Making the Best of It
Chapter 34
Wayne Manor
Bruce snapped blue rubber gloves onto his hands. He fixed an old rebreather from the cave onto his face, the strap digging into the back of his head, covering the lower half of his face. It was one of the dated types when he first started out before he began to utilize miniaturization.
He turned his head sharply to Diana, who stood a few feet to his side.
"I'll be back," he said with a muffled voice.
The woman nodded silently, watching as he walked into the room. She took a few cautionary steps towards the room, peeking over the foundation. Her face wincing as she smelt the toxic fumes before turning away.
The dark-haired man entered with purposeful strides approaching the target. He came to an abrupt stop before looking down at the source of the odor.
Within the crib laid his daughter Elissa. She stared curiously as she did not recognize her father while he wore such a strange mask. She sat up, her head tilted. Her tiny hands gripped the edge of her crib, standing on her two feet.
"Dada," she squealed excitedly at the sight of him.
"Come along, young lady." He beckoned, picking her up and placing on the changing table. He stripped her down to her diaper and he swore the profound foul smell seemed to slip through his rebreather.
He paused needing a second to compose himself. "I hate this part of the job," he grumbled.
"It's your turn," the Amazon reminded him from the safety of the hallway. Although, the smell swept the air probably encompassing the entire upstairs.
The man waved a dismissing hand at her, his eyes still on his daughter. He removed the diaper and started to clean her up.
"Remember front to back," the woman instructed. She quickly winced as the foul smell infiltrated her nostrils. "Oh, so gross," she grimaced, turning away from the doorway, holding her breath.
Bruce struggled not to vomit in his rebreather.
"Container," he called to the woman hiding out in the hallway.
Grumbling to herself, Diana, holding her breath, came into Elissa's room and picked up the sleek round container, which the man deposited the foul diaper inside a hermetically sealed container, turning the handle, locking up the container and resumed dressing their child.
The man had Elissa in a clean diaper and dressed for the day in a matter of moments.
"Good girl," he praised the child as she didn't give him any trouble getting her dressed. With a side-long glance he noticed Diana opening a few windows.
"I'm sorry, but I can't stand the smell!" she exasperated, facing the two.
"You?" The man raised an eyebrow bemused. "I'm wearing a mask and it's doing nothing." He set Elissa down on the floor, the child walking over to her toys.
"It's not a competition," she fired back.
The past few weeks were one of concern and confusion to Diana. Bruce was acting strange, even for him. He seemed to be holding something back from her but whenever she pressed him on it, he either lied to her face saying he was fine or dodging the question with some other topic.
Burying himself in his work or being with Elissa. But then he changed and apparently stopped acting the way he was and was being normal. Bruce normal at least.
The woman was concerned but suspected whatever he needed to work out had been worked out. She just wished she had confided in her with whatever was troubling him.
But their relationship seemed to be fine.
They still had their separate bedrooms even though the agreed to be all in on their relationship. Probably because they were both afraid of what if. There were times when they woke up in each other's bed but still the uncertainty within them made their relationship tenuous. Yet, somehow strong.
An oxymoron if she ever saw one.
She loved him. He loved her. And she loved the life she had with Bruce and their daughter. And she knew he did as well.
"When do we start potty training?" Bruce asked, removing the rebreather from his face.
"Another year," Diana replied, kneeling next to Elissa, offering her a toy to which they played with.
The man groaned in displeasure. Just imagining the terrifying training to come waned at his spirit.
"Maybe we should just borrow a time machine from someone we know and skip the inevitable battle of wills?"
Bruce suggested.
"Tempting," the raven tressed woman responded. And the idea was very attractive. "But we could cause undo harm tampering with time," she reasoned, looking up at him.
"I'll risk it," he maintained casually.
His response almost made her laugh.
She affectionately rubbed the back of her daughter's head, busy playing with her toys.
"Her birthday is coming up," she reminded the man.
"I know. Any ideas?"
Diana stared at the inky head of her child. "I have a few ideas," she responded softly.
"Care to share?" the man probed, curiously.
