Will the real Selina Kyle please stand up? Chapter 2 : Dick Grayson [A Catwoman Fanfiction]

Dick Grayson was one of the few people in this world who had always known that deep down, Selina Kyle was a good person. He was also one of the few who had a front row seat to her relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne right from the beginning.

Bruce had initiated Dick into a life of crime fighting at a very young age, although the choice had been entirely his (Dick's) own. Bruce taught him a multitude of skills. Ranging from computer science to martial arts, from bio chemistry to forensics. What he had failed to teach the boy was that it was ok to be happy, to just have fun sometimes. How could he? Since it was a lesson that Bruce himself was yet to learn.

Alfred Pennyworth did his bit in making sure that Dick had a healthy social life. His birthdays were always celebrated with much fanfare, with invitations going to all his classmates. Play dates were also arranged regularly. Alfred was always there to lend a sympathetic ear whenever Dick needed to talk. Not that Bruce didn't make time for him. He had treated Dick with nothing but love and compassion, often holding his hand and caressing his hair when he had nightmares about his parent's tragic demise. Bruce had been a wonderful father to him.

However, in his early years, he always felt like he had a huge responsibility on his inexperienced shoulders. A responsibility to the city, to his deceased parents and to his mentor. Sure, he enjoyed sports, video games, movies etc, but anytime he was having fun or was just happy, he could feel a sense of guilt creeping into his heart.

That was until he saw the way Catwoman rolled.

The first time he saw her in action was when she helped Batman take down a Yakuza syndicate that had set up its base of operations in Gotham. While Batman and Catwoman fought and immobilized the Yakuza members, Robin cuffed their hands and feet so they couldn't move. Batman was his usual self. Brutal and no nonsense. Catwoman, while also being brutal and no nonsense, was having the time of her life. Her sheer joy at getting the best of these highly skilled men was palpable. To Robin, she looked like some kind of a ballerina. One who not only punished but also taunted these men with her confident smirk and witty quips. For a few seconds, the boy was quite lost in admiration.

When it was all done, Batman drove them home, while stopping near Catwoman's penthouse. During the drive, she chatted with both of them. She and Batman engaged in a friendly debate about Yakuza culture. And with Dick she talked about movies. The young boy could not remember the last time he heard laughter inside the Bat Mobile. But now with Catwoman, the atmosphere just livened up. Dick also noticed that Batman too was more relaxed in her presence.

Though she was a criminal, Batman never seemed in a hurry to bring her in. After watching him chase her on multiple occasions, Dick was convinced that it was the only time he had seen his mentor having fun. Bruce clearly enjoyed, perhaps even looked forward to, chasing Catwoman on the rooftops. And of course, when she would finally let herself get caught, Batman would send Robin away to "collect evidence". Dick was young, he wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what those two got up to when he was gone. Often, he would take much longer than needed and by the time he did get back, Catwoman was always gone. And Batman did not display a hint of annoyance.

Few years later, when Dick himself figured out that Catwoman was in fact Selina Kyle, the gorgeous and brilliant woman Bruce often dated, it all made sense. The fact that Bruce had kept her secret hidden even from his adopted son, told Dick just how much he cared about her. And from the way she repeatedly stepped in to help him, even taking a few bullets for him, it was obvious that she felt the same way. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on.

On another night, when he and Batman were stopping a syndicate of child traffickers Robin, now 14, was a full on participant when engaging in combat with criminals. Unfortunately, on that night, he was injured. One of the thugs had slashed at him with a knife, causing his arm to bleed profusely. Batman needed to stay and prevent the goons from escaping, but the boy needed medical attention. As if sensing his dilemma, the Catwoman seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. After helping Batman put down the remainder of the men, she offered..... no, she announced that she was taking Robin home. She had taken boy to her own apartment and tended to his wounds. That night, Dick had pizza after a very long time. His mentor did not approve of junk food. He felt at ease in Selina's home. They sat on her couch, enjoying the pizza and talking. It felt as though she was an aunt of his. Batman had looked at the empty pizza boxes a bit disapprovingly when he finally showed up. Selina just rolled her eyes and told him he needed to loosen up. Dick noticed the remarkable lack of annoyance or even a token protest from his mentor.

Dick kept this observation to himself, just like the conversation he had had with Selina before Batman's arrival. He had mentioned to her that she always seemed to have so much fun, and looked so at ease with herself. Regardless of whether she was stopping criminals, or breaking the law herself. Selina laughed and replied "Darling, why would anyone do something unless it's fun?".

