Sorry that this is a bit of a filler chapter, I have to set up a plot somehow. :P read and review, the next one will have a bit more to it. Promise.
JACKIE POV
I walk into my room at the end of the day and go to jump on my bed when I realize there is something flowy and silky in my way. I take a closer look and say the first thing that pops to my mind, "Mr. Wayne!" I grab the item and start running with it towards his office where I know I'll find him. He meets me halfway on the stairs.
"What is it, is everything alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. What is this for?" I hold out a beautiful, soft, baby blue gown in front of me. "I can't wear it, it's too… nice."
"You'll have to, you're coming to a party we're holding here tomorrow night. It's a lovely shade, Alfred did a good job." He smiles his Bruce Wayne billionaire smile and I almost smile back despite my best efforts to be mad.
I can't go to a Bruce Wayne party, I have no manners and I'm not sophisticated, and this dress is way to… beautiful. I wouldn't fit in; I'd just make you look bad. Can't I just play Cinderella and hide in my room?" His eyes grow softer and more like my Dad's did when I used to get down on myself when I was little when I couldn't understand a math problem.
"No, you're my date actually. And you will be just fine. It will be fun, I promise." He smiles genuinely again.
"I couldn't be your date, Mr. Wayne... I'm not pretty or smart enough, or rich and well-mannered enough." I try to make it sound like I'm kidding, but he knows better and looks at me knowingly.
"Jackie, you're my daughter in all but blood, you're the prettiest date I have ever had. Please go, It'd mean a lot."
"Okay, just promise not to draw attention to me... and can we pretend I'm named Susan or something? I don't want anyone to know who I am. I know I'm not the only one in Gotham who watches the news... They all know you adopted me." I am always thinking like this, like by adopting me I make every one look bad. The news doesn't know why I'm not in prison; police even say bad things about me. The less people know about me, the better in my opinion. I know he will never agree though. He will say something about the people of Gotham being better than that. "I guess it wouldn't matter, they're all going to know, huh?"
"Jackie, it will be fine I promise. These people wont even think about it." He smiles and I try to smile back through the knot in my gut.
"What is the party for?"
"Its a welcome home party. Something to celebrate huh?" Well there is something I wouldn't have thought of. A welcome home party for who? I got here weeks ago, it can't be me. Maybe Dick?
"A welcome home party for who, Mr. Grayson?"
"No for you. It's something to welcome you to the family, and dick will be there with his girlfriend Barbara."
"But I came here weeks ago, I don't need a party." My head hurts, Not only will everyone know me at the party; they're all here to celebrate me. How can I hide at my own party? "Will lots of people be there?"
"About 50. Most of them will be friends though." Bruce seems to not realize the enormity of the situation for me. I am not ready for this.
"Mr. Wayne, I can't meet your friends. Everyone will be better than me. They all own oil refineries or countries. I can't compete with that. I'm just Jack Napier's daughter, I was homeschooled, I have absolutely nothing astonishing about me except that I'm good at laser tag and make some mean pancakes. I don't mean to sound selfish I just... I don't know what I will do with myself?"
"Just be yourself. We will all love you. And you're my daughter Jackie. No one will do or say anything." Like I said before, he always sees the best in everyone, no one is so good as to ignore the facts about someone like me.
"Mr. Wayne you keep saying that and I want to believe you, but I'm not the only one who watches the news. Even Tim hates me. How can you be so certain 50 strangers will like me?" He seems at a loss for words for a long time before he answers.
"Because they know who you are and they chose to come to support you. They want to show you that they don't care where you came from because you're family."
I feel defeated, this party is happening and if I go on for to long I'm just going to look more like a selfish brat then I already do. "Bruce I- I mean Mr. Wayne... Thank you for the party, I'm sure it will be fun." I turn around and wipe the tears out of my eyes. Tomorrow night is going to be awful and to make matters worse, reality is at the door.