Max calls Dick

[moonshadows]

Suddenly, Max became aware of an unfriendly gaze being directed at her. She looked up from her laptop to see the old man glaring at her from the doorway of what passed for the living room.

“I’m going to take Ace for a walk,” he announced in a tone of voice most people reserved for death threats.

Having been around Bruce Wayne for the better part of a month now, Max recognized the note of self-loathing in his voice. “Something wrong?”

“I called Dick. He hung up on me.”

Without another word, he stalked off followed by the big black dog, already on his leash. A few moments later, the front door opened and closed.

Max bolted for the study.

She’d used this model of phone before, placing calls for her crotchety employer, and her finger trembled only slightly as she punched ‘redial’. No vid for this call – must not’ve been to a land line. As it rang, she sank gingerly into the heavy chair behind the desk.

“You’ve got three seconds to tell me why I shouldn’t hang up on you again,” the man on the other end snapped as soon as he picked up.

Here goes nothing, she thought as she took a deep breath. “Mr. Grayson?”

Three. Two. One. “Who is this?”

“My name is Maxine Gibson. I’m a home assistant to Mr. Wayne. Do you have a few minutes to talk about how the old man is a stubborn, crotchety old geezer with all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile?”

The sound that came from the other end made Max think Dick was choking back surprised laughter. “I think I can spare some time for that,” he deadpanned. “So what’s your story, Maxine?”

She leaned back in the chair, grinning. “Which version do you want, the official one or the other one?”

“No one around and the line’s encrypted,” Dick said. “Give me the real one.”

“I’m his daughter. I went looking for my genetic father, found the Batman Beyond project, used it to find Terry, visited him in the hospital, got the old man’s name, and stormed off to confront him. Since my mom’s husband divorced her over me not being his kid, I was officially an orphan under the neglectful care of my older sister. Bruce took me in.”

A low whistle. “Yeah, I can see how he would. So how are you doing? You sound like you’re holding up okay, at least.”

“He likes my spirit,” she said, shrugging even though he wouldn’t see. “I’m not afraid to yell at him and tell him when he’s gone too far, and as much as he hates that, he knows he needs it. I don’t go out at night. I’m better at being cyber-backup than I am at hand-to-hand, and exactly no one wants me out there risking my neck, including me.”

“And it doesn’t bother you, living with Mr. Grinch?”

“My mother hung herself when I was eight and my sister literally hates me for breaking the family. I’m not saying Bruce is a model parent, because he’s got the cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel thing down pat, but with my upbringing, a demanding guardian who gives scant praise for meeting high standards is pretty warm and fuzzy.”

Dick was silent for a moment. “I guess it would be,” he said. “So, Maxine-”

“Call me Max, Mr. Grayson.”

“Only if you call me Dick,” he shot back, and she could hear the grin.

Max grinned back. “Sorry for interrupting, Dick. You were saying…?”

“Yeah, why’d you call me? Did the old man put you up to it?”

“Not…exactly?” She winced and pulled her knees up to hug them. “I mean, I think he told me that you hung up on him and that he was walking the dog in the hope that I’d call you as a sort of implied plea for help, because I know it bothers him that he’s lost the ability to be social. He’s got so few people he can trust, it’s got to be tearing him up that he’s messed things up with you, but he either doesn’t know how or can’t bring himself to do what needs to be done to make things right again.”

A sigh. “That…sounds like Bruce.”

“But I didn’t call for him. I called for me.”

“Oh?”

Max couldn’t tell if that was curiosity, or a test. “I have exactly three living relatives who know I exist: Bruce, Terry, and my sister who hates me. You probably have less than that. But you’re family to the old man, so that makes you sort of an uncle to me.” She swallowed, then continued in a small voice, “I’ve never had an uncle. You’ve probably never had a niece. I called you to see if maybe you were interested in changing that.”

Silence. Max’s heart sank.

“Okay, got my address book open. What’s your personal number?”

Giddily, she told him.

“Great, thanks. I’ll be in touch in the next few days – does the old man give you time off for good behavior?”

“I…get vacation days? I haven’t used any of them yet.”

Dick laughed. “He really hired you as an assistant?”

“Two-year contract,” she chirped.

“And you get vacation days that you can use to tell him to buzz off, you’re not available.”

“Yep.”

“Well, missy, how about I drop in to Gotham next weekend and we take a day to get to know each other? That sound good to you?”

“That sounds totally schway…Uncle Dick.”

He laughed. “Alright. I’ll be in touch to arrange the details. You may as well tell the old man; he’ll find out anyway. And if he asks, no, I’m still not talking to him.”

“Got it. It was great meeting you!”

“Great meeting you, too. Take care, Max.”

Grinning fit to break her face, Max sauntered out of the study and back to the living room. Shortly after she’d gotten settled back on the couch, Ace preceded his master into the room.

“You look cheerful,” Bruce said sourly as he stumped over to his chair and sat.

“I called Dick.”

He grunted.

“He’s going to be in town next weekend. We’re going to hang out.”

“Is that so.”

Max wasn’t fooled by his veneer of indifference. He was still angry, and still hurt. “I’ll use a vacation day if I have to.”

“Did he say-” the old man started, then cut himself off. “Never mind.”

“He’s still not talking to you,” she said in a soft voice. Bruce looked pained. “I don’t know what the story is there. We didn’t talk about it.”

“It’s not your concern,” he growled, hands tight around his cane.

That was a spark to the tinder of her temper. “You’re my old man and my legal guardian, and you were his legal guardian, so that sort of makes him my brother but he’s way older than me so more like my uncle, but either way, both of you are half of my family and whatever fight you have with him is my concern because I care about you, you grumpy old fossil!”

Bruce looked at her in what was undeniably astonishment. All too soon, however, it faded into the grim determination she was used to seeing on his face. “It’s my problem to deal with,” he said firmly. “You don’t have to use a vacation day. I won’t stand in the way of you getting the chance to spend time with someone who isn’t a grumpy old fossil.”

Oh jeez, he didn’t think – had she made it worse?

“Bruce…” Unsure of what to say, she trailed off and bit her lip.

“It’s fine.” He stood up to leave. “I know you want to help. I appreciate that. But there’s nothing you can do, so go bond with your uncle. Better the two of you be happy without me than all three of us be miserable.”

She scrambled to catch up as he left the room, sliding under his arm for a slightly-awkward hug while he stopped almost mid-step in surprise.

“Thanks, Bruce,” she said into his chest.

After a few seconds, he brought his arm up to hug her back. When he released her, she stepped back and watched him go.