Chapter 10: Bury the Hatchet

- - Then - -

The first time Tim went out with Danny, his whole family knew right after the fact. The cafeteria meeting had gone much differently than Tim had planned at first, but he couldn't complain about the end result. He actually had fun and got to know more about the guy who had saved him.

After three more caffeinated drinks, he absolutely had to tell all the bats about their meeting if he wanted everyone to stop following Danny around. After all, now that he was convinced that the guy he met at the coffee shop was actually a good one, Tim felt the need to make it up to him somehow.

Giving Danny back his privacy felt like the least he could do.

The second time they went out, it had been a complete coincidence, but Tim knew Danny wouldn't believe him given their past Bat-surveillance history.

Tim was looking for some options for the upcoming gift exchange Steph had convinced everyone to participate in for the holidays. His giftee? Jason. And what could be more meaningful as a present than a first edition that wasn't in Jay's collection?

That's how Tim found himself walking into an antique bookstore, where he almost crashed into Danny as the student walked out of the same shop. They exchanged a couple of words, both men a complete mess while trying to make a coherent sentence.

Tim somehow managed to assure Danny there was no ill intent and asked him for help with the gift he was looking for so he could verify for himself. In the end, they followed their shopping with a visit to a nearby coffee shop, which they felt was subpar to the one where they met.

They exchanged numbers, though Danny joked about the Bats already having all his contact details if Tim ever needed them.

The third time they met had been completely on purpose.

Tim had found the right excuse to see Danny by inviting him to a new Aerospace exhibit that Wayne Enterprises was sponsoring.

Danny had mentioned his love for space and how he wanted to be a part of WE's Aerospace division. So, Tim thought it would be a nice way to show him there was no animosity between them.

In the end, they both had a great time, with Danny even reconnecting with old colleagues from his internship, who hoped the kid would join them once he was out of school. The young CEO assured everyone he would try his best to make it happen.

The bright smile on Danny's face had made all the teasing Steph had given Tim worth it.

The fourth time, Danny had been looking through his telescope on the same roof where he found Tim weeks prior.

Red Robin was patrolling the area when he noticed his new… friend? They didn't know what they were, exactly, but Danny gestured for the vigilante to join him with some snacks. The future astrophysicist then explained some of the things he was looking for, almost like some kind of follow-up of their conversation at the exhibit days before.

They geeked out and bantered a bit before their laughter turned into silence, which turned into an accidental brush of their hands that sent a spark of excitement down Tim's spine.

It was a brief moment that was broken by a call from Babs (no doubt spying on them, somehow) asking Tim if he was alright since his tracker had stopped moving.

Danny's smile as they parted ways was warm and understanding. In a way, Tim was glad Danny already knew what his life was like. It made some of the pressure disappear.

The fifth time, Danny had surprised Tim at the office. Or rather outside of it, to be precise.

The two had started chatting more regularly after they exchanged numbers, their conversation covering all kinds of different topics: school, work, rogues, science, memes, movies… anything, as long as they covered their tracks to keep the Bats off their case.

This time, Tim had been the one to initiate the chat as he complained about a meeting that had been going on for too long.

Some minutes later into the umpteenth revision of a proposal with the board, his assistant was trying to get his attention from the other side of the glass door. She gestured to a coffee cup that was in her hands, asking if he wanted her to leave it in the meeting room. Tim hadn't ordered anything, but the text with "say yes to coffee :)" he got from Danny was all he needed to agree to interrupt the meeting.

"There's an ace up that sleeve," another text read as his assistant came into the room to give him the hot beverage.

Tim pulled down the cardboard sleeve from the paper cup and noticed a message below: "see u outside in 15 min?"

Despite himself, Tim smiled. He fumbled to cover it with a frown, to show his fake distress as he excused himself from the meeting due to an emergency with one of his brothers.

Tim found his friend outside, casually leaning against the building. Danny linked his arm with Tim's to drag him somewhere no one would see or bother them for the next few hours.

