The Daily Damian (Little Damian!)

A New Son

"Dick, Jay! Put on your backpacks!" Bruce called, as Alfred hoisted Tim onto his hip. Bruce helped put on their coats and backpacks and took Tim back as Alfred prepared to drive the boys to school. He had Tim in the mornings. It was a normal Friday. Jason, only 8, was in third grade, wile Richard, or "Dick" was 10. He was in fifth grade and knew right from wrong, yet still shoved his little brother. Bruce swatted his eldest son's bottom and pointed a finger, kneeling down.

"Don't. Do. That. Again."

Dick humphed and followed Alfred and Jason out the door, rubbing the sting from his bottom. Bruce headed up the stairs to put Tim in the playpen while he worked. When he noticed there was something wrong, he turned around to find Talia Al Ghul- his former love, standing on the stairs. He tucked Tim onto his back and got into a fighting stance, fist up on the left hand side.

"Beloved, listen. There isn't much time."

That was unlike Talia. She was usually all "hello Beloved, let me drug you and sleep with you on a yacht." This was weird. He sensed danger- but for her.

"We haven't much time. You need to take the boy." She looked askance. "He is in danger."

"The boy? My boys?!"

"No, Beloved." She descended the stairs. "Your son. Damian."

Bruce's eyes widened. It had been about 3 years since they had... connected. He would have a son about, God, 2 years old?!

She reached behind like she had an arrow quiver and pulled out a small toddler. She cuddled him and looked with that loving look he rarely saw. 

"Why now?" Bruce said in a deep and untrusting voice.

"The League fell. Slade Wilson, Deathstroke, is after me. He knows not of the child. Take him. I will return in a year's time."

She passed him off and kissed his neck, trailing her hand around his neck. He shook his head and when he looked, she was gone, out through the still-open front door.

"Damn it!" He cursed.

"Amn it!" Tim laughed. Bruce sighed and set Tim down, who raised his arms and reached his hands. Tim cried. "Up, up, up!"

"Not now." Bruce said, taking his hand and shutting the door. He armed the door and the Manor from the hidden panel in the hardwood beam. 

He called Alfred and explained the situation. After school, no one was coming in and no one was going out unless it was him. Not even Selina could come entertain or babysit the kids. He didn't know who he could trust.

His serious façade worried Tim, who took surprisingly fast to Bruce, though it had only been a month. It dawned on him- two kids in two months. It was growing exponentially! But it was kids!

Timmy was barely potty-trained from the orphanage and Bruce had a meeting today and Alfred wasn't back and he didn't have formula and ugh!

Tim was standing awkwardly. Bruce looked down. "Do you have to go to the bathroom?" The boy nodded and Bruce led him up the stairs to his own bathroom and sat the kid on the plastic potty and turned around. 

"Go pee. Or, uh, do the other." Bruce said. He had NO clue how to potty train a kid and even though he read books, it wasn't like they came with an instruction booklet.  He looked down to see Damian still in his arm like a football. He was still asleep. Thank God. If only Tim would go to sleep and- It sounded like Timmy was done and- ah, shit.

He set Damian, all wrapped up, in the sink and knelt down. He was amazingly tiny for about 22 months. Tim had stood up. 

"Timothy." Bruce aid sternly. Too sternly. He changed his tone. "You have to pull your underwear down first. You're halfway there."

He kissed his son's forehead and took down the soaked Batman underwear and threw it in the hamper. He handed Tim a wet wipe but realized.... the kid couldn't do the... "Paperwork". He sighed and wiped up Tim. He wiped the kid's hands and picked Damian up.

Ah, Alfred! 

Bruce came to the landing of the stairs, tightly holding Tim's hand, and undid the baby gate. That damn gate damaged the hardwood on the landing, but it didn't bother Bruce- just Alfred: World's Greatest Butler.

Once in the kitchen, Alfred set down a paper bag and mixed formula.

"I must say, Master Bruce. I didn't see a need to swat Master Richard's behind this morning."

Bruce wiped the sweat from his forehead. "So... none of this phases you?" He asked.

"Not at all, unfortunately." Alfred said, warming a bottle in the pot of water. He watched a thermometer. "I've come to expect the unexpected." He pulled it out.

Tim wanted attention and tugged on his father's shirt. Alfred traded small children with Bruce and looked at Damian's face. "My God, he is the spitting image of you." Alfred said in near tears.

Alfred was 63. Bruce was only 34. After the death of Bruce's parents, Alfred continued raising him. He had seen everything and luckily didn't rely on YouTube to change a diaper. Timmy was in pull-ups at night already when Bruce went out. Looked like Batman wasn't going out for a while. How was he supposed to explain this to the city?

"Ah, yes, Batman will be absent due to a family emergency. Please feel free to stop commiting crimes for a week."

Nope. No way.

It was Tim's naptime and Bruce lay him in the bed. Damian would need a crib and Alfred supplied one to the nursery by the stairs. He hoped Tim and Damian would grow up to be friendly brothers, because their rooms shared a bathroom. Nothing could go wrong with that, right?

"Does he walk?" Bruce asked, snapping back to the present.

Alfred chuckled. "I'm sure he does."

Bruce unwrapped the tiny toddler and set him down, Damian preferred to crawl but walked perfectly fine.

"They usually walk at a year's time." Alfred advised, stopping Damian and handing him a bottle with toddler formula. 

Bruce put them both down for a nap upstairs, as Alfred headed to pick Dick and Jason up from school. He took the liberty to explain the circumstances to the boys as if they were older than their own ages, and they were receptive.

"So can I watch him?" Dick asked.

"I am sure that would be very helpful." Alfred praised.

"I don't want him." Jason grumbled.

"Please do be considerate of your father."

Jason knew that Bruce was Batman and that Dick was Robin. Jason had already proven that he needed an outlet and fighting productively was a good one. He spent time in the Cave. Obviously at 4 years old, Tim did not know. He did, however, know that Batman was a good guy and wanted to be "just like him" it was cute that he idolized his own father without knowing it.