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Despite what some people may believe, getting adopted by the richest man in Gotham had a few drawbacks.
The biggest one, in Tim’s opinion, was having to attend charity events. Bruce forced his children to attend at least a handful every year. Most of them benefited the hospital or the Free Clinic or general medical research, but sometimes, he’d have the family attend one for one of Gotham’s other causes. Tonight’s gala, for example, was to fund the restoration of Gotham City’s Public Library. Tim had nothing against the library – Dick’s girlfriend Barbara worked there – but that didn’t make the event itself any less boring.
“You know what I don’t get?” Jason huffed. All of the Wayne siblings were hovering around the dessert table. There were only so many patronizing conversations one could have in one night, and pretty much all of them had met their quotas. “Why do rich people need to attend a big party in order to donate money? This had to have cost thousands of dollars to put on. Couldn’t they have just sent out a mass email or something and saved all the time and effort?”
Tim took a sip of his Coke. “Cause most rich people aren’t like Bruce. They need to be seen donating money by their friends in order for it to be worth it to them. After all, what’s the point of doing good things if you don’t get social points for it?”
“Damn, Timmy, no need to be such a pessimist,” Dick rolled his eyes.
“What? I’m not saying I feel that way. Just that some people do. That’s why it’s important to have events like this. Exploiting the competitive nature of the elite is the easiest way to make a boatload of money for good causes.”
Jason suddenly gripped his shoulder. “Uh, Timmy? Speaking of the ‘elite’, aren’t those your parents?”
Tim whipped his head around, eyes widening. Sure enough, Jack and Janet Drake were approaching him and his siblings.
“What the heck are they doing here?” Dick growled. “Were they on the guest list?”
“Y-yeah,” he responded, his mouth dry, “but they’re always on the guest list. They just never show up ‘cause they’re always gone.”
Tim could count the number of times he’d seen his biological parents in the past six years on one hand and still have fingers leftover. Since their parental rights had been terminated after an ugly legal battle against CPS, the Drakes had spent even more of their time abroad than before. Over the years, Tim’s relationship with them had dissolved into receiving an occasional postcard or birthday check (usually at least a month late).
“Shall I go get Father?” Damian questioned, sensing his brother’s stress.
“Uh, no, Dames, it’s okay,” Tim assured, clearing his throat. “I can talk to them.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Jason questioned.
He shrugged. “What could it hurt?”
Cass squeezed his hand. “You.”
“I’ll be fine,” Tim promised. “There’s no need for anyone to freak out. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Dick still looked hesitant but nodded anyway. “Okay, bud, good luck. We’ll be right here in case you need backup.”
Tim nodded in thanks then took a few steps forward to meet his parents. “Mom, Dad, it’s good to see you. I didn’t realize you were going to be attending tonight.”
“Hey, Sport,” his dad greeted cheerfully. He looked largely the same as the last time Tim had seen him, save for a few new streaks of gray in his hair. “It just so happened that our flight to Belarus got pushed back to tomorrow. How have you been? You’re looking strong.”
Tim shook his father’s hand. The Drakes had never been huggers. “Thanks. I’ve been doing really well.”
“We’ve missed you so much, sweetheart,” Janet said, her voice soft and sweet. It was the same voice she used to use when putting Tim to bed. It filled him with an intense, melancholic nostalgia.
“I’ve missed you guys, too,” he replied honestly. Because even though he knew his parents weren’t good for him, he couldn’t help but love them anyway. It was something he was still working through even years later.
They exchanged pleasant small talk for a few more minutes. His parents regaled him with tales of their latest expeditions, and then Tim told them about his plans for starting college in the fall and about his relationship with Stephanie. It was, dare he say, nice. He couldn’t remember the last time a conversation with his parents had gone this well.
Which, of course, was when things took a turn.
“Well, you seem to be doing just fine for yourself,” his father observed. “You certainly don’t look like someone who’s dying of a terminal illness.”
Tim felt his heart drop. “That because I’m not dying, Dad. My cystic fibrosis is very well managed now.”
“Or maybe that’s just what your new father keeps telling you,” Jack huffed bitterly.
Tim couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What? Do you still not believe I have CF? It’s been years, Dad! I know the judge showed you all of my medical records – the sweat chloride test, the genetic panel, the scarring on my lungs. How could you possibly not have accepted that?”
“Medical records are easy to forge when you have as much money and power as Bruce Wayne,” his mother pointed out. “We’ve just always found it a little hard to believe, Timothy. After all, you were just fine before.”
“Except I wasn’t,” Tim hissed. “I know for a fact my newborn metabolic screening was abnormal, and that you both ignored it! On top of that, you’re forgetting that I’m the one who had to call 911 on myself because I woke up unable to breathe. I almost died.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Jack waved him off. “Honestly, Tim, if you’re so sure you’re as sick as Bruce Wayne tells you you are, then why even bother going to college? And why drag that poor girl along with you? If you really have cystic fibrosis, it’s not like you’ll actually be able to have a future. The life expectancy’s what, 30?”