"You're the detective. Figure it out," she challenged him, coyly.
That devious smile on her face made the man's heart flutter. She challenged him with the most mundane prospects. And it made him happy to make the effort to answer her challenge.
It was November.
Specifically, Elissa's birthday.
It took a while for her parents to decide on a theme for the party. A few disagreements but eventually they settled on a theme due to Cassandra playing with Elissa along with the dogs.
Seeing how happy Elissa was playing with Ace and Titus made the choice obvious.
They chose to have a puppy party for their daughter's third birthday.
The party was held in the ballroom which was very spacious as family and a few friends were invited to Elissa's party.
Damian and Jon were talking in a corner away from the puppies that were excitedly racing around Elissa and the few others that joined her with the tiny creatures.
Cassandra was smiling as she sat with Elissa as the puppies crawled into her lap eager for petting.
Donna was speaking with Barbara near the food.
Jason stood away from the festivities. A significant change as he and Bruce found a middle ground once again. With a new change of costume and discarding the guns in favor of a crowbar. The weapon was a morbid change but that was a discussion for later.
Bruce was trying to forgive, and this was a step from each of them.
Bruce stood next to Alfred, who held a serving tray in hand, watching as Elissa was playing with the puppies and giggled as sniffled and licked her. The scene brought a fond smile to the older man's wrinkled face. He was glad to see such happiness return to this house. He cast a side-long glance at the man that he considered a son.
He was elated to see such a change in the man in the last few years. He was pleased to see Bruce making such an effort to enjoy some of the humanity that he had thought lost many years ago.
Diana was speaking with Clark and Lois while she kept an eye on her daughter playing.
"She's getting so big, isn't she?" Lois couldn't help but ask.
"That she is," the Amazon said smiling.
"Any idea where you're going to send her to a school?" Clark questioned, holding some punch in his hand.
"Bruce and I have been looking into a few," the woman answered. "We took a tour of one the other day. Bruce was fine with it. But I am still thinking it over," she mentioned.
"It's always difficult when schools are involved," Lois claimed. She pointed to her husband with a grin, "This guy and I had a few disagreements about what school to put Jon in when he was at that age."
The dark-haired man chuckled at the memories.
Diana absorbed the new knowledge and pondered if Bruce and she would have just as much difficultly as they did in finding a school for the daughter.
Elissa left the puppies and toddled over to her mother, whom picked her up readily.
"Hello, my love. Are you having a nice party?" the woman questioned her daughter sweetly.
Elissa nodded her head excitedly, her long tresses bobbing with her head.
"Use your words," the woman chided softly.
Elissa nodded wordlessly again. With Diana making a faux exasperated expression at her daughter's stubborn refusal to speak.
The three-year-old response was a giggle.
Clark and Lois chuckled at the reaction of the two.
Elissa reached downward silently desiring to be put down, to which, her mother complied, setting her down.
Instantly, the dark-haired child toddled over to her Aunt Donna, who was sitting with the puppies.
The woman saw her niece running and opened her arms instantly for her to run into her. The little girl wrapping her arms around Donna's neck.
"Happy Birthday," Donna hugged the girl tightly. They parted as the puppies were eager for more attention.
Soon it was time for cake.
Alfred placed the birthday cake onto the table in front of the birthday girl. Diana kneeled next to her daughter, who sat in a booster seat before the table.
"Get ready, my love." Diana told her happily.
And soon, they sang to Elissa, while she stared at the burning number three candle. When the singing stopped, Diana coaxed her daughter into blowing out the candle.
"Go ahead, Elissa. Blow out the candle."
Elissa still didn't know what to do, so Diana chose to help her out and blew out the candle for her.
In response, everyone clapped. The clamor of hands blasted her little ears, provoking her to do the same.
"Happy Birthday, Elissa." Diana uttered once again, kissing the top of her daughter's head. Her heart swelling at yet another year had passed, and her child was a little older now and growing up so fast. She looked forward to witnessing her growth continue.
It was a week before Christmas and the Wayne family received a very appreciated and surprising gift.
Dick Grayson was back.
