Disclaimer: Not mine
This chapter has ended up very long because I kind of got stuck on where to end it.
Chapter 3
She held Tim's limp hand in hers, one fingers lightly resting on his wrist, feeling the steady beat of his heart through the pulse point, able to hear the soft hiss of oxygen as he breathed through the nasal cannula. Silly maybe since he was hooked up to the heart monitor but she couldn't help it. Tim…Tim had died. And not just the kind that took some CPR but the kind it should have taken the Pits to bring him back from.
Steph had watched Alfred check Tim over a few hours ago, the wound on his chest now looked well over a month old. His spine was fully healed according to the last scan and they'd stopped the paralytic and the heavy-duty painkillers, they still had him on some because he was still healing and the fast healing didn't seem to be affecting the other wounds he'd taken in the rescue mission. Thankfully, everyone else had far lesser injuries than Tim, bruises, some lacerations, Damian had sprained his wrist blocking another blow from Ra's. And they were all healing well three days later. But Tim wasn't waking up. Bruce said they'd been told he'd be unconscious for several days to allow his…his Ghost to reintegrate with his body fully but she just wanted him to open his eyes.
"Please Tim, please wake up," she whispered, lifting his hand to kiss the back of it. He was warmer now than when they'd first brought him home, but still chillier than usual.
And then she froze as his eyelids fluttered, her heart racing. Had he heard her?
"Tim? It's okay, you're safe in the Cave." How much would he remember about what had happened?
Slowly, his eyes opened, blinking dazedly up at her and she froze like a rookie as she stared into eerie blackness.
"Tim?" She couldn't help the shakiness of her voice, and his brow furrowed slightly, lips parting.
"Sssteph…" his voice was barely audible but it was her name he said. And then his fingers curled around hers weakly, lips twitching up in a tired attempt at a smile.
"I'm here," she promised, reaching for the nearby cup. "Here, suck on these." She let go of his hand to slip her hand behind his head, lifting it enough that he wouldn't choke as she tipped the cup of ice chips to his lips.
Tim sucked on them slowly, eyes half closed.
"Are you in pain?" she asked once she'd hit the alert to let them know he was awake, though she wasn't sure for how long.
"Nn…" he swallowed. "No," he got out, voice hoarse even after the ice.
He blinked slowly and his eyes were suddenly the blue she knew. A trembling arm lifted from the bed, reaching for her and she caught his hand. The injury was healed, why was he so weak? But his fingers curled with hers and he tugged at her hand. She stood from the chair and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, kicking off her shoes before lying down beside him. The medical beds were large, they had to be given Bruce and Jason's size, but not large enough for them to lie beside each other so she lay on her side, propped up on her elbow, seeing him fighting sleep.
"I love you," she whispered, leaning over to kiss his cheek but Tim moved his head so their lips met, Tim kissing her sluggishly.
"Love you," he answered when they parted. "So…tired…"
"So, sleep silly, I'm not going anywhere." And if this King showed up for Tim, she wouldn't let him take him. She moved her hand to gently run through his hair and Tim drifted to sleep, right as Alfred appeared.
,
Bruce rushed towards the Cave, had Tim taken a turn for the worse? No, he was healing, he was.
"Ah, I see. Well, despite this being Master Tim's idea, I doubt he pulled you onto the bed against your will Miss Steph," Alfred's chiding voice reached him, and Bruce slowed down.
Tim's idea…he was awake! He stepped into the doorway and saw Steph was on the bed, lying propped on her side, right up against Tim who didn't seem to be awake. His heart fell, he'd thought…
"He was out of it Alfred, exhausted and…he could barely squeeze my hand. But he was awake and he knew who I was. He wanted me here, I couldn't just…" her voice was shaking, and Bruce moved closer.
"It's alright," he soothed. Tim had been awake and aware and he'd missed it.
"Bruce, his eyes…they were black."
"They were black on his Ghost as well, he might still be integrating and that's why he's fallen asleep so quickly again," he offered, trying to sooth her.
