The Beginning Part Two
"Hi." I whispered trying to smile back.
"You know I don't remember having a daughter." Bruce Wayne spoke honestly.
"You wouldn't." I replied. "You weren't supposed to ever know about me. My mom never even told me who you were. That is until a few days ago when she disappeared. I have a letter." Digging into my backpack I produced the big, slightly crumpled yellow envelope and handed it to Mr. Wayne. Commissioner Gordon and I watched as the billionaire removed the contents and found the white envelope addressed to him in my mother's scratchy handwriting. Bruce scanned the letter two or three times before lifting his eyes from the page.
"Is this a joke?" he asked firmly.
"I wish it was." I answered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Mr. Wayne?" Gordon questioned.
"According to this letter," Bruce responded with a sideways glance to the paper in his hands, "Lillian's mother is Selina Kyle. I don't quite see had that's possible, you see, I haven't spoken to Miss Kyle in years." My heart sank at his words. He didn't believe me. What was going to happen to me then? Would I be placed into a shelter? Left on the streets? The second alternative wasn't the worst thing that could happen. I had been on the streets before, sure I was only eight but I could handle myself if I had to. I gulped some of the hot chocolate that still sat in my hand. It would probably be the last chance I'd have at something hot for a while. So this was Bruce Wayne the man my mother had told me stories about. The man who donned a rubber suit every night to keep the city of Gotham clean. But he hadn't thrown me out yet. Perhaps a little too hopefully I looked up at the man who was to be my father. "Alfred!" He called over his shoulder into the hall. That was it then. He was going to have the butler toss me out.
"Yes Master Wayne?" The elder man asked upon entering the room.
"Would you mind taking Lillian into the kitchen and cooking her some dinner? Maybe find her some dry clothes too?"
"Of course sir." Alfred bowed and then turned to me. "Miss Lillian would you come with me please?" I followed the butler out of the room without another word to Bruce Wayne or Commissioner Gordon. Alfred led me across the hall, past an enormous dining room and into an oversized kitchen. "Sit anywhere you like." I settled on a barstool tucked in a neat row, in front of a large counter island. "What would you care to eat Miss?" He asked once I'd sat down.
"What do you recommend?" I asked in return.
"Hmm." The butler thought for a beat before coming to a sudden conclusion. "On a chilly night like this perhaps a soup. I prepared a rather delicious one just this afternoon for Master Richard when he came home from school."
"That sounds good." I nodded in approval.
"Very well, I'll warm it over the stove. It shouldn't take very long."
"Okay." I smiled as Alfred got to work. We hadn't been in the kitchen long when a small dark-haired boy joined us in the doorway.
"Hey Alfred what did Commissioner Gordon need to talk to Bruce about?"
"It wasn't a what Master Dick but rather a whom." The old man answered not turning away from the stove.
"Who…Oh." The boy said noticing me for the first time. Smiling he jumped up onto an empty barstool next to me. "Hi!" he said politely before tossing an inquisitive look at the butler.
"Hi." I responded politely. "My name is Lillian."
"Nice to meet you Lilly! My name is Richard, Richard Grayson, but everyone just calls me Dick." As a second thought Dick turned his attention back Alfred. "Hey Al are you heating up some of that soup you made earlier?"
"Yes Master Dick I am." The Butler answered reaching into a cabinet over the stove for a soup bowl.
"I don't suppose you've got enough for me to have a second bowl?" The boy seemed hopeful at the idea.
"If I remember correctly Master Dick it would be somewhere around your fifth bowl, but of course there is plenty left." Alfred assured him before removing a second bowl from the cupboard. When Alfred served us each a bowl of steaming chicken soup Dick and I both muttered polite "thank yous" before attacking our food.
"Why are your clothes wet?" Dick questioned half way through his bowl of soup. "If you don't mind me asking that is." He added respectfully.
"I don't mind." I reassured him. "I walked here. Well most of the way here anyway, before Commissioner Gordon picked me up."
"Oh." Dick answered his eyes wide with the realization that I was the reason he and Bruce left the movies early. "Well I have some clothes that I think might fit. That is if you'd rather wear something dry." I wanted to hug Dick for his genuinely sweet gesture.
"Do you think Bruce will mind." I enquired worriedly.
"Why would he, they're not his clothes. I'm sure it's okay, right Alfred?"
"I think it's an excellent idea Master Dick."
"Okay, be right back then." Dick hurdled himself off the barstool and raced off to his room. He came back relatively quickly with a pair of black sweatpants and a light blue t-shirt. "These are from a few years ago. I keep them even though they're too small because they're from when I was in the circus." I had known that Dick Grayson had lost his parents in a tragic accident when an acrobatic trick went wrong. I was only two when it happened but my mom told me the story when I was older. After Dick's parent's died he was adopted by Bruce Wayne and traded in his circus costume for a Robin the Boy Wonder outfit. That technically made Dick Grayson my adopted older brother but I didn't want to tell him that just yet.
