Disclaimer: Don't own DP or DC

Set after Blood Childe Mine but without the threesome ever forming

Chapter 1

Tim collapsed onto his bed, able to feel the lethargy of the approaching dawn settling into his bones. It had been a good nights' patrol, just small crimes, no Rogues or anything. He'd even partnered with Jason for a while, Dick had been Batman for the night with Kestrel at his side. But even after the team up he felt…lonely, that was it. He felt lonely. He stared at the ceiling of the room he'd used what felt like centuries ago but wasn't even a decade. He wished he could go back to that time, when he was human, secure in his role as Robin, as B's newest son, when Kon… But it was impossible.

The apartment was Kon and Bernard's now, it would have been wrong to take it back. So, he lived at the Manor for now, not sure if he wanted to stay or move out again. They were happy together and so in love. He'd seen how torn they'd both been, especially once his memory was back, but how could he come between them? They'd been together longer than he'd been with either of them. His death and their grief had led to love. He knew they both loved him but it wasn't the same, they had mourned him and moved on.

It made working with Supernova or Orioles difficult at times but he had adjusted and they weren't often in the field. Just like he rarely operated as Blackbird, he'd been Nightwing tonight. People had gotten used to the less flashy Nightwings and less lethal Red Hoods, didn't make them any less dangerous.

He closed his eyes, able to hear Alfred beginning to prepare for the day, Damian shifting in bed, likely waking soon. And… "Come'n," he called, the words slurring together as the sun got ever closer to rising. He would be glad when he wasn't so bound to it.

The door opened, familiar footsteps across the carpet, and then the bed dipped, a warm hand gently stroking his hair.

Tim forced his eyes open, managing a sleepy smile for his Dad.

"Hey kiddo, good night?"

"Mmmhmm." He yawned, body feeling ever heavier.

A soft kiss was pressed to his brow, even as his eyes drifted shut.

"Sleep well," Bruce murmured, the last thing Tim heard as sleep claimed him for the day.

,

Bruce watched as Tim went still, missing the soft breaths, the way Tim would shift in his sleep. He'd missed so much of his son's life thanks to his Sire and Ra's. But Ra's had also given them this chance, because as desperate as Bruce had been to have Tim back, he couldn't have used that kind of magic to do it, not with the risks. If it had been sure to bring back Tim as himself, even with the amnesia, he would have told Constantine to do it. But the thought of a monster in his son's body…to have to imprison him for life or end him…he couldn't have done that, couldn't condemn Tim to that.

So, he might have to thank Ra' if he ever saw him again…and then walk away as his children dealt with the man. For everything he had done to Tim once his son was back, for Jason…he would walk away and let them do what they felt was needed. He couldn't do it, he couldn't kill and he knew in a fight…Ra's would beat him now. There was a reason he had hung up the cape, as much as he missed it. Case work in the Cave, listening on comms, helping direct them, it just wasn't the same.

Sometimes, his mind would wander to the offer Bernard had once made, when Kon had been attending Pa Kent's funeral…the offer to turn him. Some days, it was tempting. To not age, to remain with his children for their whole lives… the boys didn't kill or even hunt anymore, their blood was supplied. He wouldn't have to hurt anyone. He'd been offered power before by many different sources, Ra's included, even the Lanterns…but Bernard hadn't been offering power. He'd been offering the family and that was why it was the most tempting offer ever.

,

Dick pulled Tim into a hug before releasing him to get his breakfast, not saying anything about the utter mess the kid's hair was in. He was obviously still half asleep, the sun not fully set yet. "Coming out tonight or case work?" he asked as Tim sipped the warmed blood, picking up his own coffee, seeing the brief wistful look Tim gave it.

"Coming out. My turn as the Bat after all."

"You make a very good Batman," he promised, getting a small smile.

"I used to be terrified of the cowl," Tim admitted. "There was an…incident, with time travel. We accidentally ended up in a future where…I was the last of the family, human still…I was Batman, Kon Superman…all the Titans had taken over for the older set because all of them were dead. I made every contingency I could when we got back, because that future could never happen…I could never let myself become him."

Dick swallowed. What had Tim seen? He reached out and tugged him into another hug. "You are a brilliant Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Blackbird, Timmy. Everyone thinks so. Even if you see a future, it's not set in stone."

Tim nodded slowly. "He was human and I'm not. He…he used the gun that killed the Wayne's…he killed people…controlled half the country with his Titans. It was horrible. And sometimes it seems like it would be so easy to become him now, after everything I've done…"

"No Tim," Dick whispered, hugging him tighter. "None of that counts, it wasn't you Tim. You were mind controlled, amnesiac, or both. Ra's conditioned you to be obedient to him before you even got your mind back, you had no way to resist or to know any better. Sounds like that crazy future version of you did know better, he chose to do whatever horrible things he did. You've never chosen to do those things, whenever you're able to choose, you always make the right decisions."

