Archive of Our Own ^beta

Cold nights in Gotham were both blessing and a curse.

On one hand, it cut down on the crime, even crooks preferring to stay indoors. On the other hand, there were plenty of people who had no choice but to be in the streets, where the night itself was a formidable enemy. It was easier to deal out thermal blankets than punches, but even so, Jason couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for his own well-insulated Robin costume. Not too many years ago, he would have been the one shivering in the streets.

He’d have to talk to Bruce about funding more shelters in Gotham. Clearly there weren’t enough.

They were preparing to head home, trouble apparently dealt with for the night, when there was a quiet curse over the comms. That was odd, particularly as it didn’t come from Jason himself. Bruce and Dick weren’t exactly above the use of expletives, but it generally didn’t happen without a very good reason.

Jason dreaded to think what would be a good enough reason to have the Golden Boy swear aloud without any context.

“Nightwing? Report.” Bruce was clearly of a similar mind, considering his clipped tone.

“It’s — a kid. Collapsed in an alley.” Dick’s voice was sharp, not quite concealing the distress within. “I went to do a last sweep around the museum to make sure the earlier break-in was handled, and — fuck, B, I know him.”

Jason didn’t need more information to start heading in Dick’s direction. They’d foiled an attempted break-in at the Gotham Natural Museum earlier that night — why anyone would choose such a frosty night to try to steal dusty bones, he wasn’t sure — and he wasn’t too far off from there. As he got closer, it was easy enough to spot the dark form of Nightwing in an alley, huddled over something far too small.

Jason dropped down at the end of the alley, rushing closer. Dick was cradling a small form in his arms — a kid, what was a kid that small doing out on a night like this, this wasn’t exactly the prime spot for the homeless of Gotham. Before he got too close, though, he was interrupted by the sound of a low growl coming from Dick’s direction, the mask not quite concealing the glare he received.

Jason blinked. That was not the reaction he had expected. He halted, taking in the details of the situation. There was Nightwing, holding onto the pup, curled up around the small form to keep him as warm as possible. The pup himself, with dark hair and a pale face flushed with fever, a camera hanging from his neck. And — the scent, the less pleasant smells of the alley drowning in the scent of a sick, distressed pup, help-hurt-alone-please. He swallowed, one hand lifted in a placating gesture while his other reached up to open the clasps of his cape.

“Hey — hey, Wing, it’s just me. No threats here, just Robin. I’m here to help the pup, all right?” Detaching the cape, he held it in his hands like a peace offering, slowly advancing on his brother. “Here, this’ll help you keep the pup warm. You don’t have a cape of your own, this will help. I’m just here to help, all right?”

It felt an awful lot like he was trying to soothe an agitated animal, not speaking to his usually quite reasonable brother, but apparently his approach worked. The worst of the tension in Nightwing’s shoulders faded, and he allowed Jason to step closer.

“Here, let’s get him properly covered, he’s got to be freezing.” Freezing, and also burning up, judging by the flushed face. Dick barely loosened his hold on the pup enough for Jason to tuck his cape around the small body, but somehow they managed. “I’ll take that camera for now, okay? It can’t be comfortable hanging off his neck like that. Batman’s going to be here any second now, the pup will be fine.”

Now that he was close enough to look, Jason realized he knew the child as well. He wasn’t like Dick, happily socializing with everyone and anyone, but he’d been dragged to enough galas with Bruce to be at least passingly familiar with the high society of Gotham, and certainly with the younger generations of it. He hadn’t actually interacted with this particular pup, their age difference and his own rough background making him a rather unappealing influence for young society heirs, but it was only polite to know their literal neighbours, after all.

What on Earth was little Tim Drake doing freezing to death out in the streets of Gotham, rather than back home in the luxurious mansion within sight of the Wayne Manor? And why could Jason not smell anyone else on a pup who should have been covered in pack smells? Even the street kids had packs, Jason would know, small bands of unwanted people gathering together for protection and comfort when they had nothing else. Yet this little boy, the heir to one of the most elite houses in all of Gotham if not the country, smelled of nothing but loneliness and desperation.

Just then he heard the familiar sound of Batman landing behind him, and though it didn’t immediately solve the situation, at least he could trust things were going to be better somehow, now.

***

“What can you tell us?”

“Well, I couldn’t find any actual injuries, which is pretty impressive considering your usual track record.” Leslie frowned, adjusting the IV stuck to the child’s far too thin little arm. “For what it’s worth, I don’t believe the immediate concern is too terrible, for all that it certainly looks bad. He probably just had an ordinary case of a cold to begin with, except lack of care and running around out in the cold exacerbated things. The fever should start going down now that he’s had some medicine, and we’re seeing to the dehydration.”

“Except that’s just the immediate concern.” Which meant there was more to come.

“Exactly. I don’t think I need to tell you that there’s plenty of underlying problems that will need addressing.”

“Malnourishment, probably severe.” Bruce turned his head to find Dick leaning against a wall by the door. His posture was stiff, arms wrapped tightly around his chest, brows furrowed like he was trying to puzzle out a case. “Pack neglect, hormonal imbalance, quite possibly stunted development of pack instincts.”

Bruce frowned. “That’s a lot of rather serious speculation.”

“Not unfounded, though.” Leslie’s expression was grim. “There’s only so much I can say just from an external examination, but it’s clear the kid’s not doing well. The exact details might need confirmation, but that is more or less what I’m going to start looking into as soon as we’ve addressed the more immediate problems.”

Bruce pinched his lips together. “And since when have you been a medical expert, Dick?”

“I don’t need to be. Not when it’s all screaming in my face.” Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. “Say, B. When you first saw him, what was your instinctual response? Not the most logical or efficient one, not what Batman would or should do. What was the first thing your hindbrain told you?”

Bruce paused. “Protect the pup.” It was still there, strong and clear at the background of his mind, even as he had pushed it out of the way of his more logical train of thought.

“Exactly. Because you’re an alpha, an alpha with pups of your own at that, and the kid’s scent was screaming for help. You want to know what my instincts were telling me? Are still telling me, even as I’m trying to distract myself?” As Bruce lifted his eyebrows, Dick gave a humorless laugh. “My instincts are telling me he’s not just a pup, but a nestling. I want to build a nice safe nest and take him there and scent him all over and nurse him. He’s nine years old, with parents of his own and no connection to us, but his scent is so full of distressed, packless pup that my body thinks he’s an abandoned infant and I should be making milk for him.”

“I will make note of that,” Leslie said before Bruce could form a response. “There isn’t exactly a way to analyze his scent with any sort of official accuracy, but even an old beta like me can tell a distress call when I smell it, and the lack of pack scent is obvious. Having the testimony of an omega of fertile age that the pup’s triggering his nursing instincts is a good step towards proving neglect.”

“And is that what we’re trying to do?” Bruce lifted his eyebrows. “Prove neglect?”

“We’d better,” Dick said, his voice near a growl. “Because either you find a legal way for us to keep him, or I’ll fucking abduct him myself, and I doubt being a runaway teenage single parent is what you were envisioning for my future.”

“I don’t think any of us are in the right frame of mind to be making such decisions.” Bruce sighed, all too aware of Dick’s glare in his direction. “Look, just — go shower and get some sleep. You’re not helping anyone by standing there, but you’ll want to be awake and alert when the pup wakes up.”

Dick snorted, clearly unimpressed, but pushed himself off he wall at last. “Fine. But only because I’m definitely going to be cuddling him the moment he wakes up.”

It was, Bruce decided, the best he was going to get right now. At least Dick left the medbay of his own volition, even if he hesitated in the doorway.

“I hope you realize he’s not bluffing.” As Bruce looked at Leslie, she was giving him an inscrutable look. “Last time I saw that sort of look, it was you bringing in a would-be tire thief who you had decided was now your pup. Dick might still need you for the paperwork, but you are not going to stop him. Your input is limited to how difficult you want to make things for him.”

“He’s way too young for this.” Bruce sighed. “Hell, I was way too young when I took Dick in, and I still had a number of years on his current age. I just — I don’t want him getting mixed up in something he can’t handle just because he’s too caught up in his instincts.”

“Uh-huh.” Leslie looked rather unimpressed. “So, what? You’re going to tell him to send the pup back into an empty house where nobody even noticed he was wandering the streets with a dangerous fever? To live with the knowledge there’s a packless pup within walking distance and he’s supposed to ignore both his instincts and his morals?”

“That’s not what I —” Except he couldn’t argue, not really. What alternative could he offer, even?

“I know you. That’s not the kind of man you are. Your kids would never forgive you, and neither would you.” Leslie sighed, shaking her head. “The pup is as stable as we can manage right now; I’ll give you the care instructions, since he’s small even for your foolish crusades. If anything happens, you will call me.” Her voice left no room for arguments.

“Of course.” Bruce wasn’t exactly an idiot. A bit out of his depth right now in the face of his son’s determination, but not an idiot.

Somehow, he would solve this situation. He just wasn’t sure how, yet.

***

“B, you need to see this.”

“Jason?” Bruce frowned as he saw his younger son seated at the Batcomputer. “You should be in bed.” They all should be, really, but he wasn’t about to leave the child alone.

“Yeah, yeah, I just needed to check something first.” Jason waved a hand in dismissal, clearly not even considering Bruce’s words. “Just. The kid had a camera on him, right? A good one, too. I figured not even a rich kid would be running around Gotham with something expensive without a good reason, so I thought I’d check the pictures.”

“Right.” Bruce frowned, walking closer. As he got a look at the multiple screens, though, he froze. “That’s —”

“You, and me, and Dick.” Jason scrolled through picture after picture of Batman, Nightwing, and Robin. Some were of them just patrolling the city, mere silhouettes against the dark clouds; some pictures had solitary figures perched on rooftops like guardian monsters from a fairytale. The most concerning, however, were the pictures of them fighting, both petty criminals and some of the more worrisome villains to call Gotham home. Bruce wasn’t sure what terrified him the most, the fact that some of the pictures had clearly been taken from very close to the action, the realization that they spanned much longer than a night or two, or the simple truth that none of them had realized they were being followed. By a nine-year-old.

“How far back do the pictures go?” How long had this been going on?

“At least two months. That’s the oldest pictures currently on the camera, no way of telling if he’s been doing this for longer. And it definitely is him, or someone else just as small, judging by the viewpoints on some of these.” Jason’s expression was grim. “It’s almost daily, too, or more like nightly. I bet I could chart our busiest nights against the dates that have the most pictures taken, too. The kid’s been basically stalking us to a point that would make even our most obsessive villains proud, and either nobody’s noticed him running around or nobody cares enough to stop him.”

It certainly matched what they already suspected, the neglect and lack of supervision. However, there was remaining tension in Jason’s shoulders that made Bruce suspect this wasn’t all of it. “What are you not telling me?”

“See for yourself.” Jason clicked a few times, opening up new pictures. There was no sign of vigilantes or exciting battles here, unless something was hidden in the shadows that Bruce didn’t catch at a glance. However, even in their emptiness the pictures told him far too much.

Photographed from several angles was the Wayne manor and its surrounding grounds.

“This is…” Bruce trailed off, swallowed. “Is this a trap? Some sort of a villain scheme?”

“We examined the kid pretty thoroughly, and I gave the camera an extra look over just now. No trackers, nothing hazardous, just a kid with a weird hobby. If it’s a plot of some kind, it’s not a very good one.”

