Dick opened the front door. He was excited to meet his new 'brother', but Bruce stopped him and Jason from going up to the room they had gotten ready for the newest member of their patch work quilt family.
"Timothy's getting unpack, and I think he wants to be alone right now," Bruce explained. "I thought someone would have told him about Jack and Cathie before I got there, but that wasn't the case."
"He found out today?" Jason asked. If he was Timothy, he wouldn't want to be around anyone either. He had been in Timothy's place so he could sympathize. When Jason had first come to Wayne Manor he hadn't wanted anything to do with Bruce or Dick, but he had become more at ease after a few weeks.
"Yes," Bruce answered. He had to get some work done before sun down. Batman was needed on the Drake case. The police had made some progress since yesterday, but Bruce wasn't willing to wait on them. "Don't you have homework?" he asked. He knew the boys would stall as long as possible went it came to home work.
Jason huffed and Dick sighed. They both went off to their rooms to get their work done. If it wasn't done by nine o' clock they wouldn't be allowed to go on patrol with Bruce. Personally Bruce was annoyed with the school for how much homework they gave. The kids were spending eight hours a day in school, and then they had about three hours of homework. It was ridiculous. If this kept up, the school board would be hearing from him.
"Hello, sir," Alfred said coming into Bruce's office.
"Hello, Alfred. How was everyone back home?" Bruce asked. Alfred didn't talk about his family much. One got the feeling they weren't on the best of terms.
"As well as can be expected," Alfred said shortly. He didn't really consider the people he'd spent the last few days with family. Bruce was his son and Dick and Jason his grandsons. His family in England left much to be desired when it came to anything that meant family. He still went to see them every few years for the soul reason that… well, they were what God had given him for cousins and various other titles that were supposed to inspire some warm feelings, even if he had no idea why. Alfred left to get unpacked, and Bruce got back to work.
The next few hours passed in uninterrupted silence. It wasn't until dinner time that Bruce went up to Timothy's room. He knocked at the big oaken door. There was a pause before the door was opened.
"Yes," Timothy said shortly. His eyes were a little red as was his nose, but those were the only signs he'd been crying.
"It supper time. I didn't know if you were hungry or not," Bruce said gently. He hadn't been hungry for a long time after his parents were killed, but Alfred made him eat. The butler was very strict when it came to meal times.
Tim came out of his room. It was odd to think of it as 'his' room, but it would be for however long he was at Wayne Manor. There was something about this place that felt like a home. Tim couldn't put his figure on what made the Manor feel like that.
He followed Bruce down to the dining room. Tim was sure he'd get lost in this huge house if he tried to find his way around by himself. Richard and Jason were already seated at the long table.
"Hello, Tim. I'm Dick," Richard said smiling, but there was sympathy in his eyes. Almost as if he was saying that he understood.
"Hello," Tim said taking a seat. He felt as if he were intruding into this peoples' family, which he was, when he was honest with himself. It would be nice for this to be his home, for this to be his family. Maybe, just maybe, it could be. If he didn't mess it up, that is.
"Jason," the other boy said shortly. He had glanced up for a moment, but his gaze had gone back to the empty plate in front of him. Tim got the impression he was more uncomfortable than trying to be rude.
"Hello," Tim said again. He mentally scolded himself. These people were going to be his family if they liked him and he needed to make them like him. That wasn't his strong point however, but he had gotten Ben to at least put up with him. He could do the same with the Waynes.
A man in a suit came into the room through a different door. He had a tray, balanced on each hand. He set the food down in front of Bruce and took a seat across from Tim. He was in his fifties. He had a small neat mustache that reminded Tim of Mitch's and Kate's father. The man was retired, but he still traveled with his children.
"Tim, this is Alfred. He keeps thing running around here," Bruce said introducing the butler. For that was clearly what he was.
"It is good to meet, Master Timothy," Alfred said politely.
"It's good to meet you, too," Tim said, just as politely. He hoped he wasn't making them hate him.
"How was school?" Bruce asked Dick and Jason.
"Fine," Jason said shortly. He hadn't punched anyone so there was nothing to report. He didn't really mind school. He was smart, too smart for his own good in his teachers' opinions, and he liked to learn. It was the sitting for hours on end that drove him up a tree. The teachers had stopped telling him to please sit still. They were sure to find a pin on their seats the next day if they did. They couldn't prove Jason was the one responsible, even if they knew it was him.
