Chapter Text
Dick had been undercover as Neal Caffrey for a few month now.
It had been a compromise with Bruce, a sort of reconciliation. Dick would get total freedom over this op, but Bruce got to feel like he was helping him and got regular status reports.
Of course that was before Bruce went and replaced him. Just adopted a random kid. Actually adopted, not a ward. And he had given him Robin.
He hadn't even asked him.
Dick had been out as Neal when he had seen a newspaper with the headline "Robin sighted again!"
He had wanted to scream. And cry. And tear up the newspaper and anything else in the vicinity.
But he had been with his handler, Peter Burke. So he had smiled and made a joke and only grieved when he was home alone that night.
Dick would have abandoned the op right then and there if he hadn't already seen how deep the corruption in the FBI went. And he was using the only viable and already established cover they had. Bruce had worked years to get Caffrey on the FBI radar and then into prison.
It would have been irresponsible and childish to abandon ship just because Bruce had made it clear he didn't need him.
Dick had however not talked to either of them in person yet. Barbara had sent him a picture of the kid, the press said Jason looked like he could be Dick's biological brother and it had led to a lot of speculation, most just riduculous, but some downright disgusting.
During his last call with Alfred, the man had forced him to talk to the kid. They had a very stilted conversation about the kid's day at school.
Dick hated that he blamed the kid for Bruce being a shitty father figure to him, and for Dick being so unlovable that he had to be replaced, but he just did. He couldn't think of the kid, or look at pictures in the papers and tabloids, without feeling that hot burn of anger deep inside of him.
That's why he decided to throw his all into Neal Caffrey and pretend Bruce and the kid didn't exist. At all.
Of course that had only worked as long as Jones didn't come blazing into the office tugging the kid behind him.
At first Dick hadn't even recognized him, he looked different than in the newspapers. No suit of either kind, he was just wearing jeans and a red hoodie. His tousled hair couldn't conceal the mischievous look in his eyes as he was dragged through the bullpen towards the conference room.
"Get Peter!" Jones barked at an intern who scurried away.
Dick couldn't take his eyes of the kid. As he met his eyes the kid gave a short grin. He could already see that shit was about to go down.
Neal and Diana followed Jones into the conference room, where the kid was pushed into a chair.
Neal leaned against the wall across from the kid, his arms crossed in hopes he wouldn't fidget. Diana sat on the chair between him and the kid so she wouldn't see if Dick's reactions were off. Jones might, but he was sitting next to the kid, angled towards him and watching him intently. The kid looked between the agents and Neal but didn't say anything and didn't linger on Neal enough to get the others suspicious.
Yet.
They were silent, waiting for Peter to arrive.
What was the kid doing here? In the white collar offices? In New York? Did Bruce know he was here? Did he send him? Why? Didn't he trust Dick? Was their relationship that bad? That Bruce had to send a twelve year old to check up on him?
It was only a few minutes before the door to the conference room opened and Peter strode inside, but it felt much longer to Dick.
Peter sent Neal a questioning look, apparently he wasn't hiding his thoughts as well as he had hoped. Lucky for Dick Peter just sat next to Diana and looked the kid over.
"So," he started, "Do you want to tell me what you did that has Agent Jones bring you in for questioning?"
The kid blinked up at Peter with an expression of pure innocence. A cold shudder ran down Dick's back. That's the same expression he'd used as Robin all the time and it was eerie to see it on someone else.
"I have no idea, I was just minding my own business when he grabbed me out of nowhere," the kid whined and managed to tear up. "Please don't leave me alone with him, Mister."
The puppy eyes were in full effect now. Dick was kind of impressed. But only kind of.
Peter leaned back in his chair, completely taken aback.
Jones gaped at the kid, looked at Peter and Diana, and then back at the kid.
"No! You were not minding your business!" He turned back to Peter and pointed an accusing finger at the kid. "The kid tried to sneak into the building!"
Dick raised his eyebrows. If Robin tried to sneak into the building, he shouldn't have been caught.
