Raven Roth and Damian Wayne: The Walk of Life (Book 1 Of 2)

Chapter Eleven

It didn't take the boys long to pack the camping gear away and have showers of their own. Once they were done they had returned the chairs to the elderly couple that had loaned them to them and hit the road with Kori taking the wheel for this leg of the trip. "Stop pouting Dick." She laughed looking into the rear view mirror. Kori had got Raven to jump into the front seat while Dick and Damian had been returning the chairs. Raven could tell he was playing it up and didn't really mind, Damian however had been less than impressed with having to share the back with his bothersome brother. "But baaaabe there's like, nooo room back here to stretch ooooout." Dick said jokingly as he playfully stretched over Damian purposely putting his body weight on Damian's lap and a hand in is face to be as much of a pain as possible. "Would you knock it off Grayson! Get up and act like an adult for once." Damian said not as entertain as the others were judging from their laughter. "Sweetie, he has a point, I'm trying to drive." Kori said looking back at him. "But I'm booored." Dick continued, rolling onto his back still on top of Damian and walking his feet up the inside of the car until they were on the ceiling. Raven snorted a single laugh and then covered her mouth with embarrassment. Everyone looked at her and Dick rolled up right. "What was that?" He asked leaning around her seat. "Nothing." She replied quickly and flatly whilst red faced, trying to hide it with her hair. "Ha, that's awesome. A full on, genuine, from the heart, no cares in the world laugh. Now you're relaxed." Dick said with a huge grin on his face. Raven sheepishly turned around to look at him. "It's, it's been a long time since I've had fun like this. Thank you." She said still blushing. Dick simply put a hand on her shoulder. "Never, ever, thank us for anything." He said sincerely, then adopted a devilish grin and launched himself back putting one arm around Damian squeezing him tight. "We should be thank you for dealing with this mess." He laughed. "Get the hell off me! Unhand me Grayson, get off!" Damian cried out and everyone continued to laugh. "Alright, alright, I'm off." Dick said with a smile as Damian gave him two swift punches to the arm Dick laughed an ouch and a sorry and everything in the car calmed back down. The drive up until early evening was spectacularly uneventful, Dick and Damian got the cards out and played Texas hold 'em, Dick won every game. Kori and Raven quietly chatted to each other in the front seats about who might at the gathering and what Kori knew of them, sometimes checking with Dick and Damian on more minor details. Raven hadn't realised what a large family Damian had had. She knew a few things from talking with him like his father, Bruce, obviously and Dick, but beyond that she hadn't been sure of the extent but now there was a list of family members she'd never known about. There was Damian, Dick, Bruce and Alfred, she knew, Jason Todd and Helena Wayne, who she'd kind of met on the phone, Tim Drake, The Red Robin and his girlfriend Stephanie Brown, Spoiler, there was also Orphan, Cassandra Cane, who had been adopted officially by Bruce like Tim and Dick. Not including the 'extended' family that were apparently going to be there as well. Raven felt a little out of her depth and it showed on her face. "Lets, get something to eat shall we?" Said Kori as she spotted a sign post for a service station and diner they could pull into just a miles ahead of them. "That sounds great, I say we order to go though and I'll pick up the driving from here since I know the way to the manor." Dick said as he and Damian packed the cards away. "That sounds good, I'm hungry and could do with stretching my legs." Raven said raising her feet from the floor and straightening her legs as much as she could in the front seat. A few minutes later Kori pulled the car into a parking space at the McDonalds of the service station and everyone hopped out the car. "What would you guys like, it's on me, whatever you want." Said Dick as they made their way to the entrance. "I'd like a Big Mac meal, with a coke, thank you." Said Damian. "Could I have a McChicken sandwich meal please, also a coke if that's alright?" Raven asked. Dick laughed. "Course, I said anything. Kori? Usual Quarter pounder with cheese and Banana milkshake?" He asked taking her hand in his. "That would be great." She replied weaving her fingers through his. "We'd like to walk around a bit. Can you carry everything?" Asked Damian as he and Raven started to veer off on a different course than the older couple. "Sure, no fights though D." Joked Dick as he and Kori walked into the fast food restaurant. Damian and Raven began to walk a simple lap of the car park to get the circulation going in their legs again. "You have a large family. I honestly wasn't expecting so many people to be attending. I know it's for your birthday but there's still a lot of people coming." Said Raven as they took their leisurely stroll. Damian took hold of her hand gently. "I know it seems like that but it'll be easier once we're actually there, far easier than at Dicks. He has a lot of friends, a lot. He had half the hero scene turn up at the manor for the day, including Superman, didn't even know they knew each other." Damian said trying to relax Raven. Soon they were back at the car and waited there for Dick and Kori to come out with the food. "Everything will be fine, we'll no doubt see father and Pennyworth when we first arrive and settle into our rooms. Then meet those that are already there tomorrow and everyone else as and when they arrive. It'll be a very casual affair." Damian said calmly and Raven nodded her head looking into his eyes softly, Damian moved forward and tucked her hair behind her ear and Raven let her eyes drift down to his lips and then back up to his eyes. Damian moved his lips to hers and lingered there for a while. "woo, get a room love birds. Ha birds, Cause your Robin and Ra. Ow." Dick shouted as they walked up to the car, only cut off by Kori jabbing an elbow into his side. "We have your meals. Should we eat here in the car park or on the road?" Kori asked her accompanying trio. Dick thought for a second. "Okay, if we eat out here we might as well find a motel a couple hours away and then crash for the night and get to the manor in the morning. Or if we eat on the road and hit jump on to the highway we'd get there in 6 maybe 7 hours, 8 tops. In short, it's a choice between getting there some time tomorrow or getting there at 11pm maybe midnight tonight. What sounds better?" He asked. Damian, Kori and Raven all looked at each other taking a few moments to consider the options. "I'd prefer to just get there if I'm honest." Stated Damian looking back to Dick. "Whatever you think would be best Dick." Said Kori and everyone looked to Raven. "Um I don't really know, I would like to get there but I also don't want to appear rude or anything if I get there tired, so whichever you and Damian think would be better I guess." She said a little uncertain of herself. Dick and Damian looked to each other and nodded. "Okay, I drive us there now, we all eat as we go. Raven if you're worried about being tired have a sleep on the way, D can wake you a little before we arrive so you're not drowsy or anything. Plan? Plan. All aboard," Dick said handing the take away bag he was holding to Kori and climbed into the driver's seat. Everyone else got in too and Dick pulled out of the service station and got them all underway. Kori passed out the food to everyone, putting Dicks to one side but within his reach and everyone dug into their meals, as excitement at finally getting to their destination rose.