Talking Birds (BatFamily FanFiction)

How Waynes Welcome

For my love, @bookcrazylover123. Very excited about an update 😘 --B
~

Damien

"Dick?" she said. Confirmation of the warm settle in my chest over an icy pain I hadn't realized was there brought about a shiver in my spine. This girl who had pale features, bleached hair, and a scarred face. "Damien? Tim?"

The man in the red mask's arms fell and his features softened through the shield.

"Georgie!" I cried, launching myself forward past him. I clutched her close to me, pressing her face into my shoulder. She sobbed into the crook of my neck as I clawed at her sweater.

"Dami," she whispered, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Me neither."

"No!" the man in the hood barked, shoving me back into the wall. His arms went up around her again, more stern and protective than threatening. "You don't get to touch her."

"She's our sister," Dick growled, holding a closed fist against my chest as I started forward.

"NO!" the masked man cried out again. "You left her behind. Left ... left us behind."

The pain in his voice and the way Dick's tense shoulders dropped sadly, told me all I needed to know.

"Jason!" I sobbed, shoving passed Dick and throwing myself around him with shaking, convulsing tears. He clutched my jacket ... his jacket.

His large hands ran through my hair and I buried myself in the sloppily presented hoodie around his torso. I found myself smelling him, breathing in his scent. It had been ten years since I'd last seen him, ten years since he put his body in my arms and carried me to safety like he promised.

"Please don't go," I whispered. He held me tighter. "Come home with us. Please. It's been ten years."

"I know. I know," he said, his voice cracking before a loud noise tore us apart.

"Jay, we've gotta go," Georgie barked. "He's coming."

We all give each other a once over and take off down the hall, Georgie's hand stuck to Dick's and mine to Jay's. Just like old times.

Georgie

We were home. The manor that was fuzzy in the memories of my brothers, of my father and of Alfred but this was my home. It was smaller than I remembered it to be and the happy-go-lucky sunshine and rainbows that once fell upon it in my dreams were gone. There was a solemn shadow over it, a blanket of sorrow to reflect the inhabitants. The way Dick stared up on it with unfamiliarity even I could tell he hadn't been here in a while. Damien and Tim led us in through the front door so much like you would introduce guests for a visit. Once we stepped through the door, Alfred called out for Damien to help him in the kitchen before he left again.

"Uh, Alfred?" Tim replied, leading us to the kitchen. Alfred, with his warm close-eyed smile, look to the doorway where all of us stood. At first, his smile stretched with greeting, but as they ran over us and recognized the two faces almost foreign by now his lips turned down.

"Master Jason, Mistress Georgianna," he choked, rushing to us and collapsing into a hug. We both hugged back, Jason with more emotion than I. "You father will be so happy to see you."

Father. Such a bitter word. Joker had made a deal to be my Papa before he found it more interesting to be my Mr. J. The only reason I agreed was because my real papa left me behind. I didn't want to see him. Not yet.

As Alfred released us, Jason took my hand.

"You look tired," Dick sighed, "go up to my bedroom and lay down."

Jason nodded and pulled me along. The rest of my brothers stayed behind, beginning a spirited talk with each other as we left earshot.

Tim

"He's not home," Alfred groaned. "He's never home."

"We know," I grunted back, clenching my fists and turning to Dick. "You need to leave. Dad doesn't want you in the house after last time."

He simply nodded and turned to the door. Damien stopped him, whispering something in his ear that made him tense and storm out. I retreated to a counter and jumped up, folding my legs below me. My teeth chattered against my cheek as Alfred began to pace.

"When he does get home, Master Bruce will be ... furious," he hissed, accusingly pointing his long bony finger to me. My chest tightened.

"Why?! Because we did what he couldn't??!! We brought Jason and Georgia HOME!!! They're safe after ten fucking years of being captives!!! SAFE! What's to be angry about?!" I yelled, pounding on the cabinets.

"He will be furious precisely because you've brought your brother and sister back home," Alfred replied with a calm composure.

"Pennyworth, what are you talking about?" Damien groaned, almost annoyed. Alfred sighed again.

"Not long after Master Bruce brought you both and Dick home, he became immersed in trying to bring Georgianna and Master Jason home. After two years of relentless searching, he found them."

"What?!" I yipped. "He found them!?"

"Yes. It wasn't on purpose. He was out one night and found himself stopping a bank robbery. The Joker was behind it. While he was there he got into a heated fight with two villains who called themselves Harley Quinn and the Red Hood. Georgie and Jason. He didn't want you boys to know because he was still hopeful that they weren't acting of their own free will. He stopped looking for them, he kept you from looking for them because he had found them. He hadn't given up. But to have them home ..." Alfred dropped his head. "He will be wary."

Damien lets out a roar of frustration. He rounded to wall and punched right through it before storming out. My furrowed brow, softened to let up on the pressure on my forehead.

"Help me with the dishes, will you Tim?" Alfred said. I jumped at his sudden voice but nodded my head in agreement.

We stood in front of the sink with our sleeves rolled up and our hands wrinkling under hot water. I stacked the china next to the sink. As Alfred handed them to me, the pile grew. Almost halfway through, a dish fell out of my hands. I hadn't realized they were shaking as much as they were. Rage? Excitement? Or maybe fear.

"Georgianna's the one you must look out for," Alfred explained, resting a hand on my forehead. "She's grown used to the way the Joker treated her and grew up around death and violence. Jason will keep her urges at bay for a while, but one day she'll become too much for any of us to bear. When this happens do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes."

"But she's my baby sister," I replied. I had just gotten her back, now Alfred was warning me I might have to kill her myself?

"Even so," he sighed. "Even so."

I bent over and began to clean up the shattered dish.

Whatever it takes.