Chapter 20

Early the next morning, Piper woke up early. The sun was just beginning to shine and most of Gotham city lay in darkness. While Piper's window was being repaired, she'd been put in Jason's old room. Being in there didn't help her mind but she managed to sleep a few hours. She climbed out of the bed and put her robe on over her pajamas. She opened the door and went out. Piper walked past her room and Dick's room and stopped in front of Tim's door. She carefully opened it. Inside, Tim lay asleep in his bed. He looked so peaceful, so different from when Wally brought him home the night before. Piper leaned up against the doorframe and watched him sleep. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming out of Dick's room. Piper leaned back and saw Dick step out of his room. His hair was messier than usual and his face was twisted in a yawn. He looked over and saw Piper looking at him. She smiled at him then turned back to Tim. Dick walked up and stood next to her.

"He looks so calm," Piper said. Dick nodded in agreement. "What happened last night?"

Dick put his arm around her shoulders and led her downstairs to the living room. They sat down on one of the couches. He told Piper all about the previous night's events. He told her everything, from finding Tim to Dick's conversation with Bruce.

"So Tim is ok?" Piper asked. "He doesn't have any injuries?"

"From what he told us, he didn't feel any kind of pain. There were no visible injuries and he said nothing hurt inside."

"We need to figure this out Dick." Piper closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He had two opportunities to capture you. But instead he made it all too easy to get away. What is he playing at?"

"It's obvious isn't it? He's setting a bigger trap. Both the so called "traps" have just been attempts at unhinging my mind. Which, to give him credit, he probably already has."

They heard someone clomping down the stairs. They looked over and saw Tim making his way down. Piper stood up and walked to the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning Tim," she said with a smile.

Tim stopped and stared at her for a moment. He then ran down the stairs and threw his arms around her. Piper was taken by surprise. She then put her arms around him.

"Tim?"

"Piper I'm so happy to see you."

"Tim, you saw her last night," Dick said, with a little laugh.

"He was upset last night. I didn't want to do something to upset him even more." Piper pulled away and looked at Tim. "Do you want some hot chocolate? I'll make it myself."

Tim nodded and sat next to Dick on the couch. Piper went into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. She leaned her back against the counter and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes and breathed in the silence and tried to set her mind on an answer to the Joker's strange puzzle. She opened her eyes when the kettle started to whistle. Piper lifted it off the stove and got down three mugs. She emptied equal amounts of the hot chocolate mix into the mugs and added the water. She walked to the fridge, got out the milk, and poured some into hers and Tim's. Piper carefully picked up the mugs and carried them into the living room. She handed Tim and Dick their mugs and then sat down on the opposite couch.

"Tim," Piper took a deep breath. "What happened? What did you see that scared you?"

Tim, who had been gulping down his drink, lowered his mug and hung his head. "Joker…showed me a video. A recording."

"A recording of what Tim?" Dick asked.

Tim took a deep, shaky breath. "It was a video of you Piper. You…you were in pain. A lot of pain. Your arms were bloody and you were coughing. Then and again, the Joker would come in with a metal rod and hit you or kick you then leave you to suffer. I…I couldn't bear to see you like that. I just couldn't…" Tim's eyes started to turn red. Tears began spilling over his eyes. Piper got up from her couch and sat down next to Tim. She put her arms around him and he rested his head on her shoulder and started to cry.

"And Jason…" Tim said in between sobs. "He showed me how he killed Jason."

Dick stretched his arm and put it around Tim and Piper. He looked up over their heads and saw Bruce standing by the door looking at them. There was a certain look of guilt as he watched them. Piper stood up and led Tim to the den. She turned on the giant flat screen TV as Tim sat down. Bruce walked into the room.

"Pip, do you think I could have a moment with Tim?"

Piper blinked. Bruce never called her "Pip." It was the nickname that Jason gave her the first day they met. But no matter how often her brothers used it, Bruce never said it until now. She nodded and went out. As she walked back to the living room Piper looked back over her shoulder and saw Bruce holding Tim, trying to comfort him. In the living room, she sat down next to Dick.

"He's acting like a dad."

"What?"

"Bruce is actually acting like a dad. I guess what you said to him last night got through to him." Piper paused. "I wish you talked to him sooner. He's been avoiding me since I mentioned Jason."

"I talked to him about that too. He'll never be able to get over Jason's death, but I'm sure that one day he'll be able to put it out of his mind enough to spend more time with you and Tim."

"And you. You were his kid first. You should be spending more time with him."

Dick laughed. "I've been fighting by his side for years. I think he's gotten to know me well enough."

Piper looked at him. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"Tell him what?"

"You didn't tell Bruce that you're the target."

"No, I haven't." Dick looked at her and sighed. He stood up and walked out to the veranda. Piper followed close behind.

"You're not going to get yourself killed are you?" Piper asked.

"I'm not going to try. But if I do protecting you or Tim, then that's fine with me."

Piper playfully punched his arm. "It's you that needs protecting idiot."

Dick wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth. "This is going to work out Piper. I promise."

"You promise a lot of things Dick."