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Jason was 28-years-old, and boy did he feel old. Which, realistically, he knew wasn’t true. Saying that in front of an 80-year-old just earned him a scoff and a reprimand. He still felt the need to apologize to Alfred…. But for a guy who never thought he’d make it to adulthood, who technically hadn’t made it to adulthood the first time around… 28 was friggen ancient. And it didn’t help much that his knees ached more now than they used to. If his body hurt now, he couldn’t imagine what Bruce felt like at 47. Honestly, the guy should retire as Batman. The noises he made sometimes were ridiculous.Not that Jason was one to talk. He totally just groaned when standing from the crouch he’d been sitting in for the last hour. He’d been on stake out most of the night, trying his best to pin down a new player on the field. Well, he and Red Robin were trying to pin him down. Same thing. The demonbrat was always involving himself in Jason’s business.Anyway. This idiot by the name of Jeffery Laine had intimidated a few of the working girls into working for him, and was going after the rest, and Jason had a problem with that. Jeff was clearly new to Gotham, because most of the two-bit thugs on the streets knew not to mess with the homeless kids or the working girls. Otherwise, Red Hood paid ya a visit, and no one wanted that. Jason’s knees protested when he jumped down from his hiding spot, right into the empty warehouse below.Obviously his intel had been wrong. Unusual, but not unheard of. Still really frustrating. Laine was supposed to come to this warehouse tonight, he thought, to meet with his men. There had been rumors that he was going to try to use the girls to push drugs, and this meeting was supposed to be the start of that. But he never showed. “Oi, Robin,” Jay said into his comm as he made his way to the corner where the girls usually congregated before calling it a night, “stake out was a bust. Any progress on your end?”The comm crackled to life after a minute of silence and Damian replied, “Negative. Got caught up helping Batman with the hostage situation on 4th and Broadway.”Jason paused in his run across the rooftops and demanded, “At the orphanage?” The orphanage Jason volunteered at. “Yes.” Hastily, he turned around and started off in a sprint toward the orphanage, ready to destroy as many knees as necessary. Possibly even make whoever the fuck dared mess with his kids unable to walk for the rest of their lives. “And you didn’t call me?” he asked, trying and failing to keep his voice calm. They all knew how passionate he felt about protecting children. Those children.“That’s what happens when you turn your comm off like an asshole,” Damian snapped back, “besides, the situation’s been handled. All the kids are fine. You can relax.” “Shut your stupid demon mouth,” Jason snapped, even as he felt all the tension drain from his body, “we all know Oracle can activate it remotely, you’re just making excuses. Let me guess, B thought I would be too emotionally compromised with this case.” “Wouldn’t you have been?”Stupid demonbrat. “Fuck you, runt.”“I’m taller than you.” “I’m taller than you,” Jason mocked, making his voice high and squeaky to poke at Damian’s tenor, “I’ve got 30 pounds on you, pipsqueak.” “Boys,” Batman interrupted, “keep the lines clear.” Which was Batman for ‘shut the fuck up I can’t focus with you two squabbling.’ Jason opened his mouth to retort, probably with something scathing, he wasn’t even sure himself. It wasn’t like he really thought before he spoke, but his attention was drawn down to the road by someone shouting up, “Yo, Hoody! Come down here a sec!” “They’re really okay?” he asked, walking to the edge of the roof to look down at whoever was calling for him.“Yeah, Jay. They’re fine,” Damian said softly.Nodding, Jason took a moment to assess his surroundings, just to make sure he wasn’t about to jump into a trap, then attached his grapple to the roof and repelled down to where the girl was standing, hands on her hips, glaring at Jason.“I’m the Red Hood, not the Red Sweatshirt,” he quipped once he landed, earning himself an eyeroll from the girl he recognized as Bambi, one of the working girls he often chatted with. Frowning now, he said a bit more seriously, “What can I do for you?”“Are you still working on Laine,” she asked, crossing her arms and looking away to watch a car pass them. Even at past 3 in the morning, Gotham was never quiet. Jason shifted between his feet and dropped his arms away from his guns, trying to relax himself for her. “Yeah, I’m working on gathering enough evidence that charges’ll stick.”Bambi nodded and pushed her hair out of her face before saying, “I think he got to Crissy.”Crissy was one of Jason’s favorites. He wasn’t even sure why. She was a sweet girl. Probably a few years younger than Jason. She had aspirations, not that that was unusual for the girls he chatted with, but she still talked about hers as if they were goals, not outlandish dreams. Jason admired the hope she held onto. Most recently she had revealed her desire to get her GED, so Jason had given her a study book. Tilting his head, he asked, “Since yesterday? I just saw her… two night ago, I guess.”“No one’s seen her since then, Hood,” Bambi replied, looking back at Jason, “and it’s not like her to just disappear. Not since… not lately, at least.”Aside from her talk about the future, he didn’t know much more about Crissy. Even if the girls trusted him to protect them from the gangs and pimps, they didn’t fully trust him. He couldn’t find it in him to hold that against them. His size alone was intimidating, and that was, perhaps, difficult to overlook for many of them. None of them were exactly used to men behaving like actual gentlemen. “Do you want me to check in on her?” he asked, because he didn’t actually know where Crissy lived. He never asked the girls to share that sort of information. It made them more comfortable, he thought. Even if he would feel better knowing where to check in case they disappeared. Like this.Bambi nodded and rattled off her address. Next thing Jason knew, he was landing on the roof of Bambi’s apartment. A rough looking building in the middle of Crime Alley. Not that any of the buildings looked not run down. Even Jason’s place, which was admittedly in one of the nicer parts of the neighborhood, was in sad shape compared to most the rest of Gotham.There were seven floors, and Crissy’s apartment was on the fifth. As quietly as he could on an ancient fire escape, Jason climbed down toward her apartment, but had to pause when he could hear the faint sounds of an infant crying.Like, absolutely wailing. Poor little thing was screaming its head off, as if it was being starved to death. Or just completely ignored. And it sounded young. Jason had two nieces and three nephews. He had lived with a baby for a year. So he had experience with babies, and this baby sounded young enough that its mom should still be feeding it every couple hours. Why was it being ignored?He contemplated briefly checking on the infant first, and possibly calling the cops on a druggy or two who were neglecting their infant, but figured he should probably just pop in on Crissy first. Then go check out the baby. Maybe the kid had colic or something and Jason was just being judgmental. He didn’t know. Deciding on that, Jason finished his descent to Crissy’s apartment. The closer he got, however, the louder the baby’s screams got, and Jason felt his stomach lurch a little. The sounds of children crying really got to him. And this one was little. Maybe he should….But it didn’t matter which he did first. Because when he peeked into Crissy’s window, into what was one of the two bedrooms in her little apartment, he realized the two problems were related. Because the baby was right there, in a crib, thrashing his little arms and legs as he continued to scream.
