Appendix II: Barb and Jim Gordon

Barbara Gordon had been leaving clues for her father since Superman managed to travel the boom tube and actually see Robin or Dick well actually she needed to get used to calling him Damian. The thought that she was going to be Damian's mom made her uneasy because at his new age he'd need a mom figure but how would the transition from friend to mom work. The thought of Dick being dragged around by CPS again if anything happened to Batman made her push the awkwardness away and do what needed to be done.

Attempt 1: Had her dad actually bought the stupid lie that the half laundry basket of size 4T kids clothes had been picked up at the laundromat by mistake? She had her own washer dryer. It was supposed to be a transparent lie.

Attempt 2: She left a ball, a broken crayon and a toy car under her coffee table. Her dad acted like he didn't notice. Maybe he thought she'd been babysitting? Think! How do I start this conversation?

Attempt 3: She left the "What to Expect from Kindergarten, A Mom's Guide," website up on her computer and changed it so the screen saver wouldn't come on for an extra 15 minutes and then sent her Dad into her office to fetch her purse for her. He made no comment what so ever. She opened the computer to check that the website was still there. BLASTED POPUPS!

Attempt 4: She stocked the cupboard with her dad's favourite coffee mug in it, with a dinosaur sippy cup and kids multivitamins. ...nothing. Okay her dad was part of the coffee zombie army, when he needed coffee the blinders were on, that idea had probably been a lost cause from the get go.

Attempt 5: Every wall plug in her house got childproofed. Her dad commented that he'd installed the child safety plugs too! They stop about 10 percent of heat loss do to uncontrolled airflow you know.

Attempt 6: A kiddy step stool was tucked in the bathroom cupboard next to the spare toilet paper and she made sure the roll was almost empty when her dad was coming over. He assumed the step stool was to help her with bowel moments.

"Yeah Barbie, I saw the unicorn poop infomercial for the squatty potty. It was in really poor taste. Does it help though, propping your feet up?" He asked curious.

With a defeated air Barb tried using the stool to prop her feet up the next time she was scheduled to go number two. It did help, blast it all! Stupid unicorn!

Attempt 7: Come on lucky 7. She 'let' a precious photo of Damian fall out of her wallet. It wasn't one of the originals sent from another world. They were under lock and key in the bat vault. Thankfully her dad picked up the photo staring at it curiously. Barbara went beat red as she reached for the photo.

"Barbara? Where'd you get a photo of Richard Grayson when he was little?"

Uh wait a minute, she thought that wasn't what you were supposed to ask. "That's, D.. Damian. He's m.. s..son."

"Pardon?" asked Jim confused looking up at Barbara. She looked like she'd just swallowed a codfish.

"Well, you see dad. I've been meaning to talk to you about this. Damian is m..mine."

"Funny," answered Jim dryly.

"No, not really."

Silence...

"Daddy? Say something."

"Aren't you a little old for April fools?"

Barbara looked at the calendar. ...stupid, stupid, stupid, seriously? I've been trying to do this for how long and the dialog starts today of all days? Urgh... jokes on me she thought. It felt like her insides were twisting into a pretzel. "It's after lunch dad," she protested.

She wanted this emotional bombshell off her plate. She wanted to protect her Dad from the world of super villains and craziness that was, Batman, Batgirl, Robin and now Oracle. She was positive her dad had most of the Gotham vigilante game figured out. Please she thought, know the truth through the lies of plausible deniability I'm feeding you. ...but also it's no joke.

"Remember back when I was first in the chair and I gained a bunch of weight? Born March 4th, four years ago. He's Bruce Wayne's too. He is raising him." This sounded easier when Batman was explaining his plan thought Barb grimacing.

Jim's eyebrows raised alarmingly. What? That man's son had been in Barb's classes in high school.

Barb saw the look in her dad's eyes and started panicking. She waved her hands in frantic denial. "I'm Dami's surrogate mum. I did not... you know! Decade rule! I am not some kind of cougar. It was a doctor's office thing. Dick's mum had eggs frozen. It was this crazy idea to connect a little with Dick, to honour his memory while getting to be a mom or dad depending on which one of us you mean. I got to be a Mom but the wheelchair and everything that comes with it wasn't an obstacle." Barbara started off babbling embarrassed and ended up in tears.

