A few hours later came one of the woes of babies changing their diapers. Alfred was busy cooking so it was up to Bruce and the boys to do this task.
"I'm not doing it!" Jason said quite clearly.
"Me either!" Tim said figuring he didn't want to be scared at twelve years old.
"You're his dad Bruce so it should be your job."
"Uggghh fine I'll do it. Alright Damian let's make this easy please? Dick get me the diaper."
Dick quickly got it as well as the wipes and baby powder and handed them to Bruce.
He looked at his son who was pouting and whining feeling very uncomfortable in his soiled diaper. Bruce then removed the tabs and slowly peeled off the front part. What they saw and smelled then made everyone just about puke right then and there.
"Ewwwww! That's disgusting!" Tim yelled.
"How can something this small make something that nasty?" Dick asked unable to handle this.
"Just throw it away! Just throw it away! Ugghh why do we have this brat if he makes stuff like this!" Jason yelled in absolute disgust.
"Everyone just calm down and it will all be over soon!" Bruce yelled.
He then proceeded to wipe Damian and fold the diaper up. He then threw it away and powdered Damian. Bruce then who tapped a fresh diaper around Damian and sighed with relief after the whole thing was over.
"I don't know how I'm going to do this several times a day." Bruce said as he picked up Damian
"You get used to it Master Bruce, now if you could all please gather in the dining room." Alfred said as he walked up behind everyone.
"Finally I'm starving!" Tim said as he ran off to the dining room.
"Geesh brat slow down!" Jason said as he walked towards the dining room himself.
Dick chuckled as he rolled his eyes and followed his brother's to the dining room.
"Master Bruce how about I take young Master Damian while you eat you've already done so much today sir."
"Ok." Bruce said not really wanting to let go of Damian.
Neither did Damian who tightly gripped onto Bruce as Alfred tried to take him.
"Now Damian come on Alfred will take good care of you."
Bruce unwillingly but forcefully removed Damian's little fingers from his shirt and handed him to Alfred. Damian squirmed and cried in Alfred arms not wanting to be in them. Though luckily Alfred had a way with children and quickly calmed him doe by rocking him. Damian then became mesmerized by Alfred having this feeling this was a man he could always trust to be there.
With Damian out of his arms Bruce reluctantly went to eat dinner. He ate in silence all the boys busy talking to each other luckily. In his head he reviewed the day's events from Damian's arrival to being topped with the responsibilities of a parent. He felt in over his head and happy all at the same time, he didn't know what to do.
It then came time to go out on patrol, after all he was still the Batman. He signaled Dick, Jason, and Tim it was time leading them over to the batcave. They all suited up and got in their range of vehicles. Batman and Robin in the Batmobile and Red Hood and Nightwing on the cycle.
Jason had become Red Hood after a short time of being Robin. After being thought to be dead for two years Jason finally came out of the shadows as Red Hood. He hunted down Joker, who had tried to kill him, and killed him. But Bruce still took him back in, knowing he would need a real home to recover from the two years of agony he faced.
The group went through most the city within a few hours taking down thugs and other small time criminals. There were not any super villains that night which made it one of those rare easy nights. Bruce couldn't complain about that, still exhausted from the other night.
Just before they were done with patrol Batman was off in the rather dark part of town. Batman was about to leave when he heard a fearful plead.
"Please I'll give you whatever you want just don't hurt him!"
It sounded like a woman's voice.
"Give me everything you got or you'll be burying him."
Bruce focused on the ally way this was happening and saw the woman emptying her purse before the man.
"This is all you've got!"
"I'm sorry I don't have a lot just please give me back my baby!"
"You've got one minute to get more money or I blow this baby's brains out!"
Something quickly went off in Batman causing him to immediately face the man.
"No! Not you get out of the way or I'll shoot!"
"No you won't."
With in a flash Batman disarmed and took the thug down. He then also took the luckily unharmed baby in his arms and handed him back to his mother. She thanked him, then collected her things, and ran home.
All the members of Batman's team met back up around midnight and then rode back. They could all tell Bruce was shocked up which was very odd to them but decided not to say anything about it.
As Tim rode with Bruce he gathered the courage to ask Bruce what everyone wanted to know about.
"Bruce are you ok?"
Bruce came out of his daze and answered Tim "I fine Tim."
Tim knew he was lying but decided to not question any further.
Bruce went back into his thoughts thinking over what had just happened. The entire time he fought the thug and from the moment that woman mentioned her baby Bruce could only think of Damian. He had only known the kid for a day and already he found himself unbelievably attached. As he thought on he suddenly felt someone shaking him.
"Bruce!"
Bruce came out of his daze to find Tim shaking his shoulder.
"Are you sure you are fine?"