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It took less than five seconds to force the window open, despite its locked nature. All it took was a little shaking, that’s how loose the panes were. The security of this building made Jason’s heart seize a little. He could fix that. “Hey,” Jason said softly, looking everywhere but at the baby as he entered the room, “what’s going on, buddy?” Somehow, the baby started screaming louder once Jason approached, and he attributed it to him being a stranger wearing a scary helmet in the dark. If babies this young even understood strangers. He looked like he was three months old. Was it a he? The room didn’t offer many clues. On the opposite wall from the crib was a twin bed with a couple stuffed animals sitting on it, and in the corner was a backpack for a clearly school-aged child, but otherwise the room was sparse. A dresser next to the crib looked to have clothes for both the baby and for the older child, whom Jason assumed occupied the other bed. “Shhh,” he soothed to the baby, finding a pacifier abandoned in the crib to put in the baby’s mouth, “It’s okay. Let me go check on your mama, okay? I’ll be right back.”The poor thing was not pacified in the least, meaning he must have been starving, and not even sucking on a pacifier was going to help. A pit formed deep in his stomach as he crafted his plan for looking around the apartment.He hadn’t even known Crissy had a kid, much less two. But he couldn’t imagine she’d just neglect her baby to the point of starving him. Rubbing at the baby’s stomach, he whispered, “It’s okay, just five more minutes and then I’ll help you.” Jason drew his gun and slowly opened the bedroom door. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be in the apartment, not with a child screaming like that, but he wasn’t dumb enough to wander around like an idiot in a horror movie. The small living room with a kitchenette was empty, as he expected. Cluttered. Messy. Filled with toys and books and blankets strewn about, but empty of people. Across the hall was a bathroom with an open door, also empty, which just left the other bedroom, right next door. Slowly, Jason pushed the ajar door open and peeked around the corner, then immediately snapped back and closed his eyes. Because he’d found Crissy and the extra kid. And he was too late. With much reluctance, he entered the room to survey the scene. Collect evidence and be a proper detective. Just like he’d been trained. Push aside his personal feelings and react like a bat. Like the Red Hood.It was gruesome, the scene in front of him. Clearly the child, who couldn’t be more than 7 or 8, had come to his mother’s defense, probably after hearing her struggle. Some reward he got for his heroics. “Oh, kiddo,” he whispered as he knelt down and felt for a pulse. There wasn’t really hope in him he’d find one, but he couldn’t skip checking, either. Just in case. He owed it to Crissy and her child.But of course, the child was cold.Crissy was worse off, and Jason wasn’t sure if he was relieved that the kid hadn’t been tortured like she had been. The baby in the next room screamed a little louder, so Jason decided to take care of him first before he finished his investigation. He needed to try and get some DNA evidence from the person responsible, then call the crime in. But he couldn’t listen to that little guy cry for food any longer. “Hey there,” he whispered as he lifted the distraught infant from the crib. When the baby squirmed and tried to get away from him, despite being tiny, Jason took his helmet off and set it down on the dresser. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt ya.” That was when the smell hit him. “Oh, boy. You need a change, don’t you?”The baby calmed significantly when Jason put some of the rash cream on what was most definitely a he baby and put a fresh diaper and onesie on him. His screaming subsided into whimpering, mixed with the occasional hiccup.“How long have you been alone?” he asked, as if the little guy could answer him. Instead, the kid put his hand in his mouth and let Jason pick him up again without so much as a protest. “Okay,” he said, settling the kid down into the crook of his arm as he made his way to the little kitchenette, “I really hope your mama kept some formula around.” Otherwise he was going to have to call social services and have them bring some or something when they came to retrieve the baby. Or ask one of the other bats to pick some up at the store and bring it over. Both options would delay the feeding much longer than Jason wanted. Thankfully, though, he found a canister of formula sitting out on the counter, and quickly got to work fixing a bottle. After testing the temperature against his wrist, he held it out for the baby, who eagerly let Jason start feeding him. The baby was drinking so fast Jason was tempted to take the bottle away every minute or so to prevent him from choking. Or make him breathe. Something. Instead, though, Jason just sat on the couch and watched as the baby drank. All he could think about was the life this kid had ahead of him. Son of a working girl. A murdered working girl. She probably didn’t know who his father was, if Jason had to guess. So an orphan, now. In Crime Alley. He’d never remember his mother. There would be no happy memories to think back on, like Jason had had. No good times. Only pain and suffering. An entire childhood, an entire lifetime of pain and suffering.Unless he managed to get adopted. But with his background, it was unlikely. For whatever reason, orphans in Crime Alley tended to stay that way: orphaned. Jason ran his knuckles across the baby’s cheek as he closed his own eyes. No kid deserved that kind of future. Crissy’s kid didn’t deserve that future. Crissy. God, Crissy. Bright, hopeful Crissy. Lying in the other room…Opening his eyes, Jason went to put his feet up on the coffee table and had to gently kick a book out of the way. His book. The one he’d given her. That poor girl. After fishing his backup comm from his belt as best as he could without disrupting the baby, Jason said, “Robin, are you still out?”“I was headed home,” came the tired response, “why?”He hated to ask. Really, he did. Damian was his baby brother. Even if they were only two years apart in age. Even if they did what they did. Even if the kid had grown up seeing horrible things right from birth, Jason still felt the need to shield him. And this was a rough scene. But it was just too much for him, and he couldn’t feed the baby and handle the crime. He was always being reminded he could ask for help if he needed it, and this was him needing it. “I need your help processing a crime scene.” “A crime scene?” Damian said wearily, “how bad is it?” “It’s… there’s a kid involved. A couple kids. And I knew the mom. It’s- I-”“I’m coming,” Damian said instantly, “It’s fine, Hood. I’m coming.” The kid in Jason’s arms squirmed a little, letting out a pitiful whine after a rather loud hiccup had interrupted his speed-eating. “It’s all right, kiddo,” he whispered, brushing down the baby’s fine hair with his hand, “you’re okay.”After another moment, the baby finished the bottle and screwed his face up, like he was about to start wailing again, so Jason propped him up with one hand to burp him, just like Tim had taught him to do when his second kid was a little baby. “Shhh,” he repeated, oscillating between patting and rubbing at the baby’s back, “you’re okay. I promise. I know I failed your mama, but I’m here now. I won’t let anything bad happen to ya.”
