The babysitter

Thirty-Eight

" If you are sure." Bruce read over my two weeks notice. The weekend after we got off the ship was pretty uneventful. I explained how I defeated all the monsters and explained very little about the Hunt since I knew Batman would track them down.

Batman had just dismissed us when Jason walked up to me on my way out the cave. " Riptide!"

I turned to watch him smile at me, " Yeah?"

" Can we talk more about your past? It seems a bit more eventful then what you let on. And the conversation we didn't finish." Jason shrugged. " Maybe over coffee or something?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, while he shifted foot to foot. Thinking about what Artemis said, " I don't like coffee. How about pancakes?"

" I was thinking I could pick you up from work?" Jason asked, be coming hopeful.

" Sure. Now I'm going to get out of this damn cave before my other uncle decides to kill me." I nod at him before walking away.

" Is there any place your safe?" Jason laughed.

" The ocean?"

But here I was, having eight more hours till the technical end of my work day. Cass was following me about watching me sweep and clean around the mansion. I tell her a little bit about my childhood so silence wouldn't stay between us for long periods of time. Tim was working on whatever he does in his room, and Damian was still ignoring me. I'm hoping he and I would get a chance to talk and clean up the air and make the last two weeks civil.

After cleaning up the game room and putting everything in order along with playing a few with Cass, it was time for lunch. " How about you go sit down and I'll get the boys."

Cass nodded and walked away. Going to Tim's room, and quickly tell him to get off his phone for lunch. Next I made it to Damian's room, " Hey, Damian?"

" Jackson?" Damian barley glanced up from his sketch book. It hurt to know that we had taken a step back in our friendship, but I guess I don't have to be friends to be a good babysitter.

" Can I sit?" I gestured to the empty spot at the foot of the bed. Damian looked at me through the corner of his eyes. " Look, I'm not sure what I did, and whatever I did or said, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to upset you and I'm truly sorry for whatever I did."

Damian didn't acknowledge me, which meant he thought of me as lower than him. " Anyway, I thought I would clear the air for the last two weeks."

Damian actually looked at me this time, " What? Now your going to babysit that Kent kid, huh?"

The realization hit me. I giggled, then let out a laugh. Damian growled, " Why are you laughing, Jackson?"

I quickly composed myself, trying not to make him feel embarrassed about showing his emotions, as bad as that was. " Damian, I'm not leaving you to babysit Jon. I'm leaving to go to college. And you could never be replaced by Jon. I babysat Jon to give his parents a break, your still the main kid I babysit. Besides Cass, now."

Damian's face flushed with pink. " That's not what I was thinking."

" No, it's okay to think that stuff. You just need to ask me about it because I thought you hated me. You just need to be a bit more vocal about stuff, but we can work on that." I nodded. Damian glanced at me again, then the floor. Seeing that he needed a minute, I ruffled his hair and stood up, " Anyway, Dami, I just came to tell you lunch is ready."

" Whatever, Jackson." Dami knocked my hand away.

" See you down there." I close the door on the way out and smile as I walk down the stairs.

Walking into the dinning room, I see Cass and Tim already eating. Alfred is standing in the doorway, holding two plates, " Miss Perseus."

" Perseus?" Tim asked, " That's Greek right?"

" Um, yeah." I froze slightly. Of course Tim would find out. But would he tell Bruce?

" Hmh." Tim nodded, then slurped his coffee.

" Master Damian, please take your plate with Miss Perseus." Alfred shot me a look.

" I'm not hungry." I roll my eyes and try to slip past him to the kitchen to clean up the lunch mess.

" Miss Perseus, please do not try to fight me on this. I have had training since Bruce was a young kid." Alfred raised an eyebrow.

" Just sit down, Percy, you're not getting past him." Tim said.

Groaning, I took the plate Alfred gave me and sat next to Cass since she was looking at me and slightly glancing at the chair. Damian had already taken his seat next to Tim, which was going to be a disaster, and started eating. 

Quickly eating the grilled cheese, I picked up my plate and Cass's and put them in the sink. Cass followed me in the kitchen and back out. Tim and Damian had just gotten done and Tim handed me his plate and went back to his room. Teenagers.

I sat back down at the table with Cass to wait on Dami. While we waited, I thought Cass how to play sticks. She obviously won when she got the hang of it. " Do you play chess? I feel like you would be good at it."

She shook her head, " Hmh, I teach you how to play it if you don't know already."

Cass nodded her head every so slightly. Looking at Damian to see he was watching this play out. " Do you know how to play chess?"

" Of course, Percy." Damian rolled his eyes then took his own plate to the sink.

Slightly rolling my eyes I turn to Cass, " Boys."

" We're not all bad." The man complained.

" Whatever you say, Todd." I smiled, " I still have a couple hours to get off work, what are you doing here?"

" I got bored and thought you just dying without me." Jason gave me a lopsided smile and sat next to me.

" People don't depend on your presence, Todd." Damian came back into the room.

" Welp, I've got to get back to work. Thanks for putting your plate up." I ruffle Damian's hair and stand up. Walking to the laundry room I notice I'm not alone. Turning around to find three children following me. Jason, Damian and Cass, " Are you guys really going to watch me work for another five hours?"

" Well, your not going to clean for five hours straight. Your gonna take a break." Jason shrugged, " And you need some company."

" I have to make sure your not screwing it up." Damian turned his nose up, and Cass nodded.

" Alright, do what you want." I shrugged and grabbed Damian's hand and offered the other to Cass. She stared at it and slowly took it.

" I want a hand to hold." Jason whined like a child.

" Mine are full. Dam-"

" I'd rather cut my hand off then hold yours, Todd." Damian snarled.

" He said he would love to hold your hand." I smiled.

" What?! No!" Damian shrugged as Jason quickly took his brother's hand.

" You heard it yourself from the professional Demon translator." Jason shrugged and swung his and Dami's hands between them, " Right, Cass. You heard it."

Cass had a very small smile on her lips as she nodded.

" See, even Cass agrees." Jason pulls all of us in a line to the laundry room.

1266 words

11/24/21

So, was anyone out of character? I feel like Jason was. He was a bit more chipper then most people view him. But we can chalk that up to being happy that Percy said yes to meeting up. But is the out of characterness too much for anyone?

Pieces Angels and Stay Safe