She's Sunshine, She's Grace, She'll Punch You in the Face

Chapter 10: The Start of Something New

"...and that is the end of our tour!" Dick smiled at the class. "I now have to turn you all over to your teacher here," He points to Ms. Mendeleiev. "but I hope you all have a wonderful time in Gotham."

"Okay class, I'm going to need you all quiet down and line up in alphabetical order." The teacher informed as Dick walked away. "Except you, Marinette."

"Why does she get special treatment?" Ayla seemed to be annoyed that Marinette was once again singled out.

"Mr. Wayne and her parents came up with an agreement for her." The teacher almost sounded bored. "She will be staying elsewhere while we go back to the hotel. If you want to, now would be the time to say goodbye to her and don't worry, we will see her tomorrow at the Wayne botanical gardens."

Marinette's friends gathered around her. "Why didn't you tell us you won't be staying at the hotel with us?" Chloe was the first to ask.

"Well I wanted to, but you all ran away from me today." She shrugged at her friends.

"Well yeah." Alix lightly punched Marinette on the shoulder. "We saw how you were looking at Dick's brother over there." They all looked over to Damian who was talking quietly with Dick. "You two seemed to have hit it off." She wiggled her eyebrows at the bluenette.

"Aliiix! Don't tease me like that." Marinette hid her face behind her hands.

"So, where are you staying then anyways?" Adrien questioned her.

"You guys promise not to freak out if I tell you?" She peeked between her fingers.

"We promise." All five of her friends said at the same time.

"I'm staying with Mr. Wayne and his family at his Manor." She braced herself for her friend's answers.

"Awesome!" Kim yelled excitedly at the same time Alix whispered "Woah."

"Why did he agree to that?" Max looked up from behind his glasses.

"I... I don't know." Marinette shrugged. "But I have seemed to have already met most of his family and Damian is under the impression that they all like me."

"Wait wait wait wait wait." Chloe grabbed a hold of Marinette's shoulders. "Are you telling me that you have been chatting with the real Damian Wayne all day?"

Marinette nods. "Please don't tell anyone though. I don't need the rest of the class on my back more than they are already."

"Of course, we won't." Adrien spoke up.

"Thanks." She looked over at her class lining up. "You better go line up before Madame Mendeleiev gets mad. Apparently, someone already went to get all my things from the hotel, so this is goodbye until tomorrow." She opens up her arms for all her friends to give her a group hug. After an onslaught of farewells, her class gets in line and piles onto the bus.

When the bus is out of sight, she turns around to meet up with Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian. "So, what now?"

"Dick and Tim here still have some work to do, Sunshine." Jason lazily wraps his arm around Marinette's shoulders. "So me, you and Damian are gunna ride back to the house. Are you ready to go Pixie-pop?"

"Pixie-pop?" She raises an eyebrow at the nickname.

"Yeah." Jason smiles down at her. "You are just so tiny and adorable that the name just fits."

"Okay, I guess." She shrugs. "But what's up with you and your family giving me all these different nicknames?"

"What do you mean? I thought I was the only one giving out the amazing nicknames."

"No." She giggles. "Damian gave me one too."

All of Damian's brothers look at her like she just started speaking a dead language or something.

"Really?" Tim asked, intrigued. "What does he call you?"

"That's none of your concern, Drake." Damian barks.

"We wanna know, baby bird." Dick calmly pats Damian on the shoulder.

"Forget it." He scoffs.

"No, Damian. It's okay." Marinette gently grabs his hand.

It was like night and day how quickly his features changed. Instead of his usual brooding look, his face relaxed and he smiled down at her. "Okay." He sighed.

Damian's brothers watched in amazement at how this young girl could have such a drastic impact on him in a matter of seconds.

"Damian calls me 'Angel'." She looks back to his brothers.

"Demon spawn said that?" Jason asked in disbelief as Marinette nods. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"And you don't have a fever or anything?"

"No."

"And he didn't say it sarcastically?"

"No."

"Am I dreaming?"

"No." She laughs at his antics.

"Please stop harassing her." Damian glares at Jason.

"And you taught him how to say please?" Dick gave the small girl a quick hug. "Maybe you really are an Angel. We need to keep you around." He winks.

"Come on." Marinette cocked her hip to the side. "Damian isn't that bad."

"If you say so, Sunshine." Tim pats the small girl on the head.

"Hey, that's my nickname, Timmy." Jason pokes his bother on the side of the head. "Go get your own."

"I will." Tim rubbed the side of his head where he was poked. "And it will be a million times better than yours."

"Not that this isn't riveting," Damian says sarcastically. "But I would like to go home. Alfred texted. He's waiting for us out front."

"Looks like you have to be going." Dick waved to Marinette. "We will see you at dinner tonight."

Jason grabbed Marinette by her free arm and guided her to the front doors with Damian in tow. "Bye Dick! Bye Tim!" She yelled over her shoulder as they exited through the doors.

Jason stopped in front of a large stretched limo with an older gentleman standing beside it. The man opened the door as they all approached.

"Good afternoon Master Jason, Master Damian." He nodded respectfully at the two. "And you must be Miss Dupain-Cheng." He bowed to the girl. "It's lovely to meet you. I am Alfred Pennyworth but you can call me Alfred."

"Hello Alfred." Giving him one of her signature smiles, he can't help but to smile back. "Damian has told me a lot about you. It's so great to meet you too."

"All good things, I hope." He states as Jason ducks into the limo.

"Of course." She looks back a Damian who gives her a sheepish smile. "He thinks you are one of the 'sane ones'." Marinette uses her free hand to do air quotes.

"Well I'm flattered, Master Damian." He gives him a smirk while eyeing their joined hands.

The two teens climb into the back after Jason and buckle up while Alfred closes the door and walks his way to the driver seat. Not long after, Alfred starts the car and they all make their way to Wayne Manor.