Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jason Todd sat back in his leather spinney chair in his apartment and wondered when his life went so right. He had gone from the most feared crime lord in Gotham to being known as Red Hood: protector of Robins and bats, and gone from a lonely teenager to a younger brother, an older brother, a son, and a grandson.

Jason thinks back to earlier that evening as he looks down at the sleeping Red Robin on his lap. He found the kid trying to fight off a bunch of riddler goons after being up for almost four days and not having anything in his stomach besides takis and coffee. Tim argued with Jason after the goons were all taken down about how he was just fine when the kinds eyes fluttered behind his domino and he passed out into Jason’s arms. His body shut down. Jason sighed, scooped up the lanky teenage CEO, and carried him off to his apartment. There he alerted the bats where Tim was and that he was alive, before stripping off the young vigilante's armor and bandaging all his wounds, he then got Tim dressed into some sweats and a sweatshirt he definitely didn’t steal from dick.

Jason tried to get the kid set up on his guest bed but Tim clung to Jason like a lifeline. Eventually, Jason accepted his fate and climbed in to snuggle his little brother. Single Handily he got an IV antibiotic and fluid drip started and fell asleep. Jason woke up a few hours later needing to attend to some work his head henchman sent him. Tim was still clinging to him so he scooped up the teen, IVs and all, and carried them over to the chair. Over the next several hours, Jason worked on controlling the drug market and protecting the ones under his protection. Which brings Jason to now. After contemplating his life and his brothers, Jason decided that it was time for a little break and he needed to get Tim to eat something that was considered real food.

Gently, Jason started to run his fingers through Tim’s long black hair and try to wake him up. Jason learned the hard way that shaking awake Tim lead to the kid freaking out and going into fight or flight mode. Eventually, Tim sighed sleepily and nuzzled further into Jason’s shoulder, whining at the prospect of having to get up.

“Come on Babybird, time to wake up. I’m going to make breakfast and you are going to eat with me.” Jason got Tim mostly awake, set him on his feet, and led the groggy teen over to the barstools at the counter so Jason could keep an eye on him.

After getting breakfast started, and giving Tim his antibiotics and coffee, Jason began asking Tim a few questions. “Tim, I need you to be honest with me, are you ok? You know that not eating and running around rooftops on just a bit of caffeine is not healthy kiddo. I just want to make sure that this is a one-time thing and not a trying to prove my worth thing.” Pausing, Jason sat down next to Tim to give him a moment to think over his next words carefully.

“I-.” Tim started and paused. His shoulders slumped inwards in a way that portrayed defeat, and exhaustion, and at the same time, Jason was reminded that Tim was still just a teenager. Not even a legal adult yet, but he was carrying the workload of several fully functioning adults.

Jason got up and moved around to the other side of the table and spun Tim’s chair around to look his little brother in the face. Something inside of Jason’s heart broke at the sight of his Babybird. Tim had designer-level bags under his eyes that looked bruised and painful. His cheeks and collarbone were sharp and looked as if someone had just draped pale skin over the bones. Jason reached up and pulled Tim into a hug, feeling the kid's spine along his fingers. Tim didn’t say anything but the subtle shaking of his frail body and the occasional hitched breath along with the growing wet patch on Jason’s Wonder Woman T-shirt, led him to believe that Tim was crying. But silently. Pulling Tim closer, Jason growled slightly in anger at the thought of someone teaching the kid to cry quietly.

After a few minutes of Jason comforting his little brother, Jason got up and pulled Tim onto his hip like a toddler. The fact that Tim didn’t protest to being carried spoke volumes. As Jason walked around the room, Tim leaned into Jason’s hold, as if soaking up the positive touch and hugs. After getting Tim a cup of water, Jason sat down on the couch, pulling TIm into his side, his arm never leaving the boy’s bony shoulders.

“Drink some water Babybird, or you'll get dehydrated.” Tim blinked owlishly up at his big brother but grabbed the glass and took a small sip of the cool water. After the first sip, Tim realized just how thirsty he actually was and proceeded to chug the whole glass, dripping water down his chin. After finishing his glass he put it down and gulped in air, since Tim forgot to stop for air while drinking his water. Jason grabbed the glass and put in on the small table next to him before turning to Tim once again.

“Timmy, you know I need to ask you this again. Are you OK? You can tell me anything kiddo. I promise.” Jason promised reassuringly while combing his dull fingernails through Tim’s long black hair.

“I-I don’t know.” Tim finally got out in a hushed whispered voice, thick with more unshed tears.

“Shshsh, it's ok Birdy. Why don’t you tell me a bit of what’s on your mind right now?” Jason tried a different route.

Tim did his little nose scrunch that meant he was thinking the prospect over, before leaning further into Jason’s side and started to talk, emotionless and dull. “I just want to feel loved the way that Bruce loves all of you. I never wanted to become Robin, but then I did and I hated every minute of it. When you called me a pretender, you couldn't have been more spot on. I was a pretender, a cuckoo in a Robin’s nest. Bruce didn’t want me there. He sent me across the world to train with Lady Shiva, then would train me to the point of blood and broken bones before I would limp to that damned house and would watch a video off of YouTube to try and fix whatever was broken. I especially NEVER wanted Wayne Enterprises. Hell, I never even wanted Drake Industries, but here I am. A high school dropout at 17, running to Fortune 500 companies while being put down by board members as just being a kid in a suit playing dress up, going out at night to take down villains running on caffeine and spite. I never wanted this for my life. Jason, I never wanted this.”

Jason, for once, was at a loss for words. Once again he looked down and the shaking kid in his arms and decided right then and there, that he was going to give Tim the childhood the Kid always wanted. Because of course, Jason knew about the kid's asshole parents. The type of ‘parents’ who would rather leave their five-year-old home alone than have to actually spend time with their child. The type of ‘parents’ who forced their kid to grow up too fast.

It seemed, Jason had a few phone calls to make.

Chapter Text

After Tim had finally fallen asleep once again, Jason carefully scooped up the teenager and placed Tim under the covers of the bed in his apartment’s guest room. Already Jason’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to give Tim the childhood he obviously lacked. The first thing Jason decided was to call Bruce. No one that young should be the CEO of any company that large, never mind two companies. Bruce was a big boy and he could easily take care of Wayne Enterpirse and Drake Industries until Tim was older and decided for himself if he wanted to take over.

Jason opened his phone and clicked on Bruce’s number. Though in his phone his contact name was “B stands for Bitch.” After a few seconds of ringing, Jason heard a tired “Hello?” On the other end. Glancing at the clock, Jason realized that it was only eight in the morning and Bruce probably would have been asleep for at least another two hours had Jason not woken him up.

Not that Jason cared about waking him up.

“Hey Bruce, just curious but have you talked to Tim recently?”

On the other end, Jason heard Bruce take a deep sigh before answering. “No. Tim is an adult and perfectly fine with taking care of himself. Why? Did he do something? I told him to stay away from your territory or I would suspend Red Robin, but sometimes that kid just doesn't listen.”

With every word that Bruce spoke, Jason became more and more livid. “Tim hasn’t been intruding B. Why would you take away RR? You know the kid practically lives and breathes the vigilante life.”

“Jason, why do you even care? You’ve said it yourself, Tim was the replacement.”

Jason couldn't believe he was hearing these things from his own father. “B…Tim’s my little brother, and your son. How could you treat him like this? Treat him like his parents did?”

“Tim was not somebody that I wanted in my life, Jason. When you died, I never wanted to be a father again. Whenever Tim was here, I trained him harder than I trained you and Dick because I wanted him to quit. I wanted Tim to go back home. At least in that mansion, he would be safe, even if his parents were never home. But the kid was stubborn so I sent him around the world to learn, because Tim was starting from nothing. Dick had his acrobatics, you had your street smarts. Tim was just Tim. I honestly hoped that Lady Shiva would send the kid packing, but he showed back up and Wayne Manor, ready for training. But let me get this one thing straight. Tim is not your brother. I only ever fostered Tim, since I couldn't have him as Robin in a FRICKING ORPHANAGE! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR JASON?! I HAVE NEVER LOVED TIM, HE IS NOT YOUR BROTHER, AND HE NEVER WILL BE!” After that, all Jason heard was a dull ringing meaning that Bruce had hung up.

Taking a deep breath, Jason steadied himself and turned around when he heard a small sniffle. There was Tim, looking at the phone Jason was still holding with a look of acceptance and hurt.

“It’s ok Jason. I’ve always known, I was Just always in denial. I’ve got to head to work now, but I’ll see you tonight maybe. On patrol, I mean” And before Jason could stop Tim, the lanky teen was out the door.

After a few more calming deep breaths, Jason picked the phone back up and called Bruce again. The moment Jason heard Bruce answer he started talking.

“Listen here his fricking bastard, Tim does not deserve to go through the ridiculous amount of bullshit you all put him through. Starting today, YOU are going to be the one running Wayne Enterprises, YOU are going to keep Drake Industries afloat until Tim is old enough to decide what he wants to do with it, and YOU are going to give Tim a break from cases for the foreseeable future. And there is no way on God’s green earth or you to even THINK about getting near the kid. And he is a kid Bruce, 17 does not make him an adult. If you do not follow through with these conditions, I will tell Barbara and Alfred about all the shit you put Tim through. How well do you think you will function without your technology or your trusty butler?”

But before Bruce could retaliate, Jason hung up and flung his phone across the room, watching the screen break and rain down shards of glass all over the floor.

‘Oh well.’ Jason thought to himself. ‘I was due for an upgrade anyway.’

~~~~~~~~~~~

About forty minutes later, Jason rolled up in front of Wayne Enterprises in his red 1999 Ferrari convertible that he fixed up after buying it from an old car collector. After rehearsing the plan, Jason got out of the car and simply flashed a smile at the receptionist before taking the elevator to the top floor. Jason had Bruce declare him legally alive a few months ago, and all of the employees knew the prodigal son, Jason Todd, who returned from being presumed dead.

On the top floor, Jason was greeted by Tamara Fox, who just so happened to have a burning passion of anger towards the rest of the Bats, including Jason.

“What do you want Todd?” Tam snarked at the man in front of her.

“I am here to inform Timtam that Bruce will be taking back over as CEO and that Tim has effectively been relieved of his duty. The kid should not have this Job. You and I both agree on that. I managed to convince Bruce to take back CEO, but I want to get Tim out of here before the big bad bat arrives. Will you help me?”

After thinking it over for a moment, Tam relented and allowed Jason into Tim’s office. Jason waltzed in and felt his heart break at the sight of the teenager before him. Tim’s desk was covered in old coffee mugs and travel cups from nearby cafes. Papers were stacked into large piles, overwhelming Tim’s to-do box and very little in his outgoing box. The piles even spread out onto the floor and were organized in some way only Tim understood.

Jason cautiously stepped in, making every effort to make his footsteps loud in order to not startle the teen. Tim’s eyes were swollen from crying and the bags under his eyes were bruised. The teen’s suit which probably once fit him perfectly hung off his thin frame loosely, and a quick look around showed no basket of snacks like Bruce once used to have.

“Timmy,” Jason called out kindly. Even though Jason was being loud, Tim still startled and knocked over a stack of papers near him. The teen fell to the floor in a panic and tried to quickly organize his papers once again.

“Nonononono…” Tim mumbled in worry. Jason got closer and squatted down to try and help Tim, but the second his hand brushed any of the papers, Tim shot up and turned to Jason. “I can handle it!” The teen yelled. But to Jason, it seemed like Tim wasn’t yelling at anyone in particular and was trying to convince himself more than Jason that he truly did have the situation.

“Hey. it’s ok Babybird. You don’t have to worry anymore. I talked to Bruce this morning and he agreed to become CEO again of both Drake Industries and Wayne Enterprises.” Jason decided to not include the part where Bruce didn’t have a say in the matter. “Now here is what we are going to do. We’re going to leave these papers where they’re at, and we're going to go to your apartment. There you are going to pack a bag so you can come and stay with me for a few days. You’re going to get changed into some comfy clothes and then I am going to take you to the start of your Childhood Adventure. OK?”

Tim looked up at Jason with wide eyes that were bright with tears. He nodded and got up slowly, looking at the papers one last time before turning away from them and deciding to leave the fallen stack where it was.

That one action seemed to take all of Tim’s energy. Tim got up and started to sway, his eyes starting to droop and he leaned into Jason, letting his shoulders sag in relief at not having to be the one in charge anymore. Jason smiled fondly down at his younger brother and scooped Tim up bridal style. After a bit of help from Tam, Jason managed to get Tim out of the building unnoticed. As Jason buckled Tim into his seat, he caught a glance of Bruce in his rearview mirror. The man was dressed nicely, in a sharp black suit with a light blue tie. His hair was slicked back and a pair of overpriced sunglasses were perched on Bruce’s face. Without hesitating, Jason hightailed it away from Wayne Enterprises.

Back at Tim’s apartment, Jason woke up the teen and guided the sleepy boy up the stairs and into his apartment. By the time they got to the apartment, Tim was much more awake, but still blinking sluggishly. Jason helped Tim quickly pack some essentials (including his antibiotics) and helped Tim get on some clothes that were much comfier than the starchy suit. However, all of Tim’s clothes were too big for the teen's small frame. Jason definitely remembered seeing Tim in all of these clothes before, even just a few months prior. But now the same clothes drooped off one shoulder, and the sweatpants were tightened all the way but still too big. Frowning, Jason made a mental list of the types of food he was going to make his little brother. Starting with easy foods such as broth and soup since he can assume the kid hadn’t eaten any real full meal in a while.

After the quick stop at Tim’s apartment, the two headed back to Jason’s. Tim had once again fallen asleep and instead of fighting it, Jason picked up both the boy and his bag and carried them upstairs to the two-bedroom apartment.

Placing Tim down in the same bed as the night before, Jason tucked Tim in, and got to work preparing a light supper for when Tim would wake up.