She hadn't meant to burst into tears but there were real emotions mixed up in the stupid story. She remembered Dicks funeral. Feeling absolutely bereft. She'd just found out about the Robin thing and he was her best friend and they did some truly awesome stuff then he was gone. He'd been invincible and then he was gone, not 'vinced' just gone and then the Joker thing a few years later. She'd spent more than a year in diapers before she figured out toileting as a paraplegic. She'd been distraught, heavy on the dis as Robin used to say. There had been a lot of tears and misplaced anger and not so spectacular choices.

Jim looked at Barbara who never cried. She was the original strong independent woman, so held her. "Barbie it never occurred to you that all this craziness. I am always here for you. We can be a we. We've always been a we before."

"I had to sign a heavy duty nondisclosure agreement but it expires really soon."

"You've been dropping hints? You wanted me to know before anyone else?"

Barbara nodded. "You can't tell anyone. Not until Mr. Wayne registers him for kindergarten. It's to protect Damian. Bruce has always had a lot of trouble with paparazzi and kidnappers."

"Tell me about Damian, Barb."

Barbara nodded and thought. What would be sure to be the same? "He is always in motion. He likes gymnastics like me. He is very smart, scary smart. He has been begging Bruce to get him a pet." Barbara thought back to when Dick was 8 for inspiration. "Preferably a pet elephant but I think he could be persuaded to compromise with something more realistic."

"He has blue eyes. He's a mischievous little guy sometimes. He likes his apples cut in half so you can see the star inside then he'll nibble around the star." Dick did that from the time he was eight until he disappeared through that killer dimensional portal, presumed dead due to massive radiation exposure.

"What were the terms of the non-disclosure agreement?"

"To simplify it, I'd lose all parental rights. There were also financial penalties too but they are slap on the wrist type stuff. $10 G a year until Dami's 16th Birthday."

"Your calling $10 G a year a slap on the wrist?" sputtered Jim.

"It's Bruce Wayne," answered Barbara.

Jim felt like he went through the next few days in a haze. People would be talking to him, he would stare off into space. He pulled up the Wayne kidnapping files. Okay, maybe Mr. Wayne had a right to paranoia. Would Barb have had contractions? Did she have a c-section? Were there baby pictures. How did he not notice. He was not getting a lot of work done.

Barb answered a few of his dazed questions. "Contractions are triggered by hormones so it not that different except they use forceps. We have a few baby pictures but not many because Bruce is super paranoid. I didn't want you to know so I did everything I could to hide it. He was a small baby dad and he came early. I didn't gain near as much weight as I should have. I was terrified someone would find out and I wouldn't get to be his mom."

"Would Mr. Wayne have held you to the contact if someone had accidentally found out?" asked Jim incredulous. He want to go all investigative detective but well penalty clause, not worth it. Barb would never forgive him.

"I don't know. I was hormonal and not thinking right," answered Barb. Batman had prepared pictures of the first three years into a special album. Barb wasn't sure how he'd done it but it had to be easier than some of the other crazy stuff he had pulled off. CGI? Martians? Who knew.

"I looked into it. Registration for kindergarten has been open since February. What is he waiting for?" asked Jim who wanted to meet this grandson. That was an odd thought. He had a grandson.

Bruce wasted no time. He had Tim drop off the kindergarten registration forms the day after Dick got back.

Tim had the school date stamp the documents then he snapped a photo with his phone and emailed it to Bruce and Barb then sent a signal to Clark Kent that the press release was good to go. Clark replied that he was holding the press release until Bruce had a few stock photos prepped. Okay, thought Tim, I suppose that makes sense.

The primary division of Gotham Academy was just down the street a little from the senior school. Tim looked in the kindergarten pen for a bit before heading back to the high school. Damian was a little smaller than most of the kids but these guys were a year ahead so that made sense too.

Conner, Miss Martian, and Kaldur had wanted to interrogate Tim about Robin yesterday at the cave but he really hadn't had much to say except that he was home safe. Robin got home then had passed out due to medication.

He didn't want to tell them that the manor had transformed the moment first contact had been made. It went from mission control with sleeping quarters upstairs to a home with a Batcave in the basement. From the first day Robin's voice had echoed over the transmitter. Bruce wasn't Batman in disguise. Batman was Bruce in disguise.

Tim had gotten a tiny glimpse of the true Robin last night when a little boy in a big bat chair rearranged the family from servant, master of the house, adopted son and ward, to Grandpa, Daddy, Big Brother Timmy and me, complete with welcome home hugs and cookies. How Bruce had ever let him out at night? Tim was sure he'd never understand it.

