The Curious Case of Tim Drake

VII

Dick laid exhausted in the bed next to Tim.

The boy hadn't stopped crying since they had gotten to the manor. Bruce was downstairs busy running blood samples through the computer trying to figure out how to reverse Ivy's toxins.

Tim had his face shoved in the pillow and he cried.

Dick had thought Tim would eventually cry himself to sleep, but he had been crying for four hours straight.

Dick tried to soothe him by rubbing his back and humming to him, but it wasn't working. Finally Dick whispered, "Timmy, you're ok, you're safe here."

"NO! I want Jason!" Tim screamed into the pillow.

Dick grimaced and sat up on the bed sitting Indian style. He pulled Tim into his lap and the child was to exhausted to resist the physical contact. He asked, "What was it you were saying about mommies and daddies?"

Tim whimpered, "I said you can't take people away from them."

This statement had been bothering Dick. What exactly had Jason told the child?

Dick ran a hand through Tim's hair and asked, "Who do you think your daddy is, Tim?"

The simple reply came only seconds later, "Jason."

Anger flared through Dick. He shook his head and whispered, "No he isn't Tim, he's not your father."

Tim started to cry, "YES HE IS!"

"No Tim," Dick said a little more forcefully than he had intended. The boy became stiff and was whimpering with fear.

Dick sighed and whispered, "Sorry...I'm not angry with you, Tim. Jason lied, he's not your dad."

"He said I could choose for him to be my daddy or not and I chose for him to be, he is my daddy," Tim stated proudly.

Dick, out of pure instinct lifted Tim up to where he was face to face with the child.

"Listen to me Tim, Jason isn't your daddy. He's just not. You can't pick your fathers, trust me. Right now, Bruce is your surrogate father, do you know who your real daddy was?"

Tim nodded, "Jack Drake and my mommy is Janet Drake."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Dick asked almost hoping that the child did, but Tim only shook his head.

Tim mumbled, "Jason said he would explain to me where they were. I guess they're on that boat ride that they had been planning."

Dick shook his head and pulled Tim into a gentle embrace. He rubbed Tim's back and closed his eyes asking, "Do you know what it means when someone dies?"

Tim nodded into Dick's chest, "It means they're not here anymore...they're gone and they don't come back."

Dick took a deep breath and whispered, "Timmy...your mommy and daddy...they died."

Tim stiffened again. He was silent a long moment before whimpering,

"No...you're a liar."

Dick kissed the side of Tim's head and said, "I wish I was, Timmy."

Tim had started to cry again. Dick sighed...another few hours of this...

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Jason's eyes opened slowly when he heard someone calling his name. Over him were the blurry faces of Roy and Kory.

Roy was shaking him hard and Jason shoved him away annoyed. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck where the nerve had been hit.

"Jason, what the hell happened?" Roy asked.

Jason shook his head and asked, "Where's Tim?"

Roy bit his lip and looked at Kory. He mumbled, "We were hoping you knew, we turned the place inside out looking for him."

Jason felt himself fill with rage and he stood slamming his fist against the wall. It left a large hole and he growled,

"They took him."

He couldn't believe it. Damn it! He had failed to keep one of the only things that meant anything to him safe. Leaning his head against the wall he closed his eyes in some attempt to calm himself. He needed to focus for Tim's sake.

"Who?" Roy asked standing.

"Bruce and Dickie Bird," Jason spat the names out like poison.

Jason looked at the two other people in the room. Roy looked almost sad and Kory looked pissed. Like...mama bear pissed...

Jason growled, "We need to go."

"Where?" Roy asked almost concerned.

Jason glared at him, "Gotham City."

He would get his child back. Whether it meant killing Bruce and Dick or not...