Batman's Secretary

An Awkward Dinner

To say that dinner was awkward would have been an understatement.

Clark tried to help, he really did, but it ended up falling flat.

It all started with one question from Richard that set the whole dinner spiraling down.

Everyone was eating Alfred's delicious food, and the butler had even been convinced to eat with them at the table. Alexis sat with Jason on her left, holding her hand under the table, and young Richard on her right talking animatedly about a race he'd won at school last week.

She didn't mind, he was so cute she couldn't resist his enthusiasm.

Damian and Tim rolled their eyes when he went on to talk about his report card, eager to impress her when she didn't need impressing in the first place. She already thought he was awesome.

And then when he paused to take a breath after his tirade of story telling, he asked, in the way only a child could,

" So, are you and Jason gonna have children soon?" Richard asked hopefully.

The room went dead silent, and Jason almost snorted his drink in surprise.

" Oh sweetheart, I think that might be a long, long way away yet," Alexis replied awkwardly, trying to maintain as much dignity as possible. 

Jason squeezed her hand under the table reassuringly.

" Why?" Richard asked in childish confusion.

" Well, umm, you see, we only started dating about a month ago, I don't think we would be having children any time soon," Alexis soothed, giving Richard a pat on the shoulder, her eyes still a bit wide in shock at the question.

The rest of the table give her looks of approval, especially Jason who mouthed a silent, thank you, to her.

Thankfully Clark started up a new conversation.

" So..Alexis, why did you come to America?" He asked curiously.

Alexis's face transformed in to one of embarrassment, and Bruce and Jason just smirked knowingly.

" To tell you the truth, I was actually trying to hide," Alexis said awkwardly, her cheeks going pink with a blush.

That caught the their interest, and Clark looked on in slight concern.

" Hide from who?" Tim asked curiously.

Awkwardly fiddling her hands she replied weakly. " My mother ".

Now THAT definitely had their attention, with Damian chuckling quietly and Tim grinning.

" Her mother was trying to find her a husband so she fled to America," Jason filled in.

Tim laughed at this, tears shining in his eyes from the amount of laughter, while Damian just grinned widely. Alfred smiled softly, and Clark, well, he just looked downright amused as he tried to smother his laughter.

" That's how we met actually, me and Jason," Alexis murmured.

" You never informed us of this, Todd," Damian stated curiously.

Jason laughed loudly, nudging her shoulder playfully.

" You boys are gonna laugh at this, but in fact we met when Alexis was going to the ball late last month, she was brushing me off something fierce when I tried to flirt with her," Jason retold, amusement coloring his tone.

Alexis just rolled her eyes in his direction.

" A wise choice," Damian commented, ignoring Jason's glare his direction.

" And then my mother tracked me down while I was at work and I kind of had to hide. But she found out my address and invited all the single guys in my apartment complex to dinner, in order to find me a husband. Jason just happened to be one of them," Alexis finished, gazing at Jason with a small smirk.

At that point, Clark couldn't contain his laughter, and even Alfred chuckled slightly.

And naturally that's when it all went South.

" So Bruce, what do you think of the new hero in Gotham, Elementum," Clark asked once they were eating pumpkin pie.

Alexis almost choked on the pastry, this a topic that she did NOT want to be a part of.

If only they knew that they were talking about her!

" I think she doesn't know what she's getting in to, but she shows promise," Bruce murmured, sipping at a cup of black coffee.

Alexis noticed Jason tensing beside her.

" She aint afraid of the Red Hood, that's for sure," He muttered darkly.

Alexis was entirely confused by his reaction, she had no idea he felt so strongly about the Gotham protector.

" Yes well, her powers may be too strong for her own good. Being able to harness the elements are a dangerous skills set," Clark noted calmly, though a slight hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

Damian glanced at her, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit when he noticed how hard her gaze was becoming.

" Alexis, what is your opinion of Elementum?" Tim asked suddenly.

All eyes turned to her and she wanted to shrink through the floor.

" I believe that she has good intentions, back in Australia everyone knew her to be a hero in her own right. She did a good job back home," Alexis stated, making sure she didn't sound too biased. " I don't know how she will adjust to a city, but maybe the bats of Gotham will work with her, keep on eye on her for themselves before judging her intentions," she added.

Bruce made a small hmmm sound before taking another sip of his coffee.

" Perhaps," he murmured.

Alexis pretended not to notice how he glanced at Clark when he said this. Did her boss know something she didn't?

Richard had gone to bed after he had started yawning uncontrollably and sagging against Bruce. Poor kid was tired out. 

They had moved to the living room now and she was leaning against Jason's shoulder, amazingly warm with his body heat and hers. Tim was talking about the classes he was doing at Gotham University, and she was actually quite interested. Damian was sitting quietly as usual, his back ramrod straight.

A knock sounded at the door, and she perked up. 

It was close to midnight, who would be coming around at this time of night?

Clearly the others thought the same, and they tensed in unison. The knocking continued to come, more frantic then the first time. 

Alfred obviously let the person in as the knocking stopped, and before she could blink there was a red flash in the room and a man stood there with lightning bolts outlined in the firelight. 

" Batman, Superman, we need you now!" The man panted, eyes wide and slightly panicked.

Was this man The Flash?!