AN: This is a prequel to my Truth's about Robin story. It tells of the forming of the batfamily. I do not own any of the characters or YJ, no matter how much I love it. All Romani is from Google Translate (actually Romani) as are any other foreign languages. Please enjoy the Story and Review. Review really fill my day with happiness!

8 A.M March 31, 2004: Gotham City

The flag wove over the tope of the striped circus tent. It was even more colorful against the darkness of Gotham City. The only sound in the circus grounds was the animals' occasional growls, brays, yelps and trumpets. Flyers and advertisements for acts fluttered in the wind. One was ripped off from where it hung on the wall of a caravan and flew into the nearest animal cage. It settled among the hay near the elephant's feet.

A small hand picked up the flyer. The little boy smiled, "Uite Zitka!" (Look Zitka)

He spoke in Romani but the elephant understood not words but tone and presence. The elephant lifted him with her trunk. He was still small enough that the Indian elephant could do that. He hugged her trunk then jumped onto one of her tusks. He giggled as he swung on it a few times, using his arms to keep himself upside down every few swings, doing flips and turns as well. Then he scrambled onto the elephant's head. He waved the flyer in front of her eye.

"Sunt eu! Apoi, există Mami, Tati, unchiul Rick, tanti Karla și Johnny! (That's me! Then there's Mami, Tati, Uncle Rick, Auntie Karla and Johnny!") He paused for a minute as if the elephant was listening, or even talking back. He then spoke again, "If I do well enough in tomorrow's show Mami and Tati might let me do the finale in the next city!" he spoke rapidly from his excitement.

He was answered by not the elephant but her trainer who had come to start his work for the day. The trainer spoke in Italian, "Is that you in their Dickie? You're family is looking for you. They wanted to start practicing their routine in the big top."

Growing up in the circus Dick was fluent in numerous languages. The ones of whichever place the circus was visiting and the native ones of the performers. So Dick answered in Italian, "Grazie 'lessandro!" (Thank you 'lessandro)

Alessandro chuckled at the garbled version of his name. Dick leapt off the elephant's back and started running toward the big top. Seeing his family inside he headed towards then. Someone else was leaving as he entered and they collided. Dick stumbled backwards and looked up at the tall stranger.

The man had black hair, a strong chin and blue eyes. His eyes seemed to smile yet Dick senses something else there, curiosity, sadness, anger and even loneliness. The man chuckled and held out his hand for a shake.

Dick felt a different hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his parents. Next to them were his aunt, uncle and cousin. The latter of which winked. Dick's father nodded to the tall man's hand, which Dick shook.

"Imi pare rau," he said in Romanian. (I'm sorry)

"English Dick!" His father chided in the said language.

His mother smiled at the tall man in front of them. "I'm sorry. I'm Mary Grayson. This his my husband John, his brother Rick, my sister-in-law Karla and my nephew Johnny." She said in English. "And I think you just met my son Richard or as everyone around here calls him, Dick."

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Bruce Wayne. Are you okay there Dick?"

"Yees," he said slowly. "Tank you."

"Dick refuses to speak English," explained Rick.

"We've been in Europe for as long as he's been able to talk. He was only in England for a little while and didn't find it necessary. We're hoping he decides to learn while we're here," John explained. "Can I ask what brings you here?"

"I was supposed to meet with a Mr. Haley about sponsoring the show tomorrow night."

"I've heard of you!" Johnnie (Dick's cousin not his father) shouted. "You're the billionaire. You're sponsoring our show tomorrow?"

"John!" Scolded his mother.

"Sorry," the fourteen year old apologized, not very sincerely though.

"It's fine. Most people react like that to meeting me, a lot even worse. I believe I've heard of you too. The Flying Graysons?"

"Yes," Johnnie puffed out his chest. "The best trapeze artists in the world. We're fearless!"

Dick jumped up and down excitedly. "Și vom efectua clapa de patru ori! Toate cu nici o plasă! "he spouted in Romani. (And we perform the quadruple flip! All with no net!)

"We do it all with no net!" Johnnie parroted in English for Bruce.

"Well then I'm excited to see it. Do you think one of you could show me to Mr. Haley?"

Rick, Karla and Johnnie nodded and went. They assured their family they would be back for more practice soon. Mary shooed them off then turned to Dick. "Unde ai fost înainte păsărica? Am cautat pentru tine?" ("Where were you before Little Bird? We were looking for you?")

"Cu Zitka, (With Zitka) " he muttered.

"Faci treburile tale? (Doing your chores?)" John asked.

Dick shook his head, "Ne jucam (We were playing.)"