Keeping a relationship under wraps, even a potential one, was nearly impossible with his family.

Tim wasn't sure where this would lead, but he was excited to discover new things, find himself in surprise outings, improvised plans, and an overall new experience while getting to know Danny Fenton, the guy who not only had saved his life but also took his breath away.

Of course, good things didn't usually happen to anyone close to the Wayne family. Their lifestyle often meant putting loved ones in danger. Or end up being betrayed or disappointed by those they let in. Which was probably why most of their relationships with civilians didn't last or were doomed before they took off. Just like it didn't last with Bernard, despite all their efforts to make it work.

In any case, it had been a while since his family had seen him going out with someone. Tim was sure they all had suspected it when he ditched meetings or took detours before patrol. It didn't matter if he didn't tell them who he was meeting with or how much he had tried to cover his tracks to avoid a lecture, even from Steph. No, especially from Steph.

Maybe that's why Tim had avoided most of the personal small talk when they got shared patrols or when they met up at the Bat Cave, evading any question about his dating life before they could even form in their heads. Bad communication skills were actually a good ally this time around, but Tim knew they were all curious.

And, of course, curiosity motivated the Bat.

When Bruce had asked everyone to come to the Manor for dinner, Tim knew something was up and it would be treated like a family issue. And it probably had to do with what Tim had been keeping from them.

Or why else would the dining room quieten down when he arrived?

Tim had always been very observant. It was what got him a place among the Bats, for starters. That's how he noticed that, while he was perfectly on time, he was the last one to arrive. Or the way Jason tensed and drummed his fingers on the table. Or how Steph's shit-eating grin announced trouble. Or how Damian, who must have been reluctantly in the room, glared daggers at Tim in a way he hadn't done in so long. Not to mention the way Dick turned to eye Bruce with a heavy look to prompt him to speak about whatever this was.

As Tim took a seat next to Jay, he pulled out his phone to send Danny a quick text, fully aware everyone's eyes were on him.

Tim: If you don't hear from me in the next 3 hrs, assume this dinner intervention killed me

He was about to turn off the screen and prepare to face the music when he caught Danny's reply.

DF: Oof…I've heard there are still good haunts available

Tim couldn't help but snort at the odd sense of humor. He figured it all boiled down to their initial meetings, with all the jokes surrounding the Death Wish they both enjoyed drinking.

The sound of Bruce clearing his throat snapped his attention back to the dinner table. He met B's eyes and found a mixture of stern dad and inquisitive Bat vibes in them.

Oh, they were going to do this right before Alfred served food? A total blasphemy…

"Thank you all for coming tonight," Bruce greeted them, giving a glance at all his children sitting around the table. "I called you in earlier than usual because I want to address something important as a family. Something all of you have… insistently asked me to look into." He nodded at Dick, who rolled his eyes and sighed, a clear sign that he had been expecting B to broach the topic.

Dick turned to his other siblings and then at Tim, his brow furrowed in concern. "We've all noticed something important going on and we're worried about you."

Tim raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Uh, thanks, but… why?" He knew why. He just didn't think they would outright voice their concern.

"You've been meeting with a former target, Drake," Damian huffed.

"You mean… Danny?" he asked with a hint of amusement. "When did he ever become a target?"

Duke raised an eyebrow. "Uh, have you forgotten how you asked me to keep an eye on him on campus? Or the extensive research Babs did? Or how everyone followed him around for days and then you decided to call everything off?"

Bruce covered part of his expression behind his steepled fingers, his brow furrowed in clear concern. "There's also the question of how much he knows. If Daniel Fenton knows our identities, we must enact any contingency measures that apply, Tim."

This was why Tim didn't want to let his family into his personal life, if he could avoid it. And with all the history with Danny and the way he unmasked Red Robin and learned his identity (and everyone else's, even if he wasn't going to confirm it at the dinner table), things were already too awkward to admit something going on between them.

