A/N: Look. What I need is simple. All I'm askin' for is some sad fic in which Jason gets another hug. Yeah, yeah, I wrote one already, but I wanna see what you guys can think of - a way to keep Jay in character but get him to get a hug when he's feeling down. I know y'all can do it ;) PM me if ya accept the challenge or if you want any details (though m'pretty sure there aren't many more.) And a heads-up, their speaking mannerisms are gonna improve for my own sake, m'kay? It's so tedious trying to work out which vowels will be dropped and which words will blend together, y'know? (Edit: I'm so sorry I got this up late, but a shitty excuse is I was really busy. Again, sorry!) Another apology for this one being short too... It's just... Bruce, man. I struggle with the guy.

Echoes 01: Thank you! I feel like the only reason I did that particular scene is because I know what it's like being the oldest and having the irrational need to be there for your younger siblings, no matter what shit they out you through. And... Yeah. Wasn't gonna do that to poor Timmy. I saw a fanart picture of Joker Junior!Tim and it broke my heart. I think I cried at how just... Utterly destroyed the kid looked; shattered. He just looked so horribly broken, my heart couldn't take it. So... I cried, and swore I'd never do that to the little guy. ...Thanks, Ech :) Y'know, you're not too bad a pers'n yourself. Why does everyone call me adorable? M'not that small anymore! I grew, like, an inch and a half! That doesn't change a thing, Babybird. Y're still adorable. *Whines* Guys~

Jenniferg7: Y'know, Privation was the second longest chapter. In Which Blood was Spilled - the first chapter - was the longest with a word count of 2,698 and Privation coming in at 2,232 words. Huh. And, yeah I guess he did. But does Bruce know about it through ;) That's great to hear! Looking forward to the reviews :3 Aw, thanks. See Jay? Jen's proud of me. Kid, my pride knows no bounds when it comes t'you, I just got an odd way'a showin' it. Wait... Yes, Tiny Tim, m'proud of you. Don' let it go to y're head. Sure, sure.

orangesunset12: Heh. Tell me something Willis did deserve, aside from death row for all'a the shit he put Jason (and in this Fic, Tim) through. Well... You'll just have to see about the Bruce adopting thing, and... You'll also have t'see about the happily-ever-after too... September... What're you talkin' 'bout...? Whaddya mean, have t'see about the happily-ever-after thing? DON'T YOU DARE KILL TIMMY OFF - I'LL MURDER YOU. Geez, Jason, don't get your scaly panties in a twist. M'not gonna kill Timmy.

One helluva Author's Note. 489 words alone! On to the Fic! (Review, guys! :D)

Attentiveness

noun: the action of paying close attention to something; the action of assiduously attending to the comfort or wishes of others; politeness or courtesy

Dick was hiding something.

What, Bruce didn't know, and that's what has him concerned. He's used to Dick keeping secrets, but eventually revealing what they are to either himself or Alfred (who told Bruce in turn). But the old butler hadn't heard anything about the matter, and Bruce hadn't either.

Currently, Bruce was sitting in his office, staring at his screen as baffled as he'll ever look. Someone had just hacked into the RD department... In two minutes and forty-six seconds.

Two. Minutes.

It couldn't have been Dick. Bruce has timed his ward before, and the fastest Dick's ever hacked into Wayne Enterprises was 7:56:02 (A/N: 7 minutes, 56 seconds, and 2 millisecs. I feel like Bruce would memorize all that, but I could be wrong) and that had been last week.

...Two minutes.

Not even he could hack his own security in under five minutes.

Dick sighed, walking in. He plopped down in the couch across the door, stuffing a red pillow in his face with a groan.

Blinking twice, Bruce peeled his eyes off of his screen to look up at his son, who was clearly trying for his attention.

"Yes?"

Dick just groaned into the pillow again. A few seconds later, the pillow was moved to his lap as Dick stared up at the ceiling. Narrowing his eyes, Bruce's ward began to speak. "It's too cold in Gotham. Why is it so cold in Gotham. Why do I still live in Gotham."

Amusement glinted in Bruce's eyes; the break-in temporarily forgotten. "It's perfectly fine in Gotham," he rumbled.