The young man was greeted at the door by Alfred, who brought him into a tearful hug. Elated at seeing Dick had been restored made the old man's heart skip a beat.
"Good to see you too, Alfred." Dick uttered returning the hug. He was deeply glad to be home. The whole amnesia thing was so tired.
The butler had called to Bruce ushering for him to quickly come to the front door.
When the billionaire arrived, he froze in place. Doubt plagued him, believing it was a trick.
"What? No welcome home?" he joked. "I mean we've been partners for years. You would think I could get at least a firm nod from you in appreciation," he said humorously.
The billionaire's stoic expression cracked as a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. He walked over to him and put his arms around him.
"I thought we lost you boy," Bruce uttered, expressing such a melancholy tone. His actions and words paralyzed the acrobat before he returned the embrace.
When they pulled apart it was awkward before Alfred chose to shut the door and beckoned the two back within the manor.
As they moved through the manor, Bruce spoke. "How did you regain your memories?"
"Court of Owls," Dick merely said.
As if that was enough for the three men.
"We really need to get rid of them," Bruce grumbled as Alfred silently concurred.
"No doubt," Dick agreed. "The doctor who I was seeing was working for the Court and used an amulet to wipe my memoires of the past in hopes of me joining them," he explained. "But I broke free and regained my memories after I destroyed it."
They stopped in the study. Bruce turned to Dick. "We should really work on redesigning your uniform. Put some protection on that head of yours," he reasoned.
Scoffing, Dick shook his head. "What are you thinking? A mask like yours? Or Tim's old Red Robin suit?" He shook his head again, "No thanks."
"It's a crime to cover all of this," he circled his head with his finger, chuckling.
Alfred silently snickered, shaking his head at how the man was dismissing all that had happened.
Bruce silently stared blankly at him. Clearly not amused by Dick's antics.
"We can discuss Master Dick's wardrobe later. Right now, I believe a celebration is in order," he decided pleasantly.
To which Bruce offered no resistance.
Suddenly, Diana's voice was heard before entering the study.
"What is all the commotion?" she questioned, curiously. Elissa walking alongside her mother, holding her hand.
The Amazon froze at the sight of seeing Dick back and looking better than last she saw. "Richard?"
Dick responded with a shining smile. "Hey, Diana." He gave he a tiny wave.
"You're… well?"
"Well, I think I'm coming down with the sniffles, but yeah," he shrugged nonchalantly.
She smiled, pleased that he was well again, and Bruce no longer depressed by the loss of his son. "Welcome back," she beamed.
"Thanks," the acrobat nodded in appreciation. His eyes glanced down at the little girl, silently watching, clenching her blanket in one hand.
"Is this…?"
Dick stammered at a loss for words at how big Elissa had gotten since he had last seen her.
Smiling, the woman took a few steps forward, Elissa following without any issue. "Elissa, meet your brother," she introduced.
Curious blue eyes stared at the strange man before her tiny body. Sensing the stares on her, she shyly pulled her blanket in front of her face.
Dick numbly stood. Processing the fact that he had been gone for so long. She was still a baby the last he recalled. He felt a sense of loss at being gone from the child's life. It was clear to him that Elissa had no idea who he was.
When Elissa was born, Dick wished to be the greatest big brother that he could be to her. He got that ridiculous teddy bear as a starter. But he swore he will start again.
"Hey, there." He started politely. He kneeled in front of the child, his fingers pulling the blanket down, letting him see her eyes. "I'm Dick," he started, "I'm your brother. And I promise you as soon as you're old enough I will have you doing somersaults twenty feet in the air," he said sweetly.
"No," Bruce denied, causing the acrobat to chuckle.
Dick looked over his shoulder, an amused expression on his face. "Oh, come on. It's practically a rite of passage in this house," he defended.
"No," the dark-haired man denied.
Alfred and Diana merely chuckled at the humorous debate.
Before the debate could turn heated, Diana interjected.
"We'll see when she is older," she expressed diplomatically.
Changing the subject, Dick picked the little girl up. "She's mine for a while," he stated, walking out of the study, leaving behind a bemused Bruce and an amused Diana.
