6036/Ok Lets Do This

Ok Lets Do This
Date of Scene:	24 April 2021
Location:	Crystal Brown's Townhouse
Synopsis:	Stephanie tells her mother she's seeing Dick and takes him to meet her. He ends up with her approval.
Cast of Characters:	Stephanie Brown, Dick Grayson

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Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie had related to Dick that she had broached the subject with her mother already that she was dating someone. Whether the advanced notice of the age difference would give Crystal Brown time to get over any reaction, or just let it stew, she wasn't quite sure.

"It was over the phone," Stephanie says as Dick's car approaches the Widowcreek Apartments complex, in the area of Bristol that goes by the same name. It is the other side of the tracks, in both the literal and figurative senses, from Wayne Manor, a half-dozen miles away but in a much different area.

"And I think she had some concerns. But I told her what a great guy you are, and that seemed to matter to her most. So I don't know exactly what to expect. On the good side, she doesn't own a shotgun," Stephanie says with a little grin for Dick. "On the other hand, she could probably borrow one." As they pull into a parking spot, she takes a deep breath as if to help calm nerves.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick chuckles and puts the car in park, reaching over to pat her hand, "It's ok, I can dodge gunfire, and I promise not to hurt her taking the gun away. I think she'll probably be a little more rational than that, however. She wants you to be happy, right? At least I hope she does."

He gets out and takes her hand, setting the car alarm and then heading for the door, "No worries Steph, whatever happens, we'll get through it together. Besides, I can be very charming when I put my mind to it, you know that. If she has a problem, I'll just have to win her over. The fact that we really love each other should be a big help."

He walks her to the door, then stops to give her a quick kiss, asking, you want to ring the bell, or should I?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie slips her hand into Dick's after she climbs out of the car. She dressed nicely. Nice but trying to not look like she'd dressed up that much. Which mean she still had jeans on, but picked one of her nicest tops, and had spent more time on her hair than just throwing into a ponytail she might have done for another trip to her mother's.

Stopping in front of the door, she turns to Dick and gives a nervous, quick nod. "I know, you'll do fine. I'm the one who'd put my foot in my mouth between us," she says, unable to stop a self-deprecating smile from glimmering into being for a moment. She reaches up to hold Dick's cheeks in both hands as she kisses him back. Then brushes at his lips to make sure she didn't get any gloss on them. "Ok. Let's do this," she says.

She turns and gives a soft knock at the door, and opening it a second later. "Mom, we're here," she calls softly as she squeeze's Dick's hand and steps inside.

"Wow, she cleaned up and everything," she says. The normal, minor clutter the townhouse would have is all cleared. The floors freshy cleaned, and there's a scent of lemon wax on some of the wood furniture that Dick's fine observation skills would pick up. Clearly some time was spent preparing for the visit.

"Coming," Crystal Brown says, heading down the stairs from up above. She's wearing a pair of turquoise pants and a white top. She looks down, getting her first sight of Dick as Stephanie closes the door, then moves to give her mother a hug as the woman reaches the bottom of the stairs.

Stephanie turns towards Dick then. "Mom, this is Dick Grayson. Dick, this is my mother, Crystal Brown," she says.

Crystal smiles, though it's not clear from it if she's come to a conclusion yet about her daughter's new boyfriend, and offers Dick her hand. "Hello Dick, nice to meet you," she says.

Dick Grayson has posed:
With a warm, friendly smile, he takes Crystal's offered hand and shakes it gently, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Brown. You have a lovely looking home, but you didn't have to go to any trouble on our part." Today he's dressed nicely, better than his normal detective suit, though no jacket or tie. He's wearing a dark blue tailored button down shirt that complements his eyes, and a nice pair of dark grey dress pants. He smiles a little conspiratorially, "Stephanie's living room is not always the most uncluttered place in the world."

He looks over to Steph with a fond smile, "You didn't tell me you got your looks from your mom." Looking back to Crystal, he continues, "Can I get a quick tour, or did you want to sit and talk? I imagine you have some questions or concerns you want to address." He's in full charm mode, not being fake or slick, just Dick at his best, using his natural charisma to put someone at ease.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Crystal shakes Dick hand, while Stephanie stands by, trying not to look nervous. "Thank you, on both counts," she tells Dick. "There's not a whole lot of it to see, fairly small place," she tells him, but motions for him to come further in. The kitchen is through an open double-sized rectangular arch so one can see much of it before they even reach it.

"Would you two like something to drink? I have some lemonade and soda," Crystal Brown asks.

