Sour Candy | T. Drake ✔

[16] Letting Go

They couldn't keep Alex in the dark because they were supposed to come back to Gotham that day but the doctors had advised Dora complete rest for the next two days hence traveling in that state was not a possibility. So Camille had called him and explained the situation.

Alex had been just as shocked, unable to decide what to do next. He wanted to go to his sister because he knew she would be worried and would want him to be with her. Yet the fact that she was in another city and he couldn't close the shop for long had him torn.

By evening he finally made up his mind and called her to reassure her that he was going to be with her no matter what decision she took. Though he also told her that he couldn't think of running the shop without her nor of living a life without his baby sister who used to call him a sneaky little raccoon.

Dora had kept crying throughout the call, wanting nothing more than to go to him and hug him. But he assured her that if she wanted to come back to Gotham, it would only be possible if she was deemed healthy enough for travel so she had to take care of herself and rest as much as she could in the next two days.

However, talking to her brother made her feel much better and she took his advice seriously as she rested and ate properly in the next two days so that she would be able to go back. Finally, after the second day, the doctor gave her permission to go back to Gotham however, they were all instructed to take special care of her.

Camille could not leave her daughter either so she asked George if she could go to Gotham along with them and stay for until Dora took her decision and got stable. George had agreed so Luke had booked three tickets to Gotham from that evening's train.

Tim was out in the garden after he had packed his and Dora's stuff up, pacing in the soft grass barefoot. He was lost in thought hence he didn't notice Luke join him there either, his mind deviating towards Dora and the decision that had put so much at stake.

He was afraid that Dora would choose to save her child rather than her own self because he had seen the yearning in her eyes when she had asked him that question two days earlier. What if I want to have a mini Tim with me, a child that would have eyes like yours...

He didn't want to seem selfish but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about both the possibilities either. Ever since Dora had brought that topic up, he had been thinking about the fork of paths that were laid out before them, the choice quite difficult for Dora.

He knew very well that for a mother, her child was the utmost priority and no mother could willingly give her child up. He also knew that the idea of a mini Tim running around Dora's Coffee Haunt, having a laugh as clear and pure as Dora's sounded absolutely fascinating.

But not having Dora around to love and take care of their child seemed nothing short of a curse.

Not having Dora with him was indeed a possibility that he could never even consider.

"Tim."

He almost jumped out of his skin upon hearing a voice so close to him but saw it was just Lucas, standing beside him with concern evident in his hazel eyes and hands kept in his pockets.

"Oh, it's you..." He took in a deep breath, composing himself.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, I thought you knew I was here. I have been walking alongside you for five minutes now."

"I... I didn't notice," deep down that was concerning that he hadn't noticed Luke had been with him for five minutes.

But then he realized that it was not due to the fact that he had been lost in thought himself.

He observed Luke was very silent, just like Jason, his footsteps created no sound. And the truth hit him again that he was Deathstroke's son, of course he would be trained from a young age to keep discreet.