Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 10

Lois had noticed the extra eyes on her since she'd published her article and she wasn't surprised at all. She'd warned Clark and the boys, as much as she'd like to keep Jon out of it, she doubted those idiot agents would care if a child was caught in the crossfire. Kon was all for rounding them up and dumping them somewhere they wouldn't be a problem, like the Sahara. Jon had happily agreed but thankfully Clark had been the voice of reason. None of them would act unless the agents did.

Her article and the follow ups were gaining a lot of attention and she had reached out to Diana about getting an interview with Phantom, surprised when the other woman admitted she had never met him. It was a little depressing to find out all of the information she'd had at the start had come from Tim, that he hadn't felt able to approach Lois himself, or Clark. He could have gone to Kon but she figured he didn't want to risk putting Kon in the middle of things when he was finally a proper part of the family. Had Phantom gone to Gotham to hide? She supposed if any city could hide a ghostly vigilante, it'd be Gotham. Or had Tim met him during his time abroad?

It didn't matter, she was sure that Tim must know the ghost which meant she needed to call him. She hadn't been aware of what was happening between him and the League at the time, still grieving for Kon and helping Ma and Pa Kent with their own grief. She'd also been comforting Jon with Clark gone so much thanks to the ongoing clean up after Bruce's apparent death. If she'd known…she would have reached out to him, offered support and a listening ear. Would she have believed him that Bruce was alive? With how many of the heroes who had died and come back, with how many times the Bats pulled off the impossible, she believed she would have at least given him the benefit of the doubt. She was an investigative reporter, which meant finding evidence. There was plenty of evidence for his death but Tim had to have had proof saying otherwise. He was as much a detective as his adoptive father. But everyone had ignored that to focus on how many hits the kid had taken so close together.

No time like the present to reach out to him and she picked up her phone.

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Tim hung up, chewing absently at his lip. He hadn't expected that but maybe he should have. It's not like he'd asked Diana to hide his involvement in bringing the GIW to light and Lois was always going to work out someone was in contact with Phantom. But would Danny agree to an interview? He'd vanished for a reason and if anyone had put the explosion together with Phantom's disappearance then they could know Danny Fenton was connected to Phantom. But making that jump to Danny Nightingale should be impossible.

He honestly didn't know if Danny would agree but it would be his choice. Tim knew that the interview would give a truly 'human' side to the story which would help even more, but he would never try to make Danny do it.

Danny had enough stress at the moment, between classes and Tim's own still recovering mental health. He was doing a lot better, he knew he was, but sometimes it didn't feel like it. He had sort of returned to patrol in that if he came across crime while out at night with Danny, he'd intervene, his boyfriend watching his back.

He'd called Danny 'Phantom' on the comm the night of Joker's shooting but they'd both agreed that using that name in the field was risky until the GIW was dealt with. It'd taken some thinking, but Danny had chosen Banshee. After hearing about the kind of damage his ghostly wail could do, Tim agreed it was fitting. He'd probably get along well with Black Canary and Dinah would probably like having someone else around who could cause damage with a scream. Danny didn't wear a uniform, just lightly armoured black clothes and the domino but Tim had begun working on several designs for him…assuming he wanted to get back into the vigilante life fully.

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Danny blinked in surprise as he spotted the familiar form leaning against a motorcycle in the parking lot. Since none of the Wayne's attended GU, he tugged his backpack higher and headed towards the Vigilante/Crime Lord. "Jason," he greeted awkwardly, getting a smirk.

"Want a lift?" he offered, and Danny rolled his eyes but accepted the helmet.

He got on behind Jason and held on as he drove off. He'd been getting used to riding with Tim, riding with Jason was very different. For one, there was a lot more traffic during the day, plus his bike was bigger and he tended to go a bit faster than was probably sane given the traffic around them. Danny heard a click in his ear and realised the helmets must be linked.

"So, Timmy's teaching you to fly."

"Yeah," there was no point denying it, they'd both assumed someone would have spotted them, apparently Oracle watched the cameras all the time. He did wonder if she'd ever seen something odd around him and had worked at being more careful since learning about her. "He wanted to get back out but you weren't around and he figured it'd be a good skill to have in case of emergency."