That is, until I hand you over to social services.
Jason didn’t have much time to mull over that thought, because that was when Damian chose to slip in through the same window Jason had used, back in the kids’ bedroom. Even with the cowl over his head, Jason could tell Damian was raising a brow at him.Probably was a strange sight, seeing the Red Hood burping a tiny little baby in full uniform, sans the gloves and helmet. “He was screaming,” Jason said defensively, “I don’t know how long he’s been left alone, but it’s been hours. Probably most the day. He has a terrible rash and was starving. I had to feed him.” “So, his mom is…?” Damian asked, looking around the small living area before poking his head into the bedroom where Crissy was. “Yeah,” Jason sighed, patting at the baby’s back some more, watching his little face as he fought against the exhaustion that was clearly trying to take over. “How did you know her?” Damian asked from inside the room, somehow managing to keep his voice both calm and soothing while projecting it loud enough to reach the living room.“She’s one of the girls I protect.” Some guardian I am, he thought bitterly. “Laine,” Damian snarled as he exited the bedroom and shut the door behind him, “this has his name written all over it.”Jason nodded gravely, refusing to look away from the baby. “That’s what I thought.” If only they’d worked harder on the case. If only he’d spent more time on it. Worked on nothing but. Not wasted his entire night following bad leads…. He could have prevented this. This was his failure. Damian stood there awkwardly for a moment while Jason successfully got the baby to burp, then cradled him back into his arms to get him more comfortable. “So,” he eventually said, “I have everything we need. We can call this in.”“But the baby,” Jason muttered, his eyes now fixated on the GED book, his brow knit in thought. Because it was possible to grow up in Crime Alley and have a future. Jason knew that to be the case. Crissy, even, had been working toward a brighter future. All it took was someone giving a kid a chance, or an adult forging their own path and giving themselves that chance. This little baby didn’t have to grow up hopeless. He just needed someone to give him a chance. He needed someone to protect him and support him and give him the opportunity to grow up free from the burdens of abuse or homelessness.“We can wait until the police arrive to disappear, to make sure they take care of him,” Damian offered, looking a little antsy about them just sitting around in a crime scene.But Jason shook his head. “No.”Because, for as much as it had improved since Jason was a kid, foster care wasn’t going to do that. He worked first hand with orphaned children in the city. Knew the struggles they went through. Sure, the orphanages were all decent facilities. Jason was not concerned for the kids living in them. He approved of their living situations and felt each of them received the love and attention they needed. But the few orphanages in town were for older children who couldn’t be placed in foster homes. It was an archaic system most of the country had done away with, but it was Gotham’s only way to stop placing foster children in Juvie. This baby would go to a foster home, though. Since he was so young. And Jason knew for a fact not all foster families were good. Jason knew he was an idiot the second the idea formed in his head. But holding the kid in his arms, he saw no other option.“No?” Damian asked, looking around the apartment nervously as Jason stood. “I-” he said, then shook his head as he saw a firebox sitting on the floor of the coat closet, the key still inserted into its lock. “You….?” Damian said slowly, stepping closer to watch Jason rifle through the files inside the box with one hand, the baby still cradled in his other arm. “I didn’t protect his mother,” he said, finding the document he was looking for and reading over the name and birthdate on it, “but I can protect him. I can protect Matthew.” Because he could. He had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life, even if he chose to never work. The job he held was really just a hobby. Something he did to feel useful and to make a difference in the city. He was probably definitely an idiot. But looking down at Matthew, he figured it was the least he could do. Because this little kid didn’t deserve what the world had just thrown at him. What Jason had given him through his failure. This was the least he could do.