He wanted to get to know his sister. Play with her and hopefully leave an impression considering he was getting back to work as Nightwing.
At dinner, Dick had a couple of questions for the parents of the adorable little girl.
"Does she speak?' he wondered. In the few hours we spent with the child, she was mostly mute.
"When she wants to," Bruce answered. It was a little unnerving at how at such a young age, Elissa was a lot like Bruce. He hoped it was just a phase or something.
"But when she wants to be loud, you will hear her loud and clear," Diana said knowingly. That little girl had quite the set of lungs on her. Her daughter's screams haunt her memories.
Dick chuckled as he watched Elissa eat her dinner, oblivious to the conversation about her.
"By the way," Bruce suddenly said, garnering Dick's attention again. "You're drafted for babysitting duty."
"Huh?"
"Donna loves the job. But you're closer. If Alfred's unavailable, you're the first one to call," he patted the acrobat's shoulder, giving him a smug smile.
Diana chuckled, watching the two interact. She was glad to see Bruce getting better after Dick's attack.
"Uh, okay," the younger man nervously chuckled. He was stunned to see his mentor act like this. It was rare, very rare to see him like this. He believed Elissa and Diana had something to do with it.
As Bruce was carrying Elissa up to bed, he pondered if she was having a good life. Was she delighted at seeing Dick again after so long? Would she love him like a brother? Or view him as a stranger with how dangerous their lives were?
He didn't have an answer. The only thing he could do was continue to do what he was doing: his best.
He took a seat in the rocking chair inside Elissa bedroom, a book in hand, Elissa curled up in his lap. He started to read to her as he did usually when he didn't have a big case to work on. The side of the child's face pressed into his chest, her fabled blanket pulled up to her nose, enjoying the comforting scent the blanket provided.
Her blue eyes stared into the book that was before her, her father's heartbeat lulling her to sleep as her eyes drooped.
He continued reading aloud for a few more minutes until he judged she fell asleep by her even breathing. He stiffened when he felt someone approach, out of the corner of his eye he noted Dick standing outside the door.
The billionaire raised a finger to his lips, to which the younger man nodded his head in understanding. Slowly, he stood up from the rocking chair, leaving the book on the seat, he carried the sleeping child over to her crib. After gently setting her down and securing her blanket around her, he turned to Dick.
Said man was scanning the room, his eyes locked onto the giant teddy bear in the corner. Pride swelled up inside him as he was pleased the bear had a permanent fixture in the room.
The acrobat was quietly backing out as the man was heading for the door. As the door silently shut, the two men whispered.
"I sometimes find her snuggling up against it or asleep on the floor with it," the man explained.
It immediately clicked in the younger man's mind that Bruce was talking about the bear. It was a nice thought that Elissa cherished the bear.
"Well, next birthday I'll get her another one. And another. Until she's got a whole family of bears," Dick said jovially.
"No."
Bruce immediately denied. He had nearly tripped over that ridiculous toy the other day. He was not going to be surrounded by an army of the stuffed things.
Dick was snickering at the man's expense.
Bruce went down the stairs with Dick following him to the cave.
"Let's get to work," Bruce declared, suiting up.
"Really?" Dick uttered surprise.
"It's been a while since we've worked together. Let's hit the streets," Bruce explained, donning his cowl.
Grinning, Dick donned his costume. "Fits like a glove," he noted as he finished putting his mask on.
As they took their seats within the batmobile, Batman gave the younger man a side glance. He was worried about history repeating itself. But shoved it down as they raced into the city.
When they swung along the rooftops, Batman was watching Nightwing effortlessly stretch his acrobatic muscles. He had not lost a step following his gunshot wound to the head.
A ghost of a smile formed on the dark-clad man's lips.
His son was back.
The family was back together.
All was good with Batman for now.
All that was left was to get Gotham to the same point.
It was a blistering summer in the new year.
And while Diana was working with the League, Bruce was home from the office.
While Alfred was tending to the household chores, Bruce was heading up to Elissa's room to get her up from her nap.
