Sunday, Wayne Manor, the dining room
The sound of the cutlery clinging was the only sound in the dining room. Nerissa was only looking at her plate, trying to resist the urge to look at Jason, she was focusing on her food. Until Damian 'accidentally' bumped his elbow with hers causing her to drop her fork on the floor. She tried to get up to grab it, but to everyone's surprise Damian picked it up and went to the kitchen to get her another before Alfred could. The boys understood Damian was trying to get her DNA, Cassandra knew Damian's body language so well, she knew it was no accident. Bruce on the other hand was so focused on trying to deflate the tension that he did not notice the silent exchange that happened right under his nose. Dick decided to break the silence that was weighing on everyone and ask a question that was burning on his tongue for a week now.
"So Jay did you go fully nude?"
Both Nerissa and Jason choked on their food, Tim and Damian were snickering, even Cassandra smirked for a second, Bruce however was not amused. He quickly took control of the conversation to spare both Nerissa and Jason the awkwardness on the table.
"So, Nerissa here, is a very talented painter, Alfred and I both agreed that it was time for a family portrait and we are in the midst of negotiating terms, are we not Nerissa?" she was gulping wine hoping to die again right here right now, alcohol poisoning? cardiac arrest? anything to just disappear from this table. She only managed to nod. She saw that Dick was about to start talking again, she braced herself to whatever awkward thing he was going to say.
"That's a great idea! How are we going to manage though? We all have jobs and schools and you know lives, as I'm sure she does too." phew that's easy enough to answer.
"It depends really on what we agree, Mister W- I mean Bruce suggested single portraits as well, I can take pictures and work from them, or we can try to find a day a week where we're all free for the family portrait, but it's going to take time, and it also depends on the dimensions of each painting, if they'll be anything like the ones I saw on my way to the study I can't work on them at my apartment, the canvas won't make it through the door." she was looking at them while talking, avoiding Jason of course, "And I do have two jobs at the moment, so I don't know how it would work, I mean it's an amazing opportunity for me but it needs a little bit of planing." The boys knew they had to convince her to take the job if they were to uncover anything Bruce was hiding, Damian gave Dick a look they were both on board, Jason was not too fond of the idea of spending time in the manor, but he couldn't deny that he wanted to spend more time with Nerissa, 'just for the mission' he told himself. Tim was the first to speak.
"I can find time, like after class at GU we can come here together if you want? And Tuesday and Thursday you can come with Damian after school? And we're all off on Sundays for the family portrait, sounds good no?" she wanted to ask him 'when do I live my life if I'm here everyday?'. She knew she had to take it, it was an amazing chance for her, and she was desperate for the cash, but she didn't want them to know.
"My days are full on Tuesday and Thursday, and I can't possibly occupy your Sundays, Sunday is family day I'm sure you have things to do together instead of sitting still for hours with a stranger staring at you." she looked at Bruce to see what he thought, he seemed like he was considering his options. He didn't want her here everyday, but he had to admit her spending time here would ensure her safety, and the boys would be around more, specially Jason.
"Nothing has to be decided right now, but if this portrait is to be painted I want you to do it, of that there is not doubt. The decision is yours. How are you liking the food?" he said with a smile.
"It's all delicious, did Mister Pennyworth cook it?" she was so curious about Alfred's position in this household, he seemed to be the only thing holding it together. Bruce picked up the meaning behind her question.
"Yes he did. See Alfred is our butler, he practically raised me after my parents were killed, he is what holds us all together in a way." he spoke in a soft tone, she smiled at him. A little silence spread until she spoke again.
"I have to ask, and I don't mean to be rude, but you three and Cassandra have different last names, but Damian is a Wayne?" it was Damian who answered.
"Father adopted them all, I am his natural son, which means I am the only blood son, I-" Jason cut him off before Damian went on with his usual tirade of how superior the blood son is, the one true heir and all that crap.
"Shut it demon." Bruce wanted to intervene, he didn't want a scene or a knife throwing match to break, he was surprised to hear what Nerissa said.
