Chapter Text
Jason was turning out to be a very calm and sweet baby. He rarely fussed and often spent his time sleeping, which made sense for a premature newborn. When he was rested against Bruce's chest, he was the sweetest little angel; perfectly content to look around, babble, and sleep quietly.
This all changed the second Bruce tried to put him down.
The quiet baby would erupt, transforming into a screeching pair of lungs. The cries became so deafening that Bruce kept him away from the good family china in fear of the entire case of heirlooms shattering. That screaming wouldn't stop until long after he was picked up again.
Bruce sighed as he remembered the sound and rubbed his ears. Jason apparently had three volume settings. Quiet with a few babbles, a light crying to alert him of his needs, and the wild screech of a banshee whenever he lost contact with either him or Alfred. The last setting took at least an hour to calm down.
Bruce pondered if it was related to emotional trauma due to being abandoned twice by two different mothers. Wondered if it would affect him his whole life. Would he be five and still never want Bruce to put him down? 25? 60?! How would Bruce be able to carry around his senior citizen of a son when he too was elderly!
Then he took a breath, calmed down, and sat with his baby close to his chest as he reached into his desk. He took out one of the dozens of childcare books he'd recently purchased in an attempt to get a hold on what he was doing, and started reading aloud.
Through hard work (and some industrial strength earmuffs), Bruce had found some exceptions to the “Never put Jason down” rule. For example: if Jason was in a good enough mood or just plain tired, he could gently lay Jason down on a blanket or playpen, so long as he was in sight and kept a hand on him at all times. The hand would then become a sacrificial toy for Jason who would try his best to "play" with it, before sometimes moving onto his real toys. His favourite at the moment being crinkly paper (Bruce had to watch to make sure the kid didn’t eat it), a busted water bottle, colourful donut rings, and the stuffed pig he came with. Bruce also discovered that if he read out loud, whether it be a book or his business reports, Jason tended to calm down faster and would just lay there looking at him while sucking his pacifier. As a result, Bruce had started to implement a story time when he tried to get Jason to sleep, and did so every time he laid him down for a nap.
He wondered if this love for literature was a sign his baby would become an academic in the future.
Jason’s clinginess presented multiple issues now that Alfred had made Bruce the primary caregiver. The old man had put his foot down, saying that "he may have gotten lucky with Master Richard when he gave full custody to his mother so he could continue his trip around the world to become a ninja, but he would not have that luxury with Jason. During the day, it was primarily his time to watch Jason.” Though Alfred would help at night, prepare their meals and watch over Jason when Bruce needed a moment or even a morning to himself (or to dedicate to Batman, as he often did.) Aside from those small moments of reprieve; Bruce was fully responsible for Jason.
Bruce wondered if it was a part of a plan to make him more sexually responsible (which was fair as this was his second "happy little accident") or even make him cut back as Batman.
Which was more complicated.
For now Bruce focused on the fact that he had a baby to take care of, a company to run, and a city to save, all of which was destroying his already nonexistent sleep schedule. His playboy image was also taking a huge blow, what with the addition of it creating new life! Which, really, was all on him. He should have seen that coming a mile away.
But with Jason now in his life, Bruce had to make some changes.
First, the company. Wayne Enterprises was the source of his family's pride and fortune, of which he had become the active CEO just four months ago. During his absence, WE had become a corrupt organization, involving unsafe work practices, sweatshops, and under or unpaid employees. All of which was used to line the pockets of the corrupted shareholders of the board. The pigs were using every method they could to buy the political figures of Gotham in order avoid paying taxes and wages. The result left the rest of Gotham in a crumbling state.
After finding all this out, Bruce had taken the company back by the reins and was forcibly changing it from the ground up. He had found every sweatshop on the map and closed them down personally. He then had the communities affected by the practices compensated to the best of his abilities. He then enlisted the help of Batman to go after the corrupt shareholders. Revealing the scumbags for what they were, he forcibly evicted a third of the board, either arresting those he could prove, and forcing the rest to retire in shame.
Those who retired were still on his “get this scum into prison” list.
After evicting his board members, Bruce invested the funds they stole to give back to the community. He kick-started multiple charities, including the Martha Wayne Foundation to help the homeless, and the Thomas Wayne Foundation to help provide free medical services. Afterwards he implemented a living wage to all his employees, which included proper medical and childcare benefits. The latter made it so all new parents who worked under him, no matter how long, were entitled to one year off with child support. Upon reflection, Bruce wished he could take advantage of those same programs. But one year away would undo all his progress.
Which left one available option for Wayne Enterprises: he would have to bring Jason to work with him. He had already made changes to his office to include a bassinet, a small area to prepare Jason’s formula, a playpen, a changing station, and had made an appointment to get a much deeper sink in his private bathroom in case Jason needed a bath. By the end of the week, he would be returning to work with his baby, and they would be tackling the corporate world together.
