Chapter Text
“Where you going Richie Rich?”
“Don’t you have a math test to flunk Jerry? Now leave me alone before I break your nose again!”
“Come over here and say that Wayne!”
A big rock collides just under my eye making me yelp. Dropping my bag I storm over to the obnoxious kid and raise my fist ready to collide it with his face again. Jerry backs away in fear and just before I am able to exact my revenge a hand grabs my wrist halting me from delivering the blow.
“What are you doing?” Damian asks.
“Teaching this jerk a lesson.”
“Hey!” he pulls me towards him. “Don’t, we already know where this is going to lead.”
“Yeah that’s right!” Jerry adds.
“And you!” Damian turns towards Jerry, “Do you think it’s wise to be picking on my little sister?”
“L-look at the time, my mom’s here bye!”
Jerry scurries off deathly afraid of my big brother. I wrench my arm out of his grasp and give him a glare knowing full well he could care less.
“Don’t give me that look, you’re lucky I stopped you before the school calls home again to report that you caused another fight. Father won’t have it.”
“I didn’t start it Damian, he threw a rock at me! What was I supposed to do, take it?!”
“As much as I like to take revenge, it’s not worth the lecture that we would get. Now I’d rather not argue we have to get home and fix that eye before Father finds out.”
“Fine,” I pout while picking up my bag.
“Stop making that face it doesn’t suit you.”
“Is there ever a time you won’t have a comeback?”
“Stop making it so easy.”
Damian and I walk to the car and Alfred opens the door for us to get in. I get in quickly avoiding him seeing my eye then lean back against the seat and shut my eyes for a bit until we arrive back at the mansion. When we do arrive Damian shakes my arm to get me to move and get out of the car.
“I’m coming I’m coming.”
“What’s your problem?”
“My face is sore and I have a headache.”
“You better get to your room quick before anyone sees.”
Rushing into the mansion I head straight for my room. I look in my mirror that’s behind my door and sure enough there is a bruise forming under my eye. Great, the last thing I need is Dad or any of my other brothers finding out about this as protective as they are especially since I’m the youngest, only six, and I’m a girl.
“No point in hiding, it’s already so swollen.”
I grab my math book then head downstairs to the living room to study with Damian. I pass Alfred who’s in the kitchen probably making dinner.
“Damian? Alfred have you seen Damian?”
“Master Damian is with your Father at the moment. Is there something I can assist you with?”
“Damian was supposed to help me with my math homework. I guess duty calls tonight?”
“They shouldn’t be long Miss (Y/n). I’ve set everything for dinner maybe I could be of some assistance?”
“Would you?!” I say excitedly. “I just can’t understand these word problems.”
“Let me take a look here and see what I can do. Also might I suggest,” Alfred brings over some ice, “placing this on the bruise to reduce swelling.”
“Thank you Alfred.”
For a while I sit at the bar next to the island while Alfred cooks and I start to understand my homework and how to do it. Soon he comes to check my work to make sure it’s correct.
“Well done Miss (Y/n), you’re getting much better at math everyday.”
“All thanks to you Alfred.”
“He was always the best tutor.”
A hand touches my back then a kiss is placed on my cheek. Turning around I see Dick there with a big smile on his face.
“Dick!”
I jump out of my chair and hug my big brother who lifts me into his arms. I wrap my small arms around his neck while he rubs my back.
“How’s my favorite little sister?”
“I’m okay,” I pull back.
“Hey what happened there?” his voice drops and he points to my cheek.
“I fell at school no big deal.”
“No big deal huh?” Jason comes in from the patio.
“Jason!”
I wriggle out of Dick’s hold and then run over to hug Jason who picks me up like Dick did before. Jason kisses my cheek and then pulls back to poke my bruised cheek.
“Ow! Don’t do that!”
“I don’t know squirt that doesn’t look like a bruise from a fall.”
“Because you’ve fallen so much,” Dick quirks.
“Hey hey!” Jason points at him. “We were never to speak of that again!”
“No fighting, I already have a headache,” I groan.
Jason sets me down and I go to pickup my homework so I can take it upstairs.
“Don’t try to avoid the question young lady,” Jason points.
“What are you? Daddy?” I groan while I go back to my room.
“Alfred what really happened to her face?” Dick asks.
“I didn’t see what happened but I believe that Master Damian knows as he walked out of the school yard with her in tow.”
“Damian!” Jason calls out. “Get in here and tell me what happened to (Y/n)!”
“What’s all the yelling in here?!”
Bruce walks in with Tim and Damian trailing behind him after their meeting earlier about some leads on Penguin’s stash of weapons hidden in Bludhaven.
“Did you see the bruise on (Y/n)’s face?” Dick mentions.
“And Damian might know what happened?” Jason sneers at the younger.
