Disclaimer: I don't own them DC does.. Thanks to Kat & Smitty for
editing telling me to post this. Charlene :-)

***

The Student
By Charlene Edwards (edwardslaw1@earthlink.net)

***

"Babs, how 'bout we go to an early movie and then dinner Wednesday?"

Dick Grayson asked the red headed woman on his computer screen.

"Can't." she said matter of factly.

"Great, then we could..." Dick suddenly stopped, his mind doing a
double take, his eyes growing wide. "CAN'T. Did you sat can't?"

"That's what I said shortpants."

"Does that mean you're not going?"

"And now I know why they call you the world's second greatest
detective." She said with a wink. Then giggled as he grasped at his
chest in mock pain.

"OUCH! Why can't you go?"

"A friend of mine, Paul Martin, is the chairman of the CIS
department at Gotham U. He's talked me into teaching a class as an
adjunct this semester. The class is on Wednesday. Four to five thirty. "

He looked at her with a pained expression. "But Babs, Wednesday is
my day off."

"Well, I'm sorry Officer Grayson, but that's just too bad." she
replied as she stuck her tongue out at him. Then with a quick wink said
"Bye." as she cut the connection.

Dick stared at the now black screen. Why was Babs teaching a class?
On his day off? Couldn't she have picked another day? How was he going
to spend time with her now? He wanted to spend some Dick and Babs time
not just Nightwing and Oracle time. Then a wicked grin formed on his
face.

***

"Good afternoon. My name is Barbara Gordon and I'm an adjunct
professor here this year for this introductory programming class. If
you'll look at your syllabus you'll see that we ..." she stopped in mid
sentence as a young man ran into the room. He walked over and took the
front row center seat directly in front of Barbara's desk and smiled a
wide smile at her. "What are you doing?" she asked dryly.

The students giggled as their professor stared at the young man.

"I'm ... I'm in your class." He said sheepishly as he handed her his

drop/add sheet. A wide grin on his face as an errant lock of jet black
hair fell across his brow.

Barbara snatched the form from his hand. "Then you're late."

"Sorry." he shrugged with a smile.

He had just sat there watching her, smiling as she lectured, smiling
as she answered questions, smiling even wider as his smile caused her to

lose her concentration.  Waiting until the other students had left, he
stayed in his seat across from her desk.

Barbara just shook her head at him in mock frustration. "Dick
Grayson, what are you doing?"

"Improving my mind."

"Dick!"

"Weeelll." he dragged out the word. "You had to teach this class on
my day off, which I wanted to spend with you, so I guess this is how
we'll do it."

"You can't ..."

"I can. I paid money and everything. Besides, I'm not as good with
computers as you and Tim."

"You're more advanced than this class. Don't think you're going to
get any special treatment."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Because you're going to have to do what everyone else does."

"You will give me extra tutoring through, right."

"Dick."

"Late night tutoring."

"DICK!"

***

"Amber, that was a very good presentation. Let's see, the next
one is Dick." she said turning her attention to her favorite but most
annoying student.

He grinned at her with a wide grin.

"Dick."

"Yeah."

"Your presentation."

"Uh-huh."

"It's time to give it." she stated folding her arms and giving him
The Glare with her emerald eyes.

"Uh, about that. See. I was abducted by aliens last night and ...
and they liked my presentation sooo much that they kept it. Yeah, they
kept it."

The class erupted in laughter at this overly lame excuse.

"Aliens. Aliens wouldn't want anything you came up with."

He slipped down in his chair chuckling as the other students
laughed.

"Next time, I promise." he said.

"Stay after class Grayson."

***

"Am I gonna get paddled Ms. Teacher?" he asked with pouting lips.

"You wish."

"Well actually..." he started with a wicked grin.

"I am so frustrated with you. Couldn't you even come up with a good
excuse?"

"How about I was playing vigilante and was fighting a super villain
named Sylph and was almost run over by a truck?"

"Not good enough, that happened last month. I know for a fact you
and Tim went to the movies last night."

"Oh yeah, that."

"There are people who are in here to learn."

"And there's one person here to spend time with you."

Looking into his blue eyes she felt as if she would melt in them.

"Babs, I promise. I'll do my work from now on. I promise."

"You lie." she said

"I know."

***

"Grades are out." she said to him as he entered her apartment,
Chinese food in hand.

"Yeah? What'd I get?"

"A 'C'."

"C. I only got a C? I had a mean teacher."

"If you had a mean teacher you would have gotten a withdraw failing
when you didn't do that first project."

"Oh. Well, now that classes are over, how about I teach you."

"Teach me what?"

"I know a lot of tricks you could do with that little trapeze bar
over your bed. I'm a professional."

"Gigalo?"

"NO. Well. If you want."

"You only got a C because you're cute."

"I'm A grade cute."

"Maybe. Let's go in the bedroom and I'll re-examine your assets."


The end