~~~~~~~~~

Jason underestimated just how tired Tim must have been, but by the time seven O’clock rolled around, Tim wandered out of the guest room with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His once neat and tidy hair was messy from sleep.

“Good morning Timberly.” Jason acknowledged his little brother. “I was thinking that for tonight we could have an easy night. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner since your stomach probably can't handle anything more rich. While we eat I figured we could watch a movie. You can decide what movie to watch while I get dinner served, OK?”

Tim just nodded and moved to take the spot on the couch that Jason had vacated.

Just as Tim had found a movie that pleased him, Jason returned with two bowls of soup, one fuller than the other. “Finish that bit and I can get you some more if you are still hungry. Now what are we watching tonight?”

Tim clicked on his selection and waited for Jason’s approval before starting the movie. “Big Hero 6?” Jason asked.

Tim shrunk down, worried that he had made the wrong choice. “We can change the movie. I didn’t know which one to pick.”

Jason wanted to smack himself for questioning the already scared teen with obvious self-worth issues. “Nononono Babybird. I'm just curious. I have never seen this movie. Is it good?”

Obviously, that was the right question because Tim perked up and started to excitedly talk about the movie for a few minutes. Then he got quiet and shrunk back down again. “Sorry. I was talking too much.”

“Tim, I want to hear you talk. I want to hear you laugh and have fun. You have a voice, so don’t ever apologize for using it. Understand?” Jason reassured.

Tim nodded. “Sorry. I’m just nervous. I’ve never had a movie night before. And I never thought I would get to pick the movie if I ever got to experience one! I’m excited. And nervous.”

Once again, Jason felt a piece of his heartbreak at Tim’s confession. “You never had movie nights at the Manor? Or with Dick?” Jason thought that even if Bruce was an asshole, Dick would have at least hung out with the kid a bit.

Tim scrunched his nose and thought before replying. “No. if there was a movie night, Bruce always told me that there were cases that could be worked on. And Dick tried to invite me to movie night a few times, but I didn’t want to get too close to them, so I always declined. After a while, he stopped asking. Then when Damian came along, Bruce always told me that I was needed to patrol. ‘Robin doesn’t get to take breaks’ he always said.”

Jason just pulled Tim closer and kissed the crown of Tim’s head. “Well, we are going to have much better movie nights. Eventually, we’ll get ice cream and popcorn to go with the night, but that might make you a bit sick. So tonight, we get soup.” Jason then held up his spoon and bowl in the air, earning a small smile and laugh out of Tim.
The night only lasted a few hours. After Big Hero 6, the two brothers watch Treasure Planet. Halfway through Treasure Planet, Jason looked over and saw Tim once more asleep against his side. Grabbing a nearby blanket, Jason tucked the blanket around Tim to keep his small frame warm. And with the movie still playing, Jason opened a new tab on his laptop that was resting nearby.

‘How to earn custody of a sibling in Gotham City’

Chapter Text

The next morning, while making breakfast for himself and the sleeping teenager sleeping on his couch, Jason realized that he was almost out of groceries. He also wanted to make sure that he had some of Tim’s favorites stocked. He also was going to get some snacks that way Tim might possibly eat at least something.

After making a list of all the things Jason needed, he went and woke up Tim and together the two ate breakfast while Jason explained the day's plans. Earlier Jason decided to kill two birds with one stone. One of his favorite things to do when he was a kid was to ride in shopping carts, pretending to be a racecar driver, using a bag of tortillas or a frozen pizza as a steering wheel. Even though Catheriene often struggled to make ends meet, she always made sure that Jason had a positive relationship with food. That is, until Catheriene passed and Jason struggled to find food and worried everyday about where his next meal would come from.

The other thing that Jason loved to do, was go to the park with his mom. Together the two of them would swing on the swings, and would use a small slice of bread if they could spare it to feed the ducks.

“So, what do you think?” Jason asked Tim, curious to see what his little brother would think of the plans.

Tim looked up at Jason with excited blue eyes. “Are you sure I can ride in the cart? Aren’t I to old?”

Jason decided to have a little fun with the situation. “Are you saying that I am really old then? Cause I still ride in the cart when I go shopping with Roy and Kori.” The cherry on the cake was Jason pulling up a picture on his phone from just the week before of Jason riding in a shopping cart. His legs were thrown over either side of the cart, his back leaning on the end of the cart where the kids' seats normally push out, a green lantern cap pulled low over Jason’s eyes. Kori throws endless boxes of cereal into a cart, about half of the boxes actually landing in the cart, filling the training space around Jason. Roy looked like a tired mom as he pushed the cart with one hand, scrolling through his phone with the other.

Tim looked at the photo and laughed, albeit hesitantly. Still the small laugh, made Jason’s heart swell wh pride and admiration for his little brother.

After breakfast, the two brothers got on their jackets and headed out for the grocery store. Once They got there, Jason grabbed the cart and gestured for Tim to climb on in. Tim looked up hesitantly at Jason, biting his lip out of nervousness.

“Tim, it’s ok. We aren’t going to be here long, we aren’t with Bruce so no one will recognize us as. I am going to give you the childhood you missed out on, and riding in a shopping cart is a crucial part of childhood. So up you go.” And without hesitating, Jason scooped up Tim from under his armpits and set him down in the cart. Tim squeaked in surprise, but leaned back against the cart and after a few minutes started to relax.

The shopping trip went well and Jason managed to sneak a few photos of Tim drowning in groceries.

After dropping off the groceries at the apartment and packing a few sandwiches in a wicker basket that Jason refused to admit he bought with his own money earned as Red Hood. It was the perfect day for a picnic and Jason and Tim wandered around Gotham Central Park until they came to this little learning by the pond and the park but under a shady tree.

“How are supposed to have a picnic?” Tim asked hesitantly. He had never been on one before and he definitely didn't want to screw it up.

Jason unpacked the blanket he had brought and laid it on the ground. “Well, to have a picnic, you either sit at the beach, or a bench, or wherever you want, and you lay down a blanket. At least, that's what Alfred taught me. Then once all the picnickers are seated, you serve whatever food you brought alone. The traditional picnic lunch that I learned from Alfie was sandwiches. Either PB&J or meat and cheese with different fillings. Chips for a side, and I put chips on my sandwiches.” Jason said as he demonstrated putting plain potato chips on his PB&J.

“Cookies for dessert are a must have. I always bring some sort of chilled tea in a thermos to keep it cool. Now if you ever go on a picnic with Alfred, he brings tea and teacups. But I’m not that fancy and I bring paper cups. Then once all the food is out, and everyone is seated, you begin the picnic.” Jason sat down on the blanket, patting a spot next to him so Tim felt invited.

The two brothers sat quietly at first, munching on their lunch until finally Jason decided to break the silence and eventually the two brothers began to talk around the food in their mouths. After finishing their sandwiches and cookies, the boys packed up their blankets and wandered around the park until Jason glanced at the time and realized that it was getting late. At the car, Jason loaded up the blanket and empty picnic basket. By the time he got into the car, Tim was asleep in the passenger seat, curled up with his blanket and a sweatshirt. Because even though it was nearing the mid seventies and low eighties in terms of temperature, Tim was still so thin that he became cold extremely easily. Jason smiled and gently ruffled his brother's hair before putting the car in reverse and starting the drive home.

Chapter Text

Jason woke up the next morning to the feeling that something was wrong. Before getting up he went through a mental checklist of everything. Did anything new hurt? No. Did he feel sick? No. Was he forgetting any plans for the day? That time Jason reached over for his phone and looked at his calender. After seeing the empty planner, Jason got up and decided to check on the rest of the house to see if something was setting off his internal alarm.

Reaching the living room, Jason turned the corner and saw his little brother curled up in the corner of he room, a thick weighted blanket wrapped around him. Giant headphones covered Tim’s ears and even from a few feet away Jason was able to hear loud music coming through the headphones. Taking a moment to analyze the situation in front of him, Jason took a deep breathe and then stepped forward and crouched down in front of Tim. Since Tim’s eyes were closed Jaosn gently placed his hand on the small visible part of Tim’s shoulder which was not covered by the blanket.

Instatniounsly Tim’s head shot and his blue eyes were red and swollen with tears. A piece of Jason’s heart broke at the sight and he motioned for Tim to take off the headphones. One of Tim’s hands reached up and pulled off the headphones and pulled them down into the blanket cocoon.

Once the headphones were off, Jason gently started to talk to Tim. “Hey bud. Is today going to be a hard day?”

Without making a sound, Tim nodded and silent tears fell down his pale cheeks. Jason wasn’t surprised that today was a bad day. He had witnessed Tim having off days before where the kid was always quiet and off, but Jason never realized just how bad those days got before Tim actually told him. The last three weeks had been wonderful for Jason and Tim. The two brothers have grown stronger in their connection since Tim had come to live with the older man. After the movie night and the picnic, Tim slept for almost the whole weekend, his body catching up on sleep after the last several years of nonstop work for the Bats and Wayne Enterprise. Now after three weeks of living together, Jason was finally witnessing Tim’s struggle come fully into the light.

“Would you like me to sit with you? Or maybe I could make some breakfast for us? Why don’t you hold up one finger for the first option, two fingers for the second option, three for something else, or my favorite finger if you want me to f-off.” Tim’s shoulders shook and Jason couldn’t tell if it was from laughter or silent sobs, but he sincerely hoped it was the first option,

After a few minutes, one finger made its way out of the blanket cocoon, but not Jason’s favorite finger, so the older brother scooted closer and pulled Tim into a side hug. The small from of Timothy Drake shook with sobs and every few minutes and Jason just sat there and rubbed Tim’s arms and back, humming a soft tune. “It’s ok Timbo. You’ll be ok, i promise.”

As Tim’s cries slowly turned into soft whimpers, Jason continued to hold him and comfort him. Eventually, the whimpers turned to snores. After a few more minutes to guarantee tim was truly asleep, Jason got up and moved the younger boy to the couch and started on a late breakfast.

By the time Jason was wrapping up french toast, Tim stumbled into the kitchen, eyes red and puffy, The teen beelined to the Keurig and Jason scooped up the teen into his arms. “No coffee for you today. That will just make you more jittery and anxious. If you want something you drink, it will be water or a glass of milk. What will it be?” one finger raised for water. Evidently Tim still didn’t feel like talking and Jason was not going to push him.

“Ok then. One cup of water coming up. Now, while I finish up breakfast, why don’t you go choose a movie and grab some plates. I’ll be in in a second.”

Setting down the teen, Jason started to cook the last of the french toast as Tim got out the plates and grabbed his cup of water before heading back to the living room to pick a movie. When Jason entered a few moments later, Toy Story was starting up, and Tim was snuggled into his blanket.

After breakfast, Tim dozed back off and Jason combed his fingers through Tim’s long black hair. After he was sure the kid was asleep, Jason started to work on his latest project, ‘Operation: Babybird.’ Jason honestly believed that the lawyer he had contacted just never slept, since he received emails at all random times off the day answering all his questions. For instance, the latest email arrived at 3:27 in the morning. But then again, the lawyer, Laurel Lance, was a friend of Barbara’s so he wasn’t exactly surprised.

(A/N: In my world, Laurel never died, and Barbara and Laurel are good friends who like to go on coffee dates and bitch about Oliver and Bruce. I have only watched Arrow through once so not all of this is accurate, but it’s my story. : ) )

Barbara was aware of what was going on with Tim and wanted to make sure the boy whom she considered a younger brother got the care and love he deserved. Babs had always been wary of Bruce. Ever since he first kicked Dick out at such a young age. Now that both she and Dick were older (and together), they were working through Dick’s trauma and separating from the bats altogether. Damian managed to form a deep bond with Dick while Bruce was stuck in the time stream, and now the boyfriend and girlfriend couple were fighting a quiet battle with Bruce to win custody of Damian who was still only eleven years old.

Jason and Dick were both working over their differences through time and patience. And even though Dick and Jason were struggling, Jaosn always made sure to hang out with Damian once a week since the two brothers became very close during their time in the League of Assassins.

Dick and Tim, had yet to talk over teir problems with each other. In fact, everytime Jason tenderly brought up the idea, Tim hunched in on himself and became quiet. The first time Jason asked, Tim just replied with a mumbled excuse of not wanting to make the two brothers relationship worse, or to potentially harm Jason and Dick’s newfound relationship.

So yeah, it was a work in progress.

Jason had recently asked Laurel if their was any possibility to get Tim out from under Bruce’s watchful eye without alerting the press.

The lawyer replied back with a long email full of long words and contingencies in case the press ever caught word. Frankly most of it was gibberish to Jason, but he was sure he could figure it out after some google searching.

After replying to the email, asking Ms. Lance to use smaller words, Jason looked over at Tim to see the teen was now awake but staring at the third Toy Story movie now playing.

Setting down the laptop, Jason scooped up the teen and hugged him close. Tim just nuzzled closer and enjoyed Jason’s presence.

“Feeling better Babybird?” Jason asked patiently. The teen in question just hummed in response. Better than nothing, but still not talking.

“Should we just have a chillax day? I have an idea for something that might help you feel better if thats ok with you.” Tim nodded and turned back onto the pillow and fell back asleep. After Tim drifted back off, Jason opened his phone and messaged Roy and Kori asking if they wanted to come over for S’mores.

The two outlaws were two of Tim’s favorite people. Kori let Tim play with her hair and braid it into a whole bunch of miniature braids and try new hairstyles. And Roy was like a second big brother to Tim, the man would occasionally bring over his precious daughter Lian who adored Tim and looked up to him.

After the two replied and agreed to bring S’more supplies, Jason decided to get up and make a crockpot meal for dinner which was just a few hours away.

