Thank to BabyClara for "betareading" this chapter! ^^

This is one of the most important chapters of AU Daddy Tim! The mood is a bit different, compared to the last two chapters, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same.

3 YEARS AGO.

Tim was in Paris, accompanied by Marinette. He had been travelling around the world with his daughter for almost a year and a half. They had already been all around South America and they had made a stopover in Australia.

Now, at the request of Peanuts , they were going to start their European tour in France.

They had chosen as their hotel, Le Grand Palace. It had the reputation of being the best hotel in the city of Paris. The owner of the place, when learning that he was part of the "Wayne" family, granted him the most luxurious suite in the hotel. He had no complaints; the service was impeccable.

What was a pain was having this guy bending over their shoulders all day long. Tim had to put on a good face and play his role as "Timothy Wayne", the CEO of WE. He wasn't the only one suffering. Marinette had also found herself with a pot of glue. The daughter of the hotel owner, also a secretary at the Paris City Hall*, followed her everywhere.

The girl was unbearable.

Tim would have liked Bruce to meet this girl. There indeed, he would be in front of an undisciplined, spoiled, and disrespectful kid. Peanuts was a saint next to this blonde brat.

At the end of the third day, they finally managed to escape (literally) from the hotel. While walking around the city, they came across a small store selling tea and coffee. The store was ran by a very nice old man. The old man, nicknamed Monsieur Chan, said that he had come to France to flee his native village in Tibet. He offered them a taste of his products. Tim was a little hesitant at first, but he gave in because of the enthusiasm of Peanuts.

He drank the best coffee of his life that day.

Tim bought several boxes of coffee. Peanuts selected several boxes of tea.

A few times a week, Tim would go to this small store with Peanuts.

Eventually, he became attached to Mr. Chan. He reminded him a lot of Alfred.

In all, they stayed in France for three months.

The day before their departure, they paid a last visit to Mr. Chan. On this occasion, the old man gave Marinette a small panda teddy bear and to him a notebook containing the secret of his coffee making.

Two days after their departure, Tim received a call from a member of Mr. Chan's family, announcing his death.

Tim found it very difficult to console his Peanuts after this event.

PRESENT.

"Titus, this plush toy is mine! How did you get into my room? "

Titus wagged his tail while watching Marinette. Unfortunately, it was early afternoon, and Damian was still in middle school. Marinette, who had had class that morning, was present with Tim at the Manor.

The Great Dane was obviously in a playful mood, so he ran off with Marinette's stuffed toy. A chase started. The more Marinette and Tim ran after the dog to try and get the stuffed animal, the faster the dog ran away from them, thinking they were playing with him.

"TITUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS! Bad dog! Come back here right away! "

As a result of trying to catch the dog all over the Manor, the commotion attracted the attention of everyone present there. This included Jason and the entire Grayson family (Dick, Kori and Mar'i ).

Everyone started chasing the dog.

Alas, the chase ended with a tragedy. Titus, by waving the stuffed animal around, eventually tore one of its arms off. Marinette screamed in horror and tried catching the dog again, slipping on the waxed floor and falling.

Before anyone could do anything about it, Titus ripped the head off the plushie.

"NOOO! PUSHY! "

Marinette got up immediately and pulled what was left of the stuffed animal out of the dog's mouth. The dog continued wagging its tail, completely unaware of the disaster it had caused.

Damn it.

Tim mentally prepared himself for the worst.

At first, they was a silence. Then sobbing could be heard.

Marinette began to cry uncontrollably. The head of the plush in her little hands.

Would Damian blame him if he killed his dog?

Tim swallowed his temper. This was no time to get angry. He approached Marinette and took her in his arms. He took her to his room and spent several hours trying to calm her down.

She cried all afternoon.

Finally, when Marinette calmed down a little late in the evening, Tim decided to come back and get the remains of poor "Pushy".

He was on his way to the kitchen when he ran into Damian. For once, the kid seemed embarrassed.

"Richard informed me that there had been an... incident. ..with Titus. "

"Hmm. It's nothing... Marinette will get over it in the end. This toy was very special to her. "

"I see. Is there... Is there any way I could talk to her later? I need to formally apologize. "

"Yes, but not tonight. "

"All right. "

They walked together to the kitchen. Alfred was there, as was the rest of the family (Bruce had been informed of the incident as soon as he walked through the door). As always, Dick was the first to notice him.

