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“Why do you have ‘Punch Talia and Ra’s al Ghul in the face’ listed as one of your goals?”
“Because they deserve it, baby bird.” Jason kicks his feet up onto the coffee table and watches as his little brother scrolls through the file on his laptop, studying his detailed plans. “Talia screwed me and Damian up, and Ra’s is a creep.”
“Oh, okay then. But you still want to find Cass first, right?” Jason hasn’t told Tim the details, but he has made it clear just how horribly David Cain treated his daughter. He hasn’t added the murderous aspects of that particular plan to the list, though. He figures Cain is too far in the shadows for even Bruce to notice if he goes missing, and Tim doesn’t need to know. Besides, finding Cass is the priority.
When Tim’s phone rings a moment later, Jason’s blood runs cold. The only people who would call him are his parents, and they’d only ever call for two reasons: either they’re extending their trip, or they’re coming back. Tim’s paling face answers Jason’s question before he can even ask it, and he readily accepts the hug Tim flings at him the moment he hangs up. Tim holds onto him like a drowning man clinging to a liferaft. Jason hugs him tightly and murmurs soothing words, old phrases he remembers Catherine or Bruce using when he’d had nightmares as a kid.
“It’s only ‘til they leave again,'' Jason says softly. “You’re stuck with me now, Timmy, and you won’t be alone anymore, promise. And you have my number, kiddo. Call me whenever you want, for anything.”
“You won’t leave me alone? After they go away again?” Tim’s voice sounds choked with tears, but his face is hidden where it’s pressed against Jason’s shirt.
“Course not. Plus Little Jay needs the two of us to keep him sane, yeah?” Tim sniffles but nods, and Jason feels him relax a little. Jason runs a hand through Tim’s hair, smiling despite himself when Tim snuggles a tiny bit closer. “How else can I help, baby bird?”
“There’s nothing to help, Jay,” Tim says miserably. “They’ll be here for a few days, make me attend some sort of stupid society event, and then they’ll leave again.”
“A society event?” Jason asks, humming as an idea dawns on him. He uses his free hand to reach for his phone, dialing the cell number he remembers having at age fifteen. “Hang on a sec, Timbit.” He presses the phone to his ear and goes back to carding his fingers through Tim’s hair in soothing motions. His younger self answers after a few rings. “Hey mini-me, gotta question for you.”
“Oh, hey,” Jay says, sounding surprised to hear from him. “What’s the problem?”
“Is B making you go with him to whatever event’s going on this weekend?” Little Jay groans over the line, and Jason takes that to mean yes. “Excellent. Do me a favor, and keep an eye on Timmy? His folks are coming back to town, and he could use the company.”
“Wait, what’s up with his folks?” Jay’s voice snaps into concern in an instant, and Jason grins at the change. Tim definitely deserves to have as many people in his corner as possible.
“They’re away too much,” Jason replies, not bothering to hide his disdain as he speaks. Tim already knows how he feels about the Drakes. “They leave him alone for months at a time. That’s why I took him in. He’s gotta go back for a few days, though.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep him company,” Jay promises. “Can I talk to him?”
Jason passes the phone to Tim, who looks thrilled to be talking to Robin again. It’s still a novelty to him, even though he literally lives with an older version of Jason Todd. At least the conversation seems to cheer him up, because he’s smiling broadly by the time he hangs up the phone. Jason helps him pack a bag, listening to him chatter all the while, and by the time they head downstairs to get Jason’s bike, Tim seems completely unbothered by his parents’ homecoming. He’s too distracted by the idea of spending more time with his new friend.
Jason drives him back to the house—thankful the lights are still dark and the Drakes aren’t home yet—and gives Tim a hug goodbye. Tim waves after unlocking the door, and Jason returns the gesture, promising to check in soon.
He drives off once Tim’s safely inside, but rather than head back to his apartment, he heads toward an address outside Gotham’s city limits, an old, rundown cabin in the middle of the woods. It’s been abandoned for years, according to his research, and if this world is similar enough to his own, Cass will be taking shelter there for a little while before she moves on in her aimless wandering.
