It's Time

It was now the night time and Kevin and Damian were asleep in bed. Andrea on the other hand, struggled to sleep. She walked around the inside of the house, still trying to process everything that happened hours ago. She quietly opened the door to Damian's room and saw him asleep in his bed, cuddling his teddy bear that wore a Batman shirt. She smiled and quietly snuck into the room, she stroked Damian's hair and gently kissed his cheek. After tenderly looking at Dami, she left the room and closed the door to let her son sleep. It didn't matter that Damian wasn't related to her through birth, she saw him as her son. Andrea wandered over to Kevin's room and quietly opened the door. She saw Kevin asleep in his bed, cuddled up to a plush Bugs Bunny toy. As Andrea quietly went into his room, she looked at Kevin while he slept, thinking back to the days of when Kevin was a baby, and she listened to his breathing while he slept. She was glad to know her son survived today, and he was safe and sound at their home. Andrea gently stroked Kevin's cheek, and then she kissed his forehead. She smiled gently and left Kevin's room to let him sleep.

Andrea went into her bedroom and looked for a specific item in her dresser drawer. She found it and took out a picture frame. The picture was of her former lover, Bruce Wayne. This picture was of him when he was in his late '20s.

Sometimes when she was feeling nostalgic, Andrea would look at this picture of Bruce, thinking back to happier times, when she and Bruce were together. There were days Andrea truly missed Bruce and wanted to let him know she was alive. She gently stroked the picture, thinking about Bruce. Andrea looked at her reflection and then she quietly said to herself, "you know what, screw it. I'm gonna find Bruce, and I'm gonna tell him about his children. It's time he knew the truth..." The next morning, Kevin and Damian were eating their breakfast. Andrea came downstairs and said, "okay boys, something came up at work, and the higher ups need me to go on a business trip. So I'm gonna be gone for a few days. I should be back in less than four days, give or take. Until then, you're the man of the house, Kevin. You have access to the car and you're also responsible for dropping off Damian and picking him up and making sure he gets to bed on time."

"Alright, we'll make make sure the house stays in one piece when you come back home," promised Kevin, who was sort of joking. "That's what I like to hear," said Andrea, "Damian, Can you be good for Kevin and do what he says while I'm away?" Damian nodded and said, "I'll be good Mommy." Andrea gently kissed Damian's cheek and said, "that's my boy." Kevin awkwardly said, "Hey Mom, if I want her to come over, is it okay if Kara comes to hang out with me?" Andrea smiled and said, "of course she can come over and hang out with you. I just want to say I'm really happy for you and Kara. You two look so cute together." Kevin smiled and said, "thanks Mom." Several minutes later after Kevin and Damian finished eating their breakfasts and preparing lunch, the two boys left the house and got in the car, driving to where they needed to go. And once the coast was clear, Andrea called her work to let them know she would be unavailable for the next few days, using paid sick time to cover for the days she'd be gone. Before the sun rose, Andrea had managed to buy a plane ticket from Seattle to Gotham City. Once her work allowed her to take the paid sick days and she finished packing, Andrea got a friend to drive her to the airport that bordered between Seattle and Tacoma, and then was on the plane to Gotham in no time.

10 hours later, Andrea made it to Gotham City, and it was night time. In the night sky, she could see the Bat Signal shining up above. The city hadn't changed for the most part, and Andrea was unsure where to go, so she called a taxi to bring her to Wayne Manor. 40 minutes later, the taxi made it to Wayne Manor. Once Andrea got out, she wandered over to the front door and knocked on it. For a minute, Andrea waited for someone, anyone, to open the door. She wasn't 100% counting on Bruce to open the door, she knew that he was out in the city being Batman, but she knew wandering around the city to find Bruce while he was out on patrol would be a dangerous wild goose chase. She waited for a minute when the front door opened. The man who opened the door was a much older man who was around her father's age, he had balding white hair and a thin white mustache while wearing a black tuxedo. Andrea knew who this man was, it was Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred looked at Andrea with shock and said, "why Miss Beaumont! This is such a surprise!"

"Hello Alfred." Andrea calmly said, "it's good to see you alive and well. May I please come in?" Alfred regained his composure and said, "why of course Miss Beaumont, you may come in. Allow me to take your suitcase and place it somewhere. It is likewise to see that you are alive and in good health as well." Alfred let Andrea in while taking her suitcase. Andrea looked at the inside of the manor and asked, "do you know where Bruce is?"

"Oh you know Master Bruce, busy as the Batman as always," chuckled Alfred, "but I can contact him and let him know you have returned. Do take a seat on the couch in the living room, make yourself at home." As Andrea sat in the living room couch, Alfred called Bruce on the phone, "hello, Master Bruce? You have a visitor here in the manor. It's Andrea Beaumont, she has returned and is alive. Yes, she is in the living room, she was asking where you were. Very well sir, I will inform her." Alfred hung up the phone and wandered over to where Andrea was sitting. "I spoke with Master Bruce less than a minute ago," said Alfred, "He will be on his way back to the manor to speak with you." Andrea nodded and said, "thank you Alfred. How have you been?"

"I have been doing quite fine since last we saw each other Miss Beaumont," said Alfred, "What of you? How have you been?" Andrea shrugged and said, "I've been okay, I guess. Just trying to live my best life, I have good days and bad days. I'll explain everything when Bruce comes." Alfred nodded and said, "I see. How about I serve refreshments? Would you care for something decaffeinated?" After Alfred served Andrea a cup of decaf coffee, suddenly the grandfather clock near the living room came open, dark shadows behind. Out of the shadows came the Batman!