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“You can’t be serious,” Damian drawled, as Jason handed Matthew to him so he could start packing a bag of Matthew’s things. It would just be way easier if he wasn’t holding the baby while he did that. “Am,” he said, waving a hand as he pulled out a few bottles and the extra can of formula he found in the pantry. Damian sighed audibly, then bounced Matthew a bit as he started fussing. “Have you even thought this through?”Not even a bit. He’d barely even formed the thought before he was acting on it. And now he didn’t want to think about it. It was better that way— not thinking. Just doing. Thinking would get him to realize all the reasons it was a horrible idea. Then his brain would talk him out of it. And Jason wasn’t a coward, letting his brain talk him out of things. This was the right thing to do. So he was going to do it.“Of course I have,” he said, shoving one of the blankets off the floor into the duffle bag he’d found in the closet. Damian opened his mouth to keep criticizing Jason, probably, he assumed, but Jason cut him off by activating his comm and saying, “Hey, Oracle. Can you do me a solid?”“That depends,” she answered a moment later, “what do you need?”“I need you to hack the Social Security Administration,” Jason said nonchalantly, like it was the most mundane task ever. “Why,” she said slowly, clearly suspicious. Jason moved into the kids’ bedroom and picked a few pairs of clothes and a pack of the diapers. He needed supplies, but didn’t want to make it look like he’d flat up taken stuff from the apartment. The last thing he needed was for it to look like the baby had been kidnapped. “I need you to look up a Matthew Harris. Four months old, born in Gotham, and change his birth certificate to say I’m the father.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“This is a terrible idea,” Damian cut in, having activated his own comm and joined the channel. “Fuck off, Demon,” Jason snapped, done packing a bag. He found the infant carrier sitting beside the couch and pulled it out, then held his arms out for Damian to pass Matthew back. He did, but added, “You haven’t thought any of this through.”“Oracle,” Jason said, ignoring Damian as he set the baby into the carrier and started messing with the straps, “Can you help me?”“I have so many questions,” she muttered before saying louder, clearer, “Why?”“No questions, please?” Jason said, tightening the straps in what he hoped was the proper way. Matthew had already drifted off to sleep, the night of screaming clearly too draining on him to stay alert any longer, “If I wanted the third degree I would have asked Batman to help.”
“Good idea, let’s get Batman-”
“No! Babs, please.”“Tt,” Damian huffed, grabbing a blanket off the ground and putting it over Matthew in the carrier. “If you were asking me to retrieve an SSN for someone, I wouldn’t have an issue, but this is a little more serious. He’s a real kid with a real dad, that I assume is not you. Why should I do this for you?”“Look,” he sighed, collapsing down on the couch, “His mom is dead, and she had no idea who the dad was. She was a hooker, okay? One of the ones I’m supposed to be protecting. And I failed her. Now her son is going to grow up in crime alley foster care and I just can’t… Babs. It’s so bad. This is the least I can do. I couldn’t protect her, but I can protect him.” The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity before the comm crackled with the live channel again. “Fine. But just so you know, birth certificates are a state thing, not a Social Security Administration thing.”“You’re the best,” he said, letting his grin seep into his voice. “And it needs to look like she ordered the amendment herself. A couple months ago. Otherwise it’ll be too suspicious and you’ll be arrested for kidnapping.”“See, the best.” “Which is what you’re doing. Just so we’re clear. Kidnapping.” Jason rolled his eyes as he stood, slinging the duffle bag across his shoulder and hefting the infant carrier up. “Yeah, well. I got kidnapped as a kid and it turned out okay for me.” And just that thought made him pause. Because, yeah. He was doing exactly what Bruce did with him, wasn’t he? Jason had found a random kid while out on a case and thought ‘hey I can do something about that,’ and now he was fucking doing it. Just that thought alone made Jason want to reconsider everything. “You said it, not me,” Babs said knowingly, “Get out of there. I’ll set up everything you need and call the police in once I’m ready.”“The best,” Jason repeated, then cut his comm off. When he turned to leave the apartment, he came face-to-face with Red Robin. Who was just standing there, his arms crossed, glaring at Jason. “You wanna move, maybe?”“You’ve thought none of this through,” the demon repeated, and Jason could just feel the judgement radiating off him.“We’ve established that,” Jason remarked dryly. “Like, none of it.”“And your point is? We gotta get out of here, so if we could continue this elsewhere…”Damian side stepped Jason, further blocking the exit through the window. “How do you plan on getting him home?” The tone of Damian’s voice was enough to make Jason want to punch him. Because it was very clear that Damian knew he was in the right here. He was a smug piece of shit and sometimes he needed someone to slap him. Except. He was absolutely completely correct.Jason had thought none of this through, and he had no idea how he was getting Matthew home.“You can’t exactly jump from roof to roof with him.” Which was right. Jason would need to walk. On the street. Like a normal person. Which was possible. If he switched to civilian ID, it might work.Zip up the leather jacket. Hide the guns. Stash his gear in the bag with the baby stuff.It would make the bag ridiculously heavy, but it would let him blend in with the normal populace. At just past 4. Carrying a baby. Through the most dangerous part of town. As a civilian.Brilliant idea there, Todd. “It’s dangerous,” Damian chastised, clearly thinking Jason was just going to hop from roof to roof, “If you think I’m going to let you play parkour with a baby in your arms-”Jason looked down at the sleeping baby in the carrier and back up at Damian. “I haven’t thought this through.”Damian snorted as he activated the computer in his gauntlet. “You’re an idiot. I’m calling the Batmobile. Dad isn’t using it presently.” “Great,” Jason huffed, “don’t tell him anything. Say I hurt my leg or something and can’t use my bike. Or better yet, you hurt your leg. I don’t need him paying me a visit tomorrow.”“Aw, you don’t like it when he comes to kiss it and make it better?”“Fuck off,” Jason said, readjusting the carrier in his arms to be a little more comfortable, “he’s the worst.”Somehow, Jason managed to get down to the street without waking anyone in the building and bringing attention to the fact that the Red Hood and Red Robin were walking out with a baby.Then again, a building that could just ignore a child screaming all night probably wasn’t going to peek outside for quiet footsteps down the hallway. Jason was trying not to be bitter about no one caring enough to check in on the baby before he arrived. Jason strapped the seat down the best he could in the back before Damian took off, then spent the ride over to near his apartment, because they couldn’t just pull right up out front, Jason stripped of everything identifying him as the Red Hood and shoved it into his bag. “You’re an idiot,” Damian repeated as he put the car in park and waited for Jason to get out. Jason rolled his eyes and pulled the carrier up to the front. “You can stop saying that now.”“Nah. I’ll watch and make sure you make it down to your building.”“I don’t need a pipsqueak like you protecting me.” More aggressively than necessary, Jason opened the door and hopped out, slinging the bag over his shoulder and grabbing the carrier. He only had four blocks to walk.Four blocks. Through Crime Alley. As Jason went, he looked around and it really started to sink in what he’d just done. What he was about to do. And was this the neighborhood he wanted to raise a kid in?
