"I…have the potential to turn evil in the future?" Tim's eyes were wide as he stared up at his older brother.

They had just finished Jason's tale about an evil version of his younger brother, who had come back in time to brainwash the world and murder his family for rejecting him. As the words continued to spill from Jason's lips, Tim grew gradually paler. Now, he almost looked like a ghost or a corpse, and Jason could barely stand to look at him without being reminded of even more painful memories.

Jason sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Tim, it's not that simple."

"But you said—"

"We all have the potential to go bad," Jason continued, cutting his younger brother off. "All of us. A person could easily argue I went bad back during my Red Hood days, even if I did manage to pull myself back eventually. Each and every one of us has a darkness to them — it's just a matter of bringing it out. That's why Bruce doesn't kill; he knows he's on the edge as it is and doesn't want to take the risk."

"Then what's the difference?" Tim demanded, though he was visibly anguished.

"The difference is that with you, we got a front row seat to how bad you could get — twice. And that was two times too many; no matter how much we believed you wouldn't go down either of those two roads again, there would always be that sliver of doubt, and for this family, that sliver might as well be a neon sign. Especially for you. You were the most paranoid out of all of us, and you took those two futures as proof that you could never, ever be Batman."

"So Dick chose you instead, both because he trusted you more and because he knew I would never accept it after what happened." Tim bit the corner of his lip. "But if that's the case, then why he wasn't scared of you going down the wrong route too?"

Jason smiled bitterly. "Because of what happened to Bruce."

Tim gaped at him. "Jason…that wasn't your fault."

"That's what they all said. That's what they all kept telling me but not once was I ever able to believe it. And after what happened…I tried to kill again, and realized I couldn't go through with it. That very thought of it was making it sick. I couldn't help but keep thinking about who else I'd lose for taking someone else's life," Jason inhaled deeply, burying his face into his hands.

"Killing never really got me anything, never really solved any of my problems. It wouldn't have saved Dick. It wouldn't have saved Damian. It wouldn't have saved you and it outright killed Bruce. All it ever did was cause me pain — it drove a wedge between me and my family, left me scars on my soul and blood on my hands and dreams that will never, ever go away. It cost me so much, which is why it will take me so much to ever consider taking a life ever again."

"And Dick knew that," Tim said, voice soft. "Dick knew that, knew that you didn't have it in you to be that person again, which is why he trusted you to be Batman."

"Yes."

Tim looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say.

"I didn't want you for that Tim. That's why I tried to keep you away from the Joker. Not just to protect you from him, but also to protect you from yourself."

"I wasn't going to kill him," Tim couldn't help but mutter.

"I know."

Tim's eyes snapped up, and he looked back at Jason in disbelief. "You knew I wasn't going to kill him?"

"Of course I did. Tim, it would take a lot more than what Joker did to make someone like you kill. You're a naturally kind and compassionate person, even you function more on logic that sentiment. You couldn't even begin to comprehend the amount of trauma future you went through to become the person he was, all the friends and family he had to lose before he went over the deep end. The truth is, I was never worried about you killing him."

"Then why did you stop me?"

Jason looked at him dead in the eye. "Because I knew you were planning to make him suffer instead, and that was just as bad, if not worse."

"But why?" Tim asked again, sounding a little incensed now. "I wasn't going to kill him. I wasn't going to cross that line."

"Because that's how it always starts," Jason stated bluntly. "We say that line is the one line we can never, ever cross, and as long as we don't, we're golden. The truth is that's a lie. There are plenty of lines we don't cross, it just never occurs to us that they're there to begin with. And if you went down that route, you'd be crossing all of them eventually. Even the big one."

The two brothers locked eyes again, and Jason could see Tim was confused. He sighed. It seems he would have to elaborate.

"Think of it this way, Tim. When it comes to lines, it isn't just where you draw the line but also how you draw it. You can make it a hard, solid line and when you cross it, you cross it — no question about it. You live with it, carry it, and if you feel remorseful, you try to make up for it for the rest of your life. Or," and here he adopted a warning tone, "you can make it into a circle, one that shrinks the more you walk around it, until it's so small you can step on it and pretend it's not there. And once that happens, there's nothing telling you to stop — so why should you?"