Jason parks far enough away to mask his arrival. She’ll be skittish, and he doesn’t want to scare her off before he can talk to her. His approach to the cabin is silent, but he’s polite enough to knock on the door. He hopes she’ll be willing to listen to him.
A curtain rustles, and Jason pretends not to see. He stands patiently, waiting for her to either let him in or to do nothing. If she doesn’t open the door, he’ll leave, but he knows Cass will be able to read him well enough to know he won’t hurt her. So, he waits, listening to his heartbeat and the rustle of leaves overhead. A floorboard creaks, and a moment later, the door opens a sliver.
“Hi Cass,” Jason says, keeping his voice soft and open. She won’t understand the words just yet, but he’s promised himself he’ll be patient with her. “I’m Jason, and I know you’re probably pretty lonely right now. I wanna help. I’ve gotta real sweet kid brother, and he’s pretty lonely, too. I think the two of you will get along really well, and you deserve better than what you've got.”
He wants to keep talking, to fill the silence and replace his nerves with sound. He fights the words back, waiting for her to respond at her own pace, in her own way. Jason wonders what she sees when she looks at him: the Red Hood, scourge of Gotham’s underworld or Jason Todd, someone trying to make things a little better for the family he hasn’t yet broken.
The door opens fully, and Cass steps out, the light from inside the cabin spilling out onto the porch. She smiles at him, hesitant and somehow soft against the stark edges of her gaunt face. She already has a ragged backpack in hand, and she turns off the light behind her, nodding toward Jason and closing the door. She rests a hand against the rough wood, as though thanking the cabin for its hospitality. She nods, and Jason leads the way back to his bike.
The ride back into Gotham goes by quickly, and once Jason parks in the garage underneath his apartment building, he and Cass walk up the old stairwell to his floor. Jason hums a tune under his breath as he fishes his keys out of his pocket and unlocks the door. Cass goes in first, studying the space with a curious eye. Jason lets her explore as he starts making some food for her. She comes back to the kitchen a few minutes later and settles in one of the rickety chairs to watch him cook.
“Tim—my little brother—won’t be back home ‘til his parents leave Gotham again in a few days, but I’m gonna talk to him in a little while, if you wanna let him introduce himself,'' Jason says. “Might be nice to let the two of you get acquainted, anyways.” He smiles over his shoulder. “I think you’ll like him. What do you think?” He doesn’t expect an answer from her, but her smile and the warmth in her brown eyes is enough for him.
Jason sets down a steaming plate of stir fry and starts to clean the kitchen. He wants to give her space, knowing how wary she has to be and how much trust she’s putting in him right now. Just as he finishes drying the last dish in the sink, his phone rings. Cass startles at the noise, but her surprise is quickly overshadowed by her curiosity. Jason answers the phone and grins widely at the sound of Tim’s voice greeting him.
“Heya Timmy,” he greets. “Wanna introduce yourself to our new sister?”
“You found Cass?” Tim practically shouts. “Put me on speaker, Jay. I want to say hi!” Jason laughs and does as Tim asks, and a moment later, Tim’s magnified voice carries through the room. “Hi Cass, Jason told me he found you. I’m really glad! I’m Tim, and I’m Jason’s little brother, and I guess that means I’m your little brother now, too. If you want me to be, that is. I mean, I’m super excited Jason found you, because that means you’ll have somewhere safe to stay, and Jason is really nice, but you don’t have to want to be a big sister. Oh wait, Jay, am I talking too much?”
“No way,” Jason says, knowing he’s smiling that stupid, dopey ‘my little brother is adorable’ smile. “I’m happy to hear from you, Timbers.” He glances up, raising a brow at Cass to ask if she’s alright with the conversation continuing. She nods, mirroring his smile—though it’s definitely less goofy-looking on her. “We both are.”