"Why would it matter if he knows?" Tim protested instead. "It's been months since he saved me—"

"Oh, so now's your savior?" Jason snapped. "I still remember how worried you were about your mask."

Tim stared at everyone with a heaviness he didn't realize was there in his chest. Cass gave him a knowing smile, probably seeing right through him. "I just think we started on the wrong foot," he said with a steady voice. "I told you Danny's not some evil mastermind planning something to get to us."

"So, it's true," Steph said leaning forward with a feral smile. "You admit he knows our identities."

Tim shot her an unimpressed stare. "I can't take you seriously when you channel Regina George."

Steph made a fake-indignant gasp. "It's not my fault that you keep trying to make Danny & Tim happen."

The furious heat Tim felt rising to his face was probably enough confirmation, for a family of detectives, that Steph had not been too far from the truth. But before Tim could retort or think of fifteen ways he could blackmail his ex, Bruce's voice got everyone's attention.

"Are you two in a relationship?" Bruce asked in a voice laced with concern, but most of all disappointment.

Tim wanted nothing more than to be swallowed through the floor then and there. Where was Bart when you needed someone to break the multiverse?

While Tim was totally interested in a relationship, he still didn't know what Danny really wanted. What if Danny only saw them as friends goofing around? He knew how it might look to others, but there was nothing official.

"Uh, no?" he replied, which was the truth, even if not the full picture.

"Really, Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne?" Steph began with a deadpan tone. "This week alone, we've seen you on three different dates with him. Three. And it's just Thursday."

"We?" Tim dared to ask, only to see Cass smiling at him and Duke raising his hand awkwardly. Of course… "Putting that aside, we're just going out. I don't even know if he's interested in me like that."

Dick gave him a small smile. "But you're interested in him." It wasn't even a question and Tim hated how transparent he was being to his siblings right then.

"I didn't say that," Tim defended.

"No, but you didn't exactly deny it either," Jason muttered next to him.

Something about Jay's tone snapped him out of the questioning cycle they had begun and he realized how little they had asked about Danny.

"Why am I being interrogated here?" he asked. Not that he wanted them to subject Danny to the same treatment, though.

Jason turned to fully face him, something akin to suspicion in his eyes. "Because you're not acting like yourself, Timmers," he replied.

Tim crossed his arms and glared. "What, just because I haven't made a pin board or kept permanent surveillance on him? We all confirmed he's clean. What else do you want?"

"He's too clean, Tim," Dick argued. "The things available about Danny seem almost cherry-picked. You already know that. You were there when Babs told us. That's why we're worried about your reasoning here."

"Oh, my god! Are you seriously questioning my judgment?" he scoffed and turned to face each of the seven Bats and Birds present at the table, allowing his question to sink in. "You have no right! Yes, I did all the background checks with Babs. We all wrote additional reports about what he did every day. You even bugged his place! And yet, it's notenough. It's almost like you keep looking for more because you want there to be something else. Like you want to have some way to say 'I told you so' if he ends up having a secret life we don't know about." His glare intensified. "Well, guess what? I don't care! We're all entitled to our secrets too, you know?"

The way the room fell quiet was almost deafening. Most countered with their own intense and stubborn looks. Duke was probably the only one who seemed a bit apologetic. Considering he had met Danny more times than any of the others, maybe he knew the guy wasn't deserving of the level of mistrust expressed by the rest of the family.

"So, bring him here," Jason's words cut the tense silence, the challenge evident in his glare. "If you're so sure he's not dangerous, then we can probably have a nice dinner together next time."

Tim eyed him suspiciously. Why was he so involved in this? Was it because he had found Danny first? "Why would I want to drag him here? We're not a couple," Tim insisted. "We're just trying to have some fun, wind down from all the vigilante madness, and get to know each other. That's all."

"That's sweet," Jason mocked. "Did he promise all that when he made cute eyes at you?"