Bruce was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something suckling on his fingers and turned to see Jason staring straight at him as he gummed at his hand. Bruce couldn't help but smile down at him.
"Are you trying to eat my hand?” Jason made a disgruntled noise and gummed more. "Oh, you're a scrappy one. You know, a scary crocodile man tried to do that to me last week. Had my arm halfway down his throat before I was able to escape."
Speak of devil, in his almost one year as Batman, he had almost successfully taken out the biggest mob families in the city. If not imprisoning them, then he had at least made them fear him. Captain Gordan was awaiting his promotion to commissioner, and together they worked to remove the corrupted officers. More honest cops were being hired to replace the old guard. Together they were starting to see a difference.
However, in place of the mobs, certain Arkham inmates had started to appear. Such as The Penguin, The Riddler and Poison Ivy. An ecliptic bunch complete with a weird gimmicks that wanted to take over the power imbalance the mobsters left. Either by creating specialized gangs in their territories, taking over as mobsters themselves, or individually causing their own brand of chaos.
Thinking over the rise in violent crime made him reconsider his life with the baby currently sucking on his index finger. Did he really want to raise a child in this crime infested city? Isn't that part of the reason he left Richard with Mary? The city was dangerous, and for a second, he pictured the life his second son would’ve had if he never got to know him.
His breath stuttered as he pictured the possibility of Jason growing up in Park Row where his parents were murdered. Jason might have been forced to grow up too quickly. Would he have been hardened by poverty? Become mean and cruel by his surroundings? What if he had to resort to stealing? What if he got hurt? What if he had gotten kidnapped or joined a gang?
Bruce didn't even register when he picked Jason up again, holding him close and rocking the confused baby. For once not calming Jason down, but calming himself. Softly he repeated the mantra that always came up when he was plagued by such thoughts; his baby was here. His baby was in his arms. Nothing could happen to Jason here in his arms.
But that only made him think more of the state of the city. What if something happened to him! What if he went out as Batman and he never came back? Jason had already been abandoned once by a parent and then was willingly given up by a second. What if Batman got unlucky one night? What if the Joker finally got the last laugh and Bruce never came home one day, making his son ask "where did daddy go?"
Maybe they could move, go somewhere brighter like Metropolis, San Francisco, Jump City or hell: even Canada! Somewhere he could see the sun more than twice a year. Where Jason would grow up surrounded by polite people, fresh air; have a sweet adoring life where nothing happened ever. Just... sunshine, cheerful faces and small talk.
Jason suddenly spat up on his face and started crying.
"Yeah. I agree. That sounded boring to me too," Bruce grumbled, lifting the baby over his shoulder as he gently patted his back. A few seconds later he heard a burp and felt spit and probably worse as Jason threw up over his shoulder. He should have grabbed a towel.
Besides, even outside of Gotham there were still threats and villains causing mayhem. So many in fact that to counter them, a huge spike in heroes had erupted all over the world. There was one who called himself Superman who had made a point of getting in contact with him as Batman. Teams were being formed like the Metal Men and Doom Patrol. A new Green Lantern appeared, decades after the old one had retired. A hero known as The Flash had his own museum in Central City after only being there a year! And throughout all of this, Oliver Queen decided to copy him, using a Robin Hood theme instead of bats, like the tool he was.
Reviewing all this information led to an answer he needed. He couldn't leave Gotham. Not yet. Not while she needed him. Not while other heroes were out there doing their own thing and had the potential to turn at any second. More than that, he couldn't just make life better for Jason while ignoring all the other children in this city who desperately needed him.
He couldn’t give up being Batman.
The final part of him was Brucie Wayne. The party boy. The chatterbox. The Nincompoop. It was a great way to keep his cover, get invited to parties and allow him to act too buffoonish to ever be suspected as Batman. He was his charming, rich, white idiot persona, and for almost 11 months, he'd allowed him the cover he needed to manipulate public opinion while also infiltrating the rich families to investigate their ties to the criminal underbelly.
And it was that idiot who was probably responsible for this bundle of joy who just destroyed his favourite shirt.
Brucie Wayne, the crowned prince of Gotham... he was the change Bruce had to make. He could no longer go partying, seduce women, and play up the buffoonery for the cameras. He never liked the role anyways, but with him gone, he could use that time to focus on raising Jason.
Still, that meant he would need a new cover. Something safe the media could latch onto. Something believable that would make him drop his crazy ways... But what?
Jason was whining a little as Bruce changed him into a new and clean onesie, so he picked up his pig and held it out to the baby, watching him try to latch on with his baby fingers. But he was a little too weak to properly grasp it yet, so Bruce laid it on top of him while playing with the head and mimicked some oinking noises. Which seemed to appease the baby, though he wasn't sure as Jason never smiled. Alfred had told him that was normal and it could take a few months for babies to fully develop their facial muscles.
