Yes Virginia, The Boy Screwed Up
by Vicki Napier (VNapier@aol.com)

***

The morning sun shown brightly through the window, illuminating the two sleeping 
figures wrapped in each others embrace, lying the couch in the living room.

Dick opened his eyes, blinking as the suns rays temporarily blinded him. He felt 
an unfamiliar weight on top of him and it took a moment for him to realize what, 
or more precisely, who it was. As the events of the preceding evening come back
to him, he looked down and smiled a wondrously blissful smile.

Barbara was still asleep, her head nestled against his chest through his 
unbuttoned shirt. Her breath sent light ripples through his chest hair. How long 
had he dreamed of this? How many times had he awoke alone, wishing with all his 
heart that she would be there next to him? And now she was. His heart soared in 
ecstasy and he tightened his embrace around her.

Then, recalling the original intent of last nights visit, his heart skipped a beat 
and his soaring spirits fell into a terminal tail spin. Tears filled his eyes and 
he began to quietly cry, realizing that this would probably be the last time he 
would awaken with Barbara in his arms.

How was he ever going to explain about the baby and not lose her forever?

Barbara stirred as she began to awaken and Dick quickly tried to compose himself. 
~Get a hold of yourself, Grayson. How is she going to feel if she wakes up and 
finds you crying? Now that would really be a blow to her self esteem. You're
already going to be enough of a jerk, at least don't make her think spending
the night with her in your arms was horrible enough to make you cry.~

Barbara suffered the same momentary lapse as Dick had earlier, but recovered just 
as quickly. Looking up at Dick, she smiled as brightly as the suns rays and Dick 
couldn't help but respond in kind. They knew they loved each other and for the 
moment that was enough.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Dick greeted her, unable to keep the love he felt from 
hanging on each word.

"Good morning, yourself, bright eyes," Barbara answered equally as lovingly, 
snuggling closer against his chest. From that position, she was still able to read 
the clock on the wall across the room, which read 9:54. She smiled and chuckled. 
"Funny, I didn't remember tonsil hockey being this exhausting."

"That's what happens when you get ~old~," Dick answered, a mischievous gleam in 
his eyes.

"Who you calling old, little boy?" Barbara retorted, pinching his side and 
laughing.

"Ouch! That hurt. I just might have to report you to the police for abusing a poor 
defenseless little boy." Dick responded innocently and then began tickling her 
ribcage.

"Poor? Defenseless?" Barbara managed to say in between giggles. "You weren't 
~then~ and you sure as hell aren't now. Besides, I have inside connections with 
the cops around here, you know."

As their eyes found each others, they stopped the horse play and once again ended 
up in a passionate lip lock. Dick's tongue slid between her lips and she suddenly 
pulled away, leaving a somewhat surprised look on his face.

She just grinned. "Down boy, I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday 
afternoon. You sort of canceled dinner last night, if you remember. I need some 
energy food if you want to keep this up."

"Just what would the madam like for her morning sustenance." Dick gave an awful 
impression of a stuffy butler. "And would the madam like to be served at the 
table, or would breakfast in bed be more to her liking."

"Well, Richardo, bacon and eggs would be just lovely and I think at the table 
would most satisfactory. I do not believe that I would be able to have much 
success eating in bed as your tongue keeps ending up down my throat." Barbara used 
her best snooty rich lady impression, which wasn't very good and caused Dick to 
burst out laughing.

"Yes, madam. Bacon and eggs will be served in the kitchen dining area promptly in 
twenty-six minutes." Dick's voice returned to normal, and he added, "But first 
I've got to visit the little boys room."

"Well, Richardo, don't dawdle. The clock is ticking and if breakfast is but one 
minute later than you promised, there will be no bonus for you today." Barbara's 
eyes glistened at the insinuation that things could be getting more romantic soon.

Dick grinned and bowed in her direction before sprinting of to the bathroom. While 
washing his hands, he caught a look at his reflection in the mirror. ~Well, 
Grayson, now you've done it. You finally got her to let the defenses down and now
your going bombshell her with the real reason your here. You know she'll
never forgive you now.~

Biting his lip, he fought back the tears and prepared himself, trying to think of 
a way to break the news without destroying her.