He entered, the cool breeze of the air conditioner reached his face, and found his daughter wide-awake, dressed in a sunflower colored sundress. Her raven-hair a disheveled mess from sleep.
"Dada!" she squealed in excitement. She stood up in her crib, holding her arms out, desiring him to pick her up.
"Hey, baby girl." He greeted her with affection as he picked her up into his arms. He had her sitting on his right forearm. "Did you have a good nap?"
She nodded her head, as she clutched her blanket.
He walked out of the room and down the stairs. When he reached the dining room where the highchair was, he tried to put her in the chair, her dress ruffled upward.
The father paused, his face blank, feeling something on his forearm.
Elissa merely blinked as she waited to be seated.
The man pulled her back to him, his hand reaching around her, feeling the oddity. He pulled back, his eyes full of suspicion.
"Elissa… where is your diaper?"
The child stared back at him blankly.
Resisting a sigh, he went back up to her bedroom with her in tow. He scanned the room and spied his daughter's discarded diaper on the floor in front of the crib.
"How did I miss that?" He wondered aloud.
He quickly diapered her once more; stern eyes warned her to keep it on. He quickly checked the crib in case she had an accident. He gave a relieved sigh as he found that the sheets were clean.
"Good thing the bed's clean," he spoke to Elissa. "Alfred doesn't let me near the washing machine," he recalled the several instances where he attempted to use the household appliance and disaster followed. He had left quite a mess to clean up and had to replace one appliance afterwards.
When Diana came home exhausted, collapsing on the couch with a sigh, clad in grey shorts and tank top, her hair damp from the shower she took before coming up to the house.
Her eyes were shut but she heard the loud footsteps of the only resident in the house not trained in stealth.
A smile came to the woman's face as she witnessed her daughter run up to her, a smile on the toddler's face as she tried to pull herself onto the couch. Offering aid, her mother's gentle hand helped push her up onto the couch.
When Elissa snuggled up next to her mother, her head leaning against her mother's body, blue eyes staring at her innocently.
"Hello, my love. How was your day?" Diana inquired. Even though she was exhausted, the sight of her child still brought her to life and ignored the exhaustion that plagued her powerful body.
Elissa seemed to struggle at first but then, the little girl responded. "Good."
Her daughter's response brought a smile to the Amazon's face. She was delighted to her a new word come out of her mouth. It warmed her through every fiber of her being. "Good?"
The child nodded her head.
"What did you do today?" The woman pressed, desiring to get more words out of her little girl. She pulled her daughter closer to her and then into her lap, holding her close.
Instead of answering the woman, the child sweetly buried her face into her mother's chest. In response, the woman rubbed her back in a circular motion, followed by a kiss to the top of her head.
"I love you," Diana said lovingly. She merely sat on the couch holding her child close, desperately needing the warmth and comfort Elissa provided.
Time passed, the eyes of both ladies slowly closed, until they both fell asleep.
Diana jolted awake when she felt the weight on her chest vanish. She relaxed only when she saw Bruce have their daughter in his strong arms.
"Rough day?"
She scoffed, straightening up. "Like you wouldn't believe," she dryly. She scooted over as Bruce sat next to her, Elissa in his arms fast asleep.
"What about you?" She returned, rubbing the last of sleep from her eyes.
She saw Bruce pause, almost as if he was contemplating how to word his answer properly.
He clicked his tongue, mouth slightly parted until…
"I don't think we should put Elissa in sundresses until she's older," he expressed cautiously.
The woman was at a loss for words, surprise written on her face. "Why?" she wondered, getting over her surprise.
"I found out that our daughter got a little too hot in her crib and tossed her diaper overboard," Bruce explained dumbfounded.
The woman started to chuckle imagining her daughter act out what the man told her. When she stopped laughing, she asked. "Did she have an accident?" Dreading the sordid mess that may have been made.
"Thankfully, no."
He sighed in relief as the woman joined him.
A silence surrounded the pair as their child was sound asleep.
Suddenly, the dark-haired woman blurted out. "But she looks adorable in a dress."