"Yeah, if anything happens you guys are on the top floor. And the elevator still has to go down to the Nest, there's always the chance it'll be damaged."

"Yep. Still feels really weird though. How you guys go out every night with just a little wire keeping you from going splat…you're either fearless or nuts."

Jason laughed in response. "Bit of both probably."

"So, what's with the ride?" Danny asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.

"How's Tim, really?" Jason asked seriously.

"He's better. I think knowing the Joker can never hurt him or anyone else ever again has helped."

"Yeah," Jason's voice was calm but so close to him, it was easy to pick up on his emotions, especially since he felt rather similar to a halfa, even though he wasn't one. Jason didn't feel guilty over killing the Joker, more worried about others' reactions to it. "You and Tim have any plans this weekend?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I think Tim's starting to prep for his Venice trip." A trip that Bruce was apparently hinting would make a wonderful trip for two. "Oh, and there's that museum fundraiser brunch thing on Sunday."

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Jason parked in the guest parking section and followed Danny up to the penthouse. He could never see himself living in such a place, but they seemed comfortable enough there. Though, ever since Danny moved in there'd been changes. It felt a lot warmer now than when he'd first seen it.

Tim looked up and smiled at him, no hesitation at all, not like there used to be. He hated himself for what he'd done to Tim back then, he'd never deserved it, and Jason hadn't deserved the chances Timmy had kept giving him but he was glad for them. They were really brothers now, brought even closer by shared Joker trauma. He reached out to ruffle messy black hair and Tim rolled his eyes even as Danny chuckled.

"Doing anything on Saturday squirt?"

"No." Tim looked from him to Danny who shrugged.

"Want to join me at the gun range?" he offered, hiding his nerves. Tim knew how to shoot, had gone shooting with his dad, but there was no reason to think he'd want to get back into practice.

"You want to take me shooting?" he asked in surprise.

"Sounds fun," Danny grinned.

"You like guns?" Jason asked curiously.

"My parents designed weapons. Letting my sister at them was a very bad idea but I can shoot," Danny shrugged. Huh, no wonder the kid didn't seem bothered by Jason being Hood, he did generally use non-lethals these days.

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Jason actually wanted him to go shooting with him? It'd been years since Tim had really touched a gun for more than analysis, other than his grapple anyway. Jason seemed nervous, though he was hiding it…was he trying to do something for brotherly bonding outside of working together on cases?

"Yeah, okay," he agreed before he could second guess it.

Going to a shooting range wasn't breaking any of Batman's rules or anything, not like he was carrying one on patrol. Guns were just another tool, some people used them to protect and others to hurt. Being able to use one in a life-or-death situation, would probably be a good idea. How many people would be alive or sane if he'd had better aim back then?

"Okay," Jason nodded. "I can pick you up at ten?"

Tim agreed and glanced at Danny who nodded. "Want to stay for dinner?"

Jason glanced between them, eyeing Tim warily, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not cooking," he promised, making Danny snicker.

"I am," Danny moved to the kitchen, pulling a tray out of the fridge. "There's plenty for three."

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Danny settled in at the computer even as Tim changed into his gear, unable to help stealing glances at his boyfriend's lithe form as he slipped into the clinging uniform. The suit actually made Tim look bigger, broader, than he was and his boots gave him an extra two inches of height. It really made him look different, the cowl helping to make him look older too, all to ensure his identity remained hidden.

"You're not as sneaky as you think," Tim teased as he settled everything in place, walking over and leaning in for a kiss.

"Wasn't trying to be sneaky," he denied. Banshee was on comms tonight because Red Robin would be patrolling with Batman, his first true patrol since the Joker. He spun the chair around and tugged Tim in to stand between his legs, hand running over him, checking his equipment.

"I'll be fine with B," he promised.

"I know."

Tim leant over and brought up some files on the computer. "Take a look…but only if you want." With that Tim kissed him again and then left.

