A/N Well, I know this isn't what I should be working on but… ba humbug! After reading monkeygirl777's story Babybird's beginning, I kinda couldn't help but wanna write this sooo go check her story out! It's amazing, and gave me the inspiration to write this! So, please enjoy!

A Chance for Recovery

'Of course' Jason thought, grumbling. 'I would be fucking lucky enough to see the Replacement tonight.

It was already a bad enough night for Jason; it had been constantly raining for a week (more like a fucking hurricane, he thought), completely soaking Gotham City to its core. Red Hood's "patrol" (you could call it that) had not been an exception, and it certainly didn't help that temperatures had dropped to record lows.

As he watched the red-and-black shape swinging its way towards him, completely unaware of Jason's presence, he couldn't help but already regret going out that night. He'd been hoping for some seriously-needed alone time. (But nooo, who needs alone time anymore? the little sarcastic voice in Jason's head mumbles)

When the shape finally reaches the building Jason's standing on, the person (well, boy) stumbles on his landing, getting back up only to cough roughly and lean forward, hands on his knees.

'Robin.'

"Nice performance there, Replacement. Whaddya do, catch a bug in your throat?" Jason snaps, already annoyed with the boys presence. The boy looks up, not only surprise, but fear as well, spread across his face; when he takes a quick step back, Jason thinks he's about to fall over his knees are shaking so badly.

Jason almost laughed, but then the kid fell into a fit of coughs (painful-sounding, Jason flinched), and really did fall over. Rolling his eyes, Jason asked "What's wrong, Robin?" but no response came.

The kid was on his hands and knees, one hand clutching his stomach as coughs continued to rack his body.

Deciding after half a minute that hmm, maybe he should do something, Jason walks over to the boy, kneeling in front of him. He pushes the kids shoulders back, forcing him to look at Jason.

"Robin- Tim- take a big breath. It's me, Jason. You'll lose all your air if you keep coughing like that." (He remembers coughing, wet, warm liquid making its way from his lungs, preventing him from breathing- ) The boy, now with tears running down his face, his body still shaking from the non-stop coughing, slowly looks up.

Although the kid's eyes are covered with a mask, Jason knows he is trying to look at him through blurry eyes. If it hadn't been so rainy, Jason might've considered taking off his helmet but no way in hell am I getting my hair wet! Gradually, the tears stop protruding from underneath the mask, and the shivers running through Tim's body have lessened, allowing him to breathe semi-properly.

"Red Hood? ('A stuffy nose?' Jason thinks.) What are you doing here?" Not sounding angry, or scared… just confused.

'Don't hear that often…'

Something inside Jason tightens- he likes the fact that this kid doesn't sound like he doesn't want to be anywhere near him, like the others do (even after Jason nearly beat him to death... what was it he said? "I don't blame you for hating me."). He just usually tries to stay out of Jason's way (not that he minded that).

"I could ask you the same" Jason was about to say, but the coughing that had stopped in the boy starts again, causing the small conversation to halt.

Each cough looks more painful than the previous, and Jason feels awkward just standing there. Cautiously, he puts his hand on the boy's lower back, making small circles; he remembers that that helped him get through coughing fits, and… well, shit, what else is he supposed to do?

Once the coughing finally stops (again), the boy looks up to Jason, an extremely guilty look settled on his face. "I'm sorry" he says, in a voice so dejected it makes Jason feel sorry too-

'Why should I feel sorry?' he catches himself. It's not his fault the bird's out in the crappy weather. 'Where is the Bat anyways?'

"What are you doing here, Robin? I thought Daddy-bats would make his bird stay in from the cold?" Jason, now curious why anyone would let his kid go out in weather like this, especially if he's clearly sick already, asks.

Finally, Robin answers "They- ah, they don't really know I'm out. Well, now they probably do but… yeah." Sniffling, he turns his head down, away from Jason.

'Ah. So that's what the guilty look is for.'

Of course, Jason had snuck out without permission, but not when it was this crappy outside. Those were the days where Jason wished he could ask to stay home, but never did. Obligatory-whatever.

The coughing started again, bringing Jason out of his thoughts. This time, however, sounded much worse than the other times- much worse (how can it get worse when it's already bad enough?). Deciding enough is enough, he stands up, grabbing the boy from under his shoulders and pulls him up too.

"What are you-" Robin starts, but Jason cuts him off.

"I'm bringing you back to the cave. I don't even know how you managed to get out like this, but it's time you go back." He was already starting to pick the boy up when he's shoved, the boy stumbling away from Jason.

"I- I have to finish this patrol. I only have a little more to go, then I'll go back. Promise" the boy says, definitely sounding desperate. If Jason wasn't so sure that Tim couldn't take two steps without falling over, he'd probably let him go.

But, Jason knows that if the kid got himself killed because he was sick and he didn't try to stop him, both Daddy-bats and Dickie-bird would flip shit, so…

Then again, it's their fault the boy is out instead of home.

"Okay, fine. Go ahead. But, I'm bored. How about a little brawl before you go?" Alright, so maybe fighting the kid wasn't the best way to convince him he should go home, but Jason just wants to get the kid back so he can continue on his patrol without a guilty conscience.

Robin nods wearily, getting into a poor fighting stance, and Jason can see then just how tired the kid really is. His fists are barely up, nowhere near where they ought to be if he were facing someone seriously considering killing him. So, Jason chooses to end it quickly.

In one smooth move, Jason drops down, kicking a leg out to sweep Robin's legs out from underneath him, causing him to fall onto his back hard into a puddle.

When Jason stands back up, the boy has turned on his side, coughing intensely into his arm. 'Shit.' Jason thinks. 'Maybe a slight shove would've been better…' Feeling guilty (extremely), Jason crouches down to pick Tim up, easily cradling him in his arms. 'Is he really this tiny?!'

"Come on, Babybird, let's get you home."

…

It takes Jason a moment to realize what he said, but…

A muffled "what?" comes from beside his chest, and Jason sighs.

"I said, let's get you home Babybird." A perfect chance to recover...

"Okay, Jason…"

…and the boy is already drifting off, cuddling into Jason, barely shivering now he has something warm to hold onto.

'It's really not too far to go…'