Becoming Nightshade

The soft, rhythmic sound of someone whispering her name slowly pulled Maggie from the depths of sleep. She blinked groggily, her eyes fluttering open to find Jason's face hovering just above hers, a lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The faint morning light filtering through the garage windows cast a warm glow over him, making his features look softer, more relaxed.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Jason murmured, his voice low and teasing as he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

Maggie groaned softly, stretching and rubbing her eyes. "Ugh, what time is it?" Her voice was thick with sleep, and she shifted, realizing she was still curled up against him, her head having rested on his chest through the night.

Jason glanced at his watch. "Early. Too early. But if Alfred finds us like this, I'm pretty sure I'll never hear the end of it."

Maggie let out a small laugh, sitting up and running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I don't think I'm ready for the 'what were you two doing?' conversation." She glanced at him, smiling sleepily.

Jason leaned in slightly, his expression softer now, more concerned. "Hey, you feeling okay? I didn't, you know… get too rough last night?"

She swallowed, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as memories of their passionate moments last night flash through her mind. She glanced up at him, offering a small smile. "I'm fine, Jason," she assured him, her voice soft but sincere. "Just… a little sore, but in a good way."

Jason's lips quirked into that signature half-smirk of his, but there was something gentler in his gaze as he brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "Good," he murmured. "I was kinda worried."

Maggie rolled her eyes playfully, nudging him lightly. "You worry too much."

Jason chuckled, leaning back against the car seat. "Yeah, well, you tend to keep me on my toes." He studied her for a moment, his voice turning more serious. "But really, if anything feels off, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course, Jay." She squeezed his hand gently. "Last night was... it was amazing. And I'm okay. More than okay."

Jason's shoulders relaxed a little, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Alright. Just making sure." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "But, you know, I think we should probably sneak out of here before anyone sees us... And I should probably do something about the security feed."

Maggie's eyes widened in alarm, and she groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Oh no… tell me you're kidding."

Jason chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Wish I was, but I'm not. Bruce probably still asleep. I'll take care of it before he wakes up."

Maggie sighed in relief, but the lingering worry in her eyes betrayed her unease. "You better," she muttered, poking him lightly in the chest. "I'd rather not have to explain why I was sleeping in the backseat of a car with you of all people."

Jason smirked, catching her hand in his and pulling her closer. "Me of all people?" he teased, his voice low and playful. "I seem to remember you sneaking in to find me."

Maggie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, well, next time, remind me to pick a bette spot."

Jason leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before releasing her hand. "I'll take care of the cameras," he reassured her. "Bruce is a heavy sleeper when he actually does sleep." He smirked. "I've got at least an hour before he awakes."

Maggie gave him a skeptical look, arms crossed. "And if you don't?"

Jason smirked, but there was a flicker of something more serious in his eyes. "Then I'm dead." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Or worse—extra training with Bruce for the next six months. And trust me, I'd rather be dead."

Maggie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at her lips. "You're ridiculous."

Jason leaned in slightly, his grin turning playful. "Yeah, but you love me for it."

She poked him lightly in the chest, trying to suppress a laugh. "Debatable."

Jason's smirk widened. "Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that."

She hesitated at the bottom of the grand staircase leading up to Wayne Manor, watching as Jason turned toward the entrance to the Batcave, his steps light but purposeful. He glanced back over his shoulder, giving her a playful salute.

Maggie huffed a laugh, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

He winked. "And you love it."

Maggie watched him disappear down into the depths of the Batcave before turning and making her way upstairs. The manor was still quiet, the halls dimly lit by the early dawn creeping through the massive windows. As she climbed the steps, exhaustion finally settled in, the events of the night catching up to her.

As Maggie reached the top of the grand staircase, she nearly collided with Dick, who was heading toward the kitchen, probably in search of his usual pre breakfast snack. He stopped short, his sharp blue eyes taking in her disheveled appearance—her messy hair, the grease stains smeared across her pajama t-shirt and pants, and the lingering scent of motor oil hanging around her like a cloud.

Dick arched an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest with that classic big-brother smirk. "Well, well, well. And here I thought I was the only one who liked to sneak around the manor late at night." His gaze flicked over her again, the smirk growing. "Working on cars in your pajamas now, Mags? Bold move."

Maggie groaned, running a hand through her hair and trying to act casual. "It's not what it looks like."

Dick leaned against the banister, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Oh? Because it looks like you've been crawling around in the engine bay." He sniffed the air dramatically. "And you definitely smell like you lost a fight with it."

Maggie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to look defensive instead of guilty. "I couldn't sleep, alright? So I went to the garage to clear my head."

Dick's eyes narrowed slightly, his smirk never wavering. "Uh-huh. And I'm guessing a certain reckless, motor-obsessed boyfriend of yours just happened to be down there too?"

