"You were the girl" Tim said, falling back onto his hands in the rain, "He…he raped you and your sister and then killed her in front of you."

I started crying again.

"Your own father"

"I…" I tried to talk through my tears, but I was unsuccessful, "I…k-knew this w-would hap-p-pen"

"What are you talking about?" he asked and my head fell into my hands.

"Why are you still here?" I cried.

There was silence, "Are you crazy?" he asked, grabbing my cold hands in his, "I promised I'd stay didn't I?"

"You don't have to keep your promises" I said, still crying, my tears splashing in the puddles on the ground, "I'm used to it. Everyone leaves in the end"

"I'm never leaving you" he said, wiping tears from my cheek. "No matter what"

I looked at him. Was he telling the truth?

"R—really?" I asked hesitantly.

"Really" he said, smiling sadly, "You're stuck with me, Maddeline Dutch"

I let out a weak laugh, "Y—you don't care…about..?"

"No" he said, "I know who you are. And I love the way you are. That's all that matters to me"

He hugged me tight and I bawled into his shoulder. Gripping his wet shirt with me fists, bunching it up as my body shook with cries. He held me, tight and strong. And we stayed that way until I fell asleep.

She stopped crying and Tim realized she'd fallen asleep. He stood carefully, pulling her into his arms. He carried her to the mansion, his eyes burning from holding in his own tears when she'd broken apart.

Tim leaned against the doorbell calmly, waiting for Alfred to answer the locked door. He looked at her face, she was fast asleep, her face peaceful and unworried. Alfred opened the door and gasped.

"Some dry clothes, Alfred? Maybe some of Barbara's old ones" Tim asked, walking inside and heading towards his bedroom, "And a towel?"

"Right away sir" Alfred said, rushing off.

Tim carried Maddie into his bedroom and gently laid her on the bed, hoping not to wake her up. Tim sat there and pulled away her damp hair. Alfred came in with the required items and set them on the bed. Tim told him to leave gently and he did, closing the door behind him.

He pulled away the covers and lay the towel down. He placed her on it and then gently tried to wake her up. "Maddie" he said softly.

"Mmm" she groaned, her swollen eyes fluttered open, "This seems grotesquely familiar"

"Change into some dry clothes" he said, handing them to her, and then covered her body with the covers, "I won't look"

She changed quickly, shuddering. He did too. Then her eyes started to glaze over again. She was shivering, waiting for sleep.

"Tim?" she said, barely above a whisper.

"Yes?" he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm cold"

"I'll go get a blanket"

"No" she said, grabbing at his arm when he started to stand, "Stay with me"

He sat there for a moment, then realized what she meant. He slid under the covers and wrapped an arm behind her head, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She was freezing. Not that he wasn't cold himself, but her whole body was shaking and frozen. He moved his other arm around and started rubbing her arm. Trying to get her warm.

She moaned and snuggled into his chest, half asleep. He pulled her against him, kissing her wet hair. Her arm slipped across his chest to curl around his neck. Tim looked at her, but she still looked like she was asleep. He breathed in her scent, smelling what lingered of her perfume. And felt his eyes start to ease closed. They shot back open when her leg wrapped around him rubbing against him slowly.

"Uh…" he managed. But she was still fast asleep. She breathed in slowly, barely moving, just her chest, up and down with her breathing. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, completely ignoring the TV that was still on above the door. Soon, he joined her in sleep.

Alfred tapped lightly on Tim Drake's door. There was no answer. Alfred slowly nudged it open. He looked inside and saw Tim and Maddie snuggled under the covers together, fast asleep. Alfred smiled and walked in. He closed the blinds and turned off the TV. Then pulled the covers up slightly on the young couple. He walked to the door and with one last fond look at the two of them he turned off the light, engulfing the room in darkness.