Entering the kitchen to prepare breakfast, he noticed she was no longer on the 
couch. Her voice floated in from the bedroom. "I'm going to take a quick bath and 
I'll be right in, Dick."

Dick fought the urge to make some remark about helping her wash the hard to get 
places and simply replied, "Sure thing, Babs. It'll be ready when you’re 
finished."

His mind was continued to work on ways to break the news and not destroy their 
budding relationship as he prepared the bacon and eggs. Finding two large glasses, 
he filled them with orange juice and placed them on the table. He had set the 
silverware and was just serving up the plates of food, when Barbara emerged from 
the bathroom.

"Perfect timing, I may just have to make sure you get a bonus after all." She 
grinned slyly.

Dick quickly turned and grabbed the salt and pepper from the cabinet, knowing his 
face would give away the turmoil going on inside. Steadying himself he returned 
with a smile and sat down across the table from her.

"Babs, we still need to talk," he said reluctantly. "What we got going last night 
is great, something I've been wishing for for a long time, but there's something
else I ~have~ to tell you." His eyes remained on his plate as he used his fork to 
play with his eggs.

Barbara raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Sounds serious," she added jokingly, 
"she's not pregnant is she?"

Dick choked on his eggs and looked at her with the widest eyes imaginable. 
"Wha...What...How...How?" He couldn't even make a coherent statement as he 
continued to choke.

"I was only kidding," Barbara said, looking more than a little confused by his 
reaction to her joke. "You don't have to look like I just sentenced you to death."

Dick tried to composed himself, and to catch his breath. Realizing she was just 
joking and had no idea that she had hit the nail on the head, he felt even more 
like a jerk for making her joke the truth.

Dick stood up from the table and walked to the sink. Turning, he looked down at 
his feet and leaned against the counter. "Babs, you remember that night a few 
months ago when I called you while I was at Huntress' apartment?" He continued 
without waiting for a reply. "Well, I just need you to know that it didn't mean
anything, really. I think I'm more ashamed of that than anything else. I don't do 
one-night stands. I don't believe in sleeping with someone unless I care for 
them." He hesitated, tracing the outline of the tile flooring with his toe, as he 
tried to find a way to continue.

"It's just that...that I was so...so lonely. It's hard being in Bludhaven. It's 
just me. No one else, just me. And she...she was feeling...alone too...and...it 
just...it just happened." Dick swallowed hard.

"Dick, I already know about that, remember?" Barbara said, thinking he was feeling 
guilty and needed to explain to her about what happened.

"She's pregnant, Babs," Dick whispered. Looking at Barbara with tear filled eyes, 
he repeated, "She's pregnant."

Barbara sat there staring at him, not reacting at all to his words.

"I'm sorry, Babs." Dick moved close and knelt next to her chair. Placing his hand 
on her arm, he tried to explain. "She just told me a couple of days ago."

Suddenly Barbara exploded in a rage of emotion. Jerking her chair away from him, 
she turned in his direction and began her verbal tirade. "I can't believe you used 
me this way!" She was yelling, anger evident in both her voice and her eyes. "You
come in here and make me feel sorry for you! You make me admit I love you! You 
tell me you love me and all the time your just waiting to spring *this* little 
bundle on me!" Dick stood up and backed away to the other side of the room. He had 
never seen her this angry and didn't want to push her anymore than he already had.

"Babs..." Dick tried to talk to her, but she cut him off with the second round.

"Don't 'Babs' me, you bastard! How dare you! How dare you use me like this!" She 
glared at him and her voice gained some control, along with an icy edge. "Get out 
of here! Get out of here, now!"

"Babs, please...."

"I said get out!" She began yelling and wheeled back toward him, stopping next to 
the table. "I hate you, you hear me, I HATE YOU. Now GET OUT!"

The next few events happened so fast, Dick didn't know what hit him, literally. 
The door burst open and Jim Gordon entered with his gun pulled, ready to defend 
his daughter from whom ever was intruding on her. Dick barely realized it was 
Barbara's father, when he felt a blow to the head, and the skull shattering pain
sent him falling into darkness.

Jim, stood just inside the door, barely comprehending the scene in front of him. 
He had entered the apartment just as Barbara hurled a glass at the man she had 
been yelling at. His entrance had caught the man's attention just long enough for 
him to miss the fact he was under fire, and Barbara scored a direct hit to his 
temple. Without a sound, he collapsed to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"Dad!" Barbara exclaimed, as surprised by what had just happened her dad was.

