The Lighter Side of the Dark Protectors

[alfred]

Name: The Lighter Side of the Dark Protectors
Summary: It starts as a day in the life of Alfred, but lets see where it goes.
Characters Appearing: Any of the Batman family wishing to join.

In Alfred's small sound proof bedroom the alarm started going off. It was three o'clock a.m. this was not the time Alfred always got up. No it changed slightly from time to time cause of course. To his employer Bruce Wayne or Batman and his partners. Robin for which there currently was not one, Nightwing or Dick Grayson. The former Robin who had out grown the role, and of course Batgirl Barbara Gordon.

Who had her on room here at the manor as well as a pass code to the gates. An key to the front door, and codes to the alarms. Since she did practically live at the manor now though she did had other family. As Dick did not for the same reason as Bruce which is what had brought them together. So with Bruce's creation of Batman and the nightly activities it caused. The Batcave had not been the only thing built.

Alfred's room that had been his father's room as well. At the time that he had served Bruce's grandparents and later the young Dr. Thomas Wayne Bruce's father. Was given a large upgrade the room had always been sound proof. Since Jarvis Pennyworth was needed to get up much earlier then Mr. and Mrs Wayne, but now. The room had been made into literally the safest room in the entire manor. It was now like a vault that when closed was almost impossible to get into.

An in his room that was really a small apartment he had his living space, a small kitchen area, his bedroom with bath, and the monitor room. A small room that was in it's self was Alfred's personal batcave. Being as the whole apartment was sound proof speakers were installed. An were amplified so that nothing could be heard from inside, but he could hear everything outside.

Day 1
3:00 A.M.

Alfred rose up and shutoff the clock setting it to a morning news program. He got out of bed and moved to the bathroom. After showering and shaving he came out of the bathroom in a robe. He dressed and moved to his small kitchen. After two cups of coffee and a couple of muffins he left his small apartment.

4:00 A.M.

Alfred moved to the manor's much larger kitchen. It was made to accommodate as many as four or more kitchen staff, but with it only being Bruce and later Dick. An a bit later still Barbara and now Tim Alfred still managed it just fine alone. He went about first making coffee an as he waited. He cleaned what if anything had been left for him in the night or early morning by Bruce or the kid's. He of course saw them all as kid's he guessed even Bruce.

Though Dick and Barbara were getting older. He sighed he was not getting any younger himself. He made a cup of coffee and started cooking breakfest.

7:00 A.M.

The food done he made a fresh pot of coffee, toast, muffins, and set the table for three. Though he was never sure what to expect. Sometimes they wanted breakfest in bed. An others they did not mornings were a waiting game. If no one came down by nine o'clock he made platters and took them to the rooms starting of course with Bruce. So he sat with his coffee and his own personal paper.

Another sat still folded at Bruce's spot at the table. With his coffee and paper he sat to wait for signs of life. If no one came down by 9:00 he would be busy again.

[k]

[/b] she muttered to herself, realizing her awkward position had left a rather nasty indent in her forehead. It would heal, she knew that much. She'd managed to change from her Batgirl costume before jumping on the computer, which was at least a little comfort to her. Her phone was in her pocket, and she produced it to check the time. She had a few hours before University, but she wanted to pop home and find a change of clothes beforehand, and then she had one class to attend. Maybe she could visit Dick later on and make sure he was still alive, Babs thought. She hadn't spoken to him for a few days, and that would worry her.

She slid out the seat and yawned, having memorized Alfred's schedule in her head she imagined he'd already be awake and would have made breakfast. That sounded just great right now, she thought. Babs headed up the stairs to the Manor, hoping to eat something and make a fairly quick exit out of the Manor before it got too late and she couldn't swing round her own house for her clothes. How would she explain this to her dad? She'd probably settle for the excuse that she'd stayed at Dick's penthouse for the night. That should be enough to keep him from asking questions, because her dad generally didn't immerse himself in the day-to-day going ons with his daughters relationship with Bruce Wayne's ward. He approved of Dick, Babs knew that quite well, and he'd made that clear after she returned home that awkward evening he'd found them kissing together in the house. However, he knew better than to pry into Babs life like that, for which she was grateful. Sometimes in her head she thought her dad knew about her life as Batgirl, but it was just a silly paranoia based on her father's overall acceptance of his teenage daughter's odd absences.

Barbara reached the kitchen and the smell of muffins and toat wafted to her. She smiled as she walked in and saw Alfred reading his paper and she smiled at him.
"Alfred, you're amazing," she stated, rubbing her head where she'd left the bad indent. She wasn't sure how Alfred managed to do it - he was always working so hard for all them, accomodating the ever growing Batfamily and embracing them all without a word. He was brilliant, he never missed a beat and was second-to-none with doing stitches in some pretty nasty wounds. Babs adored him much like she loved her own father. She slid into one the seats and propped her head up with her elbow, still feeling tired.[/ul]

[alfred]

He had got a bit lost in his paper so on hearing. "Alfred, you're amazing." He jumped slightly he hid it well, but not so well. That someone trained by Batman would not catch it. He tried his best not to dwell on it and folded his paper. "Good morning Barbara...." He paused as he noticed the keyboard indentions in her forehead.

"....you do know you have a room here right? Of course it's not my place to talk your not a child anymore." He gave her a light grandfather like smile he had watched her grow up. Almost as long as Dick, but she had already been well into her teens. An had always hated being called Miss Gordon even Miss Barbara. When she had joined Bruce's fight for the safety of Gotham.

