A Little Thing Called Family- Batfam Adventure

What binds us

-Wayne Manor-

Alfred walks through the halls of Wayne Manor. He stops at a room to his left and sees Tim inside. Tim is sitting in a chair looking down at the floor. He seems to be contemplating about something.

Alfred- Master Tim?

Tim- Oh, hey Alfred.

Alfred- Something troubling you?

Tim stands up and walks over to a window at the other end of the room and looks out over the manor garden.

Tim- Just everything happening with Jason. I'm still not sure I'm ready to just let him in and be apart of this family. I… I don't think his beliefs should be brought in, especially considering what we do for a living. 

Alfred- Have you talked with Lady Stephanie about this? 

Tim- She thinks that we should give him a chance, I'm not to sure but I haven't voiced my doubts. 

Alfred- Well, you all know my stance on the subject…

Alfred makes his way over to Tim and stands right next to him. 

Alfred- I believe that family isn't always something you can pick, but it also isn't always a legality or blood related thing. Master Dick and Jason were both adopted and you hold no tie at all, but you're still a member of this family. It's because of that, that this means so much to you. Master Jason may be the black sheep but you aren't a sheep at all.

Tim- Does that analogy actually work?

Alfred- Sometimes. My point is. You fear for your position in the family if Jason jumps back in because he has a real tie but, you do realize that this family is not that shallow. 

Tim- Yeah I guess you got a point. 

Tim turns to Alfred and gives him a hug.

Tim- Thanks.

Alfred- Oh I have to give pep talks like this very often. Each of you boys are like Bruce but with different aspects. Makes it a little bit easier to manage.

Tim- Haha. Which am I?

Alfred- You always second guess yourself. 

Tim- That makes sense actually. 

-Somewhere else in Wayne Manor-

Steph and Cass are in the kitchen eating.

Steph- So, what are your thoughts on everything.

Cass- Deaths… Jason?

Steph- About both I guess.

Cass- Jason… nice… misunderstood. 

Steph- You think so?

Cass nods.

Steph- I'm not to sure but I think we should give him a chance at least.

Cass- Jason… deserves.

Steph- Yeah I gu…

Jason then walks into the kitchen. He seems to have taken off all of his bandages and is in his casual clothes again.

Steph- Hey Jay.

Jason- Hey.

Jason walks over to one of the tap cupboards and pulls out a box of Cheerios. He then grabs a bowl, a spoon and milk, and then sits at the countertop with Steph and Cass. 

Jason- Thanks.

Steph- For what?

Jason- For wanting to give me a second chance.

Steph- Well you deserve it.

Jason- Would you believe that if I said it wouldn't stop me from doing things my may?

Stephanie hesitates for a little bit too long, not knowing what to say.

Steph- Uh…

Cass- Yes.

Steph and Jason both look over at Cassandra as she confirms to Jason that it doesn't change anything.

Jason- Yeah well, I wish the rest of the family believed that.

Damian- Well you got me if thats any consolation. 

Damian appears in the doorway of the kitchen and walks over and grabs a bowl and a spoon. He sits down across the counter from Jason. 

Damian- You are family. No matter the body count.

This small little corner of the family, filled with orphans and ex assassins, killers and dead men, sit around a countertop, and spend just a little bit of time, as a family. 

-Batcave-

Nightwing stumbles in an lays down on a table. He hits a botton to his right.

Dick- Alfred, I need some assistance. 

Within five minutes Alfred is down with first aid. He is too used to this.

Alfred- May I ask what happened Master Dick. 

Alfred starts to stitch up his cuts as Dick tells him about the assassin and what he's been told.

Alfred- Another organization other than the league that works in the shadows. Gotham really needs a break.

Dick- Yeah. I need to go talk to everyone else and send someone new out on patrol.

Dick stands up to Alfred holds a hand up in front of his face. 

Alfred- I wouldn't. Not right now.

Dick- Why?

Alfred picks up a remote and points it at a monitor. What appears on the monitor suprises Dick.

Everyone else, sitting around a countertop eating cereal, in the middle of the night. Tim is there too, as Alfred sent him there after their conversation. There was laughter and joy and no worries among them.

Alfred- Prehaps, for one more night, before we go out and wage a new war in Gotham, we can enjoy the little moments like this.

Dick- What happened? What got them all to just sit and talk?

Alfred- Oh it's quite simple really. 

Alfred turns the monitor off and starts leading Dick to the elevator.

Alfred- A little thing called, family.

Dick heads upstairs and as he enters the kitchen, everyone looks to him.

Jason- Anymore news?

Dick looks around the table. If you had told him he would see this when Jason first reappeared, he wouldn't have believed it, but here it was, a group of dysfunctional kids brought together by one Bat, made into a family.

Dick- That can wait until morning. Pour me a bowl.

Dick sits down at the counter top, and the family looks around at each other, tomorrow they may be in for the fight of their lives, but for right now, for this sliver of time, they can just be together.

A/N- This was my favorite chapter to right so far. I really put quite a few of my own philosophy into Alfred in this one because, I believe that family has nothing to do with blood, but it also isn't something you can always choose. Family is those you grow with and disagree with and that you fight with, and if you're a real family, no matter what, you always come back to each other.

I really enjoyed making this also because, I miss those small moments where I would stay up late with my family and just talk and eat and have a good time and for once, having to pay the bills or what our current grades in school were didn't matter, because for that little amount of time, we were together.

I know I just got really cheesy on you but thats just me speaking my mind.

Thank you