Bruce paused for a moment and then responded "I'm fine but I need to see Damian."
Bruce then quickly exited the car and speed walked out of the Batcave. Tim sat there frozen shocked to have ever gotten even that much of a feeling from him especially in Batman mode.
Bruce then arrived at the door of Damian's nursery and slowly and quietly opened the door. He then went over to Damian's crib and saw how peacefully he slept. Unable to contain himself Bruce took off his cowl and carefully picked his son up cradling him in his arms.
Surprisingly Damian didn't wake up but cuddled closer to Bruce sensing it was his father's arms he was in. Bruce thoroughly enjoyed this there was honestly not one thing he could find wrong with his son in his eyes he was absolutely perfect and nothing was going to change his love for him.
"Enjoying ourselves Master Bruce?" Alfred said with a smug smile.
"Well uhh Alfred I uhhhh welll hmmm... yes." Bruce said out of defeat unable to keep his inner feelings contained.
"I thought so now come on I do believe someone else needs their rest?"
"Alright alright I get the message."
Bruce gently put the sleeping Damian back in his crib, luckily able to pry his fingers off his suit without waking him up.
Alfred and Bruce then quietly exited the nursery and shut the door behind him. They both then walked over to Bruce's room, which was the next one over, and started their usual nightly routine. Alfred helped Bruce take off the rather difficult suit and then would look over all of his wounds seeing which ones needed stitching up.
As Alfred did so Bruce could sense that the butler had something to ask him.
"What is it Alfred?"
"Sir I am rather curious as to what the young master's position is here?"
"What do you mean?" Bruce said rather nervously.
"You know what I mean."
"I don't know at this point Alfred, am I honestly good for him. I mean I could put him in a lot of danger."
"Sir I believe you would rather die than see him in danger, I can see the connection."
Bruce thought over his day once more and then smiled a little bit when he finally came to a conclusion.
"I presume you have come to a conclusion sir."
Bruce then nodded knowing what he would have to do now.
One week later
Damian actually giggled as Bruce tickled him. This was something he practically never did but when it came to his father he would almost always give in. Though admittedly Dick could sometimes even get a giggle out of the rather solemn baby.
As Bruce played with Damian he began to think over the week he had. He had had several sleepless nights having to sooth Damian, several articles of clothing ruined, an unbelievable amount of diapers he had to change, and an overall exaggerating week. But he had also had many tender moments, seen many great moments between his sons, had unconditional love, and all the wonders a child brings.
It then came time to feed Damian so Bruce started to head to the kitchen until he heard the mansions bell go off. Jason who had happen to be passing by the door opened it and then said a phrase Bruce had to cover Damian's ears for.
Jason then came up to Bruce and looked rather worried.
"Uuuhh Bruce you are going to want to take this."
Bruce could read it was imperative from Jason's face so he nodded and handed Damian over to him. Damian squirmed in Jason arms wanting to be back with his father.
"Look brat I don't like this anymore than you do, but believe me you are going to want your dad to take this." Jason said rather irritated not really being a fan of Damian or babies in general.
Meanwhile Bruce came up to the door and had the same reaction as Jason for it was none other than Talia Al Ghul.
"Hello my beloved."
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you think Bruce? I am here to take Damian out of your hair. After today you can forget both of us and you'll never have to deal with me again. Though I must thank you it truly wasn't safe to have him around with what was happening with the League. But that's resolved now so just hand him over and I'll be on my way."
Bruce did nothing but stare for a while making Talia rather uncomfortable and confused.
"Bruce, are you going to give him over or what?"
"No."
"Excuse me."
"I said no Talia you're not taking him back."
"What do you mean you're not giving him back? He is my son and-!"
"Our son and I don't think he is safe with you. Being around you and the league is not good for him. I will not let you and Ra turn him into some weapon or killing machine. I will be taking care of him now because you have made it clear you don't care. You left him here without saying when you would be back, a single thing to take care of him with, and now you just show up saying your going to take him back into a den of assassins!"
"I brought him here because I was worried, and I don't believe I saw you coming to find him!"
"I didn't even know he was alive!"
"You think you can go up against the league of shadows, take away what could potentially be their best recruit?"
"I'll face all of them if I have to buy either way I'm keeping Damian."
"Fine then just know that I'll always be there and that you better keep a close eye. After all you never know when we might sneak in and take him."
"Over my dead body."
With that the infuriated Talia turned and left disappearing as soon as she passed one of the hedges in the front garden.
Bruce then triumphantly went back inside happy he was the one who was going to be raising their son. Though he did feel kind of bad for taking Damian from Talia, she was still his mother. But he knew if Damian stuck with her he would end up a merciless assassin with only a future of death.