Tim hated contacts but if his eyes were permanently black then he'd have to wear them when he was out during the day. It'd be fine in the mask since no one could see his eyes anyway and even if they did, it would help keep Tim and RR being linked.
"Get some sleep Steph, you're exhausted."
He knew why she hadn't slept; they were all terrified that they would wake and find Tim's revival was a dream. But now that he had woken once, hopefully she would.
,
Damian snuck down into the Cave and into medbay, seeing the only occupied bed. Bro…Stephani was lying on her side, asleep, and Timothy lay against her. It was unfair that the rest of them had missed his awakening. The heart monitor was beeping away steadily, oxygen hissing softly. He moved silently, not wanting to wake her, standing on the other side of the bed, watching Timothy sleep. Ever since they had returned home, he'd found himself coming down to check on Timothy several times a day and even at night, just to be sure he truly was alive. He reached out and touched Timothy's hand, just to be sure, and nearly jumped when he moved.
Damian looked up to find sleepy blue eyes staring at him, he did not appear completely aware though. Timothy's lips moved silently and Damian nodded, recognising his brother was saying his name. His hand twitched, turning, and Damian gripped his hand firmly.
"Thank you," he whispered, and Timothy smiled sleepily before his eyes fell shut again. Damian pulled the chair over with one hand and sat, unwilling to break Timothy's hold.
,
Danny appeared wherever Tim was, immediately seeing him hooked up to monitoring equipment and oxygen, fast asleep. He assumed the blond sharing the bed was his girlfriend, Stephanie Brown, Batgirl? And the boy was Damian Wayne, the right size for Robin.
He glanced around and realised they were in a cave…talk about sticking to a theme! But then he moved towards Tim, invisible and utterly silent to keep from waking the two humans. He reached out and placed one hand on Tim's forehead and the other on his chest, reaching out. Good, his core was still stable, his ghost and body were integrating together into one again. Tim wasn't a halfa, he wouldn't have a secondary form.
"Who's there?"
Danny looked to see a tall, very well built, young man with a streak of white in his hair and a definite ectoplasmic signature. Ah! The Red Hood sans helmet. Not surprising that he was the one who had sensed him so he allowed himself to become visible.
Teal eyes widened and then narrowed, the man tensing at the sight of Danny's hands on Tim. Danny moved away and towards him instead, pressing a finger to his lips, hoping he would agree not to wake them. Red Hood stared at him and then moved out into the main room of the cave. So, who was Red Hood? He went over the Wayne family, not that he followed them or anything. He'd only known Tim's name because of Tucker fanboying over him. But…right! Bruce Wayne had lost a son years ago…what was his name? It had to be him.
"How did you get in here?" Hood demanded. "What were you doing to Red?"
"I followed the feel of Tim's core which I was checking on. He's integrating well, the process should be complete by morning. Is his spine healed?"
Hood stared at him before nodding. "He woke briefly earlier and could move but was very weak."
"He'll recover," Danny told him. Clockwork had promised after all. "Will Batman keep him safe as well?"
,
"What do you mean?" Jason was confused by the sudden question. What would Tim need to be kept safe from? Was there something he would be weak to now that he'd died?
"Well, he hasn't turned you over to the GIW but that doesn't mean he won't turn Tim in since he became a full Ghost."
"The who?" he felt utterly lost with this conversation. Sure, he was grateful this guy, ghost, whatever had brought Timmy back to them. But did he have to be so confusing?
"The GIW, the Ghost Investigation Ward? They work under the Anti-Ecto Acts. According to them - you, me and now Tim are neither sapient or sentient. We're just echoes of dead people and thus have no rights. They capture, experiment and exterminate any ecto-entity or Ghost they can grab."
Jason felt his jaw drop slightly. What the hell?! He stalked to the Batcomputer and began a search even as he sent a summons for the others. "I have no clue what the hell you're talking about," he growled, "but if that's true…they won't be around for long. JL Dark has a ghost on their roster!"
Despite the inhuman features like fangs, skin colour and pointed ears, the King's shock wasn't hard to see.
