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 39: A Butler Comes Knocking

The person on the otherside of the door knocked, again.

"I'd rather be proven wrong then just believe we're wrong," Cynthia Miller stated. "We'll wait until Tim comes around and we'll sit him down and make him talk."

"I'll move him to a bedroom," Roger said as he picked up Tim from the floor. He certainly was far heavier than he was just hours ago when they first took him home. "You answer the door. I'll put him in one of the boys' rooms."

Cynthia went to the front door. "Who is it?"

"Excuse me madam, I wonder if you can be of assistance. Your name was given as a member of your neighborhood watch group. We have some fliers we would like you to distribute."

Cynthia opened up the door. She saw an older gentleman. "Ah yes. Hello."

"If you wouldn't mind distributing these to your neighbors it would help so much." Alfred handed her a stack of fliers. Master Bruce has given him a list of possible Wayne Enterprise Employees that might assist in Master Timothy's search.

Cynthia Miller looked down at the fliers and gasped her eyes widened. 'It's Tim!'

"Cynthia, is anything wrong?" Roger said as he came back from the bedrooms.

"Madam, are you alright?" Alfred Pennyworth asked. "You look as if you have seen a ghost."

"Honey! Look" Cynthia showed Roger the stack of fliers.

Roger's eyes grew wide. That was Tim's face on the flier. "Sir, are you looking for this child?"

"Yes. Have you seen him?"

"Please, come in," Roger encouraged.

"Pardon my rudeness. My name is Alfred Pennyworth."

"I'm Cynthia and this is my husband, Roger. Please take a seat."

Alfred did as the woman suggested, sitting straight in the chair with his hat on his lap along with the rest of the fliers. "Please, Madam, have you seen Master Timothy. Mr. Wayne has been so worried."

Cynthia Miller let out a deep sigh. "We have. We actually have him lying down in one of the bedrooms. GCPS found him wandering near the road one night and he was given to us for foster care. Can you at least explain why he was listed as Timothy Doe in the GCPS computers?"

"It is rather a sticky situation," Alfred stated. "He is here? Oh, thank God. You do not know the awful thoughts that have ran through the heads of his brothers, his wife and children . . ."

"What do you mean his wife and children?" Roger interrupted.

"Mr. Pennyworth, Tim is doing this odd growing thing. What happened to him? Why was he four when we got him?"

"There was a freak accident," Alfred explained. "He was hit by a weapon created by a scientist at Wayne Tech. They were studying the weapon and did not know what its properties entailed. Master Timothy got caught in the crossfire and was de-aged. He later disappeared. We have been searching for him for a week." Alfred thought about how they came up with the story with Master Bruce just in case. "The weapon has since been destroyed and thought to be too dangerous to be used."

"Oh my! Well, he is here."

"May I see him?"

"Yes, he's in our oldest son's room," Roger Miller said, and led Mr. Pennyworth down the hallway. The twins came out of their room to see what was going on.

"Is he taking Timmy away?" both twins asked at the same time. "We don't want him to leave."

"I'm sorry girls, but it seems Timothy actually has his own family," Roger Miller explained. "Right this way Mr. Pennyworth. "I'm going to have to explain things to my children. And to the GCPS, but how do you explain something like this?"

"Very carefully, Mr. Miller," Alfred answered.

"We made him another picture." They held up the painting. It was Red Robin, Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood along with Batman. "Can we give it to him before he leaves?"

"I don't see why not, Mr. Pennyworth?"

"I do not see any problem with that. I will need to call Mr. Wayne and his sons to let them know. They are going to want to come and see him."

"Cynthia, could you show Mr. Pennyworth . . ."

"Alfred . . . Please . . ."

"Alfred where Tim is."

"We can take him," Lisa offered. "This way Mr. Pennyworth. Our brothers are in Peter's room playing on his Xbox."

Alfred was led by the two girls to a cozy bedroom. A young teenage boy was lying on the bed. "Oh my." Alfred noticed Tim must have aged another five years since him and Samantha created the fliers. 'He looks like the first time I met him, when he came to the Manor and the cave with Master Richard for the first time.' Alfred sat on the edge of the bed and tried to rouse the teen. "Master Timothy . . ."

Tim heard a familiar voice calling his name, one among many that he did not expect to hear ever again. ". . . Uhh . . ." Tim opened his eyes. "Alfred?"

"Yes, my boy," Alfred said, his grandfatherly voice not berating Tim for leaving. "Your father and brothers have been so worried."

More pain shot through Tim as if the process was speeding up. "AAAAGGGHHHH!"

"Oh no. it's happening again." Cynthia watched from the doorway as Tim curled into a ball, deep pain etched on his face.

"How long has he been like this?" Alfred asked.

"It started today," Cynthia explained. "He's only been with us since this morning."

Once again, Tim's borrowed clothes ripped as his muscles expanded and his body lengthened one more time, this time into his full height. A blanket was thrown over him for modesty's sake. "AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

Whoa." The twins watched as Tim got older, the face losing all baby fat.

Alfred did not dare touch him as Tim gave out another scream. "I must make a phone call now."

Cynthia nodded.

Alfred pulled out his cell phone and pressed Master Bruce's number. The phone rang on the other end but was not answered. 'He might be out of cell phone range or in a bad area.' Alfred thought. 'I try Master Richard.'

Dick Grayson was about to knock on another door when he heard his phone go off. He leaned against a nearby wall and answered the phone. "Hey Al, what's up, you need more fliers?"

"No, Master Richard. Something better. I found Master Timothy."

Continues with Part 40: Reunited