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Chapter Text

“ Hey, I’m in Gotham,”

The message seemed strangely out of the blue to be sent at 4:23 in the morning, but when he saw the ID on his phone Tim sat up in bed and stared at the screen. Whatever dregs of sleep he felt disappeared instantly.

Rachel R.

Not wasting time, he called her. Raven picked up on the second ring.

“ Hey ,” her voice drifted through the phone, her voice soft and familiar. 

“Hey yourself,” Tim greeted, smiling into the phone and slowly rolling out of bed. It was nice to hear from Raven again after all those years. After she quit the team, they barely heard from her. Raven said she wanted a normal life, away from their superhero work. While with the Titan’s she had gone to a community college in San Francisco and it didn’t come much of a surprise she got into grad school right away on an academic scholarship. “It’s been ages,”

Raven hummed, her voice just a little distant. “ Yeah, it has. Sorry for the early morning text ,” she said. He could hear her moving around, plates rattling in the background. Probably preparing her morning tea, he thought. He could picture her making her favorite blend of herbal tea, the memory of her in the Tower still familiar to him. 

Tim entered his own kitchen and placed her on speaker as he started preparing his coffee. He set his phone on the large granite counter. “Don’t worry about it,” he assured and started puttering around in his kitchen. “What brings you to Gotham? Do the others know?”

There was a brief pause from the other line and Tim stopped dumping heaping portions of coffee into his old coffee maker. Multi-millionaire and he still had yet to buy a decent espresso machine. His brows furrowed at the silence.

“ Just some personal stuff ,” Raven finally replied. There was some distant noise and a door closing in the background. He heard the line rustle with her movements. 

“I see,” he breathed with piqued interest. In the last five years or so, Raven barely stayed in touch. She kept the team updated on her travels across the globe, but barely delved deep on her personal life beyond her life as a research assistant and her latest whereabouts. This was new. He knew that Raven’s mother was originally from Gotham and with the ex-Titan wandering around the globe, he assumed she had some business to take care of. 

“Do you need help with anything? Are you alright?” he asked, suddenly standing still and waiting for her reaction. Worry laced his tone and he tried to pick up anything that felt out of the ordinary. “Just say the code,”

Raven released a soft huff of laughter, the sound familiar to his ears and he visibly relaxed around his coffee. She did not sound in distress. “ I’m fine ,” she said. 

Tim stared at his phone waiting for her to continue as a pregnant pause filled the air. He heard her line rustle again. “Raven?” he prodded gently.

“ Sorry ,” Raven breathed. “ Got a little distracted ,” she said over the clatter of plates. He wondered where she was. That sounded way too much china for just morning tea, breakfast perhaps?

“How long will you be in Gotham?” he asked. Tim checked the time on his phone, making sure he still had enough time to get ready for work and make it on time. He had a meeting with R&D in the morning and he had hoped not to come in late today. 

Raven hummed. “I’m not sure, for a while, I think, ” she said. 

Tim frowned at how distracted she sounded.  He wondered if she truly was alright, her voice seemed distant. “That’s great. You think we could catch up?” he asked while picking up his phone and coffee and heading back into his bedroom to get ready. 

“Actually, yeah, that’s why I’m calling,” replied Raven, there was a waver in her voice that Tim could not quite place. “Do you think we could meet up?”

Tim blinked, mildly surprised at the offer. “That’d be great,” he said, hiding the surprise in his tone. How strange for Raven to initiate a meet-up. His curiosity picked up and he blinked at his reflection in his bedroom mirror, mildly wondering why she wanted to meet up. Raven barely did social calls. “When?”

“Are you free later, after work?” 

—

While Monday’s were always terrible, Wednesdays were the worst for Tim. Mid-week meant meetings with the Audit department, review of project proposals, a stack of finance documents to review and sign, and project update meetings, and business planning for the new joint venture. Lunch was something he hardly tasted, barely touched it and had it whisked away from him as fast as it arrived. The rest of his Wednesday was spent neck deep in reports, Tim had barely some time to breathe.

His stomach churned from either hunger or his nth cup of coffee today. Or, he chalked it up to the curiosity that came with seeing his teammate after so long. While a million questions ran through his mind, Tim genuinely hoped that Raven was alright and in no way in any trouble. Social calls were hardly her thing.