"I see the young master is active." Alfred commented. Coming in with a tray of lunch, a bottle for Jason, and freshly pressed shirt for Bruce.
It was times like these that Bruce was sure his butler was magical.
"He was using my hand as a chew toy for about half an hour before deciding that he hated my shirt."
"Already able to tell the difference between trendy and dull at such an early age? It's a miracle: we finally have a Wayne with some fashion sense after so many generations."
Bruce let out a sarcastic laugh. Alfred placed the tray down and held out his arms in an offer. Bruce took it gratefully and handed Jason over so he could change and eat his sandwich.
"Also, sir, as a final reminder, it is Wednesday. So Ms. Grayson will be expecting to hear from you by five o’clock. Do keep to her schedule,” Alfred said as he took the bouncing boy.
Jason squealed in delight once he was handed over to Alfred, his little hands reaching for the old man's mustache. The baby had seemed to already figure out that Alfred always came with food or a toy, and thus took a rather strong liking to the butler. And despite the distance Alfred purposefully made to ensure Bruce was the primary caregiver, his mouth always morphed into a smile when the little baby was in his arms. He lifted the little pig and made it skip around Jason, watching the baby coo in delight and reach for it.
"So, have you come to a decision?"
Bruce nodded with a grunt, his mouth stuffed with food.
"I do so hope you teach your son to be more articulate.’
Bruce groaned and finished eating before taking a drink of water. He then quickly tested the baby bottle's temperature on his wrist before offering to take Jason back.
"Jason will speak fine."
Jason seemed to fuss with the nuzzle for a moment before figuring it out and accepting his lunch and suckling happily from the bottle. Another good aspect about Jason was that he seemed to have a big appetite, and he never put up a fight when it came to meal times.
"I have to go to work as Bruce Wayne, and I have to keep investigating as Batman... but I'm retiring Brucie," Bruce summarized. "I just don't know a believable way to replace him with a substitute to keep the public's eye off me. Hey, Jason, slow down."
"Of course, Master Bruce. Because fatherhood is not a valid reason to change up priorities and keep out of the public eye."
Bruce blanked for a second.
OF COURSE!!!
"He needs to be burped now sir. Do use a towel this time." Alfred directed.
Bruce worked quickly and gently, following his butler's direction.
"Now that that's all settled, I will leave you to it." Alfred reached over and gently stroked Jason on the cheek, making the infant coo again. “You be a good boy now young master, and keep your father out of trouble. "
"Its the other way around Alfred!" Bruce called after the retreating butler.
"On the contrary, I have more trust in the baby to take care of himself than I do you."
Bruce made a face at that and placed Jason down beside him. He had some calls to make, a couple of life changes to start, and a bunch of parties to cancel. It was time to accept fatherhood and all its wonders—
Jason's banshee scream reverberated throughout his office, causing Bruce to curse and try to settle him as Jason kicked about.
It would be another hour before he could begin any of his new life changes.
Wednesday was a very special day in the Grayson household. Mary was grinning as she finished wiping down kitchen counters. Her trailer was never messy, but she liked to make it look extra clean for Bruce’s weekly video calls. It was a special time for her baby boy, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect to ensure nothing could distract from their father/son time.
That was not to say Bruce was overly picky about the state of the trailer, or that he never contacted them. In fact, Bruce tried to call at least three times a week, and often flew by every few months on weekends to surprise them by showing up during her performances. He also liked taking Dick off her hands for a few hours during these visits, and Dick was always excited for the time he spent with his dad. But with her constant travel and Bruce recently becoming a full-time CEO, they had been forced to make their time more streamlined. It was probably better for everyone, but she missed the unpredictability it use to have (what could she say, Mary loved surprises).
Around her, Dick was yelling and jumping over anything he could, even flipping off the couch. Her little boy was always twittery, flitting from one thing to the other without a second’s thought. He had turned four a few months earlier and now spent half his time in the air, trying out acrobatic maneuvers that either she or John had taught him. Waiting patiently, she watched Dick leap off the fold up couch before snatching him out of the air and blowing a raspberry on his now visible tummy, which caused him to shriek excitedly.
“Are you excited because it’s ~daddy-day~?” She sang playfully, removing her lips from his belly. Before he could answer, she wiggled her fingers under his armpits to extract more laughter from her little boy. “Da~ddy~ Day~”
Dick laughed and threw his arms in the air as he tried to slide away from her, his giggles and repetitive cheers of “Dad Day” reverberating throughout their small trailer. With a gleam in her dark brown eyes, Mary pressed her lips against her boy’s cheek, blowing another loud raspberry against him to make him shriek with glee.