"Jason? Is Tim," Bruce cut himself off, Dick hovering at his shoulder. "King Phantom."
,
Bruce had hoped that Jason's summons was because Tim had woken again but instead, he found King Phantom in the Cave. Unlike before, he was actually standing on the ground rather than floating, his tail replaced with humanoid legs. And his clothing was simpler too, the crown no longer floating over his head.
"King Phantom," he greeted stiffly.
"Knight," was the greeting in return. "Your son should wake by morning. It may take a while longer for him to get back to full strength though. Despite time being frozen, his body was still clinically dead for several minutes."
Bruce forced himself to nod, it was good to have confirmation that Tim would get better…if they could trust this King. But he had brought Tim back to them.
"B, ever heard of the GIW or Anti-Ecto Acts?" Jason asked, and Bruce frowned.
He assumed the GIW was some sort of organisation but for what? He looked to the computer to see a search running. "No."
"So, you wouldn't hand me or Timmy over to them for experimentation?" he pressed, eyes flicking to their guest briefly.
What?! Bruce stared at his son in shock. "Never," he growled. He'd lost Jason once, had lost Tim for those precious minutes, he couldn't lose his children again. He moved around Phantom to where he could see into the medical bay, seeing Damian in a chair and Steph still in the bed with Tim, the monitors still beeping away.
"Well apparently it's the law," Jason continued. "King here's worried you'll hand Timbit over since he was a Ghost before going back into his body."
"Tim is my son, I could never…" Bruce stared at the King. He had brought Tim back even fearing that?
"Found them," Dick called, sounding sick, but he was staring at the monitor, text scrolling down it. "Yeah…I'm digging up Timmy's old plans for taking down corrupt governments."
That definitely got Bruce's attention. He knew the old plans that Tim used to mess around with, had seen the mission report of Young Justice actually invading a small country, but bringing down the US government? For Dick to suggest that…
Part of Bruce wanted to keep himself between Phantom and the medical bay, but the King had done nothing threatening to them at all, either time. So he moved to the computer to see what had been found, feeling sick as he read the acts and about the GIW. How had the Justice League missed this?
"You claim to have not known?" The King asked, watching them closely.
"No Justice League member would have allowed this to pass if we had," he stated firmly. "it appears they were well hidden in a mass of legislation that was passed during Luthor's presidency. I will contact the Justice League to begin working on this."
"It's not just Jay and Tim…any hero who's died, any person on the street, would be covered." Dick's hands were clenched into fists and he heard Jason's growl, saw his son's eyes glowing.
"Jason."
"I'm good," Jason forced the words out.
,
Danny watched them all closely, reaching out to sense the emotions in the air. They…they really hadn't known? He felt so confused. "But…" he whispered.
"King Phantom?" Batman…Bruce Wayne looked at him.
"We sent out so many messages," he forced himself to explain. "No one ever answered."
"Who did you contact?"
"The Justice League help line…no one ever responded to any of the calls. We just gave up in the end."
"Your people?"
Oh right, he thought Danny meant the realms. He shook his head, pulling everything Kingly back, leaving jut Phantom in his hazmat suit. "Amity Park, Illinois," he explained. "I've only been king for a few years, for that to happen the whole city was sucked into the Infinite Realms for three days. Are you saying no one noticed?" How? The GIW…they couldn't have, could they?
They moved about the massive computer, pulling up records, but Danny couldn't watch, thoughts spiralling. "Tim will sleep till morning, I'll return then."
And he fled, needing Val, needing his Fraid. And damn it, he was going to have to tell them that the Justice League hadn't known, they hadn't been abandoned. He better take Sam's mace first.
,
Waking up happened very slowly, it was like trying to crawl through concrete but gradually he became aware of the world around him. There was a hand holding his, the warmth of a body pressed to the other side…two people? It felt like someone had attached weights to his eyelids but eventually he pried them open, staring up at the cave…the Batcave…medical bay…why? His shifted, fingers flexing, and the hand holding his tightened.
