Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, I'm just taking them borrow, they belong to DC.

A/N: I know this story is no the one that I promise to publish in my profile but I think the others stories I wrote are terribly, so I decided to post this instead. Maybe, someday I would publish the others but I'm not sure.

Also I want to clarify that even though some of the characters display some racist behaviour, I in none way support any kind of racist comment or behaviour. I'm completely against any kind of racist, and I don't agree with everything my characters do, just like people who write about murder doesn't mean they agree that killing is alright.

"John, could you just chill for a minute? Y'know, it's just a little kid." Miriam complained to his boyfriend. She was actually trying to spend a good time in the party; she didn't know why he had to overreact like that. It wasn't that she did really disagreed with him all that much still yet she think that just a little boy couldn't really do much harm.

"I'm sorry, honey. I just don't know how can everyone be damn calm with that kid running around? I mean, do you hear that he was also son of gypsies? Isn't anyone here worry that he's going to try to steal our wallets? Or I don't know…" John was saying this in low voice, though he wasn't exactly whispering. It was such a loud party; he doubted anyone would hear him.

"John!" Miriam said trying to get his attention, she was pointing out to someone with her eyes. She had all the sudden notice someone from the corner of her eyes.

John quickly turned around; he was truly worried that Bruce was behind him. He was a bit surprised when he saw the small the kid there staring back to him. He was thinking in a way to patch things up, maybe he could pay the kid for him not rattle him out. However, he could see a few tears leaking from the kid's eyes as he quickly turned around, and he went out running before he could say anything. He bumped into Bruce in the way out, though he immediately ran past him, not giving any actual explanation.

Bruce was a bit shocked to see the boy crying, he knew he was a little shy and that he didn't actually like any of these kinds of parties, still he doubted that was the reason why the boy was so disturbed.

"What happened?" Bruce asked pretty loud enough, that everyone around just went silent.

"No…thing, Bruce, the little just got a bit scare back there. I mean…we were only joking around… but I guess that he took it way to serious." Miriam tried to lie, even though Bruce didn't believe a word that she was saying. He knew that she was trying to come up with some lie because she was acting a little nervous.

"I'll ask again, and I want the true now." Bruce said seriously with tone that left everyone know that he was downright not accepting anything but the truth.

Miriam was about to try to come up with another excuse, but John had knew Bruce for a while now and he knew that sadly there wasn't any way out of this than the true. "I made a comment, ok? Look, I'm not going to pretend that what I said couldn't have offended the kid. But c'mon, it's not like everyone has never hear in your houses coming from your parents, gypsies aren't trustworthy. I'm sorry, but they aren't, ok? They're muggers, and I know everyone else is thinking the same that I'm, so…"

"Out." Bruce cut him off.

"What?" John asked chuckling; he knew he must be mishearing.

"I want you out of my home, right now. And everyone else than thinks like you can also go." Bruce said in such hazardous tone of voice that it almost sound like the tone he used when he was questioning criminals. He knew that John could be an idiot sometimes, he just didn't figure out how much a jerk he could turn out to be. He turned around to go looking for the nine years old boy, when he felt a halting hand on his shoulders.

"C'mon, Bruce, don't be like that. I know that you feel pity for that kid, but you aren't just to kick me out and break some many year of friendship just for some random kid, right? I mean he's only charity case, and don't get me wrong I get why you did it but…" Suddenly, he was knocked down by a punch that Bruce threw, that left his lip bleeding.

"Don't you ever call Dick a charity case again, and we have never been really that much of friends, and I've wanted to do that for ages, so I'd thank you for to get out of my house before I call security." Bruce said as he fixed his jacket. He had just got so fed up with John tonight; he couldn't believe he had the guts to make it worse. Bruce saw as Miriam pressured to take care of John lying on the floor, he heard her suggesting that they better leave, and he knew that luckily they wouldn't stay.

