Brothers Forgive
By
AJ
Part 2
Damian was silent. He didn't know whether to be elated or regretful. Tim was gone, at least for a while. Right now, he didn't care where Tim had gone. All he was glad for was that the Manor would have a bit of piece and quiet.
'He probably went to that apartment that Father set up for him after his return. Drake will probably call later and complain to Grayson . . . Or Father,' Damian realized.
Instead of immediately going to tell Dick that Tim was gone, Damian went into his room instead and shut the door. He buried his face in a book, trying to ignore the fact that he knew that Tim had taken off. Several hours had slipped by without notice. Damian thought he heard his father's footsteps in the hall at one time, and his stomach began to cramp with anxiety. Did Father know? The footsteps, however passed his door without stopping. Damian breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe his Father wouldn't find out. There was no way he could go after Tim anyway. Father didn't want him using any of the vehicles in the cave. Besides he wasn't supposed to know how to drive or ride a motorcycle. Damian smiled at the memory of his mother teaching him those things when he was seven.
'Why do I need to learn how to drive, Mother?"
"Grayson, your rival knew how to drive at the age of eight."
"And why did he learn?"
"Your father taught him because he was the first."
"First? First what? You mean Grayson was his first son by another woman?"
"No, my son. Grayson was the first Robin, a distinguished title that should go to his true son. And no upstart false son is going to outshine the son of Bruce Wayne."
As things stood, Grayson had outshone them all, by the simple fact that he had grown into a man and had become his own person. Jason Todd had died but came back. Damian didn't understand how it happened, but that was long before he every came along. And as far as Jason Todd was concerned, he was a non-issue. And when Damian arrived a year and a half-ago, Drake had been Robin for four years during that time. He had defeated Drake that day, nearly killed him in fact.
'I should have, then Father would have seen how pathetic Drake really was.'
Damian couldn't understand why he hadn't killed him. Despite the fact that his father had said that he trusted Drake and that he was his adopted brother, Damian had held back that day. There had to be a reason why, but Damian couldn't fathom, even in himself why he did not kill Drake that day.
'Maybe it was because my father did trust Drake and I wanted him to trust me, but if I had killed him, Father would have sent me back.'
The sudden sound of a siren coming up the drive caused Damian to look out of his bedroom window. What were the police doing here? Damian's bedroom was closest to the stairs and the farthest from his father's bedroom. He exited from his room to see his father come down the hall and go down the stairs.
"What's going on Father?"
"I don't know, Damian. The police will only come to the house if they had to speak to Bruce Wayne, and anything associated with Wayne."
Damian stayed at the top of the stairs looking down into the foyer. Dick was also waiting with Alfred, curious as to what was going on. Damian could hear all of the conversation, just a name, Timothy Wayne. Why would the police be here about him? Damian's eyes narrowed but something in the pit of his stomach sank. Something had happened to Drake and inadvertently he had been the cause.
He watched his father get his suit jacket, but he also saw the look Dick Grayson had given him while he stood at the top of the stairs. He knew that look. It was the look that Grayson would give him whenever he was truly in trouble. It was a look that made Damian cringe. This time, there was more to the look, but Damian could not put his finger on what it could be. He turned away when suddenly Dick was standing in front of him. He had vaulted up to the top of the railing.
"Spill," Grayson said.
"There's nothing to tell,' Damian said turning away and trying to get around the aerialist.
"You know something. No one has seen Tim all day."
"Maybe he's in the library. You know how bookish Drake is."
Dick held up his hand that held one of his favorite books. "I've been in the library reading after we had our little talk. Tim never came in. Did you apologize to him?"
Damian kept his head turned away.
"I'll take that as a no," Dick answered.
Damian's head snapped up to protest, but then hid his head in shame. Grayson could always see through to the truth, which was why Damian was doing his best to hide what he knew, but he wasn't going to hide it very long,
"I went to apologize but . . ."
"But . . ." Dick coaxed.
"He was gone all right, end of story."
"Gone, where?"
"How do I know, I don't keep his social calendar," Damian shot back.
"Damian, if you know something . . ."
" . . .I don't! Don't give me the third degree. Check his room yourself."
"How long have you known?"
Damian didn't answer. He knew Grayson probably knew anyway. He always found out
"You should have told someone, Damian. We could have stopped him. Then he wouldn't . . . Never mind. Get your coat."
"Where are we going?"
"To the hospital."
"Why?"
"Because that's where Tim is and you better hope he's still alive."
Continues With Part 3