Tim had just gotten back from work, surprisingly still daytime (a first in his entire career) and busied himself in the kitchen. Raven would drop by any minute, she had insisted on just coming over instead of meeting at a cafe. After throwing his suit jacket over one of the kitchen stools (a terrible habit he still had to outgrow, despite his age), he rolled up the sleeves of his white business shirt and prepared a plate of crackers. Alfred would have his head if he didn’t prepare at least something to nibble on for his guest.

It didn’t take long until his alarm system notified him that someone was outside the building, waiting to be let in. Briefly checking through his phone that it was indeed Raven, he buzzed her in. “Come on in,” he spoke through his phone, tapping a button and letting her through security. 

When he made it to his front door, he heard Raven softly knock against the reinforced door. Swinging open the door, Tim smiled. “Hey,”

Raven looked the same from how he remembered her five years ago. Her hair came longer now, black hair cascading past her shoulders. Her ruby jewel on her forehead was gone and turned into a pendant. Dressed simply in a pair of jeans and stylish black sweater and oversized jean jacket, Raven smiled at Tim. 

“Hey,” she mumbled, familiar blue eyes bright as they stared up at him. Raven sounded the same, and much to Tim’s relief he noted no signs of distress. Perhaps he was just overthinking everything.

“Come in,” he said, stepping aside to allow her to pass through and moving to close the door after her. He stood awkwardly by his now closed door and watched her briefly glance at the tastefully decorated hallway. For a brief moment he panicked, unsure what to do — could they hug? Was she okay with hugs now? Was a handshake okay? Or should he just wave?

Raven seemed to sense the mild awkwardness and she stepped into his space and took him by surprise and hugged him. “It’s good to see you,” she mumbled into his shoulder, she barely came up to his chin as she stood on her tippy toes.

“Raven, it’s been years,” he chuckled and squeezed her small form. Tim wondered if she had gotten smaller, if that were even possible. 

Raven hummed in agreement and stepped out of the hug. She sent him a smile that didn’t quite reach the eyes, but then again, Raven barely smiled. He ushered her into the apartment, directed her where to hang up her jacket, and told her to take a seat in the living room while he went to get them something to drink.

“You really didn’t need to prepare anything,” Raven called after him. Tim laughed and shot her an amused grin over his shoulder. “What kind of host would I be if I didn’t offer my guest something to eat and drink?”

Raven made a face, her calm expression crumpling as she wrinkled her nose. “Host?” she teased. 

Tim left her to her own devices, likely perusing his book collection along the large wall that led to his home office. When he returned moments later, sure enough he found her reading the backcover of a book. Little Women, First Edition.

“You know you can borrow anything you’d like,” he announced while setting the large tray with crackers and tea on the living room coffee table. 

“It’s a first edition,” Raven noted in mild surprise, gently cradling the book to her chest. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before here,”

Over the course of their time together with the Titans, Raven had visited his apartment a handful of times. Each visit had her inspecting his book collection, commenting on his lack of classics, and how he could have impossibly not read every management book that lined shelves. (“Some of these look like they never were opened,” she told him dryly, eyeing a Peter Drucker book in amusement.)

“I took that from the Manor a while back,” Tim told her. “You could borrow it if you’d like,” he motioned her to join him on his ridiculously large leather couch. He set a steaming mug of tea, prepared to her liking (as far as he could remember), in front of the empty space next to him. “Now come here, have some tea, and you can pick books you can borrow later,”

Over the course of years he had known her, Tim easily spotted the brief moment of hesitancy that crossed Raven’s face. She hugged the book tighter to her chest and shuffled towards the couch and slowly sat down next to him, just a fraction of a distance away from him. He could smell the familiar scent of her lavender perfume. Setting the book on the table, Raven carefully reached for the steaming mug of tea and took a tentative sip. 

“Well?” Tim asked, smiling and casually angling his body to face her, hoping to break the seemingly awkward silence that stretched through the air. 

Raven smiled over the mug. “This is good, you remembered,”

Tim grinned teasingly. “Hard to forget when you chugged tea every hour of every day,” His smile grew when the tension left Raven’s shoulders and she released a small huff of laughter. 

“As if you’re any different with your coffee,” Raven shot back.

They fell into an easy conversation, quickly catching up on the years apart. Tim learned Raven had traveled quite a bit over time, spending most of her time in Asia and Europe consulting on ancient literature research with local universities. She enjoyed her time in Europe and the slow travel to different countries by train. Tim thought it seemed very much like Raven to enjoy traveling at such a leisurely pace. This was the first time she was back in America after close to five years.

