August 12: A Midsummer Wayne's Dream
Title: A Midsummer Wayne's Dream
Series: Faith, Hope & Family
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Batman, BtVS
Character(s): Faith, Bruce Wayne, OCs
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Judge Eng’s bushy eyebrows beetled. “I know we like to joke around, but this is a serious interview, Ms. Lehane. These last few meetings with yourself, Mr. Wayne and your caseworker Ms. Nkire will decide your future young lady.”
Length: ~1,315 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Everything I know about Batman I got from B:TAS, BB, the movies and fanfiction. My headcanon for this series is primarily based on the "Cor et Cerebrum" series by audreycritter. I honestly cannot recommend it enough. I also have no idea how the adoption process works anywhere! I could have asked my friends who are adopted. Someday they will read this story and mock me.
Notes2: This story exists somewhere between this and this, previously written for the 20 in 2020 challenge. Mostly what you need to know is that Bruce/Batman has a habit of picking up strays and that instead of surviving the streets of Boston with her less-than-legit Watcher before she's called, Faith makes her way down the coast to Gotham. Yesterday's "Stray Faith" is a prequel to the series.
“You ready for this, Puck?”
That had been fun, the first time Bruce had called her ‘Puck’ and not ‘Faith’. She’d been expecting her name and with her lower-class education, she had automatically combined the two words in the worst way possible. Only Jason’s howling laughter had stopped her from socking Bruce right in the gut. Didn’t matter that he had a good hundred pounds of pure muscle on her and at least 2 feet. Nobody talked to Faith like that. Not anymore. But Jason, whose first language had also the streets, had made the connection between Bruce’s nickname and Faith’s lightning quick fury in heartbeat-and promptly fallen out of his chair laughing at Bruce’s stunned expression.
Those kinds of mistakes didn’t happen anymore. Not after two years of reading every book she could get her hands on, and many more that were shoved in her face by either a member of the Wayne clan or one of her Gotham Academy Prep teachers.
She still wasn’t sure she liked her trickster nickname.
Faith pulled her eyes away from her phone to glance at Bruce. Who looking at her with his chin on the laced fingers of his fist and his elbows resting on his knees.
The pose was so casual it had to be a nervous tick. Faith smirked. She was slouched in her chair outside the judge’s chambers, exchanging increasingly rude and literary texts with Jason. (To keep up with the rest of the Wayne clan Faith had had to learn. She’d read more in the last two years than she’d read in the previous fourteen.)
Smirking, Faith sat up and leaned forward, too, a sly smile pulling on her lips as her hair slid over one shoulder. “Are you ready, Oberon?”
“Just when I thought I could finally close up the old Wayne nursery.”
Faith snorted and bumped Bruce with her shoulder. “Don’t expect me to, like, call you ‘Dad’ or nothin’.”
Eyebrow lifting towards his hairline, Bruce said, “Damien calls me ‘Father’.”
Faith’s scowl was instant - as was Bruce’s answering smirk. “That little kissa-”
“Ms. Lehane,” Judge Timothy Eng said from the doors of his chambers. A grandfatherly looking man with sharp black eyes, he had been the judge on her case since Bruce had petitioned for temporary custody.
“Hey Judge!” They bumped fists. “Ready to give you all the dirt on the Old Man.”
Judge Eng’s bushy eyebrows beetled. “I know we like to joke around, but this is a serious interview, Ms. Lehane. These last few meetings with yourself, Mr. Wayne and your caseworker Ms. Nkire will decide your future young lady.”
“I know,” Faith said, sticking her chin in the air. She put a hand on a cocked her hip, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m not worried about it. I already got plans to go into the family business,” she said, cutting her eyes at Bruce. Who stiffened in surprise. Faith smirked.
Eyes going from the very confident teenager standing in his doorway and the prospective adoptive father sitting in his outer chambers, Judge Eng offered Bruce a smirk to rival Faith’s. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“After five kids and all their friends, I have finally learned that I am completely clueless.”
