The final chapter. A nice little wrap up of a fun story. And as always I want to say thank you for everyone who's taken an interest in this little fic.
Jason and Bruce burst into the cave, anxiously relieved when they saw Alfred treating Tim. Bruce called Superman, knowing that he could get Tim to the Batcave for medical treatment quickly. While he did, they raced home. It was then that Jason realized that a few stitched around his stab wound had ripped open. He figure it happened while Tim was struggling, not that he blamed the kid. Jason knew he would have to apply pressure to the area until he got home.
As he stitched himself up, Jason observed Tim. He appeared stable, if unconscious, but Alfred was intently observing his readings. Tim's head was wrapped with a gauze, and it appeared that he was no longer bleeding. The only thing Jason couldn't confirm at face value was the Fear Toxin in his system. There was no telling if the antidote was still working or if it had purged the toxin completely.
"Is he going to be alright?" Jason asked.
"He should be." Alfred confirmed. "He might have a concussion, but we won't know if he does until he wakes up."
"And the fear toxin?"
"Again, we won't know until he wakes up."
"It'll be fine." Bruce tried to comfort. "He got the antidote about not too long ago, and with him being this young, it and the toxin should process quickly."
Jason approached where Tim was lying. Even though Tim seemed at ease, Jason knew it was only on the surface. There just had to be some trouble or misfortune beneath it. Jason gently placed a hand beside Tim's face and his thumb rested on his cheek.
"But he's hurt." Jason sighed. "And all because I could not stop that psycho from taking him. Who might I remind you planned all of this."
A hand weighed down on Jason's shoulder.
"I know," Bruce accepted, "but he's home now. That is what really matters." Bruce shuffled around his belt, pulling out a small vial. "This is the antidote that matters. The one that'll turn him back to normal."
"Will it cure his amnesia?" Jason inquired, not taking his eyes off of Tim.
"It should, but if not, I'm sure we can figure something out."
"Like a Lazarus Pit."
"Maybe."
Bruce stretched out, yawning. That was his way of trying to change the subject.
"I don't know about you, but I'm tired." Bruce stated. "I'm going to call it a night."
When Jason didn't respond, Bruce had a feeling as to what he was thinking.
"If you'd like you can stay with him for the night." Bruce suggested. "He's not going anywhere, and maybe it's better if you're here with your freshly opened injury."
Jason stayed silent, eyeing Tim as Alfred took a step away from them. He knew that Alfred deserved a break, and moving Tim to his room might not be the best option.
"I think I will." Jason agreed. "Stay here that is."
Small eyes began to open. Eyes wondered around the cave, trying to process everything. He realized he was in the Batcave, but as he inspected his surroundings, things began getting stranger. Looking at his body, he seemed smaller. Like he had shrank. And not only that, he was lying on something not so metallic with what seemed to be an arm draped over him.
Rolling around, derails became clearer. There was a jacket, a grey shirt, and a red emblem on the chest. A sleeping face revealed who it was. Jason. Jason's face twitched as he slowly began to wake up.
When he noticed that Tim was awake, Jason softly grinned. Seeing Tim awake was a relief. Jason slowly sat up, holding Tim close.
"You're okay." Jason sighed.
"What happened?" Tim asked.
Knowing that Tim was confused, having passed out on fear toxin, Jason knew he had to explain. And keeping Tim's phrasing was key. He set Tim on his lap so that he could look at him comfortably.
"The bad man got you." Jason reminded. "He hurt you really bad."
Tim's head tilted slightly in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Tim asked. "Bad man? I was fighting Poison Ivy."
Tim's eyes bounced back and forth as though confused by Jason's reminder. It was as though he wasn't taking the information. Jason figured it could have been damage from the fall or the toxin.
"You were taken by the man in green, remember?" Jason reminded.
Tim still seemed confused.
"I was dealing with Poison Ivy when she hit me with some sort of gas." Tim stated.
That one statement told a great story. A stunning revelation. Tim's memory was restored. Jason was overjoyed, glad that things were finally going right. He hugged Tim, who was still confused and now slightly annoyed.
"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Tim asked.
"You were… are… have been turned into a child and you're memory was wiped." Jason stated. "For the past month we've been trying to fix it and we just got you back from Ra's."
Tim didn't respond, processing what he was just told.
"I was starting to think that was a dream." Tim stated. "But looking at me now, I guess not."
Footsteps tapped, echoing through the cave. Looking up, they found Bruce coming down the stairs. When he noticed that they were awake, Bruce was relieved. And with how calm Tim was acting, he knew that the fear toxin was out of his system.
"How are we doing?" Bruce asked.
"His memory's back." Jason proudly replied, brushing a bang off of Tim's face.
Hearing that was a relief and a joy. Bruce sighed with relief as he sat next to them. He pulled out the antidote, resting it in his lap.
"That's a relief." Bruce admitted. "That makes the switch back that much easier." Bruce glanced at Tim. "Are you ready to be normal again?"
"Yeah." Tim admitted.
After ingesting the antidote, Tim was sentenced to his room. Jason sat in the bedroom while Tim was in the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes. Jason kept an ear out for any signs of pain or distress so that he could help him.
Jason was happy to know that this was finally coming to a close, but the silence got him thinking. With Tim going back to normal, things were going to change. Routines were going to change. And the small bouncing child was now going to be older and more mature.
The bathroom door open, pausing his train thought. Dressed in sweatpants and a red t-shirt, Tim stood before Jason as though nothing had happened.
"How are you feeling?" Jason asked.
"Good." Tim sighed with a small smile. "Tired, but good."
The adjustments were as unusual as Jason was reactive. And that was to say very. Every time it seemed like Tim needed help, Jason would react, only for Tim to be fine. When Tim tripped, he would catch himself. When he needed to reach something, he typically could. And Tim would go to sleep on his own. No story. No need to be tucked in. Nothing.
Tim was doing everything on his own only asking for assistance when need be. He was even back on patrol in a week. However, it wasn't without supervision, as Jason was lurking in the shadows. Watching him until he knew Tim was ready to go on his own.
The whole situation was unusual and proved just how used to the routine Jason was. He was so used to the child who needed his help and loved to stay by his side that he realized just how invested he was in Tim's transformation. So much so that he hadn't prepared himself for the inevitable change. Jason was happy that everything was back to normal, but Jason would be lying if he said he didn't miss Tim needing him.
It would be another few days before Jason let himself process it. He lied in bed thinking about the memories they had made. Memories that Tim either didn't want to talk about or weren't sure how to.
His door opened, causing Jason to twitch as the light hit him. Looking at it, he saw Tim in the doorway. His stance was tired, but anxious, and his face uncomfortable. Tim's hands were locked, but his thumbs twitched.
Jason recognized it almost immediately, knowing that the change had effected Tim too. He was troubled by something, and this was his way of saying that he needed Jason.
"Nightmare?" Jason asked.
Tim took a moment before nodding.
"About the bad man coming back to take you?"
Tim nodded again. Jason smirked, accepting Tim's silent cry for comfort. He shifted over a bit, making space for Tim.
"Come here." Jason offered.
Tim accepted the offer, taking the empty space. Jason covered Tim, who curled up to get comfortable. He glanced at Jason with weary eyes.
"Thank you Jason." Tim muttered. "For everything."
It may have seemed small, but that one little phrase was all Jason needed. Jason softly grinned at Tim.
"Anything for you Timmy." Jason replied.
I wanted it to end on a happier note with Tim remembering what his child self was comfortable with. I may want to do more Jason Tim fics. Maybe even a concluding oneshot for Prison Sentence and Bound.