A/N: After weeks of interruptions, illnesses, and other crises, plus having to handle a succubus determined to take Tim's life force, the Bat Family finally gets a vacation, to the Bahamas, but is it the trip of their dreams? Warning some chapters contain explicit mature themes!

Serpent in Paradise

Part 19

Tim was still hungry so he decided to go to the dining hall. As Tim entered, he saw that Dick and Jason were there and they were in a deep conversation. They were discussing various ways of getting off the island. Tim grabbed a smaller plate this time grabbing some dessert.

Dick spotted Tim and waved him over to the table.

"Boy am I ever glad to be back. I really thought . . ." Tim started to say until he realized Dick and Jason were still in deep conversation.

"No, I don't think that would've been a problem."

"If we could have found a way to get over there, but it seems Baby Bird here found his own way home," Jason stated as Tim sat down with his chosen dessert.

Tim was ever so glad that Devlin had lied, hearing his two older brothers talk. "I'm glad you were able to get my messages," Tim stated once he could get a word in edgewise.

"Yes, oracle helped send them to us. So the ally is that girl you brought with you?"

"Yeah, she helped me to escape."

"Uh huh. She seems attached to you," Dick observed.

"Devlin took her away from her family. Used her. We went to the village and found out that Devlin killed everyone, including her parents." Tim took a bite of his dessert. "Mm . . . promised I'd help her . . ." Tim said with a mouthful of chocolate mousse.

"Hmmm, so how did you two meet?" Jason asked.

"Devlin wanted me to hack into the WE system," Tim explained. "She was sent to persuade me."

One of Jason's eyebrows perked up. "Persuade you? Did it work?"

"NO, " Tim argued, blushing. "Well . . . Maybe . . . I mean, I don't have to hack into WE's system. I set things up so it would look like the system was hacked and the money stolen, but it would get returned. I guess I persuaded her to leave Devlin."

"Oh, Timmy you sly dog, you. Well at least you are getting her out of a bad life style," Jason smirked.

"Come on Jay." Tim continued to blush. He leaned his head down so he could continue the conversation without Jason teasing him. "Devlin didn't just wanted me to break into WE and steal, he wanted me to hack into other people's accounts as well. He threatened . . . He threatened to kill . . . Everyone . . . If I didn't . . ."

"We're all fine, Tim," Jason reassured him. "I know how you are about protecting your family. Nothing bad happened to us."

Tim nodded, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat. He came close to losing them, and he didn't want to take that for granted.

"Do go and see Damian before you go back to...Samantha was it?" Dick stated. "He's been looking for you."

"Okay. I really am glad you're all right. Don't mind me, I'm just freaking out a bit."

It was a good thing that Tim was sitting next to Dick. The eldest Wayne leaned over and wrapped his arms around Tim. "We'll be fine."

Tim grabbed Dick. "I . . . I'm afraid . . . I lost the keychain you gave me."

"I'll get you another one, or a better one," Dick said as he rubbed Tim's back.

'Damn that Devlin,' Tim thought, his body shaking from the emotional release.

Dick could feel Tim shaking against him. "Hey, hey calm down."

"Devlin made me think I lost you," Tim revealed. "He was going to take me away. Make me steal from others."

"That would have never happened," said Dick. "You have too big of a heart to steal from people." Dick turned in his chair so he was facing Tim. He pulled him closer.

Tim let the emotions he held in for so long wash out of him. He needed his brothers. "Jason . . ." Tim reached out a hand for other older brother.

Jason pulled a chair closer to Tim and reached over to his free side and hugged him.

Tim needed to touch his brothers to know they were real and with him. ' . . . That this isn't some nightmare and I'm going to wake up in Devlin's clutches still.'

Tim clutched onto Dick with one hand and held Jason's shirt with his other. Jason could tell he was very badly shaken up about what Devlin did. He rubbed Tim's back saying soothing words trying to calm him down. "It's okay Tim, we're here. We're not going anywhere."

It took a few more minutes before Tim was calm enough to break away. He didn't really want to leave feeling that safety net being restored, but he needed to see Damian. "Is Sasha with Damian? I take it Bruce and Alfred are still working on the plane?"

"Yeah, he wanted to spend some time with her," Jason shook his head at the strangeness of it. It wasn't like Damian to spend time with Sasha.

Tim also found it strange. "What happened to Damian? I was knocked out."

"He was beaten and tossed around a bit," Jason explained. "He had a nasty gash on his head and two swollen eyes."

"I thought they were trying to kidnap him," Tim stated. "I tried to protect him." Tim was feeling inadequate and feeling like he failed Damian.

"They were trying to use the both of you as ransom," Dick explained.