“But uh-oh. We have a problem Dickie.” Mary said suddenly, dramatically pulling away and looking at the toys thrown about the trailer. In her arms, Dick was too giggly to properly respond. She held him close until the laughter calmed down enough so he’d listen, then continued talking. “We have a mess to deal with before Daddy Day can commence. If we don’t, the computer might not even work because of all the interference.”
“What? Nooo!” Dick whined.
“I’m afraid so, and you’re the only one who can put them away properly. For they must go in your treasure box. No mommies allowed.”
“No mommies allowed!” Dick agreed, wiggling again to get free. “Can I have chips?”
“Nope,” Mary said, keeping Dick on track. “Go on; toys first, and then we can have snack time at the same time as ~DADDY DAY~”
“Dad Day!” Dick cheered once again, getting down and running about to gather his toys.
Mary couldn’t help but grin as she watched. Opening one of the top kitchen cabinets, she pulled out the laptop and charger, getting everything ready so she could set it up. Their trailer was really small and compact, so everything in it had a second purpose. The kitchen cabinets also made a good filing cabinet. The built-in folding table, she could turn that into an ironing board! The couch, pull that out and she and Dick got a bed!
The only exception to this rule was Dick’s blue treasure chest, which was where all his toys were kept. He might have only been four, but Mary figured it was never too early to start teaching him responsibility. Even when it got too full, Mary would only help Dick go through them so he learned to donate any unused toys to make room for new ones. It had to be this way due to their small, traveling lifestyle, but eventually she'd found a way so Dick would understand. She just had to convince him that when he donated, it was like giving gifts to other little kids who were less fortunate. It made them feel as happy as he did when he got new presents, which seemed to get Dick excited.
Mary grinned when Dick finished cleaning and immediately jumped over the back of the couch into her lap.
“Aw, my little Robin can’t stop flying about,” she cooed, giving him another hug as she looked around, confirming he'd actually finished cleaning up. Sure enough, everything was put away except for a single, stuffed elephant on the table, which was the only exception because as Dick often said about the elephant, “Zitty doesn't like the dark.” Which was entirely reasonable.
It was five minutes until Bruce was scheduled to call in, so there was no point in making Dick wait. With a bit of excitement, she opened Skype and slid the mouse over the video call button and started a count down for extra effect.
“Are you ready, Dickie? Here Daddy comes in five! Four! Three! Two! One!”
Dick chanted down with her, jumping in place until she finally clicked the button. The ringing sound started and the two sat back in anticipation.
One thing Mary appreciated about Bruce was that he almost always picked up on the first ring. So she was a little uneasy when there hadn't been an answer by the third ring. By the fifth, Dick was looking up at her in confusion, making Mary shrug in return. By the seventh, Mary was wondering if she’d have to call back when Bruce finally picked up.
He looked worse than she had ever seen him.
His usual straight black hair was thrown about in different directions. His shirt was wrinkled and covered in a mysterious substance. Finally, dark grey bags hung from under his eyes. In the corner of the screen there was something red he was rocking up and down. A blanket?
Mary’s eyes opened wide as her jaw dropped in a silent astonishment. All while Dick openly laughed at Bruce.
“Daddy’s gross!” Dick cackled, manners going out the window.
“Dickie, don’t be mean!” Mary immediately chastised.
“But he is! Gross Daddy! Gross!” Dick laughed and pointed.
“It's nice to see you too, Richard,” Bruce said, sounding exhausted.
“Its Dick!” Dick shouted, preferring his nickname to his given name.
“Are you sure? Richie is also a cool nickname kids can go by. Or maybe Ric-“ Bruce said. Sometimes, Bruce would question Mary in confidence about Dick’s preferred nickname, but it was very out off character for him to bring it up with the toddler present. Mary usually would have felt insulted at the behaviour, but today however, she was too focused the wiggling blanket in Bruce’s arms.
“It’s Dick!” Dick yelled, little fists flying.
“Dickie, calm down,” Mary intercepted before things could get out of hand. “Your dad is just being his usual, rich self… you know.” Then, placing a thumb on her nose, she made an exaggerated ‘Hmph’ sound and turned her nose up high. “Snooty,” she remarked, wiggling her fingers.
Dick laughed and mimicked the motion.
“I feel like you’re all trying to double-team me,” Bruce grumbled. A little noise came from the speaker and Bruce sighed. “Triple-team me.”
“Well, maybe you deserve it. Apologize, and maybe we’ll all be on your side.” Mary said, keeping her nose and fingers wiggling in the air.
With an elongated sigh, Bruce nodded his lowered his head, before turning his serious but tired eyes on Dickie.
“I’m sorry Dick for questioning your name. Can you forgive me?”
