Game Night
by Chaogirl
Author's note: This is a sequel to Happily Ever after, told from Tim's point of View. I think you should read that one first.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Tim wake ups. Tim, not Robin, he lets Robin sleep. Tim wakes up and he knows he's been drugged. He watches Bruce watch him. He watches Bruce know he knows he's been drugged. He reaches for the man, in a moment of less then lucid thought, he reaches for his father. He never makes it before the laughter sets in.
Bruce catches him as he convulses. He never meant to laugh, it wasn't even funny.
Bruce catches him and holds him until the moment passes.
Breakfast is a challenge. He makes it though, almost, it helps that everyone else is keeping such a somber mood, it keeps the insane laughter at bay. He showers, he gets dressed, all by himself and he doesn't even have to resort to cutting or bulimia. That was a joke, and jokes are mistakes, they make him laugh, and the laughter is enough to ruin everything. But Dick is there, and Bruce and Alfred. Even Barbara is there for him.
His family holds him until the convulsions stops, and even after, he doesn't let them go. Their arms make him feel so safe and loved. The Joker made him laugh, but he never gave him love, not like this, not like Barbara's arm gently scratching the back of his neck and Bruce's aftershave (That Dick has been using since moving back in)
Routines start to form, to give structure back to his life. He's not ready to face the outside world, but every day Barbara tutors him. He is keeping up with the rest of his class, even if he never sees them. His favorite subject is art, but he's not bad at math and history.
When he's free of studies, Dick is there, to keep him engaged, to keep his thoughts free of gauntlets, and a room with a camera, and electrical probes. Dick is always there for that, and when he's not, there's Bruce and Alfred. Bruce filled the stables with horses again, the pond with fish, Bruce commissioned the treehouse in the southwest grove and refinished the tennis court. Bruce is always thinking of him.
Dinner is every night at 7. Even Bruce makes it every night. Almost every night. And after dinner there are movies and popcorn. And after that there are pills, pills that make him sleep the whole night without waking up in a cold sweat of fear. Barbara tucks him in every night, even if he is a little old for that.
The routine passes weeks, and maybe even months.
And eventually it's time for him to go back to school. It's a relief for Tim, even if Bruce is fretting. He never took school seriously before, but now with Barbara's help, he's more then ready. He does well, more then well. He's top of the class.
The family starts a new routine to cope with him leaving during the day. Game night, at first Alfred tentatively initiated it, but it caught on. Even Bruce plays every week. All kinds of board games. Every Wednesday.
And school goes well. In study hall a girl catches his eye, all blonde hair, hormones, and mischief. They don't share any classes; she's barely passing algebra, no way would she survive calculus. Her kisses taste like nicotine and anise seeds. She always smells a little like sweat. It's love at first site. No one much minds him idling his time with Miss Stephanie Brown as long as he keeps up appearance in debate team and gymnastics.
Even if Dick secretly wonders what he's doing with a girl like Steph, Tim knows that her laughter is always, exceptionally, genuine despite its appalling frequency. He thinks Barbara gets it though.
Sometimes she joins them on game night, but she's no match for the Waynes at Monopoly.
And one night, drunk on cheap wine and maybe just a little high, in her bed in her room in her mom's tiny apartment, smelling of sex and sweat, he whispers secrets about a room and a table and a camera and boy and a Robin, and she nods and holds him while he cries because she has also told him secrets he never repeats to Batman or Bruce.
He dances with Steph at Dick and Babs wedding, and doesn't begrudge Dick a turn around the dance floor with her as he lays his charm on Babs.
He knows Bruce is a little disappointed that he did not select a more prestigious university, but Gotham U is not a poor choice, and it keeps him close to home, close to family, close to Steph.
And it means he was there when the twins were born.
He loves being and uncle almost as much as Bruce loves being a grandpa.
Upon his graduation (top of his class) Bruce gives him what must have been a previous Division of Waynetech that Tim names Drake Industries.
When he and Steph finally get married, the rest of the family politely fails to notice to the short gestation of their daughter. He loves his daughter from the moment he first meets her. Before that even. Somehow he knew before her birth, that this was going to be the culmination of his life, this infant, this child. He's never been able so say why he named her that, but he knew this was it; this is what he worked so hard and suffered so long for. When he suggested the name of Robin, Steph never argued.
Robin was born to be happy.
When Robin was 7, Alfred died. Tim mourned, it was difficult, but Robin's smile made him strong, and he held strong through the funeral.
Now she is a young woman, and Bruce is an old man, and the Twins are bringing home young women from respectable families to joint them for dinner sometimes, but Wednesday is still game night, but now sometimes Tim can beat Bruce at Monopoly.