Disclaimer: I don't own, I just play.
A/N: Teri gave me a great idea for some added fun! And this way I can introduce some of Tim's family (I.e. his little girl)…thanks, Teri! This one's for you.
Just to warn you, my universe with Tim Drake kind of blends his comic and cartoon background together. I.e., his father was Jack Drake (comic), but he died and Bruce took him in (cartoon). He studied with Lady Shiva for awhile (I believe that's comic, somewhere…) and Lady Shiva in my universe IS a villain, of sorts, but she's kind of on the cusp. You'll see what I mean…
AND I'M SORRY FOR THE DELAY! It's Finals week, and Russian History is kicking my large deriere… for a play by play of the next week (if you're that bored) you can go to my live journal at www.livejournal.com/users/machaira_scribe. If you're that bored…
Chapter 16: Reunion
Natalie went the next day to see Rab and Twitch in the hospital--her mother wrote her a note to excuse her from school that day. Rab had a mild concussion and Twitch was back to his usual self in the hospital bed, flirting relentlessly with all of the nurses. Apparently the knife hadn't stuck him as deeply as she had thought, thank God. They were both shocked that vigilantes had shown up the night before, but thankfully, they didn't press the matter. They were more relieved to see that Natalie was alright, emotionally and physically.
Well, her emotions had been through a blender in the last few weeks, but she wasn't about to admit it and make them worry more.
"Do you know what they did to Benz?" Twitch asked her.
It occurred to her that she didn't even ask about it. Then again, knowing that the vigilantes in question were her family, she almost didn't want to know. She was certain he wouldn't be bothering her again. "No. The Flash pulled me out of there before I saw anything."
Just then, her cell phone rang. Cursing, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and picked it up.
"Natalie, we're not in the ICU, we're on a totally different floor, you're fine." Rab replied.
"Oh…sorry, hello?"
"Natalie? Is that you? Good God, you sound just like your mom!"
She smiled broadly. "Uncle Tim!" She covered the receiver to mouth, "My uncle in Japan," to her friends. They gave her smiles and thumbs up. "I haven't talked to you in a long time!"
"I know, it's terrible. But I have something of a surprise for you. Your dad called me yesterday morning and said that you two were finally talking. Glad someone knocked some sense into him."
"Me too." Natalie said. "What's the surprise?"
"Why don't you come home and see?"
Her eyes went wide. "Holy hell, you mean you're here? In Gotham?"
She was sure Twitch and Rab could hear Tim's booming laughter on the other end of the line. "Language, Natalie. And don't take my word for it. Listen."
"Natalie! Natalie, we're here!" A small voice on the other line shouted. Christ, was that…
"Is that Annie? She's talking finally?"
"Only took her five years, and now it's full sentences. She got really angry at one of the neighbor kids and yelled, 'stop chasing me, Kentaro or I'll make you!' at him." he replied.
Natalie laughed. "Really? Sounds like Annie, alright. Okay, um…give me a few minutes here with my friends, they--"
"Your dad told me. That's part of the reason we're here. Go ahead and take your time. We'll be waiting."
"Okay, Tim."
"And Natalie, sweetie? We love you."
She smiled giddily. "Love you too, Tim. Give Cassandra and Annie hugs for me. I'll be there in a bit."
For all that she'd seen him five times since he'd moved to Japan with Cassandra, Timothy Drake was still a very large fixture in her life. And now that she understood what bound her family together, it made her appreciate it even more. To some degree, she had always been especially close to her extended family, even if she was breaking all kinds of laws and being something of "the bad girl" all the time. Her friends knew it, and her family knew it, so others who didn't could shove it.
"I take it he's in town?"
"Yeah…" Natalie smiled. "But he said to take my time, so let's grab some lunch together, okay?"
"Nah, Natalya. You go ahead. We'll be right here." Rab replied. "Besides, Twitch has enough ladies here to keep him occupied for awhile."
"You know Rab, it's a wonder you're not taken." She replied.
"I've got you, that's all I need."
"Such a charmer. Are you sure it's all right?"
"Torch, how often does this uncle f--f--fly in from Japan again?" Twitch asked, crossing his arms gingerly. He was trying to look stern and failing miserably.
"Not often."
"Then go!"