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The night passed relatively peacefully. Well, the four hours of the night they had, once Jason and little Matthew arrived home. The baby slept for a solid three hours, then woke up to drink another bottle. Jason got a decent nap in, and was able to shower and get ready for work with just as much sleep as he normally got.It was while getting dressed that he realized he had a bit of a problem. What was he going to do with Matt?When the baby in question started crying, Jason picked him up off his bed, where he’d been letting him sleep. He needed to purchase a crib. The internet said babies could roll over at around 4 months, so Jason wanted him in a safe bed before that happened. So far, Matthew hadn’t tried to roll around, so he figured he was safe for at least a few days… He’d created a pillow wall, anyway. Just in case.He wasn’t quite sure where he was going to put a crib…“Shh, it’s okay,” he mumbled as he checked Matthew over, looking for the source of the crying. He didn’t seem to need a change and he’d just eaten, so Jason assumed the crying was of the ‘hold me’ variety. “Want to come with me to work? It’s an orphanage. There are tons of kids there, I bet they won’t notice another one.”Matt, of course, didn’t respond except to whine a little when Jason stuck a pacifier in his mouth. “Cool, okay.” He called a cab. Obviously. He’d probably be arrested if he tried to transport Matt by bike to St. Anne’s. And for a good reason, too. It would be incredibly stupid of him.That just meant he’d have to buy a car. Maybe Bruce would buy him a car? If he called him up and was all like ‘Heyyyyy Dad’ he’d probably buy Jason a castle. Just because. Might not even have to explain the whole baby-thing. The longer he could get by without telling Bruce about the baby-thing, the better. He did not need Bruce on his doorstep being all judgy about this. Or him being all grandfatherly let-me-see-my-grandson about it, either. Really, Bruce could go either way. Jason wasn’t ready to deal with either option. Matthew fell asleep not long after Jason put him back in his carrier, so getting him to the orphanage and inside was actually pretty simple. He was quiet and completely unnoticeable, in Jason’s opinion.But Sister Cecelia, of course, noticed immediately. “Who is this?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she knelt to get a closer look at the sleeping infant. Jason held the carrier up so she wouldn’t have to bend too far. “Is this another nephew?”“No,” Jason said, smiling a little. Cecelia had seen a photo of him and his little baby nephews—Tim’s younger kids—on his Facebook page. It had been a question, who they were, during his interview to work at the orphanage. “This is Matthew. He’s, uh…” Jason said, then laughed awkwardly as he felt his face redden a little, “mine.”“Yours?” she said sharply, cutting her eyes up, “You have not mentioned this before.”“It was kind of a surprise?” he offered, cringing as he lowered the carrier back down to a comfortable position, “Also why I don’t have care for him today… Wasn’t expecting to need a babysitter?”“Hmm,” she hummed, giving him one of her most disapproving you know better than this glares. Jason sank even further under the gaze, even though he hadn’t actually done anything. Except not protect Crissy well enough… But Sister Cecelia looked back down at Matthew and softened as she said, “He looks like you.”Jason laughed awkwardly, really unsure of what he could say. Obviously Matt couldn’t, but… all babies looked the same anyway, so whatever. It would certainly be helpful if people did think Matthew looked like him. “Where is his mother,” the Sister asked next. And Jason ran a hand through his hair. How to explain that. “She,” he started, pausing to clear his throat, “She died. Yesterday. Uh—“Sister Cecelia looked up at him sharply and demanded, “Why are you here? You poor dear!” She grabbed Jason by his jacket sleeve and dragged him over to some chairs along the wall in the entry hall they were standing in, and pushed him to sit in one. “What happened?” “I… don’t know,” Jason said semi-honestly as he sat his bag down next to him. He didn’t actually know who killed her, yet. But he couldn’t tell the real story, so he continued, “She dropped him off at my place yesterday, then I got a visit from the cops doing a welfare check on him and they told me…” he trailed off and broke eye contact with Cecelia to look down at Matthew. He was still sleeping like a rock, of course. Not at all betraying any hint of what he’d been through in the previous 24 hours. Babies were amazing, in how quickly they bounced back from stuff. What wasn’t amazing, however, was the fact Jason hadn’t even forged documents to support how he had Matthew, suddenly. He’d thought none of this through… “Go home, child,” Sister Cecelia said, “We can manage without you for a few days. You have a lot to deal with right now.” Jason sat Matthew’s carrier down on the floor in front of him so he could rest his arms on his knees. He did have a lot to deal with, but the kids… After a moment he said, “I heard the kids had a rough night.” “You’ve had a rougher one,” she exclaimed, but Jason made a face so she sighed and sat next to him. “Thankfully only two children were up at the time,” she said softly, placing a hand on his back, “Adrienne and Allie. And the… men were merely looking for money. They did not harm the children before Batman took them out. The girls are with the therapist now, so you likely won’t see them today, anyway.” Adrienne and Allie were both sixteen, so that was certainly better than having very young kids be subjected to thugs. But even then, none of the kids deserved more trauma. “That’s better than I had imagined,” he said. At least none of the kids were hurt, just as Damian had promised him.“The Lord watches out for us,” Sister Cecelia said. She pat at Jason’s back then leaned down to pull Matthew’s carrier closer to her. “What do you plan to do with this little one?”Jason furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean?” “Are you keeping him?”“I-“ he started, but flustered under her keep gaze. Obviously he was keeping Matthew. That—that was the whole point. Right?Yes. Right.