Stephanie says, "Some lemonade would be perfect, let me get it. I can show Dick the upstairs later," she says. She gives Dick a hopeful smile and then turns to go into the kitchen to gather the lemonade, while Crystal motions over to the couch and chairs, moving over to take a seat in a chair. "Please, have a seat. So Stephanie has only told me a very little about you so far. She mentioned you are a detective with the Gotham Police Department, but not too much more." Well, his age, but Stephanie's mother doesn't mention that. "So tell me a bit about yourself?" she asks.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick moves over to the sofa and sits down once Crystal is seated, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees to talk to her. "Well, let's see. I was raised in Gotham, and decided pretty early on that I wanted to help make it a better place. It wasn't until I had my independent phase and moved to Bludhaven that I decided to go the full route and entered the police academy. I joined the force there and made my way up to detective." He gives a little shrugs and self-depreciating smile, "Fairly quickly, if I must admit, but I got to missing Gotham, so I moved back, transferring over to the GCPD."

"I've met Steph through some of her activities for a few years now, she volunteers for events, and her coursework in forensics brings her into contact with the department from time to tome, of course. She's an amazing person, a credit to your parenting, really." He inclines his head politely, then looks over as Steph comes in with the lemonade.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Crystal Brown sits with one leg crossed over the other, fingers laced over her knee as Dick tells her about himself. "Oh, and what part of Gotham are you from? We used to live in Coventry, before the bridges were destroyed," she says, "And then ended up in Bristol after... after things finally improved," she says, speaking of what is often called 'No Man's Land". When a tidal wave from a fight involving Superman and the Fantastic Four against General Zod and Annihilus caused a tidal wave that wiped out the bridges to Gotham. Rather than repair them, the US government left the island city on its own, and the criminals moved in, opposed only by Batman, Batgirl, and Nightwing in 2011.

Stephanie carries in a tray with the three glasses, plus the rest of the container of lemonade. She sits down next to Dick, with only the slightest nervousness to her. "Yes, Stephanie had told me she finally decided on a major. I was very happy to hear she was picking a good direction to go in," Crystal Brown says, her eyes looking at her daughter with approval.

Stephanie speaks up, "Dick is really young for a detective. I don't know if anyone makes it before they are thirty, let alone as young as he was," she says to her mother.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick smiles over at Steph as she sits down, taking one of the glasses for a quick sip before looking back to Crystal and answering honestly and directly, "I grew up in Bristol as well, actually." He's not going to start flaunting his money or name in this situation any more than he does on a daily basis. If it comes up, so be it, but he's never been one to brag, or really even think about it that way.

He nods in agreement with Crystal, "Yes, I think she'll be an asset to the police department, she's actually very good at forensics, I've worked with her here and there helping her with some class projects and the like. She's got a very good grasp of the subject."

He looks over at Steph, then chuckles a little, "Yes, I made detective quite quickly." He shrugs, "Apparently I'm also pretty good at that I do."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie's mother is definitely paying attention to Dick, and also to the collective couple of Dick and Stephanie. Seeing how Stephanie is with him. She picks up a glass of the lemonade as well, taking a sip. "And how about your family? Any brothers or sisters? Did you follow a parent's footsteps into the police force?" she asks.

Stephanie sips her lemonade and looks to her mother. "I'm thinking maybe I might pursue being a CSI. I mean, I figured you picked up on that, though it's something detectives learn too. I would probably end up shooting someone I shouldn't if I had a gun all the time," she says with a soft chuckle. "But Dick's been wonderful with helping me with my classes. Not just answering questions when I'm struggling with something, but going beyond what the classes teach."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick turns back to Crystal and answers, "Three younger brothers, unless my father has added a fourth while I'm not looking." He shoots a quick grin at Steph, since they make jokes about Bruce's penchant for adoption on a fairly regular basis. "But no, my father isn't in law enforcement. I'm the first in my family to choose this particular field as a profession."

He looks to Steph and boops her nose with a smile, "Stop that, you'd be fine if you decided to be an actual officer, just like you will if you stay in forensics. You can do whatever you put your mind to. And you can handle more than the class basics, so no reason not to go into it when we hit something that brings an advanced topic up."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie reaches a hand over to Dick, resting it in his and squeezing as he pays her the kind words. Meanwhile, Crystal smiles and says with an amused chuckle, "Wow, that's a big family. And all four boys? I imagine your mother had her hands full!"

Which results in Stephanie giving a hesitant nod and saying, "Ah, yes... Mom? Actually, you have met Dick before. And all of his brothers but one. They were at my graduation party," she says, getting a surprised look from Crystal Brown.

Now she's started, Stephanie just continues ahead with the same amount of courage, and forethought, that she has in jumping off buildings. "So, you remember Alvin?" Stephanie asks.

Crystal's face lights up a bit. "Yes, the nice boy who-" she says, and then pauses a moment.

Stephanie seems to understand the moment of hesitation. "Dick knows I was pregnant, and gave the child up for adoption," she tells her mother.

Crystal nods, eyes going to Dick, and he can tell that him knowing, and it apparently not influencing his decision to date her daughter, probably scores well with him. "Yes, Alvin was the boy who was your Lamaze coach, yes?"

Stephanie motions with her hand. "Yes. Well that was Dick's younger brother. Only... ah, his name isn't Alvin. He was kind of... he didn't want people to know who he was. His name was really Tim. See, Tim and Dick are both sons of Bruce Wayne. And, their brother Damian was there at the graduation party too."

