A Little Birdy Told Me (Bat Family)

Early Bird

Michelle

I wake up to someone gently shaking me. I groaned and rolled over, facing away from the person interrupting my sleep. I could tell from the deep chuckle that is was my dad trying to wake me. We were up half the night working on our game plan for the event tonight. And by game plan I mean talking about what were were going to say to Mr. Diebaux then doing silly dances to classical music and eating ice cream. You could say I was a little tuckered out.

"I guess you don't want to try Alfred's French Toast, I'll go let the poor man down for you."

I groaned again as my stomach growled. The hunger would go away if I just fell back asleep.

That didn't stop Dad from guilting me. "It's a shame, really. He learned how to make it while he was in actual France." He sighed as I heard him twist the door knob.

I reluctantly pushed the covers off of me and stood on the bed to stretch. I caught the smile on Dad's face and couldn't help the one that spread across my own. "How can I turn down real French French Toast?"

"That's what I like to hear." He opened the door to leave me to get ready for the day.

I did a front flip off the bed and made my way to the bathroom.

"Where did you learn that?" His smile disappeared. He looked horrified.

My heart dropped. "What? The flip? Mommy taught me." The words came out shakily. Why did the flip make him sad?

"Oh... Selina. I thought..." His words trailed off.

I raised my eyebrows. "You thought what?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, it's nothing." He said, but he saw I wasn't taking that for an answer and sighed. "It's silly, I just thought Damian had taught that to you." He rubbed the back of his neck.

I looked down at my feet. "He wouldn't teach me anything. He doesn't even talk to me anymore."

He took a knee in front of me and lifted my chin with a finger. "He'll come around again, he just needs some processing time. He thinks I'm being too nice to you, your other brothers, Richard, Timothy, and Jason were the same way with him." He tried to make me feel better. "Jason still has resentment for Tim." He rolled his eyes. "But we're all one big family and would do anything we can to protect one another."

"Are you sure?" I asked looking into his blue eyes. "It seems like he hates me."

"Positive, he doesn't hate you at all, if he hates anyone it's me." He chuckled. "And I'm okay with that."

I laughed nervously. I didn't want anyone to hate anyone. "Right."

He stood then. He put his hand on his hips and looked down at me. "What else can you do?"

I was uneasy, should I tell him? When I did the flip it made him look so sad. I didn't want to see him like that again. But he seemed eager to hear it all. I was about to open my mouth to speak when my stomach growled.

His dad mode clicked on. "Right I forgot, you need to eat, we can talk over breakfast." He said moving towards the door again. "See you down stairs." He smiled and shut the door behind him.

I got through my morning routine and made my way downstairs, the kitchen table was already set and a steaming plate of breakfast was waiting for me.

"Good Morning, Ms. Michelle, I trust you slept well?" Alfred asked from the sink, already washing the pots he used to cook.

"Always, thanks Alfred." I smiled up at the elder man. My dad was sitting next to me eating his French Toast. I picked up my fork and went away at the breakfast.