“So what brings you to Gotham?” Tim asked, after they shared a laugh over old memories of the Titans. 

Raven blinked, and that distracted energy he noted from her came back. He watched her blink, the corners of her lips lifting tentatively as she shot him a brief glance before turning back to the now cold tea. 

“It’s complicated,” Raven began and absently tapped the side of her mug. She stared at the plate of crackers, seemingly briefly lost in thought. Tim patiently gave her time to collect her thoughts, worry slowly brewing in the pit of his stomach. 

“Raven?” he gently prodded.

“I have a daughter,” she announced without much preamble.

Tim blinked, genuinely surprised at the announcement. Well, that wasn’t what he was expecting. 

“Oh, wow,” he breathed. He watched her worriedly stare at him, as if studying his reaction. “Congratulations, Rae. That’s awesome,” Raven offered him a small smile, she looked sheepish and inhaled deeply, as if collecting her thoughts. “This is great news,”

The corner of Raven’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Her name is Leila,” Raven carried on and suddenly broke eye contact. Tim watched her in mild worry as she absently stared at the orange teapot Alfred gifted him as a housewarming gift many years ago. “She’ll turn four this year. She’s a very smart little girl. She likes books, going to the park, going to the beach, playing with dolls and Lego, dancing, and drawing,” A fond smile plays on Raven’s lips as she thinks of her daughter. “She’s talks a lot and asks a lot of questions,”

Tim smiles as he pictures a little girl that looked exactly like Raven. The image couldn’t be cuter. His smile grows at the thought. “She sounds wonderful, Raven,” 

Raven looked at him and caught his gaze, she smiled at him like any mother proud of her child. “She is,” 

“You should have brought her with you,” Tim told her. Tilting his head curiously, he watched her body stiffen. “Who is looking after her while you’re here?” He paused, wondering if it was the right time to ask. “The father?”

“She’s at daycare,” Raven answered, not really answering his question. Inhaling deeply, Raven set her cold tea on the coffee table in front of them. She stared at it for a moment, as if seemingly studying the intricate patterns that danced on its surface. 

“Raven?” Tim looked at her in confusion, worry again starting to creep up slowly in his stomach. Was Raven alright? Was her daughter safe? What was going on?

Raven blinked, breaking out of her stupor, and she looked up at Tim, an unreadable expression crossed her face. “When I said I wanted to leave the Titans for a more normal life, I guess I truly got that,” she said wryly. As if catching Tim’s concern, she caught his confused gaze and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Tim had never seen Raven look so hesitant. 

“When I left the Titans, I did not know I was six weeks pregnant, Tim,” she said. There was a brokenness in her voice in her confession that made his heart jump into his throat. His stomach churned uneasily as his mind began to process the information. 

Raven’s eyes widened in alarm, as if sensing Tim’s jump of emotions. She watched him go rigid, staring at her in alarm. “I didn’t know, until a few weeks later. I guess half-demons show pregnancy symptoms late in the cycle,” she explained, her smile wry.

“Raven,” Tim’s voice sounded strained, as waves of emotions suddenly seemed to swell in his stomach. Thought after thought ran through his mind, how could he have missed a pregnant teammate?  His stomach heaved.

“Leila has been asking a lot about her father,” Raven whispered. There’s a hesitancy and brokenness in her voice that made Tim worry even more. “She wonders where her father is and she’s such a curious child. And I can’t –” Raven paused, her voice wavering and her breathing hitched as she sensed Tim’s spike of emotions. Her blue eyes locked with Tim’s alarmed dark blue ones. 

“She deserves to know her father. And her father deserves to know she exists,”

Tim’s ears started to ring as he finally processed the information. Six months pregnant once she left the Titans. Six months — “Raven,” Tim hissed, his breathing hitching and his chest tightening. He felt breathless, his ears continued to ring loudly, and it felt like the world was spinning out of control. A distant memory, clear yet faint crossed his mind, that had his heart stutter and suddenly his world titled to the side. 

Fuck.

“Tim,” He heard her despite the mad ringing in his ears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She pressed on, her voice a mad mix of apologetic and panic. Her face crumpled into deep regret, her eyes trying to catch his panicked stare. “I tried to tell you —” she whispered and Tim felt his world explode. 

Oh shit.

