If there was anything that Bruce would have changed in the process of adopting his third son and daughter it would be the timing. He and Selina would have adopted them before the death of Jack and Janet and David Cain's child rearing. The days after they got them back were some of the hardest he and Selena ever had as parents or vigilantes.

Batman and Catwoman had found the compound empty with few clues to the whereabouts of any of Ra's men. The bodies of Jack and Janet were not touched; seemingly a warning to others that came across them. Selena bent down to see that Janet's phone was still in her pocket. She broke past the PIN and looked at the last apps running it was the phone's camera, Instagram, and Twitter. She went to the pictures and looked through the timestamps. Selena felt her heart drop as she saw the last picture. It was Timothy in the back of the car with his mom and dad in the front seats, more importantly, it was taken twenty minutes ago.

"B. we're too late. Look at this," she showed the picture, "he was with them. Their car was empty, Ra's has him."

"We'll get him back," Batman said, as he gave one last look at the compound before turning around.

They both hit the streets in the effort to stop him before he left the city. Bruce pushed the image of the small awkward child out of his mind hoping that he wouldn't be a victim that haunted his dreams. He was such a sweet little boy. Wanting to take pictures of everything and everyone.

Batman searched the docks to see a yacht, he went in further to see the figure of Ubu. He boarded the yacht with the grace and presence that years of being Batman brought.

"Ah, you're late. You did not bring your street urchin wife? It really is for the best. I still believe you could have done better in your marriage of... convenience," Ra's commented.

Bruce ignored the slur against his wife, "Where is the boy?"

"The boy? No comment on my journey to your city? If he means that much to you, I'll tell you. David Cain and I were doing business when the boy's dimwitted parents came in. I had no use for him, but Cain decided he would be an asset one day. Is that all you wanted? I am on a timetable," Ra's stated.

Batman growled. There would be no telling of where David Cain would go. He could only guess in what state the boy, no Tim would be in. He grappled away as Ra's smiled. The boy served a use Batman hated for innocents to be in danger and the boy was in danger for whatever plans Cain had for him.

Batman landed on a building roof turning on his comm. Cat, A. I found out who has the boy. It's Cain, A. check for any planes or boats leaving the harbor. It would be small. Cat do you have any other leads?"

"Not exactly, the reason for Ra's being here is something none of my snitches knew. Cain being here was a secret. Whatever they were doing needed to be kept under wraps," Selena replied.

"I have looked at all the flight plans. It does not appear that David Cain is leaving the country legally," Alfred announced over the comms. "He is a well-known assassin, after all," Alfred muttered under his breath.

"We're not going to find him are we?" Selena asked as the reality hit her. David Cain was far from stupid and they had no clue he was even in the city until he was gone. All the reasons he would want a small boy sickened her.

Batman and Catwoman met on the roof of a Wayne owned building. "We'll get Tim back. I promise," Bruce told Selena as she walked closer to him.

"We better. I already asked all the contacts that know anything, I'll go and beat it out of them if I have too," Selena paced back and forth alternating from looking at Bruce and the roof. "I just can't get it out of my head that it's our fault. If we did something, anything different the Drake's wouldn't have died and David Cain wouldn't have Tim. It's just all so messed up now! We have no leads and are running around chasing our tails."

"I know. Let's go back to the cave I have an idea on how to track Cain," Bruce replied.

"Let's hope your right."

Bruce's idea did work. It just took time. A month of Bruce and Selena working leads and chasing down long shots. All the while Dick and Jason didn't understand why Selena and Bruce would go back and forth having a short temper to hugging them and promising to keep them safe. Alfred was the only normal person in the household. Dick and Jason were left thinking they had done something wrong or Selena and Bruce were fighting with each other. Alfred was there during that month of almost catching up with Cain only to miss him by minutes and when Dick and Jason wanted to know why their parents were leaving on trips on short notice.

It was when Batman and Catwoman found David Cain that somethings got hard to explain to Dick and Jason. They found Cain, finally, he was in the middle of training two children. The compound was quiet except for the comments Cain barked out when the toddlers sparred. Bruce couldn't help but compare it to something like puppy fights. It was wrong on so many levels and they were going to put a stop to it.

The both of them had knocked out the guards surrounding the compound. It was only David Cain and the children left. The signaled with their hands and dropped from the support beams at the same time. David Cain didn't show any surprise at their actions instead seamlessly started to fight both Catwoman and Batman ordering the Tim and the girl to, "Watch and learn."

