Children Of The Bat

Chapter 8: Secrets to Remember

Mary's P.O.V
Dec. 4, 2022, 21:00 EST Wayne Manor

I cried at the sight of the blood seeping from my arm. I felt the tears run down my cheeks as I took in a sharp breath. I heard someone running down the hall and I looked to the arch. I caught a glimpse of a dark blur run past the opening and it stopped itself by grasping the frame, it then whipped itself into the room. The man stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with worry. He ran up to me and wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed my arms tightly around his neck.

"What's wrong with my little, Mare Bear?" He asked gently and kissed my cheek.

"I t-tripped and h-hit the coffee table, Popa," I stuttered and showed him my arm. He grabbed my arm and looked at the cut.

"It's not that bad, Mary," he assured me. "But let's get a band-aid on it. Okay?"

"Okay," I said softly, leaning my head on his shoulder.

We walked into the kitchen and he set me on the counter. "Stay here, Baby. I'll be back in a second."

"Okay, Popa."

He poked my nose and left the room through one door as an older man walked in another, carrying some bags of stuff I know I'm going to hate!

"Alfie!" I shouted happily, but glared at the bag.

"Hello, Miss Mary." He set the bags next to me and asked, "What are you doing on the counter, did Master Bruce, forget to let you down again?"

"No, I falled on the coffee table and he put me here," I said.

"Fell," he corrected. I looked at him confused. "Fell," he said again. "You fell on the coffee table, Miss Mary."

"Ohhh...sorry," I apologized.

"It is fine, Miss Mary, it was a mistake, we all make them," he said and kissed my forehead.

"You don't!" I said throwing my hands in the air, "You're the bestest at everything, Alfie!"

"It may be hard to believe, Miss Mary, but even I make mistakes," he said, brushing something off his uniform.

"Yup," We heard Popa say when he walked into the room. "Like buying you, this," he said pulling out a bright blue, puffy dress.

"Eww," I groaned. "No, no, no, no, no! I don't wanna wear it!" I whined.

"Miss Mary, you need it for the Winter Ball, tomorrow," Alfie said sternly.

"But..."

"No 'but's'," he said.

Then Popa looked in the bag again. "Look on the bright side, Mare Bear," he said pulling out bright blue "glass" slippers.

"Oooh," I breathed. "Pretty!"

He chuckled at me. "And look!" He said excitedly, pulling out a band-aid from the box of band-aids that are only for me because of the designs.

"Yay!" We both shouted.

Alfie rolled his eyes at us, "I swear you both act just like children."

"I'm five!" I retorted.

"And I'm her grandpa!"

"How is that an argument, Master Bruce?" Alfie asked.

"Because grandpas are the children of the grownup world!" He shouted, throwing his arms up like I've been doing.

I giggled at him. Then got excited and shouted, "What's the band-aid, Popa, What's the hero!?"

"Let's see!" He said and peeled away the paper. "And it's..."