"Yes, Drake," Damian spoke, having the nerve to give his input. "You should start thinking with your head and not with what's in your pants."

That insufferable brat…

For a second, Tim thought about replying, making some crude comeback at the teen. But he had reached his limit. He didn't feel like dealing with all of this today. Not when he knew he was right about Danny being a good person. Not when his family wouldn't listen.

"You know what? I'm done with this conversation," he said instead, his voice more detached. He stood from his seat and gave them all one last glare. "You can keep digging, keep looking into his past or whatever. And when you do find something, don't wait to tell me during dinner. Don't do Alfred's cooking dirty like that."

Tim didn't wait for a reply as he left the dining room. He drowned out the conversation that followed, voices tense and arguing. He had already heard enough. As he reached the entrance, he heard footsteps. Alfred appeared in the foyer, a silver tray in his hands with food ready to be served.

"And to think these crab-stuffed mushrooms will have one less stomach to fill. A real shame," the elder man said.

Usually, that would sway anyone to reconsider whatever argument there was and head back into the dining room to taste his delicious meals. However… "Sorry, Alfie. Next time?" Tim said with a sheepish grin.

"Of course," Alfred replied with a nod. "I also had brandy snaps planned for dessert. Some might say too much sugar is not good for one's health. But we all indulge every now and then in something dangerous for our health if we know it will be worth it." There was a knowing smile, warm and encouraging. "I hope you know what's best for you, Master Tim."

Tim smiled, feeling a sense of excitement, a thrill almost bursting in his chest. Maybe the others wouldn't see reasonin whatever he and Danny had going on, but he believed it was worth it.

"Yeah, maybe I deserve something sweet, after all," Tim replied with a fond smile. He walked towards the butler, managing to hug him from the side to avoid dropping the tray. "Thanks, Alfie."

Alfred gave him a small nod and a smile before he continued his way to the dining room. "Just make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew," Alfred called back.

Tim snorted and left the Manor, his shoulders lighter. As he walked towards his motorcycle, he sent Danny a quick message.

Tim: Hey, got any plans? can I come over?

The reply was enough to know Tim could definitely indulge in whatever they were about to start.

DF: you're always welcome to fly by, birdie :)

- - Now - -

"So…" Tim began.

"So," Phantom repeated.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two as they flew across the Realms, heading back to the portal after getting some "snacks" with Danny's rogues that ended in a full feast in a place called The Far Frozen.

Tim cleared his throat. "That was… something."

Danny's face heated up (or did it cool down? How did half-ghost biology even work? There probably was a lot he still needed to learn). "I'm sorry," he replied with a wince. "They're usually more murderous than embarrassing."

"No, no, it was cool," Tim tried to backpedal.

Wait, had he made an accidental pun? Maybe Danny was becoming a bigger influence after all the banter he heard through their otherworldly trip to the Ghost Zone.

Tim had really enjoyed the visit, even if it wasn't what he had expected at all. He got to meet some of Danny's old rogues, who now tried to play nice so they didn't get on the Ghost King's bad side. Tim certainly enjoyed hearing someone else tell the story of how Danny defeated Pariah Dark, or how he was doing great things as ruler of all ghosts. It had filled Tim with a sense of pride towards his boyfriend.

No wonder they called him the "Great One", which he should've known would only prompt the other ghosts to mock Danny after Tim questioned the epithet, each giving their own input on the many names they had given Phantom throughout the years.

Funny how Danny had turned his past enemies into friends and family. Into those he needed to protect as King.

In a way, it reminded Tim of how Bruce would constantly look to reform his rogues instead of their demise. They even had similar catch-and-release methods, in a way. But would Gotham ever look as organized and protected as everyone made the Infinite Realms sound?

"Now I know why you don't feel the need to be a hero," Tim said after a moment.

Aside from the peace Tim now understood was in place, the Realms were probably kept in check with strong allies willing to maintain that harmony and hold accountable those who broke it.

