Family in Counting (BatBrats AU)

8: Homework, featuring Timothy Drake-Wayne

Dick and Cass were drinking in the kitchen. Dick had something from Dad's cellar and Cass something from the fridge. They were arguing with the same passive aggressive tone that Dad used when scolding Jason.

"That's stupid, she's stupid," Dick said, taking three big gulps from his mug.

"She's not stupid, Dick, you're stupid," Cass said. She giggled, the sound hallow in her glass.

"I don't think I did anything wrong," Dick said.

"Of course you don't, how could Dick Wayne do anything wrong."

"Shut up. I really don't see why she made such a big deal about this whole thing."

"She thinks your abandoning her, Dick. This isn't something tha-that's as simply explained as all your other fights. Kori has right to be upset."

"You suck."

"Because I'm r-right, asshole," Cass shot. I remember her voice being smooth, like caramel over chocolate it just melted on your tongue and you always wanted more. She had such a beautiful voice.

"I know," Dick said.

"So are you gonna make up with her or what?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. I'm pretty sure that Jay and Roy would kick your ass if you left things the way they are."

"Fine, fine! I'll talk to her about it tomorrow," he agreed. Cassie giggled and shook her head.

She caught me standing in the doorway.

"You little shit, you were evesdropping?" she hissed.

She slammed her glass on the counter and marched over to me. My eyes went wide and I took off in the opposite direction. I could hear her gaining on me, her frustrated grunt as we flew up the stairs.

We were running down the most "Wayne" hallway in the house and Cassie had nearly caught her hand around the collar of my shirt. I could hear her though, when she's angry (and unaware) she leads with her heels. It wakes Damien up and culls Jason and Dad out of a screaming match. We hit the end of the hall and she slammed me into the wall.

"You little shit why were you spying?!" she screamed. My head was pounding and I could hear Daddy doing the thing with his heels now too. He came up behind her and jerked her away from me.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed. Jason flinched and wrapped his arms tighter around his stomach. "ENOUGH OF THIS FIGHTING!! Every goddamned time I turn around one of you is at each other's neck! You're supposed to be looking out for each other. Cassandra you're Tim's big sister—"

"We are n-not related," Cassie hissed.

I suddenly became very fascinated with my feet.

"Cassandra," Dad began, his teeth bared. "Go to your room."

Cass rolled her eyes and stormed off to her room.

Dad directed his attention back to me and sighed.

"Son," he said. He rested his hand on my shoulder and closed his eyes. "Will you do me a huge favor?"

"O-ok?" I said.

"Stop eavesdropping on your sister and this won't happen anymore."

"Bu--"

"Tim," he said. I dropped my chin and nodded.

Dad turned away from me, whisper-yelled something at Jason, and then vanished into his study. Jason and I looked at each other for a few seconds before he left too. I looked after him, wondering why Dad was always so upset with him or upset about him or why he was always more concerned with Cass or Steph or Dick or someone else other than me. It had only gotten worse after Damien was born. Now it was all about them, all about what they wanted, what they needed.

The last time I saw my dad, I was crying.

It was a few days after Cassandra had chased me down the Wayne hallway and Damien was throwing a fit about something or other on the kitchen floor. Dad was breathing heavily at the ground, bracing himself on the counter top. Alfred looked very amused. Dick was mumbling about the noise and Jason was screaming about how 'Bruce, you never let me do anything!'.

He snapped.

"You know what?!" he screamed, throwing his hands in the air. "I'M GOING TO BED, YOU FIVE CAN WORK THIS OUT AMONGST YOURSELVES!!"

He punctuated his seriousness with snatching a bottle from his cellar off the counter and marching upstairs. For a second all of them looked at each other.

"Why do you always yell at each other?" I asked, setting a cup of Jell-O on the counter. Dick swung around and narrowed his eyes at me.

"The fuck do you know pipsqueak? All you do all day is sit around in your room and do math problems! Shut up."

"I-I ..." My tongue felt soupy in my mouth. "I HATE YOU ALL!"

I threw my Jell-O at no one in particular, but Steph told me that it hit Damien and he ate what was left of it off the floor.

Following Dad's lead, I marched up the stairs and ran into his study. He was sitting in his chair, the bottle on the desk on top of his files. He looked up, eyes narrowed and jaw set.

"I thought I said I wasn't going to deal with it. Tim, go to your room."

"NO!" I screamed, angry tears streaming my face.

"Excuse me?"

"NO! I HATE YOU TOO! YOU DON'T LISTEN WHEN I TALK, THAT IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU ALWAYS TAKE THEIR SIDE! I CAN'T DO EVERYTHING, I CAN'T DO EVERYTHING JUST BECAUSE I'M GOOD AT SCHOOL!!! STOP TREATING ME LIKE I HAVE EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT!!!"

Bruce Wayne had salt and pepper hair and a scratchy beard then. He looked old, worn out. Sometimes I forgot that the reason we lived in such a large house was because Bruce ran a company. He shifted in his seat and set his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry buddy," he murmured, shaking his head.

My shoulders dropped and I pulled myself closer to him, eventually ending up on the opposite side of his desk. He looked up at me and smiled.

"I really am sorry," he said. I nodded.

"I-it's ok. I'm fine, Dad, I'm ok."

He shook his head and pressed his top lip into his bottom lip hard enough to make his cheeks tighten and the corners of his lips to creep towards his jawline. His forehead went forward and banged into his folded arms on the desk.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," he said, voice cracking. I shook my head and reached my hand out.

"Daddy? I-I'm ok."

He kept saying it though.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I slid around the desk so we were next to each other. He picked his head up and wiped his eyes furiously. I leaned into him and let him wrap his arms around my torso.

"I've had a long day, Tim. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I forgive you, Daddy."

He brought me closer to him, shaking.

"How about tomorrow me and you go to the science museum, play a little hooky, huh? How does that sound?"

I smiled and nodded my head, sinking into his hug.

"I like that."

"Alright. See Timmy, everything's gonna be alright."

Of course we all know how this lie ended.