Judge Eng’s smirk became a full blown smile. “Smart man.” Gesturing that she should go before him, Judge Eng said to Faith, “Come one. The sooner we get this settled, the sooner your get to make his hair go gray. Like mine!”
“Oh yeah?” Faith grinned. “And how many kids do you got-”
“Have,” both Judge Eng and Bruce corrected automatically.
Faith plowed on like she hadn’t heard them, walking into the judge’s chambers. “-'cause I know I asked before, but you never fessed up.”
The heavy wooden doors closed before Bruce could hear the answer.
Sighing, he sat back and thought about what Faith had said. “I already got plans to join the family business,” Bruce repeated to himself softly as he stared at the ornate wood paneling above the judge’s chamber doors.
He was only a little surprised when Ms. Nkire, Faith’s caseworker sat beside him. He’d heard the person pause outside Judge Eng’s outer chambers, where he was seated, and open the doors. Despite his wealth, however, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think that his was the only custody case on the judge’s docket. Anyone could have been standing outside the doors, perhaps early for their own appointment. And after four custody hearings (no need to claim custody of the biological child given to him by the boy’s biological mother), he also knew that not all the interviews took place in the same session. Due to the nature of his…other job, Bruce was usually willing to go along with whatever the courts wanted, unless he or his lawyers sensed that he was being stonewalled.
What did surprise Bruce was Ms. Nkire’s greeting: “Yes, Faith has been talking about that for awhile.”
Bruce actually startled at that. Sitting even straighter, he turned to Faith’s caseworker. “Pardon me?”
Ms. Nkire’s soft mustard suit jacket brought warmth to her brown skin. The smile she gave him made it glow. “She’s looking forward to joining ‘Bruce and the boys’ in the family business. She hasn’t talked to you about it?”
Shaking his head, Bruce admitted that she hadn’t.
“I suppose she wanted it to be a surprise.”
“I am definitely surprised.”
“Good surprise? Bad?”
Deciding that honesty, in this case, would work in his favor, Bruce said, “I honestly don’t know how I feel. I didn’t know Faith was interested. I hope she knows I don’t expect her to-”
Ms. Nkire smiled again. “She knows. I wouldn’t normally say this until after an official ruling from the courts, but I’d be very surprised if Judge Eng denies the adoption.” She turned to face Bruce more fully. “According to Faith, you are the first man to love her just for herself, not for what she looks like, what you can get out of her, what you can get her to do or not do, or some kind of power trip…almost her words exactly. You’re not always a great communicator…”
Bruce felt a flush climb his neck. “Yeah the kids have been saying that since-”
“But she feels like she has your attention when she needs it. And even though she doesn’t always like it, I know that she appreciates you pushing her to reach the potential you see in her.”
“Yeah, well…”
“That’s being a parent?” Ms. Nkire said, eyebrows raised.
“Yeah.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Faith came bouncing out of Judge Eng’s office about fifteen minutes later. Spotting her caseworker, she threw herself into the woman’s lap and hugged her around the neck. “Ozichi!” Although always a professional, she somehow brought out a girlishness in Faith that no one else managed.
The woman stood with Faith still hanging off her like a limpet, far stronger than she appeared in her business suit. “It’s good to see you as well, m’girl. Let me go now. I have to speak to Judge Eng.”
“Only because you asked nice!” Faith said as she let herself down. She slunk into the seat next to Bruce as Judge Eng closed the doors behind Ms. Nkire. “This means you’re last. Nervous?”
Bruce glanced down at Faith. “Should I be?”
She shrugged. “Dunno.” Then she twined her arm around his nearer one to hold his much larger hand. Soon she was playing the his fingers and the fine hairs on their backs. Bruce’s stiff posture gradually loosened and Faith leaned her head, then her entire body, against his side. She never stopped hold his hand or playing with his fingers.
Which was how Ms. Nkire and Judge Eng found them some twenty minutes later when he opened the door to release Faith’s caseworker.
“Mr. Wayne?”