"Good," Dick answered. "We're reading Gone with the Wind in language. I think I liked it better the first time I read it."
"Why's that?" Bruce asked.
"Because the first time I read it I kept thinking Scarlett would start acting like an adult and Ashley would tell her he wasn't interested," Dick answered. Scarlett O'Hara was one of the most annoying people in any book he'd ever read, and Ashley was an emotionless baby, who wouldn't just tell Scarlett to back off because he was being a 'gentleman'.
"People don't usually change once their characters are set," Bruce said shortly. He wasn't just talking about stories. It was hard for people to change once they reached a certain age.
Dick shrugged. "I still don't like anyone in the book."
"What about Rhett or Aunt Pitty Pat or Melanie?" Tim asked. He had read a lot of books. In some ways the characters were more real to him than the people around him. He could sympathize with them and their problems. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was his favorite book.
The five of them talked over books for the rest of supper. Jason had watched more of the book to movie adaptations. He didn't like to read as much as Dick and Alfred did. Bruce read not for the story, but for the knowledge of the classics that was needed in high class situations that he had no choice but to attend.
Tim went back up to his room as soon as he could. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around Wayne, his sons and the butler, it was just that he was scared he'd say something wrong. It seemed sometimes as if the sole purpose of his life was to avoid situations that would make people not like him. He knew he couldn't get the approval of his parents or his teacher or the other kids at school, but he still wanted it. Why did it matter what people thought of him? What was so great about being liked? It wasn't like anyone who took the time to see he stuck about for long. So why did he care? Tim wished he didn't care, but how he felt wasn't going to change.
Tim laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was surprised that Wayne really seemed to care about what his sons were learning. He guessed this must be normal, but how was he to know that? His parents hadn't been interested in anything other than money. He understood them to some extent. They had had next to nothing most of their lives that when they finally had a little, they needed more. They couldn't go back to the circus so they had put their minds to one thing and one thing alone.
Tim closed his eyes. He was tired and he had a headache. He wished he could change what he had said to his parents that night. How could he have yelled at them like that? It wasn't his place to judge their actions. Tim laid there for a long time before drifting off to sleep. He was plagued by dreams all night. All of them ended with a dark figure shooting down his mom and dad in their home.
Sometime in the night he heard voices in the hall, but he was just falling asleep again and didn't bother to try and listen to what was being said. One of the voices was Bruce and other could have been Jason or Dick, but Tim wasn't sure.
There was a loud knock at the door, jarring Tim awake. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Eight thirty, he almost never slept that long. He quickly got up and answered the door. It was Jason.
"Hey, just came to see if you wanted some breakfast," Jason said shortly. There was a bruise on his left check that hadn't been there last night. It looked like someone had hit him, but who would have done that? Maybe Jason and Dick had been goofing off and the younger of the two had gotten hit. Tim seriously hoped that was the case.
"Thanks. I'll be down in a minute," Tim said and shut the door. He got dressed and went down to the dining room to find that everyone else had already eaten. Bruce had had to go to see a lawyer about something that couldn't wait. Alfred was going to run to the store. It seemed Bruce didn't go to get groceries the whole time he was away. The butler was quit disgusted at the condition his kitchen was in. It was Saturday, so Dick and Jason didn't have school.
"You want a tour of the Manor?" Dick asked once Tim had finished his meal. Dick wanted Tim to like living at the Manor. He already considered him a little brother, but if Tim wasn't happy at the Manor, Bruce would send him where he would be happy. That was the deal Bruce had made with Dick and Jason before they had been adopted. After the paper work went through they were stuck with Bruce for good. At least that was how the billionaire had put it. He had been on edge both times he had to sit and wait for the call from his lawyer that everything went through. There was more than one way to lose someone you loved and Bruce had been terrified that someone wouldn't think he would be a good parent.
Jason and Dick showed Tim all around the Manor. It took them a long time to go through it all, but they did. Tim was even surer than he had been that he would get lost if he tried to find his way around alone. The whole place felt similar to museum and from listening to Dick talk it practically was one.
"What do you think?" Dick asked when they returned to the dining room which was where they had started.
"It's big," Tim said. He didn't know really what to say. He never knew what to say to people that was why he liked books so much. When he read a book it wasn't like the characters were going to bother him with questions. He didn't have to think of what to say or how to act.