The crusader looked and found Andrea sitting on the couch, waiting for him. She stood up as Batman got closer to her. "Andrea?" He quietly asked, it had been nearly 19 years since the last time he had seen her. Andrea looked up at Batman and said, "Yes, it's me. Hello Bruce... It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has," said Bruce as he took off his mask to reveal his face. Bruce had a few wrinkles and there were hints of gray in his black hair, specifically in his sideburns. "Why are you here?" Bruce calmly asked. Andrea wandered over to her suitcase and said, "I can explain everything." She opened it up and got out what looked to be a scrapbook. Andrea came back and said, "Bruce, you're a father. You have two sons, one of them is my biological son." Bruce's eyes widened when Andrea revealed this sudden bombshell! "I have two sons?" Bruce asked, astounded. Andrea opened the scrapbook and said, "yes. Our first born son, his name is Kevin, he's 18 years old. He'll be 19 in July." She showed Bruce and Alfred Kevin's birth certificate, and then various pictures of what Kevin looked like, from when he was a newborn baby, to when he was four, to 10 years old, and to his teenage years. When Alfred saw these photos of Kevin, it was like looking at Bruce when he grew up from a boy into an adult man. "He certainly has his father's good looks," commented Alfred. "What's he like?" Bruce asked Andrea.

"He's smart and observant," said Andrea, "He's practically got your athleticism and sharp detective skills. He's such a detective, he's usually the first to find out who the killer is in a game of Clue. He's also a really good cook. He can be stubborn sometimes, but he's also kind and compassionate, one of the few good things I've done that I'm actually proud of."

"You said I had another son," stated Bruce, "what's his name?" Andrea turned a few pages on the scrapbook and said, "before I tell you, does the name Talia Al Ghul ring a bell?" Bruce nodded and asked, "did you ever meet her or her father?" Andrea shook her head and replied, "no. But I know who they are. Talia conceived a child with you. His name is Damian." She showed Bruce a picture of Damian when Kevin held him as a baby to his recent kindergarten photo. "According to one of the League's former members, Talia was planning on turning Damian into an assassin, using him for her own benefits," explained Andrea, "even I agree, a child should never be forced to become an assassin. This former member believed Damian deserves to live a normal life with a family that will love him. And so Damian's been part of our family since."

"Whatever happened to this particular former member of the League?" Bruce asked. "That's the thing, after this former ninja gave us Damian, he left," replied Andrea, "To this day, I have no idea what happened to him. Talia probably killed him, I dunno..."

"And what's Damian like?" Bruce asked. "Oh, he's like any other kid," chuckled Andrea, "but it seems Kevin is able to catch up with him. He's a happy boy, he's also so smart, that he's already started kindergarten at the age of five instead of six. I got a feeling he's gonna be as smart as you and Kevin. Dami's also taught me that family is more than just blood, it's a special bond that ties all of us together..." Bruce looked at Andrea and said, "I'm glad to know that you're doing better Andrea. But I have to know, why did you come here, why mention I have two sons now?" She put the scrapbook on the couch and took a few deep breaths. Andrea looked at Bruce in the eyes and explained, "yesterday, someone tried to shoot up Kevin's classroom. According to witnesses, he was dressed up like the Joker and killed his parents, the school security, along with the school secretary. My son was so close to being killed in a school shooting... But thankfully Supergirl was there to stop the killer. She saved my son's life and is the reason he's alive right now. I wanted to tell you now because ever since he was 10, Kevin has wanted to meet you. And I don't know how I would be able to cope if he died being unable to meet his father..." Bruce's eyes widened in shock for two reasons. The first reason was of course because his own son almost died in an attempted school shooting. The second reason was that it was quite obvious Kara went to the same school as Kevin, so therefore Clark's cousin basically saved his son's life! "Andrea, I didn't know," he said, "And if I had known about both of our sons, I would've done anything to help make ends meet for all of you."

"Thank you Bruce, that really means a lot coming from you," said Andrea. "How are the boys holding up after what happened yesterday?" Bruce asked. "I don't have the heart to tell Damian what happened to Kevin," replied Andrea, "he may be smart, but I don't know if he'll be able to really understand why people like Eagan Wharton just randomly kill people at schools. Eventually he'll be old enough to understand how some people just want to watch the world burn, and when he's ready, I'll tell him. As for Kevin, I think he's just happy to be alive."

"I know someone whom Kevin can confide in when it comes to personal trauma ," offered Bruce, "but we'll get to that later. Do you need a place to rest at?" Andrea shrugged and replied, "well yeah... I didn't really think to reserve a room at a Gotham motel or anything..." Bruce gave that charming smirk that he was known for when they were younger and said, "how would you like to stay at Wayne Manor for the night? First thing in the morning, we can fly back to Gotham on one of my personal jets. I am a billionaire after all." Andrea blushed and said, "why Bruce Wayne, are you flirting with me?" She missed this playful banter between him and her. "Either way, I have plenty of spare rooms in this manor that I have never set foot in literally years," said Bruce. "Are you sure you're okay with me sleeping in one of your guest rooms?" Andrea asked, hesitant. "I insist," said Bruce. "Thank you, I appreciate your hospitality Bruce," said Andrea. Bruce nodded and said, "I have some businesses to attend to. I'll see you in the morning Andrea. Have a pleasant night."

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