Finally, this weird but funny AU's last part is here.

I had a blast writing it, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it too!

~•~

Bruce had thought about calling a family dinner to introduce Tim to the rest of his family. But the boy refused, saying it would be awkward if he decided not to stay by the end of the week after all.

It was the fourth day since Tim's temporary adoption, and he was still paranoid about them killing him in his sleep. But so far, he had started to tolerate Steph and Alfred, letting them be close to him without feeling they would hurt him.

Being cautious was an involuntary response for him. He couldn't trust people easily and as he had been surviving on his own from a young age, he tended to be extra cautious of the people surrounding him.

Any new person he met would be a suspect until he figured out what their true intentions were of coming close to him.

He seemed to have accepted that Steph and Alfred were, by nature, good people who would never even hurt a fly. But his thoughts differed about the rest of the people he had met so far.

He was most cautious of Bruce, considering he was Batman. As Tim was associated with Jonathan Crane, he expected Bruce to have some kind of enmity with him, too. 

It would take him some time to believe that there were no ulterior motives behind his decision to help him out and that he really didn't harbor any ill feelings.

Despite his reluctance to meet more people connected to Bruce, he eventually met Richard that weekend. Bruce's eldest adoptive son lived in the neighboring city of Bludhaven, but he often came to Wayne Manor on weekends.

He was not expecting Bruce to have taken in another young boy so when he came to the family home, he was surprised to meet the new and rather unconventional adoption case.

"Technically, I am not even adopted," Tim explained, sitting on a sofa that was the farthest from the young man who was quite a stranger to him. "I am just staying here for a week and then I'll be gone."

"And where will you go exactly?"

He paused but then shrugged carelessly, "I haven't thought about that yet. But I will when the time comes."

"Okay..."

Steph decided to dissolve the awkwardness as she took out a box of donuts that Richard had brought with him for the rest of the family. "Well, Tim, would you like to try a donut? There's this wonderful bakery in Bludhaven so we ask Dick to bring donuts each time he comes to visit."

Tim took one look at the donuts but made no attempt to pick any from the selection. Instead, he was more interested in the way Steph addressed Richard. "Why do you call him Dick when his name clearly is Richard?"

"Um, everybody calls him Dick," she grimaced, not knowing how to answer that question. "It's like a nickname."

"Yeah," Richard agreed.

"A terrible one, I'm afraid," Tim mumbled, "Who gave you that nickname?"

"My parents. They used to call me Dick and then it just kind of stuck. We were from Romania so it wasn't considered a terrible nickname there," Richard answered, thinking the conversation would be over at that response. But Tim had more questions than ever.

"Stop me if I sound rude or overstep boundaries but I do have a question," his dull blue eyes had that look that only reflected in his irises if he was doing some deep thinking. "Were you not afraid of your parents?"

Richard paused, not expecting that of all questions the skinny little boy could have asked, "No? Why would I be? They were the best."

"Oh..." Tim looked as if he had just heard something unusual.

"To be honest, I was a little bit afraid of my Dad," Steph spoke up, immediately gathering Tim's attention. "But then I became Spoiler. Learned how to fight and be a stronger person so that I won't be afraid of anyone anymore."

"I don't see myself growing strong even in a million years," Tim remarked and though it seemed like a joke, both Richard and Steph noticed that there was something he was trying to cover up.

"What about you? Were you afraid of your parents?"

That question struck too close to his heart but he managed a feeble smile, "I guess. I am scared of families in general, including my parents."

"Including us, as well?" Steph asked, curious to know his answer.

Tim paused, thinking about it carefully before he replied, "Not particularly. I am not scared of you, Steph. And Alfred's awesome and Richard, you're also far nicer than I thought."

"And Bruce?"

"Bruce is just... Well, he's Batman and I am bound to be a little scared of him, right?" He chuckled nervously.

"Why were you afraid of your parents?" Steph asked at last, unable to understand why he feared families. 

Something must have happened in the past that turned him into an untrusting boy who only viewed his personal survival as his foremost priority. She wanted to know what it was so they could understand him better.

