Bruce Wainright has (onerule) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2012-05-11 18:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | batman |
Who: Luke, with an appearance by Gus
What: Temporary custody is awarded.
Where: Courthouse, Luke's apartment, etc.
When: Recently. Very recently.
Warnings/Rating: Angst, duh.
The phone began to ring early, or maybe it was late. At some point, he'd lost track of time, and all he knew was that it was ringing, and it was loud.
Luke had worked the night before, and he'd spend his entire shift agonizing over what might be happening with Wren; whether she had agreed to return, if she hated him, if he'd completely ruined any chance of reconciliation. He wanted to call, but he held back, telling himself that MK would let him know or, maybe, Wren herself would contact him. There was nothing, however, and he'd fallen asleep when he returned home, hoping for some kind of message that never came.
It awakened him, the sound of the phone, but he rolled over in bed and pulled the pillows over his head rather than answer it. He knew it wasn't Wren, because it wasn't his cell ringing but the landline, and he didn't want to answer. He just wanted everything to stop. He wanted to be numb again, and he wanted to not care, and he wanted to go back to a time when things had been simpler, when his parents were alive and the world was full of hope, rather than a hell full of nothing but pain and suffering. But nothing stopped, and the phone kept ringing, and Luke merely burrowed deeper under his covers and wished he had kept running.
For Bruce, whose patience had begun to wane days ago, it was the final straw.
You will get out of this bed, Luke, and you will answer the phone. His voice was like ice cold water, all sharp, harsh demand. You will take responsibility for yourself and your son, or I will do it for you and you will cease to have a choice in the matter.
It reminded him so much of something Thomas might say, the command, that Luke found himself obeying almost unconsciously. He rolled out of bed, startling Finch in the process, and scrambled for the phone as it rang for what was probably the twentieth time. It was one of his lawyers on the other end, who sounded irritated that he'd taken so long to answer, but only in an impatient sort of way. It was good news, he said. A decision had finally been made, and the ruling was in Luke's favor. Temporary custody, not permanent, but that would come later, and Luke listened as the lawyer went on and on about technical details that he let slip and slide over his consciousness for later, when he could bring himself to care.
The rest was a blur, which he attributed to Bruce. He showered and dressed, somehow, and ended up at the courthouse, where a judge talked about conditions and other things that he nodded and agreed to, because that was what was expected of him, and all that mattered was that finally, he could take Gus home. Maybe his life was a disaster otherwise, but this, this was the one thing he had left. Even if Wren hated him, even if she wanted nothing to do with him, at least he had something to keep him going, didn't he?
When the time came and he was finally brought to where Gus was, seated on a bench between two uniformed officers, his small features pale and scared, Luke could only stare. Then the little boy looked up, and recognition flared in his eyes-- so achingly familiar, those eyes. For a moment he wondered how he was supposed to stand it, if Wren never forgave him, having those eyes staring back at him as a reminder of what he'd lost due to his own mistakes. But then the boy slid off the bench and rushed forward, and before Luke realized what was happening there was a small pair of arms wrapped tightly around his legs. For a moment he half expected someone to pry him free, but no, that wasn't going to happen, was it? He had custody now, even if it was temporary, and he was Gus' father. No one was going to stop him.
"Hey, kiddo." Luke finally forced words past the lump in his throat, and returned the boy's embrace as best he could. Maybe it was the fear that came from being with strangers for over a weak, coupled with relief at seeing a familiar face, but whatever it was, he was going to enjoy this for as long as it lasted. "I told you I'd be back. You still want to come home with me?"
Gus nodded against his legs, his grip still iron tight.
It took a bit of maneuvering, but he managed to shift the little boy's grip to his neck so he could pick him up, and the officers led the way to the back entrance where a car was waiting. There were too many reporters gathered near the entrance, which Luke had experienced on his way in, but there were none back here, and for that he was grateful.
He refused to budge from his lap on the ride back, Gus did, but Luke didn't mind. At some point the boy fell asleep, his lashes wet with unshed tears, and he stroked his hair, trying to wrap his head around the fact that this was his son, and he finally had him with him. Oh, the coming days wouldn't be easy; he knew that much. He'd have to take time off work, and he'd have to contact Iris about babysitting, and he was certain that Gus would start asking for Wren at some point. Of course he would want her; Luke wanted her too, but he'd gone and possibly ruined things with the only woman he'd ever loved, which made him feel ill just to think about.
At some point, he looked at his phone, and he saw the message from MK on the forums. So Wren had stayed. There was a mixture of relief and apprehension, as he doubted she'd stayed for him, and he didn't like that soon. Had he made a terrible mistake in not going to get her himself? God, he hoped not, but he did know one thing-- MK was right. He had to contact her, and soon. Once he was home, and he'd gotten Gus settled, he told himself. Surely she'd answer, even if it was just to tell him she wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe they weren't technically supposed to be in contact, but who would know? Bruce's phone could easily be wiped, if it came to that, and he knew the same could be done with Selina's.
Luke simply hoped he could convince her to give him a chance. It was more than he deserved, but like MK had said, it was about more than just the two of them now, and he knew what it was like to grow up in a home with two parents who loved each other. That was what he wanted for his son, and he prayed that he hadn't gone and destroyed that possibility forever.