Hey Brother

Chapter One

"So, are we all our father's biological children?" Jason asked at dinner that evening, causing Tim to choke on the bite of potatoes he just scooped in his mouth.

Bruce dabbed at his mouth with his napkin before he answered, a neutral expression on his face. "Most are, yes. But blood doesn't make a family. Love does."

Damian mentally rolled his eyes at the cheesiness of that statement. "Care to elaborate?"

Bruce eyed his children carefully before sighing, turning to Damian and Jason with a measured look. "I adopted Barbara after her father, the police commissioner, was killed in the line of duty. He was a close family friend. I took Stephanie in shortly after her fifth birthday when I learned her birth parents were going to prison for life and she would end up in Gotham's foster system. She was in Cassandra's kindergarten class and they were best friends."

"But the rest are all biologically yours and Selina's?" Jason gestured between the two adults with his fork, never admitting how intriguing he found his family tree. When he was just an Al Ghul, it was just him, Damian, his mother, and their maternal grandfather occasionally. But now he has this huge family that he went the first sixteen years of his life never knowing existed, and he was honestly a little excited.

"Dick, Helena, and Tim are my birth children. Cassandra came along from a time when Bruce and I were split up. Her birth mother gave her to Bruce and relinquished her rights to me." Selina explained, taking a sip of her wine. She saw the look on Jason's face and explained further. "Bruce and I, much like your mother, I presume, have had a...rocky relationship up until a few years ago. We have always been co-parents to our children, but we have not always been romantically involved."

"This sounds like a soap opera." Damian muttered.

"Welcome to Gotham." Helena grinned. "Wait 'til you attend a gala."

"A 'gala'...?" Jason looked like he had seen a ghost, which did not go unnoticed by Stephanie.

"Awe, are you scared? Don't be, Gothamites are simple minded folk, they only care about two things: Money and status. Lucky for you, you come from one of those things." She smirked, scooping some carrots into her mouth before continuing with her teasing. "I mean, with a mother like yours, the Gothamites are sure to eat you alive."

"It would be wise of you to not talk about our mother." Damian hissed, eyes turning into slits as his fist tightened around his steak knife. Jason saw this and kicked Damian under the table, shaking his head firmly. Damian released the knife but kept his eyes fixed in a glare on Stephanie.

Bruce cleared his throat, clearly noticing the rising tensions between his children. "Jason, Damian, what did you two do for education?"

"Private tutors."

"Yeah, I mean, obviously you couldn't enroll in a school because you have a terrorist for a-" Helena clammed her mouth shut, avoiding Jason's glare. "What I meant to say is, that's pretty dope."

Cassandra shook her head at her sisters, a small grin on her face as she watched them fumble through conversing with their new brothers. She could sense the tension in the room, it was practically eating her alive. Luckily, her parents were better at conversing with the two boys than her sisters were. 

"Well, now that you live with us you will be attending Gotham Academy with the rest of your siblings." The way Bruce said it left little room for arguement. 

But Jason was a master at arguement. 

"Full offense, but I think not. I'm totally fine with keeping my private tutors." He stuck out his chin defiantly, eyes narrowed challengingly at his parental figures. "And I believe so is Damian."

"I would rather not mingle with the heathens." Damian snarled, earning an eye roll from Barbara and an incoherent mumbling from Tim. 

"Well, you do not have a choice. As long as you're under my roof-" Bruce was cut off by indignant snorts from both of the new additions. "I beg your pardon?"

"We will simply go back and live with mother once she is out of prison." Damian spoke as if he was explaining colors to a two year old. 

"Don't you get it? Your mother is never getting out of prison." Tim scoffed, leveling a glare at Damian. "She is a terrorist, a murderer.  Talia Al Ghul is going to be in prison until she dies."

"You've obviously never met our mother."

"Are you saying she is going to break out of prison?" The brothers stayed silent. Stephanie snorted. "Where are you going to live if she did, huh? A life on the run is no life."

"At least we will be together." Damian hissed, his dislike of the blonde obvious. "A much better option than staying here with the likes of you, you worthless excuse for a human."

"Why you little twerp!" Stephanie shrieked, standing abruptly from the table to storm from the room, her dinner long forgotten.

"Steph, wait!" Helena called out, chasing her younger sister after shooting the smirking Damian a glare.

"Damian, that was completely uncalled for! I believe you owe Stephanie an apology." Bruce slammed his fork down on the table, finally letting his frustration show.

Damian turned his nose up at the situation. I will do no such thing."

"Damian. Go apologize to your sister."

"She is not my sister." Damian snarled, pushing back from the table to stand. He threw his napkin on his unfinished dinner, leaving the room in a huff. Jason sighed, rolling his eyes as he chased his younger brother, muttering something about talking some sense into him.

Barbara, Cassandra, Tim, and Dick turned to their parents with wide eyes, Barbara letting out a little snicker. "Well, they sure are something."

Selina let out a drawn out sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as her head throbbed. If tonight was any indication, these boys were not going to make things eady for her.