“Except for the fact he seems to have connected Batman to Bruce Wayne.”

“Maybe. Maybe he just likes taking pictures of his neighbors. Not like we’ll find out until he’s awake and coherent, assuming Dick’s even going to let you question him.”

Bruce sighed. He definitely felt a headache forming behind his eyes. “And why exactly is Dick calling the shots in a matter of security concerning all of us?”

“Because it’s about his pup, duh.” Jason glanced at him with one raised eyebrow as though wondering if Bruce was stupid. “I know you tend to deal with family units mostly in the high society, but take it from a former street rat, you do not threaten an omega’s pup unless you’re prepared to fight.”

“I know better than to underestimate a protective omega.” While some might make that mistake, they were unlikely to do so more than once. “However, I can’t help but wonder why nobody seems to remember that Dick literally just picked him up from the street a few hours ago.”

“What, that’s not the official way to become a parent? Could have fooled me.” Jason answered Bruce’s half-hearted glare with a smirk. “Face it, B. The kid’s here to stay.”

“I’m still not convinced it would be wise.”

“So, what? You’re going to send him off to live on his own again? Or maybe,” Jason’s voice took on a sharper tone, “we’ll just wait until he inevitably crosses paths with someone less nice than us while he’s out on the streets? Best case scenario, he gets mugged. Worst case…” Jason waved his hand at the screens. “It doesn’t matter if he actually knows who we are or not, these pictures are enough to suggest he knows something. Tell me, how far would Gotham’s villains go if they thought there’s even a chance the pup could give up Batman?”

Bruce’s blood froze in his veins. “That’s…” He wanted to argue, wanted to say that couldn’t be true, but he couldn’t. Not without lying to both himself and Jason.

“Thought so.” Jason clicked his tongue, turning to the computer to start closing the various files. “You can figure out the legal side of things; shouldn’t be too difficult, really. His parents will sign off on just about anything to avoid a scandal. If they actually cared more about the pup than their own convenience, they wouldn’t have practically abandoned him in the first place.”

“I hate when you make sense.” Bruce sighed. “Either way, tonight is not the time for that. Go get some sleep; I’ll go keep an eye on the pup.”

“Oh, you don’t need to,” Jason said as he stood from the computer, stretching himself. “I saw Dick sneaking back into the medbay while I was showing you the pictures.”

Bruce paused, drew a deep breath, and then sighed. “Just… go to bed, Jason.”

Jason cackled on his way out of the cave. Really, no respect for his poor old father.

Bruce wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Dick, but he had to say something. He’d made it clear the boy should get some sleep if he wanted to be of any use, yet he’d sneaked back at the first opportunity. Bruce wasn’t going to —

He paused at the door to the medbay. Tim was still on his cot, little face flushed with fever, his smell tinged with distress and pack-protect-please. Another cot had been pushed right next to his, though, with Dick curled up in his pajamas, one arm stretched out to hold the pup’s hand and hair damp from the shower. As Bruce watched them, Dick opened one sleepy eye.

“You said I had to sleep,” he murmured, somehow managing to sound defiant even though he was clearly fighting a yawn. “Never said where, though.”

“I suppose I didn’t.” Bruce nodded slowly, coming to a decision. “If he seems to be doing worse or you need anything, call Alfred or me immediately.”

“I will.” Dick’s eyes closed again. “You get some sleep, too, old man.”

Bruce wasn’t even going to argue. He was clearly going to need all the rest he could get to tackle this mess.

***

Someone was petting Tim’s hair.

This was… not a usual occurrence. His parents hadn’t done anything like that in years, after all, he was a big boy who didn’t need extraneous gestures of affection. However, that was very clearly a hand petting through his hair, and he was in an unfamiliar bed, and neither of those things matched his last memory of being outside taking pictures and feeling awful.

He still felt awful, but slightly less so, the fever chills less intense and the all-encompassing ache faded into a background soreness. Maybe he was dreaming? This definitely felt like a dream.

Slowly, Tim opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. The room he was in was clean in an almost sterile manner, medical supplies and equipment lining the shelves on the walls. There was an IV needle stuck to his arm, so apparently he’d been receiving medical attention. The hand in his hair was still there, and as he turned his head, he found a familiar face smiling at him.

“Nightwing?” It was the first thing he could think of, even though the young man was clearly not in uniform, his face bare and wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Nightwing was sitting cross-legged on a bed right next to Tim’s, and he still smiled even as he chuckled at the outburst.

“Uh, not quite,” Nightwing said. “I’ll admit he’s almost as handsome as me, but I’m Dick Grayson. You know me, right? Bruce Wayne’s eldest? I know we’ve met before.”

“Yeah, I know. And Dick Grayson is Nightwing.”

Dick lifted his eyebrows. “What makes you think that?”

“Nightwing can perform a flip that’s a Flying Graysons original. You’re the only remaining Flying Grayson, and Robin first joined Batman shortly after Bruce Wayne took you in. Then you moved on to Nightwing and a new Robin joined the team soon after he adopted Jason Todd. All that combined with the fact Batman obviously has plenty of wealth and connections to technological innovators makes it a pretty easy equation.” Tim coughed, his throat not liking the sudden rambling. Dick moved immediately to get a glass and fill it with water. “And — and I don’t think Bruce Wayne has a reason to keep what looks like a well equipped medical facility around, not unless he’s Batman.”

“I told B we should’ve moved him to one of the bedrooms already, but nobody ever listens to me.” As Tim looked towards the door, he saw Jason Todd standing there, smirking at them. “Guess that solves the question of whether you’d actually connected the dots or were just taking pictures of the manor for fun in between the creepshots of Batman.”

“Ah.” Tim flushed, eagerly accepting the glass of water from Dick to get some time to consider his words. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“Hey, we’ve dealt with worse stalkers before.” Jason pulled a chair closer and dropped down in it, giving Tim a studying look. “So that’s how you figured out who we are, huh?”

“Right.” Tim sipped at the water, hating the way his hand was trembling. “I — I haven’t told anyone, I swear! I know that wouldn’t be safe for you! Not that anyone would believe me, anyway.”

“Breathe, kid.” Dick was petting his hair again, and Tim could barely resist the urge to lean into the touch. “We believe you. You’re safe, you’re not in trouble.” His voice was reassuring but there was an undertone of steel to it, like he was willing that to be true through sheer force of will.

“We do have questions, though.” Jason frowned. “Like how your house was totally empty when I checked it out just now.”

“Oh! That’s not unusual. My parents are in —” Tim paused, thinking back to their itinerary. “I think they’re in Egypt right now? They should be there for another month, unless their plans change.”

“And who’s looking after you, then?”

Tim frowned. “I’m not a baby, I don’t need a nanny anymore,” he pointed out. “Mrs. Mac comes over twice a week to make sure everything’s in order.”

“So, what you mean is nobody.” Jason folded his arms over his chest, his scent gaining a tinge of anger. Tim winced despite himself, and Jason sighed. “Look, pup, you’re way too young to be on your own like that. Take it from a former street rat, just because you can keep yourself alive doesn’t mean you don’t need a pack.”

Tim tensed, frowning down at his water. “My parents say packs are for animals and weak people. I don’t need that kind of thing.”

“Oh, Timmy.” Dick sighed, and the next moment Tim found himself pulled into a hug. As startling as it was, he couldn’t deny that it felt… nice. “That’s just not true. Even betas need people and affection to be happy and healthy. You’re an omega, not having proper pack bonds could really mess up your development.”

“I’m fine.” He might have been more convincing if he hadn’t found himself leaning into Dick, burying himself in the smell of a protective, grown omega, safe-home-pack-love. “I know it was stupid to go out when I was sick, but other than that, I’m fine.”

“You are really not fine.” Jason shook his head. “We’re not talking about that now, though. Think you can eat something?”

“Um. I… guess?”

“Good.” Jason stood up again. “I’ll let Alfred know you’re awake, he’ll probably make you soup or something. Dick, I’d tell you not to catch the bug as well but let’s face it, if it’s going to happen it’s already done.”

“Yeah, that’s a very lost case.” Dick was… rubbing his cheek against Tim’s hair? Huh. That was weird, but not bad. “I’m not going anywhere until my pup’s all better.”

“I’m not —” Tim couldn’t even finish his protest before Dick shushed him.

“Sorry, mine now. Finders keepers.” Dick sounded almost cheerful, but it was clear he was being serious.

Tim felt like he should try to argue, but for some reason, he couldn’t find the words to do so.

***

Bruce needed to talk to someone.

This was not exactly a frequent occurrence, and certainly not a feeling that usually made it outside his family. However, right now everyone was rightly focused on the pup. While Bruce’s worries were directly related, he felt like he could use an outside perspective. Someone who could tell him if this was utterly hopeless, while also knowing just how far he would go for his kids.

There weren’t that many choices, really, not among the few people he knew well enough to talk to about such things and trusted with his family. Clark’s only child was just three, and Ollie… well. Best not do anything that might bring up the subject of Roy.

There was another choice, though. Not exactly a father, maybe, but close enough.

He turned out to be quite lucky for once, the right spot in the Watchtower duty roster coinciding nicely with Leslie clearing Tim to get off the IV, provided they made sure he kept eating and drinking. This in turn meant Dick immediately rushed the pup to the pack nest, no doubt intent on cuddling and scenting him until the whole world would know this kid belonged to them, while Jason took it upon himself to run around gathering clothes with fresh scent for Dick to choose from. The nest hadn’t really been used for a couple of years, not since Dick got old enough to want to share his heats with his mate, and a pup needed a fresh nest. Bruce made sure they didn’t need anything, promised to be back in time to inspect the nest before patrol, and headed off to space.

It was not exactly difficult to find his target, right in the middle of observation duty as he was. He found the Flash seated in front of the numerous screens, halfway through a bag of snacks. Speedsters and their metabolisms.

“Batman!” Barry lifted a hand in greeting. “Did you come just to keep me company? That’s unusually sweet of you.”

“Afraid I have an ulterior motive.” Bruce sighed, walking closer. “I was hoping to talk to you about something. It’s… not exactly League-related, though.”

“Not League-related? Must be pretty important to bring you all the way here, then.” Barry smiled. “Lay it on me. I’m all ears.”

“Right.” Bruce came to a halt once he was at a polite conversation distance and folded his arms over his chest. Now that he was here, he realized he wasn’t entirely sure how to even start the conversation. “It looks like I’m going to be a grandfather.”

At once, Barry’s relaxed posture turned into something much more alert. “Nightwing’s pregnant? Wally’s the sire, isn’t he? I swear, that boy —”

“What — no! Nobody’s pregnant. Not that I know of, at least.” Right. Probably should have been very clear about that before approaching the subject. “Though honestly, that might be easier. At least then I’d have a clear idea of what’s going on.”

“Okay.” Barry relaxed a little, still studying Bruce closely. “So. What’s going on?”

“Basically?” Bruce sighed. “We found a sick pup in the streets, and Nightwing pretty much imprinted on him right away. He’s barely left the kid’s side since then and has made it very clear he’s not backing down.”

“Ah.” Barry gave him a teasing smile. “To be fair, you’ve kind of set a precedent for that kind of thing.”

“That’s what Dick keeps saying. And Jason. And Alfred.” Bruce ran a hand over his face. “Except this situation is… different.”

“How different, exactly?”