Suddenly, Tim was beginning to realize that Jason wasn't talking about him. Or just him, in any case.

"It's the same with killing. Killing is easy. Bruce likes to say otherwise, but he's never really killed before. I have, and I'll tell you this — it's an easy thing to do. You don't have to make it slow, or painful, just quick, and the end result is really no different. What makes it hard is everything that comes after: the guilt, the rationalizations, and the consequences. I thought I could handle all of that. I realized that I was wrong, and I lived with that for the rest of my life." Jason put a hand on Tim's shoulder. "Like I said before, I didn't want that for you, Tim. You might have thought it would be worth it at first but as time went on you would've thought back on it and realized you were wrong. And you would have to live with that regret for the rest of your life, until it began eating you alive."

Tim looked down at the floor again, and this time, he couldn't stop his tears. "But he was my dad, Jason."

"He was," Jason admitted noncommittally.

"We didn't have the best relationship, and he could be neglectful and cruel — but he was still my father and I loved him, and now that he's gone, I'm all alone." Tim blinked, as if that thought was just dawning on him.

"You're not alone," Jason instantly refuted, voice stern, "You have us. You have Stephanie and your friends on Young Justice, and many more in the future. This might be harsh of me to say, but your parents aren't going to be the first people you're going to lose. You're going to lose more, and you're going to keep losing them until the day you die yourself. And the pain will never completely go away. I learned that lesson all too well over the years, time and time again. But…"

"But?"

"The trick is to not let it consume you. To bear it until doesn't hurt so much anymore, and it won't, Tim, it won't. Not as long as you keep letting people into your life. You're only alone if you choose to be."

The third Robin swallowed heavily. Jason paid no mind, and pulled forward into a deep embrace. After a moment's hesitation, Tim gingerly returned it, nuzzling his head into Jason's shoulder and basking in the comfort and worth the hug was giving him.

"We love you, Tim. We will always love you. And we will always try to be there for you. But you gotta be willing to let us in first. Alright?"

"Alright," Tim whispered.

"Jason, I do have one more question," Tim spoke, after they finally let go of their embrace.

Jason raised an eyebrow but nodded all the same.

Tim pursed his lips. "Why did I take losing Robin so badly?"

The second Robin froze. Tim saw it, but pressed on anyway. "I won't lie, I love being Robin. It's the best thing that ever happened to me, despite…" he winced, "how I got it. But it seems like a small thing to be willing to hate and screw your brother over for."

"Because it wasn't just about Robin, Tim." Jason rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It was about your relationship with Dick. Robin was just a part of that."

"What do you mean?"

Jason laid back on the floor and Tim mirrored him after a few moments. "It comes back to family, in the end," Jason started once Tim settled down next to him. "Family isn't easy, Tim, let alone this family. If it had been, then Bruce and I wouldn't have quarreled so much after I came back from the dead. It's the same with you and Dick. You two got along so well at first, but the stress of all your recent losses, combined with Dick's own distracted disregard over what you were going through, fractured your relationship in a way that never healed. Robin wasn't so much the cause as it was the symbol of what happened between you two. It was the same with Bruce and I when I came back, which is why I took your succession so badly at first."

"And we just never talked about it?" Tim sounded hesitant, as if in disbelief.

Jason snorted. "Like I said, this family is not easy. We rag on Bruce for his emotional constipation, and rightfully so, but that doesn't mean we were any different. We didn't like having conflict between ourselves, especially after we all finally came back together as a family. So, neither of you wanted to bring it up, to pick on that old wound, and you let it be, and it blew up in all our faces."

"Oh." The third Robin focused his eyes on the ceiling, trying to process those words. "That's…wow."

"Yeah," Jason clicked his teeth. "One thing I've learned over the years after raising a family of my own is that siblings fight all the time, Tim. It's a natural thing that happens; the real issue is making sure there's no permanent damage. Sometimes it's going to be over small things and sometimes it'll be over big things. Sometimes you'll be right and sometimes you'll be wrong. But what really matters is whether or not what you're fighting for is worth fighting your family over. Sometimes, it will be." He looked at his younger brother square in the eye. "Sometimes, it won't."

Tim frowned. "You mean like Robin?"

