Bruce didn’t expect to be a father after Damian, or at least take in a child after Duke. But he is also infamous for having a bleeding heart for orphan children. Or so he's been told, of course. Totally untrue. But then he made an exception... like he does every time. How could he not when he saw those big eyes looking up at him or that little boisterous laugh? He already told Alfred and Dick to shut it.

But even as the newest addition started to settle in, it felt as if the house was complete. More full as he should say. And even with the slow inclination towards vigilantism, he could never be more prouder of the hero his kid was becoming. And as good things go, the bad is always around the corner.

It was a standard patrol, around the perimeter of Gotham, touching base with Jason at the edge of Crime Alley, and around the other half of Gotham. And if something comes up between, him and you will handle it. Or if Steph and Damian were closer. But of course, it didn’t go right. Man-Bat was causing havoc northeast of your two shared locations, and not even a minute after the notice from Barbara, Bane was up to his antics in the opposite direction. But Bruce would never make them fight against either alone, but they didn’t give him a chance when you bolted in Man-Bat's direction. Okay... logistically, they could handle Man-Bat, and distract him until Damian and Steph showed up as backup. And despite the minor change in plans, it turned out fine.

That was until the post-patrol meeting in the Batcave. That's when he felt the pure panic hit him like a truck. His kid was gone. His kiddo was gone. Checking channels with Barbara showed that your comm was last active after Man-Bat was dealt with, but Steph and Damian said your comm wasn’t busted. The familiar almost manic-like panic racked through him. He's not losing a second child. And he didn’t, not entirely. Very obviously something happened, that much he guessed before you were found. You didn’t want to talk about it, that he understood. But it felt as though his kid was a million miles away since then and he never felt so hopeless. "Hey, kid..." He made sure to knock first before entering your room. But his shoulders deflated when he saw a similar view of his kid at their desk, headphones on, and doing whatever it was that you did now at that desk.

With careful steps, he comes across the room and taps his foot against the chair. Inadvertently startling you, nearly knocking off your headphones when whipping your head back. But at the sight of your shoulders relaxing, he felt a weight being lifted off his own. "Hey, kiddo... Alfred's cooking up some dinner. Do you want to come down, or stay up here? I can bring you a plate if you want to stay in your room." Be patient, Bruce. Don’t force change. Or what Alfred kept saying to him over the years.