“Different as in Dick’s only ten years older than the pup, too young to even adopt him. Which is a problem anyway, because the pup actually has parents who are alive and well, they just also happen to be neglectful enough to leave their nine-year-old to fend for himself while they leave the country.”

“What?” Barry blinked. “They just left him out in the streets?”

“Oh, no. He was out at night because he figured out our identities and was sneaking out every night to take photos of us.” At Barry’s disbelieving gaze, Bruce grimaced. “Trust me, I know exactly how unlikely that sounds.”

“But — you said he’s nine.”

“Right. The smartest nine-year-old I’ve ever met, except when it comes to having a simple sense of self-preservation. And Dick obviously has no intention of letting him go, not that I could allow him to go back to that empty house to die of neglect anyway. Except his parents can afford the same caliber of lawyers as me, they are literally our neighbors, and I can’t exactly explain how the kid ended up under my roof to begin with.”

“That is… quite the mess.” Barry paused. “Are you looking for suggestions, or just venting?”

“If you can offer any ideas, I’m all ears.” Bruce shook his head. “At the moment my only plan of attack is blackmail them with evidence of the neglect, but that would have to weigh against the scandal of handing over their child for no apparent reason.”

“So, what you need first of all is a reason, to make that balance a bit easier to skew.” Barry snapped his fingers. “You said they’re your neighbors, right? And the parents travel abroad, presumably a lot?”

“That’s right.” And he really should have noticed something amiss a lot earlier. Should have checked, at least. It just hadn’t even occurred to him to wonder what exactly happened with their child when they weren’t in town.

“Great. So, for his parents, you can just say you found him wandering outside. Kids do weird things, especially when they’re sick, and it’s totally believable for you or one of your boys to have come across him on a walk or something. As for everyone else, it’s really simple. His parents have been worried for a while now that he’s not getting enough attention with them constantly travelling, but haven’t found a better solution. Now, their trip home was delayed, and his usual caretaker couldn’t stay longer, so they asked their good neighbors to step in. Of course, then Dick and the pup bonded during his stay, and in general he seemed much happier for being around a proper family rather than a caretaker who, while obviously competent and lovely, is still just doing a job. Now, it breaks their hearts, but the happiness of their pup is more important, and he’s really only going to be at the next house over when they’re back in town, and in the meantime he’s going to have a full pack who care about him and can truly give him the time and love he needs.”

Bruce blinked slowly. “That… might work. Needs some work on the details to make it media-proof, but it’s a good starting point.”

Barry chuckled. “I might not be a fancy PR expert, but I happen to take pride in my quick thinking.”

Bruce snorted. “Of course you do. Thank you for the input. It’s definitely going to make the negotiations easier when I have a cover story to offer.”

“I’m sure you’d have managed it either way. But yeah, I imagine you might have trouble thinking of a good reason for parents to give up their kid. Knowing you, the concept alone is enough to make your brain screech to a halt.”

Bruce frowned. “I’m well aware that plenty of children are abandoned by their parents.” As evidenced by the pup Dick had carried to the nest.

“Sure. But thinking of a reason to do so other than being so awful that the kid is better off without you is a different matter.” Barry gave him a small smile. “The pup is pretty damn lucky, you know. Not just because being lost in the streets of Gotham generally doesn’t end so well, though there’s that too. Just, there’s no way he’s going to end up packless again, not now.”

“I hope you are right.” Bruce sighed. “And not just because I’m pretty sure Dick will actually kidnap him if I can’t work this out in a legal manner.”

“Good thing Batman can do anything, huh?”

Bruce certainly hoped it was true.

***

As much as he would have wanted to, Dick couldn’t exactly put this off any longer.

He really should have done this much earlier, but now that he knew Bruce had a plan, it was all but certain. The exact details might have been up in the air, but this was happening. Which meant he couldn’t just keep pretending it was just about him and the pup.

Running one hand through Tim’s hair, he dug his phone out with the other. No time like the present.

The call was picked up instantly, as usual. “Hi there pretty! You’ve been quiet lately. Is something wrong? You know you need to tell me if something is wrong, I can’t — wait I should at least let you talk.”

Despite his slowly creeping nerves, Dick couldn’t help but smile. “Hi, Wally. Sorry for kinda dropping off the face of Earth, just — something came up that’s pretty much swallowed up all my brain space.”

“Oh? Anything I should know about?” Dick knew that tone, purposely light to cover the concern underneath. He could practically see the expression that went with it, the usual grin with just the slightest tension at the corner of Wally’s eyes. The thought made him ache.

“I — actually, yeah.” Dick drew a deep breath. “Think you could come over? I’d rather not do this over phone.”

“Any time.” For just a bit, Wally’s voice dropped to a softer tone. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Then, the line clicked shut.

Dick put his phone back in his pocket, taking another glance at Tim. The kid was asleep again, had drifted off with his head resting on the book he had been reading earlier. Dick might have worried, but Leslie had told him it was fine. His body had a lot of recovery to do, after all. At least he was spending more time awake than asleep, the tail end of his sickness lingering but clearly on its way out.

Well. That just gave him an opportunity to explain things to Wally before adding another factor to the situation.

The few moments he’d taken to consider this were no doubt more than enough for Wally to make his way to the manor. Add a bit to greet Alfred — not even a speedster would dare breeze past him without a word, not if they valued their continued access to his cooking — and he probably had just enough time to make it out of the nesting room.

Sure enough, he had barely closed the door behind himself when Wally appeared in front of him, drawing Dick into a hug and a kiss before stepping back to take a look at him. He was clearly making sure Dick wasn’t sporting any new injuries, but Dick had no doubt he was also noticing the other telltale signs. The comfy clothes and ruffled hair, the scent of pack clinging to him in that particular way that indicated time spent in the pack nest. And most importantly, the hint of an unfamiliar scent, unmistakable as Wally leaned in for a sniff.

“So.” Wally lifted his eyebrows. “The big guy adopt another one?”

“Ah, not quite.” Dick winced. “It’s… I kinda did the adopting part?”

“Okay, I need a bit more detail than that. But first off, I need you not to look like that.” Wally kissed his nose, knowing full well that would make Dick blush and was cheating. “Talk to me?”

So, Dick did.

As he finished, Wally was quiet for perhaps half a second, which was an eternity in Wally-time. “Right. And when do we get to the part that made you hesitate about telling me?”

This time Dick was the one who lifted an eyebrow. “What, my deciding to adopt a pup without discussing it with my boyfriend isn’t significant?”

“From what I heard, you didn’t really do much deciding. It’s not like you could leave the pup behind, and you’ve got way too big a heart to let him go once you picked him up.”

“I’m not that much of a slave to my instincts.” Dick frowned. “Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean my brain goes out the window as soon as there’s a pup in the picture.”

“Good thing that’s not what I said, then.” Wally drew him into a hug again, arms loose around him, just enough for Dick to feel the warmth and be drawn closer to Wally. “Sure, your instincts are involved, you said as much yourself. But more than that, you’re Dick Grayson. You’ve got the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. Of course you’d take a look at an abandoned pup — legal status notwithstanding — and love him as your own instantly.”

“But what about you? About us?” Dick swallowed. “I mean — I know we haven’t really, like… talked about what we’re doing or where we’re going, and so far it’s worked for us. But I know damn well this isn’t what you signed up for, and you can’t just pretend it is.”

“Mm-hmm.” Wally kissed him, now, soft and sweet, and it did take away the worst of Dick’s nerves. “Well, we could talk about it now. Though maybe not standing around in the corridor?”

Dick couldn’t help but snort. “If that’s your way of asking to come to the nest, you’re not exactly subtle.”

“Wasn’t trying to be.” Wally grinned. “You know I never turn say no to a chance to cuddle, and this time there’s a pup to meet, too.”

“Just don’t wake him. He’s still recovering and needs all the rest he can get.”

Wally let Dick lead him in by the hand, pausing at the edge of the nest. Tim was still asleep, curled up with his book, and Wally gave a wordless little gasp.

“Oh, he’s adorable,” he said, voice hushed. “Also totally looks like a Wayne already. You sure the big bat doesn’t just have a cloning facility tucked away somewhere?”

“I’m pretty sure he’d have a bigger brood by now if that was the case.” Dick chuckled a bit, climbing into the nest. “Good to know he doesn’t scare you off at the first sight, though.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Grayson.” Wally grinned, then joined him in the nest, drawing Dick into his arms. It was nice, as always. Familiar, safe. One of Wally’s hands slid up to the back of Dick’s neck, tucking his head into the crook of Wally’s neck, scenting him. “So. You want to talk about us, huh?”

“I… yeah.” Though he didn’t really know what to say. “Just… don’t get me wrong, I want you here. In my life. But I’ve got a pup, now, and he’s got to come first.”

“Of course.” Wally hummed to himself, and Dick could feel the vibrations running through his chest. “You’re right, we’ve never really talked about where we’re headed. Easier to just go with what feels right, and all. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking, though.”

“Oh?” Dick couldn’t help a small chuckle. “Wally West, thinking about the future?”

“Hey, it’s more likely than you think. With how fast I go I have to have a plan or I’ll run into a wall, metaphorical or otherwise.”

“Well, let’s hear it, then.” Dick nuzzled at Wally’s throat, inhaling the familiar scent right where it was the strongest at his scent glands. “What exactly have you been planning for us?”

“The short-term plan was to just keep doing what we’re doing. As you said, it’s been working fine so far.” Wally kissed his hair, because Wally was nothing but ridiculous. “I always figured that once I finish college, I’ll hopefully manage to convince you — and your family, obviously — that I can actually be a mature adult capable of mature adult things. Like, you know, getting a place together and starting a pack of our own, all official-like.”

“Seriously?” Dick drew his head back enough to look at Wally.

“You think I’d joke about that?” Wally chuckled. “I know I’m not a serious person in general, but I’m serious about you. Hell, the main reason I plan to wait until after college is to show you and everyone else that I’m going to do this right and not just rushing into things.”

“I didn’t know.” Hadn’t even suspected.

“You said it, didn’t you? We haven’t really talked about this stuff. But seems like this is a good point to do so.” Wally’s expression turned a bit hesitant. “Unless… you don’t want that?”

Well, he couldn’t have that. Not Wally looking like he expected Dick to draw away, to be upset. “Oh, Wally.” He kissed Wally, making sure to show just how much he wanted to do just that. “You think I’d be upset to find out that you’ve been thinking of building a life with me?”

“You might. If you’re fine with this just being a casual thing, me getting too serious could seem like too much.” He sighed. “I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time I’m moving too fast for everyone else.”

“No, that’s — that sounds like a pretty great pace for me.” Dick gave Wally a faint smile. “Well. It would, if I hadn’t taken a huge unplanned leap in the seriousness department and found myself a pup. Which definitely wasn’t part of your plans.”

“Eh, I don’t know, I was definitely hoping that would come up eventually. Just didn’t expect it until a bit further down the timeline. If anyone can adjust to things going fast, it’s me.” Wally grinned. “So we’ll have to find a slightly bigger first home, and I have one more person to convince that I’m good for you. Big deal. I’m totally up to the challenge.”

“Parenting a neglected, probably traumatized pup when we’re hardly even adults ourselves isn’t going to be that easy.” Dick frowned. “I’m serious about this, Wally. He’s my pup, and I’m going to be the best dad I can be.”