"Tim! How's Marinette doing?"

" Bad. "

" … "

There was silence.

Tim sighed. He knew what was going on. Everyone was curious. They wanted to know why Marinette had reacted so strongly. They were all used to Marinette's quiet, composed, and elegant style.

Tim sat down and told the "origin story" of Pushy the Panda .

"Tim... I am so sorry. "

"Thank you, Kori. "

Alfred walked towards Tim, with a small envelope and a grey pocket watch in his hands.

"Master Tim, I think Mr. Chan really liked Mistress Marinette. "

"Ah?"

" Earlier, while retrieving the pieces of mr. Pu s hy , I found this inside it s body."

Tim frowned intrigued. He took the watch and opened it. A blue light emanated from the watch, and a kind of blue holographic figure appeared showing the time. The sound of a music box was heard.

Tim analyzed the object from all angles.

This watch was definitely rare, and especially of great value. The quality of its mechanism was unquestionable.

Bruce asked to look at the watch. Finally, the watch eventually went around the table.

Meanwhile, Tim took the letter and opened it. When he read the contents of the letter, he couldn't help but smile.

Mr. Chan was truly a good man...

"Tim, what does this letter say? "

Of course, the greatest detective on the planet didn't like surprises, and always wanted to know everything.

"It's just a letter from Monsieur Chan to Marinette. "

"So what else? "

Tim didn't answer, he just got up, retrieved the watch, which was in Mar'i's hands, and headed for the exit. He thanked Alfred in passing.

It was high time for him and his little Peanuts to go home.

One week later.

Tim and Marinette returned to the Manor very early in the morning to enjoy the breakfast served by Alfred. (They were always so lazy to cook in the morning...)

Marinette was doing very well. She had gotten over it. Mr. Chan's watch and letter had contributed enormously to her "recovery".

They found themselves back with the Grayson's again. Tim wondered if Dick had anything to do in life... Damian was also there; he was on his way to middle school soon. The moment Marinette saw him, she moved in next to him. (Tim was still shocked to see them getting along so well. After the episode with Alya , Damian and Marinette spent their lives sticking together, Tim seriously wondered, if miracles existed...)

"Hey, Marinette! You're looking better. "

"Yes, thank you, Uncle Richard. "

"I told you before to call me Dick... Uncle Richard makes me feel like a fossil."

"I don't feel like calling a family member, using a term that is commonly used to metaphorically refer to the male gender. "

Marinette deadpan.

Damian let out a small, amused grin, while Dick rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Marinette, you're spending too much time with Damian... "

"I only surround myself with the best... Uncle Richard. "

Dick laughed heartily. The rest of the breakfast went without a hitch. Marinette was discussing with Damian about a painting exposition on the theme of nature. This year, two paintings made by Damian were going to be exhibited at this event. They wanted to go together.

He should find some time to go and see the exhibition too...

Then, a certain alien hybrid decided to come and ruin the atmosphere. (Tim really had a problem with Dick's daughter. He found her unbearable. If Marinette was spoiled, that kid was the queen of capricious. Mar'i never took no for an answer, and always made sure everything went her way. And what annoyed Tim even more was that Bruce didn't realize it).

"Marinette, can I see your watch? "

Marinette hesitated for a moment, but finally took her watch out of her pocket and put it on the table. Mar'i immediately took it in her hands.

"It's really very beautiful! "

"Thank you. "

" Hey, what did your letter say? "

" … "

Kory reprimanded Mar'i immediately.

" Mar'i , be more considerate towards your cousin. I'm sorry, Marinette."

"It's nothing, Aunt Kori. Grandpa didn't say anything confidential anyway."

Damian frowned, but chose not to say anything. Tim chose to remain silent as well, he had already had a bad week. Dick, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable, but still chose to keep silent (as usual...).

Marinette recited the contents of the letter.

"As we grow old, we realize life doesn't always give us all the gifts we hoped it would. I would have loved to tell you all this in person, Marinette. But if you're reading this, it means I'm already gone. But you mustn't be scared, and you mustn't be sad. As I was telling you at the beginning of this letter, experiencing loss is a part of life. But it doesn't define it. Because what really matters isn't whether you win or lose. It's the ability to accept changes in ourselves. It's accepting that even if life doesn't always give us the gifts we were hoping for, the real gift, is life itself."

