to-"
"The police commissioner, yeah," Babs said it like she'd said it a thousand times." He's my dad."
"Wow, that must be interesting," Nancy said.
"Oh, yes. Very," Babs said. "Scary sometimes, but cool too. Plus I get to hang out with fun people like Dick."
"We certainly appreciate everything he does for us," Nancy said.
"Oh, yeah?" Babs asked. "Like what?"
"Like check on us during power outages and warn us of any potential danger lurking about. The younger boys really get a kick out of his policeman stories."
"I have to edit out the gory parts," I offered.
"They look up to you," Nancy told me. "Calvin says he wants to be a cop now. But you know, last week he wanted to be a fireman, so we can't give Dick all the credit."
"I think I at least played a small part," I said.
"The boys in this house would be lucky to end up like you, Dick," Nancy said.
"As long as none of them think they're gonna live on my side of the house," I said.
"They're still convinced that there's some secret passageway leading to your side," Nancy told me. "Tommy's organized a whole troop of them and they're whole goal is to find out what's over there. I don't know what they expect. A whole arsenal of supercomputers or something."
"Wild imaginations, these kids," I said casually.
"Well, it was nice to meet you Barbara, even if we are in our pajamas," Nancy said. "But it's nearly four in the morning and I'm going back to bed before these heathens have to be up."
"Nice to see you, Nancy," I said. "Let me know if you have any problems. I don't think the power should be out long though."
"Who knows in this town," Nancy shook her head and disappeared back in her room.
"God, could she be more in love with you?" Babs chuckled.
"What?" I said. "Nancy's not in love with me."
"Oh, please," Babs started leading the way back down the hallway. "'He does so much for us' 'All the boys look up to you.' She totally wants in your pants."
"Oh, shut up," I said lightly. "I'm pretty sure she thinks you're getting in my pants what with your practical porn star getup."
Babs looked down at her dress, "This is not a porn star getup. And how do you know what porn stars wear anyway?"
"I don't," I said. "But I do know that respectable girls don't wear nightgowns that barely cover their ass."
"Well, if certain people learned to keep their eyes forward they wouldn't notice the amount of my ass that is or isn't showing," She said. "And I never claimed to be a respectable girl."
We were back in Bruce Wayne's kitchen, surrounded by candles and I was holding back laughter at the cliche of it all. I was sure that one of us was gonna end up jumping the other and it'd be just like Christmas Eve all over again. I was also sure that that was one of the worst things that could happen.
Babs was vulnerable and going through a traumatic situation and sex would just make it worse, but her legs were crossed and I could see a substantial amount of her toned thighs and it seemed the more I learned about her the more attracted to her I was. I was torn between wanting to console her and wanting her legs wrapped around me.
"Are you looking at my legs?" She asked accusingly, but she knew the answer.
"Just thought I'd establish the elephant in the room," I said.
"There you go calling me fat again," She teased.
"I'd never call you fat," I said. "Especially not in that dress."
"Oh, really?" She lifted her leg, running her foot up my thigh and pressing her cold toes against my hipbone. I liked to think that she was checking me out with no shirt just as much as I was checking her out with no pants.
"It's actually kind of unfortunate that I have to tighten you up," I said, running my hand up the side of her calf, feeling the blooming muscle. "I liked that you were soft."
"I thought you were too smashed to remember anything about that night," She was leaning on the counter now, closer to me.
"Some things you just can't block out," My hand reached the hem of her nightgown, dipping under just a little. "And you are one of the loudest memories I have."
"Mmm, mission accomplished," She bit her lip and brushed her hair all over to one side. I was a sucker for the hair thing.
There was one stand hanging over her eye and I reached out to tuck it back with the others. Our faces were inches apart and her green eyes were staring into mine, beckoning me. I knew I shouldn't, but I was going to anyway. Of course I'd been attracted to her, but this hunger for her came all at once, surprising even me. I needed to feel those pouty lips against mine.
My hand trailed down the side of her face, tipping her face back and I was just leaning down to kiss her when the blinding light of the kitchen fluorescents jerked us apart. We both looked up at the lights then back and each other and I still wanted to kiss her, but the moment was gone.
