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 9: The Pros and Cons of Being a Kid Again

Dick couldn't help musing as Tim slept in his arms. It reminded him of that first time he held his baby brother. 'I named him, too' he thought.

Dick got finished with baking cookies. It was a challenge to try to bake them with one arm, but he was reluctant to let go of Tim. He managed to get most of the cookies into the cookie jar except for the last batch. He then put everything in the sink to soak. Even though Alfred would have cleaned up afterward, Dick knew Alfred wouldn't mind. He often helped Alfred in the past with chores. His parents expected him to do chores, and he continued long after they were gone. Dick carried Tim upstairs with a small plate of cookies. Tim looked so cute in his onesie. Dick just wanted to cuddle him forever. He never got to experience Tim at this age. His memories of Tim were of two contrasting moments in time, when Tim was a baby, and when Tim was 13 years old. The first was only a brief moment in time. The second was more concrete. The first felt like a dream, and the second felt more real.

Dick carried Tim into his own room and placed Tim on the bed and partially covered him with a blanket. Tim's little arms were spread out like wings and the hood of the onesie was partially covering his face. Dick pulled out his phone and took several pictures. 'I don't have any pictures of Tim at this age. I don't even know if Tim's got pictures from that time. I'll send these to Alfred. He'll get them printed and place them in an album.'

Dick at that moment got an unexpected text from an unexpected source. He texted the person back, asking a hypothetical question.

#Do you know of a weapon that turned adults into children?#

#Yes# The person answered back. #Where is the weapon?#

Dick answered. #In the cave. Batman has had it since I was a kid. I don't know where it came from. I'll ask him when he gets back.#

At the same time Samantha was texting her father with the special app that had been installed on her phone. It allowed her to communicate with her father in Atlantis.

#You should see him, father.#

#I would love to. I could tease Bruce that Tim's his other grandchild.#

#Oh father.#

#How are my grandsons?#

#Caine looks more like his Dad.# Samantha texted. #Caleb looks like he will be favoring me.#

#Well at least you are able to tell them apart.#

#I wonder where Dick went with Tim. I thought he'd bring him back to the nursery. I could just see Timmy sleeping with his sons in their crib. That would be so adorable.#

Samantha heard stomping and opened the door. Damian stalked by cussing in Arabic. Samatha was going to ask him what was wrong, but his aura was dangerously spiky right now.

#Father, I need to go. I will bring your grandchildren to visit on the weekend. And if Tim is still a child by then, I'll bring him, too.#

Samantha didn't wait for his reply.

Tim hadn't been asleep for very long, when he started tossing and turning. The result of being turned into a child of four brought back those images from the circus. Not the more recent ones, but the ones when he had been a child and being with his parents; having his picture taken with the Graysons; sitting on Dick Grayson's lap; watching the animal acts; then the Flying Graysons came on. The images were so vivid. It was as if he was back there, and in a way he was. Watching, fascinated as Dick did his quadruple spin. Then his Mom and Dad and a deep feeling of dread . . . Oh no! . . . The ropes! . . . "NOOOOOO!"

Dick hadn't gone very far when he came running back into the room. "Timmy! Are you okay?" Dick went and picked up his crying form.

"NOO . . . Oooo . . No. . . ." Tim crying and sniffling.

"Hey . . . What's wrong? It's okay," Dick gently patted Tim's back.

"I . . . I dreamed it . . . Again . . . Dad . . . About . . . *sniffling* . . . The circus . . . They fell . . ." Tim clung onto whoever held him, not realizing he had called his big brother, Dad.

"Tim, it's okay. remember I said you won't be alone through this like the first time."

Dick's voice cut through and Tim realized Dick wasn't his Dad. 'Wait a minute how could Dick be here?' Tim had forgotten that he wasn't four years old. 'I am and I'm not. I'm a 17-year-old in a four-year-old body.' Tim began wondering if there were other side effects.

Dick felt Tim start to calm down. "It's okay. I'm here. Would you like your cookies now, since you're awake?"

"I . . Um . . Yeah. Sorry . . I hadn't had that dream in a long time. I guess being in a four-year-old's body just did something to cause me to remember."

"No problem," Dick replied, and he placed Tim down and flipped up his hood. "You look like a bird. Would you like to see Caine and Caleb before we head down the stairs?"

"Sure . . . Though Caine gave me a very strange look the last time. Though I think he knew it was me."

Dick smiled as Tim walked beside him. He kept remarking in his mind just how cute Tim looked, wearing the onesie and how his little legs were having a hard time keeping up with him.

"Hey, slow up," Tim remarked, huffing and puffing. "You have longer legs than me."

"I can't help it," Dick replied. I'm bigger than you." They made it to the nursery. It was crawl time for the two sets of twins. Sasha had arrived and was on the floor with Haley while Samantha was feeding Caleb.

Tim watched his sons behind Dick's back. 'They look so much bigger than before. I would have a hard time holding them.'

Samantha placed Caleb on the floor so he could crawl around with Caine. Caleb was going to go over to Jax when he noticed Uncle Dick. Behind him was that same boy he saw earlier. Caleb just stared.

'Mommy said that was Daddy. That's not how I remember Daddy,' Caleb thought. 'He's much bigger."

"Hey Caleb, don't you recognize me?" Tim asked. 'I don't think he does.' Tim's heart started to ache. 'Caine recognized me because we had the same aura.'

"Waaaaa . . . waaaaa . . . Waaaa!" Caleb cried. That's not Dadd! Mommy!

"Oh Cay, it is Daddy," Samantha tried to soothe her second son. "He's just . . . smaller."

"WWWWAAAAAA!" Caleb cried harder.

"Cay . . . "

'He really doesn't recognize me.' Tears welled up and Tim did the only thing I could think to do. He ran out of the nursery.

"Tim!"

Continues with Part 10: Fixing This is Hard to Do