Chapter Five

Kaitlyn Wayne sat happily in the back of the classroom, reading a book she had found at the library, although no one was really sure which library it was. It had been clear from the moment Kaitlyn set foot in her first-grade class that the girl was much smarter than she should have been. She learned quickly. Her grasp of the written language had improved drastically once she started reading, and now she could write as well as a seventh-grader to express her wishes. Mathematics posed no problem for her, and now she was working on fifth-grade algebra instead of the basics of first-grade addition and subtraction. She was a curiosity, as much as her adopted father and the circumstances of her past. Even after six months of being cared for, of developing into a healthy, special six-year-old girl, she would not speak. Her father didn't seem too terribly worried about it, but it made her teacher a bit concerned. Mrs. Bones was an older lady, a bit more tolerant than the others of the strange girl, and also a bit more concerned about her future welfare. Bruce had chosen her to help him with the challenges of raising Kaitlyn. Not even Alfred could teach him what it was like to raise a girl.

Now Mrs Bones and Bruce Wayne stood in the front of the classroom, watching Kaitlyn as she carefully turned the pages of her book, humming a little as she did so. Bruce smiled. "She seems to be getting along well." he observed.

Mrs Bones nodded. "Somewhat. Better than I suspected." she agreed. "Still, she would do even better if she knew how to communicate. For whatever reason, that humming is the only sound she will make."

"Sometimes she laughs." Bruce said. "Although she doesn't really do that, either. I think she's learned to equate sound with pain over the years. Soon enough she'll come out of it."

"That's true, especially with your attention." Mrs. Bones said. "However, in the meantime, it would probably be best if she had another way to talk." Bruce turned his focus back to her, and she continued. "There are a handful of students at Gotham Elementary that are deaf. They speak with sign language. I thought that, if we could teach Kaitlyn how to sign, she could befriend those who understand it."

Bruce thought that one over. As it was, Kaitlyn had no friends. She enjoyed hanging around some of the older students, mostly so she could watch as they did homework together and studied for tests in the library. None of them spoke to her, not even when she wrote them notes. They wouldn't talk to the mute freak. Learning sign language wouldn't change that, but at the same time, Bruce had seen one of those deaf students walking Kaitlyn home one day. He had been in fifth grade, and at the time had been acting more as a bodyguard than a friend, but if she could talk to him, that might make all the difference in the world. "Better to have a few friends than no friends at all." he agreed.

Mrs. Bones nodded. "Good. Starting tomorrow I will have one of the students from the high school come over and tutor her in the afternoons. An hour a day, and if you can make it it would be good for you to learn as well. You will be the first person Kaitlyn will want to talk to."

"I'll be there." Bruce said with a nod. He turned his gaze back to Kaitlyn. The girl acted like she was oblivious, but Bruce hadn't survived as Batman for as long as he had without learning how to watch for details. She had stopped turning the pages, and her pleasent tune had become only a few notes. She was listening, he thought with satisfaction. It wasn't completely innocuous, and her stealth could use some work, but it was pretty good for someone who had spent most of her life just trying to survive. Or maybe, as the years had gone by, knowing what was going on without anyone else knowing had become essential to survival. He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

On the other hand, it could be something he wanted to cultivate. The ability to pick up on information without anyone else knowing about it could prove invaluable.

Bruce stood up and walked back to Kaitlyn, falling into an easy crouch beside her. First-grade chairs were not designed with fathers in mind. "What are you reading?" he asked quietly. She showed him the cover - A Stir of Bones. He smiled. "Do you like it?" She nodded. "Put it in your bag. We'll bring it back when you're done." A bright smile almost split her face as she quickly marked her place and slid the hardback into her canvas backpack. He made a note to ask Alfred what he knew about the author later. Once he found out what kind of books Kaitlyn liked, he should be able to surprise her with a wide variety of them. Thanks to Fox, they now had a pretty good idea of what size Kaitlyn wore, so clothes were not a problem. Although Bruce found it amusing that Kaitlyn preferred not just black, but boys clothing to boot. He knew where that came from. At least she hadn't shown an expressed interest in bats yet.

Mrs. Bones made a face. "I don't know where that book came from. This school has enough problems without showcasing depressing works of fiction."

Bruce smiled. "Hey, if she likes it, I'm willing to give it a shot." He took Kaitlyn's hand in his and guided her from the room. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Mrs. Bones."

/--/

That night found Batman back on the roof of the police station, waiting to see how long it would take for Gordon to realize he was no longer alone. Not long, not anymore. Gordon was getting good at picking up on his presence. "It gets tedious not being able to use the signal anymore." Gordon said absently. "I wasn't sure if you would notice me standing out here or not."

"You are the only one dumb enough to stand out here in a thunderstorm." Batman pointed out with some amusement. "I decided to come by on a whim. Didn't really think you'd be out here."

"Things are getting rough." Gordon admitted. "I take it you know Bruce Wayne adopted that girl six months ago?"

"He's a good man." Batman said neutrally. "Not the best, but good. Why?"

"Well, Kaitlyn Wayne has been getting around the prestinct. Some of the cops I work with are wondering now who saved her from the Joker - they know it wasn't one of us. They suspect it was you, but none of them can quite say why. You know how they are."

"They have every right to be that way." Batman said quietly. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I have the nagging suspicion that one of my people is a turncoat." Gordon said flatly. "I'm not sure who, but I know it has to be someone pretty close to the way things operate. I'm afraid this person will try and hurt Kaitlyn."

"As a way to get back at Bruce Wayne?" Batman wondered, a sickening feeling in his gut. "Sounds stupid."

"Not Wayne. You." Gordon looked over at him. "It's no secret you've taken a liking to the girl - at least, not to me. I don't wonder about that. Little kids have a way of doing it to you. It's one of the reasons pedophiles never last long in the county lockup. I think I'm not the only one who realizes that. That if you saved her, you may just like her."

"A cop would use a child to get back at a man who spends his time dressed up as a bat?" There was a note of anger in Batman's voice, and Gordon nodded solemnly. The Commissioner was angry as well, angry that he even had to have this conversation. What he wouldn't give for the days before Gotham, when he didn't have to question every motive of every cop around him. "Never mind that - why are you suspicious about this?"

"Because I found a file ready for shredding." Gordon said quietly. "This file contained information about Kaitlyn's past - her mother, the person they suspect is her father - I don't think Wayne knows about that."

For a moment, Batman wondered if he should clarify just who was this supposed dad, but decided against it. He didn't want to reveal any more than he had to. The less Gordon knew, the safer he was. "Do they know you're talking to me?"

"I think this person suspects that as well."

"Then you're in danger."

"I can take care of myself, Batman." Gordon protested. "Kaitlyn can't. Focus your attention on her for right now. I don't know Wayne's opinions on you, but it might not hurt to warn him about the threat."

Batman nodded. "I'll do that."

He was gone by the time Gordon looked again. "I hate it when he does that."