A Light in the Dark

A/N: A shout-out to my wonderful beta AlexSkywalker! This chapter is a little bit shorter but answers some questions as to what's on the flash drive (this sounds stupid but is flash drive one word or two because it's coming up as a spelling error when used as one word but it's possible the computer just doesn't know what a flash drive is) and why Tim ran out of the cave upset and ultimately running away from home. Tim and Jason brotherly fluff but then as it usually happens something pisses Jason off. One step forward twenty steps back but I suppose that's the way it has to be in order to keep the story going.

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Chapter 12

Tim sat comfortably on the couch and told Jason everything he knew; from Bruce's "death" to his rebirth, the clues about him lost in time and how he had to get him back. He showed Jason everything he had worked on that was saved on the flash drive. As he neared his conclusion he started to sit closer and closer to the edge of the couch. Jason sat next to Tim quietly listening through the young boy's speech without interrupting. He noticed Tim inching his smaller body closer to the edge, clearly starting to get nervous.

When Tim finished he let out a big sigh and clasped his hands on his lap. He tipped his head towards Jason with a quirked eyebrow, nervous to see how Jason was going to take this.

"Well?" Tim asked nervously.

"Wow," the older man said simply as if someone had just told him old, obvious news, not that yhis adoptive father wasn't dead and was actually alive. Jason still stared at the screen of the new laptop and all the information piled on it throughout the various windows that were open on it. He stood suddenly and walked to the fridge.

"Please tell me you believe me," Tim whimpered.

"Relax kid, like I said I would be a hypocrite if I didn't. You've obviously done your research, and it looks like you've got all your evidence together that makes this legit but there are still some what if's and questions which could cause some people to be skeptical about it." Jason reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer for himself and a soda for Tim.

"Yah and there's only one way to answer those questions."

"We go out and find out for ourselves."

"I got out and find out for myself."

"Hey kid, that's just-"

"I'm the one that did the research and collected the evidence and know this forwards and backwards, I know some of this is based on faith, my faith, that he's out there, so I have to be the one to do this. If I'm wrong then I need to be the one to deal with that…..on my own."

Jason sighed and nodded; he could understand and respect where Tim was coming from. As Jason handed the soda to Tim he remembered the reason Tim was using the new laptop he'd given him and what Tim must have been working on when he destroyed his old one.

"When I…..uh…..broke your other laptop did I hurt your…..investigation?"

"Nah, I mostly had everything saved on the flash drive."

"So Dick didn't listen to you? Even with all this evidence? What did he have to say to that?"

"He didn't even give me the chance. The moment I mentioned that Bruce is alive he suggested therapy, that I wasn't handling the loss well. He just didn't give me a chance. And don't even get me started on Damian." Tim's eyes fell to the floor and Jason could tell there was more to the story.

"OK, so, that explains the 'Dick doesn't listen to me', but what's with the 'Dick doesn't want me anymore'?" Jason kept his eyes on Tim as he sat next to him on the couch, opening his beer.

Tim looked like he was struggling to keep his emotions in check, something that was becoming increasingly difficult for him. Tim went from the boy who never cried to one that couldn't help himself. Obviously something had happened and it had hurt Tim enough that the mere mention of it sent him spiraling.

"He doesn't. Dick decided to take up the mantle. Dick is Batman now." Tim took a deep breath and moved his eyes back up to Jason.

Jason sat back still watching Tim. "Yah, it was only a matter of time before that happened. Are you worried that he won't want you as his Robin because he didn't listen to you about Bruce possibly being alive? Dude, don't' worry. You are a great Robin, maybe the best and that's coming from me, the person who you replaced so…..take that with respect." Jason took a swig of his beer, his eyes never leaving Tim as his head tipped back. Tim had let his eyes drop back to the floor, a single tear rolling out and falling to the floor. "Tim?"

"Dick doesn't want me as Robin."

"Tim, dude, don't worry he's gonna-"

"No Jason, I know he doesn't want me."

Jason was confused and shifted his body on the couch so that that whole front of him was facing Tim.

"Dick said that?"

"He didn't have to."

"What happened, Tim?"

"Can I have one of those first?" Tim pointed to Jason's beer. Jason leaned his face in close to Tim and playfully glared upwards at him as if to say 'Really? You think I'm going to let you get away with that?' Tim let out a big sigh and began.

"Well, after Dick ignored me at lunch about my theory I went to my room to think for a while."

"To brood," Jason chuckled.

"Fine, to brood. I was debating what to do next. I knew Bruce wouldn't give up on me so I couldn't give up on him. So I went back downstairs with the intention of showing Dick and making him listen. That's when it all went wrong." Tim began to tell Jason the story of what caused him to leave the manor that night.

FLASHBACK

"Alfred, have you seen Dick?"

"I believe Master Richard is in the cave training with Master Damian and asked not to be disturbed."

"Again?" I raced down to the cave through the clock and was met with a sight I did not expect. Well, looking back I should have seen it. The amount of time Dick was spending training Damian. How Damian seemed to know everything about what Dick was doing before I did.

As I descended the stairs into the darkness I first heard laughter. Both Damian's and Dick's.

"Looks good on you, Damian, I don't even think we will have to tailor it," Dick said.

As I came to the last stair I looked up. I saw Damian wearing a Robin costume, my Robin costume, one of my first ones, when I first became Robin and I was about as small as Damian.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked. Dick and Damian looked up, startled; obviously I wasn't expected.

"Tim!" Dick stood up suddenly. Dick was wearing his new bat-suit with the cowl pulled down.

