A/N: Just a few days after Tim has been returned to the family, Samantha is having nightmares about Jason and Tim. It was only days before that Samantha had learned the Wayne Family Secret and the meaning of Night Work. Can she reconcile this in her own heart? And who is the mysterious Mr. Whiteface?

Scarlet Fever

Part 1: Discussion at the Breakfast Table

Tim woke up sore. He was in Dick's room. Damian was there, along with Jason. Jason must have come in after he took care of Dr. Amir. Maybe later he'll go see the Doctor and arrange for asylum so he can stay in this country, maybe give him a new identity so Ra's won't search for him. He didn't really remember what happened after Alfred had examined him and Dick carried him up to his room. He must have fallen into a pretty deep sleep. That whole night seemed like a blur. He had been shaking for sure, and Dick had been comforting him. Did he break down? He was in clean dry pajamas. His hair felt clean and washed. Dick must have made good on his promise and had him get a bath, but it was a blur. It's like he blanked it out. He must have been in some kind of shock. His back also felt bruised. His stomach though was driving him crazy with hunger. Tim carefully crawled out of bed so he wouldn't disturb Dick. He had to step over Damian and Jason. They were in their sleeping bags on the floor. He carefully opened the door and slipped out into the hall. He was closing the door as silently as he could so as not to disturb his brothers when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Tim?"

"Aahh," Tim gave a started cry. It was Sasha. He hadn't seen her standing there.

"I'm sorry, I was going to see if Jason was awake so we could go get breakfast together."

"He . . . He's asleep." Tim had to calm his raising heart.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine."

Sasha didn't think Tim was telling the truth, but she was far more interested in getting breakfast than finding out what could be bothering Tim. "Well, if you're fine. I'll see you at breakfast."

Tim started to lean on the door frame then pulled away when he felt the bruising. He followed Sasha downstairs after a minute or two and followed her into the kitchen. Bruce was having coffee and reading the paper.

"Tim, how you feeling this morning," Bruce asked.

"I'm fine."

"You sure about that? You still look a bit shaken."

"I said I'm fine," Tim argued.

"Tim, you were raped," Bruce said. "You need to take it easy for a few days at least. Besides, I don't think your brothers are going to leave you alone."

Sasha's face went pale when she overheard Bruce. Someone raped Tim? The thought was unthinkable. Soon after, Dick, Jason, and Damian came scrambling into the kitchen with worried faces.

"See what I mean," Bruce smirked.

Tim sighed with frustration. "Guys, I'm fine."

'We'll be the judge of that," Dick said, as he sat next to Bruce to eat his own breakfast. Jason smirked and sat next to Dick. Damian grabbed one of the remaining chairs. Sasha grabbed the plate that Alfred had fixed and sat at the opposite end of the table to listen in on the conversation.

"-tt-" Damian scoffed.

Tim ignored his brothers, and changed the subject. "Where's Sammie?"

"I haven't seen her this morning."

"I really need to apologize to her, but I don't know if she will even speak to me."

"Just go knock on her door," Dick suggested as he took a sip of Bruce's coffee, made a face then grabbed some orange juice.

"But duck if she throws the furniture at you," Jason added as he buttered some toast.

"I wouldn't risk it," Damian added as well. "Not till hell freezes over. I suggest you leave her alone."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Tim growled back.

"You're welcome," Damian replied. "It's your own fault."

"My fault?"

"You left, if you hadn't left, you wouldn't have been killed."

"I'm not dead!"

"And your point is?"

"Damian, don't you have school?" Bruce warned.

"Yes, Father." Damian drank down his orange juice then went to grab his backpack.

"I shall drive you, Master Damian."

"-tt-." Damian gave a disgusted sound that indicated he wasn't ready to leave, but was forced to.

Bruce ignored his fourth son's response. "Tim, Samantha is probably in her room."

Tim wanted to talk to Samantha, but he hadn't seen her since he got back. Tim gingerly sat down in the remaining chair next to Damian and Alfred placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of him.

"You're still sore," Bruce noted. "Go into the pool area and sit in the hot tub. That will relieve the soreness."

"Okay, sure." Tim picked up his fork and started to move his eggs around the place.

"You going to eat those or build an eggy sandcastle," Jason smirked.

"I'm not really hungry," Tim said, his appetite fading after Bruce mentioned the rape.

"You need to eat something little brother," Dick said as he took a bite of his eggs that Alfred placed in front of him.

"Eat Master Timothy, they will get cold otherwise."

Tim sighed and took a bite of his eggs. His stomach resumed his growling. 'I guess I am a little hungry.'

After Breakfast, Tim followed Bruce's advice. He went to the indoor pool area and went over to the hot tub. He turned on the jets then stripped out of his clothes. To be honest, he really wasn't fine. His mind was still in emotional shock. He never had anyone go after him like that before. It made him shudder. What would cause a grown man to want to . . . Tim didn't finish the thought. It probably would make him sick to his stomach and he's lose his breakfast if he did. Tim crawled into the hot tub and pulled his knees up to his chest. Images of what happened assaulted his mind and he couldn't help the tears falling down his face. What he really wanted was Sammie to heal him, to take this ache in his heart away. Dick could usually sooth his fears as well, but this, this was different. He had never been taken advantage of like that. Oh, he had come close, villains like Poison Ivy or Catwoman, even Lynx, but they would never succeed. Thinking about being a prisoner of Devlin and meeting Sammie, but that was different, wasn't it? She seduced him or did he take advantage of her, he wasn't sure any more. They had been prisoners together and they helped rescue each other, but now Tim didn't know if Sammie would even speak to him. She wasn't at breakfast. Was she avoiding him? Was she still angry after all this time?

'Maybe she still doesn't want to see me," Tim thought. 'I guess I'm just going to have to find out. She's carrying my children. If we can't work things out . . . " The ache in Tim's heart grew from a small crack to a fissure.

As the soreness was eased in the steam and the bubbling water of the hot tub, Tim let the tears of a broken heart fall.

Continues with Part 2