Dick laughed. "We're going to give a prize to the first person who doesn't say it's big."
"Sorry," Tim said. What he was apologizing for Tim didn't know, but saying the Manor was big apparently wasn't the wanted response.
"Nothing to be sorry for," Jason said. "Dick gave me a hard time about that too."
"How could I not? You just walked around with your mouth open," Dick pointed out.
Jason shrugged then turned to Tim. "You want to watch a movie or something?" He didn't know how he felt about Tim, yet. In a way he felt replaced, but Dick had seen that last night and told Bruce, who quickly explained that Jason was not being replaced. He was an important part of the family just like everyone else. Dick had said he had felt that way when Bruce brought Jason home, but he had seen that wasn't true after having Jason there for a few days. So Jason had spent all of last night's patrol feeling like Woody from Toy Story for nothing. He had been so distracted with self-pity that he ended up not seeing a thug who was supposed to be unconscious. The thief had hit him a few times before Jason could take him down. Which was why he had a bruised face.
"Sure," Tim answered. They went to the family room and then began the most argue over subject in history: What movie to watch? Dick wanted to see The Shining, but he didn't think Bruce would be okay with him watching it with Jason and Tim there. Jason liked The Pirates of the Caribbean, but they had just watched that not too long ago. Tim suggested The Hobbit which was what they ended up watching.
When Bruce got home he found the three of them sprawled out over the family room. Dick and Jason never could sit still for long and it looked as if Timothy was the same way. Dick was sitting on the top of the back of the couch. Jason was on the floor, just a few feet in front of the screen and Tim was perched on the armrest of the couch.
Alfred would have a fit if he saw them. The floor wasn't for sitting on and it wasn't necessary to be an inch from the screen. They had had Jason's eyes checked when they saw him watching TV like that, but it turned out he could see fine. He just liked to sit close to the screen and on the floor. The couches weren't a jungle gym and weren't to be treated as such.
"How are we doing?" Bruce asked. He thought for a moment what it would be like to come home and have no one there waiting for him. He didn't much like the idea. It would be too quiet and lonely.
"Good," Dick answered and pulled his eyes from the TV for a moment to smile at Bruce before he went back to the movie.
"Pause the movie a minute. I want to talk with Tim," Bruce said. He went to his office, followed by Tim. Bruce sat down at his desk. Tim sat down across from him. Bruce had gotten some leads last night and he had been to see the Commissioner while he was in the city. There was little doubt Cobblepot was the one who had killed the Drakes and the word on the street was he had done it himself. For Penguin this meant it was personal. He was sending a message to anyone who would cross him. Batman thought he might come after Timothy, but it was unclear at this point.
"Yes?" Tim asked. He had forgotten for a little while. It wasn't that he didn't care, it was just that Jason and Dick had been trying to keep him busy so he wouldn't have to think about what had happened not too far down the road.
"Timothy, are you aware that your parents left their company in my care as long as you live here?" Bruce asked. Drake Industries wasn't his main concern. His concern was what Tim wanted. He didn't want to keep him at Wayne Manor if he didn't want to be there. It was close the place where his parents had been killed. Bruce actively avoided Park Row, where his parents had been gunned down, so if Timothy wanted to live somewhere else he could understand that.
"I knew they wanted you to take over the company, but I didn't know there were any conditions," Tim answered. His parents had always been manipulative, but this was about all he could take. What could have put into their minds to set up an arrangement like that?
If Bruce wanted the company, he could have it for all Tim cared, but it was the way his parents had made things. What if Timothy wanted to leave? That would make it impossible for Wayne to keep Drake Industries. So he was here because Bruce wanted Drake Industries. That made sense, only why did he need Drake Industries too? He had Wayne Enterprises, Wayne Tech, Wayne Labs, Wayne Cosmetics, Wayne Sciences and Wayne Industries. Tim guessed it was most likely a greed thing. He could see how that kind of money would get anyone's attention. He wished his mom and dad had left him out of their business deals. He wasn't something to bargain with.
"I'm sorry my parents put you in this position," Tim said shortly. He wondered how this plan had even come into existence. It was probably that night they had nearly gotten in a wreck on their way home from a party. They had both been a little shaken by the whole thing. Tim thought he had heard his dad mention getting things in order shortly after that.
