A week later she was back on her feet and, at Bruce's insistence (oddly enough), her tail.

Bruce agreed with Robin when he asked her if she would teach him to swim with a tail. Ruby had been reluctant to agree, knowing that the change would be painful for him. But Batman agreed with his son and she wasn't going to go against his wishes.

Dick's swimming lessons took up a great deal of her time. She was grateful for the distraction. Shortly after she recovered she went back to spending most of her time with the Team at the mountain and, with the simulation still relatively fresh in her mind, being there with them was painful. Even though, again at Bruce's insistence, she lived at Wayne Manor now.

One day she walked into the training room at the manor and saw Dick waiting for her. He was leaning up against his trapeze equipment. When he saw her his face broke into a grin and he beckoned her over.

"What is this about?" Ruby asked.

His grin grew even wider. "Well, since you're teaching me how to swim I thought that it was only fair that I teach you how to fly."

Things settled into a routine for Ruby and the Bat family. That is, until something happened to stir up their lives once again.

The huge thing that happened was the death of Bruce's friends and neighbors the Drakes. Someone had broken into their mansion to rob them and they arrived home at an inopportune time. The burglar shot the two adults, but their seven year old son escaped his notice by hiding in a closet.

When Bruce heard about this he immediately volunteered to take the young boy, whose name was Timothy, in. Dick agreed that they couldn't let him get put in the foster care system. He had been there and knew from first hand experience that it wasn't something he would wish on anyone; least of all a defenseless seven year old boy.
Jason wasn't so keen on the idea at first, buy Ruby explained patiently to him why this was so important to Bruce. He was willing to welcome the young boy into their home after that.

They were thrilled when the adoption papers were finally processed and they were allowed to take Tim home.
The boy was obviously overwhelmed by everything that had happened to him, but instead of acting like a normal child he remained withdrawn and refused to speak. He also avoided physical contact and acted like he was afraid they would hit him.

Richard was the one who finally broke through to him. Jason had been being a stand-offish jerk to Tim as usual and Dick had found the child hiding in a corner of the house clutching his wrist.

"What happened?" Dick asked him. Ruby was in a different part of the house speaking with Jason about his behavior.

Timothy shook his and hugged himself tighter.

"Come on, Tim. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Tim mumbled something so quickly and quietly that Dick didn't catch any of it. Then he flinched away; acting as though he expected the older boy to hit him.

Richard put a hand on his shoulder. "Speak up, please. I'm not going to hurt you."

Tim looked up hopefully. "Promise?" he whispered.

"Cross my heart."

"I fell and hurt my wrist. I was running up the stairs and I tripped. Please don't be mad. I won't do it again. I swear!"

Dick gathered the younger boy up in his arms and carried him downstairs to the living room. "Alfred!" he called. "Could you please get some elastic bandages? Timmy sprained his wrist."

He set Tim down on the sofa and took the bandages from the butler. He was gentle as he wrapped Tim's wrist and he ruffled the younger boy's hair playfully when he was done.

"There, all better."

Ruby walked up. "Jason is outside sulking off the lecture I gave him. He knows what he said to Tim was wrong. And he won't be forgetting it any time soon." Her arms were crossed and judging by the slight frown creasing her forehead whatever conversation she had had with Jason had been very one sided. She gasped when she caught sight of Timothy's wrapped wrist and pulled the boy into a tight hug. "Are you okay, little one? What happened?"

Dick thought it was sweet the way she acted like Tim was her child. "He tripped and sprained his wrist."

She looked Tim in the eyes. "Are you okay?"

He nodded shyly.

"Why won't you talk to us? We want so badly to hear your voice."

"Talking isn't allowed. I'll be punished."

Ruby sat down and pulled him onto her lap. "Oh, sweetheart, you won't get in trouble for talking. We want you to talk. We want you to smile and laugh and be happy. We love you. You're our little brother."

He looked up at her with a face that said that he expected all this to be a trick or an elaborate joke. "Really?"

Dick knelt down so that he was looking Tim in the eyes. "Really. I don't know what you're life was like before you came here, but here you can talk all you want. You can run and jump and play, though Alfred would prefer you did that outside. Jason breaks enough stuff around here without your help." He cracked a smile. "We want to see you happy. Seeing you happy makes us happy."

"Not Jason," muttered Tim.

Ruby sighed and ran the hand that wasn't holding Tim through her hair. "Jason is jealous. He's used to getting all the attention as the youngest and ever since you came we've been spending more time with you than with him."

Tim looked upset. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. As much as I love Jason, he needs to grow up and get over it. We can't all get everything we want all the time. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices because someone else needs what we have more than we do. Jason doesn't understand that. But he will. Just give him time."

"Ruby?" They turned to find Jason standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry. You're right, I was jealous of Tim. I was upset that you guys were paying so much attention to him and not giving as much to me. And you were right when you told me that he needs it more. I was just scared he was going to steal you from me. That you would become his big sister and stop being mine. I get it now."

Ruby stood up and gave Tim to Dick. Placing her fingers under Jason's chin she tilted his head so that he was looking at her. "I will never stop being your big sister. For as long as either of us live you will always have me looking out for you. But Tim needs me looking out for him too. He needs all of us. That includes you. What do you say you give him another chance? You might even like him."

She released his head and Jason nodded. "I could do that." He walked over to Tim. "Sorry I was such a jerk. You didn't deserve to be treated that way. Friends?"

Tim smiled tentatively. "Friends."