“But I couldn’t, I was scared, I didn’t know what you’d do, what the Justice League would do, I as afraid they’d take her away from me, I did not know how you’d react, you were with Stephanie again soon after, and I was embarrassed and just scared,” her words were a jumbled mess, her voice uncharacteristically rose with a mix of emotions. Her blue eyes shone with unshed tears. “I am so sorry, Tim,”

Tim felt like the wind was knocked out of his chest and he inhaled shakily, desperately trying to find air to breathe. “So she’s —”

“She’s yours,”

Chapter Text

Raven returned to her apartment exhausted, her emotions drained and strained at the same time. Her conversation with Tim took more out of her than she had hoped for. 

The guilt and worry still settled heavily in her stomach, despite having finally come clean to Tim. She had hoped that after years of keeping this secret from him, she’d finally have a weight lifted from her shoulders. But her nerves told her otherwise and her anxiety multiplied when she felt Tim’s startling realization that he had a child – it honestly felt like she got ran over by a truck.

Absently gnawing her bottom lip, she thought of Tim and the storm of emotions she left him with that evening. She knew he was lost in his own thoughts, the repercussions of wrong choices from many years ago finally catching up on him. She felt terrible for dumping such an important truth on him so unceremoniously. Even more so from keeping his child from him for so many years. What would his family think? The public? Stephanie? Her stomach lurched, she wanted to throw up. Jesus Christ, she was horrible. 

“Mommy?”

The small voice was laced with curiosity and concern, cutting through Raven’s train of thoughts. Raven looked down at the tiny human being beside her, quickly realizing that she had a daughter to take care of. Raven’s own whirlwind of emotions could wait. There’s a little child to feed, bathe, entertain, and put to sleep.

“Hey,” Raven offered a gentle smile, catching Leila’s blue eyes as they stared up at her. For a moment, she marveled at how much of a spitting image the child was of Tim. From her blue eyes to black hair, the playful smile, her eyebrows, and the shape of her face – her features matched her father’s. 

Leila tilted her head curiously at her mother. While Raven may not know the extent of how much her daughter may have inherited her demonic heritage, she was sure Leila was an empath much as herself. The little girl must have caught on Raven’s frayed nerves. 

“C’mon, you,” Raven gently nudged her deeper into their new apartment, a recent acquisition. She wasn’t sure how long they would settle in Gotham, but she felt she’d set something up just in case Tim wanted to build a relationship with his daughter. It felt like the most reasonable thing to do. 

“You must be hungry,” Raven mused thoughtfully while the little girl chirped a yes in response. “What do you want to eat?”

“Cake, pwease. Thank you!” 

Raven released a soft huff of laughter. “Perhaps spaghetti, yes?” she bargained. When she received a request for lots of cheese and “two meatbaws, pwease”  in response, the request for cake was forgotten, and the two settled to make spaghetti with meatballs. Raven wasn’t the best cook, but she rarely heard complaints from her daughter, which she was thankful for.

Despite her exhausting afternoon, Raven still had enough energy to focus on her daughter and listen to her babble about her afternoon at daycare. Raven listened, actively asked questions, voiced her opinion over Sally not sharing crayons (“That’s not nice. Did you share your crayons?” “Yup!”) and hope she did not come across too tired to the perceptive child. 

When everyone was fed, and dishes had been clumsily loaded into the dishwasher by Leila (creating more of a mess than necessary), and the child was bathed, they settled for a book to read (The Princess and the Pea) in her bedroom. 

Motherhood was not something she prepared for, nor thought she’d ever have to prepare for. It wasn’t in her plans or did she picture herself ever to be a mother. But somehow, here she was curled up on the soft violet carpet of her child’s bedroom, reading The Princess and the Pea to an amused 3-year-old. 

“Good night, Lei,” Raven pressed a kiss to the child’s forehead after tucking her into her bed. The little girl mumbled her good night, the promise of playtime at the park dying on her lips, and her tiny fingers tightly wrapping around an old cat plushie, Ginny.

After making sure the child was asleep, Raven stood up, checked to make sure that windows were locked, and every book and toy returned to their boxes and shelves. She turned off the lights and kept the fairy night light on before quietly stepping out of the room. She glanced briefly into the room, the gentle pink and violet light casting a lulling glow into the room. The little lump in bed stirred, curling into herself, and Raven suddenly thought of today’s events and if she did alright as a mother. Her stomach churned.