“Damian knows nothing.”
I walk back in then Dad kneels to hug me and kiss my head but he doesn’t pull away so he can look at the bruise on my cheek. Pouting at him I try to use the cute eyes to get out of whatever questioning he was going to give me, but him being a hard businessman and the Batman my puppy dog eyes don’t work as much.
“If I may,” Alfred interrupts, “dinner is served.”
“Well I came just in time,” Tim says while going to the dining room with Damian.
I mouth a thank you to Alfred and follow after Tim and Damian. I take a seat next to Damian and I nudge him.
“Thanks for not telling Daddy,” I mutter.
“You’re welcome, but you know you’re going to be harassed until you tell them what happened at school.”
“But if I do that Tim will make a scene at school, Dick will beat him up, Jason will shoot him, and Daddy might pay off the school.”
Damian ponders the possibilities that I say and I know he understands what our older brothers and Father will do to the bully at school.
“You’re not wrong.”
“If you’re whispering secrets you might as well share with the table because we are going to find out anyway,” Tim snickers.
“Damian was supposed to help me with my homework but he didn’t.”
“That was Father’s fault!”
“Since when do you listen?”
“What did you say?!”
“No fighting at the table,” Dad scolds.
“Yes Daddy/Father,” we say in unison.
The rest of the meal went without questions about the bruise under my eye instead it was more about who was going out on patrol tonight. Dad and the boys refuse to let me go out on patrol or even be a vigilante because they think I’m too young and I should remain safe. It’s irritating but Damian and Jason train with me in secret to teach me self defense.
After dinner I excuse myself by giving Dad and each of my brothers, excluding Damian because he’s too snooty, a kiss on the cheek then going upstairs to my room so I can take a bath and watch a Disney movie before I go to bed. Picking (favorite Disney movie) I pop it into my DVD player then settle into bed.
About a half hour into the movie it starts to rain outside. I get up to look outside my window and the storm looks really bad out there.
“I hope everyone is okay.”
Suddenly a large flash of lightning struck near my window making me yelp as I jump back stumbling over something I have on the floor making me fall on my butt. When I hit the floor my door busts open and Jason barges in with a gun drawn ready to shoot but only sees me on the floor.
“Are you okay?!”
“Yeah I’m fine, just the thunder.”
Jason puts his gun down then kneels to help me up but another lightning strike hit and his grip on my arm tightens harshly out of instinct.
“J-Jason?”
“Uh—oh!” he loosens up. “(Y/n) I’m sorry—!”
I place a hand on his cheek trying to calm him down; he pauses at the contact then blinks a few times before he helps me up.
“Uh sorry squirt, I see you’re fine now. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”
He reaches for his gun but I catch his hand before he could touch it. I know why he hates the storm, and I feel like I need to help him.
“Jason? Would you stay with me?”
“I don’t know (Y/n), I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“But Jason, who’s going to protect you from the storm?”
He looks at me in shock and I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“You are scared too right?”
“I ain’t scared of nothin’,” he mutters trying to hide.
“Can you teach me to not be scared like you?”
He chuckles to himself before squeezing my hand back.
“Alright.”
Jason puts his gun on the night stand then I climb into bed and Jason tucks me in. After that he lies down beside me he places his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow and watches the movie that was still playing. Not too long into the movie another strike of thunder and lightning hit and we both tense.
Noticing how his tightly he clenched his jaw I scoot into his side and place my head on his stomach. I feel his breath stall before he let’s out a deep sigh and places his arm around me. Soon I could feel him start to relax his body and when more thunder sounds he doesn’t react as much and neither do I. Instead he tried to distract himself.
“So you gonna tell me what happened to you today? I know for damn sure you didn’t fall.”
“Can’t you leave it alone Jason?”
“No can do little sis, anything happens to you someone has to pay.”
“Sometimes you boys can be too much.”
“You’ll thank us one day,” he chuckles. “Now, who’s ass am I kicking?”
Sighing in frustration I knew that Jason would bug me until I told him.
“Just a bully at school threw a rock at me. I went to punch him but Damian stopped me knowing that if the school called Dad then I would be in big trouble. Damian did scare him though.”
Jason rubs my arm in a reassuring way and the motion was slowly lulling me to sleep.
“Does this bully have a name?”
“Jason please,” I mumble, “your guys’ job is to save Gotham, not me every time something happens at school.”
“That’s where you’re wrong squirt,” he pats my head. “You’re family and we take care of you.”
“I’m not helpless,” I poke his side.
“Listen, we know that but I’m your brother and that’s what big brothers do. In all honesty, I don’t want you in the family business because…”
Jason then fell silent. It was hard for him to actually speak his mind about his feelings but I understand how much he hates ‘talking mushy’ as he likes to put it.