Tim clung to him and Dick let him, it'd been a while since Tim's last breakdown over this, over what he'd been made to do. Thankfully, other than the first time, he would accept comfort from Dick. The first time had been…bad, Tim had screamed at the sight of him, mumbling incoherently, he'd lashed out when Bernard had tried…Bruce hadn't been there but Jason had and thankfully when he'd grabbed Tim, he'd gone stiff before collapsing in Jason's arms. Dick had understood, Tim felt so much guilt over what he'd done to him in that warehouse. Dick had actually gone to therapy over those events, he'd done his best to block it all out while it was happening but it had been impossible to block it all.

Would Tim spend eternity suffering over what he'd been made to do? He would like to think that Bernard and Kon would help there, but he saw it, the way Tim gave them 'space'. In some ways for Tim, it had been days since he'd been with either of them and then he'd seen them together. He'd hoped it would be better after a year, and Tim could and did work with them in the field, but…he held himself apart from them in civilian life. He just wanted his little brother safe and happy.

Tim had been looking at leaving Gotham before he was taken, maybe…maybe it would be better for him to finish that plan? Find another gloomy city to set up shop in? But back then, he would have had Kon for backup, if he left now then he'd be alone. No, alone was bad for Tim. Yes, he needed his space at times, but all of the time alone as a kid had left him with a need for family to be around. Even if they didn't talk, just having others in the house was good for Tim. That was why Dick had worried less once he realised just how often Kon was at Tim's apartment, even if Bruce hadn't realised. He understood why Tim had built his Nest and apartment, had felt guilty about it for so long, and now he'd given it up to live in the Manor again. It helped that he and Damian had buried the hatchet. Damian had done a lot of growing while Tim was…gone. And Tim had been a blank slate when he returned, no memory of their animosity. That had let Damian reach out and even after his memories had returned, Tim remained open to his little brother.

He wanted to tell Tim to stay in tonight, but he couldn't. Tim knew his limits, better than most after so long in the LoA. If Tim thought he'd be okay in the Cowl tonight then he would go out, he'd just have to put up with Nightwing at his side. Kestrel could go solo or with one of the others. The biggest threat in Gotham was dead after all, that night…they could have lost Damian and he would always be thankful to Bernard for just reacting, even if he hadn't meant to kill the monster. Jason liked the attention for having the kill attributed to him, everyone knew Red Hood wanted the Joker dead so there were no questions asked, especially when Kestrel was out of the field, injured. Every Gothamite could put those events together.

,

Tim perched on a rooftop, ignoring the smell of Dicks' mid-patrol snack. He missed Alfred's cooking so much. Dick had been a bit clingy, even for him, ever since their talk about future Batman. It felt a little better, admitting those fears fully to someone. He'd been rather vague in his report, just that it hadn't been a good future. And now Dick knew enough but…he said Tim was a good Batman, hugged him, despite everything he had done to Dick, the scars he would carry for the rest of his life… if any of them had reason to think Tim was a monster, it was him.

He shook those thoughts off, forcing himself to focus. Thanks to his senses, his Batman was getting a rep as psychic, showing up way too quickly when someone was in trouble. It was amusing and thankfully nowhere near the truth so safe enough.

"Looking forward to tomorrow?" Dick asked.

Tim snorted. "Am I looking forward to being stuck in a building with who knows how many teenagers for several hours?" he asked rhetorically. "Just because I won't bite, doesn't make the smell any better." He wrinkled his nose. Teenagers were the worst, civilian teens at least. Washing was not optional! And piling on aftershave or body spray did not make up for it.

"Poor Timmy," he cooed, and Tim shoved him off the roof, Dick laughing as he easily caught himself.

Except Tim Drake was long dead, for the civilian population he was Matt Drake, his own younger brother who was given up for adoption as a baby. He hated it but he couldn't resurrect his old identity, not after so long, not when he hadn't aged a day. Sadly, he could do classes online but he had to attend tests in person, he was just lucky they offered evening sessions otherwise he'd have to wait a decade or two.

He shook his head and leapt, firing his grapple at the last possible second, enjoying the rush of freefall before it sank in and he arced back up. His comm activated, Oracle directing him to a fight just out of his hearing range.

,

Bernard sat on the balcony, staring out at Gotham, knowing the bats were out there. He'd helped make the schedule; he was pretty sure it was Tim in the cowl tonight. He missed him but he understood why Tim kept his distance. Seeing them together had to be painful, especially when it was Kon's face and voice in his dreams that had pushed Tim into curiosity about his past so that he read the files he found. It had been Kon that he called for on that rooftop, his barely remembered love…only to find his love had moved on.