Crystal's mouth drops open for just a moment in surprise. "I guess... now I start to understand the unexpectedly generous graduation presents. Including the motorcycle?"

Stephanie says quickly, "Well, yes, I think most were from Dick's family. The motorcycle was from Barbara, you remember her. Beautiful, red hair. I met her through Tim as well, but she's the daughter of Commissioner Gordon."

Crystal takes all that in, looking back to Dick. "Stephanie said your last name was Greyson? Your mother's name I'm guessing?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
He glances to Steph as she rips off the bandage, as it were, then turns back to her mom, "Ah, the ugly secret rears it's head. Yes, Bruce is my dad, and Wayne Manor would be the part of Bristol I call home. As for the name, it was both my mother and father's name. They died when I was young and Bruce adopted me. I just didn't really have an interest in sitting in an office at Wayne Enterprises day after day, and wanted to do my bit to make the world a little better, so I chose the police force."

He smiles a little and shrugs, "At the very least, you know I can take care of Steph appropriately without worrying about finances, the bane of many relationships." He waves his hand a bit, "I don't exactly try to hide who I am, but throwing it out there always seems like some kind of boasting or something. I'm just me, it so happens I was lucky enough to be taken in by a good man."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Crystal was obviously surprised, but that passes as she listens to Dick's explanation. "I can understand how you might give some thought to how it might come across," she says. "And... and it's fine of course. I was just caught by surprise. Though this is now the second time that Stephanie has done this to me," she says with a quiet chuckle and a shake of her head.

Stephanie looks over to Dick, "She's talking about Roberto. Da Costa. The last guy I dated. His mother is an archeology professor at the University," Stephanie says. Come to think of it, she did mention knowing a professor there when they were researching the chalice. "And I ran into him while I was touring campus."

She looks back to her mom and says, "I've actually known Dick for a couple years now. What, three, I guess. It wasn't until recently that we were spending time together that... well," she says, looking back to Dick. and squeezing his hand as she looks at him with her feelings painted in her eyes.

Crystal sits back in her chair. "It does seem like you are able to take care of her, Dick. Obviously there's a bit of an age difference between you. Do you think that will cause the two of you problems?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
He smiles back at her with those same feelings reflected in his gaze, then chuckles, "Keep springing parents on your mom, huh? That's a little mean." He gives her hand a squeeze back, then nods, "Yeah, I think we might be closing on four years now, actually."

He looks back to Crystal, then shakes his head, "I honestly don't think it will factor in at all. I've spent a lot of time around Steph before realizing how I felt about her, and we've always gotten along really well. She may be young, but she's pretty mature mentally, she's not a typical 'just want to party and have fun' college students. But at the same time, she's managed to stay amazingly positive even when dealing with demanding topics like forensics."

He looks right at Crystal and says, "I love her. I really can't think of anything more to say than that. She's perfect, and I never intend to spend a day apart from her."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Crystal listens to Dick, holding her glass in both hands, resting the bottom on her knee. Her eyes go to Stephanie at the end, finding her daughter beaming a smile towards her mother.

"You commented on what a good job we'd done with her," Crystal says finally, looking down at her glass. "We really didn't. Her father and I. Neither of us were good parents to her. You're right on how she turned out. But it was her, not us," Crystal says, looking up.

Stephanie starts to interject a disagreement, but her mother holds up her hand to cut her off. "It's the truth, Stephanie. I won't pretend it isn't," she says. She manages a soft smile for her daughter. "I've tried to do better. And I like to think at least I've been able to give you a few years of what you should have had all your life. During the years you most needed it." Crystal Brown clears her throat. "But I'm so proud of you. I couldn't blame you if you'd ended up on the streets. And instead, you're going to college. And you earned scholarships to pay for it. And... and you have what seems like a very fine young man who loves you," she says, Crystal looking back to Dick.

"I admit, your age difference worried me when I heard it. And if I'm honest, it still worries me some. People change over the years, and Stephanie has a lot of changes to go through compared to you, even," Crystal says. "But I believe you love her. And I can see she loves you. And I think you'll take care of her. So I'm alright with it."

Stephanie beams a smile back at her mother, then looks to Dick, leaning over and resting her head against his shoulder.

Dick Grayson has posed:
He smiles and slips his arm around her waist, still looking over at Crystal, "She probably does, but I don't think those changes will touch who she really is. And I'll be there for those changes, just like for everything else. But I'm very happy to hear your approval, it means a lot, to both of us." He glances down at Steph with a smile and says, "See? All that stress for nothing."

He takes another sip of the lemonade, then looks back to Crystal, "Well, however it happened, she ended up with a very good center. You've got a lot to be proud of, and not just the college stuff, she also volunteers at charity events becuase she wants to help people. I wasn't kidding when I called her perfect." He can't, of course, point out that the girl also puts her life on the line nightly to try and keep the people of Gotham safe, though it's an even better example of her need to help others.