It was a quick drive home. She had a lot on her mind and barely noticed as the street lights whizzed by. Her parents had been vigilantes. Her entire family was made up of vigilantes. Illegal crime fighters. The ones her parents always refused to work with based on principle. The men and women she had idolized from birth, in some form or fashion. To discover so suddenly that they were in fact the people that she had loved and loved her bore thought. As she pulled into the parking garage and took the elevator up, she wondered…How did her parents get along with everyone so well if they were so opposed to it?
All such thoughts were of course dashed the moment she opened the door and was accosted by a blur of lavender and raven pigtails.
"Natalie! You're here, you're here! Ota-san, Daddy, she's here!" Her five-year-old cousin shouted, gripping her legs for dear life.
Laughing, she picked her up and settled her on her hip. God, she had grown so much in a year! And was she speaking Japanese as well? "Hello, Annie." She smiled.
Then she spied her uncle. He was still about an inch taller than she was; his black hair was streaked with stray gray hairs and there were traces of smile lines around his still vibrant blue eyes. He had changed very little since she had last seen him, but he looked like a man in his early forties, for all that he was only thirty-seven. He held his wife tenderly about her waist. While her husband may have aged, even slightly, she was still as beautiful as she always had been. The only signs of age on her face were the smile lines around her own brown eyes, giving her an air of grace that only maturity of age can bring. Looking on them now, Natalie realized how much she had missed them.
"Tim, Cassandra." She grinned, and walked forward to crush the small family into a fierce hug, Annie still resting on her hip.
"Look at you, Natalie! Much prettier than your picture."
She blushed; Tim Drake had always been a charmer. But then, it made sense now, knowing that he had been a vigilante once. "Thanks, Uncle Tim. Is Mom still at work?"
Cassandra nodded. "She said she would be home soon. She's in a meeting."
"So I get you all to myself?"
"You bet. And I raided the kitchen, we had lunch already. Have you eaten?"
She nodded. "Had lunch at the hospital with Rab and Twitch."
"How are they doing?" Cassandra asked.
"Really well, considering. They're keeping Twitch another week for observation, but Rab's getting out this evening."
"You have good friends, Natalie." Tim said. "Your Dad told us what happened."
Natalie felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. "Yeah, he was there, wasn't he?"
"He would have been there sooner, but they were delayed by the men posted outside."
She frowned. "What?"
"You didn't know?"
"No, I didn't. In fact, no one's told me anything about what happened yesterday after I blacked out."
"Well then maybe it's not my place…"
"Uncle Tim." Natalie said, setting Annie down, "There have been enough secrets in this family. I'm a big girl."
"Like me!" Annie piped in.
She had to smile at that. "Yes, Annie, like you. Tell you what, can you show me some of those moves your Dad's been teaching you later?"
She was pleased to see the girl's eyes light up. She looked so much like her mother! "Okay, I'll go practice!" 'Practice' consisted of crossing the living room and working through katas in an open corner.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Cassandra asked.
"I'm the daughter of Nightwing and Batgirl. I think I can handle it." The words left her lips without thinking, and they surprised her. She WAS the daughter of vigilantes…
"A bit surprising, isn't it?" Tim asked kindly. "Come sit down and I'll try to explain."
"Is this why I was never allowed to study martial arts when I was little?"
"Unfortunately, it's a part of it. Your mom didn't want to see you use it for vigilantism. Though I'm sure she wishes now that she'd taught you."
Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "Mom told you?"
The compassion in Tim's eyes made her heart ache. "Yes, she did. As far as I know, we're the only ones who know what happened besides your mom and dad."
She felt sick. Her eyes went back to her lap and her cheeks went warm. He knew that Benz had…oh, God… "What about Roy, Kyle, Wally and Garth?"
"Dick said he told them only enough to make them understand that Benz had hurt you." Tim assured her, patting her hand. "After Wally took you out of there, they took Benz to a completely different location, and tortured him mentally. They never laid a hand on him after the warehouse. Roy decided to shoot a few bullets and shafts near the kid's head, and Wally and Kyle had some fun with their respective talents."
Natalie cringed, imagining just how much fun they might have had.
"After driving him to near madness, your Dad told him who he was--"
"What?!" Natalie cried. "You mean he told Benz that he's--he's Nightwing? That's like signing a death warrant!"
