Synopsis: Someone has stolen all the money from the Wayne Foundation Youth Charity Fund. Batman and Red Hood go after the man who did it. While doing research on the thief, Tim is hit by a mysterious beam from an odd weapon sitting on a shelf and is de-aged. Oh boy, what are they going to do with a four-year-old Tim?
Part 35: A New Family
Four excited children came home from school. Three chatting up a storm telling, about their teachers, other kids at school, and plans for the weekend, but no one expected the fourth child to come running back to the small group with some startling news.
"Quiet guys, I've got to tell you something," Peter Miller stated. "There's some little kid sleeping in my bed."
"You're dreaming Peter," Daniel replied. "What did Mom say about that imagination of yours?"
"No, it's true, you got to see him. He's muttering in his sleep too."
"There's another kid here? Let's see!" The twin girls answered together.
Yeah, he's in my bed. He's smaller than me." Peter led his siblings back to his room. "See for yourself. I'm not making it up."
Lisa grabbed Lorie's hand and followed Daniel to Peter's room. Peter was right, there was a small kid laying in his bed. "What's he mumbling about?" Lisa asked.
Tim was tossing and turning in his sleep, unaware that he had company. ". . . I'm sorry . . ." Tim mumbled. "I couldn't catch you . . . Please don't . . . Don't leave me . . . No . . ."
"About not catching some one. Catching who?"
"What could he mean by that?" Daniel commented. "He's too small to catch anyone."
"Active imagination? Like Lorie and me?"
"Haha, he dreams big," Lorie laughed.
Tim sat and curled his knees up into his chest, weeping, and covering his face. 'I had that dream again, of not being able to catch Dick, of being too small . . . Mixed in with Damian accusing me of taking everyone away . . . And of Sammie and my boys leaving.'
"Hey!" Lorie sat on the bed. "Why are you crying? Did you have a bad dream?"
Tim's eyes snapped open when he heard the girl's voice. He scooted up against the headboard of the bed. He wasn't frightened, but for a moment, he forgot where he was. "Who . . . Who are you?"
"I'm Lorie and this is my sister Lisa! Our brothers are Peter and Dan! Are you going to be a new brother?"
The question startled Tim. He didn't know what to say. When he really thought about it, his family had a week to find him, they didn't. 'Maybe they really didn't want me anymore. Damian hated me. My son Caleb didn't know me. And the rest of the family had been treating me like I was four years old. All I wanted was to go back being 17 again, and I lost everything.' Tim's thoughts were filled with doubts, but at the same time, he knew it couldn't be true. "I . . . Don't know . . . Bad dream . . . I guess."
"Well, you can come paint with Lorie and me! We can make happy pictures and it will make you feel better."
"What's your name?" Daniel asked.
"Timothy . . . Way . . Um . . . Timothy Jones," Tim answered. 'I guess Jones is as good as any name. I can't tell them my real name anyway.' Tim stared and looked over at the four sets of eyes staring at him. 'The Millers have four children already. Why would they want a fifth?'
"What's the matter?" Peter questioned. "You look puzzled?"
"I'm just wondering, why anyone would adopt five kids," Tim stated.
"That's a silly question to ask," Lisa stated.
"Why not?" Lorie replied.
"I know why," Peter answered. "Mrs. Miller had three missed carriages."
"You mean miscarriages," Daniel corrected. "And the doctor told her she couldn't risk another. And I guess they really wanted a big family."
"Come on! Let's go paint!" Lisa and Lorie grabbed their new brother's hands and pulled him out of the bed.
"Take it easy. He's smaller. He could get hurt."
"Always the big brother," Peter said. "He takes it very seriously. Maybe you and I can read together later. I like reading."
"Don't worry Dan!" Lorie added her two cents in. "We just want to show him our paints and pictures that we did!"
"Yeah! Timmy, do you have a favorite cape?" The twins made it out of Peter's room with Tim in tow. They led him down the hall to their room."
"Favorite cape?" Tim asked.
"The Bat clan!" Lorie replied. "That's what we call them. They're like us, a big family. So, who's your favorite?" Lisa opened the door.
"Ours favorites are Red Robin and Robin," Lisa said. "They're so freaking cool! We always painted pictures of them."
They pulled Tim through the door and his eyes went wide. Their walls were covered with pictures of Red Robin and Robin. There seemed to be more of Red Robin than Robin. Tim wondered why, but what impressed him more was the quality of the work. 'These girls are talented. Like Damian,' he thought. "I don't really have a favorite. Well, maybe Nightwing." Tim said, but he couldn't tell them that Nightwing was his brother. "But I like Red Robin's wings." Talking about their heroes was making Tim's heart ache. 'I may never be Red Robin, again. And by the time I do, they would have replaced me.'
"Nightwing is okay," Lorie said. "But he doesn't have cool wings like Red Robin."
"He'd look stupid if he had wings, seriously," Lisa looked over at her sister. "The only one that looks amazing with them is Red Robin. I wonder if they're sharp?"
"Are they bullet proof?"
"He can fly!"
"More like glide."
Tim felt almost flattered. He never thought about the impression he was having on kids. 'If I do get back to my normal size maybe I should visit them.'
"We'd like to meet both of them one day!" Lorie said.
"Yeah! Maybe Red Robin would let us touch his wings!" Lisa agreed with her sister.
"That would be so cool!" Both said together.
"Maybe you will," Tim said quietly. "Someday, hopefully sooner. OWWW , . ." Tim felt his muscles suddenly cramp, then it felt like he was being stretched. This felt worse than anything he ever felt. "OOWWWW!" Tim toppled to the floor. He was sweating profusely. "AAAAgggh!"
"Timmy, are you okay?" Lisa asked as she kneeled on the floor to check on him.
"AAAAGGGGGHHH," Tim screamed again, his eyes screwed shut tight with tears running down. "No."
Continues with Part 36: Growing Pains