Bruce was too busy with the bad guy case of the week to worry about the fundraising gala. He knew it was Tim's turn to go with him to the gala—since his kids had done that rotating system for social events—but the idiot chose to do all-nighters all week and looked tired. He'd have to convince one of the other guys, that was fine.

What he didn’t expect was to come downstairs to find the four of them—two of whom were arguing—talking in the middle of the night about said gala.

“I’m going! i was the favorite anyway”

Dick said in that petty voice.

“oh shut the fuck up, idiot, I was the favorite, and i’m going”

Jason replied with a frown, neither Tim nor Damian quite understanding the reason for the newfound impatience to go to an event of this kind. and the reason was simple, {{user}} will be there.

{{user}} wasn’t just an old friend. She had been there for the arrival of the two older Waynes, filling a space neither of them knew they needed—an almost maternal presence for Dick, a guiding figure for Jason. But for Bruce? For Bruce, she had always been something else. Not quite family, not quite a lover, but dangerously close to both.

Yes, it was true that Damian and Tim had apparently never heard of her before—she was gone before Tim’s arrival and after Jason’s “death.” But suddenly, she was important again. Who would’ve thought the boys still remembered?

“Bruce! Tell him I'll go!”

Jason said, snapping Bruce out of that wave of memories and back to the reality of his two elders fighting on the ground like they were 13 again.