With her worries and insecurities returning a hundredfold, Raven went through the motions of the evening. Turning on the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen, returning toys and books to their rightful places in their small living room, and setting out to do laundry. 

The gnawing in the pit of her stomach returned as their home fell into silence and her thoughts kept her company. Her muscles hurt and her nerves stretched and frayed from every last ounce of emotions spent. Meeting Tim didn’t last long, just under an hour – she had to pick-up Leila from daycare. But those 40 minutes felt like a lifetime, zapping her energy dry. 

As she sifted through the colored and whites of their laundry, a routinary task she had grown accustomed with over the years, she wondered what would change now that Tim knew. She wondered if Tim would do the same, sort his child’s laundry in his most likely expensive laundry machine. Would he even know how to wash children’s clothing? Sort the whites from the colored? Raven paused as she picked up a tiny zebra pajama bottom and she blinked, worry growing in the pit of her stomach, would Tim even be interested in his daughter?

“I’m so sorry,” she told him that evening. The weight of Tim’s onslaught of emotions – anger, disbelief, panic, confusion, frustration – seemed to slowly suffocate her, straining her own emotions. Her body groaned in agony. “I wish I could have told you sooner, but I was –”

“Afraid, yes, I know,” Tim cut her off, terse. He sat more rigid, hands curling into fists before frustratingly running along the length of thighs before stopping at his knees. He clutched his knees as if trying to anchor his emotions and released a loud sigh. Raven watched him stare off into space, deep in thought. 

They fell into heavy silence, with Tim just staring at his garishly orange teapot, brows furrowed and breathing deeply. Raven watched him, her own regret and worry growing in the pit of her stomach while feeling Tim’s tumultuous emotions angrily seep into her skin. She felt like throwing up. 

“I’m sorry to ask, but,” Tim sounded genuinely apologetic, but his voice was business-like and measured. “Are you sure she’s mine?”

She wanted to feel indignant and snap at him. But he had every right to ask. “I didn’t sleep with anyone else, Tim,”

Tim’s jaw twitched and she watched him swallow, processing the information. He ran a hand across his face, inhaling deeply. His shocked emotions pressed into her skin, making her muscles groan. “I know you had your reasons, Raven, I respect that, I just – I,” he paused, releasing a frustrated huff. “I wish you told me sooner,”

“I know,” she replied. She felt her emotions strain. “I’m sorry, I wish things were different. But they’re not,” Raven said, feeling herself close to snapping as well. She pressed on, as the mad mix of emotions spurred her on. “I know it’s not fair, I wish I had the courage to tell you sooner, but I didn’t. But you deserve to know. It would be unfair to keep this from you. I just wanted to let you know – what you’ll do with this information, I’ll leave it up to you, Tim,”

Brows furrowed over stormy blue eyes and Raven watched him swallow as he processed her words. He released a long, frustrated sigh. His spiked emotions wrapped around her like a weighted blanket, sinking into her and weighing her down. “I need to process this more,”

She left the apartment soon after, there was nothing more to discuss that evening. She practically flew out of his apartment, blindly grabbing her jacket, and rushing out into the streets to inhale deeply the muggy Gotham air as the world seemed to tilt underneath her feet. She wasn’t sure what she’d expect out of their meeting today.

Raven sighed, memories of that afternoon still bothering her, worry weighing down her movements. She set the laundry machine and began running a load. She glanced at the pile of dark colored clothes, mostly her own, and wondered if she’d still have time tonight to run another load once the first one would be done.

Exhausted, her emotions buzzing under her skin, she padded barefoot into her kitchen and grabbed Leila's half-empty juice box. No use of letting that get to waste. While waiting for her laundry to get done, she sunk into her couch and curled into herself, turning on the TV and mindlessly watching the Minions movies, Leila’s latest interest.

She felt him before his silhouette appeared on her window. As Raven watched the little yellow Minions run across the screen, she could see his hulking shadow cast across her carpet. She heard the faint click in the background and Raven smiled in amusement as Stuart (or Kevin?) babbled loudly. 

"You need better locks,"

As the Minions started babbling about bananas Raven glanced at Red Robin, his suited figure larger than life. Despite how much he denied his similarities to Batman, the Red Robin suit reminded her just how similar Tim and Bruce were. Intimidating, calculating, and strong. The sight of him, taller and larger than she remembered, made her chest tighten and she inhaled deeply, trying to still every electrifying nerve in her body. Red Robin was a familiar sight she should be accustomed to, but seeing him here after close to five years, seemed all too new for her.