The children stopped their sparring and watched the fight progress. It was long and drawn out and only ended when David Cain saw that it would be in his favor to retreat than to engage in a fight that would leave no one as the certain winner. When he tried to make a run for it he didn't spare a second glance at the children that were still watching everything. It was a cowardly act that seemed to belie the fact that he was a respected assassin.

Both Batman and Catwoman were surprised to see that Cain gave up so easily. It was far from over. Bruce carefully approached the kids, "Hi, I'm Batman. What's your name?"

"Our names aren't important. Where is Master?," Tim asked much differently than the toddler Bruce held at the Gala no mispronounced words or fumbled speech at all.

Selena got closer to the little girl and she immediately stuck a defensive pose. "Hey, hey you're okay. Me and the big aren't going to hurt you, I promise. I'm going to get a little closer to you is that alright?"

The girl didn't reply so Selena didn't get any closer. "Have you and Tim been here long?"

The girl kept a neutral expression and still didn't say anything. It was only when Tim got closer to her that she reacted. Tim held her hand, "I don't know how long we've been here. Cass and me have a been really good," Tim added in a desperate fashion.

Batman and Catwoman glanced at each other remembering everything they had studied about traumatized children. "I'm sure you both were good, honey. We aren't going to hurt you, either of you," Selena reassured them.

Tim and Cass still were as close as they physically could be without being conjoined twins. "Come on we're going to take you home," Bruce told them.

"We don't have a home anymore," Tim said as he looked at both heroes masks, "Master takes care of us now."

"Not anymore. We are going to take you back to Gotham. You'll be looked after well and not have to call anyone 'Master' anymore," Bruce said as he tried to stay calm, "Not ever again."

"That does sound good and you are Batman and Catwoman. I always hoped you would rescue us," Tim said mulling over the turn of events in a quiet voice. "Cass doesn't believe in heroes. She doesn't talk much, but she's really smart," Tim thought out loud.

The trip back to Gotham was long the hours spent on the Batplane were filled with silence as Bruce and Selena noticed that the children took turns sleeping. Cass and Tim may have trusted them enough to leave with them, but no doubts they still their reservations in trusting anyone. Bruce flew the plane while Selena had tried to talk to them and offer them something to eat. Cass didn't speak as Selena offered her a juice pouch and dried fruit. Cass took the fruit and drank one of the pouches as she took the other and didn't touch the other until Tim woke up and it was given to him with the fruit that she hadn't eaten. Tim ate the fruit slowly as Cass fell asleep, Selena tried to get him to talk, but he only answered the questions that could be answered with a yes or no.

When they got back in Gotham; Alfred was waiting for them with Jason and Dick at school they had a few hours were the boys wouldn't be at home to see things that wouldn't add up. Cass and Tim stayed in the cave for the first few weeks of being out of David Cain's clutches they made sure that they couldn't see that the cave was an annex. It was easier to keep them safe if there were no big announcements of the Waynes adoptions. Jason and Dick weren't ready for siblings that were so skittish and untrusting. They all needed time. Alfred managed to get Tim to talk to him some, but Tim was the only one that ever got Cass to say anything and that was when it was late at night when the Batcave was empty save for the two toddlers. Tim and Cass were set up in a holding cell with two small beds, but they usually only used one. Tim would start out by saying words, like his name and she would repeat it until it sounded good enough to Tim and he would move on to things around them. Bed, blanket, glass, and then the names of Batman, Catwoman, and Alfred. Cass would repeat them with Tim's encouragement all the while. It was almost as if Cass had never been taught to speak before. The toddlers were a strange pair they already decided that they shouldn't know that Bruce and Catwoman were really Batman and Catwoman. They knew that the children were in enough danger without the truth of who they were added to it.

When a month passed and they still weren't any better socially the toddlers weren't in terrible shape physically the few bruises that had healed under the careful ministrations of Alfred. Batman, Catwoman, and Alfred talked to them every day about anything and everything. Alfred practically gave them snacks every hour that they both hoarded. They still were the small children that looked like they had to stop themselves from calling Batman and Selena 'Master'. It wasn't fair to them. So they decided to try something else, someone else. They told them about their friend's two sons, Dick and Jason. Tim looked both interested and frightened at the idea of meeting them. Cass looked indifferent. Tim told them that they wanted to meet them.

Jason and Dick had watched their parents for the last two months show some bizarre behavior. First, they left at weird times and would get home and act just... odd. They were always tense and blamed it on work. Then they stayed home for a solid month only to disappear for hours at a time. Dick and Jason had all kinds of theories that ranged from raunchy (Jason) to planning a surprise for their adoption anniversary that was four months away (Dick). They both didn't have a clue. It was when Bruce and Selena sat them down to talk after supper and ice cream that they got their first inkling that change was coming.

