It started with a phone call. Dick hadn't thought anything of it when Alfred picked up the phone and said it was 'Master Bruce'; he just turned around and walked as fast as he could in the opposite direction. It wasn't until he saw the worried expression on the old man's face while he worked on dinner that he wondered what was said during the call. "What's up Alf? They run out of your favorite tea?"

"Master Timothy is late returning to the office." For a moment his heart stopped but it was pushed aside as different possibilities, good ones, raced through his mind. The butler kept talking. "Master Bruce checked his phone's GPS and I found it in his room, still plugged in."

"He probably forgot it, what with patrol going late. Maybe he fell asleep in class and is in detention." Then again detention would be over and done with by now. "Or maybe some of his friends dragged him to some Wizards and Warlocks game. Those could take all afternoon." But he would have called one of them to tell them where to find him later. "People used to make me sub for them in different clubs. Maybe someone's trying to get him involved at school." Again Tim would borrow someone else's phone and call ahead. "Or maybe he fell asleep while sitting on the bus on the way to Wayne Tower." Likely, but he would have been shaken awake by the driver by then.

Alfred 'hmm'ed critically at each idea, letting the young man make his own conclusions. These were the positive possibilities. They didn't want to consider the negative. "He's probably just running late."

The subject was dropped and the two of them focused on dinner and the impromptu cooking lesson. Fifteen minutes later the front door slammed and a large body rushed in, coming towards the kitchen. Instinctively Dick ducked behind the island, hidden from the doorway and the man coming towards it. He wasn't ready for him.

"Alfred!" Bruce's voice roared, coming closer. "Did anyone ring the doorbell or knock since four today?

The old man glanced once at the hiding young adult at his feet, then to his employer. "I am afraid not. Why would..." His eyes grew wide, falling silent as they locked onto something. Dick looked up to him for a moment, his curiosity overriding his fear at the pause and knew something was horribly wrong. "Where was that?"

"The front door." There was a worried growl in the man's voice, one he hadn't heard that often. His discussion with Alfred came back to the forefront of his mind and the acrobat blanched. It couldn't... he carefully peeked around the island and looked up to where Bruce was standing. He was holding Tim's skateboard, the one he saw him riding back when he was casing City Hall as Renegade.

The kid was nowhere in sight.

"It came with this." A piece of paper was shown to Alfred as Dick darted back into hiding, hands over his mouth. He had to stop his panic attack and listen. Listen carefully and find out what happened. Who had kidnapped Tim and what did they want? "I had a phone call from the kidnappers telling me that if I wanted Tim back, I had to go home. I received a call while driving from Flanders at Drake Industries, saying they had Tim's backpack and a note. Special courier."

"We should call Commissioner Gordon at the very least-"

"No cops being involved gives Batman more room to breathe. No one will tie my hands if we play it this way."

"They're telling you to correlate with his father's company." A commanding tone entered the old man's voice. Dick looked up to him in surprise. Was that normal for a ransom? Then again, Tim came from a rich family and was taken in by a rich man. He, and even Jason, came from much humbler origins. If a kidnapper could double dip, he would. "That will take more time than you-"

"Talk to Lucius. The two of you can figure it out."

"That will not be enough. I am no longer the manager of your estate, nor am I a holder of his. DI will not recognize myself or Mr. Fox as representatives for you and they will not listen to us on Timothy's behalf. They barely agreed to pay the ransom on his parents as you recall. I doubt they will agree to pay even a reasonable amount for a boy they hardly recognize. We will need Bruce Wayne."

There as a silent pause, making the young man at their feet really wish he could read the note in question. The only reason he hadn't already was because Bruce was there. He had to see it. See if he could help. Corporate sharks didn't seem to want to and Batman was ready to go after him right then and there. Tim...

"Twenty-four hours. If I can't find a lead in twenty-four hours, I'll come in person to handle DI. Get our part ready and do what you can in the meantime. Dick," the acrobat jumped at his name, not thinking, "breathe in three counts, hold it for three, let it out for three. Stay in the manor and help Alfred from here. We will get Tim back."

He heard Bruce walk away, headed towards the study and the cave below. Batman was going straight to work, determined to get his partner home. The young man on the kitchen floor stared at the tile blankly, automatically doing the breathing exercise while thinking things over, his thoughts scattered.

Tim was missing. Kidnapped. They wanted money from both Bruce and the Drake's company. Batman was going after them immediately. Alfred would get what he could together in case Batman failed. In 24 hours, Bruce would make certain the backup plan, the exchange, would happen. Closest thing to proof of life they had was a note and the skateboard. DI didn't like paying ransoms. Both of them seemed rattled but could keep their heads together. How did they manage it? Tim was missing!

A withered hand landed on his shoulder, drawing his attention to the present. Alfred was trying to reassure him, but Tim was missing! His little brother was missing! How did they keep their heads like this? "We will get Master Timothy back home Master Richard. Trust me."

"How can you be so sure?" He felt so lost... how could he be so calm?

"Because you came back." That made him blink. What? "Every time you were taken away, you have come back. Remember how you were taken from us? Rather frequently for a while. I believe there were three kidnappings in a single month. That must have been a record."

Dick blinked in confusion once again, recalling his many abductions in his youth. Not just because he was Robin, but because he was Bruce Wayne's ward. Most only lasted two to three hours. One lasted a week, but that was as Robin. Dick Grayson was always rescued faster, and taken by lower level criminals. "No... seven times in one day was the record. I kept getting taken by another thug and just gave up fighting or reasoning with them until they took me to a secure location and stayed there. Bruce came in during two of them and got a mild concussion going from trunk to trunk..."

"But he still found you." The old man gave him a reassuring smile. "It may have taken four years to find you this last time, but the circumstances were very different. This situation is like many of your previous ones. We know what we're doing. Master Timothy will be found and safely returned to us.

"Now do me a favor." Alfred nodded towards the front entrance. "Master Bruce probably left the car out front, on and idle. Please return it to the garage before it requires a mechanic. We will keep you informed of our progress as it changes."

He thought about what he said slowly then nodded, getting off the ground. First and foremost, Dick had to get his head back together. Then he could think about what he could do to save his brother.