“Of course you are. And you’re going to do a great job at it.” Wally chuckled. “I never said it was going to be easy, or that I was going to just half-ass things. I love you, and I’m going to love the hell out of your pup too.”

“Our pup.” Might as well make that clear right away, if Wally wanted to talk about serious stuff. “If you’re going to do this, you’re doing it all the way. Tim deserves a proper family.”

“Well, duh. I just figure I should earn that role rather than just claim it.” Wally grinned. “Maybe start off by hanging around long enough to actually get introduced to the pup.”

“I think we can do that.” Dick snuggled up closer. “…I love you, you know.”

“Of course you do. I’m pretty awesome.”

It was, Dick decided, a pretty good assessment.

***

Tim woke up to the sound of people talking.

This was not exactly surprising. He’d spent most of the last few days in the nest, getting his doctor-ordered rest, and he wasn’t sure he’d been alone for longer than it took for Dick to go to the bathroom. It made him feel guilty, knowing he was holding back Nightwing, but Dick wouldn’t listen to any of it. Tim was his pup, he had announced when Tim had tried to protest, and Dick wasn’t leaving until Tim believed it, too. Jason might have teased him about that sounding awfully brainwash-y, but he’d been smiling, so Tim knew it was just that, teasing.

Not that he suspected any nefarious motives. All this was new to him — the cuddling, the scenting, the pack nest — but he knew it all felt right.

He’d never been in a nest, certainly not like this. There probably was a nesting room in Drake Manor somewhere, these big expensive houses always had at least one, but his parents were both betas and had made it very clear that Tim wasn’t to waste his time with nesting either. He decided he liked this one, though. Most of the room was taken up by the large, circular bed, filled with pillows and blankets and clothes for the pack smell. Shelves along the walls stored snacks and entertainment, and a door in the corner hid a fully equipped bathroom. Dick had mentioned it hadn’t been used much since Dick had aged past juvenile heats, but with the way everything was set up and how easily Dick and Jason rebuilt the nest and settled into it, it was clear it had been in regular use before then.

Dick had also said it was going to be Tim’s nest now, too, because nests were for omegas and Tim was an omega in the pack now. It still seemed strange, but Tim had to admit the idea had a certain draw to it.

The point being, the nest always had people in it. Dick was there, of course, but Jason had spent a surprising amount of time hanging around as well, talking with Dick or reading books or playing with his phone. Bruce had been there a few times, big scary Batman politely waiting for Dick to nod a permission for him to crawl into the nest, filling the place with the comforting smell of alpha-safe-protect-home. It wasn’t something he was used to, new and unfamiliar but strangely warm in the way it enveloped him from every direction, and Tim had to do his best not to cry from the sheer overwhelming feeling of it. Even Alfred stopped by once or twice, citing his old bones as reason not to come further than sitting down at the edge of the nest, but he reached a hand over to pet Tim’s hair and that was fine, too.

So, hearing people talking wasn’t surprising. The surprising part was the fact he didn’t know one of the voices.

Tim rolled in the direction of the sound, slowly opening his eyes. There was a stranger sitting cross-legged in the nest, a young white man with red hair and Dick’s head in his lap. They were both smiling and chatting, the man’s hand running through Dick’s hair, down his cheek, caressing his neck. Easy, intimate, unafraid. Huh.

“Oh!” The man blinked, turning a grin at Tim. “You’re awake! I’m —”

“Kid Flash,” Tim blurted out, then flushed a bit as he sat up. “Um. Sorry. But… you are, aren’t you?”

Kid Flash lifted his eyebrows, glancing down at Dick. “You been gossiping, huh?”

“No! No, Dick didn’t tell me.” Tim bit his lip. “It’s just — it’s pretty obvious you’re, ah, close. Which means you must work together. And, well, there aren’t exactly that many people Nightwing’s associated with who have your build and red hair.”

Dick chuckled, reaching up to touch Kid Flash’s face. “Told you he’s smart,” he said, sounding proud. Proud of Tim. Tim was not used to people being proud of him.

“Yeah, I can see that.” Kid Flash chuckled, then smiled at Tim. “Guilty as charged. Though since we’re out of uniform, I’m just Wally. Wally West, sort of kinda this one’s boyfriend.”

Dick snorted. “You already told me you’re planning a future for the two of us, don’t start selling yourself short now.” Dick turned to look at Tim, now, something very soft in his expression. “Basically, Wally announced his intention to audition for the part of stepdad.”

“Ah.” Tim froze. “That’s not — I don’t want to get in the way of your relationship.”

“You’re not. I’m not going anywhere, I’m way too fond of birdbrain here.” Wally grinned at Dick’s half-hearted glare. “Besides, I’m awesome, I’m sure I’ll win you over with time. I’m not expecting you to just magically like me just because I’m dating Dick, I’m going to show you I’m worth your trust.”

Tim studied him for a while, trying to look for any sign of deceit. All he got was an open smile and the scent of a confident young alpha, friendly-curious-welcome. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I’ll let you try to win me over.” Tim tilted his head. “I mean, you must be pretty serious. A speedster promising to take his time? That’s a pretty big deal.”

Dick laughed, sitting up at last. “He’s got you totally figured out, Walls.”

“Of course he does. Gotta be smart to be a baby bat.” Which apparently inspired Wally to launch off on a lengthy anecdote about a young Dick being both smart and dumb in some scheme of his, and Tim found himself drawn in.

Between Wally and Dick there was hardly a silent moment. Tim still wasn’t quite sure how to deal with all that, more used to endless silence and empty halls, but it wasn’t bad. It helped that they didn’t require him to take part in the conversation, happy to take care of the conversation and let it settle over Tim like a warm blanket made of presence. He did speak up a few times, asking questions or commenting on something, and it was always welcomed with a grin or an easy laugh. It was nothing like the stiff conversations his parents would have with their acquaintances, the ones Tim was not allowed to interrupt.

Everything here was so very different.

They were finally interrupted by Jason coming to inform them that dinner was ready. As comfortable as the nest was, Tim was more than ready to get up and move a bit, and literally jumped on the opportunity. Besides, tired or not, he had already come to learn that Alfred’s cooking was always worth the trouble.

Bruce was not there, with Alfred sniffing and mentioning he had a call running long. It was obvious that there was more to this by the way the others exchanged gazes, but Tim decided not to push. He was sure he’d find out eventually, and right now he didn’t want to ruin the dinner by delving into anything too serious.

The answer came sooner than he’d expected. He’d gone to the bathroom once he was done eating, barely managing to convince a concerned Dick that he was only going down the hall and did not need an escort. As he was returning, he paused at the sound of Bruce’s voice.

“I can’t believe a simple phone call could drain me so thoroughly.”

“That bad, huh?” Jason’s voice, now. “They try to claim they’re actually good for Timmy somehow?”

Tim’s heart skipped a beat. He shouldn’t be eavesdropping, knew he should make his presence known, but… this was about his parents, wasn’t it? He should know what was going on.

“It was… well.” Bruce sighed, and Tim knew even without seeing him that he was pinching the bridge of his nose. “They implied, with very little subtlety mind you, that I had… ulterior motives for taking in young boys.”

Dick muttered a curse, and Tim felt sick to his stomach. That was — that was just wrong. Bruce wouldn’t hurt him, not ever. Bruce was Batman! His parents didn’t know that, but that still didn’t mean they could say such things.

A small, bitter voice in the back of his mind pointed out his parents wouldn’t know even if someone did hurt him. Probably wouldn’t want to know.

“That’s not even the most messed up part.” Bruce sighed.

“How could it be worse?” Dick’s voice was tight, controlled, as though trying to hold back rage. This whole time Tim hadn’t heard him like that. Always cheerful, or caring, or worried, but never angry. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was Nightwing shining through.

“It’s worse because even after stating that, they agreed to my proposal.”

There was more said after that, Dick’s voice mixing in with Bruce’s and Wally saying something as well, but Tim didn’t hear any of it. His head was swimming, the sounds muffled. He couldn’t hear, couldn’t speak, couldn’t think —

Tim turned and ran. He was vaguely aware he knocked into something, heard something crash to the floor behind him, but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop, not when he felt like he was drowning in air.

The flaw in his plan, or rather lack thereof, became clear to Tim rather quickly. He’d seen barely any of the manor, had no idea of where he was going. Every step he took got him more lost, his mind too full of whirling thoughts and fears to even try to pay attention to his route. All he cared about was getting away from — from something.

Of course, he couldn’t exactly keep running forever, not even very long. He was still not over his sickness and tired much easier than he usually did. After what felt like no time at all he found himself slowing down, unable to run or even walk too fast. Still, he had to get away, had to find somewhere safe.

Tim stumbled his way to a random door, relieved to find it unlocked. The room beyond was one he hadn’t seen before, a small sitting room in pristine condition that suggested it didn’t get much use. Tim scanned the room for hiding places, for anywhere he could curl up and maybe feel safe just for a moment. The heavy curtains drew his eye, and as he got closer he saw a deep windowsill behind them, just big enough for Tim to curl up on.

At last he felt like he could breathe. He was still shaking, his mind racing, but at least he felt a little more grounded, hidden between the curtains and the cool glass.

Then, of course, he heard someone enter the door, and curled up smaller. He’d forgotten to close the door, he realized. How had he made such a simple mistake?

“Tim?” He’d expected Dick, perhaps even Bruce, but that was Wally’s voice. “I figured you could use someone outside the family to talk to. You seemed pretty upset.”

Tim wanted not to say anything, wanted to stay quiet and hide, but it wasn’t like he would be hard to find if Wally started looking. A speedster could go through the entire room in seconds without even trying. “…I’m fine.” He didn’t feel fine.

“So fine you ran off, huh.” At least Wally didn’t sound like he was here to scold Tim or lecture him about being ungrateful. Because he was ungrateful, wasn’t he, being so upset that someone actually wanted him, wanted him in their family and —

Tim choked back a sob, stuffing a fist into his mouth to stifle the sound. Clearly he didn’t manage, as Wally walked closer, his steps pausing right on the other side of the curtain.

“It’s fine to be upset, you know.” Wally’s voice was very close, now. “There’s a lot happening right now, and it’s all messy and confusing. Nobody’s blaming you for getting sad or even scared.”

“I — I don’t know why I was surprised.” Because that, more than anything, was what stung the most. “I mean, my parents haven’t ever been around a lot anyway. They leave me alone most of the time, and barely pay attention to me when they’re here. It shouldn’t — it shouldn’t surprise me that they’d agree.”

“Except you were hoping it would change,” Wally guessed. “That this would make them realize they weren’t treating you right, that the idea of losing you would make them fight to keep you.”

“It’s stupid.” Now, Tim couldn’t help the sob, nor the tears streaming down his face. “I should — I should’ve known — why am I like this?”

“Because they’re your parents.” Wally’s voice was soft, quite unlike his happy rambles from earlier. “Every child wants to be loved and cared for by their parents. Hell, every child should get that. It’s not wrong for you to want and expect that, and it’s definitely not stupid. They failed you, and you’re allowed to feel hurt. Nobody’s going to fault you for it.”

“But I should be happy.” Tim sniffled. “And I am! I’m so happy and grateful that Dick and everyone else here wants me, that they want to make me part of the family. Like — like my parents never wanted me.” He hugged his knees closer to his chest. “Why can’t I just be happy?”

