Dick confronts Bruce one more time and is shocked to find that this was all in the love birds' benefit after all. Dick becomes a dad and then, that's all stripped away. Going into Dick as Batman's Stan in in the next chapter after! Find out! Lot of fluff in this one.
Why Heroes Can't Sip Champagne and Apples are a Girl's Best Friend –
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Chapter 24: Taking It Slowly
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"Master –
"Not right now, Alf." The determined look in his eye said things were to come, so as always, Alfred Pennyworth had to pry the reason out quickly if Dick was here with Jason and Damian. Guns blazing from the last bus top into Gotham City.
"Where's the big man, Al?" Jay asked the butler as Dick stormed for the man of the home's private study instead of holding his breath. "Young masters…this is highly –
"Alfred." Dami looked to his dear family member, eyes as serious as the rest of his brothers'. "We must speak to father. There can be no delays in what has just occurred; he must fess up and speak the truth. Why is the ban lifted?"
Dick found the flicker of a fireplace in midwinter here in the home to be inviting, as he slipped right in. the three outside no doubt, eavesdropping until Cass or someone shooed the group off from the master's doorframe.
"You came by unannounced."
There was no fanfare, no good intent and no questioning why Dick had stayed away for yet another Christmas beside his late mentor. "I wanna know, B. Did you…pull some strings. Talk to the council for us?"
"Ah. That, I should explain –
"It's too late for that, Bruce." Dick sudden swatted the teas from his own eyes. "She…she looks just like us….how, how did you do it? The treaty –
"Blackfire was captured while you were stopping Slade."
Dick froze, tears littering the carpet as if he had to pause to hear it. "She's a joy, I saw the video of you guys on Wayne - book." Subtly smiled the older man. "Tim couldn't resist."
"I…. I Don't understand. You said we weren't safe – are we now?? She even said to take…take it slow, but I'm in her life…In M'ari's!" He wept. "You did that even after forbidding us from being any closer than a city apart…why? Was it so long, Bruce?"
"You were a mess, Dick, but…Dami and Kori convinced me you're more than what I pictured you as. What I did…I ruined a man, my own son." The billionaire put his head down into his hands as the fire crackled. "I took away your family, which was to save everyone. My paranoia was right then. But it died long after. Blackfire is contained by the council's ruling, and Kori wanted you two to never be apart for much longer than I'd made that happen. She called me, Rutha. I'd agree." The man looked at his son through that strained set of green eyes. Intense, like Dami's. Soft, like his mother's.
"It's her way of judging a person's character. Like a false shaman's death. She wanted you to open up to her happiness, because she didn't want M'ari to be without a grandpa." Smiled the young man in front of the billionaire. "I'd be honored if you could restore that title to yourself. Bruce, I want her to be happy. I always did."
"Then you go and do the right thing, I'm sorry Dick." Bruce got up as he went over to his drawer and pulled out a bright red envelope from last month in December. "This was for you and your new life together, I never got to hand it to you when that fight with Slade made us both cold. And, what you went through as Nightwing –
"Some wounds take longer to seal up than others." Smiled the grinning adult with sharp blue eyes. "You taught me that, and Alf." He chuckled and as Bruce handed Dick the (my big fat Greek wedding trope in this) red envelope as if it were so sacred, it turned out that it was now.
"Bruce…you…you got us a house!?"
Smiling wryly back, Dick embraced his father as any grown bird from the nest might. "Thank you…. B. This is too kind, and I'll repay it with all of my strength back. Ten – fold."
"Just, take care of one another." The stoic man had trouble with random hugs, but he tried with this one. His first ward, his first partner on the streets of Gotham.
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YOU THOUGHT IT WAS OVER, DIDN'T YOU? WRONG! IT'S HOW LONG IS FOREVER SO…. ONTO THE FUTURE!!
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The house was not in Blud where Dick went to work, but in California, closer to the Titans than ever before. He and his new bundle and beloved stood in front of a camera as the whole team took one snap in front of the prettiest home they'd have for a long, long time. Nothing too fancy, just a dish washer and fire place as well as a lot of the slack to pick up including…rearing a half – Tamaranean toddler on his days off once Kori was back into her photo shoots and job as a strategic teacher in Titans' tower. Well, it could be worse. M'ari was still his responsibility despite being the worst at making mac n cheese. Ah, well Kori made then with Zorka berries, so his efforts of actually using cheddar HAD to count for something!
Also, on occasion, the Titans not doing much work about would stop by to help out. Zatanna and Donna Troy or Wally, who'd found out about Jade and Roy Harper's kid Lian, they would sometimes come over for a playdate.
The thing here was, that M'ari…was able to fly as Kori had previously told the team in their long history. With that in mind, Dick had to learn to soar to keep up with the green-eyed, raven-haired child. She giggled and babbled cutely through the home with her arms out like a plane. "Wee!! I'm an eagle like Nighty – Wing!!"
Dick rolled his eyes. She'd once seen his mask and the pants; it was bound to happen for a three-year-old but her memory had the man concerned that she'd squeal to the wrong playground kids. She thankfully, did not have starbolts. Kori explained that she'd been imbued with those powers by the Gordanian scientists that had harmed her. A sad case of abuse…until one day…
She broke the mold all too easily with her mother was away.
The cookie jar was more a Tupperware of Alfred's from a few weeks ago since Dick had stopped by into the neighborhood to meet Duke, Batman's bat am add on.
And to that end, a new brother to the bat family just made life a little bit safer….
If only they'd stayed that way, if only Bruce had never vanished before M'ari had reached her fourth birthday….
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Going into the arc where Bruce is awol and Dick takes over the mantle. Bat woman shows up more and Dick loses his cool from being overworked by all Gotham can throw at him. Bad Blood arc and saying goodbye to his father position- what comes next?
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Going to cut this to a cliff. Find out more!!