Jim pulled up to the gate at Wayne Manor with Barbara in the passenger seat and pushed the intercom. He'd brought a police cruiser. Every 4 year-old boy liked police cruisers right?

The appointment wasn't until 3 pm but Jim had taken the afternoon off. He helped Barbara into her wheelchair. It was just after 1 pm. There was no need to knock on the door Alfred was waiting for them.

"Where is he?" asked Barb.

"Young Master Damian is upstairs trying to convince Bear that the dumb waiter is a miniature elevator. Bear has been sending me messages for the past hour." Alfred passed Barbara the messages.

In childlike scrawl, written in half a dozen different languages, were page after page of knock knock jokes.

"GRANDPA! GRANDPA! GRANDPA!" a terrified young voice yelled down. Tiny feet could be heard racing through the upstairs halls then Damian came leaping down the stairs flipping down the steps and skidding across the landing into a frantic heap before leaping up again. "THE TINY ELEVATOR ATE BEAR!"

"Young Master Damian I believe I explained to you that the dumb waiter jams very regularly. That was one of the primary reasons I did not wish you to use it as an elevator even if you may have fit."

"Well, I suppose I'll have to climb down the elevator shaft and rescue Bear!" decreed Damian intensely. "I have to rescue him!" Damian raced off back up the stairs before Alfred could stop him.

Commissioner Gordon and Barbara yelled after him.

Alfred who knew he'd have no hope of moving at Robin speed, which was undoubtedly what Damian thought the situation called for, thinking quickly flicked the lights in the grand hall off and on several times in quick succession. Thankfully Damian stopped and looked back.

"Your pardon," Alfred explained calling back as he headed up the stairs. "Damian's been having problems with his ears again. We've just discovered it has degenerated to the point where he simply cannot hear. The lights were the surest way to draw his attention."

"You didn't tell me he'd been having problems with his ears," Jim protested.

"I hoped he was past that," protested Barb bluffing. Barb wheeled herself into the kitchen looking for the dumbwaiter there and trying the button a few times. "Dad can you go upstairs and help on that end?"

Alfred was knelt in front of Damian a hand on each of his shoulders earnestly explaining that it would not be safe to climb down the dumbwaiter shaft. "Look at me Damian! I'm talking to you!"

"But I have to rescue Bear!" explained Damian desperately trying to wriggle away.

"You are not risking your life over an inanimate object!"

"He's not an anime subject! He's Bear! I'm sure it would be easier to climb over him then to climb up from underneath but I can try it your way but I have to go he's been trapped in there for so long now."

Damian wriggled out of Alfred's grasp and bolted away intent on climbing into the dumbwaiter shaft only to be caught and picked up by Jim Gordan. Damian froze in surprise.

Alfred came over and turned Damian's face to him. "Master Damian, I will rescue Bear. Go downstairs and wait with your mother."

Damian seemed a little calmer so Jim took him downstairs and plunked him in Barb's lap. Damian curled into her shaking a little. Bear was important.

"Hi," whispered Damian unhappily.

Barbara put her arms around him and hugged him. She really wasn't sure what was going on or why Dick would be so upset about a stuffed animal but he was upset and he was small and warm and familiar.

"How is your arm?"

"I probably shouldn't have tried that flip down the steps. I think I banged it a bit. It hurts."

"Oh dear Dami, I can see it will need re-setting. No flips. No cartwheels. No jumping on the furniture. None of that until this heals."

"Okay," answered Damian quietly. Damian stared at Barbara getting caught up examining her rather than worrying about Bear slowly he relaxed. He looked at the changes the years had wrought. All at once he smiled and gave her a pleased hug accompanied by a shift to his cheeky monkey grin. "I've got the prettiest mommy ever!" He kissed her on the cheek then scrambled off her lap and hid under the kitchen table giggling.

Barb laughed delighted.

Bear was rescued.

Grandpa Jim was reintroduced.

"Face him and make sure he's looking at you when you are speaking to him. He is too clever for his own good. He has taught himself to read lips which made it difficult to determine quite how severe his hearing problems have gotten. Doctor Leslie has prescribed decongestants for now. If the problems fail to resolve themselves further action will be taken shortly," Alfred explained.

Barbara wanted to know what decongestant he was taking in case he had to be sedated to reset the arm. Alfred had everything written down including a birth certificate card for identification and an medical insurance card.