“Because things aren’t that simple.” The voice moved, the curtains shifting, and Tim concluded Wally must have sat down to lean against the wall under the window. “You know, I don’t live with my parents. Well, now I live on my own anyway, but even before that I didn’t, not for years.”

Tim sniffed. “Oh?”

“Yeah. It’s — not like your situation, nothing like it in fact. I still stayed with them from time to time, see them regularly and everything. I moved in with my uncle after, well, after the speed happened.” Wally gave a weak laugh. “The uncle being the Flash. You know, because he could help me work on my control and everything.”

“Right. That — that makes sense.”

“And — it was good. I liked it, wanted it. My parents were around, just not in the day to day sense. I got to spend time with my uncle, I got to do hero stuff. Met the cutest, most smartass little shit going by the name Robin. All in all, it was really good. But I — I was sad, sometimes. Sad because I wasn’t with my parents. Because they couldn’t give me the support I needed, no matter how much they might have wanted to. I had the support in my uncle, my parents helped me get it, they did everything they could. But I still felt sad and betrayed and abandoned sometimes because when you’re a kid, you feel like you’re not supposed to need anyone but your parents.”

Tim swallowed. “I’m sorry.” What else could he say?

“Nah. Like I said, it’s totally different from your situation. All I’m trying to say is that it’s okay to be sad and hurt even if you’re also happy. If I was sad because my otherwise just fine and supportive parents couldn’t do everything for me, you’re allowed to be a hundred times sadder because yours gave you up rather than let their reputation be tarnished. They betrayed you and failed you and you’re allowed to feel that.” Wally paused. “And you’re allowed to still love them, too.”

“Why?” Tim hated how empty his voice sounded, how broken. ”It’s — why should I love them? They clearly don’t love me. I’m not sure if they ever did. But I can’t — I can’t help it.”

“Because, again, they’re your parents.” Wally sighed. “Dick’s not trying to replace them, you know. None of the bats are. You don’t have to call him dad or anything, he doesn’t expect it. Your parents are part of who you are, and you’re allowed to feel that. Good, bad, whatever.”

“Wouldn’t that be ungrateful of me?”

“Pretty sure it’s just human. We can’t just switch our emotions on and off. Just because you’re offered a new family doesn’t mean you’re going to instantly be able to let go of your old one. It’s not supposed to be a replacement, just… a step sideways, into something else. It’s going to take time to find your place, to fit yourself in this new space and with new people. And along the way it’s probably going to hurt, both you and others.”

“I don’t want that.” Tim rubbed his eyes, a useless task as the tears kept running anyway. “I don’t — I don’t want to cause anyone even more trouble.”

“At some point you really need to hear a few stories of the things Jason got up to soon after arriving. It’s pretty hard to worry about causing more trouble than him.” Wally snorted, then turned serious again. “It’s going to be hard sometimes. But they know that too. They expect it. And if you sometimes feel like you’re being ungrateful or sad or difficult or trouble — they signed up for it, all of it. They’re not going to give up on you. Because believe me, nobody’s more stubborn than a bat.”

That drew a teary chuckle from Tim. “I don’t know. I might test that, still.”

“Good thing they welcome a challenge.” Another shift in the location of the voice, the curtain swaying a bit as it was not pinned against the wall anymore. Standing up. “I told you I’m ready to do the work to win you over. And I know for a fact I’m not the only one. This family doesn’t let go easily.”

“I… hope that’s true.” Because Tim was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be an easy case.

“You’ll see with time.” Wally paused. “Anyway. You feel like facing the others yet?”

Tim hesitated for a moment, but clearly it was long enough for Wally to draw conclusions.

“Well, alternatively… how would you feel about ice cream?”

“Huh?” That was not what he had expected.

The curtain moved, and then Wally was peeking at him from between the curtains, grinning at him. “There’s this brilliant place in Metropolis that’s open pretty late and has the absolute best ice cream ever. If you think you need a bit more time to cool off, I could just take you there for a bit.”

“I… would that be okay?”

“Sure. I’ll just text Dick to let him know so they won’t worry about you, and I’ll have you back in time for bed.” Wally winked.

Tim paused, considered. “I guess it can’t ruin my dinner, at least.”

Wally laughed at that, bright and genuine, and while Tim couldn’t quite return the laugh he at least felt things weren’t all hopeless.

***

Jason really had no idea how Dick could have been surprised at Wally being serious about their relationship. After all, nobody batted an eye when Wally trailed after Dick to the breakfast table the following morning. With a dad as protective as Bruce and a butler as prim and proper as Alfred, the only way this could pass by without comment was if they had long since decided Wally was an official addition.

If this hadn’t been clear enough, Bruce very much underlined it after breakfast as he glanced around the table. “Before any of you run off, we need a family meeting.” As Wally shot to his feet, clearly about to give them their privacy, Bruce added, “You, too. I did say any of you.”

Wally dropped back down into his chair, a bright grin on his face. Clearly he could understand Bruce-speak.

“So.” Dick lifted his eyebrows. “I’m assuming this has to do with Timmers?” He reached out to grasp Tim’s shoulder. The kid leaned into the touch, his face pale and eyes locked on Bruce.

“Exactly.” Bruce looked at each of them in turn. “Now, you all know already that Tim is here to stay. I thought we should have a talk about the details.”

“You mean, about how it’s clear Dick’s claimed the pup but he’s too young to adopt yet?”

“That would be the main point, yes.” Bruce settled his eyes on Dick. “To begin with, I will be the one to legally adopt Tim to secure his place in the family. However, as soon as that’s in effect, we will have the family lawyers draw up another set of documents. You will be Tim’s legal guardian until you turn twenty-one, at which point you will be able to adopt him.”

Dick nodded. “That sounds good to me. Right now, making sure he’s safe is the most important point.”

Wally grinned. “But also he’s your pup and you’ll fight anyone who thinks otherwise.”

“Precisely.” Dick ruffled Tim’s hair, rubbing his wrist all over to leave his scent all over the kid. Jason wondered if either of them were even aware of that, with how affectionate Dick was in general and how out of touch with regular pack habits Tim was. Tim leaned into the touch, at least, eyes nearly fluttering shut. Fuck, the kid needed all the love he could get.

“Tim.” Tim’s eyes snapped wide open, locked on Bruce. “I know you’re mostly over your illness, but I thought we could contact your school and have you study from home for another couple of weeks. That will give us time not only to get all the paperwork sorted out, but also form a new routine.”

“Right. I — I’d like that.” Tim gave them a faint smile. “I don’t really know how to do the whole, living with a family, thing.”

Jack and Janet Drake were lucky they were nowhere near the range of Jason’s fists.

Rather than run off to hunt them down — a bad idea, especially since all the custody arrangements and adoptions and shit were still only verbal for the time being — Jason decided to speak up. “So that’s home and school settled,” he said. “Anything else?”

“Well, there are the extracurriculars.” Wally grinned. It was kind of amusing to see how quickly Tim’s eyes widened in realization, fraction of a moment before either Bruce or Dick. He really was way too smart for his own good. “You going to be flying any time soon, kiddo?”

Dick blinked, then grimaced. “Nope. Definitely not yet,” he said. At Tim’s disappointed expression, he sighed. “Sorry, pup. I know you’re more than smart enough, I know you’ve been running around the streets after us, even. However, you’re not actually trained at all, and you’re small enough a stiff breeze will sweep you away.”

“I have to agree.” Bruce nodded. “It simply wouldn’t be safe, not right now.”

Tim looked like he wanted to pout before deciding that doing so would not help convince them of his maturity. “Then when will I be able to join you guys?”

Dick paused. “I really want to say not until you’re eighteen, but I know that’s because I’m still in overly protective mode. It would be pretty hypocritical of me, too. But also, you deserve more than just ‘not yet’.”

Tim immediately voiced his protest at the thought, and then Bruce tried to cut in, and even Wally was trying to offer his opinion. Jason exchanged a glance with Alfred, then cleared his throat.

“I’ve got a suggestion.” Somewhat to his surprise, this actually made the others pause. He’d been fully prepared to raise his voice until he got through. “I say we just all agree on no field stuff for the kid until he’s legally all Dick’s.”

“What? But that’s forever away!” Tim stared at him, clearly prepared to launch the puppy eyes if he thought even for a moment it would work.

“I think Jason has a reason for his suggestion, rather than just an arbitrary limit.” Bruce lifted his eyebrows. “So, let’s hear it.”

“Well, for the time being, he’s going to be linked to you both, right? And yeah, Dick’s going to have guardianship and whatever, but you’re still involved, on paper at least. And, well. You’re a smart kid, Timbo.” He looked at Tim. “Unless we all decide from the start no fieldwork until then, you’ll be tempted to work the two of them against each other until one of them gives in. Hell, you might do it without even meaning to, and it would be unfair to everyone involved. The only way to keep that from happening is to make a firm rule that this conversation won’t be revisited until you’re solely Dick’s responsibility.”

“That does make sense to me.” Dick nodded. “I’m happy to agree to that.”

Bruce gave an agreeable grunt. “Likewise. Best avoid that sort of conflict from the start.”

“That’s unfair.” Tim frowned, giving Dick an accusatory glance. “You were my age when you started as Robin!”

“Yes, and I was a trained acrobat before I ever went out and still way too young for a lot of what I did.” Dick gave the pup an earnest gaze. “It’s just about field stuff. You can start training as soon as Leslie thinks you’re in good enough shape, and there’s a lot you can do from the Cave to help, too. Someone who could figure out our identities from one flip could definitely help with a lot of the data side of things.”

“You could even help Alfred on the comms,” Bruce added. “Though that has to wait until you’re doing better, too. For now you need all the rest you can get, and working comms tends to run late.”

“Also, this will give me time to actually be Robin for a bit before I have to move up,” Jason pointed out with a grin. “I mean, we probably don’t want to add an even smaller bird to the roster, and I figure I’ll be ready to take on a name of my own in a couple of years.”

“I wouldn’t want to take Robin from you!” Tim looked aghast at the mere idea. “You’re the best Robin! Um, no offense,” he added, flushing as he glanced at Dick.

Dick laughed. “None taken. As long as I’m your favorite Nightwing.” He winked, grin widening as Tim smiled at him.

“So, is there anything else that’s urgent? Because I was thinking that if we’re done here, we really should take the kid shopping if he’s up to it.” Wally was tapping his fingers against the table at a restless rhythm, all but squirming to get moving. “I mean, he’s going to need a ton of stuff, right? Clothes and toys and all that, and I’d rather not rely on the Drakes handing over things.”

“Not in Gotham,” Bruce said. “Not until everything’s official. The last thing we need is rumors.”

“Good thing there are other cities out there, then.” Dick chuckled. “How about it, Tim? A day out sound good to you? Or we can order stuff online if you’re still not feeling up to it, that’s totally fine too.”

“No, I — I think I want to go.” Tim’s eyes were wide as though he couldn’t believe people were actually considering his needs beyond necessities, and Jason had to resist the urge to growl at his absent parents. “I mean. If it’s no trouble.”

“Of course not! You must be getting stir crazy all cooped up here. I know Dick is, even if he won’t show it.” Wally winked at his boyfriend.

“Hey, none of that. I’m very happy to stay right here with Tim if needed. But I do think we could both use a change of scenery.” Dick stood up, now, stretching himself. “Come on, pup. We’ll get you registered on the Zeta-Tubes and head out. Alfie, we’ll grab lunch somewhere along the way, but we’ll be back by dinner.”

