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 36: Growing Pains

"AAAAGGGGGHHH," Tim screamed again. Tears ran down his face. He never felt such pain in his life.

"DADDY DADDY! Something's wrong with Timmy!" Lisa ran out of the room to grab their father.

Gritting his teeth, it felt like Tim was being stretched on a rack.

"What's going on, what's all the yelling?" Roger Miller raced to the girls' room to find out about their newest foster child on the floor. 'He looks like he was in some serious pain, but how?' Roger Miller reached for Tim. "Timmy, can you tell me where it hurts?"

"E-E-EVERYTHING!"

"Lorie and I were just talking about our favorite hero," Lisa said, tears forming in her eyes. ". . . and he just collapsed in pain." Lisa felt her twin press against her side.

Cynthia Miller ran into the girl's room. She saw Tim was on the floor and her husband was checking him over. "Honey, what's wrong with our new child, is he injured?"

"No," Roger Miller answered. "I don't know."

"AAAAGHH!" Tim was in sudden agony. His body was in so much pain he couldn't think straight. It threatened to black him out. Then it stopped and left him shaking, his whole body was quivering. He didn't see the look on the Millers' faces.

"Did you see that?" Peter whispered to his brother and sisters. ". . . He just grew."

Roger Miller was beginning to wonder. 'What did they bring into their home and whether it was dangerous.

"We should get him into a bed or how about a warm bath," Cynthia Miller suggested. All she saw was a child in pain and she wanted to help him. She didn't like seeing any child in pain.

Lorie looked at her sister. She asked a silent question that her sister picked up on. It was as if the twins had a special link. -Is our brother a meta?-

-I don't know. Maybe he is.-

Tim was still shaking, his muscles quivering. He was also sweating.

Mrs. Miller picked Tim up and held him. "Oh, my baby." She rocked Tim to sooth him. 'It was weird watching him grow like that. It doesn't matter, he is still a child that needs to be loved and given great care.' She held him close. "How about a warm cloth and something to eat. Would that calm you down a bit?"

"A w-w-warm bath might help," Tim answered.

Roger Miller observed that Tim looked to be about Peter's age in that moment, maybe two or three inches shorter. 'I'd say seven or eight. What's going on?'

"Okay, let's get that bath."

Cynthia walked Tim into the bathroom and sat him on the toilet seat, of course with the lid down. She ruffled his hair a bit and started the bath water. She noticed the girls followed right behind her. 'They must be worried for their new brother.'

The twins were peaking into the bathroom staring at Timmy. "Will Timmy be okay?" they both questioned. "He isn't going to grow again, is he? he looks about a year younger than us now."

Tim's clothes got tighter from his growth spurt. In fact, they had torn at the legs and sleeves, and the waist of his pants was cutting into his stomach. The shirt was riding up and his feet not only were being pinched inside his shoes, they threatened to tear through the canvas. It was a struggle to get his clothes off.

"Oh dear," Cynthia saw him struggle. "Let me help you." She helped Tim remove his torn clothing. "Looks like we need to get you new clothes. I'll see if Dan has any clothes that you could borrow for now."

"He can borrow some of mine," Peter said.

"Thank you, Peter. Can you grab some for him now? Just lay them on the bed."

"Okay. Should I grab him underwear too? He can borrow my Batman shirt."

"Yes, that would be wonderful." Cynthia turned the water on, added some soap bubbles, and once the tub was filled about a third of the way, she helped Tim out of his torm clothes. "Girls, give him some privacy, please."

"Awww." Both twins moved away from the door.

Cynthia helped Tim into the tub since he was still a little shaky. She grabbed a towel and placed it on the rack beside the tub. "Now, I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Thanks," Tim said as he sank into the warmth of the water and the bubbles surrounded him. The water was warm. He leaned against the back of the tub, letting the warm water ease his aching muscles. Everything hurt. Then it started to register what they had been saying. 'I had grown?' When he thought about it, it was obvious that he had, but by how much? Tim was going to have to check himself in the mirror. 'Could this mean that the de-aging is wearing off?'

'My new son seemed to be breathing easier now. I'm happy.' Cynthia thought to herself, then offered a question to her children. "Now, about dinner. What do you think we should have?"

"Mac and Cheese!" Peter said.

"You always want Mac and Cheese. How about Pizza?"

"We had that a couple days ago," Roger Miller stated. "Don't you think we should have something a little healthier? Like salad?"

"Yuck! We want baked ziti!" the twins said.

Cynthia chuckled. "All these options." Cynthia noticed Tim coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped aroung him. "Tim, what do you think?"

"I'm not very hungry," Tim lied. 'My body feels like it's starving.' Tim just wanted to think on what I needed to do next. "Does anyone have a laptop?"

"That's a strange request for dinner."

"After dinner," Roger Miller stated. "I really think you should eat something."

"Okay," Tim replied. 'Maybe he was right, I'm still shaking. I was hoping to contact my family, but right now, I'm feeling wiped from the sudden growth spurt. I grew three years of growth in uder five minutes. How was I going to explain this to the Millers?'

Samantha was lounging out in the garden when she felt pain. 'It's not my pain,' Her eyes went wide. 'It's Tim's. After a week of not feeling anything from him, she finally did. 'Is he hurt from some one . . . No . . . It's his body. His body is hurting.' Samantha got up and went into the Manor. She needed to tell someone, anyone.

