Ever had one of those nights where you just wanted to update something even though you were busy with other projects? well... this chapter is the last completed chapter I have right now for this one. the next one is in the works. so yeah, enjoy! a scene from my private mythos is here, along with a few easter eggs. kudos to those who find them!

3

The rain stopped before we reached Wayne Manor thankfully, but it took quite a bit of coaxing for Young Master Richard to let go of Master Bruce and see the building for the first time on his own two feet. Several waves of silent tears had nearly incapacitated the boy during the ride over, to the point we could not establish any ground rules before making it inside.

To this day I can still recall the look of wonder and confusion as the traumatized child laid eyes on the building. His lower jaw nearly reached the floor when he saw the interior. Both I and Master Bruce exchanged brief relieved smiles as the sight temporarily put dreary thoughts aside. Wayne Manor had this effect on people not used to grandeur, especially in the entrance hall.

"Whoa..."

"It's just the two of us here," my employer informed him. "Well, three now. Occasionally Alfred calls private contractors to help with certain areas of the house and grounds, but for the most part, it's just us.

"Some doors are locked of course," he further explained. "All with good reasons. Other than the locked rooms and what lies within, you have free reign to go wherever you like. Alfred will be able to show you around the entire house shortly."

I raised an eyebrow at the young man, again silently asking what he was thinking. Young Master Richard was his ward, not mine. The time would be better spent if they explored the house together, not separate. He only gave me a small explanation to my inquiry. "There are still some legal matters I need to attend to before tomorrow."

"Of course there are." The doubt was eminent in my voice I'm afraid, but it did prove a point to my employer. Hefting the lad's bag and old clothes, I offered my hand to my latest responsibility. "Young Master Richard, shall I show you to your room?"

Mutely the boy nodded, still amazed at the sight of the building. He fumbled to put his hand in mine while keeping a hold of Peanut. Master Bruce gave his final words before returning to the garage for a personal car to finish his errands. "I'll be back before dinner, I promise."

"Indeed you will sir." As the door leading outside shut, I guided the lad gently up the stairs towards the room I had prepared for him. Thankfully he was tall enough to walk up the stairs as he moved his head every which way to take in all the sights. He was particularly fond of looking at the chandeliers. That should have been a warning to me for the future, but I was not paying close attention to what he was looking at, just that he was looking. "This way now."

The first place I pointed out to him was of course his new room. Master Richard's mouth seemed like it would never close as he looked inside. "This... is my room?"

"Indeed it is." I let go of his hand in there, placing his backpack on the bed and unzipping it as he took it in. "This was once Master Bruce's room when he graduated from the nursery. He chose it for the wood carvings above."

I pointed it out, as I was certain it would entertain the lad for a while at least. He seemed so distracted by the size of the place that he was not taking in the arts and the details. Looking up, he finally saw the trimmings displaying the old British fable of a particular outlaw. Recognition dawned on his face as he took them in. "Robin Hood?"

"Yes it is sir." I gave him a warm smile as I unloaded his bag. The clothes smelled a bit musty from being stuffed away for a week, but not intolerable. They were well worn and some looked too small for him, but they would have to do until we could acquire new clothes for the lad. "One of Master Bruce's favorite stories. He always admired him for helping the people of Nottingham and Sherwood."

"But..." Master Richard started, uncertain. "He's rich."

"As was Robin," I reminded him, taking some hangers from the closet to hang the wrinkled garments. I would have preferred to toss the whole lot into the laundry, but at that moment it would likely upset the boy. "Robin was a lord, heir to the Locksley name. He tossed that aside to help his people rather than himself. Robin Hood and Master Bruce have many common traits."

"Really?" He finally looked to me, really seeing me once again instead of his pain or the sheer size of his new home. He was a bit hopeful, but not sure what to believe. He needed more than just words to believe, but I did my best.

"Yes, he does." I gave him one of my most reassuring smiles as I sung my former ward's praises. "He donates quite a bit of his fortune to charity, and makes certain they go to the right people. He traveled the world alone for many years to understand people of all sorts, and to better understand himself. He cannot stand to see injustices done to people, and has always taken a stand against those who abuse their powers on those with nothing. If he had to become an outlaw in order to save his people, he would."

