Chapter Text
Tim would like to say that for the record this was not his fault. He didn’t think that one simple favor could have led to all that was unraveling. And he was not ready for the implications.
He thought back to when it all admittedly had started, about a month ago. If things had gone different, then maybe he and his brothers wouldn’t be in this predicament.
------
A month ago
“You know I can carry that right?” Tim said a bit snarkily but there was no bite. He had arrived early to Gotham Academy and had been met with a surprise. There was a young girl, around his age and a bit taller than him next to him. She didn’t wear the Gotham Academy uniform, but she wore clothes that would be deemed expensive. A nice skater skirt with net tights under, and some nice black shoes, an expensive sweater and shirt. Her brown hair reached her shoulders and was curled, decorated with golden hair charms. Her light brown eyes were decorated by the bright makeup she wore with face jewels surrounding them. A nice bag was on her shoulder.
She was holding onto his backpack as she walked on the side of the road. “ I can carry that you know” -- she mimicked him as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, you’re the epitome of put together” She teased him as he glared at her but she didn’t seem fazed.
“You act like I didn’t just see you walk into the wall and apologize to it” She gave him a pointed look. Tim frowned as he was about to protest as they neared the gate before she held her hand up to stop him and he did.
“Dude, are they feeding you?” She asked as she walked around him looking over him. “And why are your eyebags carrying eyebags?” She said as she grabbed his chin examining his face. He didn’t say anything as she looked him over with a frown on her face.
“You look like you’re about to keel over,” She said, letting him go. “I thought you said you guys had a butler or something” She said as she rummaged through her bag before getting out what looked like a protein bar and opened it and shoved it at him. If he didn’t take it he knew she would shove it down his throat.
“That should give you some energy for today--” She said as she grabbed her phone out of her pocket. “I’m ordering more of these, and some sleeping pills, because you look like you got run over by a truck” She shook her head in disappointment.
“You don’t have to-” Tim tried but was cut of by her stare.
“You said ‘Cece I’m doing fine, the epitome of healthy’ and I get here and I’m greeted with a very rich rendition of the living mummy, with admittedly better taste in fashion, as my best friend” She said causing Tim to shout indignantly but she lightly shoved him.
“I go for a while and my friend becomes a liar” She shook her head in mock disappointment. Tim rolled his eyes lightly, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Lies, all lies, ‘I’m getting enough sleep Cece’ yeah right say that to your eyebags” She shook her head again as she brought her hands to her eyes.
“What other lies have you told me T?” Her voice cracked and he could see the tears in her eyes and he began to panic.
“Hey-- hey, I’m sorry” He panicked as he put his hand up in a calming motion as he apologized for her for a couple of seconds before a laugh rang out.
“Haha, haha” Cece laughed as she gave him a smile. “You’re still the same Tim-- haha” She said as she smiled at him. He sighed exasperated as he whacked her playfully on the shoulder causing her to snort. She used to do that, fake cry because she knew he had no idea what to do.
“Even your slap was weak, come on, put some force in it Tim” She challenged, and he was being baited, he knew he was but he still fell for it. Which is why it ended with him being manhandled by Cece, him thrown over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he embarrassingly asked her to put him down as more kids began arriving.
“Sup” Cece told some of them, like this was a common occurrence.
“Is Tim being kidnapped by a pretty girl?” A dark skinned male spoke to the blonde female next to him. They wore the Gotham Academy uniform and were looking at the scene of Cece adjusting Tim over her neck, like wrestlers sometimes do. Tim’s hands were on his face, clearly embarrassed.
It took a few seconds before Cece spotted them. “Hello,” She said with an innocent smile on her face, like it was normal to lift someone like Tim. Stepanie stared at her then at Tim who hadn’t stopped covering his face.
“Tim you okay?” Duke hesitantly asked, causing Tim to let go of his face and offering an embarrassed nod. As soon as she heard the male say Tim’s name, Cece smiled at them.
“TimTim, are these your friends?” She asked as she put him down, a hand on his shoulder as he nodded a bit embarrassed at the nickname.
“Atta Tim!”She said as she clapped her hand on his shoulder causing him to stumble a bit groaning.
“Hello! My name is Cece!” She said as she held her hand out to shake, “Nice to meet you all. I’m so glad Tim didn’t become a social outcast” She said as Stephanie and Duke introduced themselves.
“I’m Stephanie Brown, Tim’s ex” The blonde girl said, causing Tim to tense a bit as he glanced at Cece to see her reaction, but she just nodded a smile on her face.
“Nice to meet you,” She said as she shook the blonde's hand.