Kori smiles sadly.

"He was a very wise man. I wish I could have met him. "

"Kori is right, he wrote you a beautiful letter Marinette. He loved you very much. "

" Probably. "

As Tim was about to change the subject, Mar'i decided to stick the knife in the wound.

"Marinette, will you lend me your watch? It's really cool! "

Everyone froze. Because in Mar'i's language, " lend " meant " give ".

" No. "

Marinette ripped the watch out of Mar'i's hands.

" Hey! But, why?! It's just a watch! Marinette, you can buy a lot more..."

"MAR'I! "

"What?! It's true! "

Tim was ready to put that brat in her place. He was certain that Damian was about to explode as well. But to everyone's surprise, it was Alfred who decided to take the floor.

"Mistress Mar'i , there are limits to insensitivity . What you have just said is disrespectful not only to your cousin, but also to the person who gave her such a precious gift. Please review your behaviour and apologize. "

"But..."

" Immediately. "

Mar'i was startled. Tim felt a shiver run down his spine. It was rare to see Alfred furious.

There was a silence, then Mar'i apologized to Marinette with a small voice.

"It's alright . I can't "lend" you my watch. But if you like it so much, I can always buy you one. All we have to do is find a watchmaker to place an order. There are quite a few in Switzerland. "

"No... It's okay. "

"I don't want a watch; I want this watch." That's probably what Mar'i was thinking at the time. The kid was transparent with her emotion s.

Tim had a bad feeling.

Several weeks later.

Drake could no longer find her watch.

It was strange. This object was precious to her. Damian knew that his niece took great care of it. That wasn't all, she was a meticulous and organized person. It was not at all like her to misplace her things.

Damian had an idea who was behind this "mysterious" disappearance. A person that Damian had learned to hate with all his heart. The person who had been responsible for his expulsion from the Teen Titans.

His second niece: Mar'i Grayson.

Like many, at first, he liked his niece very much. She was Richard's daughter after all. However, she was a real little viper.

Her speciality ? Always putting the blame on others.

Once, the Teen Titans had captured a dangerous criminal. Nightstar (aka Mar'i ) was supposed to watch him with Robin. Mar'i was bored, so she was playing with her powers. Annoyed by her antics, Robin asked her to stop several times. Alas, one of Nightstar's lasers bounced off one of the walls. The laser released the prisoner's bonds and he fled. Robin pursued him but was unable to catch him. When he returned, he was greeted by an icy atmosphere.

Mar'i had said it was his fault.

And everyone believed Mar'i . Well, with the exception of Jon. His best friend lived up to his "title". He defended it to the end, but alas, for this "mistake" he was banished from the Teen Titans (they were already looking for an excuse to exclude him). Eventually, he created his own group.

Two things made Damian suspect Richard's daughter.

The first, was this " incident " with Titus. His dog never enters a room without being invited. Drake always left her bedroom door closed. This meant that someone had opened the door, but it also meant that someone had deliberately given him the stuffed animal. However, a few days earlier, Drake had refused to leave her stuffed toy with Mar'i .

The second reason was that the night Pennyworth gave the letter to Drake (the father), the watch was passing from hand to hand. He saw how Mar'i's eyes lit up at the sight of the watch. The problem with this kid was that when she wanted something, she wouldn't take no for an answer. She manipulated everyone to get what she wanted in the end. Drake (the daughter) refused to "lend" her watch.

However, he needed proof.

Unfortunately, Mar'i was very important to his father. He even showed favoritism towards Mar'i . Which, by the way, probably explained why she was picking on Drake. Because she knew that no matter what happened, even if Drake accused her, her father would defend her.

Damian knew that there were surveillance cameras in every room. So, hopefully, the scene had been filmed. He decided to take a look.

He was not disappointed.

Damian realized that it was much worse than he had anticipated.

Mar'i was constantly stealing things from Marinette.

He watched several weeks of videos. Mar'i was essentially stealing jewelry. But she also took clothes (and Damian wondered why, since they were not at all the same size or build). She took shoes, toys, pens and perfume.

The common point of these thefts was that they all took place while Marinette was in class. Early in the morning.

He finally found out what he had come to check first: Mar'i had stolen Drake's watch. But not only that. Mar'i was also guilty of the incident with Titus. She was the one who opened the door to the dog, and she was also the one who gave him the stuffed animal.