Whether it was a good idea, on the other hand…
“I think Gotham City has enough orphans,” he finally said. Because even if he was completely unprepared and hadn’t thought a single thing through, Gotham didn’t need another orphan. Cecelia clasped her hand on his forearm and said, “Bless your soul. You are going to make a wonderful father.”Jason’s mind absolutely blanked, and he didn’t recover enough to respond at all before she was on her feet and dragging Jason to his. “Come,” she said, waiting for Jason to pick Matthew’s carrier and bag up, “do you have enough supplies for him? Let’s get you some basics from the center.” “Oh, no,” he protested immediately, “Save those for—““For those who need them,” she cut in, “Like you do, right now.” “No, really. I have some diapers and formula and clothes. I’m okay.” He’d order the rest of what he needed later. Or maybe actually tell Alfred what was going on, and let Alfred go nuts. “Then we will get you bottles, pacifiers, and maybe some toys, then,” she said, as she continued to drag Jason along toward the other side of the building, where there was an organization that aimed to help new mothers in crisis care for their babies. Jason sighed deeply, and just resolved himself to demand Bruce make another huge donation to the organization. And maybe the orphanage, too. Bruce totally would. Cecelia packed him a legit diaper bag full of things. Jason was absolutely content with the backpack he was using, but whatever. She showed him how the bag had a built-in changing pad, which was pretty nifty, he had to admit… He hadn’t fully… thought that through, either. The logistics of all that. He didn’t remember Tim and Kyla having to change Bristol out in public often, but she hadn’t been a tiny little baby when Jason first met her. And his exposure to Tim’s younger two and Dick’s two kids were almost entirely at their houses or at Bruce’s. Which was hardly out in public. Inside the bag she packed him a ton of items, despite his many protests. Blankets, diapers, pacifiers, clothes, bottles, a can of formula, and even a little set of what Jason could only describe as baby grooming supplies. He had so fucking much to read about taking care of babies. And as if reading his mind, Sister Cecelia pulled a copy of a book they had dozens of off a shelf, along with a handful of pamphlets. “I know you like to read, so I expect you to read all of these,” she said. “Yes ma’am,” was all Jason said as he surveyed the titles, and found they covered everything from basic care, to milestones Matthew should hit and when, to what foods he should be eating at each age until two. Jason would definitely be reading it all that afternoon. As he was packing the reading materials into his backpack, Matthew stirred. And, of course, immediately started crying. “When did he last eat?” she asked, as Jason freed him from his carrier and picked him up. “Uh, like two hours ago?” Jason didn’t think he was hungry yet, but when he lifted Matthew fully up, he could smell what the problem was. While Jason was changing him, of course Cecelia had to see the horrible rash on Matthew. “I changed him immediately,” he said in defense. Because he had. The second he knew the scene was safe, he dealt with the diaper on the neglected baby. “It was the first thing I did.” He even had the cream with him, just in case.“You poor dear,” Sister said to Matthew. She turned and dug through a drawer of random bottles of ointments and creams and pulled one out to hand to Jason. “Put that on him, not whatever you have. You be extra vigilant about changing him immediately upon needed until that is healed.” “I will,” he promised. He looked at the bottle and honestly didn’t know what the difference between it and what Crissy had had was, but he used it regardless. Sister Cecelia probably knew what she was talking about.“Take that home with you,” she said, when Jason tried to hand it back. Jason sighed again. He’d definitely need to get Bruce to make a donation. “Okay, you get out of here,” she said, once Jason had everything cleaned up and Matthew packed up again, “Let me know if you can’t find care you can afford. We can pull strings to get him in at one of our daycares.” “Sure thing,” Jason said. He most certainly would not be taking one of those spots.He really wasn’t sure what he would do for care. Tim could probably give him advice on all of… that. Later. As he loaded Matthew and all his stuff into an Uber with Cecelia’s help, he couldn’t help but think he’d deal with everything… later. Because apparently there was a lot he needed to think about and deal with.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It wasn’t even lunch time when Jason arrived home. Regardless, he checked Matthew’s diaper and went about fixing him another bottle of formula. Babies his age had to eat about every four hours, so it was almost time. Maybe Jason should start noting in his phone when Matthew did everything… That was something Tim and Kyla did with their babies, he remembered. But then again, they did that because two of them were taking care of the baby. Jason could remember what he already did, right?He should probably make notes…Matthew ate his bottle just as eagerly as the others, and Jason wondered if he needed to be feeding him more. But then Matt immediately fell asleep after, so Jason tried to make a nice little comfortable spot for him to lay so Jason could get some reading done. Babies could sleep on pillows if adults were actively supervising them, right? He didn’t want to put Matt up on the couch where he could fall, and he definitely didn’t want to lay him straight on the hardwood floor. Jason didn’t even have a carpet….Carpets were more difficult to clean than wood flooring when he decided to bleed everywhere, so he’d forgone any sort of floor covering. It felt wrong laying Matt straight on the ground, even if Jason was good about sweeping it every couple days. He really needed to get a crib or something. Once he finished reading the baby care booklet, he was going to look online at baby furniture. All thoughts of baby furniture left his mind when he heard a knock at his door, not ten minutes later. Jason’s eyes darted down to Matt, who was still peacefully asleep on the pillow on the floor next to him, where he’d chosen to sit. Carefully and quietly, Jason got to his feet and set the booklet down, then grabbed his gun off the end table next to his couch. Very, very soon he’d need to purchase some good gun safes to keep those in, so little hands couldn’t get ahold of them. Silently, Jason crossed the room and paused at his front door. He wasn’t expecting anyone to come over, and literally everyone was great at texting him first. Because he was jumpy, as everyone said. With one quick glance back at Matthew, who was still sound asleep, Jason leaned forward and looked through his peephole. Then sighed.
