"How is she?" Bruce asked Alfred over his lunch break.
"She's been in her room all day"
"Are you sure she's still there?"
"Quite," Alfred nodded, "I've checked, she's doodling in front of the window"
"Okay, I've contacted the team, they'll be meeting her tonight"
...
Avalon had put down her sketchbook choosing instead to put her meager belongings away. The clothes she arrived in were placed in the hamper, and her coat and one other outfit hung in the closet school things were stored on top of the nightstand alongside her art supplies while the various gadgets were tucked into hiding. The entire process took under ten minutes and did nothing to make the place feel homey. Once again she slumped to the floor looking out the window, missing the ocean views she was accustomed to. Gotham was so cold, dark, and foggy. Perfect for the batman but not for her. Deciding she could no longer take being in the room she hesitantly opened the door opting for a walk around the manor instead. Listening for a moment, to the silence that enveloped the mansion she pondered where to go. It was evident a sizable chunk of the place was unused, closed off, and forgotten reminding her of the manor in The Secret Garden.
But there are secrets here too, she reminded herself. Creeping down the hall she effortlessly slipped past Alfred, silently retracing the path to the Batcave, its door slipping open and closing behind her without a sound. The lights came on automatically revealing the central hub but she bypassed the computer more interested in what was on the next level
So this is where he keeps all of his costume changes.
All kinds of Batsuits were kept pristine in various glass cases. His very first costume with purple gloves all the way to battle mech armor. Next to this lineup were two smaller cases each with a Robin Costume within. She easily recognized the first as Dick Grayson's the second was still ripped and bloodstained the remaining half of the domino mask hanging limply from the mannequin. Jason Todd's costume.
He didn't deserve this, Avalon lightly touched the glass, hanging her head for a moment before hurrying to the next level down. Discovering the hall of mementos. She had to resist the urge to touch the smaller displays marveling instead at the sheer size of the t-Rex beside the staircase. According to her mother, it still worked and was one of the least expected defenses in the cave.
Better not test it.
The garage was next. Many models of batmobile, boat, and plane. The very last level so she turned and headed for the upper levels, finding the gym right above the central hub, the medic bay above that.
...
"Alfred," Bruce called when he arrived home, "Where's Avalon?"
"Her room, sir, I trust you had a good day?"
"Are you sure she's in there?" Bruce nodded to the door.
Glancing inside, Alfred saw what Bruce meant, the room was empty.
"I don't understand..."
"She's Carmen's kid"
"But she's also yours"
The thought made Bruce tense. He had a teenage daughter. A teenage daughter raised to be a thief, "She's in the cave"
"Are you certain?"
Bruce was already halfway there.
...
"What are you doing in here?"
Without breaking stride on the treadmill Avalon looked up at her father who stood on the stairs with his arms crossed over his chest, "Curing my boredom," she responded with a smirk, "How was work?"
"The Cave's off limits"
"You didn't tell me that this morning"
"I shouldn't have to tell you that"
"Mom doesn't-"
"Carmen isn't here"
Without a word, Avalon hopped off the treadmill, brushing past her father while wiping the tears from her eyes, I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry. Not in front of him, the jerk!
"Avalon! Avalon!"
She ignored him darting back to 'her' room and locking the door. They'd almost killed her last night. They had tried to shoot down their escape. The last thing she needed to hear, the last thing she wanted to think about was her mother's absence. Why did she have to leave me here?
...
Exasperated, Bruce left the cave intent on following Avalon only for Alfred to step into his path, "That's not a good idea"
"She-"
"Was clearly very close to her mother and you've upset her, give her space and let her calm down."
This was the same tone Alfred used when he got in trouble as a boy so Bruce knew wasn't getting around the proud English butler not even if he used his stealth suit so changing direction he headed for the living room, turning on the TV above the fireplace to catch the news instead. Alfred, meanwhile, slipped into the kitchen, shortly returning with a piping hot cup of coffee. I don't know what I'm doing, Bruce bitterly admitted to himself. He'd never had to take care of a teenage girl. Barbra was his teammate all of their interactions were strictly professional. She had a father and a home of her own to go to at the end of the night. What was he supposed to do?