Danny turned to the computer and opened the files, unable to help himself, curious what had made Tim nervous. He blinked, staring at the images on the screen. Oh…

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Bruce nodded as Tim joined him on the rooftop. It was good to see him back where he belonged. Bruce had been concerned with how long it was taking Tim to recover, he'd even given in and called Dinah about perhaps suggesting going back to counselling. He didn't think there'd been a threat to Tim's sanity or sense of self this time, thankfully, it had more been trying to deal with the old trauma coming back to the surface. Dinah had said he'd probably be dealing with it in some form or another for life when Bruce had hoped and believed Tim wouldn't be haunted forever. It was because of Tim's experience that Damian had never been allowed to patrol alone, not that that stopped him from leaving a patrol partner like he had with Tim.

"Ready?" he asked, and Tim grinned at him.

"Ready."

They flew through the night side by side, Tim relaxed and enjoying himself. He didn't show off flashy moves like Dick did but there was a fluidness to his moves that Jason and even Damian lacked. Tim had been using the rooftops since he was younger than any of the others, even if he hadn't been grappling, he'd still been jumping and even flipping from roof to roof to stalk them.

It was a quiet night which was always nice and they ended up on a roof, Tim leaning against a gargoyle as he ate dairy free ice cream. It was a shock to realise how much had changed for Tim since he'd lost his spleen and yet Bruce hadn't noticed because Tim didn't live at the manor anymore. He'd talked to Leslie about it and she'd given him a lot of information. Tim's diet hadn't been bad before, it couldn't be since he was an active vigilante, but he had been known to forget to eat. Alfred was used to supplying vegetarian options for Damian, so there'd be no problem if they could convince Tim to come to a family meal.

"Is he going to be your partner?" Bruce asked after a while.

Tim shrugged slightly, tapping his comm to mute the secondary channel. "I don't know. He came out with me as support and I convinced him to learn how to grapple in case of emergency. He knows how to fight, so it wouldn't take much to get him to patrol readiness." Tim paused for a moment. "I left a file for him tonight, uniform designs I've been playing around with. I won't push him though."

"If he agrees, bring him to the Cave. The more training partners the better."

Tim stared at him and then smiled. "Thanks B."

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Jason parked his bike, watching Tim pull in beside him outside the range he preferred to use. Tim pulled his helmet off, looking around curiously. Tim was a complete information nerd…and hadn't looked into where Jason practised? He really trusted him that much now, to come to an unknown location with him? He wasn't sure how that made him feel. "Ready?" he asked, and Tim nodded, so he headed inside.

Once inside he glanced around and then led Tim over to a familiar figure. "Hey Mike," he called.

"Jason, and who's this? Need a guest pass?"

"My little brother, Tim." He doubted anyone there would recognise who Tim was, not when he was always in a suit or tux in the press.

"Welcome to Riker's Range, you shoot before?"

Tim looked a little caught off guard and Jason motioned for him to go over to the small break area. He hesitated but then did, getting a glass of water.

"His bio dad took him shooting when he was eleven, apparently, he was better with a rifle. He got caught up in a Rogue attack a while back, it got pretty nasty. Our Dad's very anti-gun but I'd prefer Tim be able to defend himself without having to let the enemy get too close."

"He okay?" Mike glanced over at Tim.

"He's dealing," Jason offered. "Gotham born and bred so he's tougher than he looks."

Mike snorted, "aren't we all. Well…let's start him out with something light and easy to use since it's been a few years, work our way up from there. Bring him along any time."

"Thanks," Jason nodded and then went to get Tim while Mike got out a selection of guns for Tim to try.

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Tim collapsed on the couch, arms and shoulders aching badly. Good thing he was taking the night off patrol, he didn't think he'd be able to do much grappling. Cool hands rested on his shoulders and he groaned as Danny began massaging his tight muscles.

"Have fun?"

"Strangely…. yes," he admitted. He'd forgotten that he'd liked going with his dad and shooting targets. He wasn't sure he could shoot a person again, but targets? Jason had been very patient; he was a good teacher. It was very different to using a grapple gun though.

"Come on, warm bath and then dinner. You've got the fundraiser tomorrow and you don't want to drop the glass of whatever you drink at those things 'cause you overdid things today."

