Author's Notes: Here's the deal. I was getting hit left and right with snippets from Tim's training/life as Robin. I soon realized that they could be organized in such a way to mark progress. And so this piece was born.

The premise is following two years of Tim's training. As a comic-continuity note: Technically, Tim could have been considered to train for a little over a year with Bruce. This includes the time he spent with Dick, "training to be a partner," but not his time abroad. So, as you can gather this piece is more AU than not (thanks to those who answered my inquires about the timeline).

It was a lot of fun to write though. Posting should be about twice a week until all 24 are up.

Just as a last note, each month should be just about 500 words (I figure I had to constrict myself somehow) except for the last one, which is about a thousand. Really, you can count 'em. :-)

Do enjoy. And FB is great.

………

24 Months

………

Sixty-three million, seventy-two thousand seconds

One million, fifty-one thousand and two hundred minutes

Seventy thousand, five hundred and twenty hours

Seven hundred and thirty days

Twenty-four months

Two years…

For the birth of a Robin.

………

Calm of Mind

September

Tim wasn't sure how training with Bruce was going to work, but this certainly wasn't what he expected. At the oh so very early hour of 5:30, Tim made his way to the Manor. Alfred had let him in with a welcoming smile and told the boy that Master Bruce was in the study. The teenager felt his anxiety build as he walked closer to the room. This was his first official day training to be Robin. Would he get the handle a bat-a-rang? Would get to see the Cave? Would he make a good impression on Bruce? All these questions swam in the teenager's brain and with a shaking hand, he opened the door. Bruce sat in an over-sized chair and didn't offer any greeting other than to tell Tim to sit cross-legged on the floor and not to move. With a fair amount of confusion, the teenager did as he was told. Moments later Bruce got up and left.

For three hours Tim sat wondering what on earth he was suppose to do. He didn't rise though very quickly he found his mind wandering. It wandered to thoughts of his mother and father, he thought about Bruce's parents and even Dick's and what impact the death of a parent seemed to have on each of them and their quest to be vigilantes. He thought about Jason (a lot about Jason) and, lastly, Tim thought about what Robin meant to him.

After a while, Tim's brain began to move away from those rather over-powering thoughts and wander more readily to the 'when would Bruce get back?' line of questioning. Minutes began to drag ever so slowly to the teenager and he felt himself get antsy. He began to tap his foot and twiddle his fingers in boredom. Two more hours passed, during which time Tim played numerous word association games in his head, and finally he reach the point where had to relieve himself. As quietly as possible, he snuck out of the study and, upon returning to the room, he saw Bruce sitting in the chair he had occupied five hours before. The teenager looked guilty at his mentor and opened his mouth to speak, but Bruce beat him to it.

"Patience is the first lesson. Without it you are nothing more than a risk every time you're out on the streets."

With that Bruce rose and left the room. Tim watched him go and then turned himself back around. Feeling like a failure only five hours into his training, the young boy felt at a loss what to do. So, he did the only thing he could think of.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh, Tim lowered himself back onto the ground. He crossed his legs, rested his hands atop his knees and closed his eyes. His breathing became deep and his heart rate slowed which each passing minute.

Eight hours later, Bruce came back to get him.

Tim hadn't move.