"Exactly like Robin. I'm not making any excuses for what Dick did to you, far from it. But Robin, in the end, isn't really worth as much as you think. It's a prestigious mantle, and it allows you to spend more time with the current Batman, but…"

"But?"

Jason sighed. "Let me tell you a secret about Robin, Tim. It's a toy."

Tim stilled, mouth agape. "A…toy?" he said the words, as if couldn't believe that his own predecessor was calling the suit he once wore such an unflattering term.

"A toy," Jason repeated, voice firm. "A very flashy and dangerous toy, but still a toy. It was made for a child, by a child, and inevitably, us four brothers fought over it like children. But here's the thing about children — they grow up. They grow up and they outgrow their toys and they inevitably give them up. You're an amazing Robin, Tim, and you're only going to get better as you get older and more experienced. But along the way, you're going to grow up, and you're going have to accept that you can't be Robin forever. No one can."

"Then…" Tim deflated slightly.

"It won't be for a few years yet. Several, considering how much younger Damian is in this timeline — he's going nowhere near the suit until he's twelve, and not a moment sooner. But as for you…I don't know when it will be. But you're going have to give it up one day Tim, of your own free will. And what you do after that is up to you." Jason got up, and got back to his feet, dusting his pants off. "Don't worry about it for now, though. Just continue living your life, the way you want to, and you'll figure it out for yourself."

Tim watched as his elder brother left, finally leaving him all alone again, and exhaled deeply. He had a lot to think about.

Tim allowed himself an hour or so to himself before heading up to the study, where he knew Bruce was doing some work for the company. Wayne Enterprises, as always, provided the city relief in the wake of supervillain attacks, and Bruce tended to handle the measures directly, meaning more paperwork than usual. Combined with Jason's revelations about the Joker, and it wasn't surprising their mentor had neglected to go to the office for the day. The last thing Bruce needed was for his employees to see his distress.

He was slow in opening the door, but the audible creak that followed ensured that Bruce was aware of his arrival. Bruce stopped typing on his laptop and lifted his eyes, giving Tim a soft smile. "Come in, Tim."

The third Robin wet his lips and did exactly that. "Bruce. I just wanted to ask about my lodgings for the rest of the semester."

Bruce pressed his lips together into a thin line. "We will have to wait for the will reading for word on your permanent lodgings, but for the time being social services has agreed to allow you to live here as my ward. Hopefully, your guardian, whoever that may be, lives in Gotham."

"It's probably going to be you," Tim pointed out. "I don't have any extended family and you've taken care of me before."

"Perhaps so, but we still have to wait for the will reading."

There was a pause. They both knew the elephant in the room, the truth they were talking around. In the previous timeline, after Jack Drake died, Tim had tried to live on his own in Bludhaven for a time due to a fallout with Bruce. However, after that hurt had been mended and circumstances forced a change, Bruce had adopted Tim as his third son. He had been charged with running Wayne Enterprises when Bruce had been indisposed and later died, had died himself as Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne, and had even been buried in the Wayne family cemetery.

Even though he hadn't voiced it out loud, they both knew that Jason wanted this to happen again, to have Tim join the family officially. Perhaps even expected it, now that there was no one standing in the way. But Jason knew better than to express that desire, knowing full well what it had cost Tim to make it a possibility. There could be no delight found in his brother's pain, no matter how indirect.

"Bruce…" Tim trailed off.

"Another time, Tim," Bruce said, voice gentle, "We need to wait, not just because of the will but also until the loss isn't so fresh, so we can think things through clearly. Neither of us are quite ready to take that step yet."

And for the first time in days, Tim smiled. It was brittle and small, but still genuine, which is the best anyone could hope for. "Thank you."

Bruce was right. He wasn't ready. Not yet.

But maybe, one day…he would be.

After all that talking, the days wore on. Tim elected not to go back to school for the first couple of days, and had moved some of his stuff to the Manor with Jason's help. The day right before school was to start, Bruce and him had been called into a law firm that was charged with executing his father's will. While Jack had willed many of his artifacts and collector's items to friends, almost everything else had gone to Tim, including Jack's shares of Drake Industries. And, as everyone predicted, Bruce had been charged as Tim's temporary guardian until he was of age. Jack had even given his blessing to Bruce to adopt Tim; having never found out that Bruce was Batman and Tim was Robin, he had no reservations leaving the safety of his son in Bruce's hands in case the worst had (and in fact did) happened.