"I tend to stick to water or apple cider, the cider has sugar to keep me going if there's not much to eat," Tim murmured, relaxing as Danny kept working.

He eventually let his boyfriend haul him up, very glad for his strength as he simply flew them upstairs to help Tim get into the bath. When he went to leave though, Tim grabbed his wrist, tugging, so Danny went intangible, his clothes dropping to the floor. Danny got into the massive tub with him and Tim curled up against him, enjoying the contrast of warm water and Danny's cool skin, though the water did eventually warm him up a bit.

"You going to be okay tomorrow?" Tim asked when they finally made it back downstairs for dinner.

"You trust her, right?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded. "She knows the Bats id's and would never give us away. Lois is the go-to reporter for most of the caped community, she might be a reporter but she has integrity and would never write something that would endanger people. She won't try to trick or trip you up."

"You know her pretty well then?"

"She's Conner's family," Tim shrugged. He felt bad that Danny hadn't met his friends, but it would have been hard to explain how they knew each other before Danny knew about Red Robin Though Danny did know that Conner was his best friend.

"Okay."

"You'll do fine Danny, just speak from the heart. You know more about ghosts than any government agent or so-called scientist." Personally, he didn't think the Fenton's had been real scientists, not when they never kept their own bias out of things. He'd read some of their papers and had no clue how they'd gotten through peer review. "She's already on your side."

They settled on the couch and Tim put the tv on low as they ate.

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Danny watched as Tim got dressed for the fundraiser. The suit he was wearing was more formal than what he wore to work but less formal than what he'd wear if it was at night. It was a charcoal grey colour, the shirt was white, and his tie was dark blue but with a repeating geometric pattern on it. Watching him put in cufflinks was interesting, he'd never worn them, had never seen his dad wear them either, maybe Vlad or Mr Mason? But Tim made it look easy.

Tim caught him watching and looked down at them, running a thumb over the embossed W. "Bruce gave them to me when the adoption was finalised, they were his grandfather's," he murmured. "Sometimes it feels like I only wear them for the press anymore."

"Hey." Danny got up and drew him into a hug, careful not to wrinkle his suit. "Bruce is trying, right? And you love him. That's all that matters."

Tim dropped his head onto Danny's shoulder, nodding slightly. "I really don't want to go. They're all going to be there for once which means playing happy family's with Dick and Damian."

"Also means the kid can't do anything without risking an incident," Danny pointed out. He gently got Tim to turn and ran a comb through his hair. "You going to keep your hair this long? You could tie it back."

Tim shrugged. "I keep meaning to make an appointment," he admitted. "Do you like it this long?"

"I think it looks good, as long as you're happy and it isn't going to get in the way for other work."

"Beauty of the cowl, no one will ever know," Tim grinned.

"Point." Neither of them had brought up the contents of the files Tim had left for him to look at. He honestly didn't know what to think or do. Did he want to get back into the life?

"You better get going, best not to keep Lois waiting."

"Yeah, okay." Danny leant in for a kiss and then stepped back, familiar rings of light passing over his body. "Have fun." He turned invisible and flew off.

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Did Danny have any idea how tedious society events were when he told him to have fun? Other than the photos at the beginning, he'd mostly managed to avoid the other Wayne's, besides Bruce anyway. He'd looked so happy to see Tim wearing the cufflinks, if you knew how to read him. And he was pretty sure it was Bruce that was ensuring Damian didn't get near Tim as he 'socialised'.

Tim smiled at Mrs Albrecht and headed to get a refill, going for the cider this time since brunch was still at least half an hour away. He hoped Danny was enjoying his time with Lois more than Tim was at the moment. He smiled and nodded at a few people only to find himself flung to the floor.

He blinked, shaking his head, ears ringing. Tim knew better than to move before he could take stock but he looked around, seeing people scattered throughout the room. Finding no real pain, he rolled to get to his knees. And that was when the men moved into the room, armed…and wearing gas masks. Great. Hopefully Signal was nearby since the rest of them besides Jason were stuck inside as civilians. Maybe he shouldn't have felt so bored?

TBC…

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