November 25, 2014:
Babs gets to see Tim at the Batcave and check his recovery.
Batcave - Gotham City
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
A Dark Hold
Apocalypse: Only the Strong
Blood versus Family
Bones Of The City
Breaking the Universe
Cyberdata War: First Strike
Dangerous Esterikos Wonderous Mystikos
Dark Gods & Times
De Oppresso Liber
Demon Lord of New York
Diaz de Muertos
Don't Tell Thanos The Babysitter's Dead
Empire of Tears
Escape from Sakaar
From the Ashes
Gateway to the Stars
Genosha: Rebirth
God Of The Dead
Hacker, Sass-Mastah, Engineer, Spy
Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung Setzen
Mood Music: None.
Fade In…
I started to venture beyond everyone else's expectations… evidently I can't want anything. Ever." His lips purse. It seems unrelated to his living situation, but to Tim it's not.
***
Babs looks at Tim "It's a sad fact of being an adult, we can't have everything we want, but we should have something for ourselves…. You're tired and injured… I'll keep saying it, rest…."
***
"I don't want rest," Tim insists quietly. "I want…" he sighs. "I want something real." He presses a palm to his forehead. "I want out of the expectations, the rules, the secrets. I want something real, something mine, without the lies, deceit and distrust. I'm not even trusted. Not really. My judgment is eternally isn question, even when it's solid. I pushed the boundaries because I had to. No one listens to me when I'm just being honest and truth." He sighs again. "I want people to genuinely care. And not just when I'm laid up in a hospital bed or getting my ass handed to me as another message to Batman." His eyes close tightly, producing lines along his eyelids. "I want to be valued for me. Not Robin. I want Tim to have the life. I want — "
***
The hurt that Babs feels at those words, reflects in her eyes but she pushes it down. This is Tim responding to his situation. Taking a deep long breath, Babs lets it out again "What do want Tim?"
***
Tim emits a soft sigh and forces his eyes open. "Is it wrong to want any of that?" He watches Babs carefully as he poses the question. "And we won't talk about it because we don't," he yawns. "You're the only one who doesn't scold me for being me." His eyebrows draw together. "Everyone else doesn't seem to appreciate it. And believe me, I know Dick cares, but he's got that temper. And on some level, I'm pretty sure Bruce cares, but… I'm coming to terms with my life and it's not what I thought it was. Not in any way."
***
"It's not wrong to want any of that, Tim… but why don't you lie down while we talk." Babs keeps her voice low and soothing "I don't scold" there's a small smile "because that's not me and you don't need it." Sighing a little "We all care in our own way though, it's different for each of us. Speaking of Dicks temper, if lie down I'll tell you about the ''date'' Dick took me out on…"
***
"I don't think I need it," he agrees. "I don't feel like I deserve to be reprimanded or yelled at for doing what I do. I'm trying to keep things together. I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to… it's hard." The teen relents and shuffles down from his sitting position to a lie down position, if only to get the gossip because Tim likes gossip. He sits up for a second, prompting a groan thanks to his broken ribs, to adjust his pillow and then he lies back down. "Tell me about your date." Because that's why he laid down.
***
"So don't keep things together while you're here. Alfred won't mind… and I can always be here when you need me." Babs says as she watches the teen lie down. Moving closer, she brushes his hair back from his forehead… a gesture of affection and then moves back. "Well, Dick asked me out and I agreed to go for coffee with him. We got to speaking about what's going on and I mentioned Batwing… which set him right off. His temper rather got the better of him… and I left." Babs shrugs…
***
"But here I'm Robin," Tim counters. "Robin doesn't fall apart. Robin can get shot, stabbed, kicked, punched, gassed, almost drowned, manipulated, and he can keep it together. He has to keep it together." The touch, however, seems to melt away some of Tim's defences, and his eyes lid again. The bit about Dick is with a faint shake of Tim's head. "Secrets sort do that to people. They go ballistic very quickly." He sucks on the inside of his cheek, and his lips part only to close again. "Very quickly."
***
Babs touches Tims forehead again, gently… "Well, once you're recovered enough, come stay with me… no judgement, I want you to be safe." listening to his reasoning, Babs nods "Maybe, but I didn't like being held to blame… it's not what I would call an ideal date…"
***
"You make things work," Tim murmurs quietly. "And you do a good job of it." There's a flicker of a smile. "I think that's why you're held to blame. It's not fair. But then I don't think everyone's distrust of me is either. I didn't earn that. You didn't earn this."
"I appreciate you. And stuff." He's getting sleepy. It's showing. "And maybe moving in would be good. Space or something." The touch relaxes him further and his eyes drift closed. "Babs?" he swallows hard. "Last month Keith kissed me." There's a pause. "I didn't hate it. I mean. It didn't mean anything — he was just trying to pull me out of a stupor of sorts… " Tim's fingers lift slightly off the bed. "I was with Steph. He's with Gar. But. I didn't hate it." His eyes squeeze tighter and his head shakes. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
***
"Mmmmm, " Babs keeps her voice low "well that sort of thing, you can think about when you're healed. Kisses mean all sorts of things…" Keeping the touch on his forehead light Babs just talks "What would you like to hear about next, swimming with Dolphins or a bonfire on the beach with the Queen Atlantis… Don't worry, I'll tell you both… dolphins first…" Her voice is maintained at a murmur…
***
Tim mmms in turn. His eyes are so heavy that he doesn't request a story, just letting the redhead choose whatever she wants to tell. There's vulnerability in being taken care of; it's disarming. And just as the Boy Wonder begins to drift off to sleep he murmurs drowsily. "Don't leave…." evidently he wants her to stay. "…ever'one leaves." His breathing slows, and in short order he's drifted off to sleep.
***
And Babs doesn't leave, she'll stay by his side. Pulling her tablet from the arm of her chair, she checks into the Clocktower systems…
"Sorry to take so long Miss Gordon, here's your tea" Alfred says as he returns. "Oh good, he's sleeping. How long will you be staying?"
Babs looks up at Alfred with a smile "Thank you Alfred, the tea is welcome. I'll stay till he wakes up, he asked me not to leave, I think that's important right now."
"Very good, Miss Gordon, I'll organise some food for you. You're always a welcome guest here." And Alfred slips out quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping teen.