Five times Damian got a hug and the one time he got slapped in the face (then a hug)

Damian was 14 years old when he decided to return to the Wayne Manor. He had the initial thought on how things would go down. He'd walked up, nock on the door and wait for it to open. Whomever was at the door, would scream in surprise. The youngest son of Wayne was alive.
The boy could still recall the cracks in the floors from when he was 10. The large looming doors, were now starting to look smaller to him. He raised his hand and knocked on the old oak door. That still felt the same from his memory, the feel and sound.

Damian waited, not sure how long he'd have to wait before the door opened. Before Pennyworth found him. His breath caught, the door flung open. To Damian's surprise, it wasn't Pennyworth at the door, but a young lady. She looked no older than 6 years, at best.

"How can I help you?"

The young girl asked, a smile Damian could have sworn belonged to Grayson, yet ended up on this child. This wasn't part of Damian's plan, now what was he to do?

"Is there an adult around miss?"

The child nodded, her strange bright green eyes seemed to light up in an un-earthly glow.

"Daddy, there is a stranger at the door."

Daddy? Who would that be? Damian really didn't know if he should wait or walk in, considering this was also his house. Damian stopped and heard a familiar voice, calling out from the long corridor he'd used to run before the mission. Grayson was walking toward them and he wasn't alone. The familiar "tick" on the hard wood floor meant Titus was with him too. Damian couldn't help himself but whistle. A whistle that he knew Titus would recognize.

The once slow "tick" that he heard, broke out into an excited run. This action startled Grayson into running too. Damian kneeled down, his arms wide open. The dark mass of the Great Dane smashed into the teen, knocking both dog and boy down the stairs. If it wasn't for Damian's training, both would have been hurt. Titus was letting out a noise he had never heard before. It was so heartbreaking, he didn't have any words to describe it. All he did was hold his crying dog.

Dick picked up the little girl, unsure of why Titus was acting the way he was. Was he attacking the man who had his back turned to them. Dick smiled, Titus was attacking him, with kisses and tackles.

"Excuse me, but are you alright?"

Damian held onto his dog, turning his head to see his oldest brother looking down at him. The face changed from confusion to the realization that the person before him, was Damian. He placed the child onto the ground before jumping down the stairs and falling onto his knees to grab the boy into a hug. Damian closed his eyes, returning the hug he so gravely missed.

"How. My God….Damian."

Dick held Damian close to his body, afraid he was just dreaming and that if he let go, Damian would fade away. Tears fell freely, finally knowing that this was real, Damian was alive.

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Damian held the little girl in his arms.

"Mari? Right?"

"Yep! Damian, right?"

"Yeah….so you are Richard's daughter."

"The one and only."

Dick glanced over from his DNA analyst kit. In his heart he knew this was Damian, but more proof was needed. If not just for Dick's sake, but for Bruce's as well. No one wanted a clone running around pretending to be his late brother. If anything, Titus's acceptance sold him more than any DNA Test.

"I appreciate it Grayson. Asking for my DNA then just taking it."

"Bruce would have done it once he finds out, well, you are alive an all."

"I told you, I faked my death and left. With mother being dead, I came out of hiding."

"Still, that was a dick move. Where the hell did you find a clone anyways?"

Damian looked over at Dick like he was a fool.

"My MOTHER, sent a forced grown CLONE of me, to KILL me. I just used what she used to clones the "Evil" monsters. So I forced grew one for myself and autopilot the thing."

"Wow, and I thought Bruce was mental."

An elderly voice called up from the library from the manor.

"Master Richard, Miss Mari, I've returned from shopping. Is there anything you would like for lunch?"

Damian's seemed to have lost his voice in that moment. Alfred Pennyworth was home and he didn't know what to do next. Dick saw this and made the move for him.

"I think lunch can wait for the moment Alfred. We have a guest among us, whom I am sure, missed you very much."

"Ah, someone is not a "guest" Master Richard if they are in the Batcave, they are either friends or family…"

Alfred had made his way down the stairwell, his eyes falling onto the young Master Damian. Alfred seemed to have stopped in his tracks. Damian turned, Mari still him his arms. He wasn't sure what to do or say in that moment. Nothing really needed to be said. Alfred moved quickly, grabbing Damian into a hug that seemed very strong for a man his age. Damian closed his eyes and fell into the hug. In his mind, he recalled Alfred being taller. Now Damian was up to his shoulders.

Alfred broke the hug, whipping away tears that had fallen. Damian gave a small smile. The years away from everyone had given him time to find out who and what he was.

"Does Master Bruce know?"

"Not yet."

Alfred smiled, knowing what he was going to do next, to get his son to come home to a wonderful surprise.

"Come, let me make you a lunch and we call can wait for Master Bruce and the others to return home."

Damian nodded, glancing over at Dick. Mari still clinging onto Damian. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew that her Grandfather had missed Damian dearly. To know that he was alive, would bring a smile to his face.

