Chapter 9- A Better Understanding
Bruce's POV:
Bruce stared at his daughter in shock. She had found out his secret! How had she? He had worked hard to keep that part of his life from her since the first time he had held her in his arms after she was born. He had promised Rachel that Batman wouldn't endanger his daughter and that she would never see her father while he was Batman.
But she had seen him in his suit! Bruce couldn't begin to imagine how she had, but the fear in her light-green eyes as she looked at him was enough to give him concern. Roberta was afraid of him! Bruce had never wanted his baby girl to be scared of him, but she was.
While he had been hard on the criminal elements he loved Rachel and Roberta. Alfred and Rachel still loved to tease him about how many diapers he had changed when Roberta was a baby and how he had helped Rachel give her a bath. It was enough to make a grown man cry.
Bruce gently touched his daughter's slim shoulders. She flinched slightly. "Robbie, I would never hurt you," Bruce whispered softly for her ears only.
"How do I know? I read-"Roberta said, her green eyes like mirror glass.
"May I talk with my daughter in private, Dr. Hamilton?" Bruce asked, standing up to look at Patrick.
"Of course. We'll all go to my brother's house," Dr. Hamilton said discreetly. Roberta's face blanched in terror.
"Dad, please," Roberta said softly as the doctor, wife, and his parents exited.
"Rachel, you have to talk to them. I know you're terrified, but you're going to have to meet them halfway on this," Patrick said, kissing her cheek gently before walking out the door.
"You have no idea," Bruce heard Roberta mutter under her breath.
"Bruce, what's going on?" Rachel asked, sitting next to their daughter. Alfred sat on the other side, looking equally concerned.
"Rachel, she knows. She saw me as Batman," Bruce said. There was no point in hiding this from Rachel. She had always known when Bruce was lying about anything. Rachel went ashen.
"How did you?" Rachel asked their daughter, stroking her hair gently.
"Purely by accident, I assure you. I was in that cave you call a bedroom and I leaned against a wall and I found myself in the cave. I then decided to explore last night. I made my way down the cavern and heard you and Alfred coming. You were talking about me and Gotham and then I saw you in your suit," Roberta said in a small voice.
"Roberta, I'm sorry. I was trying to make it where you'd never know. I didn't want you to be afraid of me ever," Bruce said sitting down and taking her hand in his.
"A little too late. You're Batman. I've read the newspaper articles. It says you killed Harvey Dent and broke a mobster's legs," Roberta said, swallowing hard.
"I'd never hurt you and your mother. You are the reason I've been Batman for as long as I have. I know you don't believe me, but I'll keep saying it until you do," Bruce said firmly.
Roberta took a couple of shaking breaths. "Did you really kill Harvey Dent?" Roberta asked.
"No I didn't. I know you're scared of me, Roberta. But I don't kill anyone ever. There is one rule I have and I never break that one rule. When you were born I came close once, but I stopped myself when you came to mind. I thought could I look my daughter in the eye if I ever killed anyone," Bruce said, touching her shoulder gently.
Roberta looked at his hand on her shoulder and then up at him. "I didn't know. I'm sorry," Roberta said in a small voice.
"It's all right. If I had been you I would have run too," Bruce said with a grin as he touched her face.
Can I stay for the harvest?" Roberta asked.
"Of course you can. I would have let you if you had only asked me," Bruce said, pulling her into his arms. Roberta tensed slightly as he kissed her gently.
"Thank you," Roberta said, her voice slightly muffled as her face was buried in Bruce's shoulder.
"You're welcome. Would it bother you if your mother and I stayed for the harvest too?" Bruce asked.
Roberta shook her head against his chest. "No. I think my dad wanted me to give you a chance," Roberta said.
"Dr. Hamilton is a wise man, Sir," Alfred said, coming into the conversation.
"He is at that. I guess I can be grateful that he took such good care of you for me," Bruce said.
"My dad's cool. A little passionate about certain things, but he means well. Actually, I think he doesn't like Batman. He has something against vigilantes," Roberta said.
