milliways_bar | (no subject)

"I can't help it, Kon. She's the only family I have left." He was afraid of losing her as well. Both his mother and father had died because of him, and...he was afraid that someday, he would lead Dana to her death, too.

"No, she's not. I mean, she is, but..." This might not be the right thing at all to say right now, but it's all Kon knows to say. So. "But you've got another family too. A different kind of family."

"I know, Kon. I really do," Tim said, covering his face with his hands. "But I was supposed to be the one that had a separate life from all of this. Dysfuctional, sure, but still fairly normal." That had been why he hadn't blindly looked to Batman like Dick and Jason had done on occasion.

"It's just...the lines keep blurring. The lives mix together, and look how that turned out." And he wasn't sure he could maintain the identity of Tim Drake without them.

Kon looks at him for a long moment before getting up and sliding into the seat next to Tim, putting an arm around his shoulder. Tim can rebuff him if he wants, but... yeah. It's all he knows what to do, really. The rest, the words, is just fumbling for something that might help.

"It doesn't always turn out like that. Look at the Arrows... they're not exactly gungho on protecting their identities."

Tim didn't reject the comforting arm, not yet, anyway. He seemed to be too tired to even do that. He didn't look up at Kon either, though.

"But they're all in the business. It's different. I got my family involved in something they weren't supposed to be involved in." He had to carry the weight of being unable to save both of his parents.

"So when Dana gets better... give her the choice. Don't push her out, but don't make her live it unsuspecting, either." Kon feels that's the most logical suggestion. Tim doesn't need one more person to blame himself for, if something happens again.

"She knows already." She had been there when his father had found out. She didn't, however, know about how Jack had gone and threatened Bruce, though. "And I don't even know if she'll get better. Or even if she has anywhere else to go."

"She's an adult. Adults can always find somewhere to go. But of -course- she's not going to go anywhere else." Kon was possibly contradicting himself, but he doesn't really care. He has to make himself clear somehow. "She cares about you."

"I don't know, Kon," he said quietly. "She really cared about dad. And I think...I think that if she does stay with me, I'll remind her too much of how he's not there."

"Or maybe you'll just help each other move on. You said she's your family... and that's what family does." Kon learned that real early in life, despite the fact that most of what he considered family wasn't really related to him by blood.

Tim didn't say anything to that. Honestly, he didn't even know if he wanted to live with Dana after she recovered. He certainly wouldn't refuse her, of course, but if it was his choice...

"Well, we'll see, anyway. I don't know what my uncle wants to do with me yet."

"Your uncle?" This was a new one that Kon hadn't heard yet. But that's really not surprising... he hasn't heard any of this Bludhaven stuff before today. And wouldn't have if Tim had had his way.

"A long lost uncle of some sort." He hated lying to Kon, but it was necessary. He needed the independence that would come with this scheme. "I haven't met him yet, but he has the say so as to who's custody I'll be in."

"...so he could move you somewhere -else-?" Kon doesn't like the idea of that. Sure, Bludhaven might suck, but... who knew what else was a possible destination? And how far away it'd be?

Tim nodded in response to that. Of course, in reality, he wouldn't be going anywhere because there was no such uncle.

"But..." Kon shuts himself up before he can get started. Right. Tim doesn't need him making a fuss about something that might not even happen. "Do they know anything about him?"

"Not really. But since he is blood kin, he has first priority over choosing what to do with me." Although he was almost at the point where he wasn't a minor anymore. Then, he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

"That's stupid. What if he turns out to be a jerk?" It was a good thing because it gave Tim another family member, but... if the guy turned out to be bad, he was pretty much stuck, wasn't he? No way out. Not unless the Bat guy worked some magic.

...which, considering his money, he possibly could. Hmm.

"Well, I don't know. I don't even know who he is, really, so I can't say anything until I meet him." Which would be never, since he didn't exist, but no one knew that. For everyone else, he actually existed and Tim would meet him.

"Well, I hope it turns out okay." Kon pauses. He kind of wants to ask what Tim's going to do about Robin, whether he'll tell his uncle, but... that's probably not the best thing to ask right now. He'll hold the question to himself, for now.

It should, if no one found out about his plan. And he could keep a secret. It was just whether or not someone had a reason to doubt him and look into it.

"Me too."

"Is that all that's going on? Or is there more?" Because if Tim's been hiding one thing, it's likely he's been hiding more.

"Not really." Because, well, Batgirl was there with him in Bludhaven, but he didn't know if that was significant to Kon or not. And their patrols? Well, that was another issue entirely.

"You sure? Cuz... you can tell me." Great, not only did Kon have to worry about if he was alright with the stuff he -knew- now, but now he had to worry about whatever Tim might not be saying. That guy was gonna give him an ulcer or something, jeeze.

"I know, Kon. I know." Intellectually, he knew. But it was so hard to trust people with the life he had led. He knew that he shouldn't have mentioned his uncle, but he couldn't help it. It was partially to get Kon off his back with the worrying.