Oculus | J. Todd ✔

[32]

Richard dashed in through the main gate of the Manor for he had come as soon as Tim had called, letting him know that Jay had returned. Taking the first flight to Gotham he had reached just a few minutes before Bruce's usual time of returning home.

Alfred met him in the corridor and seeing his impatience, he realized the reason to it. "Master Jason is down in the training hall," he replied before Dick could even ask.

"In the training hall?"

"Yes, he has been training with Master Damian since the past two hours."

Surprise crossed his features but he nodded, "thanks Alfred."

"Who's training with Damian?" 

The two turned to see Bruce standing in the corridor, his features weighed down from fatigue but a look of disbelief was evident on his face, as if he had heard Alfred utter something impossible.

"Master Jason has returned home," Alfred remarked, the happy note lingering in his tone, "he is in the training hall if you wish to meet him."

Leaving the briefcase right there, Bruce followed Richard down to the training hall and from observing his face it seemed as if a part of him was not ready to believe the news and yet another part of him was badly hoping for it to be true.

"Two hours... These two are tireless," Richard mumbled in order to keep up a light conversation going, "I bet Dami finally found his match at training."

Bruce did not reply but soon as they stepped in the training hall and saw the two boys locked in hand to hand combat, the disbelief on his features lessened.

He watched Jason clearly having an edge over Damian but the younger boy was in no mood to face defeat either. Both of them moved with the stealth and agility of Assassins and it was no wonder for both had received training from there.

Bruce noticed the change in Jason's fighting strategy, the perfection in his defensive moves and the sharpness of his attacks. Damian was keeping up with his pace such that even though the former had been going easy on him earlier, Jay had resorted to fighting against him on an equal level.

Richard had been right in saying that Damian had found a match at training. Watching them, it was hard to say who would win and even harder to deduce when they would stop.

But the two of them did not have to worry about it because Tim came dashing into the training hall in a frenzy and collided with Damian headfirst. Tim went off balance and Damian turned to face him instead but before he could take his anger out on him, Jay lifted Tim up by the scruff of his neck, "what you looking for, Babybird?"

"My reports are all missing," Tim mumbled wearily, "and as usual I ran out of coffee."

 "Did you pack your stuff up carefully from Eve's place or not?"

"Maybe not... Shit, I ruined your training session... I'm so sorry, Jay... Sorry, Damian," his eyes flickered as he noticed what had happened and Jason placed him back on his feet but at a considerably safe distance from Damian, "I thought I might have placed my files in that cabinet so if I could just go check..."

"You are even dumber than I gave you credit for," Damian huffed, "that cabinet is for weapons not case files."

"I know... But I don't trust myself. Especially not when I am running on a few hours without coffee."

"Pathetic," Damian shook his head but then he noticed Richard and Bruce standing by the the rails of the combative ground. Jason had followed his gaze as well and he froze.

"Besides a case file is pretty much a weapon against the person it is filed as. Say the Penguin for instance, I could use his case file as a weapon if I really wanted to," Tim had opened that cabinet and started to look through its contents thoroughly, completely unaware to the rest of the surroundings, "and the wounds resulted from it could range from paper cuts to an actual prison sentence... But then this is Gotham, there's no such thing as a prison sentence actually being feared so... Case dismissed."

Jason knew he had to take the first step so he climbed out of the combative ground, approaching Richard and Bruce cautiously. Damian had followed though he was simply observing the tension in between them, thinking of the last time Jason had been violent towards his father.

It seemed as if Damian suspected it might happen again for he too was slightly tense, emerald eyes flickering from one face to the other.

But Jason was not there to cause a scene, he was there to make amends. 

"I'm sorry," Jason spoke up at last, his tone heavy with all the guilt and sadness he was trying to suppress, "I was unnecessarily harsh on you."

"No... I am the one who should apologize," Bruce admitted, "every single thing you had said to me was true. I had been on as much fault as you were... Probably even more than you for I never acknowledged what I have always sacrificed in my mission for justice."

There was an awkward pause between the two because it seemed as if they had spoken what they had thought of doing so to one another but had not thought of how to react to it. 

Jason was thinking that it was way easier to hug Alfred while he wasn't too sure whether Bruce would accept the gesture. Bruce was thinking that Jason was still going to be cold towards him and deep down he had almost made himself believe that he deserved it.

But Richard on the other hand had sensed both their thoughts and took the decision for them both by himself. Stepping forward, he tackled both Jason and Bruce into a hug.

"God, I missed our group hugs," he breathed, squeezing the two of them tightly. Both Jay and Bruce were shocked for a second but gradually softened into the embrace.

Alfred stood by watching the three of them with a relived smile on his face. The sight in front of him was a proof that everything would gradually but eventually come back to normal, the first step had been taken and it was just a few more steps to go.

"Hey, I wanna join too!" And right next moment Tim had launched himself onto the group huddled together and Richard had pulled him in as well.

Damian was standing at the side looking at them as if he had just witnessed something very peculiar and unearthly. The surprise on his features was evident and Alfred sensed what was going on in the boy's heart.

He wanted to belong too. He wanted to be a part of their family just as much as the rest of them were.

So without warning, Alfred wrapped one arm around the child and with the other he too joined the family hug. Damian had tried to wriggle out of his grip but Bruce's hand landed on his back pulling him close.

For the first time in years, Bruce felt as if a giant burden had lifted from his heart. And as he stood there surrounded in a loving embrace from his family, the smile that broke out on his face was one that he did not conceal.

Or rather a smile he could not conceal. His son had come back to him and their family, no matter how dysfunctional it had been, was whole once again.

***