As Jason dropped Evelyn off at the Institute, instead of waiting for her or joining her in the class, he told her that he would be going back home since Tim was alone and he didn't trust the boy enough to leave him by himself. Of course that was not the case but he had to give a convincing excuse, one which she would believe and that option seemed to work well.

He had told her he would pick her up when the classes would end and then after she had gone to her studio, he drove back to East End, lane fifteen.

Jason wanted to talk to Tim, not necessarily about what had happened because he had seen Tim could get unstable at the mention of it but he wanted to talk to him nevertheless, probably to let him know that he was going to be there for him.

Like a friend, an elder brother, just like Tim had once mentioned to Eve that he wanted Jay to be a brother to him and not a foe. Right then Jason was going to do exactly that because even though the kid seemed to portray a near perfect image of not needing help or people around him, still he craved familial bonds a lot.

When Jason unlocked the door and stepped in, light sounds of the piano reached his ears and he went further in to find Tim sitting on the seat in front of piano, his fingers pressing down on the keys randomly, eyes set in a far off look.

Silently, Jay walked over to him and sat beside him. Tim snapped out of his reverie immediately sensing his presence, he had turned to look at him in shock at first but then his features eased.

"Do you want me to play something for you?" He asked softly and Jason was reminded of the day he had first resolved his differences with Tim, right there at that very spot.

"Do you want me to hear something?"

"I could play Moonlight Sonata but it's depressing, to me at least, I don't know about you," he mumbled, fingers gliding on the keys lightly, a few random notes pouring out, "or we could go with Fur Elise or the Cantabile... Personally, I am very fond of the Cantabile."

"I have zero idea what you're talking about," Jason admitted honestly noticing the boy's lips turn up in a small smile but he could also see the stitches at the corners of his mouth even though he did not want to focus on that.

"It had hurt," Tim replied all of a sudden as if he had noticed his gaze yet again, "and I couldn't eat or speak properly for a long time afterwards."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

He looked at him briefly, a grateful look evident in his blue eyes, "thank you."

"For what?"

"For understanding."

Tim's fingers gently pressed on the keys of the piano, a soft tune emanating from the instrument, covering up for the silence in between them. The silence in between them wasn't heavy but slightly comforting as if the two had come to an agreement that they really didn't need to say something to be understood.

But then Jason spoke up out of his own accord, "are you really interested in theater?"

He halted for a second but picked up the tune right where he had left, "I haven't actually performed in a play before."

"But you're good at it. A little too good, if you ask me."

His smile was replaced with a soft but solemn look, "yeah I guess so too. Maybe I'm so good at putting up an act that even I don't know what's real anymore."

The words struck deep but Jason was already thinking about the meaning underlying his statement and relating with his own self, "you know what, the first time we met I thought you and me were nowhere near alike. But I don't think that way anymore."

"But we're not alike, Jay... I don't think so."

"Yes, we're not alike," his reply was firm, almost decisive, "because perhaps you are much stronger than I had been. And you are definitely much stronger than what I gave you credit for."

Tim could see where the conversation headed to, "oh come on..."

"Let me finish. When I had first met you in that alley I had thought you were nothing but a kid privileged enough to get his own way, a kid who wasn't tough enough to be Robin." Jason could see the words were still cutting through Tim so he mended the sentence quickly, "but now... Now I see that I was wrong. If you could pick yourself up and move on after all you went through, if you could still patrol the streets as Batman's Robin, if you could still be bold enough to challenge me that you would prove yourself worthy... That means you have been much tougher than I was."

Tim had not been expecting to hear that from him, his blue eyes were focused on him and he had stopped playing the piano, hanging on to every single word that Jason spoke.

"For years I kept blaming Bruce for my own mistake," Jay's voice had lowered, "and Eve's right, I did that because it was easier for me to think that it wasn't my fault that I died, that I could have been saved by Batman, that it was all Bruce's fault... But it had been my fault all this time, I was the one who didn't listen to him, I was the one arrogant enough to follow Joker, I was the one who didn't survive."

"Jason please, you don't have to talk about this either," Tim's eyes were sorrowful, his features evident of concern as he heard Jason's side of the story. 

For him it was very big deal that Jason was trusting him enough to share his past with him. But then maybe he thought it only fair for Tim to know about him as well for he had himself gone and forcefully found out everything about Tim from Bruce.

Maybe it was the guilty conscience. Or maybe Jason really cared.

Tim could not let himself dwell on the second option but as Jay resumed, another wave of shock hit him.

"I am telling you because I want you to know. I want you to know that I was wrong in judging you," he admitted, eyes locking with Tim's wide blue ones, "you're every bit worthy of being Robin, more worthy to be honest and deserve every good thing in the world, Timothy. You don't have to prove anything to me, I know now. And I am saying that to you not as a rival or a foe accepting his mistake, no... I am saying that to you as a brother. Your brother."

Tim's lips parted to speak but no words came out instead his eyes began to water and right next moment he had flung his arms around Jason's neck, taking him into an unexpected hug. Hearing that from him had relieved a huge burden from his heart and he felt much lighter than he had had in years.

"And I would never again say that you have replaced me because you are a better person in your own self," Jay mumbled, his arms patting his back awkwardly at first but then he softened into the brotherly embrace.

Pulling apart, Tim actually had a genuine smile on his face, his features shining in relief, "Jay, no one can replace you. You still hold your own place with us."

"I don't think..."

"Look, you told me yourself how you have come to realize everything now. You told me yourself that you know it wasn't Bruce's fault, you called yourself my brother and for that I am very honored... Now tell me, Jay," the fervor seemed to have occupied Tim but Jay let him resume, thinking about hat Tim was eventually going to say, "what else is keeping you away from your own family?"

"The guilt that I caused pain to them," he replied at last.

"But don't you think that by staying estranged from them you're causing even more pain to them?"

Alfred's face swam in front of Jay's eyes followed by Bruce's distressed features and then Richard, Barbara and even Tim... They were his family and the boy was right, he was still causing pain to them.

"Maybe you're right... Maybe I should come back."

He was still slightly uncertain but seeing Tim standing there with a hopeful gleam in his eyes and the expectant smile dancing on his cut through him. 

And it was then he realized what Bruce meant when he had said that if he was still wearing the cape and the cowl, it was because of Tim. He could easily how the adorable fifteen year old could melt hearts and right then as he took in the pure hope on his face, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

"And when would this maybe turn to reality?" Tim asked shaking him out of his train of pacing thoughts.

Jay paused for a while but then nodded, "tomorrow. The sooner I get done with it, the better."

***