Chapter Text
Dick moved into Wayne Manor shortly thereafter.
For some reason the state of New Jersey wouldn't let the circus keep custody of Dick.
Much to the performers grief.
They were weirdly insistent about shuffling him off into Gotham's foster care.
A little pressure from the power of the combined Drake and Wayne names meant that Bruce was able to finagle a deal of getting custody of Dick.
The performers of Haley's circus were much more amenable to this decision after Bruce went out of his way to make sure that Dick could contact any of them at any time. And seemed to have an intimate understanding of the pain their young family member was going through.
Janet bumped up her investment in Haley's circus and made sure that the young acrobat wouldn't have to worry about his family now that their star act was gone.
Dick looked slightly unsettled when he first arrived at Wayne Manor.
It was certainly a stark difference for the poor boy.
But Tim was able to help him acclimate and was a comforting anchor to the traumatized child.
As soon as he had walked through the door of the sitting room Tim and Janet were waiting in he had jumped off his mother's lap and barreled straight into the devastated acrobat winding his tiny arms around the older boy's legs.
"The hug you gave me made me feel special and happy so I'll give you all the hugs you need don't you worry!"
Tim had said looking up at the older boy with a blinding smile.
And for the first time since his parents had fallen, Dick's façade broke and he collapsed into a heap cradling the toddler close and sobbing into his hair.
Tim wasn't unnerved in the slightest. Just simply cooing at the older boy and petting his arms and hair wherever he could reach.
Yes Janet could see that Tim already loved him dearly.
She would just have to remind her son to wait a bit before asking.
After all it was a big question and it was rude to spring on someone so soon after they had gone through such tragedy.
Janet *was* going to look into suspicious deaths of John and Mary Grayson.
But Batman was seen quickly after on the scene and she figured he had it handled.
She would just have the chase the mystery of why New Jersey or Gotham specifically was so intent on keeping an orphaned Acrobat.
----
Janet had found some interesting secrets and some promising leads in her search of Gotham's underbelly and the bizarre behavior of Gotham's Foster system.
Though she kept coming upon references to owls and an old nursery rhyme.
Hmmmm....
Well whoever it was they surely thought highly of themselves. For while their security and threads were tightly and highly guarded, it certainly wasn't good enough to deter Janet.
She hummed happily to herself and she sat on the couch with her laptop sending orders to her employees and connections and traced the secrets back to their roots.
Her beloved son was stretched out on the living room floor a few feet from her legs and was engrossed in the TV, which was switched to the local news and was currently running a report on Batman and his new sidekick Robin.
Tim already loves superheroes and Batman most of all and Janet made sure to encourage her son's interest by buying him all the latest figures and merch. And letting him watch any news program, video or even cold case analysis that slightly related to the Bat.
No matter how gory or disturbing the contents.
Such things were of little matter to a Drake when it came to their loves and passions.
And certainly no reason to deny something that had caught a Drake's eye.
Tim was most recently fascinated with the newest superhero and Gotham's little darling, the first child sidekick, Robin, the boy Wonder.
Tim was particularly excited for this news broadcast for it was the first footage captured of the new little hero.
Janet mostly kept her eyes on either her computer or her wonderful son.
After all she had a promise to Bruce to keep.
He had been doing so much better recently since he took Dick in.
Yes Dick was rambunctious, loud and filled with both boundless energy that caused him to zoom around the manor and climb on anything he could get his little hands on, and intense grief and anger at the loss of his parents.
But Bruce knew that feeling well and since the little bouncy boy had come into his life, it was like the dark cloud that hung around Bruce's shoulders since his parents' death had been lessened, even if it was just a little bit.
Janet was glad that Bruce had found a son, even if he didn't realize it yet.
Too caught up in making sure Dick had everything he needed while also trying to make sure the little acrobat knew he wasn't trying to replace his parents.
Silly Brucie, no parent can ever be replaced.
But that doesn't mean you could only have a finite amount of them.
