I know it has been way too long since I updated but I hope you guys truly enjoy and as always let me know what you think!
Damian stuck his head around the corner to see his brothers disappear down the staircase before looking over to Drake's room. Damian walked over and entered his comatose brother's room. As he walked over to the bed Damian noticed how peaceful Drake looked. Something that rarely shown on the older boys face; it was always either exhaustion, frustration, or stress. Not that Damian cared how the older boy was feeling.
What he couldn't understand was why the others were so worried about Drake? Drake was just pitifully weak and unskilled, nothing new. But for some reason there was this unrealized feeling of worry when he looked at his main competition. Yes, Grayson and Todd were both more bothersome in terms of physical competition but Drake was the one that came the closest to being like Father. Even closer than Damian himself had ever come. Even Grandfather seemed to believe that Drake was the perfect heir. But why? What made Drake so much better than him? He could do anything Drake could and do it better.
These thoughts only caused Damian to become angry once again towards the older boy as he thought of all the reason others believed Drake to be worthy. Not that Damian shared these opinions.
While in thought, Damian failed to notice the heart monitor began to beep a little louder signaling that Tim's heartbeat was speeding up, meaning he was gaining consciousness. After the 3 or 4 repeat of this Damian returned to his current situation to finally realize what was happening. Drake was waking up!
"Father! Pennyworth!" Damian pulled the door open and tried to gain the attention of someone that Drake would want to see. Upon hearing the sound of rushing footsteps, Damian looked over in time to see Drake start to open his eyes and panic of the feeling of the tube down his throat. Pennyworth had mentioned that it was to help his body focus on his injured heart instead of his bruised lungs and ribs.
" Calm down Drake." Said probably too harshly as Damian tried to stop him from removing the tube. Why he cared if Drake hurt himself was beyond him, he just knew that Pennyworth, father, Brown, and Grayson would be upset if Drake hurt himself while trying to recover.
Damian did not have to worry about the uncomfortable situation much longer as the remaining family members entered the room. Right away Bruce and Alfred rushed over to Tim and tried to calm him down as Dick headed over to Damian's side.
" Tim you must calm down. The tube is merely there to help you." Bruce, with hands on Tim's shoulders to hold him down, calmly explained in hopes of getting his third son to lower his stress; stress the young man's mind and body didn't need right now.
" Would you like it removed Master Tim?" Alfred figured it was safe to remove for now. Tim rapidly shook his head; desperately wanted that awful thing out of his throat. As soon as it was removed, Steph was there to hand him a glass of water; Tim gave her a grateful look before chugging the precious liquid.
" How are you feeling?" Steph asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and moving the hair out of her best friends face. Tim looked over at her with eyes that were far too old and tired.
"Like I was stabbed and run over by a bus." Tim gently laid back against the pillows that were propping him up. Everyone in the room could finally see the not only exhaustion in his body but his voice as well.
" Well you are half right baby bird." Dick chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He was just glad that his younger brother was awake. Dick went to sit on the open side of the bed by Bruce. Damian still stood a few feet away and Jason now leaned against the doorway with arms crossed; but both looked at Tim with a hint of worry in their eyes.
" Do you remember what happened?" Always like Bruce to get straight to the point. Tim looked over at his adoptive father before looking at his lap. How could he tell his family, that had he had worried so much, that the reason he got injured was because he was purposely not being careful. There was no way he could take the level of disappointment that would come from that admission. Instead he began to pick at the blanket.
" Timmy?" Dick tried to draw his attention. Tim refused to look up. Dick was one of the few people he has respected from he was a kid but there is no doubt that if he made eye contact with the older male he would only see that sympathetic look that was common on his face. Noticing that this conversation was getting nowhere, Steph jumps in.
"Fine if you don't want to tell us about why what happened that night, what about your injured ribs?" Steph tried to be patient but was getting annoyed at her best friend shutting everyone out. She knew that something had been bothering him for a while and slowly it was wearing him away. He barely laughed anymore and gave way too many forced smiles. She knew that it was related to the new housing situations.
Not even his closest friend could get Tim to openly explain as to why he having more injuries than normal. While Tim was not the best fighter in the family, he was far from incompetent in the field. It was just that lately this feeling of exhaustion was overpowering his life and the façade he put on for his family and friends was draining him of everything.
Not to mention that announcing that his chest injuries were a result of a fight between himself and Jason would only cause problems with their delicate family situation. So instead of answering he continued to pick at the blanket. Steph sighed upon realizing that there was no way they were going to get an answer right now.
" How about some food." Sensing the tension rising in the room, Alfred was quick to the rescue like always. Tim shot the faithful butler a truly grateful look for an escape from the current interrogation. As he began getting out bed, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking up to see a concerned, but stern Alfred looking down at him. It was then that Tim knew that he was going to have very little time to himself in these coming weeks as he recovered.
