NICOTINE DREAMS ➢ D. GRAYSON

00

--this story will slightly deviate from comic canon at certain points. so kinda au-ish?? but not really??--

━"I'm beginning to think, sir, that perhaps your recent adoption of Master Grayson has sent the public the wrong message."

The small child in his arms shivered violently, a result of the bitter winter storm in which the elderly man had found her. He shushed her softly, stroking a hand down the back of her hair, his fingers getting caught in her dark curls. He pulled the blankets tighter around her small body in an attempt to warm her up.

"She wasn't out there very long," he continued, hitching the girl higher up onto his hip. "Just enough to get quite a nasty chill, Master Wayne?"

Bruce Wayne gave a weary sigh, his thumb and forefinger reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. His eyes fluttered shut as he began to think of a solution. He opened his eyes again and met his butler's gaze. "I'll take her while you call GCPD."

Taking this as a suitable answer, Alfred gently handed him the girl. Bruce took her into his arms, readjusting the dark blanket. She was small, no older than perhaps seven or eight and even then, she seemed a bit too small for her age. Locks of short dark hair draped over her ears, just barely reaching her shoulders in little waves. His perceptive eyes wandered to the little bruises that surrounded her hairline. He frowned, but shook of his suspicion.

Alfred was right, though. He didn't regret officially adopting Dick in the slightest, but he knew that it had resulted in the public beginning to think that he perhaps needed to foster a few more. It had happened on two separate occasions before this one, and said childrens' parents were immediately tracked down while the law handled the situation accordingly.

He just had to keep her occupied until the police arrived.

He gave her a kind smile, chuckling when she blinked her clear blue eyes at him. "Do you have a name?"

The child pursed her lips for a moment in a imitation of an adult expression that she had no doubt probably picked up from whoever had brought her here. She stared at him for a few long seconds, shoulders shaking from the cold, and he smiled again encouragingly. Her mouth opened and she spoke in a quiet, muffled voice.

"Did you kit-nap me?"

Bruce's expression faltered slightly, his mouth opening and closing as he attempted to figure out what to respond with. His lips pressed into a grim line as he shook his head. "No, sweetheart. Alfred found you laying just outside our front gates. Don't you remember who brought you here?"

She nodded her head, soft curls framing her face. "Mommy was the one who put me in the car, but I fell asleep." She grimaced and placed a hand on his broad shoulder to readjust herself in his arms, little legs wiggling against him. "She doesn't like that."

Bruce frowned as her tone turned uneasy. He attempted his previous question. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Heidi."

"Heidi...?" He pressed for a last name, but she didn't seem to catch his meaning.

"That's it, yeah!" She giggled excitedly with a nod. "That's my name."

His lips quirked up on their own accord as her laughter echoed off the walls of the foyer. He gave a goodnatured sigh. "What's your last name?"

"Howard."

"Heidi Howard?" He confirmed slowly. She nodded again.

"Mhm, my teacher called it something..." Her lips twisted into a pout, her fingers tapping against his shoulder as she began to think. "Alley--alleet--"

"An alliteration?"

Her hand came down on his shoulder hard, or as hard as a girl of her size could manage. Bruce never even flinched. "Yeah!" She squealed, blue orbs wide and round. She gazed at him admiringly. "You're pretty smart, mister."

He cracked another small grin at that. His mouth opened to reply, when a small voice from the stairs interrupted him.

"Bruce?"

Dick Grayson stood a few steps above him and the girl, a fist rubbing tiredly at his eyes. It was well after five in the morning, and seeing as they had only just gotten back from patrol a few hours ago, it was no wonder the boy was tired.

Bruce readjusted the girl in his arms. "What are you doing up, Dick?"

"Heard voices," Dick mumbled tiredly, blinking his blue eyes that were not dissimilar to the girl's in front of him. His focus shifted to Heidi, eyes narrowing briefly. "Another one?"

His tone was not upset, but exasperated, something that sounded a bit too old on a boy the age of not even ten. Bruce sighed, setting Heidi down in front of him. "Yes."

But Heidi's eyes had narrowed at the boy also. "You got another Heidi 'round here?"

The boy's eyebrows shot up, as if he wasn't actually expecting her to speak up. He shifted from one foot to the other, turning his stare to Bruce once more. "Can you find her parents?"

Bruce hesitated, glancing down at Heidi, before looking back towards his ward. "We're working on it. Everything will be sorted by noon."

"I only have one parent," Heidi stated suddenly, blue eyes blinking up at Bruce. Her head tilted to one side. "My mom said I don't have a dad, but my teacher told me that everyone has a dad."

The room was silent for a moment, the awkward atmosphere being felt by all but Heidi. Dick pursed his lips, turning on his heel and walking back up the stairs, sending wary glances back down at the girl before he disappeared completely.

Bruce gave the child in his arms an awkward, strained smile. "Maybe you can ask your mom about that when we find her."

The girl tightened her grip on his shoulder almost imperceptibly. "Maybe," she repeated softly, her eyes glazed over.

Authorities arrived ten minutes later to take the girl and figure out where she belonged. The officer at the door, a woman in her early thirties, took Heidi from his arms with a comforting smile in her direction. The child completely ignored her and turned around to stare at Bruce with wide, innocent eyes. "Am I leaving?"

Bruce nodded hesitantly. "The nice people at GCPD are going to help you find your mom."

He didn't miss the small, slightly frightened frown on her face, but he didn't get to comment before the woman began to walk away with Heidi. He stood in the doorway as Heidi turned to wave a small hand in his direction. He smiled and raised his own to wave back.

With a sigh, he closed the door quietly, meeting the eyes of his elderly butler. His lips twisted into a grimace.

"I hope they don't find her mother," he said simply, turning and waking up the steps to his room, Alfred staring after him with a frown.

•••

Okay, so I'm not 100% where I'm going with this but I'll figure it out at some point I guess.

Please tell me what you thought and vote if you liked it!!