Tim couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could his own dad tell him he couldn’t have a future? “It’s not like that anymore! CF has a much better prognosis nowadays. There’s this drug called Trikafta–”
His mother cut him off. “Timothy, honey, your father was just trying to get you to consider that maybe Bruce Wayne has been lying to you. Or, at the very least, drastically overstating your condition. I mean, look at you! Clearly, you’re fine. That man–”
“Bruce Wayne is the only reason I’m alive right now,” Tim spat out. He was not going to let his parents bash Bruce any longer. “He has saved my life more times than I can count. Do you have any idea how much work it took to get me where I am today? The strict meal plans, the breathing treatments, the doctors’ appointments – it was months before I could even breathe on my own! But Bruce never once gave up on me. It’s because of him that I look so healthy. The only thing you guys ever did was leave me. If I had stayed with you two, I would have died years ago.”
Jack was now trembling with rage. “How dare–”
“Okay, this conversation is over.”
Tim felt the tension leak out of his body at the sound of Dick’s voice. His siblings quickly surrounded him. Cass came up behind him while Jason and Dick flanked him on either side.
“Well, if it isn’t the rest of Bruce’s charity cases,” Janet seethed, her voice like ice.
Jason threw his arm protectively around Tim’s shoulder. “Yep, that’s us. I’m surprised you two are still showing your faces around here. I heard Drake Industries took quite the hit after that joke of a court case. Seriously, who doesn’t notice their only son has cystic fibrosis? It’s embarrassing, really.”
“Very embarrassing,” Cass agreed.
“Watch how you speak to us, young man,” Jack warned.
“How about you watch how you speak to my brother?” Jason shot back.
“Jason, it’s okay,” Tim placated. The people around them were starting to stare, and he didn’t want to cause a scene.
“Jack, Janet, what a surprise to see you.”
Too late.
Bruce appeared next to his children with Damian following closely behind. His little brother must have gone to get their father. Tim may have told him it wasn’t necessary, but he was really glad Damian hadn’t listened. Everything felt much more manageable with Bruce there.
Jack’s smile was very obviously forced. “Bruce, it’s good to see you. I trust you’ve been taking good care of our boy?”
“Always,” the billionaire assured with a wide grin. “He’s been absolutely thriving. It’s amazing what proper medical treatment will do for a person.”
Jason snickered in his ear. His arm was still wrapped around Tim.
Janet’s eye twitched. “I’m sure you’re doing what you think is best.”
Bruce’s smile never faltered. “I sure am. Just like the judge did what he thought was best when he terminated your parental rights and allowed me the gracious honor of adopting Tim. That means that neither of you have the right to gaslight or degrade him. Any contact you have with my son is a privilege to be given at our discretion. And, as of this moment, you have both lost that privilege. If and when Tim decides that he would like to speak with you both again, he will reach out. But for now, kindly bug off.”
Tim’s parents were speechless. He was, too, to be honest. Bruce had just annihilated the Drakes in a way there was no coming back from. And everyone knew it.
“Well, it was pleasant catching up with you, dear,” Janet told Tim through gritted teeth, “but I suppose we should get going now. Come along, Jack.”
His father was fuming but mumbled a gruff “goodbye” as his wife dragged him away. Neither of them looked back. Something told Tim he wouldn’t be running into them at a gala again anytime soon.
“Papin, that was incredible!” Dick said with a wide grin.
Jason laughed. “For real. You’re my hero.”
Bruce cracked a genuine smile. “Serves ‘em right for thinking they could speak to my children like that.” His face then softened as he turned to Tim. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
Tim bit his lip. “They don’t… they still don’t believe that I have CF. They think you’re forcing it on me.”
“Accepting that you have cystic fibrosis would force them to also accept the fact that they neglected you and almost caused your premature death,” his real father explained. “It’s far easier for people like that to pawn the responsible off on someone else.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” Tim sighed. Despite his best efforts, tears welled up in his eyes. “It’s just, after all these years, I thought that maybe if they saw how well I was doing, then they’d realize they were wrong. Or, at the very least, be happy for me. That’s what parents are supposed to want for their kids, isn’t it? For them to be happy? But they didn’t even tell me they loved me, B. Not a single time. Then, they just left, even though they may never see me again. It’s like they don’t even care.”
Bruce wrapped Tim up in a big, tight hug. “I’m so sorry, kiddo. You’re absolutely right in that a parent should want their kids to be happy. I’m afraid your parents’ priorities have always been skewed. But for what it’s worth, I love you so very much. We all do, and we just want you to be happy.”
Tim clung to his father, only slightly embarrassed that the entire gala could see them. “I love you too, B. You’re the best dad I’ve ever had.”
Cass chimed in. “Me too.”
“Same here,” Jason echoed.
Damian cleared his throat. “You are my only father, but I suppose that automatically makes you the best.”
Finally, Dick let out a laugh. “I actually had an amazing bio dad, but B’s pretty great, too.”
“You kids are my entire world,” Bruce mumbled into Tim’s hair as the rest of his children surrounded them.
Tim felt the burden in his heart lighten. In the end, it didn’t matter what his biological parents did or didn’t believe. What mattered was he had a real family that always had his back.