Jason Todd As A Dad - Tumblr Posts
Overprotective (Jason Todd Fanfic) ((Part Two))
This is when Ruby is a teenager. I know it is quite a time skip, but there will be more of when Ruby is younger, for now, I am just posting out of order. After I make a masterlist, all the parts will be in order.
Part One
She was giving him grey hairs. He was thirty-seven, why was he getting grey hairs? Because she never listened to him. Ruby pleaded at first, begged to be sent on a mission, hoping at least to be able to go on one with one of her uncles. Technically, it was what she was trained for, Jason taught her to fight, Dick helped her learn gymnastics, Tim taught her how to hack a system, and she practiced a sword with Damian. She was completely capable of taking out a bad guy. It was Jason who was incapable of letting his daughter go. Sixteen was far too young to be fighting the criminals of Gotham, and Jason had very good evidence to back his argument up. She was only a year older than him when he died. He was paranoid.
“I’ll be fine,” she reasoned with him as they stood in the cave, she grabbed the grappling hook off the table. “You trained me, remember?”
“I remember.”
Ruby had been training with Dick the longest, mastering the art of flexibility and balance before anything else. Then she trained with Damian, finally asking him to teach her after years of watching him use his sword. Then Tim thought it would be a good idea if she knew how to operate and override systems, using the big computer in the cave. Finally, Jason tiredly agreed to teach her combat skills, figuring her knowing hand to hand combat would be useful. She was as much of a Bat as the rest of the family. As Jason watched her practice he took note that there was no mistaking it- Ruby fought like a Robin. Almost the exact style that each predecessor had.
It was a small mission, nothing overly extravagant, her and Damian would be back in no time. Jason leaned against the cold wall of the cave, crossing his arms over his chest. He felt a sense of bitterness nagging at his heart, adding to the dread he also felt.
“We’re just clearing out a warehouse of thugs, I’ll be fine,” Ruby shrugged her shoulders, finishing knotting the laces of her boots, she had a prideful smile on her face, “It’s my first time punching a bad guy, not my first time punching at all.”
“I also remember that,” Jason sighed, watching as his daughter timidly approached him.
“Dad, stop worrying,” she spoke quietly, “I’ll be okay.” Jason felt as his chest got heavier, his breathing involuntarily becoming uneven, and he realized just the extent of how much he didn’t want to let Ruby go, how scared he was. Ruby seemed to take notice of his change in emotion, automatically flinging herself into her father's arms. She held tightly to him, gripping the sweatshirt he wore. This only made Jason feel more lost, and uncomfortable with sending her on the mission, but he knew, that above most things in her life, this is what Ruby wanted most. She was almost an adult, he couldn’t stop her.
Jason wasn’t sure how long he had been holding onto Ruby, but the sound of someone clearing their throat caused the two to separate.
“We should be leaving now,” Damian said, in full Batman suit. Jason felt the real urge to tell his younger brother to screw off, but he knew Ruby and Damian wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment. Ruby nodded at her uncle, though tightened the hug to her father, and Jason did the same. After another moment, Jason nudged her forward, placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Be careful, baby,” he told her, she smiled up at him and nodded before pushing away from him to follow Damian. The two departed rather swiftly, leaving Jason standing alone in the cave, or so he thought.
“That part never becomes easy to do,” Bruce spoke, he sat in one of the chairs at the rectangular table. Jason wasn’t sure when he got there. “No matter how old they are, or how strong.”
“You seemed to get over it,” Jason huffed, still bitter. Bruce paid no mind.
“No, Jason, I didn’t, I still get paranoid when one of you leaves. Especially now that I’m not on the field to pick you up if you fall.”
“You are being very comforting, old man.” Jason deadpanned, tossing a sideways glance at his father.
“You trained her, you see how she holds herself, you know that Ruby can protect herself and others, even in rough circumstances. That’s what comforts you when you send your child away to fight the same crime you do.”
Bruce, of course, was right. Jason knew full well that he had trained his daughter to kick ass. So did his brothers. Ruby was highly trained, arguably.
“I know that,” Jason slumped into a chair opposite Bruce, leaning his cheek against his fist, “It’s just, I know what can,” he paused, “happen…out there in the city. I’m not particularly fond of the idea of sending my young child into it.”
“She is sixteen, Jason, and very smart. She knows when to fight and when to leave,” Bruce said, attempting to reason with his son.