“Very well, Master Dick.” Alfred nodded. “Do enjoy your outing. You especially, Master Tim.”

Wally scooped up Tim the moment they were both off their seats, ignoring the half-hearted protests — “we’ll be doing a lot of walking and you’re still recovering, you should save your energy for when we’re in public, besides I carry your Dad all the time —” — only to come to a stop when Bruce spoke up.

“Since you’ll be out anyway, see if you have time to stop by Central City,” he said, tone carefully level. “I, ah, discussed the situation with Barry earlier, and I’m sure he’d be happy to hear everything’s been settled.”

“Oh, yes!” Wally’s grin widened. “Just wait until you meet Barry and Iris, pup! They’re going to adore you, just you see, not that anyone could —” He kept on the cheerful chatter as they headed out, no doubt only Alfred’s disapproval keeping Wally from rushing off at full speed.

Jason glanced after them, then back to Bruce. “You okay with competing with Barry for best grandpa title?”

“I figure it’s inevitable, with the way Wally and Dick are. Might as well get started with some goodwill.” Bruce’s eyes flashed with something that might have been mischief if Batman hadn’t been above such things. “Now, you’re better at estimating children’s interests than me. Do you think Tim would appreciate a jungle gym, or would he think it’s too childish?”

Jason grinned. “Dunno about him, but anything you get had better be able to support a grown vigilante or two, because that sounds kind of awesome.”

Being serious about family didn’t mean they had to be serious about everything.

***

Batman was late.

This was somewhat unusual, but also not overly concerning. While the chaos of Gotham was mostly nocturnal, there were times when things got interesting during the day, necessitating Bruce’s attention shifting away from other duties. A regular, non-emergency League meeting could certainly wait compared with some of Batman’s most worrisome rogues.

Really, the only reason Diana was even slightly miffed was the lack of communication — not Bruce’s strongest suit, admittedly, but he at least tried when it came to the League. Which was why she was standing at the main console now, debating whether she should call the Batcave for an update.

The decision was taken from her hands as the communications line turned itself on, the largest screen displaying a familiar scene. Mostly familiar, at least; the background of the dark cave and the immediate vicinity of the Batcomputer had not changed one bit. What was new was the person sitting at the chair in front of the computer. This was a child, clearly younger and smaller than Robin, for all that the dark hair was very similar and the eyes were hidden behind a domino mask. The mask seemed rather out of place, here, given that the child was wearing a bright red hoodie that was not exactly reminiscent of the style of the Bat uniforms, traffic light shade notwithstanding.

“Um, hello?” The child was clearly trying to appear brave, but the nerves were creeping in through his voice. “Watchtower? Batcave calling.”

“Watchtower here,” Diana replied. “Is something wrong over in Gotham?”

The child hesitated for a second, but that was quite enough time for them to get interrupted by a cheerful voice calling out, “Oh! Do I hear my favorite bird chirping?”

Diana had barely a moment to step aside before she was replaced at the console by a red blur that resolved into a familiar figure.

“Hiya, Hatchling!” Flash grinned. As soon as he was in sight of the camera, the child visibly relaxed. “They’re letting you work the comms, now? Congrats on the promotion!”

“Flash!” The child smiled, still visibly shy but not quite so scared. “Yeah, everyone else is busy so Agent A told me how to contact you.”

“Well, you’ve done that now.” Flash chuckled. “So, what’s the message? Something to do with everyone being busy, I’m guessing.”

“Right!” The child sat up straighter, clearly doing his best to look serious. “Um, there was a bit of a mess involving Killer Croc here in Gotham. It’s all dealt with now, everyone’s on their way home already, but it’s going to be another moment before Batman gets there.”

“Got it.” Flash nodded. “Should we wait for him, or?”

“Batman said it’s fine to start without him, he’ll get there as soon as he can.” The child glanced around, then leaned closer to the camera as though to share a secret. “Robin said he needs a shower first because they’re all covered in sewer gunk, though.”

Diana had to stifle a chuckle at the thought. Flash, however, didn’t bother with such niceties, letting out a full laugh. “Yeah, probably for the best if he takes his time, then. Don’t worry, we’ll let everyone know.”

“Okay, thanks. Bye, Mister Flash, Miss Wonder Woman!” Diana was almost surprised to be addressed, even if she was clearly a hurried afterthought right before the connection cut off.

“Now, what was that?” She lifted an eyebrow at Barry. “And why do you seem to know what’s going on?”

“Oh, that’s the latest baby bat. He’s a pretty recent addition and kind of new to all the super stuff, like you probably noticed. Guess Batman figures there’s no hurry to introduce him to everyone since he’s not even in a cape yet.”

“That only answers one of my questions, and not even fully at that.” Diana couldn’t help but smile, though. It was clear that whoever the child is, Barry was already fond of him.

“Oh, right, the second part.” Barry chuckled. “He’s not actually Batman’s kid this time. Nightwing’s claimed him and Kid Flash is already working on learning to be a stepdad, so obviously I had to meet the kid for myself since I’m basically his second grandpa.”

Diana blinked slowly, taking in the details. “…Right. I thought we’d have plenty of time before the third generation of bats was going to be here, but apparently that’s not the case.”

“Well, as I said, he’s not working yet. But considering he was running around tailing them before they even took him in, I have no doubt we’ll see him in a cape before long.”

“You know, I think I need to hear that story in more detail.” Diana shook her head. Then, she couldn’t help but smile. “Perhaps we should do a house visit with a couple of friends one of these days? A kind of baby shower but for an older child. Clark would definitely be interested, I’m sure.”

“Not a bad idea. After all, it would be good for him to be more comfortable with more of us, just in case they need to make some more emergency calls in the future.” Barry grinned. “I’m sure I could get Wally to arrange everything. If we try to go through Batman, he’ll just find excuses not to do it.”

“It’s only appropriate, really, if Nightwing is the father here.” Diana chuckled. “Which I suppose makes Batman the grandfather. A fact we should not mention to the League at large just yet, since I can think of more than one person who won’t let him hear the end of it.”

After all, it was only right that Bruce’s oldest friends got to tease him before anyone else.

***

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“It’s just school.” Tim looked a bit flustered under Dick’s unwavering attention, though he wasn’t exactly protesting at the last-minute nuzzles and hugs. “It’s not like I’m even changing schools, I’ve just been out for a bit.”

“I know, but you’re going back under a different name and people will notice. It should be fine, we’ve gone through everything with the school and your teachers know not to make a fuss, but I still worry.”

“Well, you could do your worrying after we leave so we won’t be late for school.” Jason rolled his eyes, though Bruce couldn’t help but notice the way he was standing protectively close to the pup. “It’ll be fine. You’re just nervous about letting him out of your sight for the first time in weeks.”

“Maybe I am.” Dick ruffled Tim’s hair one last time, then leaned in for a nuzzle as though he hadn’t already made sure the pup was coated in his scent. “I’ll pick you up after school, okay? And if anything happens —”

“If anything happens, I’ll call you or Alfred.” Tim nodded, having received this particular lecture a few times by now. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“It’s okay for you not to be fine, too,” Bruce reminded him. “This might be just school, and it’s great that you’re getting back to a proper routine, but you’ve gone through a lot of changes in a fairly short time and returning to school might highlight them in ways you didn’t expect.”

“I know. I promise I’ll call if anything happens, okay?” Tim gave them a faint smile. “I can handle school.”

“Right. Just… stay safe, okay, Babybird?”

Bruce half expected Dick to change his mind at the last moment and drag Tim back into his arms, but Alfred thankfully managed to herd both Jason and Tim out of the manor and into the car waiting outside without incident. Dick was left staring forlornly at the door, looking very much like he wanted to run after them.

“It’ll be fine.” Bruce patted him on the shoulder. “I know it’s hard, sending a kid off for the first time. You’ll both get through this, though.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Dick sighed. “I just want to pick him up and carry him back into the nest.”

“I know, chum. You’re doing great, though. Tim will do great, too.”

“I hope so.” Dick shook his head. “I’m not sure he’d actually call if something did happen, though. It’s pretty clear he’s not used to having someone to rely to, and he’s terrified of being a burden. A couple of weeks isn’t enough to overcome a lifetime of neglect.”

“No, it isn’t. But I know you’re not going to give up easily.” Bruce gave Dick a weak grin. “Welcome to parenthood. I’m afraid the worrying is never really going to stop.”

“So my heart’s going to give in before I turn twenty-five. Gotcha.” Dick grimaced, but then managed a small smile in return. “It’s already worth it, though.”

“It absolutely is.” Bruce paused for a second, then pulled Dick into a hug. This still wasn’t exactly his area of expertise, but raising Dick had made him much more ready to show physical attention than he had been before becoming a father. And right now, it was clear Dick needed a bit of concrete support. “I’m so proud of you, you know. Kind of terrified for you, but also proud. You are going to be a great father.”

“Not like I have to try hard to be an improvement over his previous parents.”

“Which makes it all the more important that you’re trying.” Bruce sighed. “This does mean we can’t put off the news for too much longer. In an ideal world nobody should pay attention to a child his age, but in reality, having a new Wayne show up will be all over the gossip columns before the day is over.”

“Good thing we’ve got the PR statement prepared and an interview already lined up.” Dick shook his head. “I wish we didn’t have to subject Timmy to this at all, but at least Clark is the least threatening option.”

“Indeed. Though on that note, do me a favor, okay?” As Dick lifted his eyebrows, Bruce’s smile turned into a small smirk. “Don’t tell Tim about his second job, okay? I want to see what happens.”

***

Dick wasn’t entirely sure what Bruce was expecting, really, but he had no problem agreeing to a bit of subterfuge. He was busy enough fussing over his pup as he picked Tim up from school, barely managing to stop scenting him long enough to get them both into a car and away from prying eyes. He’d been worried there would be reporters waiting to ambush them, but so far that didn’t seem to be the case, nor did Tim look too terribly traumatized.

“So. How was school?” Dick tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “Nobody was weird to you, right?”

“N-no.” Tim looked almost surprised at the question. “It was… fine, I guess? The teachers all used my proper name and stuff. Some of the other kids whispered about it, and a few asked me what was going on.”

“Right.” Dick tried not to tense, didn’t want Tim to think any of this was his fault. “And what did you say?”

“What you told me to. That I got adopted because my previous parents aren’t in Gotham enough, and for more details they can wait for the press release.”

“Good, good.” He reached over to ruffle Tim’s hair, just because he could. “Now, we’ve got a bit before Jason gets out of school. How about we go get some ice cream while we wait?”

Tim blinked, giving him a careful look. “Is — is that okay?”

“Sure. There’s no harm in having a treat every once in a while, and first day back to school is worth celebrating, isn’t it?” Dick grinned. “I’m sure not even Alfred could say no to that.”

“Okay.” Tim paused, then gave him a surprisingly sharp gaze for a child his age. “But if Alfred gets mad, it’s on you.”

Dick couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Of course, Babybird. I’m your dad, what I let you eat is my responsibility.”

“Even if I manipulated you?” It would have seemed like a sarcastic comment or a joke, but Tim sounded awfully serious. Almost like he was repeating something he had heard.

Dick’s smile faded. “And how would you manipulate me?”