School was, well, horrible. Honestly, it made the aftermath of Stephanie's kidnapping look tame. Rooms fell silent at the sight of him, only to erupt in hushed whispers that he desperately tried not to listen to. There were a lot of sympathetic looks, as expected, but there were also angry and jealous ones as well. Everyone knew that he was staying with Bruce, that Bruce had been granted custody over him. Combined with his previous stint as Bruce's ward, and the blatant association between Bruce's children and him at the gala, it was obvious what his fellow students had realized.

They had realized that it would only be a matter of time until Tim Drake, the ignored and neglected son of an upstart minor family, was adopted by Bruce Wayne and became a Wayne. The boy that many of them looked down on would ascend to a status that none of them could ever hope to reach, simply thanks to the whims of fate and the Joker. It didn't matter that he had to tragically lose both his parents within a year of each other to make it happen, the fact is that it would happen, and that they would have to live with it. If it weren't for the fact that Gotham Academy was the most prestigious school in the city, that Stephanie and Damian were both attending there, and that Jason would kill him for giving up his education like this, Tim would have requested a transfer to another school. The other students wouldn't try anything besides nasty whispers, sure, but it was still upsetting to hear.

It seemed he wasn't the only person to notice this. Stephanie had been careful with him, acceding to his wishes and talking about harmless things that wouldn't touch anything too raw. And Damian…

Well, he was Damian.

"Drake."

Tim blinked, and glanced to see Damian Wayne in all his pint-sized glory, arms crossed with his characteristic scowl. "Yes, Damian?" Tim asked tiredly. What did the brat want now?

"There has been a new game delivered to Bat-Pizza this past week," Damian explained to him, eyes challenging, "I look forward to crushing you in it."

The older boy opened his mouth slightly. What the hell? Why would Damian think he'd care about something as stupid as a—

The whispers had stopped. Tim looked around, and yup, everyone was studiously keeping quiet and pointedly not looking at him or Damian. He glanced back at the younger boy, saw the slight smirk on his face, and sighed. "I'd like to see you try, munchkin," Tim said with no heat, and just a bit of gratitude.

Damian huffed and walked away, though Tim knew he was smiling too.

Despite the brief lifts in his mood, he could only feel even more depressed when the day of the funeral came. Tim had minimal involvement in the planning, only choosing the kind of adornments his father might've liked. Otherwise, the actual arrangements had been done by Bruce and Alfred. Jason had handled the refreshments, citing experience (and there wasn't a person in the know who didn't flinch when they heard that). In addition with the November rain, and it was a somber affair all around.

All of the Waynes attended, in support of Tim, as did Barbara. None of them had really known Jack Drake except for Bruce, and Tim was fairly certain that Jason hadn't liked him at all due to what he had learned of the man in the other timeline, but Tim was touched nonetheless. Even Dick had come, citing another family emergency to get out of work at the precinct. Other guests included many of his father's colleagues in the archeology field and in Drake Industries. Jack's will indicated that the Board of Directors elected a temporary CEO until Tim was deemed ready to take over, and many of them were there to take measure of the boy that may very well become their boss one day.

Tim wasn't even ready to start thinking about Drake Industries yet. He had just barely started high school, while he was certain he was smart enough to run the company, he still had so many things to do. Not just with Robin, but with his life in general. He wasn't ready to slave away at a desk job just yet. Or make any big decisions like that. He was—he was—

He wasn't ready.

He stares as his father's empty coffin is lowered into the ground, and realizes he isn't ready for this. Any of this. It was hard enough when mom was gone and dad was in a coma, but this was worse. Because they're both gone, and everything they had is now on his shoulders, and he's not sure if he can bear it all without collapsing under the weight. And yet…

He feels a hand slip into his own. He looks to see who it is, and it's Stephanie, and she doesn't look back or say anything. She just squeezes his hand, and Tim, grateful, squeezes back.

He isn't ready. But at least he won't be going at it alone.

And, reluctantly, life goes on.