“Well, she’s my kid- half of me, and I sure as hell didn’t know when to back down. Maybe unwillingness to run is genetic, and you are wrong-”
“Children learn from their parent's mistakes, you know that.” Bruce cut Jason off, his head tilted to the side with an eyebrow raised, conveying the, ‘You know I’m right’ thought through nonverbal communication. Jason let out a scoff, one that he made whenever he knew he was wrong.
Jason was right. He knew he was going to be right, and still, he let Ruby go. His first instinct was to throw blame at people, which at first was Damian. He was the adult in the situation, he was Batman, he should have prevented it from happening. But what was Damian supposed to do? He did all that he could, and Jason knew that.
It wasn’t what they were expecting, of course. That’s how something like what happened happens. No one knows what’s coming, and then gets hit hard, blindsided.
Dick had been waiting as the backup, in case Damian decided they needed him. Nightwing was quick to swoop in and assist in taking out the bad guys. What they weren’t expecting was an angry Talia Al Ghul to be waiting inside, bitter that her son had refused to see her, or acknowledge her in several years. Anyone that needed to be out of the situation was removed by assassins, meaning Dick and Ruby. Damian stayed to appease his mother, reassuring the others that he would soon return home.
“What the hell happened?” Jason barked as the two returned home, automatically the two vigilantes were bombarded with people trying to see their wounds or gain more information on the events of the night.
Ruby wasn’t walking, Dick carried her. Blood dripped down her forehead, and she cradled her arm against her chest as she leaned into her uncle's shoulder. Dick was in somewhat of a similar state, though able to carry himself and Ruby, which was a good sign according to most of the Batfamily's standards. Jason wasted no time in assessing his daughter's injuries, his eyebrows scrunched together in concentration and concern.
“Talia,” Dick sighed out, clearly in need of rest. Jason took Ruby from him, holding tightly to the still unconscious girl. “Go take care of her, I’ll check on Damian.” That was all Jason needed to hear before he was off to fix the damage that had been done to his daughter.
Ruby woke up in one of the spare rooms in the Manor, the sun shining brightly on the hardwood floors. The faint sound of the television across the room grabbed her attention, a nature documentary played, showing the life of wolves in North America. The window was open letting in the breeze that brushed aside the pale green curtains.
Shifting carefully, ignoring the sore pain she felt in most of her body, Ruby swung her legs over the bed, noticing she had a cast on her left foot and a sock on the other. Half her arm was also cast, the bulky white material felt odd and foreign, she supposed she would have to get used to it.
Slowly, she rose from the bed, stretching her aching muscles as she did so. Shooting pains erupted in her chest and back making her yelp. Tugging up her shirt she realized her chest was wrapped, she assumed it was the result of bruised or broken ribs. Ruby wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but it felt like a long time. Moving to stand in front of the long mirror attached to the door, she sighed. A plain black sweater, gray sweatpants, and one sock didn’t seem like such a great look compared to her usual standards, and level of maintenance. Her hair sat in many directions, long, brown locks tangled and knotted, a task that would be grueling to undo later. Bruises layed out everywhere on her skin, from her face, down to where she pulled up the hem of her shirt and peaked at her waist where the muscles and flesh ached.
Flinging the door open she began her trek down the long corridors of the mansion. She descended the staircase and made her way into the kitchen. The brightness of the room was blinding, she squinted her eyes in the direction of the sun.
“Whoa, hey, you’re awake,” Ruby recognized the voice of her uncle, Tim. Her vision came to focus on the silhouette of her uncle haunched over the high chair his daughter sat in, a spoon held in his hand. “When did you wake up?” He asked, setting the spoon down when the young girl pushed his hand away with a whine. Tim took a few steps toward Ruby, looking as if he was ready to catch if she fell.
“I just woke up,” Ruby rasped out, moving to pull out a seat at the counter. “What happened?” Tim seemed to be looking her over, assessing if she should be up and walking around with no assistance.
"It's a long story," he said, shaking his head, "Your father should explain it to you." Ruby perked up a bit at the mention of her father, remembering that he existed. She felt guilty for not going to him first, or not thinking of him sooner, seeing as how he hadn't liked the idea of her going on the mission, and what had happened during the mission.
"Where is he?" She asked, her voice soft. Tim smiled a bit.
"Library. Should I walk with you?"
"I got it, don't worry Uncle Timmy," She patted his shoulder as she passed him, attempting to give him a reassuring smile.
There had not been a library in the Manor until Jason demanded one in his Robin days. It was one of the few things he asked for, so of course, Bruce complied. The library was finished and stocked full of the books Jason expressed a liking for, though Jason never got to see the finished product.