The pain in his shoulder would be a sore reminder of that. And to think that was just some light roughhousing…

"Y-yeah… I actually never really liked it that much?" Danny replied, making a face and Tim could hear some hesitation in his tone. "Sure, it was cool at first and no one had the power to possibly do it—"

"But it was more an imposition than a choice," Tim concluded softly.

"I mean," Danny said as he pointed at the crown above his head. "It wouldn't be the only thing that I didn't exactly choose in my life."

That was probably the main difference in how they worked as heroes. Danny had been forced to protect his town while Tim had chosen to follow Batman's lead; to become a Robin when he thought B needed one, even if it hadn't been as temporary as he planned.

But Danny had been able to get out of it for the most part. He managed to find a loophole in his role as King to live a normal life somehow, something not even Tim had been able to pull off successfully.

"Seems to me you still can decide on plenty of things," Tim pointed out with a smile.

Danny mirrored his expression, before he put a finger on his chin to pretend to think about it. "Hmm, maybe you're right. Like living in Gotham. Or studying Astrophysics. Or getting involved with the Batclan. What else…" He looked at their entwined fingers and brightened. "Oh, right! Us."

Tim couldn't help but chuckle. "As cute as that tried to be, I was thinking more along the lines of how you managed to keep ghosts from going into the living world. You mentioned some arrangements?"

The happiness on Danny's face morphed into a frown as he sighed. "You sure you want to hear that one? It's a long story."

"Maybe a shorter version then? I'd feel better if I knew we won't have to worry about portals opening up in Gotham just because they want to spar."

Tim's mind went back to the moment Pandora tossed him through a column, which as a human he could phase through. He still couldn't wait to tell Cassie all about it.

"They didn't hit you that hard," Danny said with a playful grin. "Be thankful that overhead throw wasn't against a building in the human world."

Tim closed his eyes and hung his head in resignation. "Danny…"

"Sorry, I'm not sure I can say anything about my life around ghosts that doesn't sound concerning," the half-ghost admitted with a small chuckle that felt out of place.

This was their life now. This was what Tim signed up for when he decided to allow Danny his privacy, his secrets. He had been so naïve to think it couldn't be something that bad or that big. This was the "told you so" that had been long coming.

"Let's just…" Tim gestured dismissively, trying to clear his mind from the distraction. "You were going to explain the arrangement with the ghosts."

Danny sighed in defeat. "Sure, fine, I'll tell you about that." They flew for a minute in silence as Danny apparently tried to decide how to explain it. "So, remember how I said ghosts don't have a concept of time like we do?"

"Yeah." How could he forget?

"And I know you heard they can only use the Amity Park portal."

Tim nodded slowly. "Yeah, but I'm still concerned about the doors that get you anywhere."

Danny shrugged dismissively. "Yeah, fair, but they're not even easy to use. Amity's ghost problem reached its peak because the portal was open." Phantom stopped and turned to face Tim, still weighing his words. "So, ghosts don't age and don't change. Nothing around here really does. A person can die and might want to do the same things they did a hundred years ago because there's nothing telling them to do it differently."

But Danny had mentioned how some ghosts did change. "Unless there was some external influence," Tim pieced together.

Phantom gave him that same bright smile whenever Tim jumped to the right conclusion. "Exactly! So, opening the portal gave ghosts a chance to learn new things, connect with new tech, or even new ways to say something. And that made a major shift for some of them. Like, do you remember Technus?"

Tim shuddered at the reminder. There were so many horrifying implications at the thought of a ghost who could possess, adapt, and upgrade technology as he saw fit. Even if Danny did say he was working for the King now, Tim would prefer to find new ways to guard both the public and the secret WayneTech, not to mention the Bat Computer.

He nodded darkly in response.

Danny either didn't notice or didn't deem the reaction as anything to worry about. "Yeah, well, he wasn't always like that, but he began getting software updates and heard new terms and suddenly, a guy who had only just figured he could possess an electronic shaving machine, learned he could conquer the world by possessing the Internet and all our satellites."

