Chapter Text
"Catch!" The ball flew from her hand, falling a few feet away. She smiled when she saw the big black dog running after its.
Titus, her mind supplied.
She sighed wearily, taking the toy back from its owner's slimy snout and repeating the process. The thoughts of her returning to her current conflict.
DA-NI-E-LA
It's amazing how strange a word can sound after repeating it so many times. Is it normal that it takes so long to get used to her own name or is it just the great damage to her head?
There were so many questions plaguing her mind, some really important, but for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about the stupidest ones.
Was her name really Daniela? Why did they choose to give it that name? Who gave it to her?
"Catch!"
Does she really she lives in this great mansion? Was the owner of this place really her father? He was the one who took her out of the hospital and told him about her life before the accident, but… What guarantee did she have that she was really her daughter?
No, that was stupid. What does someone gain by robbing an amnesiac girl from the hospital? It was really stupid.
"Good boy, go!"
But she couldn't stop asking herself questions, looking in the mirror, they don't look much alike. Their skin, their eyes, even their features ... nothing fits.
'Was I adopted?'
Well, she was also the possibility of being her more like her mother, of whom she, by the way, she still has no news.
Do you have a mother to start with?
'It has been 3 days since I left the hospital, if my mother was with me ... wouldn't she be here already?'
She had intended to ask her "father" about the woman's whereabouts, but for some reason her throat would close every time she tried to bring up the subject.
'Maybe he doesn't like talking about her, my brain must be saying I shut up'
"Miss Daniela" she was startled when called. She quickly turned around, ignoring the hound's plaintive moan as his play was interrupted. She met the indifferent gaze of her father's servant.
Was servant a suitable word?
She couldn't help but think it sounded wrong.
"Mr. Pennyworth? " The older man's usually solemn face pinched for a millisecond, like every time she said his name. Why was he doing that?
"Her father is waiting for her for lunch." Her eyes widened, realizing how long she had been playing outside, she shot a glance at the dog next to her. How did he still have so much energy? "I suggest you go in and wash your hands, I'll put her plate on shortly"
“Yes, I'll be right away. Thank you Mr. Pennyworth” His strange face again. He nodded and went back inside the mansion.
Daniela looked at her playmate, now clearly calmer "I guess that's all for now"
As with every meal, she limited herself to following the same routine, that is, trying to eat as calmly as possible even while feeling his father's sideways glance.
She usually managed to get lost in her thoughts, not that it was very difficult, and they would eat in awkward silence, but for some reason he seemed quite willing to start a chat today.
"Something wrong?" She tried to shorten his misery and be the one to start the conversation. The man choked on his soup.
"What? No, why would something happen?" Just one glance between them managed to break it 'too easy' "We have to talk."
"I guessed" She lowered her utensils "What should we talk about?"
"These days I… uh…" He stumbled over his words, looking around the room for something. From what she had seen in these few days of consciousness inside the mansion, that look meant that he was looking for mr. Pennyworth, for some reason the man couldn't make any decisions about her without consulting the older one. "I thought it would be better to let you rest, you know, order your mind and... all that." He smiled uncomfortably.
"I appreciate it." She felt the need to say it, God, she really hated it when it sounded so formal. Se couldn't help doing it, luckily he didn't seem upset or surprised.
Should that worry her?
He nodded "Yes, but, well-" He cleared his throat "Daniela, there are many things I have to tell you, important things. And although I would like to give you more time for yourself as before, I am afraid that I can not let more time go by regarding these... things "
She frowned in confusion. What kind of things?
As if he was reading her mind, he replied "First, we must talk about our family"
That did get his attention "Shall we talk about my mother?"
He looked at her surprised "Your mother?" Daniela agreed "No, I... I think not today"
"Oh" She deflated. She wanted to ask more, to press the point, but from the look in his eyes it seemed like a bad idea. She would have to wait another moment for that "So what is it?"
Relieved by the change of subject, he smiled "Your brothers"
"Brothers?" She was surprised "I have brothers !?"
He nodded nervously. “Legally speaking, three of them. I wanted to talk about them before, but I was afraid it would be too much to process so quickly. "
A part of her wanted to snort, she wasn't crippled, she just had amnesia! She didn't have to walk on shells for everything, she could handle it. The only thing stopping her from saying all these things was the dark circles under the man's tired eyes. She didn't want to bother him anymore.
"All of them are older than you, because of their… jobs, they are not within the city, but believe me they have been very attentive to your condition"
"When can I meet them?"
It was difficult to live with her father and Mr. Pennyworth, they were kind people and they gave her her space, but she could never forget that their levels of recognition were not mutual. She didn't remember them, but they seemed to know so much about her.