“I fo’give you!” Dick declared enthusiastically, wiggling excitedly before finally noticing the red blanket in the corner of the screen. Curiously, he pointed it out and asked “What’s that? Present?!”
At the very idea of a gift, Dick started to vibrate with excitement. Almost getting up to pull the screen closer. But Mary stopped him before he could. Keeping his hands away from the screen for fear he might break it if he got too excited.
“Well Dick, not exactly. It’s-um.” Bruce seemed frazzled, but tried to compose himself as he turned the blanket towards the screen. Mary’s heart couldn’t help but drop when her theory was confirmed, and a tiny, very grumpy face was revealed. “Dickie, this is Jason… he’s your new baby brother.”
For a moment there was silence throughout the trailer, when Dick suddenly launched forward, his hand on either side of the laptop and his face practically attached to the screen.
“WHAT?” he yelled, excitedly jumping about. Neither adult could get a word in before he started yelling again, jumping in place and growing more excited by the millisecond. “I GOT A BABY BROTHER! MOMMY-MOM-MUM! A BABY BROTHER! DADDY GOT ME A BABY BROTHER!”
“Uh- that’s great Dick-“ Mary tried, but Dick turned and picked up the computer and held it over his head as stood atop the table.
“I GOT A BABY BROTHER!!!” Dick screeched at the top of his lungs, and Mary quickly grabbed the laptop before anything could happen to it, but missed her son as he flipped off the table and ran for the door.
“I HAFTA TELL EVERYONE!” he yelled, and was out the door, once again flipping off the steps and running to Madam Madrid’s Fortune Telling tent before Mary could even stand. Repeats and variations of “I have a baby brother” could be heard in the distance. Awkwardly, Mary put the laptop on the table.
“Well… you just made his week,” Mary said, awkward grin in place.
“Shouldn’t you run after him?” Bruce asked, looking very concerned.
“Nah, he’ll be fine.” Mary said with a wave of her hand. “The whole circus looks after him, and Zitka will bring him back if he gets out of line.”
“That’s the elephant…” Bruce trailed, as if trying to compute new information. “That... Must be nice?”
“It is.” Mary said with a grin before sobering up. In the distance, Dick’s announcement could be heard by everyone. “So… I guess congratulations are in order. How old is he? Um, Jackson, right?”
“Jason,” Bruce corrected, just as the baby’s face seemed to scrunch up more. “It’s Jason. Jason Peter Wayne.”
“Alright! I heard you the first time!” Mary said, getting annoyed at the repetition. “No need to repeat.”
“It wasn’t for you,” Bruce said, looking down at the baby with a pointed look.
“Bwaf!” Jason yelled, but said nothing more.
“He’s very particular about the name. I tried changing it once…” Bruce looked into the camera dramatically. “Never again.”
The declaration ended up being so ridiculous that Mary couldn’t help but laugh at Bruce. “Does that baby have you whipped?”
Bruce just grumbled incoherently for a minute, making his baby fidget. “Maybe.”
“But seriously, Bruce, tell me his age.” Mary tried to smile, but it felt painful as it stretched itself across her cheeks. “He’s so little, I can’t believe Dick was ever that small.”
“He wasn’t.” Bruce objected. “Dick was 8.1 pounds when he was born. Currently, Jason only weighs 6.2 pounds.”
“Oh…” Mary remarked, surprised Bruce could remember that, but also sensing something wrong with this entire conversation. That something was off since the beginning. Bruce and her were distant, but they were still co-parenting. Anything that effected Dick should have been brought to her attention immediately. And a sudden baby brother was at the top of the list. “So…who is the lucky miss you never told me about?”
Bruce’s face darkened and he started rocking Jason, who looked less grumpy with every swing. He didn’t even seem aware they were talking about him, probably not old enough to comprehend computer screens yet.
“She’s not in the picture.” Bruce growled out.
“Oh, I’m sorry—“
“Not like that. She’s alive. It’s just complicated,” Bruce interrupted her, yet the rage never left his eyes. Mary could recognize that look. When they were dating, she would sometimes walk in on him as a teen with the same darkness contaminating his ice blue eyes. They were like a promise of vengeance, and it shocked her to see them again.
An awkward silence spread between the three of them. In the distance Mary once again heard the telltale sign of her child announcing the birth of their brother to the world. And their lion tamer yelling “That’s great Dick!” right back at him. Sighing to herself, Mary decided to bite the bullet and speak up. Knowing that Bruce would rather break every bone in his body then break the silence.
“Bruce. We need to talk about this. I don’t know what happened and if you feel like you can’t tell me, that’s fine. You don’t have to. But I need to know what this means for Dick.” Mary explained. “Will this mean less visitation? Less child support? Do you want the boys to have a relationship or for them to be raised separate?”