“I don’t think anyone will climb up to the 22nd floor to see me,” Raven deadpanned. She grabbed the Juicebox, sugary orange juice, and took an absent sip from it. She went back to staring at the Minions, the volume of the TV barely above a whisper. 

Red Robin shifted from where he stood by the windows, cowl still drawn and his stance rigid and muscles tight. “This is Gotham,” he stated, tone tense and just a little gruff. Raven felt a chill run down her spine, albeit mild, but it had her sit up just a little straighter. 

Raven blinked as she felt his tense emotions, tearing her gaze away from hundreds of Minions going crazy on screen. She stared at Tim; the air seemed to warm with the tension that slowly stretched between them. It felt strange to stare into the white lenses of his cowl, she knew he was studying her. “There are enough wards in this place to send an intruder to hell,” she replied.

Red Robin tilted his head curiously. “And what about me? Am I not an intruder?”

She couldn’t help it. Her skin bristled and her nerves were on the edge. “Maybe this is hell for you?”

She watched his shoulders hike just a fraction of an inch, his muscles incredibly tight, and his gloved hands twitched at his sides. She felt his emotions burn her. The moment broke when he released a long sigh and his face crumpled. Shoulders slumping, Red Robin pulled back his cowl carefully, and Tim Drake-Wayne finally stared at Raven apologetically. 

“Raven,” he breathed, blue eyes looked tired and confused. Inhaling deeply, he tried to find words as he stared at an expectant Raven. “I –”

“I really didn’t think you’d come by tonight,” she mused, sitting up and dropping the remote on her coffee table. It slid across the wooden surface, gently nudging their daughter’s little ballerina toy. Raven blinked at the thought – their daughter, now with Tim finally in the picture. Her heart tightened.  “I thought you’d need more time,”

Tim sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I do, but I also want to talk more,” he said. She felt his distraught emotions, her stomach churned feeling sorry for him. “I just need help navigating through all of this. It’s a lot to take in, Raven,” 

“Okay,” Raven breathed. She watched him stare at her, looking like a man trying to make sense of things. The air still seemed tense, but less so. Swallowing, and trying to tame the last shreds of her sanity, she offered him a tentative smile. “Do you want anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water,” she glanced at her, their she corrected, daughter’s Juicebox. “Juicebox?”

Tim released a soft croak of a chuckle, awfully sounding like a cross between amusement and disbelief. He carefully looked around the dimly lit room, studying the furniture and decorations, as if cataloging every little detail. Raven stood up, giving Tim a moment to memorize some of the children’s books and toys that were lined up against the wall. “I’ll get you something to drink, you can sit down. Just be careful not to step on some of her dinosaurs,” she glanced at Tim’s steel-toe boots and the corner of her lips quirked up lightly. “You might crush her stegosaurus,”

She returned a moment later carrying a cup of coffee. An unmasked Red Robin sat on her couch looking pensively at a small plush rainbow rabbit in his gloved hands. It looked miniscule in his large, gloved hands. She quietly sat down next to him and placed the cup of coffee in front of him, startling him out of his thoughts. “That’s Coco,” Raven said, gently. 

“Coco?”

Raven hummed and tore her gaze away from the old rabbit. She absently picked up the Juicebox and drank the last few dregs of orange juice. “We got it last year, around Easter. We had a few fresh coconuts in Indonesia. I guess she remembered coconuts when I gave her that, thus Coco,”

“Indonesia?” Raven ignored how Tim’s eyes burned into her, instead she focused on the colorful drawings on the Juicebox. “So that was true? Traveling around Asia and Europe?”

“Yeah,” Raven looked at Tim, catching him studying her. She offered him an apologetic smile, her emotions getting the better of her and her body just sagging under the whirlwind of emotions. “I’m really sorry, Tim, about all of this,”

Tim sighed, looking completely tired and lost, a first in her books. Tim fiddled with the colorful bunny ears, staring at it lost in thought before offering her small smile. “I’m sorry too,” he offered gently, his voice sounding completely and utterly broken at the moment. “I’m equally at fault,”

Raven stared at him, gauging his confused emotions as he tried to process being in a room filled with toys and Knick knacks of his daughter. Her heart twinged at the sight, large, gloved fingers cradling a rainbow rabbit, and she wished she offered Tim the opportunity of meeting his daughter sooner. She felt her selfishness eating her chest. “What do you want to talk about?” she asked, voice cracking just a bit.

