Chapter Sixteen

"How could this have happened!?" Roared Bruce.

"Well, you see Bruce, when the male sperm and the female-"

"I know how the biology of it works Dick, goddammit! I want to know how you two could have let this happen! Do you two realize just what type of situation you've just placed yourselves into? Do you even realize what situation you placed that unborn baby into? Did you think about what you were going to do with a child? Were you even THINKING!?"

Bruce was mad. No, he was furious. What were they even thinking? Did they understand the consequences of what they've done? Apparently not, because they didn't even use protection. And now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't allow Barbara to continue to be Batgirl, which would be irresponsible. No, she would have to be benched, for her safety and the baby's. He would lose one of his fighters. Dammit.

"Bruce, we didn't plan for this. Do you think we planned this? It happened. We realize that we made a mistake once, but that doesn't change any of the facts. Obviously with that girl sitting in the next room," Barbara pointed out.

All three looked over through a window. Ellie was sitting next to Jamie who was asleep in the medical bay. The poor boy was exhausted from his ordeal and quickly fell asleep. His injuries weren't as bad as they had originally thought. The burns on his neck would need special attention over the next few days and he had a wrist that had broken during his bondage. But the physical damage would heal. But it wasn't the physical damage they were worried about. The mental worried them all.

"What do we do?" Dick asked resting a hand on Barbara's shoulder.

"Bring in the girl. We need to talk."

Barbara nodded and walked away from the men. Quietly she walked into the infirmary and whispered something in Ellie's ear. The girl looked up and nodded. Both women came out and stood in front of Dick and Bruce.

"What's your name?" It wasn't a question.

"Eileen Mary Grayson." Ellie hung her head. She couldn't face them all. It was too much.

"Your parents?"

"Richard 'Dick' Grayson and Barbara Gordon." There was no use trying to hide it now. Her assassin had been captured and Jamie was safe again. They would be going home soon.

"What if you are lying to us?"

Her head shot up. He didn't believe her. Of course he didn't. He was Bats. She wouldn't believe her if she was in their situation. But it didn't make her story any less true.

"But I'm not!" She cried out. "Look I can prove it."

She ran to a bag that was lying in the corner. It was small, a drawstring bag. As she walked back with it in her hand, her other one digging in it. She pulled out a midnight suit and a red utility belt. She tossed the belt to Barbara and the suit to Bruce. She withdrew one final item from her bag before dropping it to the floor.

"See?" She slipped her mask on her head. The familiar folds of spandex and armor covered her and things felt right. "I'm Nightbird back home."

Bruce peeled off the duct tape that she had hastily placed there before she'd left home. The bright red bird was exposed.

"What is this?"

"My symbol."

"No, this is Nightwing's symbol in a different color."

"No, it's Nightbird's. World's greatest detective? Can't you see the rounded corners? It's more feminine. Can't you see?"

Bruce looked closer. Now that he was actually looking at it, yes there were the rounded corners. She was right; it was a feminine Nightwing symbol. But that still didn't mean a thing.

"We'll need a DNA sample."

"Fine. What do you want? Saliva? Blood? Urine? All of the above?" Ellie folded her arms. This was getting old. She needed to get back to her brother.

"I think we'll start with a blood sample –"

"No." Everyone turned to Dick.

He was crouching in front of the discarded bag that Ellie had thrown on the ground. He reached down and picked up the bag. It was old. The words that had been printed on it had faded almost to the point where they were unreadable. Almost. He turned the bag around so the rest could read it.

Gotham Academy Mathletes, it read. Underneath was a last name. Grayson.

"I lost this years ago. How did you come to have it?" He asked Ellie.

Ellie wiped her nose. "I was in the attic of our house, and I wasn't supposed to be there, but I was curious. It was a few weeks before Christmas and I was looking for the presents. I wasn't allowed up in the attic without an adult. But I was looking for the presents and I came across this really old box and the bag was inside there along with other stuff. So, I took the box to my room and looked through it."

"There was an album of old newspaper clippings. There was the bag of course, and there was something wrapped in plastic. I took it out and to my surprise an old uniform fell out. It was red, had a yellow cape, and bright green shorts. And being the nine-year-old girl that I was, I put them on. It was a little large, but it was cool. I even found shoes that matched the little shorts. I put those on too, but they were really big on me."

"I went to show Momma, and she took one look at me and started laughing. She pulled me on her lap and laughed even harder. She laughed so hard that tears came out. Then she told me I was missing something and to close my eyes. I did and a mask was placed on my face."

"I wore that around the house until Daddy came home. Momma told me to wait in the hallway and let her introduce me. She kept Daddy busy until I heard my cue. I jumped into sight with my hands on my hips."

"Daddy spewed his coffee everywhere. He wasn't too happy I was wearing it. Momma just kept laughing. I was grounded from everything for an entire week. The worst week of my life."

Ellie finished her story and rubbed her nose again.

"There's a picture in there if you would like to see."

Dick reached into the bag and sure enough a faded photo came out. The edges were crinkled and there was a tear. Dick looked at it and frowned. Barbara took and burst out laughing.

"Pixie-Boots! Oh my gosh! You found his Pixie-Boots uniform! Oh Dick, you look so thrilled," Barbara snickered.

The Dick Grayson in the photo looked less than thrilled. The best that could be said about it was that he was grimacing. And a very jubilant Ellie was sitting on his lap wearing the former Boy Wonder's very first uniform.

"Bruce, I thought you got rid of that?" Dick asked.

Bruce gave no answer. Barbara repressed a smirk.

Dick reached back in the bag. There was more in there. He felt it before. He pulled out a simple gold chain with a ring on it. Ellie's eyes widened and quickly she bounded over and gathered that in her hands.

"Um, that's mine."

"Ellie, that was my mother's engagement ring. Why do you have it?"

A/N: And there we have the reaction from Bruce. And a little humor with the pixie-boots uniform. Oh, there's only going to be about five more chapters. Tell me what you think and as always, review.