I could see a spark of hero worship appear in the lad's eye, and I prayed I hadn't gotten his hopes up. "So... He's kinda like... Superman?"

My lips twitched in amusement at the conclusion. From Robin Hood to Superman. Children made very strange connections indeed. "To a degree. Master Bruce prefers working from the shadows though, instead of the spotlight. He's had enough attention for merely existing and trying to live, he does not want every good deed he does to be scrutinized by the press. He makes fewer enemies that way."

The child stared at me in slight confusion. "Okay... so he's not?"

"Not exactly." Oh how to describe Master Bruce to a child who barely knew him? Who I knew would likely not see as much of him as he'd like while staying there. This was a tricky job indeed. "Master Bruce is... Well he's a good man. He has a heart like Superman's and a nobility like Robin Hood's. And that is what matters."

Still confused, he watched me in silence. Master Richard truly did not know what to make of all of this. He had too many questions and never enough answers. As I finished putting things away, he asked the question I knew would come. "Why did he... why am I here?"

I closed the drawer before coming towards the bed and motioning for him to join me. I am so glad the boy was not as bitter and stubborn as Master Bruce was at that age, for he joined me without any thought or question. "There are many reasons for you to be here, I assure you, but most of all, we believe this is the best place for you at the moment.

"You see... Master Bruce lost his parents when he was a little younger than yourself." Shock and grief entered his face at the same time as what I said weighed in on him. I lowered my eyes for a moment as I recalled what happened to him. "Master Thomas and Mistress Martha Wayne had taken him to the theater for a showing of The Mask of Zorro. They went by cab, giving me the night off so I could pursue a lady. On their way home that night, they could not manage to grab another outside the theater. So they wandered into an alleyway to find a shortcut to another street to catch one.

"A mugger with a gun appeared and shot Mr. and Mrs. Wayne right in front of Master Bruce." The boy gasped, tightening his hold on the elephant as tears started in his eyes. I placed a hand on the child's to calm him, but I doubt it did much good. "Only Master Bruce can tell you exactly what happened that night, as there were no other witnesses. Some say it was a miracle he survived, others a curse. It has haunted him ever since and he has traveled the world twice over to help himself heal."

"Does he have any family?" The quiet, concerned plea drew a sad smile from my lips, ever so slightly. Now came my pain, my involvement.

"After his parents' funeral, he was taken to his mother's brothers, and they placed him in a boarding school. His time with the Kanes and the school were nightmares after that experience. It took me two years for me to gain custody of him, as his parents wanted in their will. Master Bruce is estranged from his mother's side. His father was an only child. You could say I'm the only family he has.

"That is, unless you would like to help fill the void." That made the child blink, and even myself to rethink what I said. I doubt Master Bruce appreciated my telling him the story of his tragic youth, but I do not regret it. After all, "Blood does not always make a family."

"And a house doesn't always make a home." I gave him a small smile as I knew the boy understood this at least. I had heard the phrase somewhere in my time as a performer, and was pleased it transferred itself to Haly's Circus performers as well. He looked down in thought as he held Peanut closer. "This room is bigger than our trailer."

"I imagine so."

"Is it a home?"

I tried to give him an encouraging smile. "We can make it one. Now, I must ask, would you like to change and rest before seeing the rest of the manor, or would you rather come down to the kitchen and help me make some cookies?"

When his eyes lit up at the word 'cookies', I knew I would have to invest in a jar once again. Master Bruce accidentally broke the ceramic one when he was twelve and I had not replaced it yet. I cannot say whether the one I attained the following day ever had a bottom; I fill it constantly. Either way, the child nodded, held his toy closer, and murmured, "Cookies are good."

"Indeed they are. Now come. There are a few places I think you should see before the kitchen." Pushing myself off the bed, I offered a hand to the lad to guide him to some important locations. He took it after a moment's hesitation and slid off after me. Master Richard looked around the room one last time before we exited, and I am certain he liked the room just as much as Master Bruce did at that age.

We spent much of the day exploring the manor I must say, and the rest in the kitchen. Master Richard was surprised to be having a proper sandwich at lunch, with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, turkey bacon, and proper mayonnaise instead of 'PB&J' as he called it. I dare say he was baffled at the healthy meal before we deviled into making chocolate chip cookies. I had to prod the boy into helping soften the butter, but he had little trouble scraping the near empty bowl clear of any leftover dough.