Mary smiled at her adorable son, "Ei bine, după ce practică va trebui să meargă înapoi și de a face treburile. Acum vino cu mine zbura. (Well after practice you'll have to go back and do your chores. Now come fly with me)."

In the Circus everyone had chores. Their daily schedule consisted of doing that and practicing their acts. It was a bit different for the Grayson's though.

Johnnie and Dick were the only two kids in the circus. Both had chores and were involved in the acts with their families. But they were still kids and they needed time to play and to even more, learn.

Karla and Mary were the ones who schooled the boys. Dick especially was smarter than most kids his age. But he wouldn't need that. He was going to stay in the circus his whole life, performing with his family.

So the Grayson children devoted two or three hours of the day to school work. Except on performance days or the day before. Then all hands were needed on deck.

However if it was a normal day it was split between school, practice and chores. Playtime was found in between or involved in whatever they did.

Dick and Johnnie, for example, sometimes pretended to be flying like Superman and Green Lantern respectively when they were on the trapeze. Dick's other form of fun was with the animals or learning from the other acts. Both of which were involved in his chores. To him this was life and he could think of no other way to live it.

He scrambled after his parents up to the trapeze for practice. When there wasn't a performance a net was kept up for the Grayson's. Sometimes when Dick performed with them they kept the net up and let it fall only for their finale, which the youngest could not yet participate in. They were known for being the only people to do a quadruple flip and all without a net.

Within fifteen minutes Johnnie and his parents had joined them. Together they were all swinging in the air. Dick was being tossed from his uncle to his father and smiled even broader each time he felt their hands close against his wrists catching him.

Then he practiced exercises on his own over a bar as he watched his family nearby. John and Rick threw Karla and Mary back and forth between them. At one point while Rick hung from his legs and held onto Karla's own, his wife gripped Mary's legs as she caught onto John. John then let go of his trapeze and all four of them hung together in a chain. Then Johnnie joined and Dick could no longer keep track.

Like bird's performing trick's they all circled and twirled in the air. Sometimes catching onto each other and sometimes falling so much it would make anyone's heart stop. Not for Dick though, he had faith. He knew his family would always catch each other. They would always catch him.

They stopped practicing just a few hours later. The boys were sent to do their chores as the parents did their own. Johnnie cleaned up the big top while Dick cleaned the animal's cages. Not the lion's though, or anything else that ate meat.

So he ended the day as he started it. Sitting with Zitka in her newly cleaned cage. It was dusk and it was just starting to get dark. Dick knew he had to go in soon but he didn't think his parents would care if he stayed with Zitka for a little bit longer.

Then he heard voices, "You're going to want this protection."

The voice was mean and not one Dick had heard before. It was answered by one he had, the warm voice of Pop Haley. Now it was angry though, "I won't pay you. Not now, not ever. Haley's is already under protection from people you don't want to mess with."

"I'm the person you don't want to mess with. You're gonna regret this Haley. You're really going to regret this."

"Go Zucco. And don't come back here or I'll call the police and you know what that means," Pop Haley said.

Dick heard the mean man scoff and run off. Then he heard Haley's steps walk away and he saw him head back to the Big Top. Hopping off Zitka's back Dick ran back to his family's trailer. There they were sitting around a table ready to eat.

"Dick Unde ai fost?" (Dick where were you?) asked Johnnie, "I finished my chores ages ago."

"Playing with Zitka and th' horses," he said in stuttered English, taking a seat.

"Well supper was starting to get cold," Mary said serving him some goulash.

"Mulțumesc Mami," Dick said digging in.

The adults fell into discussion while they ate. Dick stayed quiet while Johnnie butted in once a while with comments on the present topic of conversation, Bruce Wayne sponsoring their performance. Dick forgot what he had seen before as he started yawning. The adults noticed John was no longer butting into the conversation either.

Their mothers exchanged looks. Karla smiled, "În pat voi doi. Avem o zi mare mâine ". (Into bed you two. We have a big day tomorrow.)"

The boys were ushered into their bunks in the back. Dick got into his Superman pajamas and was tucked under his covers. Below him Johnnie got into bed too.

"(Goodnight my little Robin) Noapte buna mica mea Robin," his mom whispered kissing Dick's forehead. She tucked his toy elephant also named Zitka right next to him then tiptoed off to join the other adults.

AN: Whoever catches the reference I made in Haley's refusal to a well-known Batman storyline, tell me! Writing this made me sad, they were such a happy family. Not so much after the next week. Get ready to shed some tears. Also I really hope you like this story. Read and Review!