Waking up Tim for dinner, was harder than one would have thought. Eventually Jason just picked up the teen anf plopped him into the dining room chair. Finally Jason convinced Tim to eat most of his dinner, slightly frowning when the teen didn’t even bother to argue back since he still didn’t feel like talking. Roy and Kori arrived shortly after and Tim instantly rushed up and ran over to the two Outlaws, giving each a big hug. Jason smiled and snapped a photo before grabbing the S’more supplies and ushering everyone up to the roof.

Roy and Kori of course knew what was going on with Tim’s mental health and the plan for later. After the small group finished dinner, (Jason was happy to note that Tim ate more when he was distracted by the outgoing personality that is Roy Harper) Jason lead the group upstairs to the building (which of course Jason owned) to wear he had escaped to earlier to set up the firepit and camp chairs. As Jason opened the door to the rooftop, he glanced back and saw that Tim was being given a piggy back ride from Roy. Tim was slightly smiling and laughing as the red head dou told Tim yet another hilarious story of one of their many adventures that usually ended with explosions and chaos.

“Ok guys, whos reading for some s’mores?” Jason asked as the group settled in to their camp chairs, Tim looking curiously between the bonfire, the marshammallows and chocolate, and Jason, confusion evident on his face even though the teenager said nothing.

“I’m going to take a guess and say that you have never made s’mores before?” The look that Tim leveled Jason made Roy and Kori howl with laughter and Jason flinch and the look that screamed ‘no shit sherlock. Why do you think we’re redoing my childhood? For shits and grins?’

After the laughter had died down, Jason finished explaining the steps. “So what you do is put a marshmallow on a poker stick, then you gently toast by rotating it above the flames making sure not to catch it on fire. Unlike those two psychos over there who purposefully light their marshmallow on fire claiming they ‘like the taste.’ After you are done toasting the marshmallow you set it to the side and break a graham crakcer in half so you have two squares. On one square you put chocolate and on the other you can put peanut butter if you want. Personally I love it with peanut butter, but some people don’t. YOu put the marshmallow on the chocolate and graham cracker and then gently slide the marshmallow off the poker stick using the top half of the graham cracker. Squish the top and bottom together and you have a sticky delicious mess of a treat. Ready to give it a try?”

Tim nodded eagerly and Jason helped Tim prepare his first ever s’more. The following hours were filled with stories from all of the outlaws and as Tim listened in awe and fondness for his found family. Jason eventaully lost track of how many s’mores Tim ate, but the smile on his Babybirds face made it all worth it.

Eventually Jason just sat back and happily smiled as he watched his two best friends and little brother eat s’mores and for once enjoy their lives. It made him so happy to see everything going once for right.

Eventually the fire died out and Tim fell asleep on Jason shoulder. Roy and Kori decided to spend the night since it had gotten so late and finished putting away the supplies while Jason picked up Tim and carried him downstairs. The best part of Jasons night though didn’t happen during the movies, or dinner, or s’mores, but while Jason was tucking Tim into bed. The teen looked up sleepily at Jason and smiled.

“G’nght Jay. L’ve ya.” Tim mumbled so quietly Jason almost didn’t hear him.

But he is so eternally grateful that he did.

Chapter Text

Like every teenage boy, Tim grew and eventually, the clothes that he brought with him to Jason's apartment were all too small. The teen finally grew an additional 4 inches, making his jeans just too short, and his long-sleeved shirts now sat half away on his forearm. Jason looked at Tim walking around in his too-short clothes and decided that another crucial part of childhood was clothes shopping. 

So one morning, Jason woke up Tim and told him to get dressed in something comfy, because they were going to go to the mall. Tim, was not a fan of the idea. 

“Can’t I just order my clothes online? It’s what I've done my whole life!” The teen desperately begged Jason. 

“Timbo, clothes shopping is a crucial part of a childhood. You wanted my help recreating your childhood, right?” Jason asked with a small smile.

Tim sighed and nodded. “Yeah, you're right. Let's go.” The small teen grumbled and made his way out the front door. Jason just chuckled as he grabbed his keys and wallet and followed Tim out the door. 

At the mall, Jason watched as Tim instantly tensed up. The loud noises and constant people all around them started to overwhelm the teen. It was no secret to the batfam that Tim was somewhere on the spectrum. Though Dick, Alfred, Jason, and even Damian were all very accepting of Tim and accommodating, Bruce took the same route as Jack and Janet Drake, choosing to act in denial that Tim could ever be anything less than perfect. 

In Jason’s case though, he came prepared, knowing that Tim was probably not used to being around such large crowds besides galas, but even then, galas were at least somewhat calm. Once Jason saw Tim getting tense and worked up, his fingers making their way up to his mouth to chew on his nails, Jason started to dig around in his backpack that he brought along.e dug out a pair of red headphones that block out just the right amount of sound. 

Tim looked shocked at the headphones but put them on without a second's hesitation. Instantly the tension left the teen's body and the duo made their way to the first store. 

Trying to find clothes, was difficult, to say the least. Most of the clothes were too small for Tim in length. 

“I’m done. None of these things fit. My arms and legs are just too long!” Tim screamed in frustration. For a teen that had fit into the same size clothes his whole life, clothes that finally fit him in length were overall just too big. 

Jason just hugged the teen as his face turned red with anger and his tears glistened with tears. “How about this. We now know what size you need and we can do what Dick used to have to do as a teen. Order his clothes online with extra fabric on the end. It’s what I do now. Now, pick out some pants and shirts that you actually, genuinely like. Do not pick them out just because they are the cheapest option. And before we start this argument again, I am paying for your clothes. It’s not much of reliving a childhood if you can’t have someone else pay for your stuff.”

Together the two boys took the desired clothing up to the register and a super kind lady helped them order the clothes that would fit Tim just right. The whole time the interaction was going on, Tim had taken off his headphones to be polite, but the moment Jason was handed the receipt, the headphones were back on. 

As the two exited the store and were making their way to the food court for Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (Something Jason was appalled o learn Tim had never tried) they passed a store that caught Tim’s eye. 

The smaller teen had stopped to the side and was looking into the store, his eyes wide and gaze fixed on the lego buildings on display. Jason paused when he realized that Tim was no longer with him and turned around to see Tim rocking back and forth on his feet, his hands clapping with excitement. 

As Jason got closer he could see the set that Tim was so excited about. As he got closer he saw that it was a lego Globe . 2585 pieces and a true test of patience. Without hesitating, Jason messaged Babs and asked her to transfer roughly two grand into his bank account from Bruces. He was taking the kid Lego shopping. 

“You want to see the box Timbit? We can go in.” before the words had even left Jason’s mouth, Tim had grabbed Jason’s hand and was practically dragging the man into the store. Instantly Tim darted over to the larger sets and started to pull them out and look at them. 

Opening his phone, Jason decided to quickly message Dick a question. 

Zomboy

Dickie, did Timbit ever get Legos as a kid?

Dick-for-Brains

Lol no! His parents claimed they were a waste of space and money. Bruce discouraged anything that wasn’t working on cases or training. I once asked the kid if he ever wanted a set for his birthday but he told me they were for babies. 

Zomboy

*Insert Image*

Well he sure seems to want on now! I’m having Babs get me some of B’s money so I can get the kid some sets. 

Dick-for-Brains

Awwwww Bbybrd!! I’m so happy he is opening up! Good job Jay!

As Jason shut off his phone, a girl in a yellow apron with the Lego logo came over to see if he needed any help. 

“Actually, yes I’m here with my kid brother. The one over there with the red headphones. He didn’t have a stellar childhood and has never had Legos before. I think we’re going to change that today. He loves the globe set, and I want to get him a few more to do. He’s very smart and will probably complete most of these sets within the first few days, so I would like to get some of your more challenging but fun sets.” 

The girl thought for a moment and then brought up a few sets on her phone to show him. “If he likes Star Wars,” 

“Oh he does” 

“Then this is a great set. The Millennium Falcon is 7541 pieces, but a bit pricey.”

Jason reassured her that cost wasn’t an issue. “Timmy, come on over here.” Tim reluctantly returned the set he had been looking at for the last ten minutes. A Lego typewriter. “We are going to get a few sets today. For sure the globe, but what else? What do you think of this one?” Jason showed Tim the Millennium Falcon. Tim nodded eagerly. “Ok, that brings the total to about a grand, you have about another grand to go for a budget. What else do you want?”

In the end, the boys walked out of the mall with their Cinnabon, which Tim later declared good, but not as good as Alfie's cinnamon rolls, the millennium falcon, the globe, the typewriter , Mos Eisley Cantina , and the Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser . The picture that Jason captured of the smile on Tim’s face meant everything to Jason.

Zomboy

*Insert Image*

I think it’s safe to say, that Tim is happy.

Dick-for-Brains

I’m so happy that Tim has you in his life, Jason. You are giving Tim that life he deserves. Please keep sending the photos. 

Jason smiled and was about to put away his phone when it pinged again.

Dick-for-Brains

I miss my brothers. Please hug him for me. Love you both. 

Jason decided as he helped a rambling Tim load the bags, that his next mission would be to reunite his brothers, if it was the las thing he did.

Chapter Text

As winter started to roll around, Jason started to realize that Tim and Dick needed to get on better terms and talk things over as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Dick didn't want to push Tim by showing up unannounced, and Tim blatantly refused to attend any event if Dick was going to be there. So Jason did the best thing he could think of.

With a little help from Babs, Jason set up a day out at an escape room, purposefully not informing Tim that Jason had also invited Dick and Damian. Dick was aware that Tim was coming with but was under the assumption that Tim wanted him there. Together Babs and Jason made sure that Tim did not find out that Dick was joining their day out.

The day of the escape room arrived and Jason eagerly drove himself and Tim to the little escape room center about half an hour away from Jason and Tim’s apartments. Dick, Damian, and Babs were not there by the time the brothers got there so Tim wandered around until the room was ready.

A few minutes later Tim and Jason are waiting in the classroom-themed escape room where the goal was to escape in under 2 hours. Tim was just about to get up and look around when the door opened and Dick, Damian, and Babs came in. Tim’s face conveyed anything but open and willing to talk.

Jason grabbed Tim before he could run out of the room and handcuffed him to a nearby desk that was bolted to the ground. “Listen here Timmy, you and Dick need to talk about what went down with Robin and Bruce. And here is the better part. Babs has control over the time limit here and we have cameras. You two have to solve the escape room together and have a talk. Only once both those things are finished, will Babs let you out of the room. There is a bathroom through that door, food will be delivered in a bit, and water bottles are in the desk drawer. Good luck!”

Jason started to leave when Tim suddenly yelled his name, “Jay! Where are you going!”

Jason just smirked and ushered Babs and Damian out the door, “Oh did I not mention that us three aren’t helping? Well, we aren’t. We are going to go play at the arcade and get pizza and watch the cameras every few minutes to make sure you guys are both alive. Have fun! And with that, Jason threw Dick the key to Tim’s handcuffs and then shut the door, locking it behind him.

Dick looked at the door and then looked at the key in his hand before moving over to the desk and unlocking Tim’s handcuffs. Tim didn’t even look up at Dick while mumbling thanks before instantly moving around the room frantically.

“What are you doing Timmy?”

“I’m trying to find a way out of here. Like you should be doing too.” Tim said in a snarky tone as he continued to look around the room.

Dick looked at his little brother with the most heartbroken look Tim had ever seen, and it was only then that Tim actually started to feel guilt for ignoring his big brother's very obvious attempts at reconnection. Instead, Tim sighed in resignation and turned back around to face Dick.

”Ok, you want to talk, let's talk then. You knew that I was already struggling when Bruce vaporized, you knew that I had just lost two of my best friends and my father. Honestly, I probably should have listened to you about going to therapy but threatening to have me committed to ARKHAM was probably not the best idea. But giving Robin to Damian was probably your worst idea to date. No denying that at some point, Dami was going to become Robin, but at that point, he was not ready. Bruce had just died, You were struggling, I was struggling. We should have taken a break and ALL gone to therapy. I needed my big brother, I needed a hug and a shoulder to cry on and someone to believe me, but instead, you got the whole superhero community to believe that I was having a mental breakdown and to not believe me. So yeah, I've been a bit passive and pissy, and I'm sorry for that!” Tim finished off with a gasp before turning away to brush away the tears that had fallen against his permission.

Dick waited a few minutes until Tim had straightened up and set his shoulder back. The natural Drake pose that Dick had seen hundreds of times through both Jack and Janet Drake at galas, and thousands of times through Tim.

Eventually, Dick walked over and pulled Tim into a long overdue hug. “I know that I screwed up Timbo—too many times for my liking. After you overheard that conversation about Arkham, Alfred talked some sense into me. I never should have said what I said, I never should have given Damian Robin right away. We both know that eventually, he would be Robin, and I’m relieved you knew that, but he needed more training and empathy. I should have let you help me train Damian so he could be a Robin that we were both proud of. And I should have never doubted you about Bruce being alive.

You are so smart and I think that it just scares me sometimes. I couldn’t function as Batman and believe that the man who raised me, my father, was alive, without feeling like I was taking his place. And for that, I am so sorry. And if you never want to see me again, I don’t blame you. But please try to form a relationship with Damian, he wants to learn from you and come to form his relationship with you based on brotherly love and not based on the facts that Ra’s stuffed into his brain.” Dick let go of Tim and moved back, starting to look for the next clue, signifying that he had said all he needed to say.

Glancing at the camera on the wall, Tim realized that he might be nearly an adult, but he did still need his older brother. Walking back over to where Dick was investigating a cupboard, Tim hesitantly stood behind his big brother. “...Dick…?” Tim asked hesitantly. The older man turned around and looked down on the short teen.

“I do still need my big brother. That is if you still want to be my bro-” Tim was cut off with a squeak as Dick quickly pulled Tim into a hug.