He went out looking for the boy, not caring that much for what the other guest were mumbling and staring him with shocked look for what just happen, while some people had given him some directions about where kid might be; he was having a hard time finding the young child. The last couple that he talked said that they had seen him going out to the back yard. He walked there, but there was no sight of the little boy to be seen.

"Dick! Come on, Dick, are you out there? -Bruce shouted trying to get an answer from the boy. No one answered, but out of nowhere, as he went depth into yard he heard a low crying. He immediately went looking from where the noise was coming from. Luckily enough, Bruce found Dick shortly after that; he was hidden behind one of the tallest tree in the backyard. – Oh, here you are, good, I was starting to get worry."

Dick tried to calm down his crying, he wiped away the tears with his sleeve, and finally he found the courage to ask the question he was dreading in the back of his mind. "So now you know, when are they coming?"

"When is who coming?" Bruce asked back, a little shake and confused for the question.

"Social service, you're returning me back, aren't you? Don't lie to me! Everywhere always acts the same, most of people got scary when they find out, or they would laugh or something. So when are they coming?" Dick asked again more agitated, trying to stop the crying but falling miserable.

"Dick, I have known from your family ethnicity the minute you were given custody to me. - Dick looked back to him surprised, but Bruce continued unfazed- It was written down in some of the paper that gave me from you with your personal information. And for the record, I know I might not be perfect, but believe me when I tell you I'm not racist person. I would admit I don't know much about Romani culture, but I'm not stupid enough to believe everything people said. Actually, I despise people who think like that, why do you believe I punch John in the face, and kick him out of my party?" Bruce asked forgetting for a second that the kid had gone before that happen.

"You really kick him out and punched him? All of this because of me?" Dick asked quite startled, he knew that Bruce did a lot for him, but in all honesty he had never thought Bruce would go so through length only because of him. And he was used to get discriminate, especially by rich people, the only people who didn't patronize or discriminate him were his circus family, therefore he was pretty much shocked to learn all this.

Bruce gave him a small smile. "Well to be honest, I've wanted to punch him for quite some time, he's an asshole, I don't know why I had kept inviting him to these parties. But, yes big part was because of you, no one was going to call you names and make you cry in front of me. And I would do it again.-Dick had calmed down now, he had stopped crying for some time, but Bruce hadn't expected him to start chuckled all the sudden. –What? What is so funny?" Bruce asked amused to see the lad laugh, he laid with his right shoulder against tree slicing his hands through his pocket pants, feeling more at ease now that the kid was smiling.

"So…rry, it's not really.-Dick chuckled some more unable to contain the laughter, until he was able to talk again.-It's just you said a bad word." The little boy teased him.

Bruce quickly revised the words he had used, and he guessed that he did, he wasn't used to curse, but every now and then he used words like that, he supposed he was going to have to be more careful now that a young boy was living with them. "I guess I did, but hey this is going to our little secret now, ok? You don't tell Alfred, and I would leave you to eat some candy before going to bed tonight."

"Uh…I dunno, that wouldn't be same that lying, wouldn't it be? My parents taught me that lying is wrong." Dick countered back. The candy sounded great, but he was afraid to getting caught and while he wasn't exactly afraid of the Englishman, he didn't know him all that much and he wasn't delighted with the idea of falling in the old man's graces.

Bruce chuckled for himself again, the kid was turning to make him happier than he had ever expected. He was incredibly talented with the trapeze, he was way more polite and well-behaved that he himself had ever been at such a young age, what was more he was surprisingly brilliant, more than a kid from his age he would have expected to be, he was little afraid he would soon enough discover that he was Batman. He had become very fond of the boy in this time, and he was clueless that he had started to see him like family. Yet, he was starting to realize he would have some big shoes to fill if he really wanted help the boy, Dick's parents hadn't been only good parents they had been great, and he wasn't sure that he had what required to raise a nine year old boy. In fact, if he was truly honest, he felt like most of the time he was messing up, but then again that wasn't how most parents feel? Even though, he still remembered himself that he wasn't Dick's father every now and then. He decided to get down to be the same level gaze than the boy. "It might not be the same that lying, but you're right that it would quite deceiving and it would be wrong, but you don't have to worry about that because I'll tell Alfred myself, ok? And you still get a treat because you encourage me to do the right thing, how that sound?" Bruce asked already dreading a little his decision, despite he knew that his old friend wasn't going to be very happy with him but other than lecture him over how he should be more careful around the youth's ears Alfred wouldn't be all that angry. And he guessed that if he wanted to teach to Dick to take the right decisions, he would better show the example.