"My parents... My parents would have killed me for the insurance money. Drake Corporate went bankrupt and they had no means to pay the debt," he wasn't going to tell them the truth but after seeing how kind they were to him regardless, he let it all out. "So to help them out without getting killed, I faked my own death. I paid my chauffeur to make it seem like we got into a car crash with the car erupting in flames. Then, I broke off a tooth and left it in the rubble so that when the GCPD investigated the case, they would find my DNA and I would be proclaimed dead. Ever since then, I lived in Drake Manor's basement because my parents left the city and I had nowhere else to go... Then Doctor Crane came along but that's a story for another time."

He paused abruptly, looking away because his eyes were welling up. He didn't want to cry so he schooled his features back to normal, keeping the tears at bay. 

Richard and Steph were shocked by what Tim told them. Neither of them could utter a word as they were still processing Tim's past.

They could see he wasn't lying. Even if it was a misunderstanding, he had heard his parents mention that possibility and that made him plan everything meticulously to escape meeting such a horrible fate.

He was afraid of his parents but more so, he was afraid of death.

"So when I think about families, including you guys, I just... I can't help but think that I was a burden to my own parents, how can it be any different this time?"

It seemed like he didn't mind being treated roughly, in fact, he was so used to it that he had accepted it as being everyone's nature to shun him out. But when someone actually showed that they cared for him, then it became impossible for him to wrap his head around.

"Hey, buddy, look here," Richard felt an immediate urge to hug that insecure little child and comfort him in any way possible. But he had heard from Steph that Tim freaked out on physical contact so he kept his distance. So he spoke to him in a soft and caring tone, "It will be different this time because we are not like your parents. We are a dysfunctional lot, I can guarantee you that, but we all care for each other. And you are a part of us too now, whether you like it or not."

"It's not about liking or disliking, I just... I don't want to believe people can actually care for me because when they stop, it hurts."

Richard and Steph could see there was a lot of baggage weighing Tim down and making him think that way. 

They knew it would take a lot of time for him to unpack all the negative feelings of abandonment and degradation that he had stored inside him. But both of them wanted him to know that they would always be there for him no matter what happened.

"Tim, I really don't know how to make you believe that we all sincerely care for you and won't stop doing so but I can give you a promise," Richard remarked and Tim looked up at him in disbelief. "I can promise you that I will always be here for you. No matter what happens, no matter what the circumstances. You can count on me and I will try my best never to let you down."

He could see that Richard was not lying right then. He was genuinely giving his word and it struck through his tiny little heart.

"So would I, and we will always have your back even if you decide not to stay with us after this week," Steph added, giving him a reassuring smile. "Even if you decide not to be a family member, you will still be our friend."

He blinked, feeling an irritation in his eyes as the tears pricked at the corners. "And if I stay?"

"Then, we will be happy to have you as a part of this dysfunctional lot," Richard remarked, reaching out to ruffle his head at last, and surprisingly, Tim didn't flinch from the touch.

It might be too soon for him to let his guard down around them but one thing was for sure.

He was beginning to like his new family.

***

Jonathan missed his young apprentice.

A week had passed since he sent a rather unwilling Tim with Batman, and he hadn't seen or heard from him yet. He was worried, too, wondering if his decision was the right one or not, imagining Bruce would have put Tim in foster care after all.

The only entity ecstatic about Tim's departure was Scarecrow. But even that happiness was shortlived because, without Tim, Jonathan refused to work on any toxins. And without toxins, there would be no weapons to control people through fear.

"The boy has made you weak!" The treacherous voice of the alter roared in his consciousness. "We were doing fine without him for years. Why do you insist it's different now?"

"Because it is," he held his hand in his hands, hoping those voices would stop. "Nothing can be the same anymore..."

"Well, now he's gone, and he's not coming back. So you better get over this moment of weakness and stop moping about him. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I had any idea that Timothy leaving would make you absolutely useless, I might not have hurt him."

"You didn't just hurt him... You almost killed him!"

"Yes, because he was an utter nuisance! And you were a damn fool for believing in his delusions," the eerie voice reprimanded him again, but he only wanted to shut it all out. "People like you, Jonathan, they don't get second chances. So it's about time you face the truth. You were an idiot for believing him, and the sooner you accept it, the better."

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

"No, you shut up and listen to me. Timothy has gone. He's not returning. Get it into your head and pull yourself together. You can't just give up all we have worked so hard to achieve over some idealistic shit he came up with. You can't do this to me, you understand? You can't, and you won't!"

