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Bruce checked his watch. 5:01. He tapped his foot and scanned the gathering crowd for his family. When he said they should meet him at five, he had expected them to be punctual. As it was, the swelling crowd was quickly subsuming the corner where he’d instructed them to meet.
“Sir,” Alfred said, interrupting Bruce’s impatience. “It is still within the perfectly acceptable time frame to be considered ‘on time.’”
“Hn.” Bruce felt the eyes of the surrounding crowd starting to focus on him. He knew, even in shorts and a t-shirt, he made for an imposing figure, but he had hoped for one evening he might blend into the crowd.
“I believe Miss Stephanie and Miss Cassandra are headed in this direction.” Alfred had too much decorum to point at the girls as they made their way through the crowd.
Steph made a bit of a step and a hop as she tried to see over the crowd, then waved enthusiastically like she was trying to flag someone down. Bruce offered a subdued wave in return, only to realise she wasn’t waving at him. He glanced over his shoulder and found Damian and Tim heading up the street together. The boys had matching frowns on their faces. Damian, in particular, appeared to be trying to watch everyone and everywhere at once. Tim returned Steph’s wave.
“What’s the emergency?” Jason said.
He wasn’t certain when Jason had arrived, but he was here now, standing on the opposite side of Alfred. By now the others had gathered as well. He stood in a small circle of his gathered children with only Dick and Babs missing.
Bruce shook his head and smiled. “No emergency. I just thought we might enjoy a movie tonight. They’re showing The Wizard of Oz under the stars.”
The children all exchanged wary glances, not believing his explanation. Bruce didn’t take nights off without a great deal of cajoling. Bruce didn’t go to the movies. At least this wasn’t a theatre. The city had blocked off the street and set up a large screen at one end. All the attendees brought their own chairs or blankets to sit on while they watched the movie. The whole environment had a festive atmosphere. This wasn’t like Bruce at all.
Alfred cleared his throat. “Sir, this is why I suggested you should be more forthcoming in your invitations.”
“What invite?” Jason scoffed. “All I got was a text telling me to meet here at five in civvies. Figured the situation had to be dire if I got called in.”
Bruce moved around Alfred so he stood beside Jason and put a hand on his second son’s shoulder. The boy tensed, but didn’t move. “Jay, it’s not like that. I want you here. I want all of you here.”
“If we were all invited, where’s Dick and Babs?” Steph stood on tiptoes trying to spy the last members of the family. She’d spoken too soon.
The crowd began to part, making way for Babs as she wheeled her chair through the undulating mass of people. Dick kept pace right behind her. It was easier to squeeze through the crowd in her wake rather than beside her.
When the last two members of the family arrived at the meeting spot, Dick greeted everyone with a hug, somehow managing to embrace Babs twice even though he’d spent the afternoon with her. Damian failed to jerk out of reach before Dick ruffled his hair, making it stand on end in all directions.
“Since you’re all too tall for me, you’re going to need to come to me.” Babs crooked a finger at the group. In turn, they leaned down and greeted her with embraces as varied as they were. Alfred was formal while Tim was awkward. Bruce and Jason unknowingly competed for the strongest embrace. Steph’s hug was brimming with all the energy and passion she possessed. For Cass the embrace was a silent conversation informing Babs how much the girl missed her long time friend and mentor and that she had stories to tell of her recent adventures.
“We’ll talk soon,” Babs signed when Cass broke away.
Dick stepped aside so she could manoeuvre her chair beside Damian. “Think you’re too big for hugs?”
“Tt,” he huffed while his gaze never stopped surveying the streets.
Babs wrapped an arm around his waist in a one armed hug. “Nope, just the right size.”
“We should find a spot,” Bruce said as the greetings came to an end. The crowd had already filled the entire block from where the giant screen was set up on the far end to where they stood.
“We already got that covered,” Babs said. “My dad’s saving our spots up near the front. Though, I’m not sure even he can hold an extra nine spots for too long in this crowd.”
“Jim’s here?” Bruce hadn’t invited the Commissioner, though now that he was here, Bruce was glad. The men had been friends for a long time, even if the other didn’t exactly know it.
“We already had plans to see the movie with him.” Dick shrugged. “So, when you sent out the invite, we amended our plans.”
“Ah.”
“Why is everyone staring at us,” Damian huffed in a voice too loud to be considered a stage whisper, drawing even more eyes to the group.
Dick bit back an amused laugh but not the grin at Damian’s all too evident exasperation. This was too good of a set up not to tease them a little. “Well, it may have something to do with the fact that you keep staring at everyone. Or, maybe it’s because Gotham’s favourite billionaire playboy is mingling with the unwashed masses.”
“What?” Bruce tugged at the brim of his baseball cap. This always worked for Clark, why not him?
“You have to admit you stick out like a hothouse rose in a field of wildflowers,” Steph explained.
Bruce still didn’t get it. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts like everyone else. Sure, he was a little pale, but he didn’t get out in the sun very often.
Jason rolled his eyes, then exchanged knowing glances with Dick. “You’re t-shirt probably cost more than my entire outfit.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Tim added in Bruce’s defence.
“You wouldn’t.” Jason’s remark was a little more biting than he had intended.
“We may wish to claim our seats before we lose them to this crowd,” Alfred broke into the conversation before it became an unintentional conflict. In general, the boys were doing better at getting along. Sometimes it was easier to fall back into old habits, and they needed a reminder that their family was worth the effort.