Fin
Note3: I need fandom to write more about Duke so I know what to do with him going forward lol
Series: Faith, Hope & Family
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Batman, BtVS
Character(s): Faith, Bruce Wayne, OCs
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Judge Eng’s bushy eyebrows beetled. “I know we like to joke around, but this is a serious interview, Ms. Lehane. These last few meetings with yourself, Mr. Wayne and your caseworker Ms. Nkire will decide your future young lady.”
Length: ~1,315 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Everything I know about Batman I got from B:TAS, BB, the movies and fanfiction. My headcanon for this series is primarily based on the "Cor et Cerebrum" series by audreycritter. I honestly cannot recommend it enough. I also have no idea how the adoption process works anywhere! I could have asked my friends who are adopted. Someday they will read this story and mock me.
Notes2: This story exists somewhere between this and this, previously written for the 20 in 2020 challenge. Mostly what you need to know is that Bruce/Batman has a habit of picking up strays and that instead of surviving the streets of Boston with her less-than-legit Watcher before she's called, Faith makes her way down the coast to Gotham. Yesterday's "Stray Faith" is a prequel to the series.
“You ready for this, Puck?”
That had been fun, the first time Bruce had called her ‘Puck’ and not ‘Faith’. She’d been expecting her name and with her lower-class education, she had automatically combined the two words in the worst way possible. Only Jason’s howling laughter had stopped her from socking Bruce right in the gut. Didn’t matter that he had a good hundred pounds of pure muscle on her and at least 2 feet. Nobody talked to Faith like that. Not anymore. But Jason, whose first language had also the streets, had made the connection between Bruce’s nickname and Faith’s lightning quick fury in heartbeat-and promptly fallen out of his chair laughing at Bruce’s stunned expression.
Those kinds of mistakes didn’t happen anymore. Not after two years of reading every book she could get her hands on, and many more that were shoved in her face by either a member of the Wayne clan or one of her Gotham Academy Prep teachers.
She still wasn’t sure she liked her trickster nickname.
Faith pulled her eyes away from her phone to glance at Bruce. Who looking at her with his chin on the laced fingers of his fist and his elbows resting on his knees.
The pose was so casual it had to be a nervous tick. Faith smirked. She was slouched in her chair outside the judge’s chambers, exchanging increasingly rude and literary texts with Jason. (To keep up with the rest of the Wayne clan Faith had had to learn. She’d read more in the last two years than she’d read in the previous fourteen.)
Smirking, Faith sat up and leaned forward, too, a sly smile pulling on her lips as her hair slid over one shoulder. “Are you ready, Oberon?”
“Just when I thought I could finally close up the old Wayne nursery.”
Faith snorted and bumped Bruce with her shoulder. “Don’t expect me to, like, call you ‘Dad’ or nothin’.”
Eyebrow lifting towards his hairline, Bruce said, “Damien calls me ‘Father’.”
Faith’s scowl was instant - as was Bruce’s answering smirk. “That little kissa-”
“Ms. Lehane,” Judge Timothy Eng said from the doors of his chambers. A grandfatherly looking man with sharp black eyes, he had been the judge on her case since Bruce had petitioned for temporary custody.
“Hey Judge!” They bumped fists. “Ready to give you all the dirt on the Old Man.”
Judge Eng’s bushy eyebrows beetled. “I know we like to joke around, but this is a serious interview, Ms. Lehane. These last few meetings with yourself, Mr. Wayne and your caseworker Ms. Nkire will decide your future young lady.”
“I know,” Faith said, sticking her chin in the air. She put a hand on a cocked her hip, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m not worried about it. I already got plans to go into the family business,” she said, cutting her eyes at Bruce. Who stiffened in surprise. Faith smirked.
Eyes going from the very confident teenager standing in his doorway and the prospective adoptive father sitting in his outer chambers, Judge Eng offered Bruce a smirk to rival Faith’s. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“After five kids and all their friends, I have finally learned that I am completely clueless.”
