Work Text:
Maternal Instincts
by Prodigette
"Matt? Terry? I'm home!"
Mary McGinnis shut the door behind her and dropped her keys onto the wooden coffee table with a loud clink. She walked through the living room and could see the note on the large television.
'Ma,
Matt is over a friends' house. I went to go pick up Mr. Wayne. I'll be back soon.
Terry.'
With a satisfied smile, she looked around the living room, seeing that almost everything was clean.
Almost everything.
Mary picked up Terry's jacket off the black couch with a sigh. Getting Terry to pick up after himself wasn't too easy, even when he was little.
"That boy would forget his head if it wasn't connected to his neck and shoulders."
Mary looked at the brown jacket with heavy curiosity. She brought the jacket up to her face, a habit that she picked up from years of washing laundry. Mary silently hoped that Terry washed it. Mary buried her nose in the collar of the apparel. After shave. She sniffed again out of curiosity. The scent of it was faint, but oddly familiar. It wasn't something that she smelled recently.
Mary furrowed her eyebrows in thought.
"Terry doesn't wear aftershave." She said to herself. She sniffed the jacket again. The scent was very distinctive and Mary couldn't shake the feeling that she smelled it before. She also couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on. Mary could hear some voices, making her jump up immediately. Mary grabbed a metal baseball bat out from a corner of the room, ready to swing it at any time.
"Who... who is it?" She stammered.
The doorknob turned slowly and opened. Mary swung the baseball bat, and someone yelled.
"Geez, ma! It's me! I... I just forgot to get my jacket!" Terry said, his hand on his chest. Her son's eyes were wide as saucers and he looked as if he was lost.
"Terrence Nathaniel McGinnis, don't you ever scare me like that again! Do you hear me?"
Mary dropped the bat onto the floor and put her hands on both sides of Terry's face. She could smell the aftershave again. The scent this time was much more stronger. She backed away slowly, looking him over. Terry's hair was out of place and his clothes were ruffled.
Terry looked at her oddly and looked behind him at something. Mary could only look at her son with obvious suspicion. "Uhm, could you help me here?" The young man asked with nervousness in his voice.
"Mrs. McGinnis, are you alright?" A deep voice snapped Mary out of her thinking and she looked in the direction of the living room door.
"Oh! Mr. Wayne! I didn't hear you come in!" Mary said, smoothing out her red hair.
"No one usually does." Terry muttered under his breath.
Mary shot him another suspicious look, but she still continued. "It's very good to see you again. Would you like some coffee? Some tea?"
Bruce paused and smiled politely before answering. "No thank you, Mrs. McGinnis. I just wanted Terry to check in with you before he continued working tonight. Is that alright with you?" He asked, walking forward. His movements were very graceful for a man his age, no matter what the speed was.
As he got closer, Mary's smile faded some. "Yes.. it's definitely alright with me. Mr. Wayne, Just be sure to bring my son back in one piece." She said, trying to keep her voice in one tone.
Bruce's facial expression didn't change, but the look in his eyes did slightly. It wasn't a look of anger. It looked to be understanding.
"Mr. Wayne, we have some.. work to do. *Remember?*" Terry emphasized.
Bruce cleared his throat. "Yes. We do. I'll see you later, Mrs. McGinnis." Bruce said, turning his back on her.
Terry opened the door. "Bye mom!"
Mary stayed silent as she watched them leave. Bruce put his hand on the small of Terry's back and still, Mary could only stay silent.
When the door closed behind the two men, Mary sniffed the air again. There was that aftershave once again. Only seconds ago, the source of that scent was right in front of her.
END