"So did your mother when I first became Batman. I guess we just don't tell him," Bruce said, hoping that Roberta would stop calling Dr. Hamilton her dad. As much as the man had done the right thing and called Bruce when Roberta had run away Roberta was still Bruce's daughter.
"So, Miss Roberta, what do you do during the harvest?" Alfred wanted to know.
"All the women of the village go out to the corn fields and we pick corn, beans, and squash. Those are the three major staples. We call them the Three Sisters. They grow together and can never be separated. So we pick the three together. We use baskets that are on our backs. They are known as burden-straps. The strap slips over our foreheads and then we carry everything on our backs. Until my cousin got too old for it I carried him on my back. I guess that's why I'm in such pain right now. That thing really bears into your back, shoulders, and legs," Roberta said, standing up. Bruce heard her legs crack again and Roberta's small whimper of pain.
"I would think you wouldn't want to do all this hard labor," Bruce said as Roberta made her way to the sink and got herself a glass of water.
"Well, I wouldn't think you'd want to go out as Batman and fight criminals either," Roberta said, taking a deep drink of water.
"Fair point. Most people wouldn't. You and your father have determination. I guess that's why he does it. He also wants to help people like your grandfather did," Rachel said.
"Can't fault you for that. I just think I'd rather do it a different way. I want to help people in the job I do. I've thought of either being a doctor or a lawyer. I don't know yet which," Roberta said as a knock sounded on the door.
Alfred went to the door. "Hi, I'm here to see Rachel," a breathy voice filled the doorway.
"Sounds like my cousin Julie. I wonder what she's doing out at this time of night," Bruce heard Roberta mutter as she went to the doorway.
"Hi, Rachel! I wasn't able to say hi this morning," a chubby energetic ten-year-old with coal-black hair came into the room.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Rachel/Roberta's POV:
"What are you doing out so late, Jules? Does Uncle Peter know that you're over here?" I asked, feeling concerned.
"Nope. I just didn't get to say hi to you when you came out to the cornfield. Jane said you wouldn't come this time," Julie said, her lower lip out in a pout.
"That just shows you how little she knows. But you shouldn't be out so late, baby cousin," I said. Now I know I said I hated it when Jane called me that, but I felt perfectly justified in calling Julie and my younger cousins that.
"That doesn't stop you," Julie said.
"Good point. Dad made sure I took karate from the time I was five until now. I know how to defend myself. You don't," I said. I figured to protect Mr. Wayne's identity it would be a good idea that I never mention the fact that I'm also Batman's daughter too. A lot of people would figure that the daughter of Batman would know how to defend herself if a battle ensued.
Mr. Wayne touched my shoulder gently. "Who's your little friend?" He asked with a smile.
"Oh, sorry. This is my cousin, Julie. Julie, this is Bruce Wayne," I introduced.
"Nice to meet you. Your cousin's told me a lot about you," Mr. Wayne said, stooping to Julie's level.
"You're Rachel's real daddy. Uncle Patrick said she had one," Julie said with amazing clarity for a ten-year-old.
"That's right," Mr. Wayne said with a smile.
"Well, I'd better get you home before Uncle Peter starts to worry," I said, taking Julie by the hand.
"Are you gonna be here tomorrow, Rachel?" Julie asked.
"You can bet on it. I'll be up with Kah-kah the crow and ready to fight him so you can eat this winter," I said as we walked out the door. Mr. Wayne, Mrs. Wayne, and Alfred followed me.
"Who's Kah-kah the crow?" Mr. Wayne asked softly.
"He's sort of an enemy of the Seneca. He steals the corn and we have to always keep him away. We usually scare him with shouting and a blanket, but no stones or we'll hurt him. Rumor has it that he brought us the first sprig of corn in his beak. Therefore he's our friend, however a troublemaker," I said, knocking on my uncle heavy wooden door. I hoped Julie wouldn't get into trouble for coming over at night. Of course I never knew in my family.