"Timothy?" Damian, that was Dami, his little brother…the one he'd died to protect.
He gasped in air and then an oxygen mask was pressed over his face.
"Deep breaths brother," Damian told him and Tim obeyed, the mask removed once he'd calmed and he relaxed there was a cannula under his nose.
He tried to speak but his mouth was utterly dry until Damian gave him some ice chips, Tim savouring the cool fluid.
"Are you in any pain?"
Was he? He considered it, wriggling his toes to check. "No," he croaked out after a few moments. "Dami…safe?"
"I am safe and well, as are the other. You were the only serious…injury."
Tim lifted his hand, hating how hard it was, but he managed to get it to land on Damian's head, ruffling his hair. "Good."
"I shall summon Alfred and Father."
Tim's hand slipped down from Damian's head but he managed to grab his hand. "Ra's?"
"You don't remember?"
Tim frowned, struggling with his foggy head. And then he remembered…Danny…King Phantom…Ra's being sucked dry…oh. "He's dead," he whispered, and Damian nodded. Tim licked his lips and Damian gave him more ice chips. "You're okay?"
"Yes, he should have died long ago." And then Damian was gone and Tim turned his head, smiling as he saw Steph sleeping beside him.
He forced his too heavy body to move, rolling to his side and then reaching out to gently trace his fingers along her cheek, smiling when she made a soft noise. "Steph."
"Mmm…" she yawned, blinked, and then her eyes went wide. "Tim!" and then he was being pulled closer, her arms around him, and Tim managed to get his arms mostly around her, feeling as tears began to soak his hospital pyjamas. At least he hadn't been put in one of those horrible little gowns. "Don't you ever…I thought…"
"M'here," he promised, curling against her as best he could, the sluggishness of his body frustrating. But he could remember being warned…a spinal injury? "Love you," he promised.
She sobbed and then they were kissing and that, that was something he could manage with little effort.
"Hmm, perhaps that could wait until after I have ascertained Master Tim's state of health?"
Tim broke the kiss and looked over. "Alfie."
He watched the stern look melt away into a mix of grief and relief. "Dear boy," Alfred murmured, coming closer and Tim reached a shaking hand to him. "How do you feel?"
Tim considered it. "Heavy, everyth'gs effort," he explained, grimacing at the difficulty in speaking. "No pain."
He felt Steph sit up and tried to do the same, needing her to help him recline against the pillow, Alfred raising the head of the bed so he was sitting up.
,
Dick made his way into the medical bay and froze as he saw Tim reclining on the bed, awake and listening to Alfred. His eyes were the familiar blue and he was smiling slightly. "Timmy?" he interrupted, unable to help it, and Tim looked over at him.
"Dick," Tim called, voice still hoarse but he'd been dead so that was probably normal.
Dick rushed to the bedside, Steph stepping away to let him hug his baby bird. He shuddered, holding on tight, feeling Tim hold on in return, though his arms were trembling. "You're never allowed to die again," he whispered.
"Try not to," Tim answered, burrowing into his hold.
,
Cass watched everyone, seeing Tim's frustration with his body and everyone else's relief. And now…the government would want to kill him. That was not happening! Tim looked at her and smiled and she smiled back. Her little brother would be kept safe.
,
Bruce watched as Tim was examined thoroughly by Leslie. His pulse and body temperature remained lower and slower than usual but he wasn't in distress so they had taken him off the supplemental oxygen. And he wasn't allowed out of bed yet, not with the weakness in his limbs. Since he didn't need medical intervention, Jason was going to carry him upstairs and they would dig out a wheelchair for him for now. Thankfully, the mansion was already as accessible as possible due to Barbara. It meant Tim would need to move into one of the downstairs rooms since they had wheelchair friendly bathrooms, but it would only be temporary, it would.
He didn't know what King Phantom had spoken with Tim about, the two had asked for privacy but Tim had seemed…off since then. And that really worried Bruce.