“Right,” Steph chirruped. “Before we go, I want to get a funnel cake.”
“What’s that?” Cass signed.
Steph grinned. “It’s pretty much deep fried batter topped with lots and lots of powder sugar. Whipped cream too, if you want it.”
Cass’ eyes were wide with anticipation at the sweet treat. “Yes, please.”
Holding her hand out to Bruce, Steph eyed him expectantly.
“Why am I paying?” Despite his token protest, Bruce was already pulling out his wallet.
“Event food is expensive and I’m a college student.”
Bruce handed her some money. Steph gasped slightly at the amount he had given her. “I said it was expensive, but seriously, not that expensive.”
“Get them for all of us.” Bruce grinned. When they gave him a chance, he liked to spoil his family.
“Thanks.”
Steph stood on her tiptoes and pecked a quick kiss on Bruce’s cheek. Cass followed suit. His silent daughter signed ‘Thanks’ and ‘I love you’ before following her best friend off to the funnel cake booth.
“If you’re handing out cash, me next.” Jason held his hand out like Steph had.
Bruce raised an eyebrow. “What for?”
“Coffee.” Jason said as Tim yawned. “I’ll take the Replacement and we’ll grab coffees for everyone.”
“Watch it zombie, I could take you down in my sleep.”
“Boys...” the warning died on Bruce’s lips as he realised they weren’t fighting. Just teasing. Was this what having a brother was suppose to be like? Instead of chastising them, Bruce opened his wallet again and handed the cash to Jason. “Make sure you get one for Jim too.”
“He likes his coffee black and doesn’t go for any of those fancy drinks,” Babs informed them.
“Right, thanks.” Though he was responding to Babs, they all knew Jason was talking to Bruce.
Bruce couldn’t help but grin as Jason and Tim wandered off in the direction of the nearest stand selling elaborate coffee concoctions. Though he’d made an issue of Bruce’s abrupt invite, he’d known all along what Bruce had intended. In Jason’s back pocket was an old mass-market edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with yellowed pages and a corner missing from the cover.
“Well, Bruce, it looks like your idea was a success.” Dick clapped his dad on the shoulder. “Though, like Babs said, there should be a few more of us saving our spots. We have good seats and wouldn’t want to lose them.”
“Besides, we promised Dad we would pick up some kettle corn. It’s going to take forever to fight through that line.”
Bruce opened his wallet that he still hadn’t put away after the others.
“I’ve got it covered,” Babs said with a shake of her head.
“Please, let me treat. It’s family night after all.” He handed her some cash. She looked at it for a moment before taking it and sliding it into her pocket. Babs was always the most independent one of the group, but she recognised what this meant to Bruce.
“Okay, thanks. Next time, I treat you.” She turned her chair in the direction of the kettle corn stand. “I’ll see you up front.”
Dick waved to Bruce, Alfred and Damian and once more followed in Babs’ wake.
“I do believe they are flirting again.” Alfred said as they watched them go.
Bruce smiled fondly at his first two protégés. “I don’t believe they ever stopped.”
“Father, what are we truly doing here? You may be honest with me,” Damian said. He didn’t have time to waste on the reflections of old men. “I did not bring my sword as per your request, but I am not defenceless.”
“Relax. We really are here for a movie night.” He took off his baseball cap and placed it on Damian’s head. The cap slid forward and the bill obscured the boy’s view.
Damian pushed the cap back so the bill tilted up and cast a long shadow over his serious face. “Is it Clayface? He can’t resist a show. Is the Wonderland Gang expanding their classic literature turned movie repertoire? Maybe...”
“Damian.” Bruce allowed just the edge of Batman to enter his voice, it was the only way to get the boy’s attention and to stop him from circling through their entire rogues gallery. “We are here for two reasons. One is to watch a classic movie. The second, and more important reason, is to spend quality time together as a family. Is that so hard to believe?”
His son screwed up his face as he tried to put the pieces together. “I don’t understand.”
Bruce placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder and began escorting him through the crowd to where their seats were waiting. “I know we are the farthest thing from a typical family, but we are family. Families spend time together—I don’t know why—just because, I suppose. I lost out on a lot of these experiences when my parents died. I don’t want it to be like that for all of you.”
“Okay.” From the expression on the Damian’s face, Bruce could tell he still didn’t truly understand what his father was trying to accomplish. Maybe he would by the end of the night, if Gotham agreed to give them a break.
“Why don’t you go on ahead and look for Gordon. Let him know we’re coming. Alfred and I are right behind you.”
Being so much smaller than either of the grown men, Damian weaved through the crowd quickly covering the distance. Bruce smiled, he felt content in a way he hadn’t in a long while. It was good seeing his son act his age.
“Master Bruce, I do believe this is a rather ingenious idea. If it goes well, you should plan them more often,” Alfred said as he took in every detail of the evening.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Wizard of Oz. I hope they all enjoy it.” Bruce said. As they excused themselves through the crowd, he didn’t notice any of the gawking strangers; he only had eyes for the glimpses of his family as they converged on their seats with their sweet treats. He wanted this evening to go well.
Alfred smiled. It wasn’t often he saw Bruce this anxious, which meant this was important to him. “It is a classic for a reason, sir. Besides, I believe this story has one sentiment that we can all agree on.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“That there is truly no place like home.”