"Don't call him a demon." she snapped and turned to Damian who was smirking at Jason, forgetting where she was and how badly her reaction would affect her chance for this gig she continued in a serious and harsh tone, "and Damian, family doesn't end in blood, and it doesn't start there either." she was adopted, she never knew her biological parents, she had no idea if they were still alive, and she had lost the only family she had in that plane crash, she kept going, "you should consider yourself lucky to have your father and be surrounded by people you can call brothers and sisters, remember that not everybody can, all of you should, so yeah don't call him a demon." she finished looking at Jason who believes that was the exact moment he fell for her. She realized what had happened when she felt so many different emotions engulfing her, she looked to her left and remembered she was sitting at Bruce Wayne's table, "I'm sorry Mister Wayne I didn't mean to overstep, I just-"
"Don't worry about it, someone had to tell them off, and please it's Bruce." he gave her a smile and then glared at his kids. His phone buzzed and he excused himself to answer it. The table was silent, Dick was smirking like an idiot thinking he might have found his new best friend in his quest to fix Damian and Jason's relationship, Tim was amazed that someone shut Damian up and that was not shot with one of his snarky replies or knives, Damian felt so bad and awkward, Jason's emotions were all over the place, and Cassandra well she shocked everyone with what she said breaking the tense silence.
"I like her." she smiled and continued eating. Tim took the opportunity to ask.
"Did you really quote Supernatural?"
"Yeah, well Bobby Singer is a wise man." she laughed a bit, she started standing up "Now if you'll excuse me I could use some air." she needed a cigarette is what she needed.
She walked out of the dining room and tried to find her way to a balcony or a window. She found herself facing a beautiful garden, she lit up a cigarette as she sat down on one of the marble benches and was greeted by an overjoyed Thirteen and Alfred the cat. She was weighing her options, laying out the pros and cons of this job. It would take a lot of her time, but it'snot like she actually had a life, painting was all that mattered to her, but spending so much time with this crazy family didn't seem like a good idea, specially after snapping at them like that. They hadn't discussed the payment but 6 portraits would be a lot of money, and with all the parties this house held, it would mean a lot of exposure. But if she spent most her time here, how was she going to get to know Red Hood? that is if he came back to her window. Why was she thinking about Red Hood that way? if anything she was going to yell at him for lying to her and for killing the creep. She put out her cigarette in her portable ashtray and was standing up when she saw a magnificent black Great Dane trotting her way. He looked scary, he came closer and sniffed around her a bit before nudging her leg with his head, she automatically pets him. She starts walking back to the house, the three animals are walking with her, the dog is leading the way. Once inside she sees Tim walking her way. The dog starts growling at him and Tim says shooting a look at the dog.
"Be careful, Titus is really mean." she crouches next to the dog and pets him a bit and then tells him.
"You're not mean to Tim are you? You're a good boy, come on Titus show Tim that you're a good boy." Titus' tale was moving really fast. He came closer to Tim and licked his hand. Tim did not believe it, and neither did Damian, Cassandra, Jason and Dick who were standing just a few feet away. Bruce walked in on the scene unraveling, he was looking for them, when he went back to the dining room everyone was gone. He asks bringing them all back to reality.
"Have you come up with a decision Nerissa?" they all turn to look at him.
"Actually I have." they turn to look at her, Alfred comes in and suggests tea or coffee for the discussion to come, Jason says he'll help him prepare. She chooses coffee, Jason asks her how she likes it, even though he had already brought her coffee once, which is what she wanted to say before Dick cut in and said smirking.
"Like she likes herself, dark, bitter and too hot for you." she turns to look at him very confused and sees him laughing, she can't help but laugh herself and ask.
"You were there? Shit this is so embarrassing" Jason was clearly uncomfortable with the exchange but waited to see where Dick was.
"Yeah, it's my favorite coffee shop. And, EPIC is what it was, I kinda tripped him before he reached the door." he was so proud of himself.
"Oh god, that was you? Thank you for that!" she noticed Jason's tense state and turned to him and said "the one you got me was perfect" she felt him relax a bit when he saw her smile. His eyes were so different, they were indecisive as to which color they were, a mix of blue and green, his raven black hair mixed with the white streak made him look so tough. He was really muscular but his face was telling her stories. She could get lost in his eyes, she was getting lost in his eyes but Titus snapped her out of it and they all went to the living room for coffee and negotiating terms and conditions of her commission. She decided to take the job, they agreed to start on the following Saturday, it would give her time to go shopping and to go over the sizes of the paintings with Alfred and it would give them all time to discuss where and how they would pose for the family portrait. She made Tim promise to sleep well so that he didn't look sleep deprived in the photos she was going to take, and Damian made her promise to bring Thirteen with her every time she came. She called a cab and went home, leaving the Wayne family to their 'demons'.