They both loved Tim, had even considered asking him to join them, it wasn't weird for a vampire but…before they could, Tim had put distance between them. He told them the apartment and Nest were theirs, that he was fine at the Manor. But they'd both seen his pain as he did it, he'd just vanished before they could say anything and he made sure not to be in a situation where they could. Why? Did Tim still hold enough human morals to say no? Did he fear they'd reject him?

He didn't just miss being with Tim, he missed his friend, his nestmate. They might not be of the same bloodline, not that Bernard was unhappy to not be related to that monster that poor Tim called Sire, but they had been reborn into the same nest. It was why Tim had been all over him that first night, had remembered him, because they were linked in a way no living being could understand.

He smiled as he heard a familiar heartbeat, Kon landing on the balcony smelling of sunshine and hay. "How was the farm?" he never went with him to Smallville, too risky.

"Good, Ma sends her love." He leant in for a soft kiss. "You okay?"

"Lonely," he teased, and Kon laughed, pulling him up to spin around before kissing him again.

Bernard wrapped himself around Kon, purring as they kissed, hot hands slipping under his shirt to caress cold skin. "Missed you," he whispered, and Kon smiled, carrying him inside.

,

Alfred moved around the kitchen, preparing for the day ahead. He found Master Tim's morning mug on the counter and put it into the sink to wash by hand before adding it to the dishwasher. It was best to wash anything with blood twice, not that he would ever allow the dear boy to drink something that wasn't entirely healthy.

Wayne Enterprises had been working on a synthetic blood formula for years now and it would soon be ready for trials. He hoped it worked, he knew both boys felt bad about taking blood from the living who needed it, but better donor blood than hunting. If only animal blood would suffice, things would be so much easier. They could source that in good amounts very easily from an abattoir.

Once breakfast was cooking, he slipped upstairs, cracking open the bedroom door to check. And there was Master Tim, lying utterly still beneath his blankets, the room protected from all-natural light but with a night light plugged in to allow worried family to check on him. they would likely move beyond the need to ensure he was truly there and it wasn't a dream as time passed, it had only been a year after all.

Once sure that Master Tim was safe in his room, he checked on the others, after all Master Damian had class this morning. He was proud of the boy for juggling university and vigilantism, he hoped that he could continue to do so until he completed his degree in Veterinary Medicine. After so long, another doctor in the family, though in a very different manner to how Master Thomas had been. He knew the man would be proud of his grandson, of all of his grandchildren.

He missed when all of the children had spent more time at the Manor, though it had increased after Master Tim's return to help him adjust as his memories returned. Seeing the understanding and heartbreak in the boy's eyes when he realised that Master Bernard and Kon were together had broken his own heart. They had all been so happy when the two had fallen in love, healing together, no one had ever thought…but there was no changing the past and wonderful young man that he was, he had pulled back from them, not wanting to cause problems.

Thankfully, Master Dick had shown no trouble accepting Master Tim's return. He had moved back into the Manor after his death and then never left, seeking the comfort of family as he healed from his own ordeal. There had been no sign of his nightmares returning, no loss of appetite, nothing. No, he had embraced Timothy's return, always welcoming his brother with a hug and a smile. It was a relief to them all.

Master Damian and Master Timothy had begun to get to know each other while he was amnesiac and Alfred was proud of the young man his youngest grandson had become. Long gone was the angry child who had once tried to kill Tim, instead he had worked to help him adjust to the massive changes that leaving the League of Assassin's brought. Of them all, he had known best how to help there. If he were but twenty years younger, he would be introducing Ra's al Ghul to his favourite shotgun for what the man had done to his family over the years.

He smiled as Master Jason joined him, helping to finish breakfast preparations. He too had moved closer to the family with everything that had happened eight years ago. He had been the closet to Tim in the time before he was taken, his disappearance had hit the volatile young man very hard. After his death at the warehouse though, Master Jason had truly stepped up as a rock for the family, finally truly getting his anger under control. Of the family, outside of Master Bruce, it was Jason and Dick that Tim turned to the most, his older brothers. Miss Cassandra stayed close to, he knew she blamed herself for all the time she'd spent away from Gotham, that if she'd been there… but likely she would have simply been taken as well. Once, the two had looked so alike, they were like twins, but now she was so much older than him and they had fallen out of sync. She had changed and grown while he remained frozen in time, forever. He wondered if maybe she would have preferred being taken as well, to remain with her beloved little brother forever.

He glanced up at Master Jason, moving so swift and sure in the kitchen and he knew…he did not have many years of service left. Who would look after his family once he was unable?

,

He floated above the city in silence, hearing the sound of vehicles in the streets, people laughing, tv's…screams and gunshots. So…this was Gotham. He winced and pressed a hand to his chest. This was he best chance, somewhere to lie low, to heal and move on. So he dropped towards the city invisibly, his new home.

TBC….