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Of all the things Bruce expected to happen this past week, making an alliance with the justice league and his eldest son getting a date was not on his list of expectations.
Even now, seeing Dick and Wally West wandering the street of Gotham hand in hand was jarring to witness.
Sure, Dick had requested the night off patrol, and of course, Bruce was not actually being asked so much as told; it’s still odd to see.
Watching Dick seem so happy with another person outside of the family was both heartwarming and alarming, and Bruce wanted nothing more than to drag his son back inside in case any sort of underhanded tactic from the JL was at play.
He had to let this happen, though.
Had to let his kids have normal experiences for others their age.
Alfred would lecture him into tomorrow if he tried to stop it.
So, he watched the couple make their way over to a food truck, hand in hand, and also noticed the amount of jewelry Dick had acquired from somewhere.
He didn't stay long, of course, mostly in part to Dick flipping him off when Wally wasn't looking.
Really it was a rather quiet night, all things considered.
No loud explosions, no moral conundrums, no newly acquired undead kids.
All in all, it was a peaceful night to patrol.
Though just like any patrol, you're always bound to find something.
Sometimes it’s a new criminal or a deadly drug that just hit the streets; other times, you find a blanket or plush set out for Robin or a thank you note for another bat.
Tonight, Bruce found himself face to face with a green knitted blanket, sitting on a ledge with a note in a child's scrawl reading ‘bad.’
On the other side looked to match what he had found to match green arrows writing that said ‘for Robin.’
Bruce recognized the blanket.
Picking it up only confirmed it.
Even now, soiled and wet from being exposed to the elements, he felt the bubble of safety form around him.
Holding the blanket in his gauntlets still allows that safe warmth to seep inside of him.
It felt like holidays at the manor as a kid and like sleepovers with Esther.
Esther.
He had visited her a few times over the years, but life as a mom always got in the way.
It made it hard for Bruce to get to spend time with her anymore.
Her old apothecary now being turned into a little cafe by her daughter.
From the sound of it, she spends most days there.
Shooting one more look over in the direction he had left Dick and Wally, Bruce decided to bite a bullet he had been putting off for a while now, feeling the shadows around his city moving towards him before taking a step out in front of the witches cafe and corner store, the display window showing inside the cozy space, empty with the late night, save for a young woman behind the counter, red hair in two braids with a bandana over it, and necklaces and bracelets holding crystals littering her arms and neck.
She was the spitting image of Esther, maybe a granddaughter.
As if on cue, movement from inside drew Bruce's attention to see an older woman, hair pulled back under a knitted hat and wearing a knitted shawl, hoisting herself to her feet as she picked up a bag with a badge reading ‘i made Robins favorite blanket, try me.’
Bruce couldn't help but smile at the badge until he saw her making her way to the door leading onto the street.
Bruce Wayne, Batman, the dark knight…
Fled into the shadows immediately.
If nothing else, for lack of anything to say.
“Hi, remember me? I’m the undead child you helped raise; now I have six or seven undead children who help me fight people.”
Hopefully, she was just deciding to walk home, and Bruce could trail her till she got there safely.
Luck didn't seem to be on his side, sadly, as she moved to cross the street and into the bench right next to where Bruce had found himself tucked away in the shadow.
Before he could even react to leave, Esther spoke.
“I know you're there, Brucie, I didn't bite then, and I don't bite now.” she hummed, leaning back and looking up without a care in the world.
As if she wasn't an old lady alone in one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
Carefully though, Bruce did as she asked, moving away from the shadows to stand just behind her on the bench.
“None of that; come sit here,” she instructed, patting the seat next to her.
Slowly, Bruce did so, coming over and sitting down as if this wasn't gonna be the oddest thing a passerby may see tonight.
“Oh dear.” she sighed, catching Bruce's attention before noticing he still held onto the now wet and soiled green blanket.
“I swear, that fool superman has no respect for handknits. Suppose it served its purpose, though,” she tutted to herself, reaching into her bag and pulling out her knitting needles, looking like she was going to be settling in for a while working on a purple and blue blanket.
“What was its purpose?” Bruce asked any rasp that usually came with the shadows gone.
Esther smiled at him, that same smirk she always had when she knew something that another person didn't.
“To find you.” she grinned, only accentuated by a tug on the yarn in her bag, showing the same sass she always had, leaving Bruce a little lost.
“To find me?” he asked, brow furrowed at her.
She just sighed.
