a/n: happy filler chapter to give them some peace before I'm back on my angst bullshit again 🫡

Seven months later

"Hon, you've been vomiting for the past three days and you're barely out of bed."

"I work from home, Dick. I'm fine!" I defended, hunched over the toilet for what seemed like the tenth time today. "I just think the food we ate was expired."

"Maeve, I'm completely fine." Dick sighed and reached out for my phone. "You're not ovulating, that's not for another week. Did your period came on time?"

"I'm a few days late, but it was a side effect from the anti-venom so I can't be pregnant."

"Sure about that?"

"Positive."

"I have to go to work and drive Steph to school. I'm calling Zatanna to check up on you." He decided and helped me stand. "Call in sick and let Bruce handle all the meetings."

"I was planning on doing it anyways. Patrol last night kicked my ass." I grumbled and made my way back to bed.

"Call me if you need anything. I'm interrogating the Maroni's today, so I should be out early after I write the reports."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get to work, Detective Grayson." I smiled and pulled him down for a kiss. "Don't keep the wife waiting."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart." He said and walked away. "I love you, funny girl."

"I love you too, bird boy!"

The moment the door closed, I pulled out my phone and called Zatanna.

"Good morning? You never call me this-"

"Dick is going to call you in approximately three to seven minutes to tell you to spend the day with me." I whispered and stood up, pacing around the room. "I need a favor."

"And that is?"

"Bring every single pregnancy test you can find. I've been puking everything I eat for the past three days and I get dizzy at patrol."

"Shouldn't we go to the doctor for this!?" She exclaimed.

"If it's positive, I'll schedule an appointment. If it's not, then I won't worry about it." I sighed, watching Dick drive away. "Just please bring me the pregnancy tests and don't say anything to Dick yet. I'll tell him when he gets home."

"I'll be there in half an hour. Boy Wonder's calling."

"Thanks, Zee."

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"Okay, so now we wait a few minutes and-"

"I know how it goes, Zatanna. I've been taking one every time I feel nauseous or sick." I sighed, sliding down into the floor and rested my head against the wall. "It's the waiting that kills me and the shock that comes when it's negative."

"Except it's not..." Zatanna trailed off, glancing at the tests on the sink and I froze. "Mae... they're all positive. All twelve of them."

"You're kidding!?" I yelled, scrambling to my feet. "Zatanna, if this is one of your pranks-"

"I swear on my life and your crowbar that it's not because I've been waiting for this for eight months!" She smiled and hugged me tight. "You're having a baby! Baby Grayson is finally on its way, Mae!"

"A baby..." I gaped and picked up one of the tests. "I'm finally able to have a baby..."

"This child is gonna be loved by so many people, Maeve. It's gonna have a big family of superheroes who are gonna protect them and make the world safe for them." She whispered and wiped my tears. "You're going to be an amazing mother, M. And Dick's going to be the best dad in the world."

"This child's going to have the world's craziest family." I laughed and she hugged me again.

"They're gonna be the safest human in the world with just the Batfamily alone. Imagine a family full of vigilantes, aliens and members of the League."

"They won't be able to take a step without being watched like a hawk."

"But they're gonna be so loved and spoiled by all of us. Not to mention they're gonna have the best parents in the entire world!" Zatanna assured and I smiled big. "You're having a baby, Mae. You and Dick are gonna be parents."

"I can't believe it's gonna happen."

"You're gonna be an amazing mom, M. I'm positive."

"God, I hope I am."

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"Why is the crime board up again?"

"Because it's my day and night shift and you helped me come up with this." Dick shrugged, grabbing some red string. "I'm not patrolling tonight because I need to get to the bottom of this, so Steph's heading out with Cass. You're free to go as well."

"Nah, my back still hurts a bit." I smiled and stood next to him. "What am I looking at?"

"I have a hunch that the Maroni's are tied to the recent murders happening in Gotham and Blüdhaven. I also have a Cobblepot case that I think is tied to all this."

"Alright, parental figures! I'm heading out!" Steph yelled and we both turned to the stairs. "I'll be in bed before four. Don't wait up."

"Be safe, comms on at all time and-"

"Give the signal if I'm trouble. Yes ma'am!" She salutes and hugged me. "I'll be safe, promise."

"Use the Zeta when you come back so we know you're safe."

"Roger that, boss."

"Be safe, Steph. Watch out for the Maroni's, we had to let them go this morning." Dick said as she left.

"Will do, boss man!"

"You're using an awful lot of red." I hummed, sitting on the couch and crossed my legs.

"Because I can't connect the dots."

"Talk to me."

"Got a call from Gordon that a body was found in the docks and some of Maroni's men were found nearby. When I got there, I saw a few of Cobblepot's men with them."

"Wasn't Penguin also involved in that gang war a couple weeks ago?"

"Yep, but he was nowhere to be found." He sighed, removing one of the red strings to place a green one. "That's makes one connection. Fourteen to go."

"Fourteen!?"

"I was told I needed to come up with fifteen reasons. I'm taking it literal."

"Penguin's in jail, bird boy. Locked him up myself." I pointed out, placing my hands inside Dick's hoodie that I was wearing and grabbed the pregnancy test.

"Which makes this so much harder. He's working from the inside, I just need to find a way to prove it."

"Maybe Nightwing and Domino will head to Gotham tomorrow to check it out." I offered. "We'll make a date of it. Shouldn't take us more than a few hours."

"Maybe. We'll start while there's still light out. It's not our M.O., but I wanna give him every disadvantage as possible."

"Sounds like a plan. I think the three of us should-"

"Three of us? Steph's coming?"

"Not necessarily." I smiled and handed him the pregnancy test. "Though I believe the teens will be the least of our worries in a few months."

"You're pregnant?" He asked in shock and I nodded. "We're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed as he pulled me to my feet and hugged me tight. "We're gonna be parents to our baby, Dick. Not to a whole bunch of teenagers now!"

"I swear I have never loved you as much as I do in this very moment." Dick laughed and kissed me before falling to his knees and lifted the hoodie. "I always suspected there was a little acrobat in there. How far-"

"Zee did a spell to confirm and I'm approximately three weeks along."

"Those suckers swim fast."

"Richard!"

"They do!" He defended and pressed a kiss to my abdomen. "But what about patrol and-"

"I've decided to just keep doing them until I can't anymore. Obviously I'll be taking it slower than I used to for your peace of mind and I won't patrol alone anymore."

"And when the baby comes?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We'll find a way to make it work or we'll retire." I said and forced him to stand. "But let's not worry about it now. We have nine months to think."

"I don't like the idea of you suiting up while pregnant, M. Things are different now." Dick defended.

"But I'm not gonna stay cooped up here or in the Tower with Babs... I'll take the easy missions and I officially retired from the Team five months ago. Besides, I'll have one of you with me at all times and when I can't have backup, then I just won't go."

"You have this all planned out, don't you?"

"Since about three months ago or so, yes."

"Things are gonna change, but I'm excited for it." He smiled, placing a hand on my abdomen and kissed my temple. "This baby's gonna be so loved, M."

"They're gonna have the parents they deserve... the ones I never got."

"Is it too early to talk baby names?"

"Dick!"

"Is it?"

"Yes!" I laughed.

"Dammit."