It had been hours since Tim left the manor. He was sitting on the roof of an old building, just thinking over things, when he heard the smallest movement behind him. Tim didn't make any motion towards the other figure on the roof. "What took you so long? I thought you were a faster reader than that--or was it harder to find me than you thought it would be?"

Dick walked closer to him. "Neither, I collided with Alfred and created a huge mess that I had to clean up."

Tim shrugged, and spoke with a weak sad voice. "Oh"

Dick smacked himself on the forehead and started to mentally chastise himself, wrong thing to say, idiot. Dick couldn't help but notice how close Tim was to the edge. "Hey Tim, why don't you come over here, and we can talk."

Tim just continued to stare at the street with his back to Dick. "I'm more comfortable over here. And don't look at me like that--I'm not going to jump. After all, that would be giving people what they want and I'm just a disappointment."

Tim's last statement was mumbled under his breath, but Dick still heard it clearly. He moved a few more steps closer to Tim and sat down next to him on the roof. "I told myself the first question I was going to ask you when I found you was going to be if you actually felt like what I had read, but I guess that answer is obvious."

Tim turned away from Dick and said nothing. Dick's heart sank just slightly more at that. "Timmy, come on, you know we all care about you. You're like my little brother."

Tim lowered his head and his voice was barely audible. "Just because I know that doesn't mean it changes how I feel."

Dick didn't know what to say to that, so he opted to say nothing. Instead Dick wrapped an arm around Tim's shoulders. After a few minutes, the silence grew almost unbearable and Dick felt as though he had to say something, but he didn't know what. Dick opened his mouth but all that came out was, "Timmy," before he fell silent again.

The sound of Dick saying his name seemed to snap Tim out of the little moment. He wiggled until Dick's arm fell to the ground, and then abruptly Tim stood to his full height. "It was just a stupid creative writing assignment. It doesn't mean anything. Just let it go. I'm fine, it's fine, everything is fine, just let me be a melodramatic teenager on my own. " Tim immediately jumped off of the building and pulled out a bat grappling hook he had in his back pocket.

Dick's eyes were wide as he began to think to himself again. I had to climb up here the hard way while that little jerk had a grappling hook in his back pocket. I'm going to kill him. Dick was seething as he used the fire escape to climb down to the ground. I'm going to go home, show that story to Alfred, and let him deal with Timmy the wonder freak. That kid is a pain in the ass. Yeah, Alfred can deal with it. Maybe he'll make Timmy polish all of the silver, Bruce's shoes, and dust the Bat Cave. It's the least Timmy could do after being such a little- Dick stopped mid-thought when he saw something on the ground in front of him. It was a piece of paper neatly folded with his name on it. Dick opened up the note and something fell out and landed next to his shoe. He picked it up and held it under the street light. Immediately Dick recognized what he was holding. It was a piece of Tim's uniform--the R portion of the suit to be exact. Dick hurriedly unfolded the letter and began to read it under the light. All that was written were four words that made the knot in Dick's stomach tighten.

I'm done. Good-bye. Tim

Dick reread the letter at least five times before he slid both the piece of paper and the piece of fabric in his back pocket. Dick decided to head back to the cave and get suited up. He figured it be easier to find Tim once he had a few things on him. Dick couldn't help but blame himself for the way Tim was feeling even though he had no proof that he was the root of it. I'm such an ass. I can't believe I thought all those horrible things about Tim. He is like a brother to me, and he's in pain. The poor kid is down on himself a lot of the time, and for the most part, I just reassured him that what he thinks about himself is right. I can't believe I make him feel like that. I'm an absolute jerk. Oh God, what if Tim does something stupid? What will happen to Bruce? What will happen to Alfred? Oh man, who is going to tell his dad? And with that Dick raced off after Tim once again.