"Knock, knock"
"Dick," Bruce looked up in surprise, "You're early"
Dick Grayson dressed casually in a tee shirt and jeans had a serious expression on his face in place of his usual smile.
"How are you feeling, you know with everything?" Dick dropped into the chair across from him.
"I don't know"
"You're pushing your feelings down again, aren't you? You know, Diana called she's worried about you
"She really shouldn't bother-"
"She said you'd say something like that, it's not healthy to bury your feelings"
"It's worked before"
"You'll end up hurting yourself in the long-run"
"Eh"
"Now, mind telling me what was so important that you couldn't adequately explain it over the phone?"
"You're not going to believe it"
"Try me"
...
It might have been childish to hide in the closet with the door closed. But the closet was a dark space and her clothes still smelt like the island so Avalon thought it calming. Her tears had dried but she'd clenched her fists so tightly there were tiny crescents cut into her palms. Rather than seek out a tissue she brushed them on her shirt, resting her head against the wall. The day had been so...normal. So plain. She'd had breakfast with her mother and went through the motions of school-besting her classmates in every course-walking on the beach before joining her mother for dinner and then quiet time. She was supposed to have gone to sleep at the school-mandated curfew but she loved creeping about the halls.
Things went downhill so fast she might as well have been dragged along on her face.
"Where are we going, Mom?"
"I think its time you met your father"
"What? Shouldn't we be hiding from the killer thieves who just tried to shoot us down?"
"Not we, dear, you"
"But, but, Mom-"
"No, Avalon, you're not going to talk me out of this"
I want my Mommy, the tears started anew.
...
"You...You...and...Carmen?" Dick sat forward in his chair, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of the water as he tried to process, "You and Carmen Sandiego...have a-"
"Yes," Bruce was rubbing his temples tensely, he knew this was going to be a hard thing to explain but Dick seemed to be short-circuiting, "I called you and Barbra here so you could both meet her"
"So where is she?"
"Hopefully, her bedroom but let's wait for Barbra"
He chose not to mention his parenting mess-up. If one could call it that.
"What do you mean hopefully?"
"I don't want to talk about it"
"Ah, thou shalt not enter the Batcave, huh?"
"It's dangerous down there"
"You said she was what? Sixteen? Something like that? I don't, think she'll make the cave explode"
"What are we talking about?" Barbra had snuck up on them both, "Sorry, I would've been here sooner but-"
"Bruce has a kid with Carmen Freaking Sandiego!" Dick burst.
"Run that by me again?"
...
Getting to her feet Avalon shook the memories from her head, clambering out of the closet with the intention of face-planting into the bed only to pause. Something was happening, she could feel it. Curiosity overcoming her desire to sleep away her sorrows she crept from the room, peeking around the door frame she watched Bruce locked in an intense quiet discussion with who could only be Dick Grayson and Barbra Gordon.
Talking about me.
Steeling her nerves she stepped into the living room with a carefully neutral expression.
"Avalon, I want you to meet-"
"Nightwing and Batgirl, I know," she cut him off taking pleasure in their shocked faces.
"Did-did-Carmen-" Dick started fumbling for words.
"No, she didn't tell me I figured it out on my own, I'm not stupid"
"I-I-I-"
"Jumpy aren't you?"
"Avalon-" Bruce started.
"Don't 'Avalon' me," the teen crossed her arms over her chest.
Barbra and Dick looked between the duo wondering who would snap first.
"Ahem," Alfred lightly coughed breaking the tension, "It's dinner time."
The group moved to the dining room. Bruce sat at the head of the table, Barbra on his left, Dick on his right with Avalon next to him. Avalon refused to look at Bruce while he chose to ask Barbra how her new library job was going. The two chatted quietly glancing occasionally at Avalon.