“Love you too Jason.”
My eyes begin to flutter shut. It wasn’t long before I fully fell asleep against Jason unbeknownst to me he actually stays with me.
*~After Patrol~*
“Welcome back,” Alfred greets Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian. “Are there any injuries that need attending?”
“Nah, we’re alright Alfred,” Dick answers.
“Can’t say the same for Penguin and his goons,” Tim snickers.
“If all is well, I will retire for the night. Your baths have been drawn.”
“Thank you Alfred,” Bruce says while removing his mask.
“Hey where’s Jason?” Damian asks.
“Probably upstairs moping,” Tim mutters.
“He’s not moping,” Dick answers quickly. “It was a bad thunderstorm tonight I wouldn’t bother him right now.”
“Oh, got it.”
The men leave the batcave ready to take a bath and turn in for the night. Before heading to his room Bruce decides to check in on Jason knowing how sensitive he is about nights like this. Opening Jason’s door he notices that Jason is not in there, but his helmet is on the nightstand confirming that he’s still home. Walking back down the hallway Bruce sees Dick poking his head into (Y/n)’s room.
“Dick have you seen Jason?”
“Shh!” he motions to his mouth. “You gotta come see this.”
Walking over to the door Bruce looks in to see his youngest child curled up with her head resting on Jason’s stomach. He was softly snoring while his arm rests around (Y/n).
“Dick,” Bruce whisper, “go get my camera.”
“Good thinking.”
*~Next Morning~*
I wake up to see that Jason had stayed with me all night. He was still asleep snoring and he was slightly drooling. Shaking my head I get up and stretch before placing the blanket over Jason and leaving to head downstairs. Once I got downstairs I see Alfred preparing breakfast.
“Good morning Miss (Y/n), did you sleep well?”
“Yeah I did thank you. Did everyone come home alright?”
Suddenly, a pair of hands began tickling my sides making me laugh hysterically.
“Aha—hahaha-s-stop it!”
“Were you worried about us?” Tim asks while blowing a raspberry on my cheek.
“N-no!” I playfully swat him. “No more!”
“Alright alright,” he releases me and takes a seat next to me by the bar. “So how was your night?”
“Fine,” I drink some orange juice Alfred poured for me. “Where’s everyone?”
“Probably still asleep. Do you know where Jason is?”
“He’s still asleep.”
“Really? I didn’t hear him snoring in the next room.”
“That’s because he’s snoring in (Y/n)’s room,” Dick walks in. “Morning by the way.”
“What do you mean he’s in (Y/n)’s room? Why is he in your room?”
“What’s with the third degree? We fell asleep after watching (favorite movie).”
“He watched (favorite movie) with you?” Tim questions. “That’s oddly nice of him.”
Dick places a kiss on my head then rubs Tim’s hair as a good morning greeting before taking a seat next to him.
“You have nightmares (Y/n)?” Dick asks.
“No, just wanted a bigger teddy bear,” I mutter. “Don’t tease Jason.”
“We won’t sis, we were just curious,” Tim smiles.
A deep yawns announces Jason’s arrival as he scratches his chest and heads to the fridge.
“Mornin’,” he grumbles.
“Hey sleeping beauty, how did you sleep?” Tim asks.
“Why do you wanna know?” Jason grumbles while grabbing the orange juice and pouring himself a glass.
“Jason don’t be grumpy,” I smile.
He glances at me over his cup as he’s drinking. When he lowers his glass he pulls me into a side hug.
“Mornin’ squirt.”
“Sorry I used you as a human pillow.”
“It’s all good. Anytime you need me, but tonight it’s Dick’s turn to babysit you.”
“I don’t need babysitting! I’m not a baby!”
“You’re the baby of the family and that’s never gonna change squirt!”
“Tim…” I complain.
“Don’t look at me,” he chuckles, “I agree with him.”
“Rrgh…brothers.”
“And that’s never going to change either,” Dick adds.
Shaking my head I brush off the teasing; as much as I hate being the baby of the family, I couldn’t have asked for a better one.
*~After School~*
I kept a close eye out for Jerry to make sure I was ready if he decided to throw something at me again. At the front of the school there was a crowd gathering around the flag pole. Curious about what was going on I approach the crowd then look up to see Jerry hanging upside down with his foot caught in the rope. The flag itself had been replaced with a sign that read ‘I Will Not Bully’.
I laugh softly seeing him struggle to get loose and the teachers freak out trying to figure out what to do. At the gate I see Damian looking with a smirk on his face.
“Did you do this?” I whisper to him.
“I didn’t do it,” he answers. “Just be grateful this ingrate won’t be bothering you again.”
“Damian…”
Across the street I caught a glimpse of a red helmet watching from a crouch position and I could just feel the smile on his face.
“Thanks Jason.”