"Let's do that."

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Bruce sighed heavily as he walked in the door. Wayne Tech was going head to head with Lex Luthor in the race to Space. Alfred the cat, made it inside the Manor before Bruce closed the door.

"Hey kitty, one day I'll get your tail by accident."

He gave a smile. Bruce looked around, confused a bit. Where was Titus? Normally the dog would have been waiting for him at the door.

"Titus, come here boy."

Bruce strained his ears, listening for the dog. He heard Titus's hyper bark, Mari laughing, Dick's current adventure and Alfred's talk about Tea. He smiled, hearing those voices. Then once voice stuck out from all the rest. It was older, deeper, but he knew that voice. He never forgot it.

From the long hallway, Bruce ran. He was half afraid his mind was playing tricks on him again. Bruce stopped, at the door way, looking into the kitchen with hopeful eyes. There, before him was Damian. Taller, darker, and looking more like an adult he thought he'd never seen.

"Damian."

"Father."

Damian ran forward, feeling his knee's go weak in that instant. Bruce ran forward, catching his son. Both men fell to their knees. Bruce held his son in his arms. Damian held his father in his arms. The sound that came out of Bruce's mouth was that of a cry of happiness. All Damian could do in that moment was say two words as tears ran down his face.

"I'm home."

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Alfred watched from the family room. Bruce was in his chair, with Damian sitting on his lap, his face nestled into his father's neck. It was such an emotional evening, both men had fallen asleep. Alfred had seen that look a few time before on Bruce's face. He knew with that look, everything would work out ok.

A hand was placed on Alfred's shoulder. The old man looked and smiled.

"Jason, it's good to see you again."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I knew the kid wasn't dead."

"Ah, I guess I do lose that bet now, don't I?"

"It's one I am glad to have won. Specially against you Alfred. You are damned scary when it comes to bets."

Alfred couldn't help by giggle at that. Jason held his hand over his heart.

"My god, Alfred giggling. What has the world come to?"

Jason made his way over a cabinet and opened it up. Inside lay neatly folded blankets. Jason pulled one out and brought it over to the sleeping duo. He took one end and placed it over Bruce's shoulder and the other over Damian's. The young boy cracked open an eye and smiled at his older brother. In a whisper he said.

"Thank you."

"Anytime. Glad you are back."

Jason squeezed the boy's shoulder. He considered that a rain check for a hug he'd get later. Jason left, walking out with Alfred to meet up with Dick and Mari in the TV Room. Damian rested his head back down on Bruce's shoulder, drifting off into a happy dream.

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Barbara held him tight, not letting go for the longest time. Damian returned it, liking the warmth she gave him. Even if the two never really got to know each other, the both loved the same person, because of that they were able to get along regardless.

"Welcome home little one."

"Glad to be back."

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All that was left was one person. Tim. The whole family was waiting for Tim to show up, not telling him the news that Damian was back. (Not from the grave, because that title belonged to Jason.)
When Tim did show up, he didn't see Damian right away. All he saw was smiling faces and blood shot eyes from people crying. For a moment, he wondered if everyone was under mind control or something.

"Am I missing something here?"

Everyone seemed to laugh, before a snotty voice broke in.

"What's the matter Drake? Still slow on the uptake?"

That's when Tim's eyes fell where Damian was. The young boy had grown taller in those four years he was gone, so had his attitude towards Drake it seemed. Dick rolled his eyes, wondering if the sibling rivalry would live on again between the two. Bruce and Jason glanced at each other, not sure how Tim would take this. After all, Tim did suffer from a mental break down at the loss of Damian back then. Alfred and Barbara watched, not worried about the unfolding events. Mari just played with a hyper dog.

Damian stood up, that snarky smile on his face. He was now almost head to head with Drake in height, almost.

"What are you? Daft or something?"

Tim narrowed his eyes, swung his hand and slapped Damian a crossed the face. Damian was taken back, Drake had just hit him. It wasn't shocking to say that everyone's jaw had dropped at Tim's action. Damian turned and looked at Tim in shock. Tim clenched his teeth and started yelling.

"You stupid asshole! Where the hell have you been? Pulling a stunt like that and not telling anyone. You are still nothing but an insensitive little brat as always. You ever do something like that again and you don't have to worry about the villain killing you, because I will."

Damian was about to bark back, but his anger was quelled when Tim embraced him into a strong hug. His brother hid his face into Damian's neck. The anger seemed to vanish the moment he felt tears fall. Damian tensed, be relaxed, returning the hug. The two brothers just stood there.

"I'm sorry."

Bruce watched. He still hadn't gotten everything from Damian yet, the whole story. But he figured that could wait. Bruce couldn't ask for anything more in that moment. Everyone was home, alive and well. As far as Bruce was concerned, he didn't need anything else but "this".

Family.