Tim moves everything he has into the Manor, along with everything in the Drake home that has any sentimental value (which isn't much). After that, he has a discussion with Bruce, Jason, and Alfred over the fate of his old house. Since he wasn't living there anymore, and probably never would be living there again, should he sell the home? While Tim had lived almost all his life in that mansion, the place had no real meaning to him, so if he wouldn't weep if it was gone.

Ultimately, it was decided he should. As nice as the Drake home was, it was still a mansion and would be a massive money sink to keep maintaining, especially since it would be coming out of Tim's fortune. They didn't have another use for it except for a possible refuge in case of emergencies, and what was the point of that when there were plenty of safehouses in the city already? If no one was going to be living in it on a regular basis, then it wasn't worth the effort to keep it.

With Tim's consent, Bruce lists the old Drake home onto the market with the help of a real estate agent. There is a debate about the furniture, and it's decided to sell that as well. The kitchen utensils, however, are appropriated for the family's personal use. Alfred and Jason had been meaning to replace some of their older pots and pans, and there was no reason to go out and buy some when the Drakes had perfectly usable ones at absolutely none of the price.

As for school, eventually the rumor mill calms down and things mostly go back to normal. They resume with their regular outings after school, including the visits to Bat-Pizza. Tim, despite his melancholy, still manages to keep ahead of Damian in ticket amounts, though the gap isn't as large as it used to be. Whether it was due to his personal depression or Damian just getting better at the games, no one could say.

Thanksgiving comes and goes. This time Jason and Alfred allow everyone to help with the food preparation, though they pointedly make sure Bruce has the easiest and most inconsequential tasks, much to the man's exasperation. Tim is charged with making the stuffing (Jason and Alfred refuse to let anyone but themselves work on the turkey), and thinks he did a pretty good job. Damian and Dick fight over the spoon used to make the pumpkin pie mix. Cass just watches them all while cutting the vegetables with a smile on her face. And despite the family connotations surrounding the holiday, Tim can't help but feel happy. They're all here, together, and having a good time, only missing Stephanie and Barbara, who are off enjoying the holiday with their own extended families. Even the Kanes come at Bruce's behest, and Bette Kane is kind and respectful and very understanding. She lost her parents too, after all, albeit at a much younger age than Tim.

After Thanksgiving, he's finally allowed to be Robin again. It feels odd, wearing the suit after so much time apart from it, but it also makes him feel better than he has in a while. Jason had been operating as Gotham Knight so Bruce would still have a partner in the field, but now that Tim was active again, he would probably go back to that weird limbo of his that he had been content not to change. He does stick around for a night or two to make sure Tim isn't getting too over his head, though. While Tim hadn't been slacking off on training, far from it, no amount of training complete prepares you for the actual thing.

Bruce and him fall back into a rhythm. Tim can almost pretend that everything is back to normal.

Almost.

When Tim, as Robin, enters Mount Justice, he's met with silence.

It's not that his team isn't happy to see him — it's obvious they are — it's just that they don't know how to react to his presence. It had been close to a month, after all, and it seems they've managed to get on without him for the most part. He's back now, but they can all tell he's different from the Robin they had before. He had always been serious, but now…

"Robin," Cassie is the one who finally bites the bullet. "It's good to have you back. We're sorry about your dad."

Right. While Bruce hadn't divulged his secret identity (Jason point-blank told him that was Tim's prerogative and no one else's), there was technically no harm in telling the team that his father had died. Children all around the world lost their fathers all the time, and Jack Drake had hardly been the only casualty in Joker's latest rampage. Even if his team had been actively trying to discover his secret identity, it was highly unlikely they would have succeeded.

"Thanks Cassie. It's good to be back," Robin smiled unconvincingly.

Kon timidly stepped forward, more than a little cautious. "Are you okay?"

What a loaded question. And perhaps insensitive, though Tim didn't hold it against him. They were only concerned, and asking was their way of showing that they cared. And Tim…

"No," Robin answered honestly, "But I will be."

Jason said I'm only alone if I choose to be. Tim thought as his team converged onto him for a group hug. And I don't ever want to be alone again. So for now…this is enough.

Shorter chapter than usual, but that's because this chapter is going to be followed by an interlude, and then we go back completely to Jason's POV. We're falling into the final stretch of the first half of the story, everyone! Get ready for some wild times!

Next chapter: Robin.