"If I can't have it, then you can't have it either", it must have been that thought that made her act that way.

Armed with all this evidence, Damian went to show it to his father.

It was high time Batman paid more attention to what was going on in his family.

- XxxX -

With the recent rapprochement between Damian and Marinette... (He sincerely couldn't say if this was a good or bad thing given both their personalities). Bruce had found himself a little... lost.

Bruce had absolutely nothing left to blame Marinette for.

Her behavior was impeccable.

She knew the etiquette of their circles perfectly well. Whether it was the way she expressed herself, or the way she sat at the table.

A true little lady.

Bruce had to admit that Tim had done a remarkable job of educating her.

That's why he was now facing a case of conscience.

Tim had decided to go on a long-term mission (in Tim's language, that meant a maximum of two weeks) with Young Justice, leaving his job as CEO in Bruce's hands. He found it hard to deny this request to his son, especially after their last fender bender. Bruce was busy with some documents concerning WE. Well, he was trying to concentrate on it.

The truth was that he had become aware of his lack of judgment.

Tim was right to insist with Marinette. Her current behavior was proof that people can change for the better.

He had been wrong.

Bruce had been extremely unfair to the girl. And now he didn't know how to make amends for his mistake.

He sighed, then began to massage his temple.

It was at that moment that he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in. "

It was Damian.

"Father, I need to talk to you about something extremely important. "

"Something important? "

"It's about Marinette. "

Bruce frowned.

He could already feel that what Damian wanted to tell him was not going to please him.

- XxxX -

" Nightstar . "

"Grandpa! I mean, Batman. "

" Nightstar , I'm here because I'd like to show you something, I would like your opinion. "

"Of course, Gran...Batman. "

He handed her a tablet and started a video of Mar'i stealing Marinette's watch.

Nightstar became pale.

" Nightstar . Where is the watch? "

"Grandpa, it's a misunderstanding, Marinette lent me her watch. "

"Marinette never l ends this watch to anyone . Even her father i s not allowed to touch it. "

"She must have forgotten! And then... Grandpa, Marinette is a prankster... She likes to play tricks on everybody, she had to create this video to annoy me. "

"I'm the one who placed these cameras. Marinette is not aware of their existence. "

" … "

"Now that your excuses are over, I'm asking you a second time. Where is this watch? "

"... I ... I don't have it anymore ... I gave it to a friend as a birthday present ..."

"Should I conclude that the objects you steal from Marinette's room are gifts for your friends? "

"I never- "

"I've seen all the videos from this year's Nightstar . "

" … "

"Answers. "

"Y-Yes..."

"What's this friend's name?"

" … "

" Nightstar . My patience is long gone. His name. Now. "

"J-Jon... I gave it to Jon..."

Batman turned around and left without a word or a glance back. Leaving behind him a Nightstar trembling with anger.

He spoke with Superman, briefly explaining the situation. The Man of Steel had no trouble taking the watch back and handing it to him.

"It's strange, I never would have thought that from Nightstar . She looked like a nice girl to me. "

"Hmm."

" So? What are you going to do now? "

" … "

It was an excellent question.

The first thing Bruce did was to give Marinette's watch to her vixen Alya . The animal immediately brought it back to her little mistress.

Marinette was thrilled to get her watch back.

While she was stroking her animal, while talking with Damian, Bruce realized that Tim (who had managed to complete his mission in record time) was staring at him. The glacial look he was giving him was enough for Bruce to understand, that Tim knew.

Bruce realized that if he hadn't acted, it was very likely that Tim would have. And this time... Bruce felt that he would not have forgiven, that he would not have come back.

The thought of that alone gave him chills.

Marinette went to put away her watch, accompanied by Damian.

She walked by, and whispered three words to him:

"Thank you, Bruce. "

Then she went on her way as if nothing had happened. Damian glanced at him, while following Marinette.

Then she knew it too.

He thought back to his tense relationship with Jason.

His conflicted relationship with Dick.

His current relationship with Tim, which was far from ideal.

Even though he had tried to ignore it, he realized that it was no longer possible to pretend to be ignorant.

How do you fix a "family", which has this title in name only?

Bruce left.

He was overwhelmed with contradictory feelings. A single thought, however, circled around in his head.

What do I do now?