In his frustration, Jonathan punched the mirror in front of him as it seemed his own reflection was mocking him, morphing into the terrifying form of the Scarecrow. The glass shards pierced his skin, blood trickling down his clenched fist shortly after. But for a second, it quietened the raging noise in his head.

Scarecrow's threats were muffled by the hot pain that coursed through his nerves.

However, that brief spell of silence broke from the sound of the doorbell. Jonathan looked down at his hand, which was covered in blood, then back at the shattered mirror.

Whoever was out there had chosen a terrible time to visit.

Roughly picking out the shards that still stuck to his skin, he wrapped his hand in a small kitchen towel, the red staining its pure white shortly after.

He didn't want to open the door so he spoke up, "Whoever it is, can you please come back tomorrow? I'm busy right now."

"Doctor Crane, it's me. Tim."

The unexpected voice alarmed him, and he immediately opened the door, not caring that he was in quite a disheveled state. True enough, young and mischievous Timothy Drake was standing outside, with Bruce Wayne not far behind.

"Dear lord, you're hurt. What the hell happened to you?" Tim's expressions revealed his concern as he tried to examine the wound on Jonathan's hand. 

Despite the older man's reluctance, he whipped out a first aid kit from his bag that he always kept with him and insisted on bandaging him up.

Jonathan stepped aside to let them in, then closed the door shortly after. He knew Tim wouldn't let go, so he let him check the injury and tend to it. All the while, Bruce was silent, observing the unexpected bond the two had.

"What did you do? These don't look like injuries from chemical handling." Tim cleaned off the blood and applied a thick silvery ointment over the cuts, knowing the mixture would seal his skin eventually and prevent infection.

"I punched a mirror."

"But why?"

"It had the audacity to talk back," he mumbled, pulling his hand away soon after he pinned the bandage.

"Geez, Doc. You remind me an awful lot of myself." Tim remarked breezily but then voiced the question in his mind: "Just out of curiosity, what did the mirror say?"

"It said you were gone for good."

His reply was vague, but Tim realized exactly what he meant. His eyes softened, focusing on Doctor Crane in slight awe. "Well... I'm here, aren't I? Don't go punching mirrors on my account again."

An awkward silence gripped them again. Bruce also had no idea what to say to mend that conversation gap. Tim, on the other hand, was temporarily distracted by examining his handiwork on the bandage, hoping the former psychiatrist would heal soon.

"So what did you decide then?" Jonathan pulled himself together as he intentionally changed the topic. "It's been a week..."

Bruce had also stiffened on that question because despite trying multiple times, Tim hadn't let him know of his decision either. So both men were waiting for the boy to tell them what he wanted, and they would have to comply with it.

"I gave it a lot of thought," he began at last, knowing they wanted to hear his decision and were looking at him expectantly, "and of course, I weighed out all the pros and cons."

He paused to judge their expressions, realizing that they had schooled their features into an emotionless look.

"Well, I didn't want to go with Bruce initially, but these people aren't as bad as I thought. Weird, yes, but not intolerable. On the other hand, I would have stayed with Doctor Crane if not for Scarecrow, who is probably jealous of me."

"I'm not jealous. How dare he assume that?"

"Shut up," Jonathan hissed.

Tim paused, "Excuse me, what?"

"I was not talking to you."

He nodded, understanding that he must have said that to Scarecrow whose voice he still heard in his conscience. "Alright then. I have decided to stay with Bruce for the time being. But on the condition that I'll be free to leave whenever I want, and there would be no objection to me coming here to visit Doctor Crane regularly. He was kind of my guardian before you so he should definitely have visitation rights."

"Is that all, or do you have more conditions?" Bruce asked, feeling that the boy wasn't yet finished.

"Well, I think I'll type it all out like a contract just to be safe and hand it over to you tonight." But then he turned to Jonathan, whose expression didn't betray what he felt, but his large blue eyes felt slightly sad. "As for you, doc, don't think I'm letting go of you. I'll come to annoy you as frequently as possible. And tell that Scarecrow to keep his hands off me if he doesn't want me to shut him up for good. Oh yes, I know my antidote can shut the voices in your head for some time, and I can make it again if he gets out of control."

"This little rat..."

However, Jonathan ignored the treacherous voice, keeping his focus on the guests in his apartment. "But I won't be here. I mean, if you came to visit."

Tim raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Why? Where are you going?"