Dick whined, sounding more like a winded puppy that had just been kicked than the twenty-one year-old he was. "Noo." He paused, head tilting as he mulled the thought over. "Maybe. Hm. That mean they have no heater? Insulation?"

The last two questions were murmured so lowly Bruce nearly missed the questions. Puzzled, he asked, "Who doesn't have any form of heat?"

Seemingly startled, Dick stammered over his words. "I... What? No, I was taking about... Uh... A homeless shelter I visited earlier! Yeah. Bruce it was freezing there. Seriously, it's no wonder there are still homeless out in Gotham winters."

It was such a bad lie. Then again, Dick had never really been good at lying in the past.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Dick," he spoke slowly. "What aren't you telling me?"

Squirming in his seat under the Batglare, Dick whined - again - before bringing his hands to his face. He mumbled something into his palms before shifting his hands so that they were only covering his eyes; freeing his mouth to speak clearly. "Fiiine." A sigh. "I vis-" And the rest was lost on Bruce's ears, since Dick began to mumble.

"Dick."

Dick groaned. "FINE. I visited those kids I told you about the other day."

"Jason and Timothy Todd?"

"Yeah them - wait how'd you get their last names?"

Bruce stared at his ward for a solid thirty seconds before sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Dick. There was blood. In your car. Did you really think I wouldn't do a DNA test? The blood test belonged to Jason Todd, and you told me Tim was the younger brother so it wasn't hard to put two and two together, Dick."

Dick blinked before shrugging and nodding his head. "Got'cha. Anyways, I visited them today, and it was so cold inside, I could have sworn I saw my breath!" The younger male shook his shaggy-haired head (Bruce would need to take Dick for a hair-cut - oh wait he can't anymore. Damn. When did the kid grow up?). "It's depressing, Bruce."

The older opened his mouth to say something before his secretary bursted into the room looking frantic.. "Mr. Wayne! Someone's hacked into our RD department!"

Bruce nodded, lowering his hand to link it with his other one on the desk. "I am aware, Mallory." He turned his screen for the woman to see.

"Oh."

"If you'll give my son and I some privacy, it would be appreciated. We were in the middle of a discussion."

Mallory glanced at Dick before nodding end exiting the room with the 'click' of the door.

Glancing over at Dick, he saw no surprise in his ward's expression.

Wait a minute.

"Dick." The young man blinked at Bruce. "...Do you know who did this?"

Dick started in surprise. "What? No, why would you think that? Geez Bruce, you don't always need to be so suspicious all the time."

...His son is a terrible liar.

"Dick."

"Uh, just remembered I promised Babs I'd get her something and I should go before the store closes bye!" Dick rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut after him.

Bruce pinched his nose again, sighing as he held the position for a minute. Truth be told, right now, Bruce felt old. He was tired and Dick always took a lot out of him - the young man is extremely bubbly and energetic.

With another sigh, Bruce looked back at his screen and stared at if for a few seconds. Tapping a button on his phone, he told Mallory to ignore the alert. Nothing had been stolen, and Bruce wanted to catch the guy who'd been able to break through Bat-level encryption.

When he got an agreement from his secretary, Bruce cracked his knuckles and set to work tracing the digital footprint the hacker had left, though Bruce had to admit, the hacker was an extremely good one. One who knew what they were doing and covered their tracks well, but not good enough that the Batman couldn't trace it.

A 'ping' told Bruce the computer had just finished tracing the hacker. A location appeared, with a map displayed beside the coordinates.

Writing down the address, Bruce made a mental note to talk to Dick later, concerning the two civilians he'd gotten close to.

In the meantime, Batman had someone to visit tonight.

(A/N: Thought about ending it here; decided not to.)

Dick sighed, slumped onto the steering wheel of his car. He should have known Bruce would figure it out.

He. Should. Have. Known.

But, really, was it so much to ask that he keep the two boys his little secret a while longer? Because if Dick was being honest with himself, he'd gotten attatched to those two. Jason and his devil-may-care attitude, and Timmy with his brains over brawn personality...

He really liked them.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Dick just wishes it wasn't so soon.

Oh, life. Why must you be this way?

With another, longer sigh, Dick sat up and stared out his windshield for a few milliseconds. Putting the car in drive, he pulled out of the W.E. parking lot, and into the traffic of Gotham City.

Man was he Looking forward to some of Alfred's cookies.