The vigilante's brow furrowed in contemplation. "So, with the portal closed and no sense of time, they didn't feel the urge to go to the living Realm? Is that it?"

"Oh, no, if only it were that easy. But that definitely helped to keep them off my back," Danny replied, as if he hadn't squashed Tim's only current theory. "So, okay, yeah… they can't really tell the difference from one week to one year, so that helped. But I also used the weight of my words as King to set rules and change the dynamic."

There was something Johnny and Kitty had mentioned... "Are ghosts compelled to heed your words?"

"Ghosts and some ghost-adjacent. As long as I don't interfere with their unfinished business," Danny replied as he took Tim's hand to continue their flight, leaving the Gothamite to dwell on what that would imply for Jason, if he was considered ghost-adjacent or not. "So, I just had to declare that ghosts wouldn't be allowed into the human world if I'm not around Amity Park. I also made rules to only access through the Fenton portal. And since I'd be residing back on Earth, I would consider any visit to the living Realm a direct challenge to my haunt."

Tim's eyes widened and he forced Danny to stop by tugging his hand. "Wait, you claimed the living— Earth. You claimed Earth as your haunt?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "So, fun fact—"

"These are not fun anymore," Tim huffed. A sudden realization struck him. "Danny… you're not— you're not looking for world domination, are you?"

The Ghost King laughed heartily, the voice echoing in an eerie way that seemed to go far into the depths of the ghostly world. "Of course not! I'm more of a… world liberation kind of dude. In fact, I'd destroy the Realms' monarchy if it meant there was a fair system in place."

Tim stared at his significant other for a long time, trying to make sense of everything he said. How much did the things he declared in one world affect the other? What would be the consequences of such a thing? What if the Justice League Dark at the very least figured out part of this? Or worse: other magic users. Would Danny be in danger?

"We should probably tell Bruce," Tim stated firmly, pouring his Red Robin vibes into the words.

Danny grimaced. "Do we really need to tell your family? Something tells me this won't stay just among the Bats."

After all that time looking for anything suspicious about Danny and failing to find any evidence, Tim agreed with that. They probably would never let it go. If anything, they'd look for more ways to improve their research, be more thorough with their background checks, or even add new detection methods when dealing with potential magic users.

Would Danny count as a magic user in Bruce's mind?

Tim ran a hand through his hair as he gathered his thoughts. "Starlight, this could be dangerous even for you. Someone might get wind of your claim on Earth and suddenly you're being attacked for no reason by Constantine or one of the dozens of cults just in Gotham alone."

He didn't even want to think about the implications of the League of Assassins learning about Danny's status as a living and self-sustainable source of "Lazarus waters". That would be a total nightmare.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I mean, I totally get it, I do… but do we really have to tell them? Can't we just… keep things like they were before I told you?"

Tim gave his boyfriend a stern look. "Danny, hon… I can't just lie to B with something this big."

Tim in fact could lie to Bruce pretty well, but Danny didn't know that. He could lie well enough to create a family member out of nowhere to avoid being adopted. He could lie to others around him to keep the deepest darkest secrets buried without a trace. He would even go as far as faking a longer-term injury to keep up with appearances.

Tim Drake definitely could lie.

But lying about something this big? Did he like those stakes? Was it worth it? It felt like something that could come and bite him in the ass when he knew there could be major implications from everything he learned. Like being labeled as the King's consort or whatever title they still had to read in the contract Danny was carrying. That would put him or Danny on someone's radar at some point or another.

"It's for your safety and mine, in case someone decides they want to retaliate against you," Tim pressed on. "And, to be honest, I also want to be able to be more open about you with people closer to us, you know?"

Danny eyed him curiously, that same feeling of being under a microscope creeping up on him. There was something in his smile that didn't reveal the full story, despite how transparent his boyfriend could be with his emotions most of the time.

