Chapter 16 | The Dinner

At some point while talking to commissioner Gordon and his wife, Barbara finished getting ready and came running downstairs.

When she entered the room, her eyes immediately focused on the commissioner and her expression brightened up.

''Daddy! I missed you!'' She exclaimed as she ran up and hugged the commissioner, who reciprocated the hug.

''I missed you too, Barbara!'' Commissioner Gordon replied with his inner over protective dad starting to show itself.

''Did you behave? Your mother told me you helped out with cooking.'' the commissioner said and Barbara nodded.

''Yup! Me and Mur did it!'' Barbara said, but commissioner Gordon and his wife tilted their head in confusion. Seeing their reaction I decided to explain.

''My full name is Albert Mur Ambrosius. My close friends call me by my middle name, Mur.'' I said capturing their attention and they nodded in appreciation at my explanation.

''Oh yah!'' Barbara suddenly shouted as she ran over to me and quickly dragged me back to where she previously was by my shirt. Her parents watched with widened eyes as Barbara casually dragged me around.

''This is Mur! But you can't call him Mur! Only his friends are aloud to call him Mur.'' She explained and introduced me to them... in her own weird way.

''Don't mind what she's saying. You may call me however you like Mr and Mrs Gordon.'' I casually said in passing as I believed commissioner Gordon earned the right to call me Mur, because of all the shit he goes through in the comics. However it seemed the commissioner didn't hear me as he was to preoccupied on another matter.

''...she calls him Mir, do they have pet names...'' He mumbled with a complex expression on his face. Mrs. Gordon seemed to have heard it and wanted to take a shot at teasing us.

''Why don't I call you son-in-law?'' She asked with a teasing smile, but...

''Why would you do that?'' Barbara asked, as her mothers teasing flew far over her head.

Slightly cringing at the unsuccessfulness of her tease and the innocence of Barbara, Mrs. Gordon shook her head and mumbled.

''Hurry up and grow up, Barbara. So mommy can tease you...'' Sounding aggrieved but Barbara probably wouldn't understand this until far into the future, though she would remember, because you know photographic memory. At least that's how I think photographic memory works...

  Shaking out of their odd states, Mr and Mrs Gordon returned to their normal self as we began talking about misalliance things such as school and mundane everyday things, but for some reason a warm and cozy atmosphere filled the room... something I hadn't felt for a long time now.

As we laughed and talked, the Turkey finally finished cooking and we began to set the table.

Over a few more hours, more and more people filled the house and a warm and marry atmosphere filled the room. Some of Barbara's aunts and uncles, and even some cousins and family friends tried teasing her about her 'little boyfriend' but they all went over her head and during the party it became a sort of inside joke.

Many of the older couples smiled and seemed to remanence as they watched Barbara and me who was following her around.

Somehow in the span of less than three hours I'd both gotten the direct family's blessing but somehow labeled as Barbara's 'little boyfriend'. Not having the sanity to fix their nonsense I just continued following Barbara around as she introduced me to other people.

Eventually, Barbara went to entertain some of the younger guests and I wondered off to some of the older uncles who where talking about politics and stocks. Being partly interested in stocks I joined their conversation and confirmed some of my own understanding of the stock market in this world.

The faces of the uncles who I debated about stocks and politics, was also quite a sight as no one expected me to be both knowledgeable but also give quite accurate predictions and explanations to trends. Of course, this was all mostly bullshit I pulled off through my future knowledge parried up with my limited knowledge about the evolution of the stock market from my past life.

However I had also been labeled as a 'tiny genius' by the older men at the party, too. This time a title I appreciated, so I let it slide without saying anything back. I mean what would I say in the first place? I'm actually a reincarnated person from an alternate reality, where this world is a comic book/TV series and soon the world is gonna go to shit.

Ya... That's sadly a no-go, so instead, I'll just use one of my trust fall back plan.

''I'm just a genius.''

In all honesty though, the Thanksgiving Dinner was great. I got to know a lot of the Gordon family to the point they'd share a beer with me (if I was drinking age). When we actually began to eat, Mrs. Gordon highlighted the part about me and Barbara helping cook quite a few of the dishes.

Many of the aunts, happily sighed as they fawned over me and Barbara. But a lot of them went slack jawed when they saw the cake I had made, looking at me over, they began questioning where Mrs. Gordon found someone like me and asked if she could find someone for their kids. Mrs. Gordon only smiled and replied.

''I didn't pick him out, Barbara did.'' With her words all the women turned to Barbara who was sitting beside me and looked at her with respect.

With that three new titles where given to us by the extended Gordon family, one to me and two for Barbara.

I had somehow been bumped up to 'Perfect House Husband', which I didn't know was a compliment or an insult.

Barbara on the other hand got a peculiar one; 'Husband Hunter' and 'Bloodhound', both indirectly hinting towards the fact she had found someone like me.

Though this completely went over Barbara's head and she just thought it was cool being called something like 'Hunter' or ' Bloodhound' and in that moment 'Barbara 'Bloodhound Gordon' was born.

This would later become one of Barbara's most embarrassing memory as everyone in her family would call her that and never let her live it down.

Less than 3 months until Appellaxian invasion.