“What?” Bruce said, looking as if the thoughts never came to him. “No none of that I just…” Bruce looked down, seeing the baby had fallen asleep. Gently, slowly, as if handling a bomb rather than an infant, Bruce laid the baby down off screen and Mary couldn’t see him anymore. “It’s just been a long week. And I didn’t think you wanted to hear about my problems anymore.”
“Pfft, that’s bullshit.” Mary laughed, getting a raised eyebrow out of Bruce. “Bruce you’re my ex, it’s true! But you’re also my friend. You can confound me.”
“…'Confide' in me.” Bruce corrected. “Would you rather we speak in another language?”
“Ugh! Please! English is impossible! How’s your Romanian?” Mary asked with a grin.
“Shaky, how about German?”
“Hört sich gut an!” Mary agreed readily. She and Bruce were both multilingual, and often only spoke in English around Dick to help him with the language. It was going to be his second language and they both hoped he would be fluent in it. For Mary however, it was her fifth language, and it was sometimes hard for her to speak it 24/7.
“I promise, Mary, that I still want to see Dick.” Bruce began, his German fluent and perfect. Mary found herself relaxing as she could finally comprehended everything was saying. “I love my son, and I want to keep my relationship with him. I need to stay in his life! But last week, Jason appeared out of no where, and it’s been a very difficult transition. Everything happened in an instant and it changed my entire life in only a few hours. I can barely keep track of anything anymore and its difficult. I feel like I’m being spread in a thousand directions, and failing to get a hold of anything.” Bruce confessed, letting his tiredness show.
“Bruce,” Mary began. “I know you love Dick. But I don’t understand what you mean about being spread, or how Jason just appeared. I need to know Bruce, so please… start from the beginning; tell me what happened.”
Eventually, Bruce finally opened up and told Mary what happened with him. How Jason was brought to him a week ago. The paternity tests, the drama in his office, and what he was going through since then. By the end of his story, Mary couldn’t help but wish she could just reach out and offer the poor guy a beer.
“To think, I thought my week was crazy after Dick perfected the flip. But yours takes the cake.” Mary replied, letting out a low whistle at the end.
“Yes, so I’m sorry once again for burdening you with all this, but I have an important favour to ask. May I skip my next in visitation period with Dick?” Bruce looked pained as he made his request, but continued quickly before Mary could get a word in. “I promise I won’t make this a regular occurrence. I just need some more time with Jason so I make a schedule for him and get control of my life again! And I can’t do that and visit Dick right now. And I can’t bring Jason with me to see Dick, because Jason’s too little and weak to travel. I just…I need more time to get settled as a single dad.”
Mary thought it over. On the one hand she would usually ask if Alfred could watch the baby so Bruce could enjoy his time with Dick. But in Mary’s opinion, it sounded like Bruce was going through some new form of trauma after finding out what happened to Jason, and as such wanted to keep the new baby as close as possible in an effort to protect him. And despite never going through anything like that, Mary did remember what it was like to be a single new mom when Dick was born. How she had spent nights awake at the side of his cradle to ensure he was alive the next morning. How she felt the first time he was out of her sight. The fears she felt the when she had to ask for help because she was so overwhelmed, and her tears when she wasn’t beside her him.
There was an intense motherly instinct that could overwhelm you when you became a parent. It made you really anxious to separate from your child. And, though she was sure there was a difference between fathers and mothers, what Bruce felt now in regards to Jason, must’ve been similar to what she had with Dick.
Despite all this however, there was a part of her that wanted to lash out. To demand Bruce put her son first. It wanted her to force him to come to his scheduled visits on time, pay more child support, and figure his own crap out. It called out to her, demanding she tell him that life wasn’t fair and he had to suck it up, and put her son first.
And life, indeed, was not fair… but taking a breath to herself, Mary decided she could be.
“I understand, I can tell Dick Daddy will visit a little later this year… or if you’re willing and could pay for it, why don’t we send Dick over to see you soon?” Bruce blinked in surprise at her suggestion.
“But…his acrobatic training…and you used to say—“ Bruce started. Mary waved him off with a loud ‘pssh’ sound. Forcing herself to sound more casual than she felt.
“Plans change Bruce. Yeah, I wanted to wait a while before he could come see you at your place, preferably when he was old enough to go on a plane by himself. But you heard him! He REALLY wants this little brother, and not giving them time to bond because I’m being insecure or possessive would be cruel. But there’s something more important we need to discuss… What should Jason call me?”
“What?” Bruce asked again, clearly flabbergasted. It honestly made Mary laugh. She loved seeing that expression on him.