Dick managed a smile and said "Batman doesn't think this should be fun. He says crime fighting is not a game that you need to be serious when doing it."

"What do you think?" Selina asked.

"I...I don't know. I want to be just like him, I want to protect the city. But I'm not sure if I can be..... you know.... as.... what's the word?.... immersed as he is. I want to stop criminals, but I'm not sure I wanna be as intense as Batman is all the time."

"Look kid" Selina said, "those are Batman's methods, and if they work for him....great! But you're not Batman. You're you. Following in his footsteps doesn't mean you need to turn into him. And trust me, growing up is overrated. Stop all the criminals you want, protect the city, but make sure you dont forget yourself. Don't ever stop having fun."

Selina's words had stuck with Dick. While it would be wrong to say that this conversation is what influenced him to declare his independence and create his new persona as Nightwing. It certainly did play a role in Dick's quest for his own identity, that was separate from Batman.

Over the years, many women would share Bruce's bed. None of them could earn Dick's or Alfred's trust the way Selina Kyle had done. Talia was the only other woman to have come close to making Bruce fall in love with her. But Dick had seen right through her act. He could see her snobbish elitism and didn't feel any of the warmth that he felt with Selina.

During her and Bruce's brief separation, Selina had unwittingly walked in on Bruce and Talia together. The pain Dick had seen in Selina's eyes that day broke his heart. He tried to console her, when they were alone, asking her if she was ok. But, true to form, Selina had dismissed his concerns, telling him she had never needed anyone and she wasn't about to start now. She hid her vulnerability and her love behind the impenetrable armour she always wore. Dick realized that perhaps this is what she had always done. Hiding her pain behind her shield of wit and sarcasm. When he learned more about her tragic past and all the horrors that she had survived, his respect for her grew exponentially. It also confirmed just how similar Selina and Bruce truly were.

Dick remembered being overwhelmed with relief when he learned that Bruce had cut ties with Talia. And when Bruce and Selina began to get close again, it was Dick along with alfred who encouraged him to ask her to come back to him. Dick would bet his own life and the lives of his loves ones that Bruce was the happiest when he was with Selina. She made him smile and made him see that there was more to life than his never ending battle. More importantly she made him want a future for himself and not just for his city.

This didn't mean that Selina's dedication to helping the vulnerable was any less. Ever since she took control of the East End, the place had actually become livable. Now that the underworld knew that the East End was Catwoman's territory, they thought twice before using it as their base. Those who were foolish enough to do so, got what they deserved. Dick would watch his father nearly burst with pride when he narrated all the ways Selina was making it a better place. He talked about all the shelters, schools and hospitals that were being built. How local businesses were thriving now that crime was on the decline. Dick's father had found his soulmate.

Dick's own friendship with Selina, however, was unaffected by her relationship with Bruce. She and Dick had stayed in contact even when she and Bruce were not on speaking terms. On several occasions, Nightwing had asked for Catwoman's help while protecting Bludhaven. And she always answered his call.

Selina gave her affection to Batman's other kids as well. Jason was the one who probably needed her the most. He and Selina came from similar backgrounds and had suffered similar hardships in life. She could understand the kid in ways that even Bruce and Dick couldn't. Dick knew that Selina was the mother figure his little brother desperately needed.

When Jason was killed by the Joker, it was Selina who finally pulled Bruce out of his grief. Dick was once again filled with gratitude towards her as he watched her save his father once again.

Following Jason's resurrection, and subsequent reconciliation with the Bat family, Selina's relationship with him seemed to have remained unchanged. She and Jason were both "black sheep" as she often said and needed to look out for each other. Soon after, another black sheep, Damian Wayne, formed a similar bond with Selina.

Today, Selina Kyle had taken up the role of the matriarch of the Bat Family. It wasn't a role that she demanded, but one that organically became hers. It seemed each member of the family had forged a special bond with her. Each of them had been touched by her. Through her own growth, her own victories and failures, she had enriched all of their lives. Dick wasn't surprised. He always knew that this was a role only Selina was meant to fulfil.

Dick himself saw her as more of a trusted friend than a mother figure. They had a 15 year age gap, but he was still closer to her age that any of his siblings, and had a truly unique relationship with her. They would hang out together, they would argue and tease each other. And no matter what, they were always there for each other. Selina often joked that Dick kept trying to protect her. Dick would laugh along, but he knew she was right. He did indeed feel protective of the woman who had brought such joy into his and his siblings' lives, and more importantly was the light of his father's life. Selina Kyle was someone he knew he could always count on and for that Dick Grayson was grateful.