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Part 6

 

Three Years Later, Dick is Twenty-one

“U never call, U never rite. ‘Sup? U ok, D?”

“Honest answer? No. All was good until a month ago.”

“N?”

“N then my wedding kind of didn’t happen. My fiancee left me. Big mess.”

“U were getting married? OMG. U didn’t tell me. 2 who?”

“Whom.”

“Bite me. Really—what happened?”

“Her sister crashed the thing, screwed it up big time.”

“Really sorry, D. What R U doing? Will U’r GF talk 2 U?”

“She tried. I tried. NG.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. NEthing I can do?”

“U R.”

“Come visit me? We can really talk. Sort things out. Or I could come 2 U.”

“No. Thank U, but no. B on line, though, ok? I “

“U need what, D?”

“Some one to talk 2 who is far enough away to not waste time on crap. Does that makie sense?”

“Yes. OK. Here when U want me 2 B.”

“Some good news, thought—I have a new job.”

“G8T! What?”

“I’m a cop w/BPD.”

“Boston?”

“Bludhaven.”

“U nuts?”

“Thanx N no. I like it. Making a difference.”

“So it’s good?”

“Very good. But U? What R U doing?”

“Job. Entry level with Wayne Subsidiaries in Phoenix. I like it, 2. Hope to stay here a while.”

“Doing what?”

“Finding big donations for food banks—call Kraft, General Foods, Hormel, etc. Find lots of food, they get tax write-offs.”

“Should I tell B?”

“DON’T U DARE!!!!!!! I’LL DO THIS W/0 HELP. U HEAR ME????????? SERIOUS.”

“OK. No prob. But—G8T! Have work, L8TR.”

“OK. N cheer up, ok? I worry about U.”

“No reason.”

“Uh-huh. L8TR.”

 

* * *
 

“Master Bruce. I really believe that you might want to rethink this prying into this young lady’s personnel file.”

“She works for me, Alfred.”

“Indeed, however, she also made it clear that she wished to have her employment success or failure rest on her own efforts.”

Bruce paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. “And she will. I’d just like to see what she’s getting done and how her superiors regard her job performance.” He picked up his tea, taking a drink. “Well at least that wedding was derailed—that’s one thing good which came out of that mess.”

Alfred gave him a Bat-worthy stare; perhaps that was where Bruce learned it. “I’d hardly call having the young master’s heart thoroughly broken a ‘good’ thing and I sincerely hope you have he sense not to make any such comments to him now or any time in the future.”

“Of course, but you can’t have been in favor of it, were you? I mean, seriously.”

“I am in favor of whatever will make that young man content and give him happiness—and I can only hope you feel the same.”

“…Of course, Alfred. What do you take me for?”

Alfred’s answer, unspoken, was a single raised eyebrow. It was enough.

* * *


 

Another year goes by

“D? You on?”

“Barely. Long day, long night, long week. Ready to crash.”

“Want to talk later?”

“Nah, I’ll tell you when I’m ready to fall over.”

“Why so wiped?”

“BPD ran a big drug stakeout and bust. Long hours, that’s all. How about U?”

“Did I tell you I’m seeing someone new? Ben—tall, dark and handsome, just like you.”

“Yeah? Serious?”

“Yes.”

“Serious and good?”

“Serious and very good.”

“That’s G8T. I’m happy 4 U.”

“Really?”

“Of course, really.”

“Will U come 2 the wedding? St. Bart’s, 2 months from now—April 7th.”

“Working.”

“BS”

“2 far.”

“BS”

“Can’t.”

“U mean U won’t.”

“L, c’mon. I work. I’m a cop. I can’t.”

“U still don’t want 2 meet.”

“Yes. This works 4 us.”

“4 U”

“L—no. But tell me what U want for a present.”

“U”

“L—forget it. U know we don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what, meet?”

“Right.”

“D, this is stupid. We haven’t seen each other fact 2 face since you were like 8. Y not?”

“We’ve been through this. I like U—U know that. But it works 4 me to have some1 I can say everything 2 without having 2 worry about crap.”

“Crap like us being more than friends?”

“Maybe.”

“F U”

“L, c’mon.”

(…)

“L?”

(…)

“L, U there?”

(…)

“L?”

User Luckylass is not currently signed on

 

* * *
 

“I’m sure that Master Dick and this young lady will make amends and continue their friendship, sir. I wouldn’t worry.”

Bruce’s eyes stayed on the monitor screen “I’m not worried.”

“Forgive my saying so, but you seem preoccupied with the matter.” Alfred picked up the discarded towel from the back of a chair, tut-tutting just loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to warrant a comment. “She does seem to have genuine feelings for the young master, though. I wonder at his refusal to meet with her; though I suppose it could do with a fear of rejection or, even worse, a fear of losing her should they escalate their relationship.”

“I doubt Dick would be rejected.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. She does say she’s engaged to be married. Do you think she may be trying to force an issue, make him jealous or some such?”

Bruce leaned back, hand to his forehead. “I think they’ve been dancing around one another for a long time and Lisa may want to settle things one way or another.”

“I point out that it does seem Dick is quite satisfied with the situation the way it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s happy to let sleeping dogs lie, as they say.”

“You don’t think they’d be a good match, Alfred?”

“Having never met the young lady I’ve nothing to base an opinion on, sir. I do, however think that the question—if one exists, is between the two young people and between them alone.” He folded the towel before heading to the laundry room with it, an old habit Bruce never bothered to ask him about. “I also think that when Master Dick learns that you’ve been spying on him for all these years, you may find you’ve violated a trust which cannot be put right.”

“I doubt that, he knows I only do what I think is right to protect him.”

“Yes, but at the age of twenty-two, the choice of whether or not he requires your protection is no longer yours, sir, as I suspect you know.”

TBC
 

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