Y'all know that you're allowed to comment, right? Even if it's stupid. It's fun to read and I'm constantly bored.

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Bruce looked down at the teenager who was wolfing down pasta like she hadn't seen food in a week. "What am I supposed to do with a girl, Alf?"

"The same things you do for the boys, I believe sir. Except she can only eat foods that are pink." Alfred said dryly.

Bruce sighed. "You know what I meant. Barbara and Stephanie are the closest I've ever been to having a daughter. I don't know what to do with her!"

Alfred cringed as Cass started licking the rest of the sauce off of her plate. "Teach her basic manners, first of all. She's barely used the fork I gave her."

"Knowing Cain, manners probably weren't high on his priority list. The boys said that she's basically his police dog."

Cass chugged the bottle of water in front of her. Then she wiped off her mouth with the back of her hand. "I gave her a napkin." Alfred muttered. But then she looked at him with the sweetest little smile, her plate outstretched, and he relented slightly. He took the dish from her. "Thank you, Miss Cassandra."

She pushed back her chair, hopping to her feet, off to find Damian. Bruce caught her arm. She looked back to him, startled. He pointed towards her bathroom. She pointed out the door, towards Damian's room. Bruce shook his head, pointing back to the bathroom. She deflated slightly, walking to get a change of clothes from her backpack.

"I'll go run her shower." Alfred said. "I don't want her to break it."

"Will she need toiletries?" Bruce asked.

"I already put some things in the shower, and she has a towel and a dressing gown hanging."

"Thank you, Alfred. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Die, sir. You and your children both. Miss Cain, you can wait until I have shut the door before you undress!" He stared at Bruce as he closed the bathroom door. "We're going to have fun dealing with that one."

Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't think that she knows any better."

"Of course she doesn't. But she will learn soon enough. What are you going to do about the boys?"

"What about the boys?"

"Everything! Activities, entertainment! You don't want to deal with bored boys all summer."

"And a bored girl is easy?"

"I get the feeling that she's used to boredom. Those boys though... they'll be a handful."

As if on cue, Tim came stomping. "I'm going to kill that little brat if his entitled ass doesn't stop whining!"

"Please don't kill your little brother, Timbo. He's been here for an hour, give him a chance." Bruce was already sick of having so many kids.

"I'm trying, but he's making it very difficult. And isn't there a girl? I haven't even seen her!"

Bruce jerked his thumb towards the bathroom door. "She's in the shower. As you should be."

"Bruce-"

"Tim. Shower, now. Then, bed."

"Fiiinnnee." Tim turned on his heel.

-•-

"Chocolate or vanilla?" Dick asked, digging through the freezer.

"Vanilla."

"Good deal." Dick took out the vanilla. It was the good stuff, made with whole milk and cream and real vanilla. After retrieving two bowls, spoons and an ice cream scoop, he got to work dishing out two generous servings of ice cream. He set one down in front of Damian and took a seat.

"So, you're what, seven?"

"And a half. I'll be eight in September."

"Ooh, you're old." Dick paused. "God, I'M old if Talia is your mother. I was a couple years older than you when she and Bruce were together. I hated her."

Damian was immediately offended. "My mother is the most wonderful woman in the world. If you don't like her, that's your fault."

Dick smiled. "I see. You're a mama's boy."

"And I'm proud of it." Damian took a bite of ice cream. His legs swung over the base of the stool. He was a cute kid. There was no denying that he was Talia and Bruce's child, either. He looked just like them both.

"Anything you want to do while you're in Gotham?" Dick poured some fruit loops onto his ice cream and started mixing it together. Damian made a face. "Want some? You can't knock it til you try it."

"I will pass. I am not sure what I would like to do. Learn the ins and outs of Wayne Enterprises, I suppose."

"That's a boring way to spend the summer. Tim and I have friends coming over in the morning... er, afternoon. You can meet them. Maybe tomorrow we can go get pizza. Jason used to really love this place called 'Jim's' in the Narrows."

"The Narrows?"

"The shady side of Gotham. Well, the really shady side. All of Gotham is pretty shady. Jay's from Crime Alley, which is like, the worst part."

"I was not aware of that." Damian thought for a moment. "He really is a peasant."

Dick scoffed. "You really are something else. Alright, you're done. Go to bed."

"I don't want to."

"I don't care. I think you're about to give your friend Cass an aneurism." Bruce had just texted him, saying basically that.

"She's not my friend. She's my bodyguard."

"Well then, she has all the more reason to be nervous. Just go to bed, alright? It's three in the morning."

"Fine." Damian huffed. He hopped up, heading upstairs.

-•-

The three adults met up in the living room after the kids had all been put to bed, sleeping soundly. "So, are we going to address the elephant in the room?" Dick asked. "You have a kid. A whole biological child that you didn't know about, with TALIA AL GHUL of all people."

Bruce sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"How about explaining how that even happened?!"

"Well, you see son, when two people-"

"I'm 20 years old, I don't need the talk, Bruce. You know what I meant."

"She hid it from me, Dick. I'm not a telepath, I didn't know."

"Fine, but what about Jason?! He's been alive this whole time, and he's been with her?! Did you do something to piss her off? Why on earth would she keep two of your sons away from you?"

"I don't know how Talia's mind works. She just does whatever she wants, that's why I broke up with her! I know just as much as you do. She dropped them here for the summer with a bonus kid, because why not give me even more work?"

"If I may," Alfred interrupted. "The details of what happened don't matter right now. What matters is figuring out what to do with three more children for the summer. We don't know anything about Damian or Cassandra, and we haven't seen Jason in years. They need to be occupied and enjoy their time here.

"Bruce, you have to start thinking about some serious things. How are you going to get to know them? And what the hell are we going to do with a disabled teenage girl? Do you want to figure out or treat her condition in some way or leave her alone?"

"Alfred!" Bruce didn't let him finish. "I don't know! It's the middle of the night, I just got the biggest shock of my life, and you're trying to force decisions out of me. I don't know yet! I'll think about it, I'll work on it, but I don't have all the solutions at 4 o'clock in the damn morning!"

"I need to get home," Dick said nervously.

"Just sleep in your old room." Both of the other men said in unison.

"Okay. But Bruce is right. It's late, we're all exhausted. Let's go get some rest. Alfred, go to bed. I'll drag Bruce."

"Yes, I think that is a good plan. Goodnight sirs, rest well." Alfred rose and heading to his room, tucked away somewhere. Dick was pretty sure that he'd never been there.

"C'mon, B." Dick got up, his father figured groaning behind him as he began to follow. Dick had nearly reached his room when he noticed something down the hall.

He sighed, making his way over to Damian's door, where Cassandra was curled up, fast asleep. "Come here, kid. I gotcha." He picked her up as gently as he could, but she still startled awake. "It's alright, it's alright! Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. It's time for bed. Don't worry about Damian, he's safe. So are you." He moved back her sheets and laid her down. He tucked her in snugly. "Stay here this time. I promise you're ok."

He knew that she couldn't understand anything he was telling her, but he had hoped his calm demeanor would keep her relaxed. And it had. She was back to sleep before he even flipped off the light. He whispered goodnight wishes into the dark room, gently closing the door behind him.