Ruby limped down the hall, dragging her casted foot behind her. She noted that she probably would find crutches useful later. The library, luckily, was on the first floor, though on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen. As she reached the library, she pushed the door open, sneaking in through a crack.
The fireplace was lit, logs stacked high in the flames. The windows were tinted, making the lighting more comfortable to Ruby's eyes. The library had a built-in cozy feeling, designed to be warm and safe on purpose. The feeling of nostalgia was something that Ruby mustered up herself. The memories of her father reading to her when she couldn't fall asleep a night always flooded her head when she was in the room, surrounded by the books she had become so familiar with.
Her father sat in the chair he always did. One across from the largest window in the room, adjacent to the fireplace. Jason had his feet propped up on the footrest, holding a book close to his face. The book he read was fat but split open in half. Ruby could tell from the worn pages what book he was reading. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. He had read the book to her when she was in middle school. Reading was one of the few times when Jason's life was calm. No fighting, no dealing with the crimelords of Gotham, and no bickering with his brothers. As a result, he almost always disappeared into the library if he had a chance.
He looked tired, the collar of his turtleneck sweater was pulled higher than it was supposed to be, as he sat hunched over, the fabric covering most of his lower face. This brought attention to his eyes and the dark circles that were under them. His hair was a mess, which was unusual for him. The only time he allowed his hair to be messy was when he took his Red Hood helmet off. The glasses he wore sat low on the bridge of his nose. As he aged, Jason came to the frustrating realization that he did, in fact, need glasses. He had needed them his most of his life, actually, but insisted that he didn't need them. Now nearing forty years of age, he couldn't ignore that his seeing wasn't the best. Especially considering he used a gun at work.
"You look like an old man," Ruby sighed out. Though it was in a quiet tone, it was loud enough to scare Jason, the Red Hood successfully caught off guard. His eyes were wide in surprise at first, but the look quickly melted into one that was filled with unadulterated relief. Pushing himself up from the chair, Jason was up and over to his daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. Ruby wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest with a smile on her face. Jason went without the smile, though still felt just as happy. At the same time, Jason felt content, and relieved to have to daughter awake, and moving, and hugging him, but at the same time, when she was in bed, he knew she was out of harm's way. He could make sure that she wasn't getting hurt. Of course, Jason knew that the events of the previous mission would do nothing to deter Ruby. She would want to be back fighting alongside Batman in no time.
"You shouldn't be walking by yourself," Jason said quietly, placing a kiss on Ruby's forehead. "You don't even have crutches." Ruby let out a small laugh, burying herself further into her father's chest.
"I don't need them," She said, "I just want you to tell me what happened."
"You don't remember anything?"
"No, not really. I remember Uncle Dick had to come and help, but it's hard to remember anything after that." Jason sighed as Ruby spoke- there was a lot to be discussed. Carefully, he assisted her towards the couch, helping her put her casted foot up. Ruby, under all the casts, and bandages, and bruises, still looked optimistic, hopeful, even, and quite frankly, it scared Jason and broke his heart at the same time. She was always going to get hurt doing this job, and there was nothing he could do.
"Talia showed up, with her assassins," Jason began, sitting on the couch opposite Ruby. "Since none of you were expecting it, none of you were prepared. Damian had to stay behind with Talia, he's back now though. Dick got hit pretty hard, but he was back up in a couple of days."
"'A couple of days'? How long have I been out?" Ruby questioned, her eyes searching her fathers. Jason hesitated for a moment.
"A week, about." He said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Ruby seemed to take what he said into consideration, before cracking a smile.
"Well, I thought you were gonna say, like, three months, so this is definitely better then what I was expecting." She giggled, nudging her father's side playfully. Jason didn't smile, and Ruby's grin turned downward into a frown. "I'm allowed to joke about that. I was the one that was out." She deadpanned. Jason's eyes cut to her, anger now present on his features.
"And I was your father who had to deal with you being out for that long," He snapped.
"I was kidding, Dad. Chill." She regretted saying that as soon as the words left her lips. Automatically she cringed into her sweater, hiding her face partially.
"I never should have let you go on that damn mission!" Jason yelled, standing from the couch. "I knew you weren't ready. I know what can happen out there, and still, I let you go. I suppose, though, that was my mistake, not yours."