It was nearly four in the afternoon before Master Bruce returned to the manor, and by then we had returned to the young lad's new room to better freshen it up. My employer must have been searching for us through the entire building, for when he found us he sighed with relief. Several items were in his hands, none of them meant for adults. I raised an eyebrow at the bags momentarily before voicing his appearance. "Master Bruce! Welcome home."

"Hello Alfred. Richard." He crossed the threshold, carefully approaching the bed the child was sitting on, still clutching his best friend.

The lad bit his lower lip for a moment before attempting a smile at him. "Hello Mr. Wayne."

"Been having a good day?" Carefully he placed the shopping bags and a small garment bag upon the bed, keeping his distance from the boy with the utmost care. Internally I groaned. This was a child, not a wild beast or a pet. Master Bruce really needed to learn how to approach children properly. They off-times mistake nervous distance as distain.

The boy nodded, clearly thinking he did something wrong. I came over and took the garment bag away to the closet. A freshly prepared suit which hopefully fit the boy hung within no doubt. I barely heard the child say, "Thank you for taking me in Mr. Wayne."

"It's my pleasure, I assure you." I heard a small awkward pause while my back was turned, but when I turned back around, I saw a sight I knew was right. My former charge put a hand into his pocket, taking out a black jewelry bag as he sat on the edge of the bed to talk to our guest. "Richard, there's something I want to give you before tomorrow. Something important."

"What?" came the boy's innocent reply. A moment later the lad gasped, the contents of the pouch sliding into his hands easily. "These... these are..."

"I don't doubt you and Alfred have been talking while I've been away," Master Bruce started, a little nervous. Sadness was etched into each of their features as they spoke. "When... when my parents... when they died... I felt like I was alone. That they would never be near me again. Alfred wanted to prove to me they would never leave me, and so made this for me."

He unbuttoned his collar and let his tie fall apart in order to reach into his shirt and reveal a simple chain with two gold rings on it. His parents' wedding bands. "These are my parents'. They gave these to each other to prove their love and fidelity to one another. I was another piece of proof that they loved each other... that they were here. He told me they would want me to have their rings so I would know how much they cared... how much they will always care... for each other and for me. The rings have no beginning and no end. Just like their love for me. A physical link to me from beyond the grave and reaching into eternity.

"I wanted to do the same for you." Inside young Master Richard's hands was an almost identical chain with two much less valuable rings on it. The Graysons were by no means rich, but their love for one another was evident in how much they cared for those rings, and their son. "Think of the rings as a promise from them that they will always be there for you. The chain is big on you now, but you will grow into it. It's made of the strongest metals known to man and won't rust or tarnish. You can have them with you always."

The lad just stared at the rings as he spoke, shaking slightly as a fresh wave of tears sprung up in the boy's eyes. For a brief moment he closed his hands around the rings and closed his eyes, possibly remembering something. My employer watched him silently, maybe worried he did the wrong thing, for a long minute before there was any other reaction. Master Richard gave no warning, no sign, before lunging at Master Bruce's torso, wrapping his small arms around him, and hugging him for dear life, sobbing. The man was so startled by the act, he didn't know what to do; usually that was an amusing sight, but this time it was a bit sad.

Yet the boy taught him what to do in time. "Th... Thank you. Thank you Mr. Wayne."

Hearing the gratitude and sobs, Master Bruce gave in and hugged his ward back. I imagine he felt the same harrowing pain as the child at that moment, and the comfort of having someone in your arms again. I started leaving the two so they could bond properly when they let go of each other and Master Richard let his guardian place the chain around his neck. It was a beautiful scene to part on. After all, I had dinner to prepare, and this time for three instead of two.

A/N: I am very pro-marriage, and if any of you recognize the religious jargon, get yourself some green jello. Yeah, so in sacrifice I brought up the rings on a chain, and honestly that was the first time I could bring it up. This is when they came into play. All the orphaned Waynes have them. Cass and Dami don't get that chance so I thought this would be good for these guys.

hope you liked it! I don't know when I'll be getting back to this one, so I'll post another chapter when I'm ready. there is a poll up so please click what you read. also writing for other genres to expand my skills, so try them out. Laters.