“Timmy, I would love nothing more than the chance to be your big brother again.” Slowly Tim sinks into the hug, the familiar feeling calming his anxious brain.

After around twenty minutes of not-very-hard detective work, the two boys escaped the dreaded room. The duo walked over to the arcade and found a very bored Barbara sitting at a table clearly hacking something and not watching the cameras. Damian and Jason were in a very intense battle of air hockey and none of the group noticed the newly reunited brothers entrance.

Eventually, Dick cleared his throat and the boys watched as Damian turned around clearly startled, and then twisted back around when he heard his goal light up with a point scored for Jason. Jason at least had the dignity to look sheepish. Barbara just nodded at the two, since she probably knew that they had been standing there the whole time.

Jason walked over and let Damian just keep scoring goal after goal after goal on the fearsome Red Hood. “Well you two aren’t dead, fighting, or arm's length apart from each other. Is is safe to assume that you two made up?” Jason asked, leaning against the table Barbara was sitting at and stealing a slice of greasy meat lovers pizza.

Dick smirked and picked up Tim, throwing him over his shoulder. A move that Tim has hated since he first started off as Robin. “Does that answer your question?”

Jason laughed and went over to rescue his charge from their annoying big brother who had made his way over to Damian who was now laser-focused on a simulator Batmobile driving game. Probably the closest he would come to the Batmobile for a very long time.

Jason reduced Tim and plopped him down on the floor. Damian had crashed the Batmobile and was now showing Dick around the arcade. “You doing ok Babybird?” Jason asked.

“Yeah,” Tim replied. “It’s nice being closer to family once more.” Smiling, Tim looked between Barbara, Jason, Dick and Damian.

Okay, okay, no more thinking emotionally. Dick does enough of that for all of us. Lets go blow more of Bruce’s money on game tokens to win stuff we don’t need. Sound good?” Jason asked, slinging his arm around Tim's shoulders and dangling a baggie full of silver game tokens in front of his face.

Tim smiled and grabbed the bag, pulling Jason along to the higher risk games. “Sounds perfect.”

Chapter Text

Winter turned into spring and the relationship between the four brothers grew stronger than ever. Eventually, Jason confronted Tim about wanting to officially adopt the boy since he still was technically underage and was finally given the green light from his lawyer to ask Tim if that was something he even wanted.

When Jason asked Tim one Friday evening, the teen froze in shock before running into Jason’s arms and hugging him tightly.

Blinking back tears, Jason hugged Tim tight and close. “So I take it that's a yes?”

Looking down at the tiny black-haired boy, Jason realized that Tim was sobbing breathtaking cries, not out of sadness, but out of happiness. “Yes. A thousand times yes.” Eventually, the two brothers sunk to the ground together and Tim went limp in Jason’s arms, allowing himself to be hugged and protected. For so long, Tim looked after himself and was constantly looking over his shoulder for any sign of danger, whether it be from his parents, villains, or even Bruce. But now, he wasn’t alone, he didn’t have to worry about whether or not he would be left behind again, and he no longer had to wrap himself in heating pads and blankets to stimulate human touch.

The two brothers stayed on the floor for what felt like hours. Tim soaked up all the touch, trying to make up for what little he got as a child.

“Oh babybird, we really need to work on your touch issues,” Jason mumbled to himself as Tim burrowed further into Jason’s warmth. TIm just nodded and sighed in contentment and went to sleep.

-.-.-.

The next time that Tim woke up, he was alone. At least alone in his room. As Tim got up, he heard voices coming from the kitchen. And the closer he got he smelled Jason's homemade pancakes and the sweet smell of syrup. Instantly Tim sped up to get to the delicious breakfast before whoever the extra people that were over got the pancakes first.

In the kitchen, Tim was surprised to see not just Jason, but also the Outlaws, including Lian, Dick, Damian, and Barbara. Everyone was talking amongst themselves as Roy helped Jason in the kitchen and Damian tolerated a six-year-old Lian's antics. Quietly Tim made his way over to the coffee pot but was stopped before he was able to get a precious drop by a certain skunk-haired older brother of his.

“Morning Timbo! The pancakes are almost ready. I know that you weren’t trying to sneak some extra coffee. You know the rules, one cup WITH breakfast. And seeing as breakfast is not yet done, no coffee.” Jason grabbed the coffee pot with liquid gold and placed it in front of Barbara, knowing the older lady would stop Tim from getting any extra bean juice.

Tim grumbled but smiled nonetheless when Jason wrapped him in a quick hug. “Go get dressed, we have a busy day planned today.” Tim nodded with confusion and ran to get dressed, making it back out in time for pancakes.

After a filling meal, and Tim’s one cup of coffee, his curiosity finally got the best of him and Tim asked Jason where they were all going.

Jason just smirked. “It’s a surprise.” Now let's get going!”

The group made their way down to the cars and piled in. Jason driving the first car with Tim, Roy, Dick, and Damian. Barbara drove the second car with Starfire and Lian. The two cars left the parking garage and merged onto the freeway, driving away from the city center.

Tim tried his best to keep his eyes open, but the gentle lull of the car and the soft singing of Jason eventually managed to get Tim back to sleep.

Jason looked over at his little brother in the back seat. He and Roy were riding in the front with Dick back in the middle and Damian and Tim on either side.

Eventually, the cars arrived somewhere where the busy city noises and bright lights could no longer reach them. Jason got out of the car first and made his way to the back while Roy unpacked the trunk. Damian and Dick crawled out leaving a still sleeping Tim in the car. Jason climbed in and nudged his little brother awake.

“Wake up Timberly. We’re here.” Jason whispered, shaking Tim’s shoulder until bright blue eyes looked up at him.

“Good morning. Up for taking some pictures?” Jason asked as he handed Tim his camera. Tim thought for a moment, his brain trying to play catch up with Jason’s words. Then he lurched up and looked out the window to see paradise.

“Yes, yes, yes, lets go. No time to waste!” Tim pushed past Jason and ran out of the car, hardly caring that the rest of the group was waiting off to the side.

A few months prior, Ivy had decided to turn a once-deserted wasteland into a gorgeous, thriving garden. Instead of dry desert sand, lush grass, and plants covered the earth's surface. Trees as tall as skyscrapers stretched to the sky. Animals that once would have never been able to survive such a hostile environment were now living in this new haven. Bruce had originally threatened to shut down the garden, but after enough backlash from the city, Ivy was granted ownership of the property, and since then, it has become a remarkable project. Anyone was welcome to visit as long as people cleaned up after themselves and didn’t purposefully harm any of the animals or plants.

Tim had wanted to go for months. He never asked because it was a selfish want. But somehow Jason found out and judging by the bags that Dick, Roy, and Jason carried, they weren’t just hiking, but camping.

Tim ran back to the group and hugged Jason. “How did you know?”

Smirking, Jason replied. “I’ve seen the photos you’ve taken. And I have seen you look at this place online enough to know that you’ve wanted to visit.” The group started walking with a nod from Jason, the two brothers falling to the back so Tim could take his time.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to come here though? You know I would have said yes.” Jason asked.

Tim frowned, lowering his camera. “I was just being silly and childish. Wanting is for kids and I’m not a kid.” Jason frowned as he looked down at the little brother he just adopted. The teen was scuffing his shoes into the dirt, pretending not to sniffle and hiding his arm that moved to wipe a stray tear.

Looking ahead Jason saw that the rest of the group had moved around the bend towards a series of gardens that Ivy dedicated to Harley. Dick peaked back around and looked between the rest of the group and his brothers, trying to decide if it was a good time to intervene. Jason caught Dick’s eye and shook his head subtly. A silent ‘I’ve got this covered, just keep the rest of the group at the gardens,’ conveyed through simple eye movements and discrete facial expressions. Dick nodded, zipping back to the larger group.

Jason moved the two over to a nearby bench and sat down, allowing Tim to sit down beside him, but still a couple of inches away, and on the edge of his seat.

‘Just in case he has to run.’ Jason realized, reaching into the bench to try and seem less intimidating.

“This is such a beautiful place.” Jason thought out loud after a moment of silence. Tim only nodded, still trying to secretly wipe his eyes and calm his breathing.

“Do you know why I took you in baby-bird?” Asked Jason, eyes darting over to his younger brother.

Tim thought for a minute and then shook his head ‘No.’

Jason nodded and thought over his words for a moment before talking.

“The first thing I ever learned as a kid was to never wait for an adult to rescue you.”

Tim hesitantly glanced over at Jason.

“For nearly four fucking years I was alone on the streets doing better than ever. And then one night this man in a batsuit decided to adult the little shit stealing his tires and ends up getting that kid killed. When I came back I remembered the first rule I ever learned, never wait for an adult to rescue you.”

Tim scooted closer now.

“And that rule served me well. My plans had backup plans and those backup plans had backup plans. Never again was I going to wait around for an adult to save me, so I became the only adult that I needed. And as great as that freedom was, and I mean it was great. But I also hurt the only family I had left who was still waiting on an adult to save them.”

“All that time that Bruce and I would fight and piss each other off, I never realized that he hadn’t grown to care for the kids in his care. I should have realized so long ago that Bruce wasn’t any better of a father to you than he was to me. But I was so caught up in my anger, holding a grudge as easily as I could hold a hand, that I forgot about the people in my life who actually needed an adult.”

“I think you’ve been waiting for an adult to rescue you for a long time, haven’t you babybird?” Jason asked quietly, glancing down at his baby brother. Tim sniffled a little louder now, and his shoulders began to tremble with confirmation.

“I’m so sorry kiddo. I should have been better. I never should have treated you like an adult for so long. You’re just a kid, not even old enough to vote, but you’ve been expected to be your own adult for so long that you thought hoping for a rescuer for this long was foolish huh?” Tim sobbed louder. “Well I promise, no more being your own adult. You’ve waited for someone to care and protect you for so long, so let the actual adult do that right now.”

“But back to what you said earlier about thinking asking for something you wanted was childish. That's why you never mentioned anything about the gardens. You didn’t want to seem childish for asking for something unnecessary?” Jason asked just to confirm he was getting all the facts right.

Tim nodded, body fully enveloped into Jason's caring arms. “Well let me tell you now, it’s not childish to ask for something you want to do. It’s ok to have wants and needs. But I can’t play detective all the time trying to figure out what you want to do. So how about we work on this together. Once a week I want you to pick something small. Something easy. Like where we eat out or what movie we watch that night. And from there we will work it up to you voicing what you want. And even if It’s the craziest thing I have ever heard, I promise not to shut you down until I have heard you out. Sound good?” Jason asked looking down at Tim who was now wiping away tears from the small smile on his face. In front of Tim was Jason’s hand which was formed into a fist with only his pinky sticking out.

A pinky promise. Something that Tim had just learned about a few days prior and was using them every chance he got. Matching Jason’s hand Tim looped his pinky around Jasons and together the two brother shook on the promise.

Chapter Text

After Tim’s minor freak out, the two brothers walked back to the larger group that were still taking in some of the smaller gardens. Tim walked past the concerned look that Dick shot his way and wandered over to join Damian. The two youngest brothers started taking pictures and discussing what Damian’s next painting was going to be.

Since Dick’s concerned look went unanswered by Tim, he shot the look to Jason instead. Jason sighed quietly, just loud enough for the eldest brother to hear. He shot Dick a look that read ‘I'll tell you later.’ Then the two brothers returned to the group that was currently admiring some of Tim’s photos.

The group continued to make their way further into the gardens, stopping occasionally for Time to take a photo or for Damian to try to pet a random animal with Lian. The oldest of the group, Dick, Jason, Barbara, Roy, and Kori, stuck to the back and watched as the youngsters enjoyed the beautiful scenery. At the campsite, the group was amazed to find a beautiful cabin, big enough for the large group. The cabin was obviously made of repurposed wood, obviously Ivy’s decision. There was only one floor, making the cabin perfect for Barbara’s wheelchair, while still being spacious enough for everyone to walk around comfortably.

Tim and Damian ran into the cabin first, running off to claim the rooms they wanted, acting like little kids at a hotel claiming the beds they wanted first before their sibling got to it first. Jason and Dick shared a smile, happily watching the boys act like boys for once, and not grown-ups trapped in a child's body.

In the end, rooms were sorted out and bags were unpacked before the group reconvened in the kitchen to figure out what they wanted to do for the rest of the day. Once it was discovered that there was a small hidden lake nearby, the small family unanimously voted to go swimming.

It took a few minutes to get ready since, while there were many rooms, there were only two bathrooms. And although all of them had seen each other in varying states of nakedness at one point or another, due to having had to dress wounds or assist someone while they were injured.

Dick and Damian let Barbara return to their room first to change before going to change. Tim, who has always been a bit self-conscious about his body and scars, went to change by himself into his long-sleeved shirt with swim trunks but told everyone that the shirt was just to ensure he didn’t burn. After Tim came out of his and Jason's room, towel wrapped around his shoulders, flip flops slapping on his feet, Jason snuck in and came out less than 2 minutes later with his swim trunks on. Of course, by the time he was ready, the rest of the family was all gathered in the kitchen, all in their bathing suits, waiting for him.

Damian was applying sunscreen to his face as Dick helped Barbara rub in the sunscreen on her back. A giggling Lian was running away from Roy and Kori while one chased after her with a fresh bottle of sunscreen (Roy) and the other flew after her with a large dollop of coconut scented sunscreen prepped on her hands (Kori). Tim was sitting on the chair swinging his feet, waiting for everyone to finally be ready, sunscreen already rubbed in like the prepared little boy he was.