“I’m Duke Thomas-Wayne, pleasure to meet you” Duke said, stuttering a bit as she smiled at him.
“Ah a Wayne, pleasure is all mine” Letting go of his hand.
“Who are you?” Stephanie asked, and Cece seemed to get the hint, she wanted to know the relationship she had with Tim. Cece just smiled, shrugging a bit.
“No one important really, I’ve known Timothy,” Tim grimaced at his full name. “For a while now, though I did go study abroad in Asia for a couple of years, and then to South America to learn to live sustainably or something, I don’t really know why” She waved her hand.
“The plane landed early in the morning so I thought it was good to surprise Timothy here to let him know I was here” She said as she handed him his bag.
“What do you mean you don’t know why you were sent to South America?” Stephanie asked curiously as Tim shook his head at her lightly warning her not to ask.
“Ah-- yeah that. It’s actually funny. So like-” She started as Tim tried to change the topic.
“Are you enrolling in the Academy?” He asked, but she didn’t answer him and bulldozed over with her answer, giving him a smile. And his shoulders slumped.
“Like, Timothy’s Dad didn’t really like a ‘delinquent’” She air quoted and snorted a bit. “Like me hanging around his heir. So he warned me about hanging out with Timothy and how there would be consequences, like rich people shit you know” She made a ‘what are you gonna do’ gesture. “I admittedly did not take him seriously. And kept hanging out with him” She pointed at Tim.
“And things would have been fine if I hadn’t been in the wrong place, wrong type of situation. A clothing store that I was passing by had gotten robbed by two kids my age at the time, a girl and a boy. The girl had a hat and glasses, but she had brown hair like me and we were wearing relatively the same attire, a sweater and jeans. So when they ran out they were coming at me, and the girl in a last ditch effort to avoid the cops shoved some of the stolen goods in my arms and the owner of the clothing store said it was me” She said with a smile on her face.
“Cops didn’t believe me when I denied that I didn’t do it, that I would have to sell an organ to even think about getting hands on the clothes. Got sent to the police station because who was going to believe alley trash like me” She shrugged a bit as Tim looked down at the ground in shame.
“Due to them being overflowing with worse criminals than me, they let me go after a couple of days, but now I had a record” She twirled some of her hair with her finger.
“Told Timothy about it when we met up, and then we went to his home, and we didn’t expect his parents to come home early, ya know” She sighed, like she was reminiscing about good times. “When his dad saw me, he just kinda went nuts, like rich people nuts. Started saying shit like how alley trash like me shouldn’t be near him, how I would amount to nothing, how I was only friends with Timothy for his money. Telling him that as soon as I got sick of him I would vanish or some shit like that. And like I didn’t let him get away with shit talking Timothy. So I told him off and cussed him out.” She giggled a bit. “The look on his face was priceless, but then he called the cops saying how I was trying to rob him. And I got sent back to jail.”
“What the-” Duke started but Cece continued. “Tim’s dad filed all sorts of protective orders against me, banning me from entering his home, and went through every possible avenue to keep me away from him. I had to leave Gotham, and so I was like. Let’s travel the world---” She said. “And I did, but it was expensive” She frowned a bit, shaking her head.
“But hey Timothy your dad was right about one thing” Tim looked at her. “I am a bit of a kleptomaniac I guess” She smiled before turning to the two. “When they were dragging me out of the Drake Manor I took one of their expensive watches--- and sold it. It paid for the one way ticket, and from there it’s history”
“Timothy’s father as soon as I was out of Asia, I don’t know how, but he managed to divert any flight to the U.S and I was stranded in Mexico” She frowned a bit before laughing.
“I had like a straight up ban on the U.S by the Drakes because I was friends with him” She pointed at Tim. Stephanie and Duke stared at her, their mouths opened in surprise.
“Is that where you came from? Mexico?” Stephanie asked, causing her to shake her head.
“I accidentally booked a flight to Nevada, got stranded there for a couple of days before booking a flight here” She said, causing them to nod.
“But the flight was delayed due to someone trying to hijack the plane. But eventually the situation was sorted and I’m here” She smiled.
As soon as she finished she glanced at the phone in her hand and looked at the time.
“Well I’m gonna go. I need to unpack and get some documents in order” She smiled as she waved to them goodbye and began to walk away.
Tim watched her walking away, a skip in her step and when he turned to the other two they were staring at him.
“We’ve got questions,” Duke said Stephanie nodded.
“Lots of questions,” Stephanie added, causing Tim to groan. He ran a hand through his hair before looking at them in the eye.
“And I need to start digging my own grave” He mumbled as he began walking through the gate.