Talking Birds (BatFamily FanFiction)

Damien's Not Cool With This

Damien

I was the youngest. I was supposed to be the last one. Then Father had to knock up that woman from work! She seemed nice and all but I think anyone who leaves their child on the front steps of their lover's home, isn't a good person. Just a little pet peeve of mine. And of every other decent human being on the planet.

I had to admit she was quite adorable. Little hands covered with pink mittens, little feet kicked off pink booties, mouth rounded without a pink pacifier: she was just so ... pink. Dick picked her up and brought her in the house, quickly removing his shirt and wrapping her tightly in it. He laid her by the fireplace and warmed her up. Tim, Jason, and I stood around them, curious as to what on Earth this little thing could possibly be. I was only six or so and of course 'baby' wasn't really in my vocabulary. But my brothers kept saying 'the baby this' and 'the baby that' so I guess I learned it pretty quick.

I remember getting bored with her and wandering off into the kitchen where Alfred and Father stood talking, serious tones and faces about them.

"Father!" I said loudly. I could hear my brothers flailing around in the other room. "Brothers are playing with a baby in the den!"

He gave me a puzzled look. I took his hand with a grunt and pulled him into the hall and to the den.

Dick held her in his arms, a nervous smile on his stupid face. Tim and Jason hid behind him.

"Did you ..." Father groaned, placing his nose between his pointer and thumb fingers like it would give him migraine to finish the sentence. "Dick," he sighed, "I told you to be careful. Remember all those talks we have about using protection and--"

He's cut off by Jason falling to the ground with laughter. Tim and I stare.

"Protection--" he mustered before falling into another laughing fit. "Dick--" again another laughing fit.

"Father, they're playing with it!" I whined.

He stood there, not saying anything.

"Um, Dad," Dick said, "she's not mine ... she's yours."

His body stayed unchanging. There was something in his face that was ... utterly overwhelmed. There was fear, shock, disgust, anguish, happiness, sadness, anger, all playing on his face at the same time.

"That's ... not ... possible," he mustered.

"Well considering you have four kids already, I'd say it's pretty damn possible," Jason laughed. He wiped his eyes and stood.

"Considering over half of you are adopted, you should shut your mouth," he retorted and turned away. He ran his hands worriedly through his hair. "Shit," he muttered. "Now there's five of you. Great."

Dick

You could tell that he was happy. Bruce always wanted a daughter. He had four sons that he dealt with breaking things and trying to kill each other daily. Now there was ... there was a she. Someone to balance out our crazy.

Damn. We were wrong.

Tim

I thought she was great. She could be better than when Damien came to us earlier that year. I was sure she would actually want to play monopoly with me without cheating. I was sure she would fight with me and not flip me using her grandfather's training with the League of Assassins. She would be nice to me and invite me into her room to read. We could investigate and read Nancy Drew together. That would be AMAZING.

Dick let me hold her the night she came to us. It was before Bruce came in and freaked out because now he was really outnumbered. (Seriously he was building a baseball team here.) She squirmed around and I thought I would drop her. Dick held my arm steady though and she settled down. I was really afraid of dropping her but I don't know why. Dick and Jason are always saying I got dropped a lot when I was a baby but I'm just fine.

I tickled her chin and she flailed her little arms at me. I laughed. What a stupid laugh. She squeezed her eyes shut and nuzzled into my T-shirt. Then Dick took her away because Bruce was coming back. He could be really mean sometimes.

When Bruce calmed down, we all tried to name her. Dick wanted to called her Jaqueline but Jason insisted he would be the only Jaybird in the house. He suggested Gretel. Bruce said no. Damien wanted to call her Whiney but Bruce said no to that too. Alfred offered a pretty name (I thought): Deana. I think that was a little too close to Diane (this really nice lady from the League of Justice that visited sometimes).

"Could we call her Janet?" I asked. They all looked at me with this sad look in their eyes. Bruce said no again, but I think it was for a different reason than the ones before. He looked sad.

"How about Georgie? Georgianna," Bruce suggested. We all smiled and whispered her name. Bruce rested his hand on my neck and smiled. "Georgianna Janet Wayne."

"Thanks, Dad," I whispered, below the rumble of my brothers. He kissed my forehead and gave me a lazy side hug. Just as he did that, Georgianna Janet Wayne wailed.

"I forgot that they do that," Jason groaned and covered his ears.

Jason

Fuck. I was gonna have to look after the little shit. Protect her honor and all that. Damnit. I had plans.