"Mister!" the kid pleaded, "How would a twelve year old child even go about sneaking into the FBI?"
Jones threw his hands in the air. "It doesn't matter how! I caught you sneaking out of the staircase on this floor!"
"Kid." Dick leveled the kid with a look worthy of the Bat himself and made the kid's eyes snap up to his. Peter, Diana and Jones were looking between Neal and the intruder. It didn't matter right now. If he'd tried to get to this floor, he hadn't even been trying to hide that he was here for him.
"How did you get in?"
The kid shrugged with another grin. "In-truda-window."
Dick groaned burying his head in his hands. "No." He pulled his hand down his face in a very un-Neal-like fashion. "No Doctor Who references," he said.
The new Robin pouted. "Fine. I came through the door. Just walked right in." He leaned in closer like he was sharing a secret. "They should really invest in better security, seems no one checks below eye-level."
Peter cast another suspicious glance at his CI who was acting so very unlike himself, but decided to focus on the kid instead.
"Why don't we start with the basics?" he asked. "What's your name and how can we reach your parents?"
The kid darted his eyes between Peter and Dick. Really, really obviously. Jones and Diana exchanged another confused look as the kids eyes settled back onto Peter.
"I... don't think I'm supposed to tell you..." He spoke slowly and trailed off with another questioning glance at Dick.
"No," Dick said, "you're really not."
It seemed like the kid was hellbent on exposing him, so it was easier to talk to him directly rather than get tripped up later. Peter would really send him back to prison if he found out Neal had known the kid any later than right now.
As it stood Peter was already glaring at Neal as if he was trying to immitate Clark's laser eyes. Great. The kid really was making this mission harder than it ever needed to be. Maybe Bruce hadn't been the one to send him?
Peter turned back to the kid with narrowed eyes. "And what exactly is your relationship with Neal?"
The kid tilted his head from side to side as if he was considering his answer. "I really don't know how to answer that?"
Dick caught another look between Diana, Jones and Peter as the kid kept his questioning gaze locked on him.
Dick was seething and glared back.
Peter kept asking questions. "Are your parents friends with Neal?"
"Hmmm," the kid considered, "I wouldn't put it like that... But I guess an argument could be made for that description."
If they got out of this, Dick was going to kill the kid. Or at least make a valiant effort.
"What are you trying to say?" Diana asked with narrowed eyes.
"It just..." The kid kept looking at Neal as he trailed of.
"Go on." Dick bit out, Caffrey slipping away more and more.
The kid blushed a little and turned away. "I just wanted to meet you."
That might actually be the first genuine thing the kid had said since they sat down.
Dick sighed. "Kid, you know why I'm here." He turned away when Robin turned back towards him. "You have to know why I can't see you."
A sharp inhale between them had Dick focusing on Peter. Peter, who turned between them like he was trying to give himself whiplash.
Dick furrowed his brow. What was Peter looking at? It was almost like he was comparing–
Oh. No.
Dick snapped his gaze to his reflection in the window behind the kid, to the kid and back. Understanding what Peter thought to have uncovered dawned on him and he wanted to protest. But how could he? The only real reason why it would be impossible would blow his cover wide open.
Neal Caffrey was 35 years old.
The kid was maybe twelve but looked younger.
It was definitely a possibility.
Or it would be if Dick was actually 35 and not just wearing really good make up.
Peter was still gawking and as Diana and Jones followed the same thought process they came to the same conclusion.
Neal Caffrey might have a secret child.
Why? Why couldn't Bruce have adopted a child that looked nothing like him? Well, to be honest, Dick wasn't sure that would have helped. Because at the time Dick and the agents had this particular epiphany, the kid had it too.
And the mischievous expression that raced across his face did not inspire trust in Dick.
The kid was a great actor. Dick had to give him at least that. He made his eyes water, locked his dejected gaze on the table in front of him and let out the sentence that sealed Dick's fate in a shaky whisper.
"But we're family."
Hook, line and sinker.