A Basket Full of Bats

Getting Baby Off the Brain

The whole family was standing at the door when Alfred finally got to see Richard. It was the very first order of business after he was settled in to the new nursery and checked out to be sure he'd tolerated the transit well enough.

Alfred took one look at the baby. "Master Richard this simply will not do. It is unseemly for you to be continuously in such a state of undress." Alfred whipped out his measuring tape and took a few measurements. In under an hour Alfred was tenderly dressing his grandson in a little kimono style t-shirt carefully designed to allow for all of the necessary medical devices.

"He does look better that way," spoke Stephanie softly. She generally avoided Richard as he always looked so helpless and frail and it bothered her but she wanted to see Alfred get his chance. "He looks cared for."

Carrie looked at Richard but the attentive care, the specialized nursery, his dad, grandfather and brothers and sisters all around... Carrie forced a smile onto her face. "Hi cutey." That's all she said. Her parents didn't know where she was and they didn't care. It made no sense being jealous of a baby who was so sick, he couldn't even be cuddled.

Richard was home from the hospital. They were going to have at least one dinner with a strict no baby talk rule. Alfred wanted Stephanie to be able to enjoy the meal. Bruce thought it was a good idea. This thing was taking over their lives. He wanted to know what was going on in the lives of the rest of his children. They talked about plans for the summer.

Jason wanted to play baseball. Cassie wanted to do an summer arts camp. Tim had already registered himself to be a councilor in a computer science camp being run by the city for disadvantaged children. Damian just wanted the summer off school but he was flunking out of economics because it was his early class and he'd missed a lot of economics doing the milk run. He wanted to do some volunteer work at the local animal shelter.

Bruce asked. "Damian is economics going to drag your GPA down."

Damian gave a stiff nod watching Bruce as if expecting a beating.

"If you talk to the professor there is a chance you can have the class dropped for compassionate reasons, then it won't impact your GPA. I'll come talk with the professor," explained Bruce. It was sad that even after eight years Damian still seemed to think that failure was an inexcusable offense.

Damian was suspicious. "Is that even a thing?"

"It's absolutely a thing," stated Terry, "not just at schools either. My job's being held legally for compassionate reasons not just because Daddy Dearest is the boss. Family is allowed to go to bat for each other. It's kind of what family is supposed to mean."

Some of the tension Damian seemed to have been vibrating with lately seemed to leak away.

Stephanie had registered for some make up classes in summer school. She'd taken last term off but was hoping to be able to catch up and graduate along with the rest of her year.

Terry was literally on "help the family survive" duty. He was normally a technology scout for Wayne Enterprises but for now he'd been doing part time work reviewing technical proposals. All of the travel he normally did was being put on other people.

"Carrie? What about you?" encouraged Bruce.

"I want to go to the big Girl Scout jamboree in Washington. My whole troupe is saving up to go. It's an international event so there will be girls there from all over the world. It's the 100th anniversary of Scouting in America. It'll be a once in a life time trip. I've got a few more cookies to sell though." She'd never get to go. Between airfare, food and other expenses they were looking at about $500 per girl. Her parents would never help fund it. They'd signed the permission forms but they'd sign anything she shoved in front of them. She'd filled in all the health forms and questionnaires herself. She'd marked the week on her family calendar in July.

"Alfred how many families are registered for the Gotham Children's Society Spring Picnic?"

"Approximately 300 Master Bruce."

"I'll take 360 boxes Carrie. We'll put a box of cookies in each care package Alfred."

Carrie's eyes widened. "...th, th, thank you. That's a hundred cases you know." Carrie had met Batman before meeting Bruce. She'd saved his life with a cast iron fry pan, a Girl Scout first aid kit and several clever gadgets constructed out of scrap metal, paracord, duct tape and abandoned electronics. Alfred used to be a Boy Scout back in England.

"Did the Joker ever get brought in?" asked Bruce.

Alfred cleared his throat. Masks had no place at the dinner table.

Bruce shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

Terry nodded and mouthed Catwoman.

Bruce smirked.

Cassie giggled and hissed making little scratchy cat paws.

Alfred cleared his throat again. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Need I remind you of our dinner rules?"

"Harley, Poison Ivy and Catwoman were all rather put out with the Joker," spoke Stephanie with a smirk. "The bastard got bitch slapped so hard he begged to go back to Arkham until the ladies calmed down a bit."

"MISS STEPHANIE! Language!"

"Sorry Al."

Miss Stephanie didn't really look repentant.