FicWad

Bruce had regretfully called it a night. After searching into the early hours of the morning and finding nothing he was exhausted. He knew that Barbara was too so they made an agreement to resume the search the next night. Once he had showered and changed into pajamas, he was just about to crawl into bed when his phone rang. He was half-tempted to let Alfred get it but he thought (hoped) that it was the commissioner saying that they had found Tim and that he was all right. The paternal part of Bruce's brain wanted to insist that this was completely plausible. But the more rational part of his brain realized that if anything, it was the commissioner telling him that they found the body. His hand was shaky as he picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He tried to control the quiver in his voice.

"Bruce, it's Dick. I have a question for you. Where's Tim?"

Bruce put a hand over his head and ran it through his hair. It figured that the one that he had been trying to hide this from, was the one that found something. He took a deep breath. "I don't know."

Dick nodded even though he knew that Bruce couldn't see it. "I only asked because I have a kid in my apartment that looks a lot like Tim."

Bruce was worried. There was something in Dick's voice that told him that something was terribly wrong. "What do you mean?"

Dick hesitated and looked at the boy sleeping on his couch. He watched as the boys features tightened and he curled into a ball, whimpering. He couldn't fathom what the child had been through. He didn't want to torture Bruce. Yes, he was angry about not being told that Robin was missing but he knew that Bruce would already blame himself for what happened. No need to mock his pain. "I think that it would be best if you just came over."

Bruce bit his lip in worry. "Okay, I'll be right there." Bruce hung up the phone and sliding his body out of the security of the covers. He quickly dressed in a black button down shirt and a pair of jeans. All he could think of was the mutilated condition that Robin's body was probably in. By the time he reached Dick's he was shaky and he was sure that he was going to vomit. But on the outside he appeared eerily calm. He had to be. Tim deserved that much.

Dick led him inside the house. "He's in the living room. He's alive but he hasn't said anything. He's not responding to his name."

Bruce walked into the living room. He gasped at what he saw. He guessed that The Joker had had the last laugh. He had killed Robin but he also destroyed Tim in the process. "Tim?" There was no response. "On the floor of his 'room' he had scribbled the initials J.J."

Tim looked up. He gathered his knees to his chest and started to rock back and forth. Despite that his eyes were side he was laughing. The laugh sounded a lot like The Joker's. It took every ounce of self-control that Dick had not to cover his ears with his hands.

"J.J.?" Bruce didn't like the way it sounded. To his disappointment Tim looked up. As Bruce looked at Tim he realized that everything he had stood for was gone. He doubted that Tim would ever be able to function as a normal human being.

Dick looked at his guardian. He knew Bruce well enough and long enough to know when he was beating himself up. This was definitely one of those times. Dick grabbed Bruce by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen. "You can't do this. He needs you."

Bruce looked into the concerned eyes of his ex-ward. "I know but it's over. He's won. I thought that I had trained him to be invincible; or at the very least to take care of himself. And looked what happened. I'm done with partners."

Dick shook his head. "He knew the risks the moment he put on the mask. We all did. And if you remember, after I quit he sought Batman out! I think that he was more aware of the risks then you think."

Bruce seemed to consider that before going back into the living room. He watched as Tim (ever mindful of his surroundings) carefully got out of his sitting position and cautiously checked out the room. He noted that he stayed away from the walls, windows and doors. "J.J."

The boy looked at him, his head cocked to one side, eyes wide and for a split second panic overtook his features before the grin returns and he giggles.

Bruce took a deep breath. The fact that he had been panicked, was able to panic, showed that he was semi-aware of his surroundings. Tim Drake was in there; he just needed to find a way to reach him. He held out his hand. "Come on J.J. Let's go home."