Finally, the group was ready and off they went to the lake, coolers with things for dinner and towels in hand. But upon their arrival and getting ready to get into the water, Jason saw Tim sitting by himself on the shore, sunglasses on, hat covering his midnight black hair, book in hand. Jason finished spreading out his towel and went back to check on his little brother. “Timmy, aren’t you going to come get in the water with us?” Jason asked, surprised that the normally family time enthusiast was sitting out on the sidelines.

Tim shrugged. “Maybe. I just don’t want to have to take off my shirt to go swimming. And I can’t leave it on because everyone will just give me weird looks. It’s just easier if I don’t go in the water. Not a big deal.” Tim looked longingly at the cool reflective water where the rest of the family was playing. “You should go join them, Jay. You don’t need to be stuck here with me.”

Jason’s mouth felt like he had done a mouthwash with sand. His dry tongue wouldn’t move, and the words he wanted to say died in his throat. Tim looked back down at his book, expecting Jason to just leave, which Jason did, in fact, almost do. The older boy got up and started walking towards the water, before the words in his throat suddenly came back to life like they were doused in the Lazarus Pit.

Swinging around, Jason picked Tim up and settled him on his feet. “No one is going to care if you go swimming with or without your shirt, Babybird. They- we just want you to join in. But I promise you, no one is going to be offended by your scars. You showed them to me, and I didn’t run away, screaming like a banshee, now did I?” Jason asked a still shocked Tim.

Shaking his head, Tim replied. “No, you didn’t scream, just threaten to resurrect my parents and kill them again.”

Jason nodded once. “Damn right I did, and I would have if someone hadn’t stopped me.” Tim snorted and hugged his big brother.

“Thanks, Jay. I think I'll join. But will you give them a heads up that I have some scars I don’t want to discuss?” Jason nodded and went down to the water, the others gathering around to see what the holdup was.

“JAY!” Dick shouted, Barbara waving as Dick gave her a piggy back towards the shallower water. “Get Tim and come on in, the waters are great.” Dick splashed a bunch of water towards his younger brother, wincing when Barbara slapped him over the head.

Jason waded closer, motioning for everyone to gather around. “Listen, Tim is going to get in the water, but he is going to go shirtless, so no one teases him about covering up. He asked me to tell you guys that there are some scars on his body that he doesn't want to talk about right now. Yes, I have seen them, but I live with the kid and bandage the twit up whenever he gets injured. If he brings it up later, then that means he is ok talking about it, but for now, leave it alone.” Jason finished, giving some of the most nosy of the group (Dick) a glare. After getting his point across, he gave Tim a thumbs up and dove into the water, feeling the rush of cold water splash over his body.

As Jason surfaced, Tim was stripping off his shirt and putting his book away.

Roy threw Lian into the water and smiled at her giggles. “We all have scars, how bad could it be?” He mumbled to himself.

Jason swam over and pulled his best friend into the water. “A Lot. That's how many. I’ve never counted them all, and I do know that some are self-inflicted, but leave it alone. Please.” Pushing Roy’s head under the water, Jason swam over to Tim, who was hesitant about getting in the water.

“Come on, Babybird. I talked to them. No one is going to say anything.” Jason extended his hand and guided Tim, whose arms were crossed, into the water. As Tim eventually dunked into the water, swimming away to go play with Damian and Lian. Jason could feel Dick’s eyes traveling between Tim and himself. Not that Jason blamed him. The kid was covered in scars.

His splenectomy scar stood bright red against his chest, dozens of self-harm scars crisscrossed the kid's hips and arms, and Jason knew there were more on his thighs. Long angry looking scars were pale and vertical down Tim's back, gouges in his back where his piece of shit Father's belt buckle had carved out chunks of his skin. The scar on Tim's neck (Jason was not proud of that one), bullet scars in one of his shoulders, electrocution scars, and dozens upon dozens of more scars decorated Tim’s torso, some deliberate and caused at his hand, and others caused by monsters who hurt him under the guise of making an already perfect child better.

As Tim shivered from the icy water, the scars rose like little hills along a flat countryside. Dick blinked and forced himself to look away from the mess that was his little brother torso, looking over at Jason who shook his head mournfully. Dick felt tears well up in his eyes, and Barbara gave him a tight hug. He wiped away his tears and put a smile on his face, albeit a bit forced, but still a smile.

As Dick, Barbara and Jason made their way out deeper to the rest of the group, Barbara tilted off Dick’s back and began to use her arms to swim. Thanks to her consistent working out and former Batgirl training, Barbara had very few issues swimming without the use of her legs.

The closer the group got, the more laughter was heard. Once Tim saw Jason, he swam over quickly and jumped into his arms, but was unexpected when Jason lifted up his little brother and chucked him into the air, allowing him to make a giant splash just a few feet away.

“JAY!” Tim shrieked as he emerged from the water, wiping wet hair from his eyes. “You asshole! You’re going to regret that later.”

“I’m going to regret that? Really? I’ll believe that when I see it.” Boasted Jason.

For several more hours, the group just swam and hung out together. The warm sand cradled the vigilante's bodies for naps or reading. A net made of beautiful green vines woven together was perfect for a friendly (violent), easy-going (competitive) volleyball game. Roy’s team only won because somehow the man smuggled a flamethrower onto the trip and threatened to toast anyone who dared to be competitive or dangerous around Lian.

The relaxing day progressed after volleyball. The group went swimming some more before finally deciding to get started on dinner. Roy's flamethrower got put to good use in starting the fire, and within moments, there was a roaring bonfire gathering the attention of friends and family like moths to a flame. Dick and Jason got the hot dogs out and started to set out condiments and buns while the rest of the group got their poker sticks ready.

Within just a few minutes, everyone was roasting their hotdogs (or veggie dog in Damians case) to varying degrees of burntness. While Dick to no ones surprise managed to catch his on fire, Damian managed to get perfect sear marks on his even though it was roasted over an open flame. Bab's was slightly burnt but still somehow ended up having to help Dick roast his hotdog.

Roy and Kori helped Lian roast hers before starting on their own, all three of theirs ending up perfect.

Jason and Tim, being the perfectionists (Tim being the worst) that they are, kept a careful eye on their dinner. Whenever is started to look slightly burnt, the poker stick would rotate just slightly t expose an uncooked side. However, Tim went to fight Damian for the bag of Doritos and forgot about his Hotdog. When he came back Tim found his dinner burnt to a crisp. That hotdog was no longer food, but charcoal. Jason felt bad for forgetting about it, and worried about that Tim’s perfectionism would make him panic and freak out over messing up.

Tim did indeed start to panic before Jason quickly shoved the handle of his poker stick with his perfectly cooked hot dog, Into Tim’s hands, grabbing the burnt one for himself.

“But, you hate burnt food!” Tim protested, tears welling up in his eyes.

“I know, but guess what, it’s just a hotdog. Dick, the weirdo, like the burnt ones, and I know that his bottomless pit will definitely eat it. You have mine and I will make a new one. But it is just a hotdog. Now if this was a bomb and you cut the wrong wires, I definitely would have been more freaked out, mainly for your safety. But it is just a hot dog, no one's in trouble, and we have plenty more so I can make another one. So take a breath…” Jason exaggerated his breathing a few times until eventually Tim caught on and started to take some deep breaths with him. Once Tims breathing was no longer shaking and his shoulders were no longer tensed up by his ears, Jason hesitantly reached over and waited for permission to hug his little brother. After securing a frantic nod, Jason tugged Tim into a hug, grounding him in order to prevent further panic.

Once Tim was more stable and his hands weren't so shaky, Jason asked Tim if he wanted to help him make a new hot dog.

“But what if I burn it again?” Tim asked hesitantly.

Jason shrugged. “Then we will try it again. I will help you if you want, or we can try again later. But just remember, it’s a hotdog, not a bomb and it is ok to make mistakes and not be perfect. And if it burns, Dick will eat it.” Dick perked up at his name and nodded, ketchup dripping down his chin. Tim giggled at Dicks goofy look and agreed to try again.

Roy passed Tim a poker stick already loaded with a hotdog, ready to be cooked. Tim paid very close attention to turning the poker every few minutes. After a few minutes Tim handed Jason the poker, his face red and frustrated.

“I tried my best but I still burned it.”

Jason smiled and kissed the crown of his little brothers head. “All I ask is that you try your best. Remember; It’s a hotdog, not a bomb.”

The rest of the night passed with ease. The fire crackled and would let off bright sparks that dulled before they reached the cool sand. The stars were brighter than most of the family had ever seen having lived in the city most of their lives. Roy and Dick competed to see who could tell the best story around the campfire.

After a while, Barbara broke out the S’more materials once the fire was no longe roaring and was mostly brightly burning embers.

This was when Tim got his revenge on Jason for splashing him with water. Somehow, the teen managed to fill all of Jason’s marshmallows with mustard. No one knows how he did it since there were no marks made to the marshmallows and no evidence of tampering to the bag, but only Jay got the marshmallows filled with the nasty yellow condiment.

Jason spit out the marshmallow into the fire and rushed to wash out his mouth with the nearest drink. The funny thing was, the marshmallow would not burn after it was spit into the fire. After Jason returned to the group from rinsing out his mouth, he realized that the marshmallow had not burned.

“Good Lord! That was so fuckin’ horrible, it won’t even burn!” Jason remarked, glaring good-humoredly at a very innocent-looking Tim, who refused to meet Jason’s eyes.

After Jason finally got to eat a normal marshmallow, the group told a few more stories before deciding to pack everything up. After thoroughly dousing the fire and cleaning up all the trash (they did not want an angry Poison Ivy on their asses), the group made their way back to the cabin.

Roy and Kori went to tuck in Lian before both passing out on their beds. Dick ensured the Damian had everything he needed before climbing in bed with Barbara, asleep before his head even hit the pillow. Tim climbed into bed, waiting for Jason to come say goodnight to him like always. Even though the brothers were sharing a room, Tim would not go to sleep until Jason came in, a nervous habit of his that stemmed from years of neglect.

Finally Jason came into the room, still slightly wet from his shower. “Why are you still awake, Babybird?” Jason asked, surprised that the days activities didn’t completely ware out the teen.

“I can’t sleep. Not until I know your'e here. Now hurry up and say goodnight so I can get some sleep, I’m actually really tired.” Yawned Tim.

Jason smiled and went and sat on Tim’s bed, his back resting against the backboard. “I know you always wait up. I just thought that all the excitement and sunshine would have made you pass out.” Jason said as he made himself comfy before beginning to run his fingers through Tim’s hair. He didn’t always comb Tim’s hair, only doing so when Tim had had a very anxious day. And even though Tim managed to overcome a lot of obstacles today, the kid was still tense with anxiety, even as he drifted off to sleep.

“Goodnight Babybird. I love you so much little brother.” Jason whispered as he began to lightly massage Tim’s head, alternating between combing his fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp. Between the two, Tim’s shoulders began to relax, and the tense frown-lines that marked his face began to smooth out. Sighing one last time, Tim fully relaxed into the bed and the knowledge that his big brother would always protect him.

Smiling, Jason leaned down and kissed Tim’s forehead, pulling up the blankets to cover the teen before finally climbed into his own bed. Before turning off the lights, Jason looked over at his little brother. His Babybird who has been through too much shit for such a short life.

Jason watched his chest rise and fall and listened to small snores fill the air.

And not for the first time, Jason wondered how anyone could come to have so much loathing and irritation over a boy Jason happily called family.

Chapter Text

Tim hadn’t been out as Red Robin in quite a while. Jason was still going out as Red Hood since he had a criminal empire to run. But after months of being cooped up indoors, watching Jason come back from the streets with updates on what was going on in the vigilante world, Tim decided it was time to stretch his wings.

Mainly, the teen had been staying inside in order to stay away from Bruce. When Jason first took in Tim, and he was still patrolling, Batman had hunted down the two brothers and demanded that Tim shape up and come home with him. The whole thing turned into a shouting match between Jason and Bruce, ending with Bruce leaving with a massive bruise forming around his split lip.

But after months of watching Jason come back to the apartment covered in cuts and bruises from patrolling, Tim decided to don the Red Robin mantle once more and have an easy patrol with his big brother.

But of course, Tim is not lucky enough for a calm patrol.

Jason and Tim had been tracking a movement of a magician that was wreaking havoc in a crime alley. Not that the magicians themselves were causing trouble, but they were using their powers to force people into doing their dirty work. People, both good and bad, were waking up in jail cells, confused about how they got there, and why they were suddenly in prison. Jason kept bringing home papers and tech for Tim to look into, while Jason himself used his connections to locate the magician's base.

Finally, the night of the bust had arrived. Tim had checked over the intel dozens of times, ensuring that the warehouse they were staking out was the right one. Earlier in the case, Tim identified their target as twenty-three-year-old Tristan Dimitar Acosta, a Canadian immigrant who moved to the US after a falling out with his family. Once Tristan had moved to Gotham, he fell in with the wrong crowd and owed people money. But discovered he had magical properties after accidentally mind controlling his boss and making him walk off the roof of a twenty-story building.

The two brothers waited outside for Tristan to be present before ambushing the building. Within minutes of fighting, Tristan was fighting back, his goons for hire unconscious around him. While the young magician might do well in a fight against an unsuspecting Gothamite, he was no match against two trained vigilantes. After a quick struggle, the magician was handcuffed and sporting a very nice-sized goose egg on his forehead.

But of course, that is when things went to shit.

Just as Jason was about to call Gordan to come collect the pathetic magician, still spouting threats, the big bad Batman showed up.

“Red, get behind me,” Jason ordered as Batman stalked forward. Tim instantly went and hid behind his big brother, knowing that Jason would have his back.

“Robin,” Batman growled. “I have let this little rebellion go on long enough. We both know that Hood is dangerous and unpredictable. And as your father, I demand that you return to the cave with me.”