The man merely stared at her. The casual way she said it caused him to start to chuckle with her soon joining him. He was stunned when she placed her head on his shoulder, nuzzled up against him. He relaxed, turning his head into hers, the scent of her shampoo flooding their fragrant odor through his nostrils.
Her scent and presence brought him peace as the family of three relaxed and enjoyed their time with one another.
"Maybe tights?" she suggested.
Elissa's excited giggles and the splashing of water left an impression in Diana as she took her daughter into the pool with her. It was hot summer day, and Diana had some free time.
Believing Elissa would love the pool just as much as she loves baths, the woman put her into a swimsuit and attached floaties to her little arms. The little girl stared at the orange inflation device in curiosity as her mother put them on her. At first, she put up a fight, finding the floaties cumbersome. But soon she gave up on it as her mother took her by the hand, making a beeline for the swimming pool.
Diana carried Elissa in her arms, clad in a purple one-piece swimsuit, her lower extremities submerging in the chlorine filtered pool until water lapped at Elissa's feet.
Gently and cautiously, the raven-haired woman slowly loosened her hold on her child until she was kept afloat by the devices on her arms. However, the woman kept her hands close just in case.
Instantly, the child looked around curiously, head whipping all over as she soaked in everything around her.
"Try kicking your feet," Diana instructed, looming over her daughter.
It took a while for Elissa to do anything. But when she started kicking her legs, water splashing all around, her excited giggles spurred her on to make as much splashes as possible, her hands assisting.
Diana smiled and helped her, kicking her feet getting more distance than her daughter due to her longer limbs.
Eventually, Elissa stopped as she got tired. Her hair damp from the spattering of water, a drop of water caught in her eyelashes.
"Was that fun?" the woman wondered sweetly.
"Yes!" Elissa squealed happily.
Taking hold of the three-year-old, Diana started to swim along the pool. Elissa cried out in wonder as they moved through the water. Diana smiled as she carried Elissa along as they swam to the other end of the pool. She stopped herself by holding onto the ledge of the pool.
She turned to Elissa, "How about you give it a try?"
She carefully instructed her daughter in trying to swim; however, she wasn't ready to fully attempt to swim.
But all in all, they had a good time and that was all that mattered.
When it was time for bed that night, Elissa was watching television guzzling down some milk from her sippy cup, her treasured blanket wrapped around her.
When she was finished with it and her program was over, Diana came in to put her to bed.
"Okay, my love. It's time for bed."
Her mother's voice made her head turn, silently, she held out her sippy cup to her mother, shaking it side to side, wordlessly telling her mother that she was finished and to take it from her.
The mother chuckled, taking the empty cup.
"You truly are a princess, my daughter," she muttered affectionately. "Time for bed," picking her daughter up with one arm.
Her act caused the child to whine. "No, mama. No bed. No bed."
"Yes. You will have plenty of time to watch your programs tomorrow," she replied patiently.
Of course, Elissa didn't like that and started to whimper.
"There is no need for tears, my star beam."
Diana gently placed her daughter in her crib, draping her blanket over her. Elissa's whimpering shimmered down, as her eyes were wet with tears.
Lovingly, her mother wiped them away with her thumb. "I love you. And I will see you in the morning." She placed a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead before she shut the door behind her, leaving her daughter to sleep.
As she walked the halls of the manor, sippy cup still in hand, she pondered on what bed she should get for Elissa. Her child was getting too big for the crib, and it was time for her to enjoy the comforts of a bed.
That September, Elissa started preschool. Elissa didn't think much of the idea, but Diana was a little emotional, as well Bruce.
Their little girl was growing up so very fast.
Already three and starting preschool, in a couple of months their child would be four. It seemed like time was passing them by.
Bruce was proud to see his daughter about to experience life outside the manor and interacting with other children. He hoped that his daughter would enjoy school.
Alfred was delighted to see the next generation of the Wayne family, even more so as he had found his position as grandfather endearing. His heart nearly stopped when Elissa had called him 'grandpa' just the other day. He was nearly in tears at how humbling the position was as Bruce was present and didn't even correct her, instead asserting her logic.