,
Tim leant back in the wheelchair. Physio was rebuilding his strength and they had lied to the press about an injury that would keep in the chair for a while but not permanently. Even after only a few sessions, he could feel the strength returning so he was hopeful to soon graduate to crutches since his arms were stronger than his legs. It made sense with how high up the injury had been. Some of the nerves to his arms hadn't been affected the same way.
Sitting out in the garden was nice, as was some time to himself, but Steph was due home soon and they had to talk, as much as he was dreading it. He hadn't remembered everything from his time dead when he woke up but after talking with Danny, he'd asked Leslie to run some discreet tests and…he was right. There was a ring box in his dresser and before he'd been so sure, but now…
Right when he could use distracting but no one would let him be involved in the mess the acts and GIW had become. They didn't want them finding out about him or Jason, not that they knew yet just how changed by death he was. Steph first, then the others.
,
Val checked the article Danny had brought since Amity Park had been on lockdown for years. The only real news they got was from Danny portaling out and bringing stuff in. She almost didn't believe it, it felt too good to be true but…the Justice League was actually doing something. Which was great but meant things would probably get worse for a while as the GIW tried to crack down before they lost power. It was tempting to just sneak everyone into the Realms till the bastards were gone but how would they explain that? Plus, it would make everyone even more liminal.
Danny sat down opposite her with his tray of food and he grinned at her. They played footsie under the table as they ate, almost like they were back in school. They should be at university but the GIW had put a stop to that very quickly.
,
Steph headed out, spotting Tim easily enough, smiling at the sight of him enjoying some rare Gotham sunlight. Every time she saw him it was like she could breathe again. She couldn't help going over the what if's…he should be dead and they all knew it. Why had the Ghost King brought him back? Was it just for help with the law or something else? She was terrified the King would come for him and they'd be unable to stop him. And Tim…liked the King? But was that real or something that had happened because Tim had been dead?
She shook her thoughts off and joined him, sitting on the bench beside where his chair was parked, taking his hand. He smiled, but it wasn't his normal smile for her. This one was…nervous, wary, and that hurt. "Tim?"
"I…" he took a deep breath. "I bought you a ring, months ago, but things were so busy," he whispered, and her heart began to race. Was he proposing? "But things are different now…I'm different."
"Even if the chair was permanent, that doesn't make you different," she denied, glaring at him, but he shook his head.
"Steph…I was a Ghost. Merging a Ghost with a physical body…there's a price to pay. And I know you want kids."
She frowned. "What are you saying?"
"I can't Steph, I can't give you children, ever. Even if they could figure out how to use DNA in general to do it, mine wouldn't work. The dead can't reproduce with the living and I fall too far on that side of the scale now."
"But you're alive!"
"My body was dead. If I'd ben resuscitate by normal means, I'd be at least moderately brain damaged, likely severely. My lifespan will also likely be shorter, though I'll immediately be a fully formed Ghost upon death. I breath, my heart beats, I can think but…it's my Core powering it all."
She took a shaky breath, tightening her grip on his hand when he went to pull away. So, kids of their own was off the table. She'd already had a daughter even if she'd given her up. Having Tim's baby had been something she wanted, but using a donor? "Then…we can take a page from Bruce's book, just maybe not so many."
"Steph…"
"I love you Timothy Drake-Wayne, no matter what." She released his hand, reaching out to take his face between both of hers, ensuring he made eye contact. "Kids or no kids, got it? Weird Ghost stuff and all."
Tim swallowed and she could see the faint shimmer of tears in his eyes, figured her own were the same. "Got it," he whispered.
,
Danny stood beside Tim as the news went out. The Acts were overturned and the GIW ordered to disband. He swallowed and Tim leant against him in support. "It's really over."
"Doubt it. Those bastards probably won't just stop because they've been told, but the Justice League is poised to invade Amity Park. Well…all members who don't register on the sensors you gave us. Which rules out me, Jason, Damian, Supernova, Superman…quite a few of us actually."