"Well, this is one way we could tell him," Damian piped up.

"Damian, just go get changed alright," Dick ordered. He then turned to me with 'I'm sorry' written all over his face.

"What the hell is going on Dick?"

"I wanted to talk to you about this Tim but…..there just never seemed to be a good time; and then what you spring on us at lunch? How was I supposed to tell you then?"

"So you think I've lost it? I'm crazy? I let all the losses in my life get to me? Did you ever think this is another loss?! This was all I had left!"

"No Tim, that's not it, not at all!" Dick moved forward and put his hands on my arms to calm me but I shook him off and took a step back. "Tim, I just think you are hurting, not crazy. I can't teach you anything. I see you as my equal. You need to find your own identity, you've outgrown Robin! Damian, he needs this, you know if left to his own devices he will kill…..again! Is that what you want?" I remembered back to when Damian killed, thinking he was protecting Bruce's empire, his kingdom, and all the times he must have killed for his mother and the shadows. But it didn't matter to me. Robin was mine, let Damian find his own identity.

"Tim, I made this choice because I know you can do this. Damian, he needs someone."

"That's my own goddamn costume! Dick, how could you!? How could you not only take this away from me but not even tell me!?" I tried to hold back my tears through the anger. Damian's figured appeared in my peripheral vision. He was still wearing the costume.

"Have you accepted it yet?" Damian asked.

"I see he listens to you really well." I countered.

"Damian, knock it off! Tim, he's gone; you need to accept it and move on. This includes the role of Robin. We are all moving on. I'm moving on to Batman, Damian is moving on to Robin, you can move on to your own new identity."

"Yah Drake, maybe you can move on to Batgirl."

That did it. I was no longer in control of my actions. I turned around swinging, knocking my fist into Damian's jaw. I think I felt a tooth or two loosen under my knuckles.

"My name is Tim Wayne!" I cried and I didn't want Damian to forget that.

"Tim! Calm down! Stop!" Dick grabbed me from behind as Damian went down. I shook him off and he ran to Damian, to his new Robin. While he was distracted with him I ran out of the cave, to my room. I grabbed my emergency backpack, my new laptop and I was out the window before Dick even got to my bedroom door.

END FLASHBACK

Tim watched Jason pace back and forth in front of him. In the middle of Tim's story Jason had gotten upset and started frantically pacing, running his hands furiously through his hair.

"What he did wasn't right Tim. I know…..I know how it feels to be…..replaced."

"By me. How I replaced you. But Jason, this is different."

"How so?"

"Well, Jason, you were dead. I'm still alive. I got replaced right in front of my face, well, technically behind my back, but I was still there. You were gone Jason."

"That's not what it was about, Tim. After me he never should have gotten another Robin. He never should have put someone else in danger. I guess he wasn't that broken up over me being gone."

Tim new he accidentally struck a nerve with Jason, whether it was his story about what happened with Dick or telling him that him being replaced was different. Either way he needed to proceed with caution.

"Jason, it wasn't easy! You think it was easy for him to take me on as Robin? It wasn't! But, him taking me on as Robin wasn't about you Jason. You weren't a factor in that."

"Well I should have been!" Jason roared turning on Tim. The smaller boy backed up a couple of steps, scared of Jason's reaction. "Go take a shower, Tim."

"Jason, look-"

"Go take a shower, Tim!"

Tim did as Jason asked because Jason was allowing him to stay and Jason no doubt needed some time alone to calm down. Tim took his shower, allowing the warm water to wash away the events of the past week. Jason's apartment was small and simple; a living room that extended into the kitchen, a small balcony through a sliding glass door off the living room. Jason's bedroom, the only bedroom, was through a door that connected to the living room. The only bathroom in the place was through a door in Jason's bedroom.

When Tim came back out into the living room in his sweats there were sheets, blankets and a pillow on the couch for him. He could see Jason outside on the balcony smoking a cigarette. Tim suddenly felt like he shouldn't be here. Jason came back in through the sliding glass door.

"Jason, look I'm sorry, I can ask Alfred for some money and stay at a hotel."

"No. I said you're staying here until things get worked out and you will. Good night, Tim." And without another word Jason disappeared behind the closed door of his bedroom. As Tim began to make the couch up he heard the shower starting up for Jason and went to bed. The sound of running water lulled Tim to sleep.

Jason rolled over and glared at the clock, 3:21 am staring back at him. He wondered what woke him up when he heard the noise again. Moaning, whimpering. Tim. Jason threw open his bedroom door, walking right into his couch that was flush up against the wall. Tim's head was further away from him, his feet closer. The boy was tossing and turning obviously in the throes of a nightmare.

Damn Dick. Damn Dick for doing this to the kid, and in turn doing this to him. Jason was tired and just didn't want to deal with this. He didn't have the patience tonight. He was hurting too, physically and emotionally. He nudged the couch hard and called out to the boy trapped in his terror.

"Tim! Tim! Wake up!"

"Huh?" Tim dazedly looked up at Jason and through the low light in the room Jason could see that Tim had been sweating profusely.

"What? What's going on?" Tim asked.

"You were having a nightmare. Go back to sleep." And Jason disappeared behind the closed door again. Jason went back to sleep only to be awoken by the same sounds half an hour later. Tim was hurting that much was evident. As Jason now lay awake in his bed he wondered and remembered back to when he found out Tim was the new Robin. He remembered how betrayed he'd felt. The hurt. The pain. Everything Tim was no doubt feeling now. He then wondered how he was going to get Tim, and himself, through this.