“I mean I’m not his mom, but I’m his brother’s mom. And when he's old enough to visit, he needs to call me something. How about ‘Aunt’ Or ‘Aunty Mary!’ Or is that too formal?” Mary hummed, rolling the title over her tongue. On the other side of the screen, Mary could see Bruce blinking in confusion, clearly flabbergasted by the completely new direction the conversation went. It was so much fun to throw him off and watch him flounder, especially after all the bombs he decided to drop on her today. She wanted to force some levity into the situation. “I think I really like that but how about ‘Mătuşă.’ Hmm...Yes... that’s the one.”
“Mary…” Bruce sighed, then the softest smile broke over his face. “Thank you. Legitimately, you’re-… you’re the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
Mary stopped her ramblings and turned to look at him. He'd grown so much since he was seventeen. Back then, she’d always refer to him as her emo boyfriend. He’d take everything too seriously, and was always focused on a single, solitary goal, with barely any room for light in his world. But Mary had gotten through to him. She managed to sneak through a crack in his heart and show him there was still fun to have in the world. They both knew it would only be for a short time, but they were happy to spend it together. Those days were filled with mischief, passion, shirking responsibility and risk.
The risk had later ended up being renamed ‘Richard John Grayson Wayne.’
Still, despite everything, and how different they turned out, she didn’t regret being tied to Bruce for the rest of their kid’s life. Maybe longer. They were on different paths, him being chained to Gotham and in the arms of luxury and fortune. Where she needed adventure, to see the world and all its wonders. She needed to feel the sun on her bare skin, and he needed to be shrouded in the darkness of night.
They were never designed to work… but for a short period of time, it was like they were sun and moon during an eclipse. And in that brief time, they had made the most of every moment.
“I guess you’re alright too.” She said while grinning back, sticking her tongue out at him for emphasis.
Bruce’s laugh was stifled, hidden under his fist and as he turned away from the camera. It always made her smile.
“So, in conclusion,” she said, making sure they were on the same page. “I would like two calls a week with Dick from here on out, Monday and Wednesday, and we’ll look into sending Dick your way. I’ll probably go with him there and then will head back unless we go during a circus break. We can hash out things like diet and schedules later. And when Jason gets here, I can be “Mătuşă Mary,” and I’ll even look after him while you and Dickie get some lone bonding time. Extra childcare funds are NOT necessary. Seriously Bruce, its just going into Dick’s trust fund, and he probably has more money in there than the entire circus makes in a year at this point.”
“Nothing wrong with making sure his future is secure. I think I can still send a bit of a bonus this year.” Bruce grinned. This made Mary groan in exaggeration at Bruce’s antics. “But yes, that sounds good… is Dick anywhere near by? If possible, I’d like to talk to him some more.”
“Sorry, Bruce, its almost nap time.” Mary said, checking the clock. “I better get him back in for a bath. Sorry you missed most of your time with him, I can call back later if you wanna try again, since we mostly only got to talk about boring adult stuff.”
“It was a necessary evil. I’m glad we got it out of the way… and I’d like it if you two could call me back later.” Bruce said softly.
“Any chance I can see the little guy before we go?” Mary asked.
“Sorry, Jason just fell asleep and—“
“No explanation needed: Never. Wake. The baby.” Mary said solemnly. When Dick was that age, she had warned everyone that if they barged in and interrupted his nap time, that it would bring death.
It only took her throwing one knife for others to learn she was serious.
“…One moment.” Bruce said before getting up. Mary blinked in confusion when he suddenly left the screen. But then the entire camera moved awkwardly, and eventually focused over a small bundle beside the desk chair. “Can you see him?”
Mary couldn’t help but gush out the longest ‘awe’ when she saw it. Fast asleep was the tiniest baby she’d ever seen. She looked from his almost bald head to his little covered toes, mouth hung slightly agape and the sounds he made in his sleep made her pressed a hand over to heart… Jason really was precious. He looked almost like Dick did when he a newborn (but with way less hair).
“I can’t even. He’s just— aw! Hey baby…have good dreams… sleep tightly, Little Wing,” Mary whispered.
“Little Wing?” Bruce asked, the camera turning to face him.
“Naturally. My boy is a little Robin, it makes sense his little brother would be some kind of baby bird in turn.” Mary grinned.
“…A hatchling?” Bruce said. And Mary made a face.
“That’s just not as cute,” she said, and before turning to face the clock. It was getting late. “Okay, I have to go find Dick. Take care, Bruce.”
“Same to you Mary.” Bruce said, finishing the call in Romanian. “La revedere.”
With that final note, Mary hung up as well and slumped in her seat. That had been a harder talk than she had initially expected. But it felt good in a way, getting everything out in the open. Knowing Dick’s relationship with his daddy would be okay… with a sigh of relief she just let herself relax for a moment.