Danny snorted. "Maybe, but there's still a lot of you and the people will help. We've wanted them gone for years after all. And no one knows Amity Park better than the natives," he smirked, flashing fangs, and Tim grinned.
"How is everything?"
"Good. It's nice being able to walk again, was getting very sick of that chair."
He didn't blame him.
"And…I told Steph and she didn't leave me. Though, now she knows about the ring so I better get the proposal right."
"And?" Danny pressed.
Tim sighed but he blinked and his eyes were pitch black. "No powers that I've noticed but I can do this and…sometimes my body just doesn't feel right."
Danny nodded and then hugged him, Tim slumping against him. He hated that Tim had to suffer side effects from his death, it wasn't fair. He'd died to save his brother, fighting a very evil man, if life was a fairy tale, then he'd have come back perfectly. "I've been talking with some of the older Ghosts, ones who have met Revenants before and that all sounds pretty normal. They also said your lifespan might not be cut as short as Frostbite first thought."
"That'd be nice."
Danny agreed, only getting another twenty, maybe twenty-five, years while better than dying then, was not exactly great. Tim was becoming a good friend, even if they did keep it quiet from the other bats who only knew Danny as King Phantom.
"So, when's the wedding?"
,
Bruce looked around the town…city really. The signs of battle were clear all over. Rubble in the streets, damaged buildings, burnt signs… how had they missed this? But they were here now and the GIW would fall. Clark might not be there, but Jon and Kara were. Diana and Cassie as well which meant they had alien and godly power in spades. Especially once the Oa had found out, apparently a bit of panic had been caused and suddenly half of the Green Lantern Corps was there to help.
And the locals were helping too, they were obviously very much against the GIW, though they didn't seem overly fond of the League either. But who could blame them?
He spotted a flash of black hair and for a second thought it was one of his kids but no, a local… ah, he recognised the young man from the old files. Daniel Fenton, son of the Dr's Fenton who were largely responsible for this due to their research and bias. Though it seemed he didn't share their views if the way he just took out an agent with a baseball bat was any indication. He had a good arm.
,
Val let her armour power down. Was it really over? She lightly nudged the 'agent' in front of her and the man groaned but didn't otherwise react. Still alive then. She looked up to see Tucker across the way, his ever-present hat gone, some of his hair burnt away. And there…Sam yanking Star to her feet, the other girl cradling her arm to her chest. Danny, where was, and then familiar arms wrapped around her waist and she relaxed back into him.
"It's over," she whispered.
"It is," he agreed and then spun her around to kiss.
,
Steph leant against Tim's shoulder as they watched the news, utterly silent as they took in the images of Amity Park and its residents. That was…it looked like a foreign warzone, not something that should be in the US, but it was. He tightened the arm around her waist and she lifted her head to press a kiss to his cheek. She knew he hated having to sit out, so had the others. She hadn't been dead long enough to register but she'd gotten in over her head on patrol last week, her leg in a pretty purple cast.
"Master Bruce just called; they hope to be home by tomorrow evening at the latest. The national guard is beginning to take over efforts."
That was good. The sooner everyone was home the better. Part of her just wanted it all over but it never would be, not really. Not when Jason was liminal and Tim a Revenant, the first of his kind in centuries. Modern medicine and lack of belief apparently meant the conditions for their creation had become very hard to find. If he'd died anywhere else…
"Love you," she whispered, and Tim smiled at her.
Soon, he'd be back in the field and Batgirl and Red Robin would be flying again. Once her stupid leg healed anyway.
,
Jason smirked as he watched Tim carefully kneel down, holding out the ring. They all knew she'd say yes. He also knew Tim was keeping a lot of secrets now, but he wouldn't push. He hated talking about his death, he'd never press someone about theirs. And he figured Steph knew more than the rest of them, he could see it in her eyes sometimes.
Tim appeared fully healed now, his strength back, and he'd started training to get back to the night job. He could tell most of the family was reluctant, worried, but Jason agreed that it was Tim's choice. Would they have been like this about him if his return had been different?
He grinned as Tim fell back, Stephanie almost strangling him with a hug and then…yeah, he didn't need to see that.
