What You Have in Your Heart

Raven isn't paying attention in class. She's staring at the teacher but her thoughts are beyond the walls of this classroom.

Her thoughts are in an orphanage five blocks down. Thinking of those kids who have no mother, no father. No one who wants them.

"Raven?"

Raven's eyes snap to look at Star.

"The class has been adjourned for some minutes now. Are you alright, friend?" Star touches her friend's shoulder lightly in concern.

"Swell," Raven murmurs in reply and quickly gathers her things, following Star out of the classroom.

How can I even help them? She has no money. She has no great skill to impart. She isn't even much of a talker. She can't be what these kids need. But they need something.

Someone.

There's a folded piece of paper wedged in a slit on the inside of her locker door. She raises an eyebrow as she unfolds it.

2:45, front gate. Bring Star.

-JT

Raven shuts her locker swiftly.

How did he get to her locker?

What a creep.

oOoOoOo

Star and Raven walk out together at 2:50.

Raven did it on purpose. She had feigned needing to stop at her locker again. And then fixed her hair in the bathroom for no real reason. She doesn't like being told what to do by creeps.

They find Jason by a large tree in front of the school gates, nonchalantly etching an "X" in the thick bark with a pocketknife.

"Do you normally vandalize your rival campuses?" Raven drawls as they approach.

He looks up with a lazy grin. "Only marking my territory."

"Is that akin to what canines do to hydrants of fire?" Star inquires.

Jason's eyebrows furrow for a moment before he laughs. "I suppose. Something like that."

Raven doesn't even bother asking him what he means by marking his territory. He's strange enough already. "Alright, so," she lets her impatience seep through a little. "What are we doing?"

Jason's grin only gets wider. "We're going shopping."

oOoOoOo

Star is bubbling over with excitement, scouring every corner possible and stacking the cart full.

Jason took them to a thrift shop and told them to pick out anything they think the De Los Santos kids could use.

He didn't even give a budget.

That's dangerous.

He obviously didn't know what thrift stores do to Star Anders. She's got everything from socks and flip flops to crayons and Yahtzee.

Raven is holding a few nice tee-shirts and a hoodie.

"So...what's the budget? Because I'm pretty sure Star is over there breaking the bank," Raven says when Jason wanders by with a ball cap in hand.

"Don't worry about it." He shakes his head.

"I haven't seen everything that she put in that cart, but it's at least fifty dollars. That's not including what I have." Raven raises an eyebrow.

"Seriously, no sweat. And don't hesitate to get anything else that you think could be useful." He picks up the hoodie that Raven just put back on the rack and places it back in her hands.

Raven narrows her eyes. "How much money do you have?" she asks.

"Enough," is all he says. "Think Brendali would like this?" He holds up a very nice and very warm looking pink coat.

She glances at the ticket. "It's fifteen dollars."

"I'm asking if she would like it, not if you can read the price tag," he shoots back.

She sighs. "Why are you doing this? Don't you think we could start a clothing drive or something instead? Or are you just trying to get your good deed in for the year?"

Jason smiles. "Look. My uncle owns one of the wealthiest corporations in Gotham City. We can start a drive if you want, but that takes time and effort that would be better directed towards actually being spent with the kids themselves. We're going to see them today, so why don't we just pick up some things to surprise them with and then we can talk about wise spending of my money later, k?"

Raven blinks. "Your uncle is Bruce Wayne."

"Yeah..."

"Oh." Raven knew that Dick had an uncle named Bruce, and also that he provided Dick with everything he needed. But she never put those together. Dick had never been too frivolous with his spending to warrant any thought about it. She never even guessed.

Sheesh. She would have gotten thirty more of those coats. One for every day of the month.

She laughs. "Wow. Yeah, get the coat."

"Just so you know, I don't normally do this." Jason says after a minute more of looking through the racks.

"What? Look for clothing in the kid's sections of thrift shops?"

He chuckles. "Well, that too. Which is why I thought you and Star could be better at picking things out. But no, I meant spend my uncle's cash frivolously."

"That's ok. I didn't peg you as the type."

After another minute, he says softly, "I know what you mean. When you say you want to help them have a better life."

She stops and looks at him briefly, then looks back at the racks. She picks up a shirt and studies it.

"I was lucky. And you probably were lucky in some ways too. But I've seen too many kids who got the raw end of the deal. Some of them are miserable and I can't help them. Some of them are gone."

She supposes she should say something comforting. She agrees with him, definitely. But sometimes words escape her.

So she shoves a shirt in his hands before she walks to the next aisle.

It's black, with red words on it.

"To be rich is not what you have in your bank account, but what you have in your heart."

He smiles.

True enough.

A/N: Not thoroughly satisfied with this one but I just needed to get something up. Sign the guest book on your way out! ;)