Nico and the Gotham Ghost

Dealing with Pain

Nico didn't know what he was supposed to do. He had to leave, he had promised Percy he would come that night to help with war preparations. But how could he knowingly leave Katie and Dick after all this?
----------------------------------------------
Bruce approached the Grayson children with a bit of hesitation. How could he ask this so soon after the death of their mom and dad? But it had to be done before they could come and live with him. Just a few minutes ago he had talk to the representative that had arrived from the Foster agency. The only condition the lady named Mrs. Carson had given was that the Grayson's had to agree to come and live with him. So now here he was almost scared to ask these two kids this possibly life changeling question.
----------------------------------------------
   Katie was still clinging to Nico's shirt as if he was her life line. Although she had stopped crying a few minutes ago and was no longer making a puddle on her brothers shoulder.

   But all of a sudden the little red head heard a mans voice say. "Hello, my name is Bruce Wayne. I was wondering if I could ask you two a question?"

   Quickly Katie spun around to stare at the black haired man. She was scared.  What did this man want?

   "I was wondering." the man named Bruce said. "If you would consider coming to live with me? I know you're probably scared and sad and most likely do not want to even think about coming to live with me, but even if you decide not to right now my offer will still stand."

   "Thank you." Katie said and she meant it. He was being nice to her and Dick and they didn't even know him. He wasn't mean, he didn't make her Mami and Tati die.
----------------------------------------------
   "You're welcome." Bruce said a little shocked that the youngest one had responded instead of her older brother. "I'll be here for a bit still. If you want to come to my home for the night just come and find me."

   "We will Mr. Bruce." the little boy called Richard replied as he chocked around the tears that still clouded his eyes.

   Then as Bruce started to walk away he turned to look one last time at the Grayson kids. But instead he made eye contact with the oldest one. The mystery boy who came out of nowhere to comfort the Grayson's. And in this boys eyes Bruce saw so much raw emotion far more than should ever be contained in one person let alone one boy. Bruce saw his fear for what would happen to the Grayson's next, he saw guilt, though for what he didn't know. But most of all he saw sadness. The type of sadness that comes from a lifetime of loss and hardship. A loss that should never be felt by a boy of his obliviously young age.

   For many months to come those eyes would haunt Bruce. And it would still be many years before Bruce could ever say that he under stood the pain that those eyes carried.
----------------------------------------------
   Nico was to put it lightly shocked. This man who was obliviously very wealthy if his wardrobe was anything to go by, had just offered to open his house up to his little brother and sister. He didn't even know Katie or Dick and yet he was willing to do something like that?! Sometimes people still continued to shock Nico DiAngelo with what they were willing to do for each other.

   "Nico?" he heard breaking him from his current train of thought. "What should we do?" the voice he identified as Dick asked. "Should we go with Mr. Bruce? Can we come with you?!" Dick asked lighting a bit of hope in his and Katie's eyes at the thought that maybe this night wouldn't be completely filled with heart break.

   "I'm sorry Dicky." Nico started as he tried to gently deliver the shattering news. "I'm afraid that you can't come and live with me, I'm sorry." This was killing Nico to say. Especially when he saw their faces fall, but he couldn't let them come with him. If he did they would have no chance at a normal childhood. They would be hunted down for the rest of their lives by monsters. And to top it off Katie wouldn't even have a home at camp Half-Blood with all the campers who were scared of kids of Hades. Anyways it didn't matter what he thought he had promised to help keep them safe and bringing them with him was the opposite of safe, it was....dissafe? No that wasn't right, what about angerous? Never mind! It would just be disastrous heavy on the dis as Dick would say.