,
Danny held Jazz's hand under the table, Val on his other side as they listened to the sentence be given. Their parents had been stripped of all their academic standing already, were no longer Dr's and now…now they would be jailed for what basically accounted to life sentences. He felt sick but also…free. It had been their work that had killed him, their lax lab security that allowed him down there to die, their refusal to look at their research and see that they were wrong. They had been the ones to build weapons, to hunt Ghosts…they deserved everything they were getting.
They wouldn't get to see Jazz go off to an Ivy League college, wouldn't see him and Val get married, nothing. All because they couldn't let go of their biased assumptions even when presented with clear evidence.
They'd pled not guilty to everything, against the advice of their lawyers, even a lot of GIW agents were proving smarter than that! Yes, those creeps had been acting within the law for many of their actions…but not in cutting Amity Park off or the literal war they'd been waging on the town.
,
Tim watched the televised court cases, watching as the two people behind everything were sentenced. Without the Fenton's and their research there would have been no Acts, no GIW…and Tim would be dead. Because he knew the figure sitting in the front row, it was Danny. He hadn't seen his human form before but he still recognised his friend and King. He'd thought his parents were neglectful, no matter how much he'd loved them, but Jack and Maddie… If they hadn't been found guilty, he had a whole team who would have been happy to make their lives hell without ever touching them.
He couldn't believe that in eight months, he'd be a married man. Steph had said yes despite how he'd changed. He knew he was even quieter now than before; it was so easy to just get lost in his own head. Getting back to work and then out as Red Robin helped with that, forcing him to focus on the present and the world around him. He'd never realised just how haunted Gotham was but now he could sense and see them and they knew it. It certainly made life interesting…and very entertaining for his fiancé.
Tim was thankful he hadn't developed any powers, mortal flesh hiding his Core away and it using most of its power to keep his body functioning. But now and then when pushed to his limits things would just suddenly go right – he'd be that little faster on grappling, at dodging gunfire or other weapons, that bit better at hiding in the shadows… but it was nothing to get excited about or rely on.
"I hate them for the whole Acts thing but if they hadn't done all this…."
"I might have died permanently," Tim finished for her as Steph joined him. He kissed her, wrapping his arm around her back as she flopped back in his lap. "I know. Phantom would have helped me either way, it's the kind of guy he is. But Clockwork might not have frozen time which means by the time I could have come back, my body would have been long dead."
She shuddered, pressing into him. "But you're here. And wow do their kids look mad at them."
"You became Spoiler to stop your Dad and he's not exactly a top tier rogue. Imagine living with parents who agreed with genocide."
"Bet you fifty they were working with Phantom."
"No bet." He smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"You know something." She glared and he shrugged.
"Not my secret to tell."
She huffed but let it go.
,
Danny stood at the back, watching as Stephanie walked down the aisle on Bruce Wayne's arm to where Tim stood with his brothers and a young man that Danny was pretty sure was Supernova, the first Superboy. The girl walking ahead of them was Cassandra Wayne, the least known of the Wayne family. He'd been very happy to receive the wedding invite, coming with Val. But they hung back since there was no way to explain how Tim Drake-Wayne knew Danny Fenton, son of the infamous scientists. Tim knew they were there, Jason might too from the way he kept scanning the crowd.
"I love her dress," Val whispered.
"Getting ideas for yours?" he asked, and she smirked.
He'd sent Tim an invite last month, their wedding was in three months. Thankfully, it would be a lot smaller than this. Well, their normal wedding would be, the Realms ceremony…it wasn't every day or even millennia that the High King got married after all.
"Not my style." She leant her head against his shoulder as Tim and Stephanie held hands before the officiant, reciting their vows.
It really was a beautiful ceremony.
,
Bruce hugged his son; happy the new couple was back. The three weeks away had been good for them and they deserved a happy honeymoon. "You had a good time?"
"It was amazing," Tim grinned. It was good to see him so happy. They had spent their honeymoon on a tropical island, Steph was nicely tanned, but Tim was as pale as ever.