Jason snorted and put his arm in front of Tim, who was struggling not to tense up at the orders. “You are a shit father, and you know it, B. You had the chance to be a good father, hell, even an okay father. But you took that chance and killed it off quicker than Joker with a crowbar kills off Robins. The kid needed a safe place to go, and I was that safe place, but now that he is in my care, he sure as hell ain’t leaving with you.”

And just like that, Jason and Bruce were fighting once more. While Jason looked on the brink of pulling out his real bullets instead of his normal rubber ones, Bruce’s eye began to twitch, a true sign that he was getting fed up with the insubordination.

“Oh my gosh, do they have to fight so damn loudly? My head is killing me.” Tristan complained to Tim. “Will they ever shut up?”

Tim laughed quietly and shook his head. “The only thing that could stop the fight at this point is if our kid brother shows up. Hood doesn't like to fight in front of kids.”

If Tim had not been so focused on staying out of the way of the two arguing men, he would have noticed with evil glint and smirk on Tristan's face. “Is that so?” The magical mumbled.

Tim turned around when he began to notice a bright red light glowing from his peripheral vision. As he turned, the bright light hit him, and the world went black.

-.-.-.-.-

Jason turned around just in time to see a bright light hit Tim and blast him across the room.

“Red!” Jason shouted, before socking Bruce once more in the face, knocking out their cackling magician, and running across the room to check on his little brother.

Tim’s body was encased in a red light, his limbs contorting in pain on the concrete floor. All at once, the light flashed white and faded, leaving just Tim’s suit behind. Frantically, Jason picked up the suit, looking to see if there was any clue as to where his little brother was. But when Jason picked up the suit, a small whimper from the suit, and as Jason unzipped the once skin-tight suit, a small pale boy with ebony black hair became visible.

Jason instantly recognized the mop of black hair and closed eyes that had eye bags, even at what Jason would guess would be about six years old. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jason picked up the small boy and wrapped his leather jacket around Tim’s itty bitty frame.

As Jason was finishing wrapping Tim up in the jacket, he felt a looming presence over his shoulder.

“Hood. Give me Robin.” Batman ordered

“That would be a definite no there dark and broody. Tim is my responsibility, and one that I gladly take on. There is no way in this or any universe where I return Timmybird to you after you threw him out like a piece of fuckin’ trash.”

Jason stood up, Tim’s head resting lightly on his chest armor, his small body shielded against Batman’s glare by Jason’s protective arms.

“Hood,” Batman growled. “This is your last warning. Give me Robin and walk away, or you will have the entire Justice League going after you.”

Jason stood to his full height, slightly taller than his estranged father. “Not going to happen, B. You may have the League, but I have Nightwing, Oracle, and numerous other heroes on our side. They know about your abuse and the shit you’ve put every one of us through. And if you send the League after me, consider this the last time we stand face to face without me attempting to put a bullet through your sadistic skull.”

And with those words, Jason walked away, a small Tim protected in his arms, and a long list of people he had to call running through his head.

Chapter Text

The first person Jason called was Dick. The brothers discussed what to do as Jason checked Tim over for injuries and tucked the still unconscious child into his bed.

“We can’t let B get Timmy, even if the league is after us,” Jason stressed to his older brother.

Dick sighed on the other end. “I know. But Clark and Dianna both think Bruce is this superb father and will listen to anything he says. They didn’t even believe me when I tried to tell them about the shit happening with Damian.” Jason watched over FaceTime with Dick as the elder checked in on Damian one last time before making his way to the living room with Babs to discuss their plan on what to do with the de-aged Timmy.

After a moment of quiet on both ends, Babs spoke up with a resigned look in her eyes. “Tim is smart. Even at six, he was a genius. I mean, the kid was reading books far advanced for his age, and was completing work for eighth graders in first grade. Eventually, he will figure out that something is not right and start to poke around on his own. For the sake of his safety and our sanity, it might be better if we tell Tim downright what happened in the morning. That way, he can understand why Jace is sneaking off every night.”

Dick and Jason nodded in agreement with Barbara's idea, agreeing for Dick, Babs, and Damian to come over the next morning and reintroduce themselves to Tim.

In theory, the plan was great: tell Tim he is a little younger than he actually should be, introduce themselves to the little nerd once more, and explain that while Jason was out hunting down the magician, he would stay with Dick and Damian while Barbara performed her Oracle duties.

But because Jason's luck is complete shit, the plan made it through the discussion phase and no further. Jason ended up passing out on the couch at around three in the morning, aiming for a quick power nap before the crazy day.

But Jason overslept and woke up to a six-year-old Timmy poking his face, asking him if this kidnapping included breakfast.

Jason suddenly remembered everything from the night before, falling off the couch and smacking his head on the coffee table.

”Mutherfucker that hurt! Son of a bitch, I will dismantle you and burn you for the fun of it!” Jason screamed at the wooden coffee table before remembering that there was a small child present. “Shi-shoot,” mumbled Jason angrily under his breath.

“Jason?” Tim asked hesitantly, “When did you get so big?” Wide blue eyes stared up at both ions at the giant man in front of him. Because to Tim, Jason was ten and training to be Robin, and was seen just the day prior at yet another gala his parents had dragged him to or school.

Tears welled up in Tim’s eyes as he poked around and realized that this was not one of the normal kidnappings, but something else entirely.

Jason frantically tried to console the crying child while texting Dick to get his golden boy ass over to the apartment as soon as possible. After shooting off the text and becoming more and more frustrated with the situation, Jason went into crisis mode and decided to go with his own plan. He sat on the floor cross-legged, trying to get Tim's attention.

“Hey Tim, I know that you are super confused right now, and have no idea where you are. But I can tell you that you are safe. I know you probably just saw Jason Todd the other day at a gala or school, but I can tell you that I am Jason Todd, just a little older, a little buffer, and a whole heck of a lot cooler.” Jason flexed his muscles, trying to get the small boy to stop crying.

Tim’s sobs turned to sniffles, and he peered his head out from where he was hiding behind one of the chairs. “Prove it.” Whispered the tiny child.

“Huh?”

”You heard me, prove it.” Tim repeated, a little louder this time. “Prove to me that you are Jason Todd."

Pausing to think a moment, Jason began to prove it was him to his little brother. “Well, since you look to be about six, you are in the same class with me. Mrs. Heather’s fourth-grade class. You pretend that it doesn't bug you when your parents don't show up for parent-teacher conferences or concerts, but deep down, it hurts you a lot. You have one toy that you treasure more than ever, which is a stuffed moose named ‘goose’ that your parents brought back for you when you were a toddler. It was also the first and last gift that they ever brought you. I spent the night one night and you showed off the goose and told me all about him. One time we were playing Jedi Master and Apprentice when you fell down the stairs and bit your lip so badly that it scarred. You never told your parents out of fear that they would scold you for goofing off. Ummm…” Jason was grasping for more things that a six-year-old Tim would have already done when all of a sudden small body collided with Jason's body, two little arms barely wrapping around his legs.

“Jason…it really is you.” Sighed Tim in relief. After getting over his shock at having a small child hug him, Jason reached down and pulled Tim into a hug.

The moment was ruined when a thundering boom echoed throughout the room, and the sound of a panicked Dick Grayson begging to be let in echoed throughout the apartment. “JAY! Let me in, you son-of-a-bitch, or I will kick this door down!”

Jason laughed quietly to himself and turned to look Tim in the eye, the small child still sniffing and wiping away tears. “That obnoxious noise would be Dick Grayson, your older you’s big brother. Want to say hi, or want me to kick him out until you're ready?” After thinking for a moment, Tim held up two fingers, silently communicating that he wanted to meet his big brother once again. Jason set Tim on the couch, taking his time to wrap him in a blanket before slowly making his way over to the door.

Dick continued to pound on the door as Jason worked on unlocking all of the locks on the door. But as soon as the last lock clicked open, Dick threw open the door and pushed Jason to the side, frantically looking around the room for his tiny brother.

“Dickie, take a second and calm down. Tim is a bit overwhelmed right now.”

“Jason, where is Tim? You messaged me saying to get over here. I called you EIGHTEEN TIMES, telling you I was on my way. But you didn’t answer, so i figured, ok, maybe he is in the shower or something. But then I called you another TWENTY-TWO times to let you know that I was outside the building, waiting to be buzzed in. and when you didn’t answer, I finally just let myself in, only to wait outside your door calling you over TWENTY-FIVE times since I didn’t want to wake up your neighbors. Before I started yelling and demanding to be let in. So I ask once more, where the fuck is Tim?”

Jaosn made a mental note to apologize to his neighbors for his brother. “Well Dickie, if you're finally calmed down, you are more than welcome to say hi to the tiny six-year-old on the couch who is scared out of his mind. But only if you are calm. If I hear even a hint of anger in your tone, then you can get your skinny little acro-ass out of my apartment. Now, are you calm?”

Dick nodded.

“Good. Now let me go check in with the kid, and if he still wants to meet you, then you can come meet him; if he is no longer up for it, then you will have to wait for another time.”

Jason backed away from Dick and went to check on Tim, who had buried himself further into the blanket. “Hey, kiddo, sorry for the yelling. Dick is a bit protective and worries about us. Are you still up for meeting him? The decision is up to you; neither of us will be upset with what you decide,” resurred Jason, who was crouching in front of his little brother, but still far enough away to ensure that Tim didn’t feel trapped.

After a moment, Tim nodded his head. “Yes to meeting him or yes to wanting to do this another day? Jason asked, trying to get more clarification so he didn’t make the wrong decision. Tim’s small hand peeked out from the blanket, one finger held up.

“Ok, Babybird, let me go grab Dickface.” Standing up and groaning at his cracking knees and back, Jason smiled when Tim let out a small giggle at his dramatics. “Dickwad, Timbo will see you now. Remember…”

“Yeah, yeah, wrong tone means eviction. I got it, Jaybird.”

Dick calmly walked over to where the smaller version of his genius Babybird sat bundled up. Even from a distance, Dick could still tell that this smaller version of Tim carried far too much weight on his tiny shoulders. Tim had always been good at hiding his pain and anxiety. But after years of knowing Tim, it was so much easier to spot the slight tension in his shoulders, the way the kid kept glancing around the room, looking for exits or potential hiding places perfect for a tiny kid. And for not the first time, Dick wished that he could have saved Tim from such a neglectful upbringing, and even more, Dick wished that he had stepped in when Bruce first took in the kid.

As Dick settled into a relaxed criss-cross seat on the floor, Dick wondered how much different the future would have been for all of them if only he had been a better big brother. But right now was not the moment for a pity party; Dick had to put his issues behind him and focus on the anxious and confused bundle of Tim in front of him.

“Dickie,” Tim whispered, his tiny head barely visible from his blanket cocoon. “You got old.”

Dick laughed and nodded. “That happens over time, Babybird. You were old too before you lost a few years. Can you tell me what your secret to looking so youthful is?” Dick had defaulted to his normal crisis state, making jokes and making light of the situation.

Hesitantly, Tim jumped down from the couch and marched over to Dick, the blanket still dragging behind him like a purple, fluffy version of Batman's cape. Tim stuck his hands out from the blanket cape and grabbed Dicks face in his. He turned the acrobat's face side to side, clearly looking for something. After a moment of looking, Tim brushed his finger over a small mark on Dicks cheek, close to his ear.

“I remember when you got that scar. I had come over one day after school, and you decided to make Jason and me hot cocoa while Alfie was out running errands. You hadn’t realized that the mugs were not microwave safe, and when you opened the door, they exploded. A piece of the mug hit your face,” Tim traced the small scar on Dick’s face, “Right here. You freaked out and made us promise not to tell Alfred, but that was the exact moment he walked in. I remember him being so concerned about you, not the microwave or the mugs, but about you. It was so confusing.” Dick placed his hand tenderly on Tim’s, which was still tracing the scar.

“Hi, Babybird,” Dick whispered.

Tears welled up in Tim’s eyes, and he jumped into the young adult's waiting arms. “Dickie! It really is you.” Tim sobbed and clung to his older brother, something older Tim would have never done, the two's relationship still not at a breakdown and clinging to each other level yet.

After several minutes of hugs, snot, and reassurances, Tim pulled back in time for Jason to walk out holding three mugs full of hot cocoa, loaded up with whipped cream and sprinkles. “Now was the hot cocoa supposed to rub that story back in my face?” Dick questioned his first youngest brother, even though he still gladly took the mug.

“Maybe, but the kid loves cocoa, and it's a great comfort drink.” Jason settled on the floor next to his big brother and little brother, handing Tim his own mug of comfort.

“What happened?” Tim asked after a few minutes of quiet slurping.

Dick and Jason looked at each other. Dick moved his hand in an after-you motion, giving Jason the silent go-ahead to tell Tim what happened.

“Basically, the older you hit a low and I ended up taking you in. What started as a temporary roommate turned into a permanent solution. I adopted you, and we had been working on redoing your childhood. You are a vigilante who goes by the name Red Robin, and after a little break from vigilanting, you came out to patrol with me. We had been hunting down this magician whom we managed to piss off,”

“Jason! Language!”

“Fuck off Dickie! Anyway, the magician somehow managed to curse you and reverse your age from seventeen to six. All of us have been having issues with B lately, and he tried to take you home. He and I fought, but I managed to bring you home. You were asleep the whole time, and originally I had planned to take just a short nap, but I slept longer than I had planned to. You freaked out, I freaked out, Dick really freaked out, and that brings us to now.” Jason shrugged his shoulders and took one more big sip of his drink.

Tim sat on the floor, his blue eyes staring intently into the warm drink like it held all the answers. “So,” Tim began, looking up from the mug. “What do we do now? Am I stuck this age, do we need to worry about B trying to get me, or-”

Dick cut off Tim with a hug. “We don’t really know what will happen next, but whatever does, we will be here the entire time. Tonight you are going to come stay with Barbara and our youngest brother, Damian, while Jason and I try to track down the magician.”

