Batman's Secretary

Being In Charge

" Jason, your brothers are crazy!" Alexis squeaked, hair frizzing, clothes in disarray and eyes wide open in abject terror.

Richard was swinging up in the chandelier, emitting childish giggles and waving down at her. Damian was grinning deviously as he aimed small suction cap darts at his younger brother who just stuck out his tongue and dodged them all.

" Alfred has only left for two minutes and they've gone wild!" She shrieked, clutching her hair and gazing at her boyfriend who was just sitting there gazing up at the chaos with a bored expression.

" Just chill, Alexis, this happens all the time," Jason said with a shrug.

" ALL THE TIME! This is insane! Your family is insane! I can not deal with this insanity!" Alexis hissed warningly.

She yanked her crutches from the side of the couch and even though Jason made a move to stop her, her frosty glare stopped any and all objections.

Vaulting herself off the couch with her crutches, she hobble walked out of the living room and in to the centre of the chaos. Dodging a suction cap dart with a dip of her head. 

" ENOUGH," She yelled at the top of her lungs.

With a little help from the wind, her yell carried through all the room with startling intensity.

Damian dropped his darts with a startled look, and Richard stilled in his swinging and taunting, staring at Alexis with a deer in headlights expression.

" Richard, I don't know how you got up there, and I don't care, get down this instant! Damian, stop throwing darts at your brother. Both of you will sit down and do something calm and normal, and you will like it, or I will make you organize Bruce's files!" Alexis hissed sternly.

Any male would know never to trifle with a woman when she was in this mood, or using 'the tone'. 

A slow clap from Jason made her swivel her glare to him, and he shrunk back with a mouthed 'sorry'.

Huffing a small sigh she used her crutches to regain her seat on the couch, and taking out her latest history textbook, she began to read about Egyptian mummification techniques.

When Jason sniggered slightly at Damian and Richard's guilty expressions, she was tempted to mummify all three of them. 

Twenty minutes later, Alfred emerged from where he'd been taking stock of the Batcave medbay supplies, they ere running out of alcohol swabs.

He entered to check on his charges and see what was chaos he was going to have to deal with, a resigned look on his face as he prepared to observe the usual carnage. To say his eyes widened in shock at the sight of the quiet scene, with the four reading or in Richard's case, drawing, would be putting it lightly.

No carnage.

No injuries.

No wrecked room.

No scolding needed.

Just peace, calm, and most startlingly, quiet.

It had to be the apocalypse. 

With a small shake of his head he just walked out of the room with disbelief still clear in his gaze.

Back in the living room, Alexis just smirked proudly to herself.

After a hurried dinner, the boys left to do a patrol, and Alexis gave her approval for Jason to join them, much to his delight. Alfred had assured them that Alexis would be fine in his capable care.

The second they left, Alfred was back to mother henning her.

" I should be out there with him," Alexis sighed, drooping slightly in the seat with a fierce pout.

" You, young lady, are recovering, and do you really think taking on villains when on crutches is a good idea?" Alfred challenged, handing her a steaming cup of tea.

Alexis sipped the delicious tea appreciatively, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she would be needed.

" You know I could just fly and not have to touch the ground and walk," she reasoned lightly.

Alfred placed a warm hand on her shoulder gently.

" When you are recovered you can beat Gotham's villains for as long as you please," Alfred consoled, earning a small smile in return.

Alexis decided to make the most of the evening then and there. She would have fun, she would enjoy herself, and she would enjoy the next day with them too.

" Alfred, what's it like waiting for them every night, not knowing what condition they'll return in, even if they do return?" She asked as the night seemed to drag on.

She knew Jason could definitely fend for himself, as a fellow hero she knew that he had to do his own thing, and despite her knowing about him being the Red Hood, it apparently didn't change anything for him. He'd kept on going as if all was normal, as if she didn't know that he sometimes, rarely nowadays, killed people. If he could move on so quickly with the new change, then apparently she should too. They hadn't brought up the subject, and she doubted they would.

It didn't stop her from worrying that maybe, just maybe, he might not come back this time.

However, if he knew her identity she was certain he'd bring up the conversation, even if it risked him looking a little bit like a hypocrite. 

Alfred was silent through all her inner musings, sensing that she was thinking deeply.

" I have served the Wayne family since Master Bruce was born. Through joy, new life, tragedy, death, and all manner of trials I've stood with him. Being Batman isn't just a hobby or a night job for him, the Batman is a part of him, and I respect that. He has such good intentions, hoping to protect Gotham from he darkness that plagued his young life. While I was dubious when he intended to bring his children in to the crime fighting business, it has helped them, much like it helped him. I like to think, that despite my heart breaking every time my, dare I say it, son and grandchildren, go to risk their lives, that my heartache is nothing compared to the hope they bring Gotham," Alfred explained, his eyes swimming with countless memories.

Alfred was not just a Butler.

She had known it all along really, just the way that the family always spoke of him even before she'd had the joy of meeting him. He raised Bruce through thick and thin, and then he helped raise his children as well. He was less of a Butler, more so and grandfather to Jason and the boys, and a surrogate father to the legendary Batman.

He cared, and he cared deeply.

Just like she did about Jason.

They both watched the ones they loved go out to battle the dark of the world, and they both bore it, even if they didn't want to, it was their duty, be the support, be there for them when they leave, and be there when they returned.

They were in charge, in a sense. In charge of caring, of supporting, of holding down the home fort. 

They shared a role, she and Alfred, and dare she say that he was becoming her grandfather as well? 

He seemed to sense the same thing if the warm hand squeezing her cold one in comfort was anything to go by.

" When you recover and join them out there, you can watch over them for a worried old man," Alfred assured and pleaded at one time.

How could she refuse him?

" Always," She murmured, giving him a swift hug.

" Bless you my dear ".