Story Synopsis: After Batman and Son, Dick has a talk with Bruce about Damien and Tim.
“Sons of the Bat”
The first day, Dick amused himself by pushing back the stubborn bangs from Tim’s forehead. The second, he helped Alfred replace the boy’s bandages and even donated some blood—just in case. Usually, Alfred kept extra pints of their own for accidents such as this, but since Dick and Tim’s blood types were the same, Dick made sure there was enough for both of them. The third day, Tim woke up.
The boy grunted and winced as he resituated himself on his pillows. “…and then Bruce came home. I don’t really remember much after that.”
Dick sat back in his chair and lifted his socked feet onto Tim’s bed. “Well, looks like Bruce is going to have his hands full raising you two.”
The look on Tim’s face alerted the older brother just how his younger felt.
He immediately reached over and tapped the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Timmy. You’ll always be my favorite little brother.”
“Dick!”
“I’m just busting you. Relax, all right? That’s all I need, Alfred coming back and yelling at me for upsetting you.”
Tim eased against his pillows. “It’s just—well, you know, right? I mean, you’re not biological, either.”
“Bruce doesn’t throw away any of his kids,” Dick consoled. “If so, Jason would have been caught the first time he killed someone.”
“Wait. What?”
Dick shrugged. “Come on, Tim. Have you ever known any villain, save Ra’s, who has been able to elude Bruce like Jason? The only reason he’s not rotting in some prison is because Bruce doesn’t have the heart to turn him in. So, if he can’t stop Jason, he’s not going to toss you out on the street.”
Tim averted his eyes; his voice rose no louder than a whisper. “Thanks.”
“And if he does, know you’ll always have a place at my place, okay?”
“Dick!”
“That even goes for if you just can’t live with Damien, okay? Just give me a call, and I’ll work it out with Bruce.”
After he cocked an eyebrow, Tim’s eyes widened in realization. “Y—You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Dick nodded. “Of course. As I said, Bruce isn’t going to kick you out, but he’s not going to toss Damien, either. So, just know there is another option.”
Silence reigned in the room, save the small cracking of a pretzel in Dick’s teeth. Eventually, Tim smiled sheepishly. “Is it…wrong for me to feel a little better with that?”
“Not at all,” Dick comforted and patted the boy on the shoulder. “Why don’t you get some rest, and we’ll bug Alfred when you get up for some zingers.”
Dick reached the door before Tim’s soft voice coaxed him back in, “Bro?”
“Yeah, kiddo?”
“Thanks…for that and coming up here just to see me.”
Dick smiled. “Hey, what are big brothers for?”
On the fourth day, Dick helped Alfred shove some solids down Tim’s throat, and on the fifth, Bruce returned looking worst for wear. Dick sat in the chair at the Batcomputer, his elbows resting lightly on the arms, his fingers knotted in the center.
“So, I hear we have another potential member of the Sidekick Union. Where is he? I need to haze him, maybe tie him upside down in his underwear to the Bat Signal.”
Bruce grunted as he lifted himself out of the Batmobile and shed his cape and cowl. “Not now, Dick. Where’s Tim?”
“Resting upstairs. Alfred says he’ll recover with lots of chocolate and chicken soup.” Dick rose from the chair and walked toward the changing area. “You’re going to have to watch him, though. I think this new kid really put a twist in his cape, and he’s afraid of losing his position as Boy Wonder.”
“I told him nothing changes between us.”
Dick nodded. “So I’ve heard. I just wanted you to keep your eyes open. He might do something rash, and well, I guess you won’t have to put out any ads on Monster.com. They just line up now.”
The glare Dick received when Bruce emerged from the wardrobe in a fresh uniform was more than hostile, and the eldest son put up his hands. “Sorry. You’re right. Uncalled for.”
“I imagine you came to check on Tim.”
“And see this new kid Alfred told me about. Biological, I hear.”
Bruce never turned to Dick as he came to the computer, his cowl still hanging on his back. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“You sound like a broken record, and it’s already decided. Tim and I are getting jackets for our club.”
Silence.
“You know, ‘Adopted Sons of the Bat.’ What do you think?”
More silence.
Dick sighed. “Oooh-kay. Not in the
mood for jokes. Just wanted to give you a head’s up about Tim’s situation and tell
you I offered him a place in
Bruce swung around, his eyes ablaze. “You what?”
“Well, I heard the new kid is a real pain in the ass and might have a death wish for Tim,” Dick explained without a blink. “It’s just as a temporary fix if you need to split them apart for a little while.”
“So you offered my son to move out of here? That’s temporary?”
“He’s my brother, too, in case you’ve forgotten, and yes, to give you some time to tame the wild Damien. What do you expect to do? Neglect Tim while you bring Damien everywhere? How’s that going to make Tim feel? At least this way, I can take Tim off your hands for a while to help you.”
Standing, Bruce attempted to intimidate with his height, but it only caused Dick to smirk and cock an eyebrow.
“So, your idea of helping is splitting up the boys and not forcing them to get along?”
“Just until Damien gets over the idea of killing Tim, yeah.”
Bruce turned his back and hit a few keys on the computer. “If I remember correctly, you and Jason, as well as you and Tim, were able to work past your difference together.”
“Uh, if I remember correctly, which I think I do, Jason tried to punch my lights out three times during his gauntlet, and Tim worshiped the ground we walked on. Two very different situations and two very different outcomes.” Dick let out a sigh and raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t want to make you uneasy. I’m not trying to be difficult here. I’m just trying to help. I’m twenty-five now, not fifteen, so I can handle one or the other. Heck, if you’d rather I watch Damien, I can take some time off work and do that, too. Whatever. You just let me know, alright?”
He placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder and squeezed before heading upstairs.
“Dick?”
Dick turned. “Yeah?”
“If you think Damien has a problem with Tim and he’s not even my ‘heir,’ what do you think he’s going to try to do to you?”
A smirk curved onto Dick’s face. “Doesn’t matter, Bruce. I’m not his dad. I’m his older brother, which means I can hogtie him to the toilet and make him eat only powder breakfast drinks.”
Bruce looked up from the console. “You’ve done that to Tim?”
A shrug. “I can neither confirm nor deny the accusation. By the way, where is Damien?”
A sadness crossed Bruce’s face. “He’s with his mother.”
Oh. “…Sorry.” A pause. “Do you get visitation rights?”
Bruce shook his head. “I—I don’t know yet.”
A cocky smile crossed Dick’s features. “Well, if you do, give me a call. I want to meet my new baby brother, even if he is annoying.”
Taking only one stair, Dick turned when Bruce called him once more. “Yeah?”
Bruce’s eyes, worn and affectionate, met Dick’s forthwith. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Dick let a soft smile cross his lips. “If there is one person you don’t have to tell that to, it’s me, Bruce.”
“…Thanks.”
“No prob. After all, how can I go around being mad at the dad who brought me a Lamborghini for my next birthday?” Dick barely ducked the batarang aimed at his head and darted up the stairs. “Hey, if you didn’t want your kids finding out about their presents, then you shouldn’t have raised detectives.”
The End
A/N: Thanks to all who read, and I hope this puts in for chappie two of “Preserved.” Sadly, I can’t post it until I get permission. Therefore, I hope Ms. Ivy reads this, and if so, please *pretty* please, may I have permission to use “your gypsy” from Talia to Bruce? Thank you kindly for your consideration!
Dev