All she had wanted was a normal life. But normal was too much to ask for the people living in Gotham.

She was hiding in the rafters of the building her father was using as his hideout. She had texted the location and sent a tip off to the police about Cluemaster's activities who unfortunately happened to be none other than her father.

Stephanie hadn't wanted things to come to that point but a lot had happened in the past few months for her to finally make up her mind and decide to turn her father in. She had been working in close contact with the GCPD's commissioner by spoiling Cluemaster's plans so that they would catch him. She used a burner phone so that her identity wouldn't be revealed and she took extra caution not to directly get involved with the vigilantes overlooking the city.

Commissioner Gordon may be smart but he wouldn't bother looking for her identity as long as the information he got was correct. Batman, on the other hand, would track her out in a heartbeat if he came to know of her anonymous stunt.

So she made sure to avoid the Bat at all costs, escaping before he showed up and leaving no traces for him to investigate the source of tip offs to her.

Stephanie still remembered the night when everything had changed for her as the truth of her broken family was revealed to her. She had been just six when she had woken up in the middle of the night to see Batman about to take her father Arthur Brown in for the crimes he had committed.

But seeing her look at them fearfully, the vigilante had relented and given Arthur a last warning before leaving. Nothing came back to normal after that.

It made Stephanie more aware of what was going on with her father, figuring out a pattern to his disappearances and his worsening behavior towards her and her mother. It led to a divorce between her parents and despite her custody being given to Crystal as the primary caregiver, Stephanie used to visit her father often as her mother was busy with her demanding shifts at West Mercy Hospital. 

Now that she had learned that her father was the elusive Cluemaster, responsible for causing trouble in Gotham alongside his allies including the Riddler, she intentionally stayed with her father often to figure out his plans and tip him off to the police. 

She waited for the right moment, hearing the approaching footsteps of her father and a few others who he was conspiring with. She knew Commissioner Gordon would have acted upon the clues she had left for the police and without a doubt, Batman would show up any moment.

Surely, it didn't take long for the Caped Crusader to show up. Stephanie quickly made her escape, sliding down the rafters to a hidden trap door that helped her get out of the building.

The last thing she heard was her father's exasperated yell as the vigilante smashed in through a window, tackling the criminals on his own. The distant sounds of the police mobiles could also be heard in the distance and Steph quickly took the turn to a side alley, hiding behind the dumpsters in a place that offered a view of the entrance of her father's hideout.

She watched as the police later brought out the criminals including her father who was quite furious that his plan had been compromised. Seeing him yell at the officers made her flinch and she ducked deeper as if to avoid being seen there at all costs.

A part of her reprimanded her for putting her father in that situation but she shut down that tiny accusatory voice immediately.

She knew she had done the right thing. If she hadn't made the vigilantes and the police stop Cluemaster, havoc would have been unleashed on Gotham quite soon.

***

Tim had managed to convince Black Mask into letting him leave the villa a few times to visit his father. The Gotham news mill had been churning and the mysterious disappearance of the young Drake boy could certainly attract the public's attention and it would prove to be a difficult situation for Black Mask later on.

Therefore, the crime lord agreed not to keep him cooped in anymore and allowed him to go to the hospital once every two weeks or so. Tim had himself furnished an excuse that he would give to anyone who asked where he had disappeared too. He had made up a cover story of staying with a distant relative and gave Black Mask his word that he would not let any unnecessary attention deviate towards him.

One day as he was allowed to go and visit his father, he went to the hospital first but then decided to take a detour. He stopped by a shoe shop in Central Gotham that he used to visit earlier with his parents.

Knowing they had the best pairs of shoes, he selected a gift for his friend that he hadn't been able to meet up with often.

He had not forgotten Stephanie Brown and her kindness so he intended to give her a present as a token of gratitude.

He had to return to the hospital soon or else the driver waiting for him in the parking lot could alert Black Mask. So he quickly paid for the shoes and took the same alley that he had hidden in the night Steph had found him injured.

It didn't take him long to retrace his steps to Alleytown and he spotted the isolated house in the corner. He went up to the door and knocked upon it, holding the box tightly so that he wouldn't end up losing it.

Shortly after, the door opened and Stephanie stood in front of him, her green eyes widening in recognition and surprise.

"Tim? Long time no see," a smile broke out on her face as she brought him in, closing the door behind him.

"Hi," the boy mumbled, a bit hesitant of how she would react to the reason he had come to visit her.

"What's this?" She asked, seeing the box in his hands which he gave to her, much to her surprise.

"A gift," he replied, "I hope you like it."

Curiosity got the better of her and she opened the box to find a pair of purple and black shoes. She did not recall telling him that color combination was her favorite but it seemed he had coincidentally picked out the perfect gift for her.

"This is great and thank you, really, but... How did you get these?" She asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

She remembered the state he had been in when she had found him in the alley a few months ago. She also remembered him telling her that his father was in the hospital and they were going through a terrible financial crisis. 

Plus there were a lot of articles on the Drakes that indeed confirmed that Drake Corporate had gone bankrupt and there wasn't enough money left for Jack's treatment even.

"I saved money from my allowance," Tim lied to her effortlessly as he couldn't disclose his deal with Black Mask to anyone else.

"Weren't you broke like just a month ago? Or was it some Prince and the Pauper act to trick me?"

He shook his head fervently, "no, no, it's nothing like that. I was able to sell Drake Manor so I got some money to work with."

"And you bought shoes for me from that money?" She shook her head in disapproval, "Timothy, you should have put it to better use."

"I know and I did," he tried to convince her, "it's mainly being used for Dad's treatment and the rest of it is invested back in Drake Corporate. My guardian is looking after that."

"Oh, I see," she looked down at the shoes then back at the boy who looked slightly nervous as he stood there justifying himself.

Before she could ask about his guardian, Tim quickly changed the topic. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me and I thought a pair of shoes wouldn't cost that much." But he paused abruptly, just then realizing that the words came out all wrong. "I mean... It certainly came out much different from what I was going to say."

Seeing him get flustered sent a smile on her face as she leaned closer, "so you just wanted to say thank you?"

"Yes. Thank you," he breathed, blue eyes hesitantly meeting her bright green irises.

"You're always welcome," her smile brightened, "and I love the shoes. I really needed a new pair so thank you for such a thoughtful gift. As long as it's not something causing trouble to you."

"Of course, no trouble at all."

She looked happy, he thought. To him, she always looked happy with that bright smile and twinkling green eyes. But he wasn't shallow enough to accept that act and move on.

He knew she wasn't as happy as she projected, she had her troubles but put on a brave smile to get through the day.

And he admired that about her. He couldn't yet do it himself but he admired her strength and resilience in braving her obstacles while still managing to smile.

People like Stephanie were very rare. Rare and valuable such that others should cherish them and respect their presence in their lives, a fact that Tim knew very well and intended to uphold.

"Hey, where are you going?" She called out, seeing that he had turned to leave, his eyes flickering to his watch.

"Sorry, I can't stay for long today," he spoke up, "I have to be at the hospital soon."

"Oh... Alright, all the best."

A smile creased his features as well and he nodded, feeling much lighter after a really long time, "thanks."

***