No words needed to be said as Tim settled back into bed; he would just have a wait until his family lessened the overprotective leash. Satisfied, Alfred left to get food for his young master. As soon as the elderly butler left the room, Bruce turned back to Tim with a stern glance.
"Timothy. Explain." Bruce said in a no nonsense voice. Bruce knew the only way to get through to his second youngest was to order things from him. Bruce stood by Steph; opposite of Dick. While Jason remained by the door and Damian had at that point moved to stand by the window. Tim looked up at his adoptive father while resuming his picking of the sheets again.
"There is nothing to explain. I made a mistake and got hurt. End of story." Even though Tim was the quiet one of his family, that didn't mean he was a push over. Bruce glared harder.
"Tim." Tim switched his gaze to his oldest brother and saw how miserable but desperate Dick was to know the truth. Dick reached out to his brother but stopped when he saw Tim tense. This literally broke his heart to know that his little brother was actually afraid of him. Of course this did not go unnoticed by the other family members. Realizing his mistake and knowing that no one would leave without some type of explanation. Sighing Tim looked back up at the massive mountain that was his father.
"I don't know what you want me to say?" Tim said finally letting the exhaustion take over his body. Before his accident, he only ever got 12 hours of sleep a week.
"The truth Tim." Steph was now glued to his side and giving him a look that said he better start explaining and fast.
"At least tell house how you got that wound to your chest?" Steph pushed from a different angle. Tim tensed even more but before he could offer a response, Jason interrupted.
"It's from me." At this all the occupants of the room looked at the largest former robin.
"Explain." The amount of fury in Bruce voice was surprising. Tim didn't expect him to get this upset over a violent act Jason committed; it was practically his nature. Rather than argue, for once Jason followed Bruce's request.
"We ran into each other a few days before that big gang fight and I was pissed because I just found out I had a mole among my men. When the runt tried ask me what was wrong I just snapped. I don't know what happened. I just saw red and next thing I know I am firing." Jason never moved from his spot but the possible look of quilt briefly crossed his face.
"Timmy why didn't you say anything?" Dick gave the saddest, most puppy kicked look he could muster.
"Would you have believed me?"
"Of course, we would of!" Dick couldn't believe one of his baby brothers thought he would flat out not here his side of the story. But now that he thought of it how many fights have Jason and Damian started with Tim and Dick had just told him that he had to be more understanding. How many times had he brushed off Tim's feeling and injuries as a causality of something better to come. At what point did the sweetest robin begin to become this traumatized child. Not traumatized from the scumbags but from his own family.
Tim saw realization set in on Dick and he watched as his cheeriest brother became over whelmed with grief. Tim sighed again. Where was Alfred when he really needed him. Realizing the butler was not going to come to his rescue anytime soon.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know how to explain because I don't completely understand myself. I just know that I am tired. All the time. At first it was just minor bouts of depression and exhaustion. But over time it seemed to become something more and I didn't tell you about the fight between me and Jason because I didn't want to be the reason that he left. Not after you all tried so hard to get him back" Tim rushed out as he avoided eye contact with everyone. Of course he knew his family well enough to know how they were reacting. Dick probably still had that guilt-ridden expression, with Steph somewhere between anger and sympathy, Bruce was probably had a calculating look trying to figure out how he missed this, Jason and Damian most likely had either annoyance or indifference.
"Tim." Bruce said in a tone that meant look at him. Tim continued to stare off at the blanket.
Timothy." Coming out s more forceful. Luckily this was enough to gain a reaction. Tim looked up to see that he had been right about most of his family's reaction. But shockingly Jason had a look of fury on his face and decided to share that emotion out loud.
" What the fuck is wrong with you!" Jason's glare could but Bruce's to shame.
"Jason." Dick reprimanded.
" So you just were going through all this shit and decided to not come to anyone. What did you think you could fix this with some research and coffee! I get why you didn't say anything about our tussle but what about all the other stuff!" The more he spoke the angrier he got. He had seen firsthand what depression can do to someone and sure they were not close, but how did that stop Tim from going to another family member?
"Jason that's enough." Bruce turned to his second oldest .
"No, why should I drop it. This little shit worried everyone…"
" Why do you even care?" Tim angrily interrupted. This caused everyone to surprising glance at the once docile boy.
"You should be jumping for joy that I almost died. It would have saved you and Damian endless amounts of work!" Tim was all but yelling at this point, not seeming to care that his injuries were screaming in pain. While any other family would have probably had either backed down or felt guilty. Not Jason, if anything this just angered him. In response Jason angrily stalked over to Tim and grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him from bed.