"Miss Gordon please mind him in traffic downtown. He is not accustom to such complete deafness."

"You can call me Papa Jim," Jim was explaining. He was sat under the table with Damian who had yet to come out. "I'm your mom's dad. That makes me your Grandfather or papa." Damian was grinning at him as if terribly amused by something.

"Daddy said you're the police commissioner. Does that mean no uniform or badge?"

"I can show you my badge. I save the uniform for special occasions. Here's the badge see?"

Damian crawled forward to look. "Did you know a hundred years ago you would have been called a sheriff? Some states still have sheriffs instead of commissioners. I used to think all police were called sheriffs in the western states but the term comes from England. A Shire Reeve was a crown appointed official responsible for keeping the peace in a shire or county. The term was latter contracted into sheriff like the Sheriff of Nottingham in the tales of Robin Hood but he was a bad guy. I like Robin Hood. Damian crawled out from under the table and climbed up on a chair calling out "WELCOME TO SHERWOOD!" He went to flip off the chair but Babs anticipating him pulled him into her lap instead. Damian giggled.

Barbara turned his face to her, "No more acrobatics!" she scolded.

Damian just grinned a cheeky monkey grin up at her and shrugged.

"Birds gotta fly, Fish gotta swim!" sang Damian off tune.

Babs smiled and responded in better tune, "Can't help loving that man of mine. You're a little rascal Dami."

Alfred and Jim struggled to get a car seat installed in the cruiser.

Babs and Dick took the opportunity to talk privately for a few moments.

"School was never the same after you were gone. It was like dragging myself to a job I hated. Too many memories."

"I don't have enough memories. All my special people, I'm scared I'll say or do something and it'll be all wrong because of something important I've forgotten."

"Secret handshake on making new amazing memories."

"Umm.."

"It was a joke Dami. We don't have a secret handshake," reassured Barb. "I just glad your back squirt."

Damian grinned a little then announced. "Let's make a secret handshake. Fist bump first then..."

They finally left the hospital at 9 pm, no one had eaten dinner and Bruce Wayne kept texting wondering where his son was.

'Jumping bean banged up the splint one time too many. Arm needed new x-rays. 1.5 hrs wait. Reset arm 3 hrs wait. They put him right out, procedure took about 15 mins. Recovery 45 mins. Cast care talk, sling fitting, pharmacy visit for pain meds, plus parking validation line up another 30 min. Stopping for dinner, everyone famished.'

Bruce frowned at his phone. It was 10:30 when they pulled back in the driveway. Bruce came out to meet them, not that he'd been hovering or anything. Dick/Damian was fast asleep in the back seat of the cruiser holding a new dump truck. He had what looked like chocolate ice cream in his hair and all down his front.

"Sorry Bruce. We couldn't get him the waterproof cast. There was too much swelling. In two weeks they want to recast it in a short arm cast but they thought it needed the extra support of the long arm cast for right now when he couldn't even handle a day without messing it up in a short splint. You can probably get the waterproof one then," Barb grinned.

"He needs a bath now," protested Bruce gingerly lifting his son out of the car careful of the cast. Damian slept on. Eww, he was sticky.

"I plead grandparents rights. Feed'em sugar. Spoil'em rotten. Get'em dirty. Send'em home," Jim declared wiggling his moustache and chortling jovially. Jim unhooked the car seat and sat it in the grass beside the car. He put the new dump truck next to it along with a folder of paperwork from the hospital. He gently ruffled Damian's hair then hopped back in the police cruiser and pulled away. Barb waved back at Bruce.

They're punishing me, thought Bruce glaring a little.

Decade rule: Never date outside your decade. We used to argue about the interpretation of this one in university. Did it mean you had five years on either side of your age to work with or ten? We finally agreed that under fifty you had a decade to work with half above your age half below. Over fifty you had a decade on either side of your age. Yeah... university conversations. Sleep deprivation makes the mind linger on some rather odd and pointless things.

Note: If there was someone you really wanted to see Robin interact with mention it. I am considering a short story regarding Jason that would be posted separately probably under YJ I can probably incorporate things into the new story. I don't want to get carried away with Appendices.

Is Jim really as dense as he sometimes seems? The man didn't get to be police commissioner by being stupid but the cop that investigates his own family tends to loose something precious. In real life, broken marriages rates in police families is unfortunately high.