Diana was nervous because of Elissa's first day, but she swallowed down the emotions and finished dressed her.
"You are going to love school, my love." Diana's voice was shaky.
"School?" the dark-haired child tilted her head, her pigtails dangling in the air.
"Yes. You will have a nice teacher and classmates. You will play and learn and be home for lunch. Okay?" The woman explained, her hands rubbing her child's arms in comforting manner.
Elissa, on the other hand, didn't seem to understand or at the very least was interested in this new thing called school.
"Okay, mama," the three-year-old nodded her head obediently.
When they arrived at the school, Diana and Bruce stood around their daughter as she stared with wide eyes at the school and all the people around her. Other kids were chatting with one another, with parents speaking to their children as well.
Noticing Elissa's teacher start lining up her students, Diana knew she only had a few minutes.
"Okay, my love. Have a good day and Alfred will pick you up, okay?"
Elissa nodded her head, "Okay, mama."
Smiling, Diana kissed Elissa's forehead. "I love you."
Bruce snuck up behind the three-year old, calloused hands snuck under her arms and tickled her sides, kissing her cheek, as Elissa's went into a giggling fit.
"Listen to your teacher," he told her, ceasing his treatments.
The raven-haired woman gently pushed her forward as Elissa joined her class. Elissa looked back one more time at her parents, who were waving goodbye with silent encouragement.
Soon their child vanished from sight as they doors shut behind the teacher.
The pair stood for a few moments longer before Bruce gently tugged at her arm, wordlessly informing her that they had to go.
Eventually, Diana broke her gaze from the shut double doors, melancholy as she prayed Elissa would be alright. She had never entrusted her child's safety to a stranger before. She knew this was necessary, but she still had her worries like any parent.
As they made their way to their car, Bruce offered a few words to dispel Diana's apprehension.
"I investigated Elissa's teacher and the assistant. They're both clean," he disclosed blankly.
The Amazon gave the man a side-long glance. She wasn't even surprised. She chuckled slightly. "Of course, you did."
She took his hand in her own. "You always look after the people you care about," she expressed earnestly. His words alleviating some of the tension inside her.
He only shrugged as they reached the car.
Before they could drive to the office, the woman pulled him into a kiss, stunning him. When she pulled back, she flashed him a dazzling smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"What…?"
"I love the life we have together," she told him passionately. The way she said it made the man warm inside. He knew she was honest to a fault, and he was desperately wanted to give her a life she could love. He was glad to see that he was doing just that.
A few months after Elissa started school and after she had turned four, she brightened up as she found that she loved going to preschool. She liked being around other children, she liked the activities given out to her as well as the fundamentals being taught to her, such as, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes. All things Bruce and Diana had been working on with her.
Bruce had just returned from the office in the late afternoon, the sun still burning in the sky.
He stopped by the front door, scanning through the mail, eyes blank.
Suddenly, he heard a loud cry of excitement pierce his ears.
"Daddy!" Elissa came charging at him, her little arms forward, ready to wrap around her father. She tackled the man, whom remained unaffected by her tackle, her little arms wrapping around his legs.
"Hey, pipsqueak." He uttered, his expression blank, eyes trained on the envelopes in his hands. "How was school?"
"Good," the four-year-old readily replied. Her face tilted upward, a beaming smile on her face.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing," Elissa answered.
Her father looked away from the mail in his hands and down to his daughter still wrapped around his leg. A skeptical look formed on his face, "Nothing? You just sat in the classroom staring at the chalkboard for a few hours until Alfred picked you up?" he concluded with sarcasm.
Elissa giggled at her father's words before burying her face into Bruce's pant leg.
The man's lips twitched upward, and he reached down rubbing the top of the little girl's dark tresses.
Setting the mail down, he picked up the little girl in his arms, holding her under his right arm like she was a football.
Finding her midair position amusing, she started to laugh some more.
"Let's go see what grandpa has to say about what you did today," the man stated, going in search of the butler.
While his daughter's giggles reverberated throughout the manor's halls as her body moved to and fro.
NEXT: PART 2