DC: The Brave and the Bawdy

Batgirl: Strengths and Shortcomings

"Alright everyone," said Gordon, "I'm going for one last smoke and then I'm done for the night."

"You going out for a smoke for real, Commish?" asked Harvey, "Or are you meeting with you-know-who again?"

"You know I'm always straight about you guys with that," insisted Gordon, "No, just me and my bad habits. Nothing exciting."

"Good night, Jim!" waved Freddie.

"Good night, Freddie."

Jim Gordon gave Freddie Marcini a firm pat on the shoulder. Freddie was Harvey Bullock's new partner. He was pretty old to be a rookie detective, but he did good work. Gordon had faith Bullock would make something of him.

Gordon made his way up to the roof, where he pulled out his cigarette carton and began shuffling the individual cigarettes in and out until he heard the sound of feet hitting the edge of the roof beside him.

"I thought you gave those up?" said Batgirl.

"I did," sighed Gordon, "Back when I started meeting with Batman up here, it was a great excuse to come up here and talk with him. Kept the packs around to convince people I still smoked. I didn't think I'd be doing it again. I don't like lying to my officers, you know. This better be important."

"It is," nodded Batgirl, "You've been working with Batman on the Nigma case, right?"

"I have."

"Well if you're going to keep working on it, there's something you should know."

"That Nigma's targeting my daughter?"

"Um, yes," stammered Batgirl, taken aback, "Does that...? I suppose that means... Do you...?"

"I know, Barbara," said Gordon quietly.

Batgirl took a long and shaky breath. Her father didn't look mad. He didn't look happy either. She had been planning to tell him for some time now. She hadn't expected him to figure it out on his own. She wasn't sure what she was expecting from him when he found out, but she thought she'd know what he was feeling.

"I'm... sorry I kept it a secret," said Batgirl.

"It was your right," nodded Gordon, "I couldn't have proven it in a court of law, but I've long suspected. Call it a father's intuition."

"Why didn't you confront me?" asked Batgirl, "I thought for sure you'd be terrified of me doing this sort of thing. The way you reacted that night-"

"Oh Christ, yes," scoffed Gordon, "I'm terrified for you, but look at the job I have. Who am I to determine what risks you should and shouldn't take? I... also didn't know how you'd react when I told you. I guess I was scared of that too."

"...I do wish you had told me that you knew," said Batgirl, "but it would be awfully hypocritical of me to be mad about that, wouldn't it?"

"Just a bit," chuckled Gordon, "but I wouldn't hold it against you."

"Thanks," smiled Batgirl.

Both Batgirl and Gordon tensed up as the door to the interior of the police station swung open. Freddie lunged out from the door as he pulled a gun out of his jacket, pointing it directly at Gordon.

"Maroni sends his regards!" Freddie declared.

Batgirl shoved her father out of the way just before Freddie pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out.

***

Several months later...

Stephanie Brown yawned as she sat up in bed. She then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, scratched her inner thighs, and rolled off the bed to her feet. She groggily crossed her bedroom to the accompanying bathroom, where she began getting ready for the day. Stephanie had been living in Wayne Manor ever since she had taken up the mantle of Robin to fight crime alongside Batman. While it was certainly strange living in an enormous, mostly empty mansion, the convenience of having a fancy bathroom steps away from her bed was a more than welcome benefit. When Stephanie was finally showered and dressed in a loose fitting pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she made her way over to her phone. She nearly gasped when she saw the message.