Yikes! I'm well overdue in adding another chapter! So many things happening I'm not going to bother explaining I'm just a grown woman writing a fic that is actually being read, well so be it here it is!
~~~~~~~

Chapter 9

It took some time, but Tim gradually regained trust in Dick. That wasn't an easy thing for him, especially with all the hugs he had to deal with and the constant hanging over Tim like a mother hen and her chick. It's like the guy thought Tim would float away. If only he could!

Timmy began to notice the Wayne occupants having offbeat behaviors at odd hours. It would seem normal for any other visitor just passing by, but Tim noted the patterns in these late night activities and past times. While writing in his journal, he even made comments about it with the times and places the residents had done things in the manor. Tim would notice Dick giving him a hasty goodnight hug after supper. He would hear Dick strenuously exercising in his bedroom on the floor for a few hours, then say in a loud voice: "Whelp, time for bed!" then shut his bedroom doors at exactly 9:00 pm. However, Tim could see a dim light under the door and the shuffling of papers was faintly heard in the back.

Jason would be in the corner of his own bedroom beating up his punching bag, and using various martial art techniques in quite outrageous combos. He was sloppy but at the same time accurate when he needed to be. It looked like Jason's index fingers were twitching at times, like pulling the trigger on a gun.

"Babybird, what are you still doing up?" asked Jason without looking away from his target, but still somehow knowing Tim was watching from the door.

"You and Dick work out late. Do both of you compete against each other?" asked Tim as he continued to watch Jason. It seemed like one of the few logical explanations that Tim could think of. Jason turned his head to the left, looking over at Tim with a slight smirk.

"I guess you could say pretty boy and I are rivals, in many things." It wasn't quite official yet, but Jason was going to be taking a different path, and both Jay and Bruce would be butting heads for a while. Bruce was aware of the costume change from Robin to Red Hood, he knew Jason wanted to have a different identity after being Robin for a few years. Meh, teenagers. (For once), Bruce absolutely had no idea in the weapons or equipment of choice. Jason was slick and never bought any sort of equipment unless it was a necessity.

~~~Another day~~~~

Bruce would rarely be seen after supper, and sometimes not all day. He would insist that he had a lot of work to do and that he needed to stay in his office to catch up on WE paperwork and updates. At times Timmy began to think that he was becoming more of a liability to his adoptive father rather than a son. He felt the need to do anything he could to help ease Bruce's workload. Even though they had Alfred, Tim would still beat Alfred to certain chores, and actually do it right. If Jason or Dick did any chores, they'd be done either sloppy, or not at all. Alfred had to carry Tim back to his room after finding him asleep with his head on the kitchen table that night. His light complexion was caked over in dust and grease. Tim's hands were dirty and worn with small cuts and scratches. Alfred tried to wake up Timmy so he could have him take a shower, but Tim was tuckered out, sleeping peacefully in Alfred's arms.

"Master Richard, do you have a moment?" asked Alfred as he spotted Dick peeking in his little brother's room. He couldn't find Timmy at all that day, but he had been looking in all the wrong places.

"Sure thing, is he okay?" asked Dick spotting Tim in Alfred's arms. Tim looked exhausted. Even with all the dirt on his face, dark circles were still visible under his eyes.

"I believe so, he just overworked himself. I have matters that I need to discuss with Master Bruce, do you mind cleaning Master Timothy up and tucking him in?"

"Not at all! I haven't seen my tiny Tim all day!" beamed Dick happily as he relieved Alfred of Tim, holding his new brother close to him.

~~~In Bruce's Study~~~

"Sir, I do believe that you may have to have a talk with young Master Timothy," Alfred's crisp voice advised in the study as Bruce looked up from his stack of papers, his eyes showing his Batman serious stare.

"What? Is he okay? I have Jason working on the-"

"Oh he's quite alright," cut in Alfred promptly. "He's as healthy as a horse, for now. Nevertheless, Master Tim seems to forget that I am employed here for a reason." Hearing this Bruce did his best to hold in a chuckle.

"Alfred, I won't fire you just because my son is doing some housework," smirked Bruce slightly. "You'd normally leap with joy if the boys cleaned up a mess they made."

"Very true sir. In this situation however, I fear that Master Timothy may be feeling guilty of being here and is trying to prove himself worthy of being your son."

"I see. So what sort of chores has he been doing?" asked Bruce as he raised an eyebrow while Alfred did his best to look professional while saying the list of chores, which were in fact more known as maintenance. After listening to Alfred list only a few things Bruce bolted up from his chair.

"You let him dust the chandelier by hand!? That's over 20 feet high!"

"Forgive me Master Bruce, but he was just finishing it when I came into the room. Had I known sooner I would have stopped him."

"Sorry Alfred, I didn't mean to bellow. I suppose… heh…I suppose he plowed the driveway by himself with the 4-wheeler and managed to equip it with the snowplow?" half joked Bruce as Alfred earnestly smiled a little. "Oh gawd, he did, didn't he?"

"That. And he went in the garage and changed the motor of the truck you were working on, sir." Awkward silence ensued in the realization that this boy was either really bored, or pleading for attention in being noticed. Bruce's eye twitched dangerously. He loved this kid, he really did, but hearing about the child doing that type of labor and trying to prove himself to Bruce, it was a migraine and a trip to the ER waiting to happen. In fact, how the hell did the kid know how to change a bloody motor?! It had to be lowered into the vehicle and even a full grown man had to be careful when doing this. Was Tim trying to get hurt? Did he crave attention from his new father?

"What is he doing now?" asked Bruce, worried that Tim was still working himself to death.

"I suspect still sleeping after being cleaned up by Master Richard." Bruce cocked an eyebrow as Alfred brushed it off. "He was covered head to toe in dirt."

"I'll have a talk with him tomorrow. I also need to talk to him about the next school semester."

"Indeed sir."

Bruce wanted to wait until the next semester to have Tim back in school. He would have to take a placement test to see how well, and if he should be held back. For the time being he was home-schooled by Alfred as well as Dick. Two weeks went by, and the same thing began to happen to Tim. The feeling of being lightheaded and losing his footing. It happened on Thursday 4pm again. This time Tim was in his room. He was going about his usual routine, writing in his journal and surfing the net. Timmy stood up to grab a book off his shelf when a migraine from out of nowhere sent Tim almost into shock as he felt the pain go from his skull and race down his spine. Call upon us child. Call upon us.

Sorry about the wait on this. I have been so busy but my love of Batman has not died! I promise. I didn't realize how many months went by either... this new job is trying to kill me lol. Review if you like, or if you have favorited or followed, I like those more! :)