Chapter Two
Nightwing stared out the window in a kind of daze. 'What life have I given you?' Echoed in his mind. He wanted to scream, 'You've given me the best life anyone could have.' He remembered how Bruce had taken him in, no questions asked. He hadn't even seen him before that night at the circus and he didn't even know anything about him when he offered the idea of Dick staying with him in his mansion. He had treated him like a brother, a son – just part of the family. A comfort and security that Dick had really needed after his parent's murder. He choked back tears and emotion that were threatening to bubble up if he didn't think about something else. His thoughts drifted off to Barbara and how much he missed her company. Her voice, her smile, her touch. It was all becoming so distant in his mind. Suddenly, shaking him out of his thoughts and making his hands slip off the wheel, a noise so sudden and loud screamed into his ears. Tim jumped up bolt right and started yelling. Dick braked the car and turned around on his seat. Bruce had grabbed the boy's shoulders and was shaking him slightly, but Tim seemed to be delusional.
"Noo!" He yelped. "Stop! Please don't! Bruce! Dick! Stop it! Help!" Tim cried out loudly and was an odd white-grey colour.
"God, Bruce. What's wrong with him?" Dick demanded never taking his eyes off his little brother. Well, not his real brother, but Dick loved and worried about Tim just as much as any real brother would.
"Tim! Tim, look at me. Come on." Bruce soothed and placed a hand on Tim's cheek. "Come back to me. Come on."
Tim's eyes looked as if a curtain had been lifted over his eyes. Suddenly they came into focus and he could hear Bruce's voice. The boy tried to be strong, but after a few seconds of utter confusion his face crumpled and he sank into Bruce's chest in gentle sobs and hiccups.
"Just let it out, Timmy. Come on. There you are." Bruce's soft voice helped calm the teenager down and he nodded to Dick to get home as soon as possible.
They arrived home and Bruce carried a silent Tim into the house. Alfred greeted them at the door with a smile that fell into a concerned frown.
"Oh dear." Alfred opened the door wider for them and Dick followed in last with his head hanging. Alfred put a hand on Dick's shoulder and Dick gave him a look that told the story of the whole night. Dick followed Bruce upstairs and into Tim's room, but before he could go in Bruce turned around.
"Let me just have a few minutes alone with him." He said gently and gave Dick a small smile. Dick nodded and went to the top step and sat down hard, sighing and running a hand through his hair.
Half an hour later, Bruce emerged from the room looking exhausted and pale. He saw Dick still sitting on the stairs and looked relieved to have him there. He sat beside him and let out a deep sigh.
"I sat with him till he fell asleep." Bruce explained. Dick kept silent, not knowing what to do or say.
"No kid his age should have to go through that. All the nightmares and incidents just finally caught up to him. Poor kid."
"I wish I had got to him sooner." Dick croaked his voice betraying him. He had been thinking about when the thugs had grabbed Tim round the neck. If only he had got there quicker, he could have stopped it all.
"No." Bruce replied sternly. "Do not blame yourself. If anyone should be blamed it should be me. He is kid, for Christ sake. He can't possibly take on a group of fully grown men, no matter how good an acrobat he is."
"I did." Dick stated quietly and Bruce looked at him alarmed.
"All I'm saying is, don't start to think you can protect him from everything. He'll still want to go out as Robin, even after all of this. He is a champion after all. I know I got through it and if I can, Tim will make it with flying colours."
Bruce smiled. "I never thought kids would be able to teach me anything, but you know, you and Tim have moulded me into a better person. You have taught me so much and I can't remember my life without knowing what it is like to be loved by my kids and to love them back."
"You transformed my life. I was a mess when my parents died and you guided me onto the path." Dick covered his eyes with his hands. "I was so scared for Tim." He whispered quietly. "I thought we were going to lose him and I felt part of me slip away at the thought."
"That's what it's like to be part of a family."
Dick looked up at Bruce's profile and smiled through his watery eyes. He was part of a family and he was loved and needed and nothing on earth could beat the feeling of being needed. He watched Batman's back and protected Robin at night, but during the day, as Dick, he teased Bruce and made him laugh and he taught Tim more about life and let him win at the PlayStation. He was part of a family and no force on heaven or earth could take the feeling of belonging away from any of them.