“I knew you'd change with the shadows, but you got much quieter then you used to be.” she hummed, continuing with her row on the needles as she looked side to side, leaning into Bruce so she could whisper.
“I'm psychic,” she said in that same conspiratorial way she always did before laughing as she pulled herself away.
“Hand wash it with wool wash, be gentle, mind you. Then hang it up to dry. Mind the ends.`` She instructed me to pull a bottle of wool wash out of her bag and handed it over as if she had already planned ahead for this encounter.
Bruce couldn't help but huff out a laugh at this whole interaction.
“Well… Psychic, anything you want to warn me about?” Bruce asked, turning the bottle over in one glove, the other absently gripping onto the green fabric.
Esther's face went serious then, mouth scrunching up to one side as she gathered her thoughts before speaking.
“You’re gonna have some big opponents to fight soon enough, I think. As well as a new ally you don't yet expect. And an old friend you don't anticipate.” she decided decisively, nodding her own head in approval of whatever she just shared.
“Anything else?” Bruce pushed, wanting something more than an enemy, a new ally, an old friend.
“Not good for specifics, I'm afraid.” she sighed regretfully, holding up the blanket to have a look.
“It's for your little one; I know he likes them.” she smiled, something Bruce couldn't exactly dispute.
Of course, Damian is always quiet about what he does and doesn't like, keeps everything in his room, and tries to act like an adult; it's only when his memories get bad does Damian allow himself to be a child for a bit, oftentimes involving one of Esther's blankets for comfort.
“They… help him rest.” Bruce decides to say, not wanting to disgrace Damian's biggest secret.
She seemed happy with the answer, though, going back to her work.
“You're gonna be visiting Alfred in a few weeks?” she asked Bruce, one brow curled in his direction.
Bruce nodded.
He visited every year and brought flowers with him like Alfie had asked; it was the least he could do.
Esther hummed in response.
“Have you brought the kids to see him?” she asked.
Bruce shook his head; even with Esther not looking at him, she somehow saw.
“You should. I think he’d like to see you with a family.” she said, smiling over at Bruce with that same ‘i know something you don't look on her face.
“I’ll think about it,” Bruce said finally, something in him making it hard to refuse her at that.
Alfred's grave had always been something sacred to him, something he didn't want to disrupt.
It held something so vulnerable and important; he just hoped the others could see that as well.
“I helped him pick out the headstone, you know, and the coffin,” Esther said, changing the subject, seeming to pick up on Bruce's spiral and trying to redirect it.
“He decided to go all out on the coffin,” she smirked.
Bruce just huffed a laugh, going to stand up as Esther slowly followed.
“I always resented how you ended up taller than me.” she quipped, reaching out and dragging Bruce into a hug with unexpected strength for the old woman.
Bruce couldn't help but return it, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace of one moment of emotional vulnerability.
“Thank you for everything,” he said, voice becoming thick with emotions.
“Oh please, it wasn't like-”
“It was. And it is, thank you.” Bruce said again, cutting off her own deflection before pulling away, letting Esther smile up before looking back at the woman inside the cafe, just beginning to close.
“Any grandkids?” Bruce asked, hoping to fill the silence a little bit.
Esther just snorted.
“Well, my dog is expecting puppies in a month or so.” she offered to earn a little chuckle.
“Good to know; congratulations to the dog.” Bruce offered a little awkwardly as she brushed him off.
“Eh, just wait, I'm gonna have a pile of great Danes soon enough.” she smiled, looking again towards the woman as she flipped the sign around.
“I better be off Brucie, you take care of yourself and that brood of yours,” she said sternly, earning a smile.
“I will,” he promised, watching as she got herself in the shop and everything shut down as the two got into their car to drive home before he finally left, going back to the manor and washing the blanket as instructed before hanging it out to dry.
With just enough time to get himself cleaned up before we went out into the hallway by the tunnels into town, where he met Dick coming through, watching as he got inside, and immediately did a little happy dance to himself before Bruce cleared his throat.
“Oh! B, hi,” he said awkwardly.
“How did it go?” Bruce asked.
Dick just smiled.
“It went well,” he said.
“And was he… a gentleman?” Bruce pushed, earning a scoff and an eye roll despite the blank eyes.
“Yes. B. the picture of well behaved,” he said in a flat patronizing tone before running off, likely to find one of his brothers to gush about Wally West with.
Bruce supposed that was good enough, retiring himself to some rest, knowing that within a few days, the blanket would be cleaned and draped over Bruce's headboard, allowing that same calming bubble to provide him with some of the best rest he’s had in years.