Maggie's face flushed a deep shade of red as she hurried down the hall, but Dick easily kept pace, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "I wonder," he mused aloud, his tone dripping with playful suspicion, "what exactly were you two doing down there?"

Maggie groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Dick, seriously? We were just...talking."

Dick raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh yeah? Talking, is that you kids are calling it these days?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Funny, because last time I 'just talked' with someone in the garage, I didn't end up looking like I wrestled an engine block." He gestured toward the grease stains on her pajamas with a smirk. "Except that one time me and Barbara..."

Maggie's eyes widened in horror, and she immediately held up a hand. "Nope. Stop. Do not finish that sentence, Dick."

Dick's smirk faltered as realization dawned on him, his eyes widening in a mix of surprise and mild panic. "Oh, crap. —"

Maggie groaned, covering her face with both hands. "Dick, please don't make me picture you and Barbara... doing things... in the garage.

Dick shot back with a smirk, "Same goes for you and Jason, Mags." He folded his arms, leaning against the doorframe with a smug look. "Seriously, you do know there are cameras down there, right?"

Maggie's face turned a deeper shade of red as she peeked through her fingers. "Jason said he'd take care of it," she muttered, her voice filled with a mix of embarrassment and horror.

Dick chuckled, clearly enjoying every second of her discomfort. "Well," he said, crossing his arms and leaning casually against the wall, "I'm still going to have a little talk with him later. In private." He smirked. "He's not supposed to be doing those things with you without a ring on your finger."

Maggie groaned, throwing her head back in frustration. "Oh my God, Dick! Seriously?"

He grinned, completely unfazed. "What? I'm just saying—

Maggie groaned again. "You're impossible."

Dick laughed, backing up with his hands still raised. "Love you, Mags. And tell Jason I'll be seeing him real soon."

Maggie shut her door with a loud thud and leaned against it, exhaling sharply. "Why am I related to him?" she groaned, letting her head fall back against the wood.

Then, after a beat, she muttered to herself, "Oh, duh. He's adopted."

She rolled her eyes and let out a tired laugh, shaking her head as she walked across her room and flopped onto her bed. Staring at the ceiling, she grabbed her phone off the nightstand and quickly fired off a text to Jason.

Maggie: Dick knows. He's planning a 'talk.' Brace yourself.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed with Jason's reply.

Jason: Great. Should I bring flowers or just wear a bulletproof vest?

Maggie smirked, typing back.

Maggie: Both. And maybe a written apology for existing.

Jason's next message popped up almost immediately.

Jason: Too late for apologies. I'll just take the hits like a man.

Jason set his phone down with a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the Batcomputer deep in the cave. The glow of the screens reflected in his eyes as he typed rapidly, pulling up the security logs he had thought he'd erased earlier. He muttered under his breath, "Better safe than sorry," before opening a secure line.

A moment later, Barbara's voice crackled through his earpiece, laced with mild amusement. "So... I'm guessing you need my help covering up something really stupid?"

Jason smirked, shaking his head. "You know me too well, Babs."

Barbara chuckled. "It's a gift. What did you do this time?"

Jason leaned back in the chair, staring at the footage he was about to delete. "Let's just say Maggie and I had a little late-night garage session."

There was a beat of silence on the other end before Barbara's voice came through, slightly awkward. "Oh… umm. Yeah. Definitely don't want anyone—especially Bruce—seeing that."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Look, can you help me or not? I need a clean sweep—nothing left behind that anyone can find."

Barbara hummed thoughtfully, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "You know, you're lucky I like you, Jason. This kind of thing? Covering up your... extracurricular activities? It's gonna cost you."

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Add it to my ever-growing debt."

Barbara's fingers clicked over her keyboard in the background. "Alright, I'm scrubbing the footage now. Replacing it with a perfectly boring loop of an empty garage. Just you tinkering with the car for hours, looking so productive."

Jason smirked. "See, this is why you're my favorite."

Barbara snorted. "Don't let Dick hear you say that."

"Yeah, yeah. Morning Oracle."

"Morning Romeo," she said, hanging up.

Jason shut down the Batcomputer, letting out a long breath before standing up.

Maggie stepped out of the steamy bathroom, towel-drying her damp hair when a soft but firm knock echoed from her bedroom door. She paused, glancing at the door with a sigh, already knowing who it was.

"Miss Maggie," Alfred's voice carried through the wood with his usual composed tone. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. Your presence is, as always, greatly anticipated."

Maggie smiled to herself, rolling her eyes slightly. "Thanks, Alfred. I'll be down in a minute."

After a few moments of gathering herself, Maggie pulled on a fresh set of clothes and made her way downstairs, the scent of Alfred's signature breakfast filling the manor. She paused briefly at the dining room entrance, taking in the familiar scene before her. Dick sat at the table, cheerful as ever, digging into a plate piled high with eggs and toast, his usual bright energy already in full swing despite the early hour. "Morning, Mags," he greeted with a grin, raising his glass of orange juice in salute. "Sleep well? You look... refreshed."

