Reason Number Three

A Word: Steph.

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The paperwork for Cass has to go through the same loops that had taken him so long to get Dick, but Camille has him signing the final papers anyway. She obviously doesn't expect there to be a problem. There's an extra few sheets about fostering that Bruce signs to be able to leave with both children that'll have the lawyers throwing fits, but it's worth it.

It's all worth it.

Bruce watches Cass curl into Dick's side. Her eyes going heavy even as Dick continues to talk. He's animated and lively, and hasn't once been out of arms reach of the girl. His eyes had lit up when Bruce signed the papers and he'd called Cass, "Little sister."

Bruce's toying with the screen of his phone. Trying to phrase how he's going to break the news to Selina when the door to the room pushes open suddenly. It's not Camille coming back with copies of the paperwork.

A girl with her blonde hair in pigtails marches in the room. Her face screwed up in seriousness as she surveys the room. Her eyes raking across them all before settling on Bruce. He watches, vaguely amused, as she marches towards him. Stomps actually. The brightly colored balls of her hair ties clicking together with each step.

"You can't take my sister away," the girl has to nearly bend her neck all the way back to glare up at him. Her glare is fierce and reminds him so much of when he first met Selina. "I won't let you!"

"Steph!" Cass happily cries before Bruce can say anything. The first syllables Bruce has heard the girl say. She wriggles free from Dick and rushes up to the other girl. Offering up the doll with a bright smile. "Princess."

Steph seems to soften at that. Curling her arms around the slightly smaller girl. "Yeah, was Dick telling stories?"

Cass nods solemnly. Pointing to the sword in the princess' hand. Steph turns a pout onto Dick. "I wanted to hear a story too!"

"Well," Dick isn't looking at Bruce. He's looking at the two girls with something wistful in his face. He doesn't say anything else as he rocks a little in the chair.

"He's not done telling the story," Bruce says. The prince doll laying on the table next to him. He picks it up and looks at Steph again. She's glaring again and has her body angled before Cass. Bruce smiles and gambles a bit as he scoops both girls up onto his lap.

Cass goes still for a heartbreaking moment before relaxing slightly. The princess doll coming up to dance in his face when he smiles down at her. Steph scowls before arranging herself comfortably. With no regard at all to Bruce's comfort. He ignores the boney elbow in his gut and hands over the prince. "Here. You play the prince. I think Dick was telling us how the princess tricked a troll into letting them over a bridge?"

Dick picks the story up with no further prompting. Coming over to sit on the arm of the chair closest to Steph. Prodding her to follow along with the doll like Cass. Steph gives Bruce one last, long eyeballing before committing to the tale. Her face smoothing out as Dick changes his voice to the troll's.

Bruce provides the occasional exclamation that draws giggles from all three of them. Cass chirping the occasion word to Steph, and only Steph. An almost giddy warmth pools in his chest as he holds the girls and feels Dick leaning against his shoulder. Their voices washing through him in a way that feels right.

"Bruce, dear," a hand on the back of his neck tells him Camille is back, and probably has been for a while. "You're going to make me really work today aren't you?"

Bruce tilts his head back to grin up at the woman. He doesn't let go of either girl.

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