He did his best to ignore the changes in Tim since that fateful day, he was still his son. It wasn't like Tim was cold, cruel, or a killer. He was still the amazing young man he'd always been; he was just also different. He was a bit more brutal in fights against the kind of people that Jason had once used lethal force against and against the Rogues. He tended to space out a bit, though Steph was good at noticing that and it never happened on patrol. Sometimes, the shadows around Tim seemed deeper, his stealth had improved a lot too. Bruce assumed it had to do with Tim having been a Ghost but he never asked, Tim was very uncomfortable speaking of that time. King Phantom had explained that the first rule was to never ask a Ghost how they had died unless you wanted a fight. That explained a lot about when Jason first came back.
He loved all of his children and would do his best to support them, no matter what. He might not always agree with their choices, they might argue and fight, but they were still his children.
,
Tim held his wife's hand as they stood in the park. He grinned at Danny who grinned back before tugging at his suit. Given his kingly get up, you'd think a suit would be nothing but wow did he look awkward in it. Till he saw his bride anyway. Val's dress was very pretty and very her. Even Jason would approve of the bright red sash and small scattered embroidered flowers. A pity no one knew who the Red Huntress was and she'd pretty much vanished since the GIW was taken down, she'd fit the theme with him and Jason.
The crowd was a lot smaller than their wedding which meant they were more obvious. He could feel the looks they were getting from many guests. If it came down to it, Tim was going to say that they were funding some of the alternate tech Danny was creating, which was true enough. Though, he could feel the liminals in the crowd so they would have a reason for being surprised.
,
Steph knelt down where she'd heard the noise and then stared in shock. That…that was a baby! She reached out, pulling the poor thing out of the box to wrap in her cape. "Batgirl to Cave, I need a lift."
"Are you okay?" Tim's worry was clear, the sound of wind whipping past meant he was grappling somewhere.
"Fine, just have a passenger I can't swing or ride with," she explained.
"Batgirl?" Bruce asked.
"I found a baby in a box in an alley."
Dead silence met her explanation.
"New sister?" Cass asked, utterly innocent, stirrer that she was.
"Batmobile's on the way," Babs answered after a moment. "It'll take you to the clinic to get them checked out and registered."
"Thanks O."
By the time it arrived, the baby had settled and was almost asleep in her arms. Cute little thing and it made her think of the baby she'd given up years ago. But she'd been too young then, too focused on being Spoiler. She was twenty-one now, still too young according to many. Did it hit so hard because she'd wanted to one day have kids with Tim and knew it would never happen?
,
Tim stared at the baby in his arms who stared back, seemingly nonplussed with the whole thing. Leslie had let Steph bring the baby home to the Manor since B and Dick were both emergency fosters and no family had been found for the little girl yet. So why dump the baby in his arms before taking Cass off to buy baby supplies. Did…did she want to keep the baby? Could they? Surely, they were too young?
And who knew what affect his presence would have on a baby. Sure, liminals and Ghosts now had the same rights and protections as metas but it wasn't something he'd want to be the cause of! He knew being around Danny had increased his friends levels after all.
"You're a natural," B called, and Tim looked up at him.
"We're too young, aren't we?"
"I wasn't much older when I took Dick in. And you're a married couple with a very stable income, that would definitely make you good candidates compared to most on the books. But only if you want to. It's a big decision, no matter how attached Steph is. A baby will change a lot in your life."
Tim nodded; it wasn't something to rush into. Plus, there was the fact that if they did this, the kid would lose one parent by the time they were under thirty, not as bad as losing one as a kid but still young.
,
Val bounced little Janet on her knee, she was a very happy baby. And utterly adorable. She glanced at Danny; they didn't have the blocks on becoming parents that Tim and Steph did since Danny was half living and fully human in his living form. They were older than the other couple too, though not by much. Everything was settled, the fuss about liminals and Ghosts had died down. Maybe…they could start considering it?
TBC…
Epilogue is being posted too.