Fill My Lungs | J. Todd ✔

[25] A Second Chance

After much contemplation, Jason decided to go to Gotham for that weekend. He had told Richard he would come to visit and then he had to talk to Tim too. Their last meetup hadn't been very pleasant and he wanted to sort things out with him.

However, as he returned to Gotham, he did not go directly to the Manor. After a long time, he wanted to revisit all those places that were important to him before his death. The theater, the Arcade, the museum, an old bookstore in Alleytown, and every other place he hadn't gone to for the past many years.

Before that day, he had only ever come to Gotham on missions but that was the first time he was there without any mission or vengeance weighing on his mind. And as he had some free time, he decided to revisit the city as he knew it before going to his family.

It was no surprise that the city of crime hadn't changed much. The theater was abandoned when he reached, no more performances were held there as it had been damaged sometime after Jay's death. It spoke of haunting loneliness as he entered the old building, the rafters where he once used to live staring down at him.

Coming back to the theater was like coming back to a part of his life that had been both good and bad.

Back then, life had been difficult but not yet tainted by the responsibilities of being a young vigilante. He had lived in the theater a long time ago when he hadn't had any other place to go. Then after he got adopted by Bruce and joined Gotham Academy, he revived the drama club and worked on the renovation and reuse of the building.

He had only gotten to perform two plays there before fate had to swoop in and change things in a heartbeat.

He died and it seemed eventually the theater died too. Perhaps no one else was interested in keeping it going.

He sat by the foot of the stage looking at the rows of empty chairs where once an audience used to sit, watching the performance and applauding. There was no applause right then, no soul to flutter in and watch him on the stage, reflecting on the performance of his own life.

He had played his part and met his end but for some unknown reason, he was given a second chance. The resurrection and the new life he had right then was a chance not many got after reaching the end of their stories. But there he was, standing in a previous chapter, looking ahead at all the blank pages he was slowly filling up with ink.

Not many people were given the chance he received and he would be a fool to waste it.

True, life was a lot different for him than earlier and he had struggled, still did, with the trauma Joker had inflicted upon him that night in Bosnia. But at least he was alive. He still had the ability to do as he pleased and was not stuck six feet under.

He still had people who called him family. 

He still had someone who loved him.

And as he stood up from that empty stage, he knew he had been lucky to receive that second chance even though it had come at a heavy cost. He wouldn't let that chance go to waste.

***

The bell rang and the gates of Gotham Academy parted, letting out swarms of students as they rushed to go to their homes. A line of vehicles was parked in front belonging to those who had come to pick the boys up, some had their own motorbikes or bicycles parked in the Academy's student parking lots.

Tim walked out slowly, thinking he would rather take the bus as Richard was busy at the GCPD headquarters and he had asked Alfred not to bother about picking him up for he would make it back home himself.

However, as he was crossing the visitor's parking lot, he heard a familiar voice and turned around in surprise.

"Where you off to, Replacement?"

Jason was leaning against his bike, the helmet placed over the fuel tank, and seeing him there, a slight smile flickered on Tim's face. "Jason, hi! What are you doing here?"

"And here I thought you would be at least a little surprised to see me here."

"That I am," Tim replied, blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight, "hence the question."

"Came to pick you up," he replied vaguely, giving him the helmet.

Tim knew that Alfred couldn't have sent Jason to pick him up but he accepted the helmet and got on behind him who started the engine of his motorbike. Though he couldn't help but blurt out the remark that was right on the tip of his tongue, "I can't help but think as if I'm being abducted."

"Close," he remarked as he pressed the accelerator, the bike speeding off into the distance.

Tim was thinking that Jason seemed to be in a good mood, a lot different from how he last remembered seeing him. He had still called him Replacement but there was no contempt in his tone and it did not make Tim feel belittled as it did otherwise.

Perhaps Jason was trying to soften toward him. The thought was nice although Tim knew he shouldn't dwell on it as there was very little chance of it being true.

But he was more shocked when Jason brought him to a coffee shop instead of taking him home.

"Here, you can order whatever you like. I am waiting outside," he gave him a card, gesturing to him to go in.

Tim paused, not knowing what was going on, "um, seriously?"

"Do I look like I made a joke?"

"Uh no, sorry. I... I will be right back," he gulped seeing the serious look on the elder brother's face, then took the card and vanished into the shop.

Jason controlled the urge to smile. It was somewhat amusing how terrified Tim got when he thought he had made Jason angry.

He was a good kid, perhaps too overachieving and self-sacrificial but still he was good at heart. A pure young soul that hadn't yet been tainted by the darkness Gotham enveloped its citizens in.

In a while, Tim came back holding two Frappes one of which he handed to Jason. He also gave him back the card.

"I don't know why you're being so generous today but I really appreciate this Jay," he mumbled as if testing the waters to see if Jason would get angry at him or not.

"I had been thinking about the last time we met," he spoke up, getting Tim's attention immediately, "I shouldn't have been so harsh on you."

"You weren't harsh," the boy shrugged, taking his seat on the bike behind him, "you gave me advice to stay out of trouble. That's something any elder brother would do." But then he paused, feeling as if he shouldn't have said that too soon as his cheeks flushed from embarrassment, "I mean... Never mind..."

"Timothy, I don't mind being an elder brother to you," Jason replied and Tim almost choked on his drink.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me, I am not repeating it," Jason said with a playful glint in his eyes, "hold tight."

"Wait, I am not finished yet," Tim panicked as Jason pressed on the accelerator without waning, making him almost drop the cup, "hey, that's not fair!"

"Your fault for being too trusting, Replacement."

He noticed again that there was no malice in the way he had addressed him. Perhaps Replacement was becoming a term of endearment rather than an insult for him. 

And so despite everything, a smile tugged up on Tim's face as well as he replied, "I will get you back for this, be warned."

"I would like to see you try," Jason teased, and deep down it felt as if a weight had lifted off his chest.

For the first time, he felt like he was making the right use of the second chance he had been given. Starting afresh with Tim on friendlier terms wasn't going to be a decision he would regret.

***