Loudly.
“Who told you,” Jason said, after he unlocked his door and swung it open. Bruce smiled his stupid dumb smile and said, “Hello Jason,” as he held a damn gift back out for Jason to take. “Yeah, hi. Who told you? Babs or Damian?” “Damian,” Bruce said, still holding the gift out. “I’m going to kill him,” Jason grumbled as he took the bag so Bruce would stop looking stupid. Because Bruce was an asshole, he pushed his way past Jason into the apartment as he said, “No you won’t.” “I’ll maim him,” Jason said, “I will. I told him not to tell you.” Bruce crossed the room over to where Matthew was, but Jason couldn’t see his face. So he couldn’t even begin to guess what Bruce was thinking. “If you’re here to talk me out of it, save your breath,” Jason said, “Damian and Babs both already tried.” “I’m hardly one to judge,” Bruce said, and Jason could absolutely hear the smile in his voice, “You’re one of the four people who knows that best.” “Oh,” Jason said, for lack of any coherent thought. He was specifically not thinking about how Bruce did the same damn thing with him, some fifteen years prior. Damn. He’d been adopted fifteen years ago. Turning his attention down to the bag in his hands, Jason opened it up and looked inside and saw… A teddy bear. Dressed like Batman. And a small stack of baby books, those hard page ones that babies could chew on or something. “Alfred picked these out, didn’t he?” Jason asked, as he pulled the bear out to look at. He’d much rather give Matthew a Wonder Woman bear. “No,” Bruce said, as he lowered himself to the floor to sit next to Matthew, “Those are from me. Alfred will give you his gift later.” “Of course he will,” Jason grumbled. Why did anyone have to give him gifts? He wanted no gifts. Actually, he wanted no one to acknowledge anything and just pretend like this was how it had always been and nothing had changed. That would make him very happy. Jason pulled the books out and went to set everything down on his dinning table, for the time being. Matt was too young for stuffed animals, probably, and he didn’t really have a spot for his stuff anyway. He needed so much furniture. And. And maybe a new apartment. His one bedroom wasn’t going to cut it… “You need to get a rug,” Bruce said, as he gingerly brushed the back of his knuckles across Matthew’s face. Jason had to look away, because he didn’t like how that was making him feel.It made his guts squirm, almost. At the same time he felt warmth and a tinge of pain. It was... Weird. He didn’t like it. “And a mat for him,” Bruce continued, “the pillow isn’t the safest thing.” “I was sitting next to him,” Jason snapped back, “He wasn’t there alone.” He wasn’t going to let Matthew suffocate to death on literally day one. Actually, Jason wasn’t going to let Matthew suffocate to death ever, just for the record. He wasn’t that incompetent. Bruce hummed but didn’t look away from Matthew. “I know you don’t like asking me for help, but Jay, if you ever need anything, just ask.” Jason couldn’t help his eye roll.Apparently Bruce could hear his eyes rolling, because he looked over and said, “Seriously. Even if it’s just to have someone watch him while you work or go out.” “You? Watch him?” Jason nearly scoffed. Alfred was capable of watching him, but Bruce? Bruce nodded enthusiastically as he said, “Yes.” “You.” “I watch Jake all the time,” Bruce said with quiet laugh as he turned his attention back to Matthew. “Dick’s kid has super powers,” Jason shot back, “It’d be hard to break him.” “Are you suggesting I’d break my grandson?” Bruce asked flatly, as he turned and shot Jason a look. Jason couldn’t even feel chafed from Bruce’s dumb dad-look, because his brain was too busy short circuiting. None of this even felt real. He was not responsible for giving Bruce a grandchild. He wasn’t. “Tim’s kids have survived having me as a grandfather just fine,” Bruce said. He then leaned closer to Matthew and said, “Hey there, Matthew,” since apparently Bruce knew his name and also Matthew had woken up.Probably because Bruce couldn’t keep his damn hands to himself. “May I hold him?” Bruce asked. For some reason, that was what finally shook Jason out of the daze he was in. “I’m surprised you asked,” he said, as he turned back toward his kitchen.If Bruce was going to entertain Matthew, Jason was going to eat lunch. Or at least a snack. When he noticed Bruce hadn’t said anything, Jason looked over the fridge door to see Bruce looking at him expectantly. Rolling his eyes again, Jason said, “Yes, of course. He’s your grandkid now, isn’t he?” Bruce brightened in his special Bruce way as he turned back toward Matthew and gently lifted him up and cradled him into his arms. Then, just as gently, he pushed himself up to his feet so he could move onto the couch that had been behind him as he said, “Hi there, Matthew. It’s lovely to meet you.” There was so much care in Bruce’s gentle movements and soft spoken words, the warm stabby feeling in Jason’s chest started back up with a vengeance. It was making him feel a way and he didn’t like it. Because he did like it. And that scared him, okay?Dick and Tim’s kids has softened them all, definitely, but this kid was about to do a number on him, he could just tell. Taking a deep breath, Jason grabbed an iced tea and little meat and cheese snack pack out of his fridge then shut the door and walked over to the couch. He plopped down right next to Bruce and just looked over at his father holding his son. This was his real life now. Matthew looked over at him, then back at Bruce as he let out a massive yawn. Bruce shifted so he was cradled in his arms again, instead of sitting up and staring at Bruce, and in response Matthew immediately shut his eyes and was out like a light again. “He seems like a chill baby,” Bruce observed, leaning back on the couch as if he thought he could just sit there and let Matthew sleep on him forever. “So far,” Jason said, as he opened his snack, “but it hasn’t even been 24 hours and he was exhausted after last night.” Bruce finally looked away from Matthew and over at Jason, and Jason couldn’t handle the look he was giving. It was way too fond.
Way.