'Sammie, where are you going in such a hurry?" Sasha asked as she saw Samantha run in from the garden.

"I felt Tim . . . He's in pain . . . His body."

"What do you mean his body? Like how . . . I mean what did it feel like?"

"Like he was being stretched . . ."

"Are you certain?"

"I'm sure it's him," Samantha said.

"Maybe . . . Maybe that de-aging is wearing off. Can you locate Tim? "

"I tried to locate him already. I can't. I just felt his aura. I can give you an area, that's about it."

"It's a start," Sasha said.

"Yes, it is."

"Then we better tell the others. They can conduct a search. How old do you think he might look if he's actually starting to grow? Can you tell?"

"The equivalent of three year's growth spurts . . . so about seven or eight," Samantha replied.

"Oh my god. That must have been agony. I know some growth spurts can hurt. I remember my legs ached. I can't image that it's his whole body."

"I don't know if he'll go through another one. This is . . . a good sign and a bad sign . . . I know what area he's in, but I can't feel him anymore."

"Maybe we should let Bruce and the rest know about this," Sasha stated. "Ever since Tim disappeared, I've noticed everyone has been so subdued. Dick isn't normally like that. It's as if they're holding a wake for him, but he's not dead. He's out there. I hope they haven't given up hope on finding Tim. My children have been crying for their uncle and I haven't been able to comfort them."

"We should go to Bruce first," Samantha insisted. "If I'm wrong, but I know I'm not. I know what I felt. Even so, I don't want to get the other's hopes up."

"All right, I'll watch your children for you."

"Thanks, Sasha." Samantha headed back inside. 'This family has grown. Even so, I can see in Damian's eyes a lot of regret. Whatever he said, he's wishing he could take it back.'

Samantha went over to Bruce's room and opened the door a bit. Bruce was laying on the bed, he wasn't sleeping but Samantha could tell he was doing some heavy thinking. Samantha went and sat indian style on the bed. "Bruce?"

"Yes, Samantha, what can I do for you?"

"I felt Tim. . . . He's alive, though he was in pain."

Bruce immediately sat up. "Where?"

"I don't have an exact location, but I do have an area . . . Downtown Gotham.

"Samantha, you may have just made it easier to find a needle in a haystack."

"I . . . Do my best . . . I guess."

"Could you please ask my sons to meet me in my study."

Samantha nodded and got up to go find Jason and Dick. Those two were actually stuck at the hip right now. They seem to be sharing something without saying anything. She found them in Tim's room. 'I haven't been able to sleep in this romm since . . .' Samantha didn't bother knocking. "Dick . . . Jay . . . Bruce wants you in his study."

Dick looked up from the pillow he was laying on. His voice was sudued. "Ok. We'll be there."

"Wonder what's going on?"

Samantha then went to see Damian.

"I don't know what to do, Iris." Damian spoke to her on his phone.

"I know you feel bad," Iris said.

"I hadn't reacted like that in a long time. Tim didn't deserve it. He didn't ask to be de-aged to keep Richard away from me, and now he's missing, and we can't even inform the police and it's been a week since he left."

"Tim is smart. He'll find a way to contact everyone if he's in trouble."

"Damian?" Samantha came into Damia's domain.

'Yes, mother?"

"Father wants you in his study."

"What for? I'm talking to Iris."

"Now, young man."

"Fine." Damian followed Samantha down from his room above the chapel. 'Why does father want us?'

Bruce went over to the dresser where photos of his sons sat. The most recent high school picture of Tim grinned out at him. 'Samantha confirmed you're alive. Never were our hearts so devastated when your backpack was found. We never knew what happened to you. Thank goodness you are still in Gotham, and we're going to get you back. I swear it on my oath as a father and Batman.'

Dick and Jason made their way to Dad's study, each within their own thoughts.

'I miss my brother," Dick said. 'Jason has been keeping me company and I'm scared to approach Damian.'

'We can't go on like this much longer ,' Jason thought. 'Not knowing. No ransom note . . . Nothing. It's as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. I never told a soul about the mall. Someone could have taken him then, too. Tim, where are you? This family isn't whole without you.'

Dick, Jason and, and Damian ended up in front of Father's study at the same time.

'I couldn't even look at Grayson,' Damian thought to himself. 'I'm back to calling him Grayson, not by his first name. Am I still angry with him? I know he's suffering because of Drake leaving. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I should've talked to him.'

Bruce waited five more minutes than headed down to his study. The three remaining boys were waiting. "Inside."

Dick opened the door and headed inside and sat in his usual spot. Damian took a seat further in the corner while, Jason took a seat closer to Bruce's desk.

Bruce stood at his desk before sitting down. This wouldn't be a casual conversation. He could clearly see the expression on his sons' faces. It was time they had a little hope.

"I know this has been tough. The rains in the last couple of days have washed any trace or clue in being able to find Tim, but you three have left me high and dry searching a large area between here and Zantanna's. We've gone over that area at least three times, and I know it looks hopeless. We've gone on nothing before. We have to start thinking outside the box. . . . Since I received news from Samantha that Tim is alive."

Bruce let that sink in.

Continues with Part 37: The Search Begins Anew