"Jason!" Everyone, except for Damian, yelled. Tim just glared as his brother.
" Listen well you little fuck because I am only going to say this once! I was never trying to kill or hurt you because you were you!" The room froze and all anger left Tim's face.
"What?"
" Shit! I don't know. I was just pissed off with that asshole!" Jason lets go of Tim to point at Bruce. Everyone just stood/sat in an uncomfortable silence as the painful past issue of the family was brought up.
"Timmy, no one here would intentionally try and hurt you." Dick looked back with an expression begging for him to believe them. It broke his heart to think that his sweetest baby brother thought of himself as an outsider with his family. That he had been suffering for so long alone.
"Right, because I am sure when Damian and I first met it was because he loved me." Tim rolled his eyes at his oldest brother's comment. Another well-known fact in the family was the deep hatred the two youngest seemed to have for each other. The couldn't be left alone in a room together for more than 5 minutes without a fight breaking out. Before Dick could rebut Damian finally interrupts.
"Of course, I fought with you, you were my competition. I planned on annihilating all of you." Tim just held his arm out in a 'you see' like way. Dick just sighed.
"But I fought the most with you Drake because you are….my most difficult opponent. You have since provide your worth and I can understand the value father and Grayson have in you." At this Damian looked away. Almost 100% sure that his family was wearing looks of surprise from his admission.
Tim was speechless. That was the closest Damian had ever come to even remotely complimenting him.
"Wow, so you do have a heart kid." Steph laughed
" Don't patronize me Brown. You are still quite useless. You and Todd" Steph just laughed. Jason just rolled his eyes and grossed his arms. Dick sighed and rubbed his eyes. At this point Bruce had walked over to Tim.
"Tim." Tim looked up at his towering father and saw something rarely in his eyes; burning love. The kind that only exist between a family. Between a parent and child. Bruce gently grabbed Tim's face, cupping it is his giant hands.
"You are a part of this family and always will be. Nothing you or anyone else could do will ever change that. You will always belong right here with us. Always." Bruce was the definition of emotional constipation and yet he had told Tim exactly what he always wanted to hear from his adoptive father. From his hero.
Now none of the bats were weak by any means; whether that be physically or emotionally. But Tim couldn't help the tears that started to fall from his baby blue eyes. Bruce just silently wiped them away. Tim didn't seem to care that his brothers and best friend were seeing him in such a state; he was just happy to be the center of Bruce attention for a short period of time.
At that moment, Alfred had finally returned. Knowing him the sneaky butler was probably ready 30 minutes ago, but decided to let the family work out their problems.
"Apologies for the wait master Tim, would you like your breakfast now?" Alfred offered a loving smile as the embarrassed boy turned away to wipe the remnants of the tears away.
"Yeah. Thanks Alfred." As Alfred sat the tray of food on the bed and Tim sat down the others made their way to the door thinking that they had bothered him enough this morning.
"Wait." Tim shyly stopped his family from leaving. As they turned back to him he looked up with a slight blush for what was surly going to make him sound like a needy child.
"Stay and eat with me." As the words left his mouth he thought he would get a couple of annoyed and sympathetic reactions. Instead he got ones of happiness and joy.
"Sure, thing baby bird." Jason was the first to plop down next to Tim on the bed, with Steph following right after word on the other side of Tim and immediately grabbing for his food; Tim slapped her hand away and ignored her hurt puppy look. Dick smiled so big that Tim though his face would break as the oldest child came to sit in front of him with his legs crossed, pulling Damian with him. Damian stopped right before getting on the bed. As if this was a dangerous, uncharted territory. Tim noticed the youngest discomfort before offering a reassuring smile; that seemed to be enough for the mini assassin as he climbed next to the oldest.
Alfred left to bring more food and Bruce looked over to his children (yes he saw Steph as an unadopted child and was secretly protective of her too). Though he would never admit it aloud he was proud beyond belief of them; he couldn't have asked for better partners. Just seeing them finally all getting all along fulfilled one of his biggest wishes and he couldn't stop the genuine smile that made its way across his face.
"Uhh guys. I am worried. Bruce is smiling." Steph pointed out with a humorous smile. Tim rolled his eyes playfully before shoving her with his shoulder.
"You going to just stand there like a creeper old man?"
" Yeah Bruce come on over!" Dick begged. Bruce came over and sat in the chair off to the side just as Alfred brought a massive tray full of food over and Jason got up to bring Alfred a chair.
As the family ate, they laughed and teased each other and Tim couldn't help but know that it would get better. With his family and friends around him, he could survive anything.
A/N: And that is the end! Thank you all so much for your support and reviews. I never expected it to as liked as it was and hopefully you will enjoy my other stories as well!