"Natalie, calm down and listen, please." Cassandra said gently from the other side of the couch. She sighed and bit her tongue.
"First of all, Dick has built up an impressive reputation in his field. To accuse him of illegal activity would be like accusing the President of selling nuclear missiles to terrorists." Tim began, rather didactically. "Also, if Benz comes forward with the information, he'll have to explain where and how he got it, which means he'll implicate himself in a rape case against you, Dick's own daughter. Not to mention two homicides. Yes, I know about what he did to Diego and Mara. I don't want to discuss that."
Natalie's pulse began to race for the second time that evening. How did they know about that? There had been no evidence that Benz had been involved in either of the murders…Good Lord, just what kind of family did she belong to? Aside from a very safe one? Her conscience asked. She shook the thought away.
"What did they do with him after that?" She asked.
"They knocked him out--acupuncture point--and left him in front of the warehouse where they found him."
Natalie stared. "You mean they let him go?"
"He knows what will happen if he bothers you again. And he knows it won't be nearly so gentle." Cassandra said softly. Natalie shivered. Yes, she could see now the influences Cain had had on her aunt's early childhood. She believed Cassandra was fully capable of killing someone if she was inclined.
"So…what happens now?"
"Now you start learning."
"Learning what?"
"The family ways."
"Hold on! You mean Mom and Dad are actually going to let me learn how to fight?"
"No, they're going to let you learn how to defend yourself." Tim replied. "Annie, baby, what's the first rule about fighting?"
From the corner, Annie paused in her kata to reply, "Karate ni senti nashi--there is no first attack."
"Good." Tim smiled. "Finish practicing." He turned to Natalie and explained, "You are only to use what you learn in your own defense or in the defense of others. If you ever start a fight, there will be severe consequences."
"But I'm way too old to--"
"I thought you wanted to learn?" Tim asked, a teasing smile on his lips.
"I do! I just thought…" Natalie trailed off. She really didn't have a good argument. Why was she arguing about this, anyway?
"You're not going to be a viglante, Natalie. Your parents already said they didn't want you to join the NJLA, although you're an adult and can make that decision when you get good enough."
"So…who's going to teach me?"
"Me."
A/N: Teri gave me a great idea for some added fun! And this way I can introduce some of Tim's family (I.e. his little girl)…thanks, Teri! This one's for you.
Just to warn you, my universe with Tim Drake kind of blends his comic and cartoon background together. I.e., his father was Jack Drake (comic), but he died and Bruce took him in (cartoon). He studied with Lady Shiva for awhile (I believe that's comic, somewhere…) and Lady Shiva in my universe IS a villain, of sorts, but she's kind of on the cusp. You'll see what I mean…
AND I'M SORRY FOR THE DELAY! It's Finals week, and Russian History is kicking my large deriere… for a play by play of the next week (if you're that bored) you can go to my live journal at www.livejournal.com/users/machaira_scribe. If you're that bored…
Chapter 16: Reunion
Natalie went the next day to see Rab and Twitch in the hospital--her mother wrote her a note to excuse her from school that day. Rab had a mild concussion and Twitch was back to his usual self in the hospital bed, flirting relentlessly with all of the nurses. Apparently the knife hadn't stuck him as deeply as she had thought, thank God. They were both shocked that vigilantes had shown up the night before, but thankfully, they didn't press the matter. They were more relieved to see that Natalie was alright, emotionally and physically.
Well, her emotions had been through a blender in the last few weeks, but she wasn't about to admit it and make them worry more.
"Do you know what they did to Benz?" Twitch asked her.
It occurred to her that she didn't even ask about it. Then again, knowing that the vigilantes in question were her family, she almost didn't want to know. She was certain he wouldn't be bothering her again. "No. The Flash pulled me out of there before I saw anything."
Just then, her cell phone rang. Cursing, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and picked it up.
"Natalie, we're not in the ICU, we're on a totally different floor, you're fine." Rab replied.
"Oh…sorry, hello?"
"Natalie? Is that you? Good God, you sound just like your mom!"
She smiled broadly. "Uncle Tim!" She covered the receiver to mouth, "My uncle in Japan," to her friends. They gave her smiles and thumbs up. "I haven't talked to you in a long time!"
