A/N: Here is a Birthday story. I decided that Tim was going to share my birthday, which happens to be today. Tim is 15 (now 16 – Birthday Sept. 22). Reference to The Will.
Forgotten Birthdays
By
AJ
Part 1
Tim Drake-Wayne was wondering around the manor. It was early Sunday morning and not everyone was awake yet. It was just a month ago that Bruce had officially become his adopted father from Jake Drake, his father's last wishes in his will. He hadn't really explored it that much since he became Robin. Since he lived with his parents before they . . . well he though there had been no need to explore the manor . . . until now.
Tim came across the library and his eyes became wide as saucers. This was amazing. He never expected to see so many books. He mostly limited himself to the ones that he already owned and placed in the room that Alfred set aside for him. The library was larger than his parents' library, now his. The Drake Manor felt so empty that he didn't spend much time there. Early on, when he started his crime fighting days as Robin, he found a tunnel that connected his parents' mansion in the Bristle area of Gotham to the caves and that tunnel connected to the Bat Cave. Today, he was up in the Manor and in the library. As he explored he came across a small area that was filled with photo albums. He pulled one off the shelf and opened it. Inside were pictures of Dick when he was much younger. In fact, it reminded him of when he first met Dick. Those images were still strong in his mind. He still had the photo that his parents took of him when he was only three. He was sitting on Dick's lap. Thinking on that moment, it felt natural, as if he belonged there, but he couldn't put his finger on why.
Flipping through the pages, he saw Dick at 10 years old, having a birthday party. There were faces that he recognized all too well. He wondered at that moment where he was during that time.
'Oh yeah, I was in Egypt with my parents,' Tim thought 'My birthday was later spent going to London and to a lecture. Though my father did surprise me with a set of Sherlock Holmes stories.'
Thinking about birthdays, Tim thought about the number of birthdays he celebrated. And then he realized that over the past five years, since he was ten, he hadn't celebrated that many at all. His birthdays seemed to have slipped his parents' minds, especially when they were traveling, and in the past two years, he was so busy being Robin, it even slipped HIS mind.
'Funny, I almost forgot it again.' He looked at the calendar on the desk by the small clock and realized that it was his birthday today. Tears formed in his eyes. He shouldn't feel bad, but in some way, he felt . . . lost. His parents . . . at least his Dad might have remembered . . . if he was alive . . . but . . . now . . . that had all been taken from him and it was only a month since he buried his father.
Tim found his knees bending and he slipped to the floor and buried his face in his knees. Mourning for his father had been second in his mind soon after because he had once again been busy with school and with his duties as Robin. He had shoved his father's death and burial aside . . . so easily . . . there was no time for mourning, but today of all days, how could he not mourn the one person who tried to continue to raise him right after his mother had died. And thinking of his Mother, Tim's tears were doubled. He missed her, too. The one thing he could count on from her was to at least have something special waiting for him at breakfast, but that had been missing for two years now.
Tim let the tears fall, until he could not cry any more. He wasn't aware that someone had been watching him intently with a sad face, but an understanding face as well.
Alfred appeared at the library door when he heard someone crying. It was surprised at first that it was Master Timothy. Why would be crying besides the obvious? It had only been a month since his father's funeral. He silently approached and picked up the photo album and found the page where it had that had fallen open. It was on Dick's birthday party. A scowl appeared on the Alfred's face and he asked himself why would Timothy be looking at this particular image? The boy wasn't in their lives at that time. Then another thought occurred to him and he realized they would have to rectify it immediately. It nearly slipped their minds when Dick first came to live with them. If he could help it Alfred would not let it happen again. He would inform Masters Bruce and Dick immediately, but first he knew what he needed to do right then and there.
Closing the photo album, he replaced it on the shelf then stated, "Good Morning Master Timothy. What would you like for breakfast on this fine morning?"
"Um Alfred? I didn't hear you come in," Tim said, as he quickly wiped the tears from his face to keep the old butler from finding out that he had been crying.
Alfred didn't acknowledge that he knew that Tim had been crying. Instead he stated, "Well, I always ask my charges what they would like for breakfast . . . especially since it is a special day."
"Special day?" Tim asked.
"Yes," Alfred stated. "On Dick's special day, I created a waffle bar for him. Would you like that?"
"A waffle bar? On Dick's . . ." Tim's eyes became wide. Was Alfred really referring to . . . no it couldn't be . . . could he actually know?
"Yes, every Birthday should have something special on it, don't you think?"
"Um yeah."
"I can have the waffle bar set up within the hour. Is there anything special that you would like to go with them?"
"Gee, I'm not sure." Tim replied.
"Then I shall surprise you," Alfred answered. "And Happy Birthday Master Timothy."
"Thanks Alfred. I was afraid that . . . that no one would remember."
"I assure you Master Timothy, no one will forget," Alfred stated. 'So long as I am around.'
Continues with Part 2
A/N: Why did Tim feel that sitting on Dick's lap felt right, that he belonged there? There will be a second part to this story. Stay tuned.