Bruce had grown up around Janet and her many parents, he should know this but Brucie had always been a little dense.
Well at least Janet had been able to convince Bruce to look into therapy for both Dick and himself.
And if he had smiled at her with that secret little smile when Dick had demanded that if he had to go to therapy so did Bruce, then that was neither here nor there.
She looked up when her son gasped in shock.
"What is it my darling?" She asked her awestruck son.
Her darling little boy with his eyes filled with awe looked up at her and excitedly pointed at the TV where it seemed like the Little Robin had just finished a neat little trick.
Janet hadn't seen the trick but she knew that the little vigilante was known already for his showy tricks and flips.
Tim breathe out a gasp as he spoke excitably. "Robin just did a quadruple somersault! Dick said that only members of the Grayson family can do that! Dick 's Robin!"
Janet's eyes widened as she looked at her brilliant little son and then let her gaze drift to the television screen.
The camera focused on Robin's blindingly bright smile and just off to the right a little bit she could make out the distinct shadow of Batman with a small but gentle smile on his lips.
"Huh... Would you look at that. Good job my little detective!" She smiled brightly at her son who returned her grin with just as much love and sunshine.
Suddenly Tim blinked and looked up with her with his head tilted to the side.
"That means Uncle Bruce is Batman doesn't it Mama?"
Janet smiled conspiratory at her son. "I should think so yes my dear."
Tim called Bruce uncle because Tim calling him dad made him uncomfortable for some strange reason.
Oh well they'd get there one day.
It certainly made sense why Bruce didn't want her looking into Batman at all.
Her dear friend knew her too well.
She would have found him out in a heartbeat, and he knew it.
Tim brought his head back up straight and nodded decisively. "Yeah has to be Uncle Bruce. Grandpa Alfred would have shot the Joker by now and Dick doesn't trust anybody else other than you, me and Daddy." Tim's nose crunched up adorably.
"And daddy's not Batman, you would have told me. Plus Batman can't be here and halfway around the world at the same time. He's not magic, that's Zatanna."
Janet nodded decisively herself. "Too right I would have told you if your father was Batman." She laughs hardly to herself. "Not that my dear husband and your loving father could or would swing around Gotham's rooftops. He's much happier in his lovely dig sites."
Tim nodded as of his mother had only confirmed his thoughts.
Janet pulled her lovely son into her lap and cuddled him close.
He buried his head into her shoulder in return.
Such a loving affectionate boy.
"But I do think we should keep this little secret between us my dear. After all Brucie and Dickey would be terribly embarrassed if they knew we had found them out."
Her son pulled back and looked at her with those lovely ocean blue eyes of his. "O'course mama! They're our beloved people and they're doing what makes them happy! We should do what we can to make sure they can keep doing it, right Mama?"
Janet booped her sweet little son on the nose. "Exactly right my love."
Her son giggled and continued to watch the news report with wrapped attention on her lap.
Well she would certainly have to find more ways to encourage her little son's fascination now.
A fascination fueled and participated by some of his most beloved people.
How lovely for him!
And she could certainly say she kept her promise to Bruce.
After all it wasn't her that found him out.
---
Tim really liked Dick.
He's really kind and cool and did really fun tricks and flips!
But...some times he was really sad or mad.
Because the bad man killed his parents.
Tony Zuko.
Momma made sure Tim didn't see the Grayson's bodies, but Tim know Dick saw.
Tim wishes he was older, so he could help Dick get that mean Tony Zuko.
But being little meant he couldn't do much to help his big brother.
Have to remember, can't call him that *yet*. Haven't *asked*.
And he couldn't ask yet, Dick was distraught by the lost of parents and he needed to focus on being Robin.
Tim couldn't burden him with all that being loved fully by a Drake would bring, right now.
And he knew that, he understood it.
It was still annoying to wait though.
Dick was the best big brother in the world!
He deserved to know.