Babs awkwardly removed her calf from my leg and stood up, "It seems a little weird to be going back to sleep right when lights come on." She chuckled nervously.
"If we're gonna get to the hospital by visiting hours we'll need at least some sleep," I replied.
We had silently agreed that we hadn't been flirting five seconds ago and we hadn't started a chain of events that would end with me pressing her into my mattress. I thought it was for the best, but I still would've wanted the lights to stay off for maybe another minute. Maybe by then we'd be past caring about the lighting and be on our way to my bedroom.
Babs woke me up again the next morning, fully dressed this time, and prompting me to get ready for the hospital. I thought me going would cause more harm than good and Gordon actually listening to Barbara's pleas for him to tone it down were about as likely as a million dollars falling out of the sky, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Things had apparently calmed down at the hospital since the night before and Babs was able to go right up to a desk and get the room number he was staying in. A flash of my badge and I was going with her and she practically ran to the room. When she flung the door open her mom sitting in a chair beside the bed in which the commissioner resided.
I lingered in the door as Babs rushed forward and rushed out the obligatory reassuring questions. Was he okay, did anything hurt, how could he go into a bank lobby when there was a bomb threat. Barbara senior excused herself to get a cup of coffee, eyeing me suspiciously as she passed me in the doorway.
"I'm fine, Babs," Gordon assured his daughter. "Just some burns on my arm and a few cracked ribs. Nothing serious."
"'Nothing serious!'" Babs repeated. "Dad, you could've been killed."
"But I wasn't," He said.
"But you could've been," Babs repeated. "So stop acting like its no big deal that you're sitting in a hospital bed again."
"You're overreacting, sweetie," He told her. "There are so many people worse off than me."
"And there are even more better off," She said. "You can't keep doing this. Sooner or later your luck is gonna run out."
"Barbara, just relax," His voice was suddenly stern, like Babs was a little girl. "I'm fine and in just a few weeks I'll be back to normal and we can forget this ever happened."
"Yeah, and then you'll be off doing the next life-threatening thing," She said. "How do you expect me to react to this? 'Oh, my father's just got his arm blown off, same old, same old?' No. That's not going to happen."
"This is my job, Barbara," He reminded her. "And it's my choice. I'm the parent here, so just pipe down. I see you've brought Dick with you."
"We had a mutual concern," I said. "Everyone down at the precinct is going nuts without you there."
"If I could leave now, I would," Gordon said. "But the damn nurses say I'll need at least one more day before I can be discharged."
"Foley's got it under control the best he can," I said.
"Oh, I bet that's going over well," He chuckled. "Say, Babs, why don't you go join your mother and let me and Dick have a little chat here. Official police business, sweetie, you understand."
Babs rolled her eyes, but stood up to leave anyway, patting her father's good hand as she did. When she turned to me she was giving me an expectant look and I knew I had to at least try, but it wasn't going to do anything. She ran her hand over my shoulder as she left, and I wanted to reach over and touch her back.
"Well, this is familiar," I said, as I took the chair next to the bed.
Gordon chuckled, "Occupational hazard."
"Babs is really upset about this," I said. "She talked my ear off all the way up here, she wants me to convince to- I don't know- retire I guess."
"That sounds like her," He sighed. "She respects what I do, but I think she'd rather I was just watching instead of in the action. She thought me taking the job as commissioner would be more barking orders than shooting guns."
"She worries about you," I said. "I think she feels like she has to, since she's the only one around."
"Yeah, I get where she's coming from, but she doesn't have to protect me," He said. "She's always been attached to me. Granted, she understands better than Barbara or James or Tony, but she'd still rather I be an accountant."
"I don't think she's seen you in action enough to appreciate what you have to offer for us."
"Speaking of that," He said. "My present condition included, last night was really bad, and I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say they have no leads."
"None," I said.
"That's just what I thought," He said. "I'll need to see the files to form an informed conclusion, but I'm gonna tell you this because I know I can trust you. The bombing and the museum robbery are connected."