Tim creaked open the door as silently as he could, knowing his father was at home as he had seen the car parked outside. They no longer lived in Drake Manor which had to be sold to pay off the debt accumulated on Drake Corporate after the bankruptcy. Instead, they lived in a small house that Jack's friend had helped him get on rent in West End.

As a result, Tim had to change schools too so now instead of going to Gotham Academy, he had been shifted to a neighboring community school.

He slipped off his shoes as he crept in, trying to make no noise and go up to his room.

However, before he could make it to the staircase, Jack's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Where are you coming from?"

He paused, flinching at the sound.

"Timothy, look at me when I'm talking to you."

He dropped the shoes and turned around, seeing his father sitting on the couch with a very skeptical look on his face. "I... I told you about practice, didn't I...?"

"What practice?"

"Basketball," he spoke up, knowing if his lie was caught out then he would be in deep trouble, "I joined the school team So... So I stay for practice after class and that's why I get late..."

Jack was silent and that lack of words bothered Tim even more than him scolding him. He was looking at his son very closely, picking up on the faded bruises on his knuckles and one on his cheek.

Tim was feeling quite anxious by then. "Uh... I gotta go take a shower..."

But his voice trailed off when the man stood up and approached him, his grey eyes unwavering as he took in his features closely.

"Are you being bullied?" Jack asked at last, guessing that the bruises could be a result of bullies ganging up on him.

Tim had always been a very frail child and Jack suspected that he could be a victim of bullying at school and perhaps he never told his father because he never felt that close to him. He had always been closer to Sayuri and after she left, an unmistakable gap had come between father and son.

"Bullying, no..." Tim spoke up but lying to his father required a lot of effort on his part. 

He felt as if the man could see right through him. Those grey eyes that were exactly like Sayuri's could very clearly see through his excuses.

"Tell me the truth, Tim, is everything okay at school?"

He hesitated to answer that question. The truth was that he had managed to persuade Batman to train him and was now getting trained to become the next Robin. But he couldn't tell his father that.

"Of course Dad, everything's great," he tried to stand his ground but his voice was shaky, "I scored highest in class this year too, I'm finally taking part in sports, this school is not as bad as I thought initially..." Feeling Jack's skeptical gaze on his cheek, he quickly added, "oh this? I just got hit by a ball in the face, it was not intentional. Nobody bullies me, honest."

Jack sighed wearily and his fingers reached up to ease the frown lines on his forehead, "if anything bad happens, tell me. Don't keep it from me thinking I'm busy and won't give you time... I'll manage."

At that remark, Tim felt quite awful about the entire ordeal. He knew his father wasn't expressive much but it was clear the man cared for him and was trying his best to provide for him despite the terrible financial situation they were stuck in. But then Tim was focused on being more than just a good son to him.

He wanted to become Robin and help Batman in keeping Gotham safe. He couldn't back off now after finally managing to convince the vigilante to train him.

"Sure thing," he agreed to Jack's words, a sigh of relief escaping him that he hadn't interrogated him further, "thanks, Dad."

He was about to dash up the stairs to his room when Jack recalled the real reason he had stopped Tim. "Sayuri called today."

Hearing about Sayuri, he quickly returned, eyes lighting up, "really? How is she and when is she coming back?"

"She's fine," he replied, "and she was asking about you too but you weren't at home."

"If I had known she would call I would have left everything and come here."

Jack nodded, knowing he was quite attached to her. After all, he considered Sayuri more of a mother figure than Janet as she had been the one to take care of Tim in his early years while Janet left them.

"She said she's giving exams so she wasn't able to talk to us often," he told him, "and she will be staying there for college too."

Tim's face fell, a sad look taking over his features, "why can't she go to college here?"

But then he didn't press on it knowing that his school fees alone were quite hard for Jack to manage to pay. He couldn't possibly pay for Sayuri's college too. So in a sense, it was better she was staying with her maternal relatives and completed her education there.

"I told her to come back but she says she will when her studies are complete."

Tim sighed, "oh okay, if she has decided already..."

"She wanted you to take care of yourself," he added, "if next time she calls, be home so that you can talk to her too."

"Alright," he nodded, "Dad, I reek of sweat. I really have to go shower."

Jack nodded, "fine, go."

Tim had quickly climbed up the stairs but his father stood by the foot of the staircase, grey eyes narrowed in a thoughtful look.

He was well aware that Tim was hiding something from him.

Jack knew his son had been lying about the basketball practice. He had asked the coach himself once when Tim had gotten too late from school and he had gone to check.

But he didn't bring that up just yet. He wanted to find out himself why Tim would lie to him and what really was going on.

***