The first time Jason had ever lost his temper on Ruby was when she was seven and had decided to go outside and play in the yard of the Wayne Manor without telling him. Even though he was just inside, and she was out, he panicked, unable to find her for about twenty minutes before Duke found her up in one of the many Oak trees near the woods, just out of earshot from the mansion. Jason yelled at her, scolding her for scaring him, for not telling him where she was going, for climbing a tree alone with no supervision- what most parents would say. Though, he was loud, and admittedly scary looking, and had never yelled at her before. Her blue eyes were quick to fill up with tears, her lip quivering sadly as she listened to the most important person in her life yell at her. Jason was quick to notice, and even quicker to feel guilty. He scooped her up and held her tightly, whispering an apology to her, repeating, softly, to not scare him like that again.
It seemed to be a repeat of that situation. Ruby being scolded for something, him yelling, getting angrier then he should, and Ruby attempting and failing to hide tears. She was not a crybaby, she actually took pride in being very emotionally stable, however, she never held up well when it came to her father losing his temper with her. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, which soon spilled down against her cheeks and chin, her breathing becoming uneven. Jason didn't even notice at first, rambling on about how she wasn't ready to go on missions yet.
"This isn't my fault," she spoke shakily, "Yea, maybe I wasn't ready for this mission- it's my first and I had to fight the League of Assassins. I mean, I could have died, and you're yelling at me." It was rare that Ruby ever spoke up when her father was ranting about something, but Jason always let her say what she wanted. He took her words seriously. Slowly, Jason knelt down in front of Ruby, his hand moving to brush the tears away from her red cheeks.
"I know, Sweetheart, I know this isn't your fault," Ruby leaned forward to wrap her arms around her father's shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck, soft cries still leaving her lungs. "I am proud of you, you kicked their asses. I'm just paranoid, worried. I'm not overly fond of seeing you hurt."
"I'll try not to get hurt," Ruby said, Jason couldn't tell if she was crying or laughing.
"I would appreciate that, Rue.”
Overprotective Part Three (Jason Todd Fanfic)
We got Jason and Ruby, Dickbabs, Damian and Tim and Cass, and Broose with his tiny granddaughter. Tight. Back to Ruby being a small bebe again cause what is continuity. I don’t know her.
"Go," he said firmly, Jason glared at him. "She'll be fine." "Don't rush me, Richard," Jason replied bitterly. He remained crouched down at Ruby's eye level, which wasn't very high, he had to lean down very far. Her blue-hued eyes stared back at him curiously as she continued to knaw at her fingers. Jason ran his own boney finger across her cheek softly, the baby hummed happily, grabbing onto his hand and Jason felt his heart swell a little. How could he leave her? He didn't want to. "You wouldn't rip a band-aid off slowly, would you?" Alfred spoke softly, less firm then how Dick had spoken. Jason shook his head. "Then, think of this instant like a band-aid. Do it fast, and the pain won't seem to bad." He was speaking the truth, Jason knew. But for some reason, the thought of being away from his baby was making him think irrationally. This would be the first time Jason had even been away from her for so long since he had found her a few months ago. One week away from Ruby. Impossible!, he thought, not happening. "I don't want to leave," Jason said stubbornly. He had to leave, though. He told Roy and Kory that he would help them on the mission- they were relying on him. He didn't think too much of it at the instant when he agreed to go, but now he was fully aware that agreeing to go meant that he would have to leave Ruby with her uncles, aunts, and Alfred. Bruce wasn't home much, not that it made much difference, Jason supposed. "I can't leave her," Jason said as he leaned down even further to brush his nose against Ruby's cheek, again the girl made a happy noise at her father's affection. Jason didn't know why exactly he was scared. He trusted his family to watch after her- they weren't idiots. And how much safer does it get then with a hoard of crime-fighting vigilantes. His thoughts were very irrational, he knew full well. So what was he so afraid of? He would have to eventually leave her alone, let her do things by herself, but why did that time have to be now? Jason peered down at the baby in her crib with weary eyes, she was so little. She needed him to protect her. But he needed to go. Jason gripped tightly to the wooden frame of the crib in frustration. "Okay, let's try this," Dick said, Jason could hear him approaching, though he didn't bother to look up, not taking his eyes off Ruby. Dick came to stand next to him. "You don't leave her, she leaves you. I'll take her, to another room or something, away from you, so you don't have to leave her. Yeah?" Strategically speaking, that was a good idea. But, of course, Jason was irrational. "No," he spoke simply. Dick groaned. "I am gonna do it anyway!" the older brother huffed, looking pointedly at Jason, who glared back. "Don't touch my baby," he said, and Dick laughed a bit. Jason rolled his eyes, releasing his grip from the side of the crib. Ugh. "Fine," he knew he was being ridiculous, he had to leave, Ruby would be perfectly fine. Dick smiled a bit at Jason before picking Ruby up from her crib. His slender arms held onto her tightly as she wiggled a bit, finding joy in getting attention from her Uncle.