Gotham at night, patrol time
The boys had a short Robins' meeting after they left the cave, they decided to loop Cassandra in after tonight, she was loyal to Bruce but she deserved to know what was going on. The fork Damian 'accidentally' made Nerissa drop was ready for extraction of a DNA sample, it needed a few days, everything needed time when they were not using the bat equipment. They had to admit that Damian and Alfred's idea of inviting her over was actually genius, even if for different reasons.
Jason was back under his hood and it felt good. He was in charge of the east end so the rest of them had patrol duties and not guard duty. He decided to pay Nerissa a visit. He landed gracefully on her fire escape and knocked on her window, she wasn't in her room, he could hear the piano playing. He knocked again a bit harder, he heard the music stop and saw her walking towards him, her hair was down, she was wearing her glasses, a pair of black leggings, black socks and a black hoodie. She frowned when she saw him, she opened the window and said.
"I'm not talking to you." that was odd.
"What the hell did I do? I literally just got back." he wanted to go inside tonight but decided against it when he heard her statement.
"You lied to me, more than once, I shouldn't even have opened the window for you just now." she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself, she didn't know herself around him.
"What? When did I lie to you?" he was searching his mind.
"For starters, when you said it was you who left my window open when in fact it was Robin who did, yeah he came clean. And second, you fucking killed the guy you saved me from, he was going to jail, you posted his bail and fucking killed him." damn it Damian why didn't he say he came clean, brat.
"Okay, I did lie about the window, but I was covering for the kid, the big guy gets crazy sometimes and I can handle him better than the kid. And I didn't fucking kill the creep, I wasn't even here. I had arranged for him to get stabbed in prison. Why would I fucking pay for his bail? It doesn't make any fucking sense." he was upset, he understood why she would think the way she did, but he didn't want her to think of him as crazed killer. She could feel he was telling the truth, but didn't know what to do or say. She adjusted her glasses and started playing with her ring, she was biting her lip not knowing what to do, she had just accused him of killing someone he clearly hadn't killed, sure he's killed others but it wasn't her problem.
"I'm sorry, I just don't like being lied to, and today I found out that someone had been lying to me for a week, and it doesn't feel good, I'm just tired and I just can't.. ugh"
"Hey, hey, it's okay, I don't care, now all is good right?" he said with his real voice, he turned off the voice changer, but it was still muffled by the helmet. "Come on up here let's smoke a cigarette together and you can punch me for lying about Robin, how about that?" he stretched his hand out, she nodded and took his hand and climbed outside. "How have you been?"
"I'm okay, two jobs, just got a third. I adopted a cat; Thirteen. I saw Wayne Manor from the inside today, I've been there twice but never went inside." this was interesting.
"Really how come?"
"My parents knew Bruce Wayne, once it was a gala when I was like 10, I threw a tantrum and shit. And once before they died, I waited in the car both times." she was sad, talking about her parents, he remembered how she yelled at them during lunch, but this was important information. After a small silence he said.
"You're not wearing your knife tonight."
"Well, I don't need it do I? You're here.." she was playing with her hair, biting her lip and looking at him with her gorgeous eyes. She remembered her chat with Alec, only someone touched by death could hold the knife.
"Yeah, I'm here, as long as I'm here you won't need it." his voice was almost a whisper.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything"
"When I told you I died, you didn't question it, is it because you died too?" who asks someone if they've died? how crazy does she sound to him now? he was going to carry her to Arkham Asylum himself. She avoided his gaze until she heard his answer.
"Yes." she knew he had died, it made sense, but she didn't expect him to admit it.
"Woah, it all makes sense now.."
"What does?"
"You make me feel normal." she wiped away a tear. She finally met someone who could understand her and what she went through. "Can I ask you one last thing?"
"Anything you want" he was ready to remove his helmet if she asked.
"I like talking to you, promise you'll always visit, and promise to never lie to me again."
"I promise."