What They Never Knew

Stephanie Meets The Family

"What to wear?" Stephanie mused to herself looking at her clothes that she had plucked out of her somehow full closet.

Something smart? Looking at the selected clothes for the category, of said selected clothes, they were a smart button down white long sleeved shirt, paired with a pair of skinny jeans that were both comfortable and flexible, mainly so she could break someone's nose with a roundhouse kick. And she would pair them with a nice pair of black boots that always gave her a few extra inches in height. So much so, even with his growth spurt over the past year Stephanie would be taller than Tim, although while he would never admit it to anyone, but her of course, he loved it when she was taller than him.

Relaxed? A pair of her favorite Batgirl sweatpants, and what she was sure was Tim's worn out sweatshirt. It was slightly too big for her, covering up her frame and hung past her hips and wrists a tad, but other than that it fit, as her and Tim's frames weren't all that different, aside from the natural differences between Tim and herself.

Something sexy? As she stared contemplating one of the beautiful gowns and dresses Tim had bought her over the years for the gala's she had been his date for, or when they went on romantic dates when they got a night free to themselves and wanted to distract Tim.

Or something else like her one size too small shirts and trousers? They hugged her curves, obviously, they weren't too comfortable as they were one size too small, but she could make do for one night.

Wait! No, this was Tim's family. His real family that knew everything about him. Through and through. She supposed she should feel jealous about it, she probably should be, but she didn't. Sure, she was a bit hurt that Tim didn't in fact tell her about this very big part of his life, but she understood it. She hadn't told him about what her father had done to her when he was in... well in just a mood really, or what Black Mask had done to her, or what more he would have done if Tim hadn't come crashing through saving her from a power drill to the gut. Now that she realized she remembered Tim had to go for about a week on a secret mission, well that's what he told her anyway after she had started to show positive leaps and bounds in her recovery, and she supposed it was due to the fact that he, while she didn't 100% know, used his magic to find her. She was kind of touched actually.

Though this was a different situation entirely, he wasn't even Tim Drake, well he was but he wasn't. Stephanie blinked. Then she blinked again. "What the hell is my life?" She asked to no-one in particular.

Taking a breath, she composed herself and took out a simple eggplant colored t-shirt and threw on a simple black jacket over it to cover her arms. Half-dressed Stephanie chucked on a pair of her black skinny jeans that hugged her curves that she knew Tim loved. She threw on a couple of bunny inspired socks that made her involuntarily smile at the memory of Tim gifting them to her with a confident smile, but nervous look in his eye that betrayed him, but she squealed and hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. Now she just needed shoes and went with a simple pair of her converses before checking herself out in the mirror.

'Not too matrimonial, and not too sexy, but just right.' She assured herself in the mirror.

She hastily ran a comb through her messy blonde locks and went to open the door. But as she started descending down the stairs she heard hushed whispers.

"That's Stephanie? Tim's girlfriend? She's so pretty!" "Ginny, keep it down, you don't want them to hear." "Sorry." "Who would have thought, she wasn't made up." "He really does know how to pick them." "I've never seen Tim smile so contently and open with someone." "That is because he is taken with her." "Fred, I bet you 5 Galleons Tim's hair changes to a light pink." "That's a fools bet George. Your on."

She blushed at the excited whispers that Tim's friends had expressed. She heard a muffled giggle, originating from Cass, her best friend and sister in everything but blood. "Easy. Money." Cass grinned at her before walking down to join the commotion.

"Oh you must be Cassandra. Tim says your the most badass person he's ever met, care to prove it." The twins said in a statement more than a question with matching looks of glee.

"Later." Cass stated back with a wink. A wink! Who taught her that.

'Oh yeah, probably me. Teach by example and all that.'

As Stephanie descended into the dining room filled with people who stopped to look at her. There were a variety of emotions, welcoming smiles, cheery waves and silent nods, well that was Cass, who had deposited herself next to the twins who were drawing up plans for something. The one person she saw approach her had a blank face, who was clad in a black suit and a shaggy mop of hair that could only have been passed onto Tim, meaning this man, Sirius, was Tim's father. She was slightly worried by his evaluating stare, and the silence in the room with her.

Sirius then broke out of character and laughed in joy and hugged her to him. In surprise Stephanie didn't know how to react to the open affection. The only other parents of Tim's she had met were Jack, who didn't like her although Tim said his opinion didn't count for nothing, Bruce who was more of a mentor for both and was usually indecisive about her, but this man who was apparently Tim's real father welcomed her with such open affection and joy and hugged him back.

"Um, hi?" Stephanie squeaked.

Sirius laughed," Thank you."

"For what?" She replied having broke the embrace.

"For keeping my pup safe. For taking care of him. For loving him when he wasn't."

"Oh, um, your welcome." She replied awkwardly.

"Now before Timmy comes down stairs tell us all the embarrassing stories you have of him." Fred and George interrogated.

"And how you got together." The girl called Ginny tacked on.

"Funny." Cass helpfully added with a bright smile.

"Now, let her breathe everyone." A man with scars along his face," Let's not overwhelm her."

She nodded back with a grateful nod and smile, as she took a seat between a handsome older looking boy with soft brown hair and a charming smile.

"Uhhh..." A voice behind her said, that could only be Tim's.

"Have a seat Timbo, we're about to hear how you and Stephanie met." To which Tim's face went pale and his hair went an olive green showing his nerves.

Oh yes, this would be embarrassing.