A/N: Okay, I'm back! Finally able to update! Here's a short oneshot I've been meaning to post. More updates on the way! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs, and the story idea. All rights to their respective owners.

AGES: Dakota is six, Tim is 27.

Backstory—Tim

Dakota jumped on her bed while talking to Tim. He was staying over at her family's house for a few weeks while his apartment room was locked down so the police could investigate, and she was excited to "help" him unpack. The reason he was staying at their house instead of the manor was simply because he hadn't visited them in awhile.

"Uncle Tim! Look what I can do!" Dakota excitedly exclaimed, doing a handstand on her bed.

"Be careful," Tim warned, taking some clothes out of his bag as he turned to set them on a table.

He was staying in Dakota's room, and Koti was going to sleep in Jacob's room.

"I'm always careful!" Koti chirped, jumping off the bed. "What's this?" she asked, pulling an old picture frame out of Tim's suitcase.

Tim turned around to see what she was talking about and was slightly surprised when it was the picture of his parents.

"That's a picture of my parents," Tim replied, setting the clothes down on the table.

"Oh, are they dead?" she asked carefully, as if she knew the answer and that it was a sensitive subject.

"Yeah…" Tim said as Koti handed him the picture.

"It's okay, Tati's real parents died too," she replies, looking at him, "Even though you already know that."

"You know too much for a six year old…"

Koti just shrugged. "Do you miss them?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah. I miss them more sometimes than others, though. Sometimes I even forget that I miss them. It's been so long, and I never got much attention from them in the first place," he replied. 'Why am I telling all this to a little girl?' he asked himself.

"Really?"

"Yeah… I guess I should feel guilty about that, shouldn't I?"

"Well you do still miss them, you just… hope? No, lope? Uh, I forgot the word… but you do that differently. Like Grandpa sits around and mopes, being all gloomy and stuff," Dakota informs him, causing Tim to do a double take.

"How old are you?"

"Six."

"You're sure you're six?"

"Yeah…? Why?"

"Nothing."

"Cope! That's the word!" Koti exclaimed, moving to stand beside Tim, who had taken a seat on her bed, "How much do you remember your parents?"

"Quite a lot… I even faintly remember seeing the Flying Graysons perform at Haley's Circus with my parents, before things started going wrong."

"You saw the Flying Graysons?" Koti asked as she sat down next to Tim, "I wish I could see them."

"They were amazing. The way they worked together, flying on the trapeze. They were the real reason people came to the show."

"I know, Tati told me," Dakota replied nonchalantly, "Are you glad Grandpa adopted you?"

"In a way, yes. Though I doubt 'glad' is the correct word, he's a great guy and mentor. I sometimes wish I hadn't had to have been adopted by him, that things could be the way they were before. But in the end, I'm happy," Tim explained, slightly smiling down at the little girl.

"That's good," Koti smiles up at him, before giving him a hug.

Tim still wasn't that into physical affection, but being around Dick for those long years had made him more accustomed to it. He laughed as he noticed how much Koti was like Dick, and slightly hugged her back. It was worth it. Everything he went through was worth being able to have met Dick and Bruce, be a part of the Team, and become a hero.

-RoseTheNinja-