“You know. Whining, or crying, or just asking too much.” Tim’s eyes were cast down to where his hands were clasped in his lap. “Being trouble.”

“Oh, Timberly. You could never be trouble, and you can always, always ask me for things you want. I might say no sometimes, because that’s part of parenting, but I’ll never get angry or tired with you for asking. And you are never, ever responsible for my decisions, or the decisions of any adult.” He paused for a moment to let the words sink in properly. “I know that’s a lot to take in, and a lot to believe. And I get that you probably can’t believe me right now, not entirely. For now, all you need to believe is that you won’t be in trouble with Alfred or anyone else. Can you do that for me?”

Tim worried his lower lip for a moment before nodding. “I… I think so.”

“Thank you. That’s all I ask.”

Dick waited until they were at the ice cream place and had their orders before bringing up the next thing on his list. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. You know how we’re going to have that interview in a couple of days?”

Tim nodded, eyebrows furrowing as he licked caramel sauce off his spoon. “Yeah?”

“Well, the reporter we had scheduled called Bruce earlier today. Something else got cleared off his schedule, so he has free time today, and was wondering if we’d just like to get the whole thing over with. It’s totally okay if you’re not up for it,” he hurried to say. “We don’t want to pile up too much on you all at once. All up to you.”

Tim seemed to consider this for a moment, eating another spoonful as he did so. “Are you going to be there?”

“Of course, kiddo.” As though anything would keep Dick away while his pup was in a stressful situation.

“Then, I don’t think there’s much difference in doing it now. So, sure.” Tim shrugged, considering. “Do you know the reporter?”

“Oh, yeah!” Dick grinned. “Clark Kent, from Daily Planet. He’s the same one who did the interview after Jay got adopted, he’s been B’s go-to reporter for ages. B won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure he took a liking to him because he was covering a charity gala in Metropolis soon after he took me in and Clark was the only reporter who didn’t make any nasty comments about my race or background or, you know, a single alpha taking in a young omega.” It was the official explanation for how they knew each other, but it was also more or less true. Nobody needed to know that Bruce and Clark had other connections, too. “Clark isn’t covering the society pages much these days, but Bruce specifically requested him. Between you and me, I think he bought Daily Planet just to make sure he can always have his favorite guy.” That and to annoy Clark specifically, but that was a different matter altogether.

“Clark Kent? From Daily Planet?” Tim looked at him with wide eyes. “He’s done some great investigative pieces! I loved the one he did on the LexCorp environmental regulation failings, the statistical analysis on that —” He blinked, then shut his mouth with a snap, blushing a little. “Um. Sorry. I know I shouldn’t ramble like that.”

“What? No, no! I like listening to you talk about stuff you’re enthusiastic about.” Dick smiled. “I didn’t think that sort of thing would interest a kid your age. Should have expected it, though, you’re super smart after all.”

“Ah.” Tim ducked his head, still flushed. “I just — I like using evidence and figuring out stuff.”

“Clearly, you were always meant to be a Wayne.” Dick chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to answer a few questions about his job for you.”

This apparently sounded excellent to Tim, as he kept talking about the various articles he’d read pretty much the whole time they were eating their ice cream, his eyes practically shining. It was adorable, for all that it made his heart ache to think that Tim would be afraid to show his enthusiasm. This continued even after they picked up Jason. Thankfully Dick had managed to shoot Jason a text about not spilling the super beans, meaning they could share the hidden amusement.

Dick had a feeling by now he knew exactly why Bruce had made his request, and he was very much up for it. Somehow he managed not to grin too openly when Clark arrived in full journalist mode, giving Tim an open smile and offering his hand.

“Tim, right? I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. You must be a pretty special kid to have charmed the Waynes.”

Tim shook his hand with a serious look rather unfitting his age. Then, he tilted his head to the side, studying Clark. “You’re Superman, aren’t you?”

Clark blinked, then glanced at Dick and Bruce who were standing to the side, both grinning in amusement. Seeing that he was not getting any help, he turned back to Tim. “Now, what makes you say that?”

“Well, for one thing, the mere fact that you’re the family’s go-to journalist even though you’re not primarily a society reporter or based in Gotham. Having a favorite makes sense for Brucie Wayne, but I know that’s not enough for Bruce to trust you as much as he does, but obviously he would trust Superman who has saved members of the family more than once. You’re the right build with black hair and blue eyes, way too muscular for what one would expect from a reporter too, and based in Metropolis of course. Also, more than once you’ve been involved in publishing evidence supplied by Superman, which isn’t exactly enough evidence on its own but does add to the rest of the context clues, and being a reporter would make sense as a job for Superman because it will keep you informed about any big events as early as possible.”

For a long while Clark simply stared at Tim. Then, he took his glasses off, folding them to put them in his pocket. “Did Bruce put you up to this?”

“Nope!” Tim grinned, obviously proud of himself. “I figured it out all on my own!”

“We made sure not to tell him,” Bruce chuckled. “He figured out our identities, too, so I wanted to see how he dealt with you.”

“Well, I have to say, great job, Tim.” Clark shook his head with a smile. “That’s a pretty good analysis. Clearly I need to be more careful.”

“I mean, I did have the added benefit of already knowing about B and everyone here.” Tim paused. “Though I made sure not to mention that in my explanation, just in case I was wrong.”

Dick blinked, thinking back over the evidence Tim had laid out. Indeed, there had been no mention of any of their identities, just that Superman had saved the Waynes. As he realized that, his grin only grew wider. “Careful, B,” he laughed. “Baby Bird is coming for your title of Greatest Detective, soon.”

And either way, Dick was very much ready to burst with pride.

***

Something was going on.

Well, something was always going on, that was what you get for living in a house with a bunch of vigilantes, but something was going on that went beyond the usual parameters. More importantly, it seemed that Bruce was in the dark, and quite possibly Dick, which meant that Alfred was scheming something.

Jason tried not to be too impatient, but he did hope things would be revealed soon. Whenever Alfred was up to something that Bruce wasn’t aware of, it was going to be brilliant, and not just because it was always satisfying to see Bruce realize he was not in fact omniscient even when it came to his own household.

Knowing Alfred, that anticipation was the whole reason he’d let Jason notice. He was always saying Jason should learn more patience, after all.

The anticipation came to an end in the afternoon, not long after lunch. Jason did not notice any obvious signs himself, but Alfred suddenly lifted his head as though listening for something, then nodded to himself. “Ah, I do believe it is about time.”

“Time for what?” Tim frowned, looking up from the homework he had been working on at the kitchen table. Jason had been helping him, by which he meant keeping the kid company and making sure he got all the studying snacks eaten. It wasn’t like the kid needed help, the little genius.

“For our little surprise.” Alfred smiled, wiping his hands in a kitchen towel. “Do gather up your things, Young Master; there’ll be plenty of time for homework later in the weekend. Master Jason, could you go get Master Bruce? He should be in his office.”

“Sure!” Jason shot up to his feet. “Where do you want him? And what about Dick?”

“I do believe Master Wallace is responsible for arranging his arrival.” Alfred chuckled. “The family den will do fine.”

Pulling Bruce away from his paperwork was not actually very difficult, not when Jason informed him it was Alfred’s instructions. Bruce seemed as clueless as Jason was, which just further confirmed that whatever was going on would be extra interesting.

As they got to the family den, Jason stopped in his tracks. Alfred was already there, calmly setting a table. The den had been completely transformed since the night before when they’d had their usual Friday night family movie night. All the seating in the room had been rearranged into a loose circle, with a table in the middle where Alfred was setting up the food and drinks. The walls were decorated with balloons and banners, a particularly sparkly one announcing, “It’s a boy!”

“Alfred?” Bruce frowned. “What’s this about?”

“Why, this is a lovely little celebration.” Alfred smiled. “Master Jason? I believe our guests should be arriving any moment now. Could you escort them up from the basement?”

Jason was gone before Bruce even finished his protests. Not like it mattered either way; there was no way Alfred would have invited anyone who wasn’t already in on their secrets, and aside from that, Alfred’s word overruled Bruce’s in pretty much everything.

It wasn’t often that the Cave zetas were used by anyone but the bats, and Jason was fairly sure the list of permitted arrivals was fairly limited. As such, he wasn’t too surprised to find that he was greeted by the core members of the Justice League when he got down.

“Jason!” Clark beamed at him, the other heroes also nodding their greeting. “I hope we are on time?”

“Since Alfred just sent me to get you guys, looks like you’re fine.” Jason glanced around, taking stock of the guests. They were all holding various gift bags and dressed in civilian clothes, or in what passed as such for them. Martian Manhunter looked the same as always, but then, that was pretty much casual wear for him. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. B’s probably having a fit right now, and I know none of you want to miss him acting all human.”

That got everyone moving, chatting among themselves or commenting on the Cave as Jason led them all to the elevator. Most of them had only been here a couple of times, if that, and certainly hadn’t had the chance to look around like this. Bruce really needed to spend more time with his friends.

“There you are!” Alfred smiled as he saw Jason leading his gaggle of heroes into the den. “I’ll just let Master Wallace know he can bring the guests of honor over.” That did at least explain where Tim had disappeared, then. Alfred must have had Wally pick him up after dismissing Jason just to preserve the surprise.

They barely had enough time to arrange themselves around the room, Bruce’s flustered protests happily ignored by everyone as the other Leaguers greeted him and then turned their attention to the door. The next moment a familiar redhead appeared in the doorway, summoned by Alfred’s text, a bird balanced on each arm.

“So what’s this —” Dick halted when Wally set him down, looking around the room with wide eyes. Tim was just as surprised, mouth actually hanging open for a moment.

“Congratulations!” the Leaguers all shouted, wide grins all around. Hal even added some transparent green confetti in the air to complete the moment.

“We were most surprised when a little bird gave us a call on the Watchtower,” Wonder Woman announced, a bright smile on her face. “Once Barry explained what was going on, and then Clark, we decided it was only right to arrange a little celebration for this wonderful little addition.”

“It’s only fair. No reason baby showers have to be just for babies.” Oliver smirked at Bruce’s glare. “For one thing, we all know our dear friend has rather limited tastes.”

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that a true Leaguer kid should be exposed to more than just one city’s heroes.” Clark’s smile was warm but teasing. “Therefore, we come bearing gifts!”

Bruce was starting to look literally constipated, now. All his friends were smiling, though, and Tim and Dick were obviously delighted, and there was no way Bruce could actually protest at something that got his grandpup’s eyes so wide in awe.

There were no silly baby shower games, but honestly, Jason didn’t need any more entertainment when he could watch the presents being opened. There were a few gifts for Dick, such as parenting books and a couple of t-shirts with stupid puns (“for the dad humor”, Barry announced), and even a mug for Bruce that proclaimed him to be the Greatest Grandpa and made his face do some very weird movements that were probably emotions. Most of the gifts were for Tim, though, and Jason loved every last one of them.

The first gift was a bag full of books, mostly picture books that were below Tim’s own reading level but would be great for someone else to read for him. Apparently every guest had picked out a book, a genuinely touching gesture that made even Bruce’s scowl soften. Tim ran his fingers over the colorful covers, almost mesmerized, and Jason wondered if anyone had ever read a book for the kid before his arrival in the Manor. Which was just fine, it was all fine, because he was with them now and he could have all the storytime he wanted.