Judge Eng’s smirk became a full blown smile. “Smart man.” Gesturing that she should go before him, Judge Eng said to Faith, “Come one. The sooner we get this settled, the sooner your get to make his hair go gray. Like mine!”
“Oh yeah?” Faith grinned. “And how many kids do you got-”
“Have,” both Judge Eng and Bruce corrected automatically.
Faith plowed on like she hadn’t heard them, walking into the judge’s chambers. “-'cause I know I asked before, but you never fessed up.”
The heavy wooden doors closed before Bruce could hear the answer.
Sighing, he sat back and thought about what Faith had said. “I already got plans to join the family business,” Bruce repeated to himself softly as he stared at the ornate wood paneling above the judge’s chamber doors.
He was only a little surprised when Ms. Nkire, Faith’s caseworker sat beside him. He’d heard the person pause outside Judge Eng’s outer chambers, where he was seated, and open the doors. Despite his wealth, however, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think that his was the only custody case on the judge’s docket. Anyone could have been standing outside the doors, perhaps early for their own appointment. And after four custody hearings (no need to claim custody of the biological child given to him by the boy’s biological mother), he also knew that not all the interviews took place in the same session. Due to the nature of his…other job, Bruce was usually willing to go along with whatever the courts wanted, unless he or his lawyers sensed that he was being stonewalled.
What did surprise Bruce was Ms. Nkire’s greeting: “Yes, Faith has been talking about that for awhile.”
Bruce actually startled at that. Sitting even straighter, he turned to Faith’s caseworker. “Pardon me?”
Ms. Nkire’s soft mustard suit jacket brought warmth to her brown skin. The smile she gave him made it glow. “She’s looking forward to joining ‘Bruce and the boys’ in the family business. She hasn’t talked to you about it?”
Shaking his head, Bruce admitted that she hadn’t.
“I suppose she wanted it to be a surprise.”
“I am definitely surprised.”
“Good surprise? Bad?”
Deciding that honesty, in this case, would work in his favor, Bruce said, “I honestly don’t know how I feel. I didn’t know Faith was interested. I hope she knows I don’t expect her to-”
Ms. Nkire smiled again. “She knows. I wouldn’t normally say this until after an official ruling from the courts, but I’d be very surprised if Judge Eng denies the adoption.” She turned to face Bruce more fully. “According to Faith, you are the first man to love her just for herself, not for what she looks like, what you can get out of her, what you can get her to do or not do, or some kind of power trip…almost her words exactly. You’re not always a great communicator…”
Bruce felt a flush climb his neck. “Yeah the kids have been saying that since-”
“But she feels like she has your attention when she needs it. And even though she doesn’t always like it, I know that she appreciates you pushing her to reach the potential you see in her.”
“Yeah, well…”
“That’s being a parent?” Ms. Nkire said, eyebrows raised.
“Yeah.”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Faith came bouncing out of Judge Eng’s office about fifteen minutes later. Spotting her caseworker, she threw herself into the woman’s lap and hugged her around the neck. “Ozichi!” Although always a professional, she somehow brought out a girlishness in Faith that no one else managed.
The woman stood with Faith still hanging off her like a limpet, far stronger than she appeared in her business suit. “It’s good to see you as well, m’girl. Let me go now. I have to speak to Judge Eng.”
“Only because you asked nice!” Faith said as she let herself down. She slunk into the seat next to Bruce as Judge Eng closed the doors behind Ms. Nkire. “This means you’re last. Nervous?”
Bruce glanced down at Faith. “Should I be?”
She shrugged. “Dunno.” Then she twined her arm around his nearer one to hold his much larger hand. Soon she was playing the his fingers and the fine hairs on their backs. Bruce’s stiff posture gradually loosened and Faith leaned her head, then her entire body, against his side. She never stopped hold his hand or playing with his fingers.
Which was how Ms. Nkire and Judge Eng found them some twenty minutes later when he opened the door to release Faith’s caseworker.
“Mr. Wayne?”
Fin
Note3: I need fandom to write more about Duke so I know what to do with him going forward lol