"I know, it's terrible. But I have something of a surprise for you. Your dad called me yesterday morning and said that you two were finally talking. Glad someone knocked some sense into him."
"Me too." Natalie said. "What's the surprise?"
"Why don't you come home and see?"
Her eyes went wide. "Holy hell, you mean you're here? In Gotham?"
She was sure Twitch and Rab could hear Tim's booming laughter on the other end of the line. "Language, Natalie. And don't take my word for it. Listen."
"Natalie! Natalie, we're here!" A small voice on the other line shouted. Christ, was that…
"Is that Annie? She's talking finally?"
"Only took her five years, and now it's full sentences. She got really angry at one of the neighbor kids and yelled, 'stop chasing me, Kentaro or I'll make you!' at him." he replied.
Natalie laughed. "Really? Sounds like Annie, alright. Okay, um…give me a few minutes here with my friends, they--"
"Your dad told me. That's part of the reason we're here. Go ahead and take your time. We'll be waiting."
"Okay, Tim."
"And Natalie, sweetie? We love you."
She smiled giddily. "Love you too, Tim. Give Cassandra and Annie hugs for me. I'll be there in a bit."
For all that she'd seen him five times since he'd moved to Japan with Cassandra, Timothy Drake was still a very large fixture in her life. And now that she understood what bound her family together, it made her appreciate it even more. To some degree, she had always been especially close to her extended family, even if she was breaking all kinds of laws and being something of "the bad girl" all the time. Her friends knew it, and her family knew it, so others who didn't could shove it.
"I take it he's in town?"
"Yeah…" Natalie smiled. "But he said to take my time, so let's grab some lunch together, okay?"
"Nah, Natalya. You go ahead. We'll be right here." Rab replied. "Besides, Twitch has enough ladies here to keep him occupied for awhile."
"You know Rab, it's a wonder you're not taken." She replied.
"I've got you, that's all I need."
"Such a charmer. Are you sure it's all right?"
"Torch, how often does this uncle f--f--fly in from Japan again?" Twitch asked, crossing his arms gingerly. He was trying to look stern and failing miserably.
"Not often."
"Then go!"
It was a quick drive home. She had a lot on her mind and barely noticed as the street lights whizzed by. Her parents had been vigilantes. Her entire family was made up of vigilantes. Illegal crime fighters. The ones her parents always refused to work with based on principle. The men and women she had idolized from birth, in some form or fashion. To discover so suddenly that they were in fact the people that she had loved and loved her bore thought. As she pulled into the parking garage and took the elevator up, she wondered…How did her parents get along with everyone so well if they were so opposed to it?
All such thoughts were of course dashed the moment she opened the door and was accosted by a blur of lavender and raven pigtails.
"Natalie! You're here, you're here! Ota-san, Daddy, she's here!" Her five-year-old cousin shouted, gripping her legs for dear life.
Laughing, she picked her up and settled her on her hip. God, she had grown so much in a year! And was she speaking Japanese as well? "Hello, Annie." She smiled.
Then she spied her uncle. He was still about an inch taller than she was; his black hair was streaked with stray gray hairs and there were traces of smile lines around his still vibrant blue eyes. He had changed very little since she had last seen him, but he looked like a man in his early forties, for all that he was only thirty-seven. He held his wife tenderly about her waist. While her husband may have aged, even slightly, she was still as beautiful as she always had been. The only signs of age on her face were the smile lines around her own brown eyes, giving her an air of grace that only maturity of age can bring. Looking on them now, Natalie realized how much she had missed them.
"Tim, Cassandra." She grinned, and walked forward to crush the small family into a fierce hug, Annie still resting on her hip.
"Look at you, Natalie! Much prettier than your picture."
She blushed; Tim Drake had always been a charmer. But then, it made sense now, knowing that he had been a vigilante once. "Thanks, Uncle Tim. Is Mom still at work?"
Cassandra nodded. "She said she would be home soon. She's in a meeting."
"So I get you all to myself?"
"You bet. And I raided the kitchen, we had lunch already. Have you eaten?"
She nodded. "Had lunch at the hospital with Rab and Twitch."
"How are they doing?" Cassandra asked.
"Really well, considering. They're keeping Twitch another week for observation, but Rab's getting out this evening."
"You have good friends, Natalie." Tim said. "Your Dad told us what happened."