"Oh, so now that you got to be teased and threatened by my rogues, you want to introduce your ghostly boyfriend to the family?" Danny teased. "I can totally see it: 'Hey, good news everyone! Danny loved your first shovel talk so much, he came back as a ghost for a second one!' It would be hilarious, I bet."

Tim gave him an unimpressed look that made Danny groan in defeat.

"Fine! You win," Danny finally conceded. "Just your family, for now, please."

Tim sighed in relief. "Thanks, starlight. I promise I'll keep the murdering siblings at bay."

Instead of laughing, as Tim thought Danny would respond, something bothered the half-ghost enough to stop their flight again, his brow furrowing in contemplation. "Huh… now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I can die a second time."

Tim took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I love how you keep dropping these bombs like they're nothing," he snarked.

Danny chuckled. "Sorry, but I'm sure we can find a way to be even."

"What, you want me to share my own concerning history as little bits of trivia?"

"I mean, it's only fair, right?" Danny said with a shrug. "We can even make it a game. Let's call it… Bombs Away."

Tim contemplated the offer for a moment. There was still so much left to talk about, but maybe this would help find the topics they were missing. They had the whole road trip back to Gotham to talk and figure things out from there.

"Fine. How will we play it?" he asked.

Danny floated into a sitting position and crossed his arms in thought. The movement looked so natural, so fluid. "How about…" he said out loud, "we each drop a bomb without explaining, taking turns until someone calls for a time out or we reach FentonWorks."

"As long as we can talk about it later, preferably before we reach Gotham," Tim added.

Danny shifted and took Tim's hand again to continue their flight. "Done. Why don't you start, birdie? Seems like the fair thing to do."

"Ok," Tim muttered as he thought of something Danny would be familiar with. "How's this: the night you found me, I was attacked by a group of assassins that Damian's grandfather leads."

Danny scoffed and turned to glare at him over his shoulder. "Oh, that one was mean."

Tim just smirked. "You want me to recall your past bombs?"

"All right, I deserved it for not asking you all the details about that night. My turn, I guess." Danny hummed while thinking about his bomb. "Here's a tame one: I did see your attackers that night. I just used my powers to hide you."

Tim gaped at the revelation, the oddities about that night finally making sense. "Oh, sure, a tame one," he sassed. "Fine, how's this: they were looking for me since I once blew up all the bases where the League of Assassins operated."

Danny halted so fast that Tim bumped into him. He turned around and shot him a surprised look. "That was you?" he asked. "We got some pissed-off ninja ghosts a few years ago, who wanted to crawl to the real world through our sewers and into the living realm. Something about getting revenge and helping their leader or whatever. And yes, you can count that as a mild bomb, too."

Tim quirked an eyebrow. "Sewers? What does that even mean by—"

"No questions," Danny sing-sang, making Tim roll his eyes as the two continued flying back home. "Unless you want to lose, and you'll miss more of these bombs."

"All right, then…" Tim grumbled. "Here's a bomb to segue into my question: The League of Assassins have some pools that heal and can bring people to life called Lazarus Pits, that now I'm almost sure are made out of ectoplasm."

"Wait, wait…" Danny said pensively. "I heard of those before. Jason told me he felt the pits stir when I was nearby. That's stagnant ectoplasm from our sewers, alright."

Tim had a more pressing question. "Wait, you talked to Jason about that?"

Danny snorted. "No questions, birdie. C'mon, now, give me a good one."

"Fine…" Tim replied. "Here's another: both Jason and Damian tried to kill me for being Robin at some point."

Danny's eyes widened to an almost comical size. "What? Wait, have you been in danger this whole time? Is that why you don't live in the Manor?"

"Not so fun when you don't get immediate answers, huh?" Tim smirked.

"Oh, you want to play it that way?" Phantom shot him a mischievous grin. "How about innocently telling you there was a branch of the government that could capture and experiment on ectoplasmic beings because they were considered 'non-sentient' by law?"