Then a second later, she was back on her two feet, stretching as she headed to the door. It was time to go and grab her own energetic son. His screams had dissipated a while ago, but she was sure that meant he must have entered another one of the trailers. She’d start with Madam Fortuna, and then see Mr. Haly. If he wasn’t there she might be able to find him with—
“John!” Mary yelled out. In front of her door, a man stood there, holding her wiggling child.
“Hi, Mary. Congratulations on the new baby.” John said, his eyebrows wiggling. “Did I have anything to do with that?”
“Baby brother!” Dick yelled again, covered in what was, hopefully, mud.
“Not on our part, sorry for the confusion,” Mary said, taking Dick back and leaning up to peck John’s lips. “It’s on Bruce’s side. I’ll tell you all about it tonight.”
“Sounds good. I had a question I wanted to ask to you tonight too,” he said, following her in.
“Oh hoho, sounds fun I can’t wait to hear it.” Mary winked back at him, walking to the bathroom. “Would you like to stay the night? Maybe help with bath time?”
“I’ll do one better. How about I help start dinner and get things ready for tonight,” John asked, leaning against the counters.
“Te iubesc!” (Romanian: I love you) Mary called, heading to the bathroom with her wiggly little boy.
“Mommy, what about daddy! I wanna talk to daddy! And baby brother!” Dick demanded, and Mary just chuckled as she removed his shirt and tossed it into the sink before getting the bathtub ready.
“Sorry Darling, you’re going to have to wait until after nap time now. You spent too much time running off,” Mary chided gently, going for his shoes as he whined and tried to jump away.
“What! No!” Dick shrieked.
“Yes~” Mary said, mimicking his tone. “Boys who run off don’t get Daddy Day until later.”
There was a lot of whining on Dick’s end after that but Mary just focused on getting him ready for his bath before his nap time. In the next room, she missed John’s wistful smile. Missed him rummaging through her fridge to prepare some porkchops. Missed him looking into his pocket to smile blissfully at a small box. She’d get to see it later.
Bonding with Jason was a unique experience.
Bruce couldn’t describe it any other way. He knew what raising a newborn was like in theory, and bonding with them via Dick… but sadly he hadn't met Dick until months after he was born and could only spend a limited time with him due to their custody arrangement, and him traveling the world on his quest for vengeance.
But Mary was a godsend, and after he said a proper goodbye to Dick, she decided to send a long email about all the tricks and games she did with Dick at that age to see if any of it worked with Jason. And although some of it he found weird like the insistence of skin-to-skin contact (was that really necessary? Babies were so weird.), one of the things she helped underline was a small exercise routine for babies. After a small confirmation call with Leslie and an assurance from Alfred, Bruce had decided to try it out with Jason.
Jason was very confused when they first started, but was now kicking pleasantly as Bruce did some passive limb exercises on his tiny arms and legs. Sometimes he was sure Jason was pushing against him in another attempt to playfully hit him. It made Bruce smile at his little attempts of sabotage, as well as the constant gibberish his kid made at the new activity. It was clear his little baby was a fighter. Born and ready to rebel against him at any moment.
Joy…
But in a way he was also sure this was Jason’s way of smiling and showing he enjoyed himself. So, Bruce kept the routine up.
“After our workout, how about another chapter of Sherlock Holmes?” Bruce asked, waiting for Jason to give a little “aah!” in return. “Yes, we’re going to read A Study in Scarlet. Isn’t that exciting? We’re going to learn about the most important clue of this murder case; a wedding ring.”
“Is that really an appropriate book for children?” Alfred asked, coming into the home gym.
“He doesn't understand language yet, so story time is more for me than him anyways,” Bruce said, lifting Jason up and handing him over to Alfred so he could start his own workout routine.
“Of course, sir…” Alfred said sarcastically, turning Jason to face him directly. “Even as a child, Master Bruce has always been like this. Selfishly obsessed with his own toys and unable to share for even a minute.” Alfred sighed, shaming Bruce as he tweaked Jason’s nose. The baby just made another attempt for Alfred’s mustache, his little hands gently being pushed away by the older gentleman.
Bruce grunted as he started on some one-armed push-ups. Carrying Jason around everywhere made him worry that, eventually, he’d have one arm that was stronger than the other, and it was times like this that he needed to ensure his entire body stayed in perfect condition while Alfred just played with his son.
“Also, sir, I was finally able to locate her whereabouts.”
Bruce froze at that, turning his head to face Alfred.
“She’s in Africa right now. Her address isn’t listed but I was able to gain access to her work clinic’s phone number and when she would be in. I have setup a virtual appointment with her under an alias so you can confront her at four today while I watch over the young master.”
“Thank you, Alfred.” Bruce said, his rage growing as he pushed himself harder. After today, Bruce would finally have answers. Even if she tried to hang up, no matter where she turned to hide; Bruce would find her and get his answers.
Sheila Haywood couldn’t hide from him anymore.
~End~