"It's okay, Tim," Bruce said. How was he supposed to ask if Timothy wanted to stay there? He would feel as if he didn't have any choice and no house could be a home if someone thought they were there because of money and if he suggested the possibility of Timothy going back to a boarding school, he would think Bruce didn't want him around. Bruce didn't want to do that to Tim. He saw how Tim talked and carried himself. He clearly had problems with self-esteem and abandonment issues. The whole situation wasn't helping at all.
"I think it would be best if Drake Industries remained in your name. I would see to its management until you are old enough to take care of it," Bruce began. This was not the conversation most kids had after a death in the family, but Bruce had had this conversation with Lucius Fox and someone was going to have to talk to Tim. Bruce didn't want it to be his parents' lawyer. The man wasn't very sympathetic, but he was doing his job to the best of his ability. Which was pretty impressive with the mess the Drakes had left him with.
Tim looked a little surprised. "Don't you want it? I know it's not at big as Wayne Enterprises, but it's still big." So Wayne didn't want Drake Industries enough to keep him around. That was what he got for starting to think maybe he could live there.
Great. Now Timothy thought Bruce didn't want him to stay at the Manor. He knew this would happen. Some day he was going to figure out how to talk to people without them thinking all he cared about was money. He just talked about business because he could control the conversation. People's emotions were not something he was comfortable with. It was like walking through a mine field, which he had done before.
"It's not that," Bruce said a little too shortly. He saw Tim jump. Wow, Bruce, just wow. Not only did Timothy think he was unwanted, but Bruce was clearly scaring him. He took a deep breath. "I don't need Drake Industries, but if you want you are welcome to live here at the Manor." That wasn't so hard. Why couldn't he have just said that in the first place? "Jason and Dick weren't sure if they wanted to stay here at first so we set up a trial basis. Dick took a few weeks to decide and Jason waited until his time was almost up to decide," Bruce continued. If he didn't shut up soon he would start rambling and then he and Tim would be sitting there all day.
Tim looked down at his hands. This was insane. His parents had been killed three days ago and here he was supposed to decide on where he was going to live. He shouldn't have to be thinking about that right now. "How long do I have to decide?" he asked.
"Three months, same as Dick and Jason," Bruce answered. It wasn't that he wanted to put Timothy in a bad position; it was just that with all that was involved he needed to know what was going on. People were depending on Drake Industries for their pay checks and Bruce had to get that taken care of, so Batman could work.
"I'll try to decide quickly," Tim said looking back up at Bruce. There were a few things he wanted to ask Dick and Jason before he picked whether to stay at the Manor or not. Bruce seemed like a really nice man and he looked to everyone like a great dad, but there were some things that had to be taken into consideration when making a decision that was this important. Tim was surprised what he wanted was being thought about. He assumed that he would have even less say in his own life than he did before.
"Take your time, there's no rush," Bruce cleared his throat. "Is there anything you would like to get from your house?" The police had gotten everything they needed from the mansion. Tim would be allowed to go in and get anything he needed.
"Is it okay to go there?" Tim asked. He didn't think people were allowed to take things from a crime scene. Wouldn't that break the evidence chain?
Bruce explained that the police were done at the house. No one was supposed to go there unless they had permission which Bruce had since the estate had been moved to his name.
"There are some things I would like to get," Tim said cautiously. He didn't want to take Bruce from his work. The man was obviously very busy and Tim's mom and dad hadn't like to be interrupted once they got started working.
"Would you like to go today?" Bruce asked. He didn't know if it was too soon for Tim to be in that house. Everyone was different when it came to dealing with a loss.
Tim nodded. He wanted to get his things and get out of that place. It was like some giant monster that had helped to destroy his parents. He had been in the Drake Mansion for maybe a week at the longest while his parents lived there, so it wasn't really home to him.
"Let's go then," Bruce said getting up. "I'm sure Dick and Jason won't mind waiting a little longer to finish the movie."
A few minutes later Bruce and Tim were walking down the road to the Drake Mansion. The house hadn't changed since the last time Tim had been there, except that a large piece of the carpet had been cut out of the living room floor and there were a few bullet holes in the walls. The bullets themselves had been removed, but the marks were there, plain for all to see.
Tim got out of that part of the house as quickly as possible. He would have been at the house that night if he and his parents hadn't gotten into that fight. Could he have done something to stop them from getting killed? Probably not, but he would always wonder.
