Motherless Children, Childless Mother

Prologue

"When I had my kids, especially the second-"

"Mom, I'm adopted. Remember?"

"Oh, right. I forgot."

•

She was a broken woman. Or that's what Tim thought the first time he saw her. The nosy neighbour who'd sometimes entertain himself by spying on the family, if one could call it that, next door. A husband, a wife and their two children. One would call it a traditional family.

He found out four startling pieces of information. The first was Bruce Wayne was Batman. Yes, the reckless billionaire. He'd decided to strike the playboy from the list of adjectives, the random ladies had stopped being chauffeured out on some mornings. That was probably directly tied to his second discovery.

Mrs. Wayne.

At first, he was spooked. Tim thought she was a ghost. Long pale hair, white like snow with eyes the color of ash. As if every colour had been drained from her, including life. She didn't move like a person who wanted to live. A slender, willowy figure who had sad eyes.

Tim decided to avoid the ghost like lady as much as he could.

The third secret, the first Robin was Nightwing and Nightwing is Dick Grayson. He wondered when would be the right time to ask for a photo or of he should use the secret as leverage for something cooler.

Last but not the least was Robin. Or rather who Robin was. Jason Todd. It was the only reason reason Tim even enjoyed attending the drab galas he had to attend with his parents. He could fanboy over Robin face to face!

Yet, his greatest discovery that he would later realise, was whenever they were around, they brought a smile to her face.

•

The first time Dick Grayson met Marieka was before she was even a Wayne. Only once. He thought perhaps it would be the only time, after all, Bruce had the reputation of a playboy to keep up with.

"He picked her up from jail?!"

"I believe it's not good manners to eavesdrop, Master Dick."

"HE PICKED UP A RANDOM LADY FROM JAIL?!"

"Well, first of all no. Master Bruce is fairly acquainted with Mrs. Malcolm and technically he's picking her up from a police station, not jail."

The clarification only served to horrify Dick, the fact that she might be a criminal surprised him less.

"Is he sleeping with a married woman?!"

"Should I be concerned that you think Master Bruce would have an affair?" Alfred calmly herded the boy inside his room, "Perhaps a bath will help ease your worries."

"Forget a bath, you didn't answer my question."

"You can ask Master Bruce when he returns."

And Dick fully intended to.

Dinner passed quickly, he ate with Alfred. By the time he felt sleepy, there was still no sign of his father returning. The little boy fell asleep by the stair case, waiting.

"Poor thing. He's so young too."

He heard the whisper first, a scratchy voice. But that of a woman's he was sure. Someone brushed his hair back, a touch light like a feather.

Bruce's words came in a whisper too, "So, what I asked you earlier... now that you've seen him, you agree?"

"I didn't disagree in the first place."