"Really? - The boy enthusiastic asked, as he saw the older man nod, a smile sprung in his face.-Thank you, …- Dick caught himself, he remembered that Bruce had before ask him to call him by his first name because when people called him by his last name made him older than he was.-I mean, Bruce…and I'm sorry for thinking of you…it's just that…"Dick tried to apologize going back to part of what started all this, he hadn't mean to judge Bruce so quickly.

"Please, Dick, you have nothing to apologize, we're starting to get to know each other and you had no reason to believe that I wouldn't act like some disgusting people you have known, especially after what John said. If anyone should be apologizing here should be John for disrespecting you and your family's culture and making racist comments. He's really bastard, and I'm sure that if your parents were here, they would really could gave him a lesson about not being racist toward other people's ethnicity…I'm sure that they would've done better than to punch him, I mean he deserve it but I don't know if that better example to set." Bruce said thinking over now that he had some time to reflect his actions.

Dick shrugged, and he let his glance fell down to the grass for a moment. "They were great, y'know? The best people in the world, and they were the most peaceful people I know still they would do anything to protect their family and the people they love…My mom was stronger than she looked and she has taken some classes of self defense when she was younger, so has my dad. They both had taken out some jerks that were bothering us when I was about six. And I never heard them curse, but I'm sure that even they would think that some people like this John would deserve it." Dick answered thinking that while sure his folks wouldn't have exactly respond like Bruce did, they wouldn't have disagree much with the way Bruce had answered to John's racist remarks.

The boy's mood had changed a little, talking about his dead parents just made him remember how much he missed them and he wished they would be here for him. Bruce was able pick up on the boy's downer mood, so he tried to turn the conversation to lift Dick up. "They sound like amazing persons Dick, I would have love meet them, and I'm sure they would be very proud to have raising such a great young boy."

"Maybe, my dad was teaching me some customs about Romany culture, but…after y'know…well, I'm sure he would be very happy if he could have taught me more, but I guess I won't get know very much now." The kid still had his gaze fixed down

Bruce put his hand under Dick's chin, lifting his gaze, so he could look him directly into the older man's eyes and see how serious he was. "Hey, I'm sure that regardless of anything your parents would be proud to have such a great kid, I know I am. And if that sad face is about wanting to know more about your culture, we could make some investigation or we could talk with someone from your same ethnicity to learn some more, how that seems?"

"Really? You would do all that just all that for me?- Dick asked back still getting use to the fact that Bruce was willing to do so much for him, Dick saw him nodding him with a small smile, and Dick was quicker to smile him back and hug him strongly.-Thank you! Thank you so much." Dick wasn't going to say it now, but he felt that through this Bruce was giving him another chance to get to know better his parents, like he could connect with them again through somehow. And that's why he got so happy that he hugged Bruce without giving a second thought.

Bruce shocked a little, not really expecting the kid to be so thankful; he took a little in hugging back but he hugged him harder like he was afraid the kid could disappear in any second. And he silently thought to himself not daring to speak his mind aloud. `Not, thank you, Dick for showing up in my life, and make it so much better`….

The end.

review if you like, and let me know if wish another story connected with this, I already have one in mind, but the other one wouldn't be a sequel or anything like that, and they could see like separate stories but they would still be a little connected(so just let me know if you more)