Family Ties : A Batfamily Story

Chapter 52

POV Robyn

Leaving the manor, I feel a new sense of dread hanging over me. Roy seems to feel it too as we avoid eyes, dragging Jason but to our beat-up van parked at the end of the manor's long and curving driveway. The raven-haired boy's boots drag against the gravel as he leans heavily on Roy's shoulder, nursing his bleeding lip with a stolen napkin. He every now and then he removes the cloth to check the ever-growing red stain with an annoyed look.

"I can't believe he hit me." He mumbles, putting the napkin back to his lip.

Roy shakes his head, "After what you said, I'm surprised he didn't stab you."

I can tell how mad Roy is, though I'm sure Jason is oblivious to it. The way he rolls his eyes when Jason trips on a peculiarly large pebble or winces at his new bruises.

He has a right to be mad, though. After all, this was just supposed to be a friendly family dinner, awkward at best. Not a "let's get wasted and tell everyone who've slept with" party, if those even exist. I don't know if I'm mad or not. I guess I can figure that out as soon as we are home, safe in our apartment and away from trained assassin brothers.

"I'm sorry, sis,"

"Hmm," I look over Jason, who stares back at me with sunken eyes.

"I-ah, I ruined your birthday party," He admits, the first logical thing he has said all night. "I'm sorry,"

I offer him a small smile. "It's okay-"

"-It's not though," Roy interrupts me, casting Jason a scornful glare. "Talia, Jay, serious? The chick is crazy, with an even crazier son! I know you were going through some rough shit but that's just fucked."

"Fuck you," Jason says, clearly not wanting to talk about.

The archer just shakes his head again and carries on towards the car.

As we get to the van, Roy dumps Jason in the back, throwing a half-stained pillow after him. Jason murmurs a quick thank you before promptly passing out, soft snores escaping his parted lips. Roy closed the sliding van door with a tired sigh before climbing into the driver seat and starting up the van. I sit cross-legged in shotgun, looking out the tinted windows at the passing scenery as we merge onto to the quiet highway. I cast the occasional glance over my shoulder at Jason whenever he gets quite. Just to make sure he's okay. Roy notices this after awhile a speaks up.

"He's a special kind of something, ain't he?"

I laugh, "That's one way to put it,"

"I'm sorry that tonight didn't go as planned. I know you haven't ever really had a birthday with us and I, I just wanted to make sure it was a good one." He says, looking from me to the road.

"It's okay, really," I shrug, curling deeper into the rough fabric of the seat. "Honestly, I would have just been happy with a cake and a song."

"Is it too late for that?"

I smile, "No, it's never too late."

POV Tim

I can't, I can't, I can't.

That didn't just happen, I lie to myself, tears streaming down my cheeks, nails digging into my palms. Jason didn't just do that. My Jason. I trusted him. Sure, I was drunk, and emotional, and horny, but I trusted him. I let him into my life, my body, and he tells everyone; not just Dick, or Babs, but Bruce. He is never gonna look at me the same. None of them are.

Why? He was drunk, he didn't mean it. But he said it, he said it in front of all of them. He said it like it was nothing. Like I was just a flirt. Is that what I am to him? Just a toy that he can play with whenever he is lonely. But he wanted to be your boyfriend, he opened up to you. He wanted something with you. Was that all a lie?

Fuck, why can't I just hit reverse? I know, I know, I've said it before, but I actually fucking mean it now. Please, let me just go back thirty minutes. Just far enough so I can stop him before he even opens his mouth, before he can let it slip like some schoolgirl rumor. Before he can ruin my life with one sentence.

This is it, I think, It's over for me.

Another wave of tears pours onto my cheeks as I clutch my shaking knees.

"It's okay, it's okay," I mumble to myself between rapid breaths. "Just calm down, calm down,"

I just need to stop crying. Clean myself up a bit maybe. Then I can figure out what to do.

Thank god Bruce beat breathing techniques into me for years. It only takes a few minutes more of sobbing my eyes out till I can find the composure to wipe the tears from my puffy eyes. Dragging myself to my bathroom, I squint my eyes through the tears to see my reflection in the mirror. Fuck, what am I going to do?

I could run away, like Robyn did. Leave a note and head for...I don't even know. Metropolis maybe? Hideout in Conner's room until I find the strength to face my family again. Conner would let me stay there as long as I need, though if Clark found out he would for sure send me back to Gotham. Not to mention that would be the first place Bruce would look for me.

I just know that I can be here. Not with everyone in this family on the verge of either killing me or sending me away to boarding school. Maybe that wouldn't be so awful though.

Splashing water on my face, my heart stops pounding in my ears. My throat clears and my eyes are dry, though my face is still red and puffy. I just need to be somewhere else, permanent or not. I could find one of Bruce's penthouses to crash and stay there for the night. I just need to find a way to sneak out.

It will only be a matter of time til Dick and Babs are done fight downstairs and come to kick down my door. I have ten minutes at most. Bruce has probably left in the batmobile by now, as he does anytime something mildly emotional happens. Damian must be out as well, I couldn't imagine he would like to stick around after the news of Jason and his mother. God, I wish I could just forget about that.

Getting to the bat cave is out of the question with Dick and Babs still in the house, which means that I won't have any equipment to help me. Nor will I have a suite. So basically, pray. If I could just leave through the bat cave, it would make it that much easier. But since that is out of the picture, I'm going to have to go through my window. With my Red Robin gear I could do it in five minutes, however, without it I have a fifty-fifty chance of not triggering any alarms or catching any unwanted attention.

But before I can even begin to plan my rushed escape, there is a knock on my door. It's sharp and short, the kind that Babs always does. My blood goes cold as I freeze like a statue. 

"Tim?" She calls, her voice hoarse from her recent yelling match with Dick. "Timmy, I know you're in there."

I don't know what to do. Reply? I couldn't even if I wanted to. What would I even say? Go away please so I can run away. 

"It's okay, Tim, I just wanna talk."

Somehow I don't believe her, but still, I find my legs moving me forward towards the door. My hand trembles over the doorknob for a second before I pull away.

"I'm listening," I force the words through my throat, rough and quiet.

She pauses but knows better than to argue. "I, I want you to know that no matter what, we still are here for you. You are our brother, and we love you."

"Even Bruce?"

"He's your father, Timmy." She says sweetly, "Of course he loves you. Listen, I know you, and I know you must be wanting to run away right now, but please don't. We need you here, you need to be here."

I lean against the door, "Why, it's all true. I, I slept with him. He is your brother and I slept with him."

"Tim, I-" She stops herself before she can finish. "We can talk about it later, okay, Timmy? Just please don't go anywhere. Promise?"

She mad, I know she's mad. If it's wasn't for her restraint she would be ripping me apart right now.

"I'll see you in the morning," I say, walking away from the door.

Though I can't see her, I know that she smiles. 

"Okay, Timmy, goodnight."

I don't answer. Instead, I just walk to my bed and crashed.