Tim nodded, his eyes blinking heavily, a yawn making its way out of his mouth. Dick laughed and picked up his tiny Babybird, laying him on the couch. Jason picked up the now-empty mugs and brought them to the kitchen to wash them out.

“Sleep, kiddo. Everything will be ok.” Jason overheard Dick reassure Tim as the boy drifted off to sleep once more.

The two older brothers stayed in the kitchen together, Jason stressed-baked cookies, as Dick sat on the barstool and watched. Neither brother spoke a word. But the tension of the situation and the quiet what-ifs filled the room.

Eventually, Dick spoke up as Jason was pulling the last batch out of the oven. “Babs messaged me. Dami is awake and demanding to know what is going on. I should probably head out so I can get both of them up to speed on the situation before you drop him off tonight.” Jason just nodded and began to clean up his mess.

Heading to the door, Dick pulled on his jacket and shoes. He stopped before leaving and turned around and walking back towards his brother, hugging Jason tightly. “You have done such an amazing job, Jay. You have given Tim something that meant more to him than all the money, artifacts, or fancy events combined. You gave Tim the chance for a childhood and a family. And I know that whatever happens next, you will still be the most incredible big brother that Tim could ask for. I am so proud of you, Jaybird.” After recovering from the shock of being hugged, Jason hugged his older, but shorter, brother back.

The praise finally knocked loose the anxiety and doubt that Jason had been feeling since his confrontation with Bruce the night prior. The tears slipped loose without Jason’s permission. And before either brother knew it, both were sitting on the crapy linoleum floor, crying and holding each other, the weight of being the oldest and the stable relied-upon one crashing down. For so long, both boys had been taking care of others, never taking the time to care for themselves. But for just a few moments, no one needed them, no one was in danger, and they didn't have to be strong.

Dick and Jason cried in each other's arms for just a few minutes before pulling it back together. Both boys wiped their tears and cleaned their faces. And once more, Dick was heading towards the door.

“Hey Dickie,” Jason called out from where he was once more fleaning up. “I’m proud of you, too.”

Chapter Text

“Dick, do you have eyes on Timmy?!” Jason screamed into the comm, his voice hoarse from the smoke and dust of the rubble around him. As he waited for a reply, he stumbled over to the glowing emerald rock that he had pulled out earlier. The man it was used against, lay against the crumbling wall, sweating and grimacing from the kryptonite.

“Well Supes, you fucked up.” Jason groaned as he picked up the fragment of pure kryptonite, barely bigger than a bullet. “If you had only taken a moment to listen to us, then maybe,” Superman groaned as Jason shoved the glowing rock closer to his face. “Just maybe, we wouldn't be in this situation. Now while I have your attention, I'm going to tell you a little story and then you are going to help me get back my brother. Understood?”

-.-.-.-.-.-.

24 hours earlier

Jason and Tim spent the rest of the afternoon after he had woken up doing as many little kid things as possible. Neither brother knew how long Tim would be tiny, so Jason took advantage of what time he got to ensure that Tim got to experience all the typical six year old things as possible.

Tim and Jason scavenged up every blanket, pillow, and comfy item they could find, turning the entire living room and part of the dining room into a giant fort. Dozens of blankets were held up after being draped over chairs, bag clips holding them in place. The fort had two smaller blankets parted at one end to make a door and two stuffed animals guarded the entrance. Inside the fort, the brothers constructed rooms. One room for the boys to sleep in, another that had a wide enough opening so they could see the TV, another filled with books, and finally a hallway that connected the rooms and the entrance. Any area of the floor that was not covered in blankets had pillows for added cushion. Once the fort was finished, Jason and Tim feasted on kraft mac and cheese with hotdogs, cookies afterward for dessert. After their lunch Jason read a book to Tim while the younger listened intently. Eventually the two had to leave in order to get to Dick and Barbara’s apartment in time for dinner.

The blanket fort remained up however, at Tim’s instance.

Dinner at the Graysons was always exciting. With Dicks attempts at cooking, Barbara doing most of the actual cooking, with Damian skulking in the background, pretending he was totally not excited when he was asked to help in even the smallest task, there was never a dull moment.

When Jason and Tim got the apartment, they were ushered in by Barbara yelling that the door was unlocked. Instantly Dick sighed in relief at seeing his much better chef little brother. As Dick was asking Jason for help, flames shot up from a pot behind him that was simply boiling water for pasta. “Jason! Please, I need help!" Begged Dick as he poured water onto the fire which somehow only made the fire angrier.

Shaking off his shock, Jason quickly introduced Tim to Babara and Damian before rushing into the kitchen to put out the fire and save their dinner.

Tim stood in the doorway awkwardly until eventually Barbara rolled over and formally introduced herself.

“Hey kiddo, I've heard a lot about you. I’m Barbara, but you know me as Batgirl. Now I go by Oracle after an accident hurt my spine. The scowling little boy behind me is Damian. He is Bruce’s biological son but he lives with Dick and me full time. He looks scary, but he is very nice, I promise.” Tim nodded, his voice somehow disappearing between the front door and the entryway. After taking off his jacket and boots, Tim made his way over to where Damian was sitting with his massive great dane.

Tim waved a hello and looked between the dog and the boy.

Damian watched his older brother's young eyes focus on Titus. “Would you like to pet him? He is very friendly.” Tim nodded and hesitantly made his way closer. “Hold out your hand and let him sniff you first. After he licks your hand it means you may pet him. Just be gentle.”

After inspecting Tim’s hand for a moment, Tim was granted permission to pet after the great dane gently licked the boy's hand. Tim gasped at the softness of Titus’s coat and a quiet “wow” escaped his mouth.

Damian smirked, unused to having someone younger than him over. “Do you like him?”

Tim nodded once more. “Mom and Dad don’t like pets. They told me why would they choose to have another mess in the house, when they already have an accidental mess living there. I know they weren’t talking about themselves so I figured they were talking about me. I try to stay clean, but sometimes I want to play outside of my room.”

“Tssk. They are ridiculous if they think you cause much of a mess. I have seen how tidy you are. I can hardly tell that you live with Jason some days due to how little of a presence you leave behind.” Damian heard the reassurance after it had already left his mouth, the words foreign and unfamiliar. “But if you would like, you are more than welcome to come pet Titus anytime. He enjoys all the attention he can get.”

22 hours before

“Kids! Dinner is ready!” Barbara called out to Damian and Tim from where they were playing a card and came together at the coffee table. The boys both got up and washed their hands before going and sitting down. Dick and Jason both sat at the ends of the table. Damian sat to Dick’s left, Barbara to his right. Tim sat next to Damian, close to his new friend and his awesome big brother.

Once everyone was seated, Dick blessed the food and everyone dived in. Everyone except Tim.

Jason noticed after a few bites of his own meal that the kid wasn’t eating at all. “You ok Babybird? You haven't touched your plate.”

Tim looked surprised before remembering who he was with. “I’m ok, I just have to wait until the adults are done eating. That way, if any of the adults are still hungry, they can have a few seconds off my plate.” Jason internally kicked himself, remembering how hard he had worked to break Tim of this habit when he was about eight years old. Something that six-year-old Timmy had not yet broken.

“Tim, you may eat with the rest of us. I promise no one will take your food. If they are still hungry, then they can grab seconds from the food in the kitchen. Or if there is no more dinner than there is always popcorn and ice cream.” Stressed Jason, making sure that the little six year old understood the importance of what he was saying. Dick, Barbara, and Jason all slowed down eating, that way they would not finish eating before Tim. After looking around for a second and realizing that Damian was already eating, and that the adults still had lots more food, Tim took a hesitant bite of his dinner.

He swallowed and took a second to wait for the scolding. None came. With the reassurance that no one was going to take his food or hurt him, Tim took another bite, then another and another until eventually his plate was clean.

After dinner Dick and Jason suited up and prepared to go hunt down the magician. Barbara set up everything she needed to be the boy's eyes and ears throughout the city.

Damian and Tim set up a movie and cuddled Titus while the adults did their thing. If Damian was pissed about missing out on patrol, he did not show it.

20 hours earlier

Patrol was going smoothly. A handful of bottom tier thieves, a few robberies, and one car chase later, neither Red Hood or Nightwing were any closer to hunting down their rogue magician. At around midnight, the boys began to lose faith that they would ever find the man. Until Barbara broke the tense silence with wonderful news.

“Boys, a man matching the description of Tristan Acosta was just seen entering the Ice Berg Lounge. Go quickly, I don’t know how long he will be there.” Barbara warned, her mechanical voice tinted with urgency.

Dick responded, already on the move with Jason following close behind. “On our way now, O. We are about two blocks from Penguins place.”

The Ice Berg lounge was a known front of the Penguins. Problem was, the man was so rich he was always able to bail himself out and ride out his sentencing in comfort. The inside looked like something out of a movie. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ornate ceiling. Booths decked out in velvet and silk circled mahogany tables that were set with fine china and crystal glasses. The line to get in was out the door and down the block, with rich and powerful ushered in past the lines of middle and lower class. Waiters and waitresses strutted around the room taking orders and delivering drinks that probably cost more than Barbara’s entire librarian paycheck. Needless to say, Dick and Jason had both been multiple times when they were accompanying Bruce undercover as themselves. But Nightwing and Red Hood have been even more.

The brothers walked through the front door in full vigilante attire. A waiter took one look and rushed off to find his boss. Dick and Jason scanned the room looking for their man. They found him sitting with a group of Mafia members in the back of the room. Though it was obvious the man was tense and anxious, there for a meeting with the head of the organization, and not actually a higher up member himself.

“What do you fuckers want?!” Oswald Cobblepot waddled over, leaning heavily on his signature black umbrella for support. The waiter rushed away to complete his other tasks, and to spread gossip to other employees.

“Look, Penguin, we don’t want any trouble. We just need that man back there. The one with the ugly as shit green jacket talking to the Mafia. We have some questions we need answered. And if the man surrenders to us for a few moments, then you will have a few weeks off from us terrorizing you. Deal?” Jason questioned, his modulated voice making him sound even more deadly and pissed.

Penguin hummed for a moment before snapping his fingers. Two burly men in black clothes rushed over. “See that man back there? The one in that shitty looking green jacket talking to Marv? Grab him.” The two men went off to do their masters bidding.

Nightwing and Hood watched as the two men grabbed the arms of Tristan. They apologized to the other men and offered them a round of drinks in the house for the trouble before dragging the man towards the two vigilantes and the criminal. Once Tristan saw who was waiting for him, he started to struggle and plead with the stone faced bodyguards.

The two men dumped the shaking man on the ground in front of their feet and returned to their master's side. “Now, take the fucker, and get out!” Oswald screeched, turning away to appease some flustered customers.

Hood grabbed the man by the back of his jacket and dragged him outside. “Remember me?” He asked. Tristan nodded quickly.

“Good. Then you know we have some questions. You dragged Robin, how do we reverse it?” Nightwing asked as Jason dangled the man off the room of the Iceberg Lounge.

The man stuttered out an incomprehensible answer. “Quit your blubbering and tell us!” Hood yelled, his muscled arm dipping slightly. “My arm is getting tired.”

Tristan choked back a sob. “OK! The spell is temporary. It will only last about a week before it wears off. I’m sorry! I promise! Now please let me go!”

“Oh we will let you go alright. Into the hands of the waiting police officers and Jim Gordan that is.” Dick motioned for Jason to drag the magician back onto the roof, which Jason did albeit begrudgingly. Dick handcuffed the Magician and dragged him down the roof fire stairs into the awaiting hands of police officers.

“Thanks Nightwing.” Gordon huffed out before dragging the awaiting magician into the nearby police car.

After Gordan took off with a nod, Nightwing let out a sigh of relief and sagged against the nearby wall. “Well, O, you heard him, about a week and then you can have your hacker buddy back. We’re gonna do about one more hour and then we’ll head back. How are the kids?”

“Both fell asleep watching a movie. Titus is curled up with them on the couch. Take as long as yo-” Oracle cut off, her mechanical voice suddenly turning to static.

Jason and Dick both sat up, their bodies tensing up. “O? Oracle, do you read?” shouted Jason into the com, as both boys made a mad dash for their bikes parked nearby.

“I can’t reach D! Can you reach T?!”

“No! We need to get to the clocktower now!”

18 hours earlier.

The apartment was a mess. Glass shards crunched underfoot. Barbara and Damian were unconscious, the way Damian was tucked behind Barbara showed how the retired vigilante tried to protect the younger. Titus was also unconscious, a sedative dart still evident in his side. Barbara’s oracle setup was completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of dollars smashed and ruined, not a single piece salvageable.

There was no sign of Tim anywhere. His little jacket that was hung up by the front door was gone, his picture he colored from earlier had vanished, and the little shoes he tucked neatly underneath the bench by the front door were also missing.

Dick rushed to help Damian while Jason ran to help Barbara. Damian was out cold, a tranquilizer dart sticking out of his neck, a quick glance at Babs showed Dick that his wife met the same fate.

The two brothers moved Barbara and Damian to their respectful rooms and cleaned up the mess, looking for any clues as to where Tim might have gone. Because while they had their suspicions, they were still detectives who needed solid proof.

16 hours earlier

Proof was found in the form of a hidden camera. You don't grow up under the bat's watchful eye without learning a bit of secrecy. Luckily, Dick had multiple hidden cameras barely the size of the tip of a pen hidden around his apartment. Most of them were destroyed by Batman's destruction, but a small amount remain intact. After connecting them to one of the few still working computers, the brothers watched in tense silence.

The window near the couch was open with just a crack. Just enough to let in some air and to make it easy for the vigilantes to slip in or out if need be. Since the Graysons lived in the clock tower, there was no concern for nosy neighbors sticking their business somewhere other than their own. Through the tiny crack in the window, a dart shot through and struck Damian in the neck. The boy was sitting on the couch with Tim, the two obviously engrossed in their movie.

