Work Text:
July 4, 2015, Wayne Manor, Bristol Township, Gotham, New Jersey
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Babs reached up to take the water bottle from Dick as he dropped onto the edge of the picnic blanket she had commandeered.
“Hey, if Jason and Roy want to turn their proclivity for blowing things up to a more constructive purpose, who are we to stop them?” Dick shrugged and glanced across the lawn where Kori and Mar’i were playing a Tamaranean clapping game. “Besides. Tim should be able to keep them under control.”
She gave him a stink eye. “You saying that like it’s a question isn’t reassuring.”
“Shhh!” Stephanie hissed at them from the next blanket over. “It’ll start soon!” The blonde was cheerfully ignoring the glaring pre-teens on either side of her.
Watching Damian and Lian interact had been both hilarious and somewhat alarming. They had stared at each other rather like they deciding how best to rip the other’s throat out, and then Lian had done nearly that when Damian had smugly brought up his status as Robin. (Roy had told Lian she couldn’t be Speedy until she was eleven, which was another nineteen months away. She had it marked on a calendar and everything.)
Stephanie had just pulled them down, one on each side, and proceeded to cheerful them into compliance, Cass hovering in the background in amusement and Titus serving as a backrest.
Bruce and Selina were settled apart from the others on their own blanket, talking in low tones and watching Helena, now a year old, toddle back and forth from one to the other with the occasional detour to chase something that had caught her eye.
Sasha was perched a little to the side, watching everyone with suspicious eyes as Duke sat awkwardly beside her, doing his best to not make it how obviously smitten he was. (Barbara foresaw team-ups between Wingman and Scarlet in the future. She might have to find a new partner for Redbird. Not that Carrie would mind third-wheeling with all the trolling opportunities afforded thereby.) Alfred and Julia bustled back and forth, making sure everyone was comfortable and behaving.
The first burst of light went up into the sky, greeted by a cry of delight and surprise from Colin, who sat ramrod straight beside Damian, eyes fixed on the fading sparks. Dick pulled her closer in towards him and buried his nose in her hair.
“We need this.” He murmured. “Something we can do as a family. With a few extras.”
Babs hummed in agreement. “If it weren’t for Selina and Helena I don’t think that Bruce would ever really be in Gotham. He’s so focused on Batman Incorporated.”
“Why are we talking about this?” She heard the laughter in his voice. “This is supposed to be a break from work you know.” He brushed his fingers over her ribs and she squirmed.
“If you want to start a tickle war, you know you won’t win.” She warned.
“Mmph.” He exhaled into her hair. “What makes you say that, Mrs. Grayson?”
“The fact that you are more ticklish than I am.” Babs said smugly as another barrage of light filled the air above the manor. “And I know all your weak spots.”
“Oh?” She turned her head and could see Dick’s skeptical expression. “Are you really so sure of that?”
“Mar’i.” Babs called, not taking her eyes off of Dick’s. “Who would win, me or your Daddy?”
“You.” Mar’i answered, not missing a beat or looking away from the fireworks from her spot nestled beside her mother. When everyone around them burst into laughter she did look and her forehead was crinkled in concern. “Are you fighting?”
“No, Love.” Babs managed to reassure her through her gasps. “We aren’t. It was a joke about a play fight. Like sparring.”
“Oh.” The five year old turned back to the fireworks, her interest lost. Kori winked at Babs over the tousled dark head and one again she regretted the years she had spent quietly resenting the other woman. Not out of jealousy, per se, she had never been bitter over the Tamaranean princess’s relationship with Dick. More the ease with which she had built that relationship. An ease that, to someone as guarded as Barbara, had not come so naturally.
They would never be best friends, but they had two very precious people in common and had found that they themselves were similar in just the right ways to make for an amiable relationship. (Also, the way that Dick got just a little nervous whenever they spent time together was adorable.)
Titus huffed a breath and Damian absently reached back to pet him, Alfred the Cat winding his way in between them.
Looking at the gathering tonight, you would never guess that it all began with one orphaned child taking another into his home.
Little beginnings for great things.