He’d never done well with Bruce being like that. “I’m proud of you, Jason,” Bruce said. Jason snorted, then asked, “For kidnapping a child? Weird.” Bruce was always proud of him for the weirdest fucking things.But then Bruce said, “No. For having the courage to take action,” and Jason’s mind blanked again. Because, of course… Bruce had done the same exact thing for him, those fifteen years ago. And. Jason had never fully understood why Bruce even did that, if not so he could just have a Robin. In the years since Jason coming back to life, Bruce had insisted that being Robin had nothing to do with Jason being his son. Bruce was actually adamantly against Robin, and Jason knew that now. He’d fought every single one of them on it, Jason included, and they all jumped in anyway. It was why Batman didn’t have a Robin anymore. He never once went looking for a child to be his sidekick. He’d simply found children who needed him, and needed Robin, and had been there to support them. And. He’d stepped up to the plate. In a heartbeat. Well. Longer than in a heartbeat when it came to Tim, but Jason understood that whole situation better, too. When Jason was a kid, he was so mistrustful of Bruce’s motives “Why,” he always asked. Why would Bruce take in some punk street kid that had literally robbed him? Take him in and treat him so great and ask absolutely nothing in return?“Because you deserve it,” had always been Bruce’s answer. And sure, Jason had always kind of believe Bruce thought all kids deserved safety and shelter and adults in their life—but why did that mean Bruce had to put up with Jason? “I understand now,” Jason said after several minutes had passed. Bruce was apparently perfectly content to just watch Matthew sleep, because he looked no less thrilled to be holding his grandson. “Hm?” Bruce asked. “Why you took me in,” Jason explained, before he took a sip of his tea. “I never really understood, you know? Why you’d want to take in some punk kid you’d just met.” Bruce started to answer, “You des—” but Jason cut him off.“Deserved it, I know. I-I get it now. I don’t know if I’ll be good at this, or if I’ll be... Everything he needs. But.” Jason sighed, and looked back down at Matthew’s little sleeping face. He looked so at peace in Bruce’s arms, fast asleep. So calm and carefree. Just like he deserved. Exactly how every child deserved to spend their days. Jason swallowed thickly, then continued, “He deserves love, attention, and safety. I can’t guarantee he’ll get that in foster care. I would hope he would but…” When Jason trailed off, Bruce picked up with, “But you can guarantee it, if you personally kept him.” “Yeah,” Jason rasped. “You found him, so you feel responsible for him,” Bruce continued. With a nod, Jason repeated, “Yeah.” And he felt responsible for Crissy’s death. Had he protected her, Matthew wouldn’t even be an orphan. “And he’s exceedingly easy to love,” Bruce said. “His screaming was so heartbreaking, Bruce. I don’t want him to ever feel that hungry or scared again.” Bruce shifted Matthew some so he was fully supported in his left arm, then wrapped his right one around Jason’s shoulders and pulled him closer. Jason allowed it to happen, and set his head on Bruce’s shoulder. Just for a minute, though. He couldn’t go making people think he’d gone soft.“You just articulated what I never could,” Bruce said quietly, “You’ll be a far better parent than I ever was.” Sighing, Jason sank into Bruce’s hold a little more as he said, “You weren’t perfect Bruce, no one is, least of all me, but you were exactly what I needed.”“And you,” Bruce said, squeezing Jason a little as he did, “are exactly what this child needed, both last night and right now. Someone who cares about him and his future.” “Thanks,” Jason rasped. He let himself lean on Bruce for a few more seconds, before he sat back up and rubbed at his face. “You need to think some things through better, though,” Bruce said. And Jason could only groan. Not Bruce, too.“For one,” Bruce said, “You need a car. A bike won’t cut it.” “You gonna buy me one?” Jason challenged. But, of course, Bruce nodded seriously and said, “We’ll go this afternoon. What brand?” “Uh,” Jason stammered. He hadn’t done any car research, “I don’t know. I need to google stuff.” Such as, safest car and crash ratings. Nodding, Bruce said, “That’s fine. You’ll also need to get a new apartment.” “I know,” Jason said, rolling his eyes, “I need another bedroom.” “And,” Bruce said slowly, almost cautiously, “I’d prefer it if you didn’t live in the worst part of Crime Alley.” Jason couldn’t help but bristle. “This is my home, Bruce,” he said, just like he’d said half a dozen times before. Because this was a topic Bruce felt the need to broach every other year. “I’m not saying you should leave Park Row entirely, but…”“But you hate here.”“My car gets broken into every single time I visit you,” Bruce pointed out.“Then stop driving million dollar cars through Crime Alley,” Jason shot back, “My car has to cost less than thirty thousand, by the way.” “Whatever you want,” Bruce said. “You need to donate to St Anne’s too,” Jason said, “Sister Cecilia made me take a bunch of stuff from the mom’s in crisis center.” “Of course.” “And,” Jason said slowly, since he had sort of been thinking about it. But he didn’t want Bruce to think he was the reason. “I was vaguely thinking about moving to the 700 block,” Jason finished. It was relatively close to Gotham Academy, so he could send Matthew there and not have a stupid long commute...It would make Matthew literally the only kid from Park Row to attend, but. Jason loved the school as a kid, and since he could afford it… he couldn’t think of a reason not to send Matthew there.That. That was too far in the future to worry about. Maybe Jason should focus on getting a crib. Bruce hummed thoughtfully, but eventually said, “That wouldn’t be too bad.” “Don’t drive your million dollar cars there either,” Jason grumbled, then cleared his throat and said, “I need a crib, too.” “We’ll get that this afternoon, as well,” Bruce said, “Like I said, I’ll help with whatever you need.” “Thanks, Dad,” Jason whispered. He looked down at Matthew one last time, then hopped up to his feet. He could at least clear a spot for the crib while Bruce held Matt, then finish reading the baby care booklet and make a list of anything else he needed. Because if Bruce was offering, well… Jason wouldn’t refuse. And it was about time Jason pulled a good plan together.