RATING: PG/PG13. Just two people talking. A few bad words.

CONTINUITY and SPOILERS: This is an Alternative Universe as it’s a blend of the Birds of Prey television show and a variety of DC comic books, particularity The Killing Joke and the Batman titles between 1983 and 1991. There will be spoilers for all 13 episodes of the series once I’ve seen them all.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: BG wrote this BoP story called Landslide with a short interaction between Commissioner Gordon and Helena. My imagination just ran with it. Warped and Nik suggested a sequel.

STORY SPECIFIC NOTES: The James Gordon of the story is a blend of the various versions from the DC universe plus whatever hints may have been thrown from the show (precious few, if memory serves).

FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND FLAMES: Email at maven369@sympatico.ca

"Mr. Gordon?"

James Gordon looked up from his novel at the teenager standing hesitantly at the study door.

"Yes, Dinah?"

"Can you help me with my homework?"

Gordon bit back a sigh. "Not math I hope?"

"No, AP Civics. I'm supposed to do an interview with a public servant."

"I'm retired, you know."

"Doesn't matter. Please?" she added and smiled.

"Babysitter and tutor. Helene didn't pay me enough."

"Helene's paying you for letting me stay the weekend?"

"In a way. This is not part of the interview I trust?"

"No, sir," Dinah said, sitting in the wingback chair opposite Gordon's. "Just simple stuff. Like how you became a cop… policeman?"

"Ha. Cop is fine young lady. Family's allowed. Now, let's see. Way back when they were starting to make talking films I joined the Chicago Police Department."

"Really?"

"Really, what?" Gordon asked.

"Movies didn't always have sound?"

Unsure if he was being teased Gordon elected to continue. "I made detective fairly early and decided to move to Gotham when I got married. Decided Chicago was too dangerous a town for a policeman," Gordon said with a wry smile. "Joined the force here, moved up the ranks very quickly until I was made police commissioner."

"Wow. Was Barbara born here or in Chicago?"

"Barbara. No, she was born in Cincinnati."

"Huh?"

Gordon frowned. "Barbara isn't my biological daughter. She's my niece, brother's girl."

"Are they, ah, well."

"They died in a car crash when she was very young. Miracle she survived, really."

"She's an orphan, too?"

Gordon frowned, hurt although he didn't recognize it. "Yes. She is."

"Guess we all have that in common."

The hurt disappeared. "I understand. Yes, you do. All three of you lost parents too soon and were raised by virtual strangers."

"Okay, sorry. Back to the interview. Do you have any regrets about being a public employee?"

"No. And yes," Gordon said, playing with the ribbing on his chair. "No. Being a police officer has been very rewarding personally. Even if the public didn't always feel that way every time I put a criminal behind bars I felt proud, a hero."

"And the yes part?"

"I focused too much on my job. It meant I didn't spend as much time with Barbara as maybe I should have. It meant my marriage failed. I also suffer from ulcers and high blood pressure."

"I'm sorry."

Gordon waved it away. "Don't be. I've learned that you can regret the past but you can't change it, only learn. You should write that down."

"I will."

"More questions?"

"Ah. Not really. Well, yes. Just one. The, um, vigilante's. You know, like Manbat and Sparrow. How did you feel about them?"

Glaring suspiciously at Dinah's over innocent look Gordon shook his head. "Batman and Robin. That's a hard question."

"Why?"

"Because the balance between motive and goal, between action and result, were so vague. A policeman knows his rules. He's handed a great big binder of what he can and can't do. He can break those rules and be punished. He can get permission from judges to bend those rules. But the rules are still there."

"And Batman?"

"He didn't have any rules. His goals and results were the same as ours but his motive and actions far different."

"I think I see."

"Let me give you an example. Privacy is very important in this new century, yes?"

"I guess."

"A policeman can look at your public records, just like anyone can."

"Because that's what public means."

"If the policeman wants to look at your bank records or your tax returns or your phone records he has to convince a judge that it's important that the information be looked at. And only the information asked for gets seen. Ask for your phone records doesn't mean I can look at your electricity records."

"Okay. That's good, right?"

"It is. But a vigilante doesn't have those rules. A vigilante can break in or hack?" he said, trying the word out cautiously and continuing when Dinah nodded, "into records. Look at your entire life. How long you talked to Gabby after school, what illegal music downloads you have on your computer, how much money you make, your medical records, your dental x-rays. Anything he, or she, wants."

"But, she's, I mean, he or she is a good guy."

"Are they?" Gordon asked. He paused, considering his next words carefully and watching Dinah's reaction closely. "Just because the goals and results are good doesn't make the motive and actions good. There's a vigilante running around right now. Crime is down but the beat cops are delivering most of the perps to the emergency department before jail. If my men did that they'd be fired."

"But she," a very pale Dinah protested before literally biting her tongue.

"I'm speaking hypothetically, of course." Dinah nodded. "If you need to ask a hypothetical question, if you're not sure, you can bring it to me if you want."

"You know?"

"I know nothing. I'm just an old man, retired and reduced to the library's reading club for my entertainment."

"Oh."

"Any more questions?"

"No."

"You don't mind being sent to stay here?"

"Nah, you're pretty cool and Helene and Barbara will just worry if I'm alone at the clock tower," Dinah said, jotting down some notes as she spoke. "They've been really paranoid about that since the bust up."

"As well they should."

"Yeah, so this way they can have their romantic yet sexless weekend getaway and not have to oh my God please tell me I didn’t just say that out loud."

"I take it you know about Helene and Barbara."

"Yeah, it's really hard to keep secrets at home, especially from me."

"Remember that little discussion about privacy?"

"Honest, it was by accident."

Gordon nodded, satisfied at her excuse. "You're alright about it? I mean," Gordon ground to a halt, totally at sea.

"Yeah. Love is cool. I'm glad they finally figured it out. Thanks for talking to me and helping me," Dinah said as she stood. "I'd better get to bed."

She took two steps to the door, paused and turned around. "Listen, since you don't really have a niece anymore do you think maybe, if the position is open and all…"

"Of course. I'm tired of hearing you call me Mr. Gordon."

"Goodnight, Uncle Jim."

"Goodnight, Dinah," he replied, delighted when she impulsively darted forward to kiss his cheek.

"Who is Sarah?'

"I won't ask how but remind you, again, privacy, young lady."

"Sorry Uncle Jim. Night."

Shaking his head Gordon watched her leave. "Oh and Dinah? You're in Barbara's old room. The window's nailed shut."

Not that it would stop her, he thought, listening to her laughter as she climbed the stairs.

END

Next: Perfect Timing

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