Maggie narrowed her eyes at Dick. Across from him, Jason was still covered in grease, his hair a mess and a streak of oil smudged on his cheek. He was hunched over his plate, shoveling food in with the kind of hunger only a intense night could bring. He glanced up at her with a lazy smirk. "Morning, Princess," he muttered through a mouthful of pancakes.

Maggie rolling her eyes but unable to suppress a small smile. "You look like stayed up all night working on that engine. Was it the six cylinder or the eight cylinder giving you trouble." she shot back, grabbing a seat beside him and nudging him with her elbow.

Jason, still chewing on a mouthful of pancakes, glanced at her with an easy smirk. "Eight-cylinder," he said simply, wiping his hands on a napkin. "It needed some extra work." His voice was casual, but Maggie could sense the deliberate vagueness in his words. He wasn't about to give anything away.

Dick, sitting across from them, caught the exchange and raised an eyebrow. "Funny, 'cause last time I checked, that engine was running just fine." He leaned forward, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face. "You sure you weren't working on something else?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, grabbing a piece of toast and taking a bite.Jason just shrugged, playing it cool. "Yeah, well, I like things running perfectly. You know me." He leaned back in his chair, keeping his expression unreadable as he took another bite of his breakfast.

Bruce, sitting at the head of the table with his coffee in hand, glanced between them with his usual sharp, assessing gaze. "Late night?" he asked casually, his tone neutral but laced with that ever-present fatherly scrutiny.

Jason didn't even blink. "I was just working on the car," he said smoothly, keeping his focus on his plate.

Maggie fought to keep her face neutral, but Dick wasn't buying it. He smirked, tilting his head. "Right. Just you... all by your lonesome in the garage?" His eyes flicked to Maggie knowingly.

Maggie didn't miss a beat, kicking him lightly under the table. "Some of us actually have a hard time sleeping," she said, shooting him a warning glare. "Unlike you, who could sleep through an earthquake."

Dick winced slightly but grinned through it. "Touché." He sipped his juice, clearly not done teasing. "I mean, if he ever need company, I'm sure Jason wouldn't mind your helping hand Mags."

Jason cut in quickly, his tone even. "I got it covered."

Bruce's gaze lingered on Jason for a moment before he finally nodded. "As long as everything is in working order."

Dick burst out laughing, nearly choking on his juice. Maggie groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. Alfred cleared his throat, stepping into the room with his usual impeccable timing. "Master Jason, Miss Maggie, as delightful as this morning's... banter has been, you both have a schedule to maintain. I suggest you finish getting ready for school."

Maggie groaned audibly this time, slumping slightly in her chair. "Right. School. My favorite thing in the world."

Jason pushed back his chair, stretching with an exaggerated yawn. "Yeah, yeah. Wouldn't want to be late. Gotham Academy's just dying to see me."

Bruce gave them both a pointed look over his coffee cup. "Make sure you're on time."

Jason mock-saluted him. "Yes, sir."

Bruce's expression didn't change, but there was an unmistakable air of warning in his eyes that made Jason think better of continuing his sarcasm. Instead, he gave Maggie a nudge with his elbow. "Come on, Princess. Time to face the horrors of academia."

Maggie rolled her eyes but stood, grabbing the last piece of toast from her plate. "I'm going, I'm going."

As Jason and Maggie disappeared down the hallway, Bruce set his coffee cup down and fixed his gaze on Dick. His voice was calm but carried the unmistakable weight of expectation.

"Anything I should know?"

Dick, mid-bite into his toast, froze for a fraction of a second before forcing a casual smile. "Uh… define 'know.'"

Bruce didn't move, his stare unwavering. "Grayson."

Dick leaned back in his chair, casually swirling the juice in his glass, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "All I know is Jason went down to the Batcave to change some security footage."

Bruce narrowed his gaze, his voice lowering just enough to make it clear he wasn't in the mood for games. "How would you know that?"

Dick shrugged nonchalantly, masking the amusement dancing in his eyes. "Curious to see how well he covered his tracks," he said, taking another sip of his juice.

Bruce's expression remained stone-cold, but Dick could see the flicker of disappointment—or maybe it was annoyance—beneath the surface. "You let him do it?"

Dick grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "What can I say? I was curious. Consider it a test of his skills." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You should be proud, Bruce. The kid's finally learning the fine art of deception."

Bruce's jaw tightened. "Deception isn't something to be proud of when it's used against family."

Dick held up his hands in surrender, still grinning. "Hey, in his defense, he was trying to cover something up."

Bruce exhaled, rubbing his temple. "I assume Maggie was involved."

Dick chuckled. "Let's just say Alfred's going to have his hands full with grease-stained pajamas." He leaned in with mock seriousness. "You might want to have a chat with your other kid before she gets any more ideas."

Bruce's eyes darkened, his voice even. "I intend to."