Tim took some keys and going outside, he went towards a red car. He opened it and Damian stepped inside in the front seat while Tim went towards the driver seat. The drive to the school was mostly in silence except for the radio news that were filling the car. Damian set his eyes to Tim, watching his hands in the steering wheel and his eyes scanning the road. He supposed he should say something and take advantage of the opportunity that his father had put it so easily… But he didn't know what to comment. He didn't know what to say. Above all, he knew he didn't deserve it.

"…Thanks for coming, Drake" he finally said.

"Huh?" Tim raised an eyebrow "Oh… You mean that other thing… Sure, it was nothing. I'm sure that you would have preferred that it would have been sort out in a different manner, instead of feeling obligated to get me"

"Drake…"

"You know; I'm surprised that you thought it. Ha. Surely another way of fixing Bruce would maybe convince you better. But you turn to me. Heh. This city has a weird sense of humor, making me come back and making you go to me. Anyway, once that Bruce is well and once he is ready, I will be gone"

"You could stay if you want to… Father would appreciate it. As well as Gordon, Richard, Brown, Pennyworth…"

"Quoting you, I would say that they can live pretty well without me" he stated and Damian's heart flinched at that.

"I was wrong. They can't" Damian finally said and for a moment, Tim looked at him surprised "Richard doesn't say it out loud but he is a horrible liar. The first months he wouldn't either go to sleep or sleep well, then he would go drinking… I think he still is. He was all the time blaming himself. Todd started to go reckless when you were gone, wouldn't listen to anyone. He doesn't speak to us no longer, except in occasional times. Brown was stupid all the time, she ended leaving patrol to the Birds of Prey and Cain because she couldn't be out anymore and she was hurting everyone including herself. Father acted rather quieter than normally. Before this whole thing of Joker happened, I mean. Gordon… I am not sure, she looked overall sad and hurt, but never say a word. I think she was mad at Todd and me; she had every right to be. Cain was less talkative… Should I follow?"

Tim felt silent for a minute, not knowing what to say and still looking at the road, seeing that they were almost at the high school.

"What about you?" Tim finally asked and Damian noticed that he had been a bit afraid of asking that.

Damian thought it for a moment, not really knowing. More than anything he had missed fighting with him, he had missed his bitterness… He had missed Tim's honesty when he would shout at him. Most of all, and only admitting it to himself, he had felt less insecure with Tim around. So, when he was gone, he was all the time trying to prove himself and never knowing if it was enough.

"I don't know" he said instead.

Luckily for both, the car had to finally stop and Damian got out of the car, taking his bag.

"I'll pick you later, after the classes" Tim said in a low voice, not even looking at him.

"Okay" Damian responded and he closed the car's door and went towards the high school, biting his lip with worried eyes.

There was something in his heart that Damian wouldn't know what it was, but it was making his chest ache. Was this pain a punishment? Because he was sure it hurt like hell.

The classes to him passed very slowly. At his side, he could watch his two partners of table; one of them (the only girl with a scholarship in his class and the only one who wasn't like all the other girls that were hypocrites) with earphones probably listening to heavy metal and the other just looking to the blackboard (a shy rich boy which the only thing that was different was that he liked guys). At lunch, while taking the food to a table, he heard a sigh and he turned.

"You're more silent than usual" the girl said.

"Really Acker… When am I not silent?" he scoffed.

"And surnames again. I thought we had passed that phase already. What's wrong? You had a bad day?"

"No. Not really. I just don't know. I feel strange" he admitted.

"Is about your other brother? The one that was going to come?" she asked tentatively.

"No. I mean, yes. Hell, you're making me look stupid, Ally" he hissed.

Ally laughed at that and made a sweet smile.

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention. Rick is better at making you talk about this stuff. You work your magic, Rick"

"I don't do magic, Ally" This one said softly.

"Gosh, sometimes I forget that with you I need a hearing aid because I'm getting old" Ally made an exaggerated gest that got Damian a little smile.

"You want to talk about it?" Rick said to him, a bit louder than before.

"…I just feel lost. And stupid. And too preoccupied. And angry. I feel a lot of things whenever he's around. I feel that I'm just dumb or bipolar" Damian admitted having a seat and fixing his eyes in the food.

"Why don't you tell him? What you feel, I mean. The truth and that" he asked.

"I suppose —and if you tell anyone apart of this group I'll kill you both— that I'm afraid" he said.

"Wait a second, I'm betting that all the stupid girls would be very interesting in that so wait a sec, I'll tell them every secret" Ally said sarcastically.

"You're acting stupid" Damian said, trying to stay serious.

"Bah, you like it when I do it. Besides, knowing us, you should know that we won't tell a soul" Ally shrugged.

"You could just spit it out" Rick commented to him.

"Says the guy who didn't admit his love for him like a month ago and just because I insisted" Ally remarked.

"Ally!" Rick blushed and Damian laughed. Both friends turned to look at him, seeing Damian with a cocky smile.

"Oh, look at that… We could make you laugh" Ally smirked.

"Shut up Acker" Damian advised, though he was still smiling and his friend didn't buy it "And Rick is right, even if he doesn't take his own advices too"

"You really love to mess up with me" This one said.

"Just sometimes" Damian shrugged "I suppose I could try. Say everything that is in my mind" Ally made a smile and winked to him.

The time passed and after all the classes were finished, they walked out of the door. Ally, as always, was the first on leaving when she saw a bus going to its usual stop. Tim's car appeared just a few seconds later and Damian turned to Rick.

"Your butler is going to get you, right?" Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Technically. But I don't know" he answered

"Call him and ask him" he stated and went towards Tim's car and opened the door just a bit "Can you wait a second?"

Tim opened his mouth to complain but let out a sigh "Sure"

Like that, Damian closed the door and watched his friend talking on the phone to his butler, a bit red-faced and with his eyes fixed on the ground. He finally saw him closed the phone and Damian crossed his arms.

"He said that he was taking my parents to a conference and that if I could take the bus better" Rick answered to his silence.

Damian sighed and opened the car's door again to talk to Tim "Can we take my friend to his house?"

"Yes. Come on, get inside" Tim just said, mostly because he was tired of waiting.

&&& Okay, okay... I know I'm incredibly late with this, but I've been dealing with the last exams of university and the weather here is so horrible that I have gotten into fevers a few times already thanks to so many changes on temperature. Good thing is... I have a lot of chapters of this story done (like until the 16 or so) so I'm going faster that I thought... Also, I know this story is going slow, but I promise you... there will be fun (or fun for me, I guess?). For the moment, you have to deal with a lot of drama family (maybe I should change one of the genres?)

Also, yes, the dialogues of Rick are made on purpose more little than the rest of characters because he really talks in a low voice (I hope the page of FF won't mess up my font, though). And yes, Rick and Ally are mine and only mine.

Now, this aside... To all the people that added this story or the ones that comment... Thank you so much! I'm glad you're giving this story an opportunity and I hope you're still enjoying it! As always, I encourage you to comment whatever you feel (you can throw me tomatoes too xD), keep adding this story, tell your friends... anything so this keeps going! Have a nice day you all! &&&