"Say 'Bye'," Dick said to her. "I wrote a list downstairs," Jason said in a rushed voice as Dick began his departure from the room, "It has all her favorite food on it, and stuff like that. She doesn't like thunderstorms. She likes it when you read to her," Jason said the things he realized he hadn't said before, and what he thought to be vital information to his daughter's happiness. "I am calling every night," he added. "Say, 'Bye, Dad'," Dick spoke one last time, offering a wave to Jason, which Ruby mimicked quickly. Then she was gone. "Bye, Sweetheart," Jason replied softly, panic settling in. He felt his throat begin to constrict a bit, his eyes a bit blurry. This is stupid. He had to remind himself that she would be content spending a week with her copious amounts of family members, who would all over overjoyed to spend some time with her. She'll be happy, he thought, as he blinked hard a few times. "Are you alright, Master Jason," Alfred spoke up again. Jason ran a hand over his face. "That was rather pitiful." Great. Jason let out an amused huff, reaching down to grab his duffle bag. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, more to himself than anyone. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, and pulling the collar of his jacket up a bit further to hide his reddened face, Jason stomped rather loudly out of the room, determined to get out of the mansion before he broke even more. He had a reputation to keep up, father or not. He only hoped the upcoming mission could distract him from the sadness that was making its way into his stomach.
"He said she likes sweet potatoes," Damian spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, pointing to the scribbled words on the piece of paper. Tim glanced at the words, before letting out a groan. "Then why is she not eating it?" he asked rather desperately, wiping furiously at the spit up food that had gotten to his hand. Ruby promptly bounced her spoon off her tray, the plastic utensil landing somewhere across the kitchen. Damian snickered. "She doesn't like you," he said, his nose scrunching up as he watched food dribble down Ruby's chin. "And really Drake? Clean her up, or something." he motioned to the rather dirty child, who seemed perfectly content on giving her Uncle Tim hell. Really her father's child. Tim used the bib she wore to wipe her face clean like he had seen Jason do before. "What is so bad about the food anyway?" Damian inquired, grabbing the jar of pureed sweet potatoes. He quickly grabbed his own spoon, wanting to see what about it was bad, how could potatoes possibly be bad? Damian loved potatoes. But, not these ones. He gagged abruptly, spitting the contents back out into the sink, a loud gagging sound resonating through the kitchen, along with Tim and Ruby's amused laughter. "That's fucking disgusting," Damian croaked. "Hey, that's a bad word!" Tim chided. He felt himself sound like Dick. He groaned again. "It's gross, Drake, stop feeding that to her. Try something else," the young boy insisted, motioning towards the fridge, where her other jars of food sat. Tim shook his head. "This is supposed to be her favorite, though," Tim said, "Apparently it doesn't get better than this." "Why are Americans subjecting their poor babies to this processed...crap." "Are things okay?" A female voice sounded through the kitchen. Oh good, emergency relief has come. Cass stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking rather surprised by the scene that had unfolded in the kitchen. Sweet potatoes everywhere. Tim covered in them. Damian, a shade of green. Ruby, laughing happily. "No!" Damian yelled dramatically, "Todd's mini-demon is recking the place, and refusing to eat," he explained, arms flailing in exaggeration. Cass raised an eyebrow, moving towards her niece with determination. She will feed the baby if her foolish brothers can not. She motioned for Tim to get up from his seat so she could sit, which he seemed to happily do. Picking up a new plastic baby spoon, and taking the jar from Damian, Cassandra began to feed Ruby. The baby stared happily at her aunt, opening her mouth and chomping down on the sweet potatoes with minimal teeth, humming happily. Cass smiled back at the little girl. "What?" Tim whispered, watching as his older sister somehow managed to feed their niece. What was she doing differently than him? Damian began to laugh again. "See? She just doesn't like you, Drake."