Tim balked. "There was a what?"

While the trip to the Ghost Zone had been insightful and, Tim had to admit, kinda fun, he was glad to be almost back in the living world. Maybe they could finally have some chance to relax and enjoy their time away from Gotham, now.

As soon as they both reached the Fenton portal, they noticed things weren't exactly as they left them. For starters, there was the telling sight of a huge vehicle of some kind floating at the center of the lab. There were the telling sounds of Jack and Maddie discussing inside the large… ship? Shuttle?

"What's that thing?" Tim asked instead.

His voice was apparently loud enough to make both parents come into view, a look of relief clear on their faces.

"Danny!" Maddie and Jack exclaimed at the same time, rushing out of the vehicle towards the couple.

"Oops, I knew we were forgetting something," Danny muttered, his hand reaching the back of his neck.

Tim gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously, starlight?"

Danny shifted back to his human form, a sight Tim hadn't realized he missed. He took a step towards his parents as they latched onto him with a big hug. "Oof! Uh… Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. Missed you guys, too."

Tim stood idly by the side to give the family some space, but Maddie soon caught him in a hug as well. She broke the embrace after a moment and held his shoulders, keeping him at arm's length as her eyes seized him up and down as if checking for any injury.

It felt strange, after everything Tim's mind supplied in terms of dangers Danny went through while growing up with ghost hunters. He still felt a disconnect from the image of the worried parents now making sure they were safe and sound.

However, once Maddie's smile of relief was replaced by a terrifying glare towards her son, the dichotomy became clearer.

"Daniel James Fenton…" she dropped the full name to the amusement of Danny, who might have been (sadly) used to worse. "What were you even thinking?"

Jack patted Tim on the back and left his heavy hand on his shoulder, his concerned gaze focused on Danny. "That was pretty reckless, son."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not really," he replied and gestured towards his companion. "Tim was perfectly safe the whole time."

"Yeah, Danny even showed me what tools I could use to keep myself safe," Tim piped up, gesturing at his current belt.

Maddie's glare lost intensity as she looked between the two young men. A sudden spark of realization soon colored her expression. "Wait…" she said, her eyes turning to stare at Tim. "You finally know!" The woman then gave him another hug, this one warm and with a different sense of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad! Danny had been stalling for so long."

Tim smiled despite himself. "Yeah, I know."

Danny looked about to protest, but Tim's pointed look made him reconsider. "Yeah, okay, that's fair," he muttered instead.

Tim broke out of Maddie's second embrace and moved towards Danny, holding his hand once he reached him. "I mean, I still have lots of questions, but…" he turned a sheepish look at the older couple. "I'm kinda exhausted, to be honest."

Maddie nodded in understanding. "Well, do you kids want to eat something? You must be starving. You were gone for hours."

The parents then pressed a button to open an underside door below the ship they were preparing to drive into the portal. Maybe they did kinda have their own mini-version of the Bat Cave, after all.

Tim shook his head in reply and to file his new questions for some other time. "No, no. Thanks! But, we had a whole feast with Frostbite and all."

Jack was about to burst excitedly in what would no doubt be thousands of questions, but Danny beat him to it. "I'll tell you guys the whole story later." Jack deflated as he caught Danny's pointed look.

As the two young men were retreating to the stairs towards the house, Maddie's voice stopped them short. "Hold on, did you give him the Boo-Staff?" she asked in disbelief, giving Danny a disproving look. "That could've been dangerous!"

Danny rolled his eyes and made a dismissive gesture as he turned back to the stairs. "It's fine," he said simply. "He knows self-defense. It's an important part of being a Wayne."

As the Fenton parents stared at their son-in-law in shock, Tim took a deep breath and used every ounce of self-control to avoid a very tempting facepalm.

"Oops," Danny managed to say with a grimace, making Tim wonder how the heck he had managed to keep Phantom hidden from the Bats for so long.