He looked at Bruce and then back at the young boy with curious blue eyes. "I was thinking that I should turn myself back to Arkham..."

"What the fuck? When were you going to tell me that, Jonathan? We can't go back to Arkham! Not after taking all the pains to leave that hellhole!"

He painstakingly ignored Scarecrow's voice again and resumed, "I have no reason to be out of prison. The punishment for the cases filed against me hasn't ended. Technically, I should be serving my sentence. So I was thinking of telling Miguel to take me back. You can come visit me in Arkham whenever you want."

Tim couldn't believe his ears, nor could Bruce. It was a rather big deal for Jonathan to accept returning to Arkham and serving his sentence.

At that precise moment, Bruce felt that perhaps Tim was right. Perhaps Jonathan had come a long way from the deranged psychiatrist he remembered him as, or at least he was trying to turn over a new leaf.

The doorbell rang, interrupting the conversation, and judging by the noise outside, it was probably someone from the Hanson household.

"Must be Billy and Mandy," Tim sprung up from his seat, eager to see the Hanson twins. "I'll be right back, it's been long since I saw them!"

In his excitement, he was about to rush out but then turned around, just realizing something.

"Oh and don't kill each other while I'm gone. Be civil adults, I'll be back in five minutes." 

Tim disappeared outside, leaving Jonathan and Bruce even more awkward than earlier. Neither knew what to say to break the awful silence between them.

The only common thing between them was that they both cared for a devious little boy who neither of them had thought to grow fond of in the first place.

Jonathan decided to go first, contrary to his usual nature. "I will have you know I did not mean to hurt Tim."

"You mentioned that Scarecrow did it."

"I don't want to use it as an excuse," he resumed, lowering his eyes as he stared guiltily at his hands. "I feel terrible that he got hurt on my watch and I don't want that to happen again."

"Neither do I. I'll keep him safe, I promise."

He looked up briefly at the man who successfully played the double roles of being Batman and Bruce Wayne. He was always a mask of one emotion after another but right then, Jonathan could see that he meant the words he uttered.

"That... That means a lot."

"I don't have anything personal against you, Doctor Crane," he got startled when Bruce addressed him as such, "I just want Timothy and the rest of Gotham to be safe from the Scarecrow."

"I understand... Luckily, I will be at Arkham so I won't have to worry about Scarecrow getting to Tim or anyone else for the time being. But Scarecrow is getting beyond my control. I don't know for how long I will be able to keep him chained within me. I don't know for how long I will be able to maintain this resistance."

Bruce could sense the fear and resentment in his voice. It was almost as if he was scared of the Scarecrow, too, and felt helpless in keeping him at bay.

He needed help and for the first time ever, Bruce too felt the need to try to help him out. If he really wanted to be redeemed, then keeping him chained up was not the answer.

He knew he should discuss it with someone who had authority in that respect as well, but then he spoke up, "If I look into my connections and provide the asylum with a psychiatrist who will be willing to help you, will you give treatment a chance?"

Jonathan paused, considering his words, but then nodded, "I will."

"Very well then. I will see what I can do for you."

Tim, who had just returned from Miguel's place, noticed that they had exchanged some meaningful conversation. Unlike earlier, the unease between Bruce and Jonathan had dissipated slightly.

"Did I miss something?" He asked, curious to find out what they had talked about.

"No," Jonathan stood up from his chair, "In all this discussion, I forgot to ask. What would you like to have, tea or coffee?"

Tim paused, his curiosity increasing, "Doc? Are you trying to be hospitable?"

"Trying, yes."

"Coffee is always welcome," Tim chirped but then turned to Bruce as if wanting him to tell his preference.

"No, thank you."

"I'm not going to offer you a drink, though. I'm sorry for the time I did."

Bruce's face flushed slightly, recalling the time Jonathan had set him on fire after splashing him with alcohol, and throwing him out the window of his apartment. Years had passed, but that had been the only instance someone had tried to burn him alive.

And yet there he was, thinking of helping him out. Years ago, he could never have imagined that.

It was strange how fate worked in mysterious ways and made things possible that were beyond comprehension.

***

So that's all for these one-shots. 

From here, the storyline follows the events in the original version of Diabolical. Jonathan meets Charlize and opts for treatment, and the story continues on that track.

I had a lot of fun writing this AU version, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much.

Let me know what you think about it so far in the comments.