Once Damian slouched over, the knockout drug taking effect, Tim’s mouth moved in the familiar motion of calling out for help. Another dart hit a barking Titus, instantly knocking out the dog. Barbara had wheeled around, alert to the sudden danger. Using two of her own escrima sticks, she blocked the darts heading towards her and Tim. That was when Batman broke in through the window.

Barbara yelled at Tim to run and one of the darts found its target in her neck. The redhead slouched out of her chair, landing on the debris around her.

Tim ran towards the apartment door, trying to escape. Just as he was turning the lock, the final dart pierced Tim’s neck, and the small child slumped to the floor, his hand still outstretched towards the door. Without hesitating, Batman swooped in and grabbed Tim, making his way back out the broken window, leaving behind the unconscious remains of Damian and Barbara.

After the video ended and the screen cut to static, Dick reached over and cut off the connection. Both boys sat back, anger rolling off their bodies in waves, with fear following close behind. They knew they needed to do something; there was no way they were going to leave TIm in Bruce’s ‘care.’

Now they just needed to figure out a plan.

8 hours earlier.

Morning came all too soon, and before anyone knew it, Dick’s seven AM alarm was going off. Neither Jason or Dick went to sleep after watching the security footage. The whole night long the brothers planned and planned how to get the small child back. By the time Dick’s alarm went off, they had almost fourteen plans done, with each plan having at least three backup plans.

It was rare when both brothers agreed on something, but in this case both wholeheartedly agreed that they were getting Tim back, once and for all. Legally Bruce had zero claim to Tim, since the kid was emancipated and then readopted by Jason. But there was also little to nothing Jason could do legally to get Tim back. There was no way either Dick or Jason could think of getting Tim back legally since they would have to explain how and why Tim was suddenly six years old.

As the boys planned, their ideas became more and more dangerous. One of the last plans involved trying to get help from the JL. Unfortunately, Bruce had made that decision for them by destroying any and all connections the Robins had with JL members when they escaped from under Bruce’s thumb. According to what Oliver told Dinah who told Jason, Bruce informed the league that Dick and Jason had gone rogue, taking his youngest kids with him and he was fighting tooth and nail to get them back.

The only ones who never believed that story was Oliver, who knew more about the lies and depictions coming from Bruce due to Roy being his son, and Roy being Jason’s best friend. And Oliver tried multiple times to reveal the actual truth, no one believed the archer, siding with the man that single handedly funds the entire Justice League operation.

Needless to say, that plan was scrapped before it even made it on the page.

Barbara woke up around this point, leaving hers and Dick’s room in order to offer her assistance however she could. With Barbara's help, the number of backup plans for each plan doubled in just a few hours. At that time Damian woke up, distraught that Tim was missing and that his ‘father’ dared hurt his dog.

2 hours earlier

The plans were officially in motion.

Dick and Jason spent the rest of their morning helping Barbara repair her Oracle set up, and alerting Oliver and Dinah as to their plans. With the couple's assurance that they would be there if they needed help, the brothers took off towards Wayne Manor.

But because the Robins have the worst fucking luck in all the galaxies, they were stopped just outside the gates by Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Latern, and Flash. Green Arrow was nowhere in sight.

“Dick, Jason, you have to stop this now. Bruce just wants-” Superman started.

“I’m going to stop you there superdick.” Interrupted Jason. “Bruce is a filthy fucking liar. We never hurt Timmy or Damian; in fact, we got them out of a bad situation. And if you would just stop for even half a fucking second and hear us out, you would realize that we are not the bad guys.”

“Little warrior, you must realize that Bruce would never lie to us. He is one of the founding members of this team, and took an oath which included being honest. Now please,” The Thymisicrian implored. “Put down your weapons and come with us.” Diania started to put away her lasso as a show of peace, the other leaguers followed suit, either floating back down to solid ground, putting away any weapons, and showing a sign of ceasefire.

Unfortunately for them, Dick and Jason did not come for a ceasefire.

Before any of the leaguers could comprehend, both brothers were charging forward, bullets laced with kryptonite shot towards their intended target, Escrimsma sticks charged and cackling with the highest dosage of electricity wielded by a furious and protective brother.

One by one, the brothers and Leaguers exchanged blows. However, the League forgot that while Dick and Jason may be their own heroes now, they were once trained by Batman, and were taught to never back down. While the so-called heroes tried to hold back, they were soon reminded that there was nothing weak about the boys and they did not have to hold their punches. But the few minutes of restraint gave Nightwing and Red Hood just the advantage they needed.

0 hours earlier

The fight was long and brutal, with Nightwing and Red Hood sporting several injuries, but the League sporting more. The brothers were brutal and efficient, knowing that their only backup was in Starcity and would not intervene unless asked to.

At some point during the fight when the less powerful leaguers were taken down, Jason signaled for Dick to get down to the batcave to try and find their missing brother.

“Dick, do you have eyes on Timmy?!” Jason screamed into the comm, his voice hoarse from the smoke and dust of the rubble around him. As he waited for a reply, he stumbled over to the glowing emerald rock that he had pulled out earlier. The man it was used against lay against the crumbling wall, sweating and grimacing from the kryptonite.

“Well, Supes, you fucked up.” Jason groaned as he picked up the fragment of pure kryptonite, barely bigger than a bullet. “If you had only taken a moment to listen to us, then maybe,” Superman groaned as Jason shoved the glowing rock closer to his face. “Just maybe, we wouldn't be in this situation. Now, while I have your attention, I'm going to tell you a little story, and then you are going to help me get back my brother. Understood?”

Superman groaned as Jason dragged the rock over Superman's chest, the rock's power burning the man of steel. Not that Jason cared. He was tired, sore and desperate for answers.

As Jason pressed further for answers from the only remaining conscious super, Green Aarrow made his way over to Jason. “Robin Hood, what are you doing here? We don’t need any help.” Jason told the green-clad archer.

“You might think so, but O called me in. She hadn’t heard from you guys in a bit and sent me in to make sure you are ok. Canary is with O and R right now, making sure they are safe.” Jason grunted in reply.

“Give me the rock kid, and go help your brother. I’ll deal with these guys.” Jason stood up and handed over the glowing rock, taking off right after to go help his big brother.

Arrow crouched down and looked Superman in the eye.

“Arrow, what are you doing?!”

Oliver sighed and tossed the rock from hand to hand as he looked over the battered founding member. “I’m here to tell that story Hood was talking about. And let’s be clear, once this is over, I’m done. You can consider this my official resignation as a JL member. Same for Canary.”

Oliver checked over the meta restraints that each League member wore before making himself comfortable on a nearby rock, still close enough for Clark to feel the effects of the kryptonite.

“Now, let’s begin.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.

Jason rushed through the Manor, void of any of the normal homely feels since Alfred’s passing almost twelve years earlier. Jason barely knew the butler, but felt a noticeable shift in Bruce after the funeral, the man becoming more and more violent in training both him and Dick. Dick escaped it by moving out, Jason escaped it by dying. But Tim took the brunt of it for too long, longer than Damian.

Tim confided in Jason one night that for weeks he considered leaving Bruce lost in the timestream. It was only out of some misguided sense of guilt and duty that he rescued the bat. It was shortly after Bruce’s return that Tim started to realize the man who had adopted him was a monster. He had never recognized it before since Jack was such a stellar A+ parent before Bruce adopted TIm. But once Bruce started to have higher expectations for the teen with both his daylife as CEO and nightlife, Tim realized he was trapped in a horrible situation, with no obvious way out.

Until Jason butted in and saved him.

Running through the open passage to the cave, Jason heard the sound of fighting. Dick and Bruce were engaged in a violent battle, Tim was huddled in the corner of the containment cell. Jason realized quickly that the one way mirror setting was set for the one open window that showed the whole view of the cell. The setting is designed to prevent anyone from looking around the cave if they were in the cell, only being able to look back at themselves. As Jason crept closer down the long stairwell, he realized that the muting option of the cell was off, meaning Tim could hear the whole fight, but had no clue what was actually going on, or who was winning.

Jason felt the familiar rush of anger and green when he saw his kid brother locked in the cell, which was void of any human comfort and designed to hold the worst of Batman’s villains. Rushing over to the cell, Jason got a good view of TIm. His legs were pulled up, his face red and blotchy from tears were half hidden in his knees. The shorts Tim had been wearing the day before showed off an array of bruises and scabs beginning to form. Tim was wearing no shoes, just socks, and his thin graphic-T did nothing to starve off the chill of the cave and the cell.

“Tim.” Jason whispered close to the door, trying not to be seen, but also trying to reassure Tim that help was here. From the outside of the cell Jason watched as Tim perked up just slightly, almost hidden to the untrained eye. “Tim.” Jason whispered once more, slightly louder, this time Tim perked up a little more, but he was still tense as if in fear that someone might see him moving.

That's when it hit Jason like a brick to the face. Tim had been Batman's prisoner for almost 24 hours, the kid was probably scared that Jason’s voice was a trick.

After quickly scanning the keypad, Jason found the glass button, changing it from a one way window, to fully see through. The only way someone would be able to tell the settings changed is by getting up close to the cell window, and noticing a distinct lack of glisten that the window had in the prior setting.

Once the window was fixed, Jason peaked his head around the corner, making sure he made eye contact with Tim. Once Tim had spotted him, and knew that help was actually coming, Jason got to work on disabling the locks.

In the background, Batman and Nightwing were still battling it out, both men exchanging blows and kicks in a way that seemed almost hypnotizing if it wasn't for the occasional grunts and screams breaking the luring movements. Dick was trying, giving it his all and then more, knowing that this was one battle he could not afford to lose. After one good punch to Batman's chest, Dick stood up to catch his breath as the man who destroyed his and so many other childhoods doubled over in pain. Out of the corner of his eye, Dick saw Jason working on rescuing Tim. The sight of his little brothers nearly reunited once more gave Dick the strength and energy to finish taking down the Bat once and for all.

While Batman was still doubled over, Nightwing stalked forward, preparing his final blow.

Just as Dick was about to strike a group of Batman’s nerves guaranteed to knock him out, the older man shot up and delivered a furious uppercut that threw Dick off his feet, blood and spit flying every which direction, as the acrobats body collided with a wall of Tim’s containment cell and slid to the floor, his eyes slipping closed but his heart still beating.

“DICK!” Jason and Tim called out at the same time. The green that had been bubbling up in Jason like a furious volcano finally reached its tipping point. Instead of fighting back the green haze, Jason embraced it. He turned to Tim once more, pressing the final button to unlock the cell.

“Tim, stay inside and close your eyes. You don’t need to see this.”

Jason turned back towards Batman who was standing just a few feet away from the brothers. The torn Batsuit and arm hovering protectively over his ribs a dead give away that the supposedly invulnerable Batman could indeed be brought down.

“You evil motherfucker.” Jason was no longer in control, the green took over with no guarantee that Batman would live to see his sentencing.

As Jason stalked forward, he reached up and removed his helmet, needing to face his literal demon in the face as he took him down. Jason swung, not even feeling the pain. “This is for Dick.”

He swung again, “This is for Damian!”

Again, “This is for TIM!”

The Bat sat back on his haunches, his face a bloody broken mess. It was clear he was defeated, but Jaosn was not done yet. “And THIS,” He swung on final time. “THIS IS FOR ME! FOR MY INNOCENCE THAT DIED WHEN YOU ABANDONED ME IN THE HANDS OF YOUR GREATEST MISTAKE! FOR OUR CHILDHOODS THAT YOU FUCKED UP! AND FOR DESTROYING OUR FUTURES BEFORE WE EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO MAKE THEM OUR OWN! FUCK YOU BRUCE, AND MAY THE DEVIL HAVE MERCY ON YOU!!”

Jason watched as Batman sank to the floor unconscious.

And for the first time since Batman took Jason in, he sighed in relief, knowing that he was free. Jason quickly cuffed Batman and left him for the Justice League to take care of.

After checking over Dick and making sure that he was still alive (Barbara would kill Dick if he wasn’t), and checking over Tim, Jason gathered up his still unconscious brother in his arms and led both him and Tim out of the Batcave, once and for all.

As they neared the exit, Tim bounded ahead, eager to be free. Jason paused in front of Alfred’s portrait, giving it a good look. “I’m sorry Alfie. He left me no other choice.”

Jason knew that his pseudo-grandfather would understand, but the apology still felt right.

Outside the manor, the Justice League was listening to a stern lecture from Dinah as Oliver sat back and watched in amusement. “Uncle Ollie,” Jason called out. “I left a gift for you downstairs, all giftwrapped and everything. Just make sure it’s properly taken care of.”

Oliver nodded, "Will do kid. Go home, rest up, and spend some time together.”

Grinning, Jason waved goodbye to his uncle and led Tim and a newly semi-conscious Nightwing to Manor garage. The boys kindly liberated one of the nicer cars and took off towards the Clocktower.

Barbara and Damian greeted the trio in the Clocktowers garage. Damian flung himself at Dick, insisting on checking him over to make sure he was going to live. Barbara assisted, knowing that Jason was being looked after by Tim. After every last scrape was bandaged, the group made it back up to the living room, where Titus waited obediently by the door.

After such a stressful and panic inducing couple of days, the group was finally able to relax. Tim was still a child, but they knew that in a few short days he would go back to normal.

As Jason leaned back on the couch, Dick on one side, Tim on the other, Damian curled in between Barbara and Dick, he finally relaxed. ‘Maybe we need a vacation. Let the league sort all this shit out and fuck off somewhere.’

Damian pulled up a disney movie. ‘Maybe Disneyland would be fun.’ Jason considered quickly before quickly falling asleep.