"Thank you." I said softly knowing how much his circus training clothes must have meant to him.
"Thank you Commissioner Gordon. You did the right thing brining her here." Bruce's voice drifted into the kitchen.
"Goodnight Mr. Wayne. Please set a copy of the test results to my office whenever you have them."
"I will personally deliver them, goodnight Commissioner." Bruce promised. The entrance hall door was opened and the howling wind echoed as Gordon seemed to step outside. There was a click as the door shut and locked into place for the night.
"Oh Dick, I see you've met Lillian."
"Yeah. I gave he some of my clothes so that she would have something dry to wear. I hope that's ok."
"You did, did you?" Bruce crossed the room to lean on the counter island. "That was very thoughtful of you Dick." He smiled. "Say Alfred is that some of your homemade chicken soup?" He pointed with a frown to Dick's nearly empty bowl.
"Yes it is Master Wayne."
"I suppose Dick's eaten it all?" he glanced at the boy accusingly.
"Now sir as I told Miss Lillian and Master Dick there is plenty."
"Oh good." The younger man began searching around the kitchen for a bowl to serve himself. "While I have some grub would you mind calling Leslie for me?"
"Of course Master Bruce. Though I suggest Miss Lillian change into the dry clothes before Dr. Thompkins arrives."
"Good idea, Dick could you show her…"
"Come on Lilly, I'll show you where the downstairs bathroom is." After a series of winding hallways Dick stopped short in front of a bathroom door. He waited patiently as I changed into the dry clothes he'd lent me and even showed me the way back to the kitchen.
"Feel better?" Bruce asked when we'd returned.
"Yeah. A lot actually." I returned to my previously occupied seat holding my wet clothes.
"Alfred can take care of those." Bruce said pointing to the pile of wet things in my hands.
"Of course sir." Alfred smiled before taking the bundle from me.
"Lillian do you know what a DNA test is?" Bruce questioned when he set down his spoon.
"No." I shook my head.
"A DNA test can be used to determine if someone is related to another person. It only works to see if someone is a mother or father of a person. When you are looking for a father it's called a paternity test. It doesn't hurt at all. See they take a tool, like a cotton swap and brush it against the inside of your cheek. And another cotton swap on the inside of my cheek. Then a doctor looks at them to see if they match."
"That doesn't seem too bad." I agreed.
"I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice, but I have a lot of money." He paused to see if I was paying attention. "Because of that you see I have to be very careful who I trust. The police seem to think it would be a good idea to have you take one of these test just to make sure what you…what the letter says, is true."
"That makes sense I guess. I'm sure there are lots of people who'd want to take your money." I said.
"Well I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to. Would you be willing to take a test with me?"
"It won't hurt?" I asked.
"Not a bit." He promised.
"Alright, sure."
It didn't take long for the Wayne family physician arrive and soon the kitchen had been turned into a room makeshift laboratory. Dr. Thompkins had brought with her not only the equipment needed to take a DNA test but also all the equipment she need to process the results. Now Bruce was sitting at a small kitchen table with his mouth wide open. Dr. Thompkins approached him with what did look like a really long cotton swab.
"Alright just hold still Bruce." She instructed. Bruce didn't move an inch as Dr. Thompkins waved the tool across the side of his mouth. Just like that she was done.
"See, didn't hurt a bit."
"Are you ready Lillian?" The doctor asked now turning to me.
"If you're nervous I'll hold your hand." Dick offered kindly. I took him up on the offer. I'd never admit it to any of them but I was terrified of doctors. Always had been.
"I'm ready." I nodded finally as I gripped at Dick's hand. But just as was the case with Bruce, Dr. Thompkins was done before I even realized she had started.
"Alright I have all the information I need." The Doctor smiled and she picked up the two DNA samples and began to type information into her computer.
"Master Dick, Miss Lillian, perhaps the two of you should be getting off to bed. There are plenty of rooms…"
"Come one Al can't we please stay up? At least just to see the results? I want to know if I've got a new little sister! I've never had a little sister before." Dick complained. "It's not even a school night!" He added trying to help his case.
"One night up late won't hurt will it Alfred?" Bruce asked from his place at the table.
"Very well, it is your choice after all Master Bruce."
Two hours later Dick and I were resting our heads on the counter island much to Alfred's displeasure, and Bruce was nursing his fourth cup of coffee. Afred decided to occupy himself with washing the dinner dishes, and cleaning the stove. Dr. Thompkins computer began to beep and the room turned to her with baited breath.
"The results are in." She said walking to the machine. Dr. Thomkins picked up a readout that printed from a portable printer I didn't notice before. "Well Dick," She smiled up from the paper. "It looks like you'll get your wish." She handed the results to Bruce so he could see them with his own eyes.
"There was never a doubt in my mind. Welcome to the Family, Lilian Wayne."