It was all about little things, like her favorite food, food that she didn't know she liked but Mr. Pennyworth did. Or when her father put his hand on her shoulder and somehow knew exactly when to remove it before she felt uncomfortable.
They were small things, gestures that made her chest feel warm.
But she couldn't help but feel bad for them too. She felt that somehow she was failing them, for them she was family, for her they were strangers.
She felt like she was taking someone else's place.
And now, three brothers? Three other people to be uncomfortable with?
“We were talking and we thought that maybe you should get to know them little by little. Two of them are out of town, Tim, the youngest of them, usually stays here in the mansion so it would be easier to start with him "
Daniela nodded silently. Her brother lived with them, where was he all this time?
"So... I wanted to talk to you about it, how do you feel about your brother coming back here?"
"I..." How could her say no to that hopeful face? Hell, his eyes were sparkling. How could such a big man look like a puppy kicked so easily?
'And to think that a few days ago I was afraid of him...'
"I agree, I think so" The man smiled and she returned the gesture "Would you tell me about him?"
"Of course"
It was the first time they spoke during lunch, usually they just sat silently each with their own thoughts, only making little comments from here to there. Not this time, Daniela smiled when she saw the generally stoic man smile and talk animatedly about his another son, she wanted to feel envy of the other boy, of the effect he had on the man, but could not find it in her.
She wondered if he ever talked about her in a way with anyone else, had he done anything worthwhile to even tell?
"What do you think?" She turned around with a set of clothes in front of her, the furry creature on her bed glanced at her, preferring to go back to his nap. Daniela frowned, looking at the dress "Yes, I don't like the color much either"
Her me before the accident didn't seem to have a conspicuous taste for colors, all the clothes in her closet were dark and dingy, she didn't complain much about it, she had quite a bit of black clothes that she liked. But come on Who wears dark moss green color at her age? And with a high neck, what did she have on her head?
She threw herself on the bed, earning a complaint from Alfred the cat.
She still couldn't believe that she named him after Mr. Pennyworth.
'Seriously, what kind of person am I?'
Everything is so fucking confusing.
She shared a look with Alfred. Titus, like any dog, was full of energy, playing with him was refreshing. On the other hand, Alfred… “Stop judging me, will you? I have enough of my own self-loathing. "
As if her response had insulted him personally, Alfred got up from his place, stretched out, and left. Completely outraged.
Daniela moaned, burying her face in her pillow.
"The last time I saw you do that, you smashed all of yours pillows with a knife. Should I be worried?"
Daniela jumped from her place, seeing Alfred, the person, enter with a pile of clothes “Mr. Pennyworth! Wait, the last time I what !? "
He chose to ignore her question, putting things away in her closet. Seeing the mess on her bed he simply arched an eyebrow in that graceful way that only he could.
"Any reason for your... exhaustive search?"
Daniela blushed, hiding some things behind her. She glanced at Alfred, shaking her head "No, none" How could she tell him that she was nervous about meeting her supposed brother? She was ashamed just thinking about it, it was just her brother, it was family. Why did she want to look good? What was the point? It's not like she should make a good first impression, he already knew her.
'He knew her, past tense'
"It just... made me curious..."
"I see" Said the man, who clearly did not believe her "I'll start making dinner, anything you need from me before that?"
"No thanks Mr. Pennyworth" He nodded and started to walk away "Wait!" She nervously played with her hands "Can... Can I ask you something?"
"Of course"
"I ..." she looked at the man "How was my relationship with my brothers?"
Alfred watched her silently, then walked to the door of the room and closed it softly. "Is this about Master Timothy's visit tomorrow?" She nodded “Miss Daniela, I'm not going to lie to you, the beginning of your wasn't… the most charming. Your are the minors and both tend to fight a lot with each other, my poor kitchen has been a victim of it many times "
She smiled, though she quickly fainted. As she feared it, something told her that it couldn't be as wonderful as her father put it, 'We don't get along... Is it my fault?'
Alfred, the mind reader that he is, approached her, kneeling and taking one of her hands "Miss, as I said your beginning was not the best, but that was years ago, both have grown and although their disputes continue with the same frequency, its strength has dropped considerably. You are brothers, you will always fight each other. But if there is something I can assure you, it is that you love your brothers, all of them, you has not always known how to show it, but that is normal in this family. They know you love them and they love you too"
She blinked, trying to push away the tears that threatened to show themselves. His face softened and he gently caressed her face when a tear ran down her cheek. "You have nothing to worry about, Miss Daniela, with or without your memories, everyone in this house loves you and will help you in everything you need, you are not alone my girl, you will never be"
'Never again' He thought.