---
Luckily Tim didn't have to wait very long to ask.
About 6 months after Dick had been formally taken in by Uncle Bruce and 2 months after Tim figured out what they were *really* doing at night, Robin and Batman arrested Tony Zuko.
Alive, which was a slight surprised to Tim and his mama. But if that's what Dick wanted that's what was going to happen.
Tim already asked, mama was going to make sure he was going to rot *forever*.
Him and momma were going to visit Dick and Uncle Bruce today.
"I think now that that awful man is put away you can ask now, my love." Momma had said.
Tim was soooo excited!
He's going to ask his big brother today!
---
Dick was the one to open door for them.
That was great! Tim could see his soon-to-be big brother right away!
Dick looked tired and a little sad, but directed his trademark bight smile at them.
"Mrs. Drake! Little Timmy! I didn't know you guys were going to be here today." Dick said with surprise.
"Yes, well, Tim has something he wants to ask you Dick. And please, I've said to call me Janet or auntie my dear." Momma smiled warmly at Dick.
Dick blushed. "Right, sorry auntie." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before he turned to look at Tim. "But you have something you wanted to ask me a little buddy?"
"Mm-hm!" Tim bounces excitedly.
Uncle Bruce appears from the shadows and chuckles. "And I think I know what that is chum, and if it is what I think it is we better go get comfortable in one of the sitting rooms." He smiles mischievously down at his foster son. "Trust me you're going to want a comfy chair and some of Alfred's tea."
Dick merely shoots his foster father a confused look before shrugging and pulling Tim by his little hand into the house and dashing off with him into a sitting room.
Both boys laughing all the way.
---
"So what did you want to ask me Timmy? Did you want to see another cool trapeze trick? But if that's the case I don't get why B's being so dramatic."
Dick shoots his foster father a teasing look from where he sat on a nice comfy couch in the sitting room they had nicely arranged themselves in with as promised some nice hot tea courtesy of Alfred himself.
Uncle Bruce only rolls his eyes in responds.
Tim vibrates excitedly on the sofa next day his mother who gives him an encouraging look.
Tim nods at her and just blurts it out.
"Dick I love you very much as my big brother! Please accept my affections is your little brother and let me love you with the full extent of a willing Drake heart! I promise if you accept that I'll never stop loving you, and I will do anything and everything to make you happy and grant your wishes." Tim positively beams at him.
Dick looks startled and looks over to his foster father in abject confusion.
"B? What's going on?"
Bruce just chuckles and shrugs his shoulders.
"The Drakes are a family that love fully and powerfully. That applies to both their passions and the people they love. They would do anything for the people they love."
He looks fondly over at mama who gives him a warm serene smile.
He turns back to look at his foster son. "And I mean anything chum. Which tends to unnerve people when it's suddenly happening to them." Bruce gestures over to Tim and Mama.
"Which is why they made it a tradition to ask first before they do anything...crazy." Bruce gives his foster son a sympathetic look. "I know it seems crazy Chum, but this isn't a prank. And Tim's not kidding about any of what he just said."
Dick takes a moment to stare at his foster father seemingly putting his thoughts back together before he snaps his head over to Tim.
"... You sure little buddy? You want me to be your big brother?"
Tim bounces happily on the sofa cushion. "Yep! You're the best big brother ever!"
Dick beams one of his trademark bright as sunshine smiles and then suddenly tackles Tim and a gigantic hug.
"I'd be honored to be your big brother Timmy! I promise to love you forever too!"
Tim shrieks with glee and cuddles closer to his big brother.
Finally Dick Grayson is his big brother!
"I promise I'll be the best little brother ever!" Tim vows.
Dick chuckles and tickles Tim's sides causing him to burst into fits of giggles.
"I have no doubt about that little Timmy! I promise I'll be the best Big brother ever too!"
Tim cuddles closer to Dick and giggles.
Dick is being silly!
He already *is* the best big brother ever!
After all he gives the best hugs!