Natalie felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. "Yeah, he was there, wasn't he?"
"He would have been there sooner, but they were delayed by the men posted outside."
She frowned. "What?"
"You didn't know?"
"No, I didn't. In fact, no one's told me anything about what happened yesterday after I blacked out."
"Well then maybe it's not my place…"
"Uncle Tim." Natalie said, setting Annie down, "There have been enough secrets in this family. I'm a big girl."
"Like me!" Annie piped in.
She had to smile at that. "Yes, Annie, like you. Tell you what, can you show me some of those moves your Dad's been teaching you later?"
She was pleased to see the girl's eyes light up. She looked so much like her mother! "Okay, I'll go practice!" 'Practice' consisted of crossing the living room and working through katas in an open corner.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Cassandra asked.
"I'm the daughter of Nightwing and Batgirl. I think I can handle it." The words left her lips without thinking, and they surprised her. She WAS the daughter of vigilantes…
"A bit surprising, isn't it?" Tim asked kindly. "Come sit down and I'll try to explain."
"Is this why I was never allowed to study martial arts when I was little?"
"Unfortunately, it's a part of it. Your mom didn't want to see you use it for vigilantism. Though I'm sure she wishes now that she'd taught you."
Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "Mom told you?"
The compassion in Tim's eyes made her heart ache. "Yes, she did. As far as I know, we're the only ones who know what happened besides your mom and dad."
She felt sick. Her eyes went back to her lap and her cheeks went warm. He knew that Benz had…oh, God… "What about Roy, Kyle, Wally and Garth?"
"Dick said he told them only enough to make them understand that Benz had hurt you." Tim assured her, patting her hand. "After Wally took you out of there, they took Benz to a completely different location, and tortured him mentally. They never laid a hand on him after the warehouse. Roy decided to shoot a few bullets and shafts near the kid's head, and Wally and Kyle had some fun with their respective talents."
Natalie cringed, imagining just how much fun they might have had.
"After driving him to near madness, your Dad told him who he was--"
"What?!" Natalie cried. "You mean he told Benz that he's--he's Nightwing? That's like signing a death warrant!"
"Natalie, calm down and listen, please." Cassandra said gently from the other side of the couch. She sighed and bit her tongue.
"First of all, Dick has built up an impressive reputation in his field. To accuse him of illegal activity would be like accusing the President of selling nuclear missiles to terrorists." Tim began, rather didactically. "Also, if Benz comes forward with the information, he'll have to explain where and how he got it, which means he'll implicate himself in a rape case against you, Dick's own daughter. Not to mention two homicides. Yes, I know about what he did to Diego and Mara. I don't want to discuss that."
Natalie's pulse began to race for the second time that evening. How did they know about that? There had been no evidence that Benz had been involved in either of the murders…Good Lord, just what kind of family did she belong to? Aside from a very safe one? Her conscience asked. She shook the thought away.
"What did they do with him after that?" She asked.
"They knocked him out--acupuncture point--and left him in front of the warehouse where they found him."
Natalie stared. "You mean they let him go?"
"He knows what will happen if he bothers you again. And he knows it won't be nearly so gentle." Cassandra said softly. Natalie shivered. Yes, she could see now the influences Cain had had on her aunt's early childhood. She believed Cassandra was fully capable of killing someone if she was inclined.
"So…what happens now?"
"Now you start learning."
"Learning what?"
"The family ways."
"Hold on! You mean Mom and Dad are actually going to let me learn how to fight?"
"No, they're going to let you learn how to defend yourself." Tim replied. "Annie, baby, what's the first rule about fighting?"
From the corner, Annie paused in her kata to reply, "Karate ni senti nashi--there is no first attack."
"Good." Tim smiled. "Finish practicing." He turned to Natalie and explained, "You are only to use what you learn in your own defense or in the defense of others. If you ever start a fight, there will be severe consequences."
"But I'm way too old to--"
"I thought you wanted to learn?" Tim asked, a teasing smile on his lips.
"I do! I just thought…" Natalie trailed off. She really didn't have a good argument. Why was she arguing about this, anyway?
"You're not going to be a viglante, Natalie. Your parents already said they didn't want you to join the NJLA, although you're an adult and can make that decision when you get good enough."
"So…who's going to teach me?"
"Me."