"Are you all right, hon?" He asked, holstering his gun and proceeding to check on 
the fallen man. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, God, Dad. I didn't mean to hit him. It's Dick. Is he OK?" Barbara's anger had 
been forgotten with the realization that Dick could be seriously injured.

"He's got a pulse," her dad informed her, but then he began rapidly repositioning 
Dick. "But he's not breathing." Using his jacket to wipe the orange juice from 
Dick's face, Jim pinching his nose closed and pulled his head back, quickly 
beginning to administered mouth-to-mouth. After two full breaths, Dick's 
unconscious body gasped for air and began breathing on its own.

"Help him, Dad. Please help him." Barbara cried, unable to do anything but sit on 
the sidelines.

As soon as he was sure Dick was continuing to breathe on his own, Jim quickly 
moved to his daughter to calm her. "Easy, honey, he's breathing now. What exactly 
happened here? I heard you yelling to 'get out' and I thought someone was 
attacking you." He was still concerned about Barbara, but couldn't quite bring 
himself to believe that Dick Grayson would hurt her.

"We had...we had an argument." Barbara tried to explain, not taking her eyes from 
Dick's unconscious form lying on the floor. "I didn't mean to hit him. I was just 
~so~ mad." Looking at her dad for the first time, her eyes full of fear. "Dad, I 
threw that glass with all my might, you've got to help him." She pleaded. "He
could be hurt really bad. You've got to take him to Dr. Thompkin's clinic. It's 
just a few blocks away. You've got to take him now." She was becoming hysterical.

"Easy, Barbara." He comforted her. "We'll take him to the clinic." He bent over 
and kissed her on the forehead. She was right. That was an extremely solid blow 
Dick had taken and he really should be checked out. He probably had a severe 
concussion at the least and might have sustained a fractured skull. Barbara was 
obviously not in any immediate danger, and any further explanations could wait.

"You take  him, dad. I'll just slow you down." Her voice was hoarse and shaky. 
"Dad, please, he's got to be all right." She began crying. Jim picked up Dick and 
carried him to the door.

"Lock up behind me, Barbara. And don't worry, I'm sure he'll be just fine." He 
tried to keep his voice upbeat, for Barbara's sake, but inwardly he was beginning 
to worry. Dick was now pale as a ghost and his skin felt cold and clammy. He 
seemed to be going into shock, which Jim didn't think was a good sign.

After her dad had left with Dick, Barbara broke down. Deep heart-wrentching sobs 
shook her body. She remembered the pain in his eyes as he told her about Huntress' 
condition and she was ashamed of herself for condemning him. It wasn't like he had
planned to get her pregnant. And it wasn't like she hadn't known he had slept with 
her. Besides that, hadn't she been the one who kept refusing his advances? He was 
just lonely. He even said it didn't really mean anything. It was all just such
a shock. She slowly regained her composure and wheel herself over to the computer 
station. Rapidly typing a few commands, she waited impatiently for an answer to 
her call. In just a few seconds, she got a response.

"Yes, Miss Oracle, how can I assist you," came the polite reply as Alfred 
responded to her call.

"Alfred, is Bruce there." She almost screamed. "Please tell me he's there."

"Yes, he's resting from last nights activities, but he is here." Alfred was 
concerned by the panic in her voice. "I can wake him if...." Alfred was cut off by 
a deep voice from behind him.

"I'm right here, Barbara. What's the problem?" Bruce asked. He had not been 
sleeping that soundly and had heard Barbara's loud plea for his presence.

"I hurt him, Bruce. I didn't mean to, but I hurt him. I think its bad." She 
babbled, her voice getting more and more anxious.

"Hurt who?"

"Dick. I hit, Dick. Hard." She tried to explain. "Dad was here...he took him to 
Dr. Thompkin's clinic. I didn't mean to, Bruce. I didn't mean too." She broke down 
in tears, laying her head down on the station top.

"Alfred, try to talk to her. I'm going to check on Dick." Bruce, dressed hurriedly 
and quickly left for Dr. Leslie's clinic. He had wondered how Dick's talk with her
had gone, and now he knew. Obviously, it didn't go well. Not well at all.

-Continued-