"I'll wait here," Bruce said stopping at the foot of the stairs. He didn't want to intrude. Tim most likely wanted some space and having Bruce looking over his shoulder would probably be less than helpful.
Tim nodded and silently went up the stairs. He went in to his room. There wasn't much there that was important to him. He took most of what mattered to him with him when he left. A few pictures and some souvenirs he'd picked up in Paris, Moscow, Cairo and other countries the circus had stopped in were all he had to get.
Bruce stood at the bottom for the stair for fifteen minutes before he started to get worried. He went up the stairs after Tim. Bruce found Tim in the boy's bedroom, by an old trunk, crying. Bruce was by his side in a moment. Tim realized he was there and tried to stop his tears but couldn't.
Tim had been sitting there looking at a few of the pictures he and his parents had taken over the years and everything just came crashing down on him at once. He was alone and scared. The words he had shouted at his parents echoed in his ears and he couldn't tell them he hadn't meant any of the things he had said.
"It's okay, Tim. I'm here. You're not alone," Bruce said gently. How many times had he said the same things to Dick and Jason? How could people cause some much pain? It wasn't hard to leave other people alone. It was a choice that people made and they didn't seem to care when others paid the price for their actions. Cobblepot was going to be in a lot of pain before Batman was done with him.
Tim buried his face in his hands. He had tried to keep it together, but he couldn't any more. Why did he have to be okay? He had lost his family. He should be able to mourn without worrying that he would upset his new guardian. His world had come crashing down all around him and there was nothing he could do, but stand by and watch. This wasn't fair, but who said life was supposed to be fair? It may not be fair, but whoever did this would face the consequences. Tim was sure of that. His parents' killer couldn't just walk away Scott-free. That would make this a thousand times more unbearable and Tim didn't think he could handle much more as it was.
The two of them sat on the floor for a long time. Bruce held Tim in his arms and listened to his new son sob. Or at least Bruce hoped 'new son'. He wondered what he could do to help Tim. Bruce had locked himself in his room after his parents were killed, Dick had clung to him like a life line his first weeks at the Manor and Jason had wanted to be alone for a little while. So what did Timothy need? He probably just needed someone to be there when he broke down. He didn't seem to like it when other people saw him cry, but he clearly wanted to be told it was going to be okay.
After a while Tim dried his tears. "Sorry," he said in a whisper. Bruce was a busy man, he didn't have time to deal with a crying kid. Tim quickly gathered up his things, careful not to look at the pictures. That's what had set him crying in the first place.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Tim," Bruce said as they walked out of the room. "I want to be there for you. I was lucky enough to have Alfred when I lost my parents. Dick had me and Alfred and Jason had the three of us and you have all of us. We are here to help you and there's nothing wrong with crying."
They were out of the mansion and head back up the road to the Manor. Tim was silent except for the occasional loud sniff. He was thinking about Bruce and what he had said. The billionaire had lost his parents in a similar situation. He must understand. Maybe that's why he had adopted Dick and Jason. They were all victims of violence.
Bruce was very different from Tim's parents. He didn't push Tim away or get annoyed at the Drake mansion. He really seemed to want to help, but what was he getting out of it? The company would stay in Tim's name and it would be his once he turned eighteen, so the answer was nothing. Then that must mean Bruce really cared. Tim felt suddenly safe and a little okay at this conclusion.
He wanted to stay at Wayne Manor. He had only been there been there a day and a half, but he could see that it was more of a home than anywhere else he had lived. Bruce wanted him to be okay with the loss of his parents. Okay was as good as anyone could be after something like that. Dick tried to get him to smile and forget for a while. Jason was clearly trying to make Tim comfortable at the Manor and Tim got the impression that for the older boy this was a big step in accepting anyone he met. Alfred, though Tim hadn't seen much of him, gave the impression that he was there if Tim needed anything, even if it was just someone to talk to. The four of them were a family and they wanted Tim to be part of that family.
Tim almost smiled at that thought. The Waynes reminded him of the circus. They were from all walks of life, and yet they fit together. All they needed to really be a circus were some costumes, some animals and an act. Little did he know of the bat suit that hung in a cave below his feet, or the bats flew around the cave or the Guardians of Gotham that risked their lives very night.
"Bruce, I think I've made a decision," Tim said suddenly. They had reached the front door by now.