Getting to play house with Dick seemed like a good idea at first- a glimpse into what could be their future. Barbara had happily taken to the suggestion of watching Ruby for a night, the baby coming to stay at their apartment. Ruby had been happy at first, when she arrived, pulling at Barbara's hair, reaching for Dick when she wanted to be held, curling happily into one of their chests as they watched television in the evening. But it was at night when things, of course, took a turn. The baby woke up at around two in the morning, needing to be changed. Simple enough, Dick had thought. Soon she was changed, and content again as he layed her back into her portable crib. Then at four in the morning, she woke up, sounding much more distressed. Barbara was the one to get up that time, shuffling over to the crib. Tiredly, she lifted the baby up into her arms, beginning to rock her. She checked her diaper- it was fine. And she wasn't eating at night anymore- seven months old don't need to eat at night, according to Jason. So quietly, Barbara continued to rock the baby, or bounce her, whispering softly to her in an attempt to get her to calm down, which seemingly wasn't happening. It went on long enough that Dick got up as well, quietly questioning Barbara if she needed help. "I don't know what she wants," Barbara sighed, exhausted. Dick stepped closer to his fiancee, pulling her towards him so that Ruby was cradled between the two of them, and Barbara could rest her head on his shoulder. She felt her eyes getting heavy as Dick hushed Ruby, his voice soft and calm. The baby seemed to quiet down a little, but still, a continuous whimper fell from her lips. "I think she misses her father," Dick whispered. He was probably right, it was the fifth day since Jason had left. Eventually, after a few minutes of standing there, Ruby quieted down completely, her head supported by Barbara's hand, and tiny hands gripping onto her shirt. "We should keep her with us," Dick said. Barbara laughed. "Jason is gonna want his baby back when he gets home," she mumbled tiredly, though a smile stayed on her pink lips. Red hair fell further into her face as she buried her face into the crook of Dick's neck. "No," he said lightly, "I mean for the rest of the night- or morning I guess. I think she's lonely." he corrected. Barbara nodded, liking the idea of going back to bed and cuddling with Dick and Ruby. "Besides," he continued, "we can have our own babies to keep, we don't need to steal Jason's." Barbara felt herself blush a little, the concept making her a little nervous, but she supposed in a good way. She placed a kiss on Dick's bare shoulder, hugging her niece closer. "Don't get ahead of yourself," she said, another smile gracing her reddened face, "we still gotta get married."
All these children that he had and Bruce didn't know how to take care of a baby. In his defense, he didn't have any of his sons, or his daughter, when they were babies, they were much older when he adopted them. No siblings. No prior experience with babies. Ruby seemed to pay no mind. The Batman held her awkwardly as she wiggled in his arms, pulling at his hair, and cape. He had taken off his mask, as to not scare her, and the little girl had lit up at the sight of her grandfather. Bruce had scoped her out of Tim's arms and into his own, where she began immediately to use him as a sort of playground. "Ow," He said monotonously. Tim snorted. "The Batman- taken down by his baby granddaughter. I can see the headlines now," he remarked, sarcasm laced through his tone. Teenagers. "She is pulling my hair," Bruce explained, trying to unlock the tight grip the girl had on his head. "And it...hurts." "Master Bruce," Alfred began, "might I suggest, putting her down in her pen. Where she can't hurt you." "No, I want to hold her," Bruce argued. It was rare that he ever got to spend time with his granddaughter. He was quite content in holding her, even if she mercilessly yanked at his scalp. He successfully managed to pry her little hands from his hair, where she immediately moved to pull at various parts of his suit. She seems to like his cape especially, pulling at the fabric that hung over his shoulders. Her blue eyes were wide with what seemed to be curiosity and utter amusement. "It's in her blood to give you hell, I guess," Stephanie remarked, she pulled her mask off as she stomped into the cave, demanding that she was ready to start a night of ass-kicking. "Well, she's my kid, kinda in her DNA, I think." The familiar male voice spoke from behind Steph. "Oh, and look who I brought- he's home early!" The blonde explained happily, her thumb motioning behind her at Jason. He was a full day early. There was a happy squeal from the baby as she heard her father's voice, her eyes searching for him. When her big eyes landed on him as he strode towards her, she held her arms out for him, letting out a sound that could be described as either distressed or very happy. Maybe it was both. Jason was quick to take her from Bruce's arms and held her tightly to his chest. Pressing kisses on her cheeks and forehead, Ruby continued to babble to her father. "I missed you, too, Honey," he spoke, his eyes squeezed shut as he kept pressing quick kisses to her head. Words couldn't describe the separation anxiety he had felt being away from his baby for a week- he had to speed through the mission in order to get home quicker. Jason had resigned to never taking long mission again- not until she was older. He didn't care that his family was around him, watching as he planted kisses on Ruby, or held her closely, he just wanted to hold her. To not let go. It wasn't that he didn't trust his family with her, he simply didn't like being away from her. "I won't leave you again, baby."