After the books, however, things got a bit more varied. There were blankets, clothes, and toys, all the kind of things Tim would actually use. More importantly, however, absolutely everything was Justice League branded. There was a Wonder Woman hoodie Jason might have been tempted to steal if it hadn’t been far too small for him, and a soft and fluffy blanket with the Superman insignia, and all kinds of things that clearly delighted Tim but made Bruce’s eyebrows twitch. Jason hadn’t even known there was Martian Manhunter merch, but the stuffed toy Tim hugged to his chest suggested otherwise.

By the time the flood of gifts was dwindling down, Tim was starting to look utterly overwhelmed. Clearly others had caught onto this, too, as Jason saw Alfred discreetly bringing in a cake, about to direct everyone’s attention to the food. Before they could break up the gathering, though, Clark stepped forward with one last gift bag in his hands, his expression almost bashful.

“Now, while we very much want you to keep us all in mind as your honorary aunts and uncles, we know we’re ultimately not the most important heroes in your life. And while you probably have plenty of Batman stuff already, some heroes don’t have much merchandise yet, official or otherwise. Still, we wanted you to have something special, so I called in Ma Kent.”

Tim’s eyes widened, and he took the bag from Clark’s hands with obvious hesitation. When he peeked inside, he gasped. Jason understood why when he drew out two crocheted dolls in very familiar designs. Those were Kid Flash and Nightwing, complete with messy mops of yarn-hair on top of their heads.

“Thank you,” Tim murmured, hugging the dolls tight to his chest. “I — thank you so much.” His eyes were looking scarily wet, Jason noted.

“Of course. I’m sure your dads would be happy to scent the dolls for you so you have something to cuddle even if they’re away.” Clark smiled, his sunny heroic smile, and ruffled Tim’s hair. “Now, how about we all get a taste of Alfred’s wonderful cake? Any longer, and we’ll have to make do with crumbs after the speedsters get too impatient.”

As usual, Alfred’s food worked its magic, drawing everyone’s attention to the table. Tim visibly relaxed once the focus wasn’t solely on him, the guests mingling with each other and the Waynes with only a couple of them speaking to Tim and Dick at a time. Jason was pretty sure he even saw Bruce murmuring a quiet thanks to Clark for the party, seeing how happy Dick and Tim were at the attention. All in all, the party turned out better than Jason had dared to hope, considering Bruce’s usual distaste for unnecessary socializing. Most importantly, Tim felt special. Which was exactly how it should be, since Tim was special. He was their Baby Bird, after all.

Jason was definitely going to get himself one of those Wonder Woman hoodies, though.

***

“Nightwing, status report.” Batman’s voice was quiet but firm, hiding his worry for not having heard from him in a bit.

Dick shifted in his crouch on the edge of a roof, looking down into the street below. “I’ve got eyes on what seems like a shady deal. I’ve seen at least a dozen going into a warehouse, could be more if there are other exits I can’t see.”

“Do not engage.” That came out clipped, sharper than usual. An order, rather than an instruction. “Robin and I are five minutes out. Unless there’s gunfire or explosions, wait for us.”

“Right.” His voice was perhaps a bit too flippant, cheeky almost, like it had been so many times before. So many times when he had rushed in nevertheless, because he was too impatient or too confident or too annoyed at Bruce and wanting to do anything that he would disapprove of. No doubt those times were exactly why Batman sounded so sharp now, so sure he wasn’t going to listen.

“Nightwing, I mean it.”

“So do I.” Dick leaned back on his heels, eyes still fixed on the warehouse. “Don’t worry, Batman. I’m not going to make Hatchling worry about my injuries if I can help it.” Was not going to make anyone explain to Tim why his dad had decided facing some C-tier criminals on his own was more important than coming home to him.

There was a moment’s silence. “If I had known getting you your own pup was what it took to make you less reckless, I wouldn’t have been so hesitant about this whole mess.”

“Let’s not start this, unless you want me to ask Agent A to repeat some of his stories from your early days.” Obviously Dick couldn’t tell the difference, had never known Bruce before Dick himself had come into the man’s life, but Alfred was rather open about his worries, particularly as Dick had grown older. “I’m waiting, B. You needling me is just making me more annoyed about doing so.”

“You’re lucky Hatchling’s supposed to be in bed by now, or he’d give you both a real talking-to.” Robin sounded way too amused at the situation. “We’ll be there in just a moment, Wing.”

Indeed they were, even for Dick’s rather notable impatience. The three of them together were more than enough to take care of what turned out to be a clandestine weapons deal, with Robin taking a bit too much delight in helping Dick sneak away a couple of the more destructive pieces that they couldn’t trust in the hands of Gotham’s still rather corrupt police department while Batman reported to the police themselves. Gordon was good, and had done a lot of good work in cleaning up the rotten apples, but the evidence storage still had things running off from time to time. It was a good night’s work, and tiring enough that Dick agreed to catching a ride in the Batmobile instead of making his own way back.

“Nightwing.” Batman’s voice was soft, almost gentle. It certainly wasn’t what he usually expected to hear at the end of a long night, not when nobody had been hurt. “Despite any teasing, I’m glad that you are considering your safety more. Not because I don’t think you are capable of handling yourself, but because I know all too well the dangers of going into a fight without backup.”

“Yeah, well.” Dick leaned his head against the window of the Batmobile, enjoying the coolness of it against his temple. “Guess it’s a pretty typical reason to grow up, becoming a parent.”

“Well. At least it’s the point where one should do so.” Batman paused, and Dick could practically feel the Emotions he was struggling with. Or at least the expression of Emotions. “However, I do wish you would consider yourself important enough to avoid unnecessary injury, rather than doing so for the sake of another.”

“If I wasn’t more worried about others than myself, I wouldn’t be doing this.” Dick sighed. “I’m not suicidal or self-sacrificial or whatever you might be fearing. I’ve just got a good decade of nocturnal crime-fighting under my belt, combined with being far too confident in my own invincibility.”

“Hm.” Batman was quiet for a while, and Dick could practically hear Robin straining to hold himself back from commenting. “I suppose we should all try to be less reckless.”

“Let’s agree to try, hm? You know I’m not the only one the pup’s going to be worried about if there are anything worse than scrapes and bruises.” Dick glanced at Robin, and then back at Batman. “No running off into danger on your own, any of us. Even if we’ve been arguing or something, okay? Let’s not make anyone tell Hatchling one of us got badly hurt if we can help it.”

“I can agree to that.” Robin nodded, and after a moment, so did Batman. “And if one of us gets in over his head, Hatchling gets to do the scolding. His disappointed looks are getting absolutely lethal, I blame Agent A’s influence.”

“We wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”

At the time, Dick had only thought about the deal in terms of patrol and help being just across the city. Even so, he was truly, painfully happy when Jason, still fuming at Bruce after their fight and trembling at new information he had no idea how to handle, came to Dick for help with finding his birth mother. He was even happier when Tim, already far too smart and too eager to help, threw himself into research that should have been far beyond his years and uncovered things Dick wouldn’t have even thought to look for.

The Joker was thwarted again, Jason decided his true mother had always been the one who he had already mourned, and the night after everything was settled all of them climbed into the pack nest, Bruce only pausing to rub his scent around the edges. It was the scent of a protective alpha, one intent on keeping his family safe, making sure anyone who approached would be immediately met with the scent of threat-pack-protect-mine. Dick knew intellectually that this did nothing to add to the already notable security of the Manor, but his instincts eased at it nevertheless, just as they did when Tim curled up in his arms and Jason did the same next to him like the pup he was quickly growing out of being, Bruce’s massive frame settling between all of them and the door.

This was all his, his pup and his nest and his family, and Dick was going to cling to them as long as he breathed.

***

The best thing about cold nights in Gotham was the moment of returning home.

Of course, their winter suits could handle the freezing temperatures, and not having as many criminals prowling the streets was always nice, but something about the chilly nights crawled into Bruce’s very bones in a way that he just couldn’t shake. Maybe Jason was right and he was getting old at last. Whatever the reason, though, Bruce wasn’t truly comfortable until the Batmobile finally came to a stop inside the Cave, signaling the end of the night.

Alfred was there to greet them as usual, herding them towards the locker rooms for a hot shower and clean clothes. Bruce wasn’t about to protest, though he did sneak a peek into the nest built within earshot of the Batcomputer. As expected, Tim was curled up there, a soft blanket draped over his small form. It was their compromise; Tim could wait for them in the Cave, as long as he still followed his bedtime.

Dick made the same quick check, then rushed over to the showers. Alfred would not allow any pup cuddles until they’d washed off the night’s grime and dust, after all.

Bruce took longer than usual in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the night’s chill. By the time he emerged, warm and dry in his clean sweatpants and shirt, Tim was half awake and clinging to Dick’s chest like a baby koala, all too happy to get his post-patrol nuzzles. The ruffled state of Tim’s hair indicated Jason had already passed by on his way upstairs.

“Hi grandpa.” Tim smiled at him over Dick’s shoulder. “Good night?”

“All the better now that we’re home.” Bruce returned the smile. “Good work on the comms tonight.”

“Thanks.” Tim gave him a mischievous smile. “I could have kept going though.”

“You know the rules, Baby Bird.” Dick chuckled. “Now how about we go grab a snack and then it’s nest time?”

“‘Kay.” Tim’s eyes closed, his chin resting on Dick’s shoulder and arms wrapped around Dick’s neck. He had just hit his first proper growth spurt, but that hadn’t discouraged his family from carrying him around like a toddler. One of the benefits of vigilante training, Bruce supposed, was the fact they could just keep carrying the pup around until he himself decided he was too old for it.

In some ways, it was hard to believe it had been almost two years since Tim first came into their lives. In other ways, Bruce couldn’t imagine his life without the pup in it anymore. He was already dreading the day Dick finally moved out to live with Wally. At least they had agreed to settle in Gotham, since Wally could easily get to anywhere in the world regardless of where he lived.

“Something wrong?” When Bruce gave Dick a questioning look, he got a grin in return. “Just, you’ve got that look on your face that usually means you’re trying not to have emotions but it’s failing.”

Bruce scoffed, nudging Dick’s arm. “I was just thinking that you’re all growing up way too fast.”

“Aw, is Grandpa Bruce starting to feel old?” Dick chuckled. “Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you all alone any time soon. Goodness knows you’d just end up with a house full of orphans in a week.”

“You’re the last one to bring a pup into the pack, young man. A pup who is also growing an awful lot.” As the elevator got up to the Manor, Bruce walked ahead to open any doors so Dick didn’t have to adjust his hold on Tim.

“He really is.” There was a soft tone to Dick’s voice, his cheek pressing against Tim’s hair. The pup didn’t seem to notice, already dozing off again. “Growing a bit too fast for my liking.”

“I’m afraid it’s inevitable.” Bruce gave Dick a sympathetic smile. “Kids will always try out their wings eventually. All we can do as parents is make sure they know how to fly.”

“Good thing flying is a family specialty.” Dick nuzzled at Tim’s hair, murmuring something that sounded an awful lot like ‘my little Robin’.

Bruce thought of the two prototype costumes hidden away down in the Cave, one fit for Jason’s growing frame and the other much smaller, a new iteration of the bird that had been flying over Gotham for many years now. He had no doubt the next Robin would fly just as brilliantly as his predecessors. And either way, he would have the whole flock watching his back.

Perhaps things were changing, but Bruce was sure it was for the better.