Bruce stopped in his tracks. He hadn't thought Tim would decide so soon. He was honestly scared. He had been terrified when Dick came to his office one morning with the same announcement and Jason, who had said he wanted to stay out of nowhere while they were driving home from a bad day at school. He had probably thought he should decide before Bruce got tired of dealing with his fighting.
"Okay," Bruce said looking down at Tim. "What have you decided?"
"I want to live here," Tim said and opening the front door, he went inside. Dick and Jason were most likely tired of waiting for him.
Bruce smiled. Three sons. He and Alfred were outnumbered now. He pulled out his phone and called his lawyer. The sooner the papers went through the better Bruce would feel. He didn't much like the adoption process. It was too complicated and if he wasn't rich, he never would have been able to become an adoptive father.
"Hello, Mr. Wayne. What can I do for you today" Betty Claymore asked. She was with Claymore and Evans. It was the best law firm in Gotham or anywhere else for that matter. Betty was Calvin Claymore's daughter. She was very serious about her work and did the best she could with every client.
"Hello, Ms. Claymore. I'd like to file for adoption for Timothy Drake," Bruce said. He was still standing at the front door. He couldn't stop smiling. He would have to get himself to stop before he went out that night. How would it look if Batman was smiling while he took down criminals? They would probably think the Dark Knight had lost his mind, not that that they didn't think that already, but still.
"Again?" Betty asked and quickly recovered. It wasn't any of her business. She was just a little surprised. Most people didn't adopt again after they had gone through the tortures of the system once. But here was Bruce Wayne going in for a third battle. He must really care about his children to do this, Betty thought. Being a lawyer she saw the sides of people they didn't show to others and Wayne was not how he made people see him. He was not shallow or careless. He cared deeply about his sons and would do anything for them.
Betty had handled the paperwork for Richard and Jason. Richard's adoption had been the worst one she had every dealt with. The boy had been in the U.S without the proper papers. He had had no idea about where he had been born or anything like that. Betty had been tempted to quit once it was over. Then Mr. Wayne had called again wanting another adoption. After Betty had gotten off the phone with the man, she had sat at her desk trying not to cry. Jason's adoption had been easier, but not by much. She was hopeful this time it went smoothly. Third time was the charm, right?
"Yes, again, Ms. Claymore," Mr. Wayne said. "I'm sure it will be much easier this time. Tim is in the U.S legally and he doesn't have a criminal record. Oh, wait, he maybe in some trouble in New York, but I don't think it will cause any problems."
"I'm sure it will fine," Betty said. She hoped Wayne couldn't hear the sound of her head hitting her desk over and over again.
"Well, thanks. Let me know when I have to come down to sign the paperwork," Bruce said. He wondered if the dull thudding sound he was hearing was the lawyer's head hitting something. The poor woman must really hate him.
"You're welcome and I will," Claymore said and hung up.
Bruce went into the house. He could hear the boys talking loudly in the living room. It sounded like Tim had told them the news.
Alfred was standing in the door way of the kitchen. "I heard Master Tim will be becoming a permanent resident of the Manor." There was a smile in the butler's eyes. He had known the minute Tim stepped into the house, the boy would be staying.
Bruce nodded. "It's two to three Alfred. What will we do?" he laughed.
"Sir, I was outnumbered years ago. You are just was wild as any of them," Alfred pointed out. "I hope you realize that you will have to inform Master Timothy of the Batman's true identity."
Bruce nodded. "I know, but I would like to wait a bit. Let him get settled in first." He hadn't had to tell Dick, he found out. Jason had known from the beginning. So how was he supposed to tell Tim? He would figure that out later, there was no rush.
"I would advise you not to wait too long, sir. He will see that you and the young masters are hiding something from him. More importantly families do not keep secrets of this nature, "Alfred said shortly. It would be better just to tell Timothy now. This was going to be his home, too. He had a right to know what was going on under the Manor.
"I'm going to tell him, just not right now," Bruce said. He didn't like anyone knowing who the Batman was. It took away some of the security that he went so far to keep. What if Tim couldn't keep his mouth shut? That was something Bruce had wondered about the Justice League when they learned who he was.
He had trusted Dick with the secret and he had known Jason wouldn't tell anyone. What about Tim? The boy had never told a soul about his parents illegal business so he could keep a secret, besides who would he tell? Tim had no friend other than the circus and no family. Bruce would tell him within the next couple of weeks.