"Devlin didn't want me for ransom," Tim stated. "I better go see him. He must be pretty worried."

"Please do. I want my lady back."

"Where is he? Is he in your room, Dick?"

"Yes he is," answered Dick.

"Okay, thanks. I'll head there now." Tim raced out of the dining hall and down the wooden boardwalk to their rooms. He knocked on Dick and Damian's door.

"Yes?" Sasha opened the door. "Oh Tim!" She gave him a quick squeeze.

"Can I come in and see Damian?" Tim asked as Sasha held him.

"Of course." Sasha released Tim and opened the door to let him in.

"Damian?"

Damian looked up to see Tim. He reached his arms out to him.

Tim rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his little brother. Tim never thought they would be holding Damian this manner. Tim almost burst into tears thinking he would never see Damian again. "I'm sorry. I didn't do a good job protecting you. I promised . . ."

"Tim . . ." Damian started to cry. "I called out for you and you didn't come get me." He finally let out the tears he was holding in.

"I couldn't," Tim explained, crying too. "They took me away from you . . . From everyone . . . I was taken to a different island."

Damian latched onto Tim, not wanting to let him go. Their relationship had improved the past six months. "You can't leave me again. I thought they were going to kill me."

"I was told . . . You . . .Everyone . . . Was dead . . ." Tim cried.

"Stay with me. I can sleep now knowing you're," Damian yawned. "Back . . ." He was starting to nod off. "You're real right . . . Not a hallucination?"

"No . . .you're real . . .I'm real . . . You know, someone helped me escape and she's more frightened than you. Do you want to meet her?"

Damian nodded. "Carry me." It was a gentle command, sounding more like a child half Damian's age. There was no arrogance behind it.

Sasha watched the exchange. It was odd that Damian was behaving so strangely. Could it have been the blow he received to the head? He was behaving like a frightened child.

Tim picked up Damian and carried him across the walkway to his room. The door still had not been replaced. He stood outside with Damian in his arms and pointed toward the sleeping figure. "See, she's sleeping right over there. Her name is Samantha. Let's see if she's awake. I'm going to need help moving my things next to your room. I think I need a room with a door." Tim carried Damian inside the rest of the way. "Samantha, are you awake? There's someone who wants to meet you."

Samantha peeked one of her eyes open to see Tim carrying a little boy. His skin was a tad darker then Tim's. He must be Arabic and his eyes were a crystal blue, unusual for an Arabic. "Hey . . ."

"Samantha, this is Damian, my little brother. Damian, this is Samantha. She helped me escape. Actually we helped each other escape."

Damian didn't know what caused him to reach out towards her. There was something about her, something warm and inviting, and protective. He wanted her to hold him, like a mother would hold a child. 'If Tim trusted her then I can too.'

As the boy reached out to her, Samantha did the same taking him away from Tim. He snuggled up close.

Tim's eyes went wide. 'Well that's a first, I've never seen Damian take to someone like that so fast. He certainly isn't acting like himself,' Tim thought. "I think he likes you."

Samantha couldn't help but smile. She looked at the boy in her arms. "I think he fell asleep, too. You're brother is so adorable." Samantha ran her fingers through his hair.

"Adorable? Damian?" Tim questioned. 'I certainly wouldn't call him adorable. Dick would, but me? He's more of a demon with me.' Tim, though, could not deny what he was witnessing. 'He certainly reacted differently than he did to Adriana.'

"You should climb up here too and lay with us."

"Good idea," Tim stated, though he had other thoughts on his mind that he would have preferred. 'Behave yourself Drake, you're not alone with her.' Tim climbed into bed. He didn't want to disturb him. 'And he probably wouldn't want me to leave him anyway.'

Samantha looked at Tim. He was lying across from her with Damian between them. She felt comfortable and even loved.

Tim was hoping to move her and Samantha to a room with a door. 'But I guess it can wait,' Tim thought, yawning.

Samantha reached across Damian and grabbed Tim's hand. "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for," Tim said smiling. "And you are most welcome my lady," he said sleepily.

Samantha's heart fluttered. That was sweet.'

Before falling asleep, Tim planted a kiss on Damian's head. "No bad dreams, brother. I'm here to keep them away."

Samantha closed her eyes time and drifted off to sleep a second time.

Bruce came back to talk to Tim to find out more on what happened. He looked for him and found him asleep in the room with the broken door, along with Samantha, the girl who helped him. He noticed that Damian was sleeping between them. Seeing that peaceful scene Bruce turned to one of the Birds of Prey. "Watch over them. Tomorrow we will be leaving."

"Will do," answered Black Canary.

Continues with Part 20