"Selena and I in our travels came across some kids that are younger than both of you but didn't have a great home. We wanted to see how you both got along with them. Tim and Cass are just toddlers. Your mother and I wanted to see how you got along with them if that's alright with both of you," Bruce explained like he always did with his child straight and two the point.

Jason stirred his ice cream the melted the creamy treat seemed to take up all of his focus. "If we're okay with it does that mean that, does it mean that they would live with is?" Jason asked thinking about two cute abused children that would take up time and energy from his parents that could already be weird. It wasn't that he was afraid that his parents wouldn't look after him and Dick, but why did they feel compelled to take in every kid with a sob story?

"It would depend on what they wanted. Tim and Cass are still untrusting and they are young. I think if they had two older brothers that showed them what a real home looks like they would be able to adjust better," Selena replied.

"I'd like that. Jason and me could show them all kinds of stuff and Alfred could tell them all his great stories!" Dick started to plan out loud.

"They sound like they need a home. When do we have to meet the babies?" Jason asked dreading the answer. He and Dick were the perfect amount of children for his dad and mom. They were old enough to not need a lot of attention and could take care of themselves.

"Soon, tomorrow if you boys don't mind," Bruce explained.

"That's soon. Wow, Jason and me are going to have to plan some things out for them. Can you tell us about what the like and what they look like?" Dick asked as Jason looked down at his lap lost in thought.

"Cass and Tim are around three years old. They are skittish and don't like loud noises. Just act normal around them, but don't touch them without permision and Cass doesn't talk to anyone, " Bruce replied.

Selena put an arm around both her boys hugging them. "You dad and I are very proud of you and love you a lot, even if we don't say it as much as we should. You boys are so good trying to help these kids."

The next morning Batman went down to see the children he explained, "Alfred is going to take you to a friends house. You both can play with their boys Dick and Jason. Bruce and Selena are nice and if you need anything just ask them."

"Yes Sir. Any other orders?" Tim asked in his soldier voice.

"No orders. Just try to have fun," Batman told them hoping it would go better than he expected.

Tim and Cass silently slipped into the car Alfred told him that, "I work with Batman and Bruce, even if Bruce didn't know it." The children were small enough to believe it and even if they didn't they didn't ask any questions. Alfred drove around for thirty minutes before coming back to the manor where Selena, Bruce, Dick, and Jason were waiting for them. When the car stopped Alfred opened the door for the children who got out slowly taking in all the new people.

"Hi, I'm Dick!" Dick announced as Jason rolled his eyes. Jason eyed both the children they were small, but that was because they were kids. No bruises that were recent so they hadn't lived with their abusers in a while or they didn't hit where people could see. Jason saw the girl staring right back at him, that meant she had spunk. He immediately liked the girl. The boy, well, he held tight to the girl's hand and smiled at Dick's welcome speech. Maybe this wasn't a terrible idea they were probably kids like him from the wrong part of town just doing what they could to survive.

Jason and Dick found out later they weren't like kids like them when Dick tried to hug Cass and she flipped the older boy. Bruce and Selena watched the children interact and it wasn't as bad as the feared it would go with Tim playing along with Dick and Jason's games and explaining them to Cass. Bruce and Selena saw them act like real toddlers should for the first time since they rescued them from David Cain. The toddlers were taught how to play Shoots and Ladders, and Red Light, Green Light all the kids got into the games and enjoyed playing with each other. Dick and Jason remembered what Bruce and Selena told them about touching Tim and Cass with out asking and Dick didn't get flipped again. When Cass and Tim ate meals with the Wayne family Tim was the one that told Cass how to do the more formal operations tucking the cloth napkin on her lap. Bruce watched how co-dependent the toddlers were if he and Selena didn't take in the children it would have to be someone who could take in both of them.

He and Selena would almost have to take them in they had been monitoring activity and David Cain was going through every contact he had trying to get them back. They thought about adopting them as publicly as they could in the hopes that he wouldn't be stupid enough to try and take them from Bruce and Selena Wayne, but that plan could very well backfire on them. It seemed whatever they did had the promise of some kind of backlash for Tim and Cass. He was under no illusions that the children were fine it was going to take a long time before they could really feel safe. Bruce vowed that he would save these children from whatever threat that came near them.

AN

I don't really have an excuse for this taking so long to update except life.

Reviews are not only welcomed, but treasured.