"Steak night," Alfred declared, "Let's see, Medium rare for Master Bruce, well done for Miss Gordon and Medium well for Master Dick," he rattled off from memory, "How would you like yours?" he turned to Avalon.
"Rare, please"
"Alright"
"I didn't mean to imply you were stupid," Dick whispered.
"I know"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"Draw, paint, I have to be doing something with my hands or I get restless"
"What do you like to draw?"
"Everything"
"I bet you've been a lot of places?"
"Yes," she smiled wistfully, "Mom took me along whenever she could"
"What do you like best?"
"Oh, I don't know, it's all amazing in it's own way"
Bruce watched from the corner of his eye. Dick was doing what he did best, engaging people. In elementary he'd had the uncanny ability to make anyone smile. Disarming foes with witty words and making them pause. Avalon's shoulders relaxed as she launched into a tale of boating on the Amazon River followed by one of snowboarding in Canada. But, it quickly became clear her love was the various amusement, water, and thrill-seeking parks.
"What's your favorite?"
"Oh, I couldn't choose"
"Okay, what's your favorite theme park ride?"
"Roller costars, Mom doesn't have the stomach for them"
"That's ironic"
"I know!" Avalon laughed, "She won't even ride Mission Space at Disney and she's been in an actual rocket"
"Well, her launch was stopped, wasn't it?"
"Yes, she gave me the Lite Brite when she got home though, wanted to see what I would do with it"
"And, what did you do?"
"That is a secret"
"Oh, come on, now I want to know"
"Never going to tell you"
Truthfully, the answer was quite mundane. She'd simply used it to make a unicorn picture which she had given back to her mother and it was now kept safe in a glass case in one of her mother's offices but it was fun watching Dick Grayson puzzle over it.
"Tell me,"
"no"
"Please?"
"Not a chance"
"Okay, then tell me your favorite city?"
"Don't have one, too many choices"
"Favorite food?"
"Breakfast, waffles, dessert, chocolate eclair or banana pudding, otherwise I'm a sucker for good old American Chinese food"
"So you're telling me you've been all over the world, eaten all kinds of food and your favorite is plain takeout?"
"Yeah I also like sushi and I dip my french fries in viniger so what?"
Alfred reappeared with the meals bringing the conversation to a pause as Avalon dug into her dinner, the first bite making her realize she hadn't eaten lunch. She was so hungry her plate was scraped clean before anyone else.
"I didn't eat lunch today," she declared matter-a-factly, glaring daggers at Bruce when he glanced at her questioningly. To keep the tension from building Alfred swiftly brought seconds for Avalon, who ate her food much, much, much slower the second time around.
"Have you eaten lunch, Avalon?"
"No," her stomach rumbled in agreement.
"Neither have I," Carmen admitted, "how does a genuine Italian pizza sound?"
"Yummy"
"Let's go"
We kept each other from starving.
Barbra looked between the two with a worried expression. The tension was so thick between them that it would've taken more than a knife to slice. It was glaringly evident that the two hadn't spent more than maybe a half hour together since Avalon's unexpected arrival the night prior, this coupled with the fact that Bruce had no idea how to interact with a teenage girl.
What a doozy.
When the painfully awkward dinner was finished, Avalon bolted back to her room with scarcely a goodbye.
"Sit down," Barbra calmly demanded when Bruce stood to follow, "The last person she wants to see right now is you"
Bruce sunk back into his chair with the signature brooding bat gaze, "What do I do?"
"Have you tried maybe, i don't know, asking what she needs?" Dick started, "Or how she's feeling? You did say Carmen escaped a coup, I highly doubt she has much for a long-term stay"
"And I've seen the bedroom you put her in," Barbra added, "It's not the most inviting space"
"You're saying I should take her shopping? Isn't that a cliche?"
"You're missing the point"
"Huh?"
"Take a day, take several, just try and get to know her, you know, bonding activities?" Dick explained, "I speak from experience when In say she'll only wallow in her feelings cooped up here"