Now she like Dick was showing up less and less. It made him remember the boy that he almost shot. Down in the Batcave Tim had been his name, but Tim what? Drake, Tim Drake that was his name he thought to himself. That had been the last time he had seen Dick and Barbara together if he remembered right, but he caught himself. He had been to quiet not wanting to concern Barbara.

He chuckled softly as he stood and slide the now folded paper.
So Barbara could reach it if she wished to read as she ate. He stood ready to serve Barbara now and spoke."So what would you like besides the toast and muffins. I also made that nonfat bacon Dick likes and I have eggs. Either scrambled or as a sausage and cheese omelet?"

[k]

[/b] she said, when he told her she did have a room here. It was rarely used, although she was gratefil for it's existence when she did manage to make it to bed on the rare occasion. It was more of the whole principle of the matter and the gesture it entailed. Being given her own room in the manor was a big deal, because there was an air of acceptance about it that she hadn't felt before. She'd had it for a while, and it had helped her feel more at home in the manor, more at home being Batgirl. Her time at the house was becoming increasingly erractic though, especially now Dick no longer lived there. Her time was split between University, the Batcave, patrolling, Dick's penthouse and, occasionally, her own actual house.

"The toast and muffins are fine, Alfred, thank you," Babs said with a smile. She was glad Alfred didn't refer to her as Miss Gordon, because it made her feel incredibly old. She knew he preferred to use those terms, but it struck her as so incredibly formal, and she thought Alfred of all people deserved to refer to her using her name. He wasn't a butler, not to anyone who was in the household. Butler was the wrong title and was rarely ever applied to Alfred unless said person didn't know of Alfred's history in the Wayne family.

She reached out to pour herself a coffee from the coffee maker, filling her cup up almost fully. She could do with the caffeine intake she could find right now, and began to sip the coffee as she went through the paper. She glanced up at Alfred again, and touched her forehead where the indents had been left.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked, realizing Alfred had taken little time to spot them. She hoped the temporary marking would fade fairly quickly. [/ul]

[alfred]

He gave a little chuckle he found it a bit funny watching people. That were not used to being waited on she was so much like Dick in that regard of the three. Only Bruce allowed him to wait on him as was his job, but only to a point. He guessed it must be crime fighting that caused them. To be so into doing for themselves for Dick had been a bit more into it as a boy, but just like Bruce. He grew into the habit of not completely pushing him away, but simply getting things themselves.

He guessed it was for the best he wasn't so young anymore, but he knew better to bring this up out loud. He had remembered a few other times. That they had all disagreed with his ideas of getting to old. He to stood to get coffee and with a bit of a smirk topped off Barbara's. She had drank very little of the cup she had just poured setting his cup on the table. He left the room helping himself to a bit of the eggs at least back in the kitchen.

Coming back he settled back into his seat an envelope. Was tucked under his plate as he heard her ask about the keyboard marks on her forehead. "Maybe not so much I'm just very good at noticing them by now. After watching first Bruce and then Dick coming to breakfast sporting them. They will fade in no time though so there nothing to worry about dear." He paused a bit then eating at his eggs as neatly as the gentleman that he was.

He then used one of the neat white cloth napkins to wipe at his mouth. Then a sip of coffee before pushing the envelope toward Barbara as he had done the paper. "I'm betting you won't accept this any better then Dick did, but ever since you came to join us. I was putting a little money back for your college fund, but I guess it could also go to an apartment or a car too." When Barbara opened the envelope she would find a print out. For an account in Barbara's name for a little over 5,000 dollars.

[k]

[/b] she added as Alfred went to fetch himself some eggs from the kitchen. Babs continued to read the paper, occasionally an article would strike her attention and she'd read it thoroughly, but most of it was contrived and boring articles produced from the likes of Vicki Vale, Babs imagined. She'd even began to see her own name crop up in articles these days, the ever attentive media having found out she was dating Bruce Wayne's ward and heir, and that made her a point of attention seeing as Gotham classed the likes of Bruce Wayne as minor celebrities. Guess they have nothing better to do than make up stories and talk rubbish about people, given the only other thing that happened in Gotham on a regular basis was crime and vigilantes, both of which were a permenant fixture in the paper too.

Babs looked up when Alfred pushed an envelope toward her. Her eyes narrowed instantly and she looked up at Alfred, leaving the envelope where he'd left it. Too right she wasn't going to accept this any better.
"I can't take this, Alfred," Babs said. "It's a lovely gesture - it really is," she admitted, with a small surprised smile. Alfred treated them all better than they deserved to be treated, half the time. All they did was disappear for the night and make him worry about their return, and he was always patiently waiting, ready to cater to them. Babs shook her head, and took a drink from her coffee. "I can't," she insisted again, and turned her attention back to the paper, as if to conclude that the conversation was over. [/ul]

[alfred]

Alfred rarely frowned at any of them, but he did so now. "Of course you can take it young lady. You've more then earned it I can't bet the number of times. You've probably saved master Wayne's or Dick's life in a given night. An the Batman stuff aside theres the hard work you do in school." He looked away a bit unsure if he should reveal this.

"I've been keeping up your school and things." Glancing at the paper as if to say a lot of the good she did was public knowledge. "You've made Dick happy I can tell an well you've kept him from becoming...." He had been about to say that she had kept Dick. From getting to dark and drawn into his life as Nightwing. As Bruce had often done getting lost into his work as Batman.

Then as if understanding had dawned he pulled the envelope back. An changed the subject of the money and only saying with a smile. "You know if you and Dick want privacy maybe. You should adopt a couple of aliases I'm rather good with disguises." He guessed he would just have to do as he done with Dick. Sending the account number to her school or maybe Commissioner Gordon.