Author's Notes: Hey I'm actually posting this month in the month that it really is. Go me. ;-) Anyhow, thank you for the continued feedback. I am happy to hear that everyone is enjoying the quick looks at Robin's training. That being said, only July, August and September left. Amazing how fast two years can go by…

And Now, In Real Time

July:

"What do you see?"

Taking a deep breath, Tim removed his flashlight and moved it around the room

"There's broken glass inside so the window was shattered from the outside." Tim moved closer and inspected one of the larger spikes of glass left behind. "There's some clothing here; it looks like part of a red jacket."

Moving away from the window, Tim turned and moved his light further into the apartment. "Chairs upturned, papers littered; there was a scuffle that lead," he stepped further and moved the light around a corner, "into a bedroom."

Tim moved into the bedroom, his light fell on the single victim of the apartment. The teenager could see that the fight had lead into here and ended here. Tim swallowed and moved closer to the body. "A young man in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. Shot once in the upper torso and again at close range in the forehead."

Tim shined his light at the man's hands and then ever so gingerly moved the hand and it laid flat. Cocking his head, he looked closer. "He was the burglar," he concluded. "His hands have the cuts from the window on them." Stepping back, he looked the body over and noted the red coat. Bending back down, he spoke, "His coat is also missing that piece that is snagged on the window."

Looking at Batman, Tim waited.

"The owner, George Matekai, called the police an hour ago saying someone had broken in to his apartment and he had shot him."

The teenager nodded and followed Bruce out of the bedroom. The task had been simple, a very straightforward murder case, but it had been Tim's first one. Leaving the apartment, knowing that for the next month he would be dragged in and out of different murder scenes, Tim found Alfred waiting.

Tim got into the car and with shaking hands put on his seatbelt.

"Sir?"

"I'm fine, Alfred." Tim lied as he stared straight ahead out the car window. He had seen dead bodies before, Bruce had made sure of that, but something about seeing the scene in total, knowing that only hours ago that person had been alive made something in the teenager cringe. Tim shook his head; if he got this worked-up about a burglar, how would he ever handle something like a child? He had read the files; he knew what people were capable of.

"I don't think I can do this," Tim then admitted in a soft voice.

"It is never an easy thing to do," Alfred said as he drove. "And truly, I would be more worried for you if it become easy. For now, I recommend you close your eyes and prepare yourself for a hard month." Tim nodded absently knowing it would be a long four weeks as Batman dragged him to and from multiple crime scenes, teaching the young man how to survey a scene, put pieces together and solve the crime usually before the police.

Closing his eyes as Alfred said Tim didn't see the butler look over at him. Shaking his head sadly, the old man wondered how many more young men he would have to see lose their innocence at far too young of an age.