Tim looked around, as if trying to figure out what best to ask from the multitude of questions that seemed to race through his mind. He blinked as a thought crossed his mind. “How old is she?”

“3 and seven months,” she replied. 

“Huh,” Tim breathed, letting the thought sink in. “Terrible Threes?”

Raven released a soft laugh, of course Tim would know about child development phases. “Thankfully, not as much anymore. Maybe we’re closing in on the ‘fantastic four’s’” she breathed. She tilted her head as she watched curiosity blossom on Tim’s face. His expression reminded her a lot of Leila’s inquisitive looks. Cerulean eyes that glistened in wonder. “Maybe occasionally, when she can’t navigate her own emotions or when she doesn’t understand things. But she’s very smart and seems to handle herself well,”

“Emotions?” Tim blinked. “Does she have powers?”

Raven shrugged. “She definitely is an empath; she can pick up emotions. She gets curious when she picks up something new and different. I don’t know if she has other powers, or if her powers are diluted because you’re human and I’m half demon. I’m sure her powers would be latent, it’s honestly really a wait and see at this point,”

Raven paused, studying his thoughtful expression. Her stomach churned as an ugly, distant memory resurfaced and she frowned. “Is that a problem for you?” she asked, her tone defensive and her skin seemed to tingle in protective energy.

Tim’s blue eyes widened, and he straightened, as worry and panic washed over him. She watched him shake his head, carefully dropping Coco the bunny into the space between them. “You know me well enough that this doesn't matter to me, Raven,” he pressed. He frowned, brows furrowed defensively, and he stared at her with a determined glint. “And it shouldn’t matter to anyone else,”

Raven released a soft dismissive huff, she looked unimpressed. “Look, you must understand the main reason why we stayed away from everyone was because most of the people we know either wanted me gone or dead because my father was Trigon. I was, I am,” she corrected. “Still considered a threat to many. I’m still afraid of what they’d think of hearing that Trigon now has a granddaughter,” she pressed on, frustration and anger spurring her on. 

She watched Tim inhale deeply, processing her words and looking both stricken and apologetic at her words. She knew he understood what she meant – Batman, his father, close to 12 years ago pushed a young Raven away from the Justice League. Wounds would always leave scars.

“Raven,” Tim whispered, he looked sorry and hurt. She felt her throat tighten defensively; she didn’t want his pity. “I really can’t reverse what happened in the past. You should have never, never, gone through that with the Justice League. But I’ll never,” he stressed, his tone hardening, and a protective glint shone in his eyes as he stared at her. “I’ll never let anyone hurt Leila. I promise,”

There was a protectiveness that radiated from Tim that made Raven again regret not allowing him to see his daughter earlier. Her stomach churned painfully. She watched him swallow, his sharp jaw twitched as if his daughter’s name rolled off his tongue for the very first time.  

There was a sense of security and protectiveness from Tim that made Raven’s heart leap. But at the same time longing bubbled under her skin – where was this protection when she was younger, when she had to run from a world that wanted her dead?

Raven inhaled deeply, immediately stopping her thoughts – her past had no place in this narrative. 

“Okay,” she breathed, trying to settle the last shreds of her nerves. She looked at Tim’s intense eyes and she tried not to get too overwhelmed by his own stormy thoughts. Tonight was a lot to take in, for both of them.

“What do we do now?” he finally asked. Tim still looked overwhelmed and confused and Raven watched him seemingly rack his brain for an answer.

Raven blinked, for a moment unsure how to answer. Tilting her head, she watched Tim’s face studying her. “What do you want to do?” she asked tentatively. Concern and dread bubbled forebodingly in her stomach – what would she tell her, their, daughter if her father would not be a part of her life? 

The decision was up to Tim, she knew. A part of her was prepared for whatever his decision may be – he was a Wayne after all. And while children outside of marriage were not uncommon, Tim did uphold a vastly different public image from Bruce Wayne. How involved he wanted to be in his daughter’s life was entirely up to him, and she’d respect that. But the twinge in her heart at the different possibilities left her aching, for so many reasons she would not admit.

“This is up to you, Tim,” she continued. “It wasn’t fair for me to keep this from you for the last four years. It wasn’t fair to Leila either. I’ll leave this to you – if you want to be involved or not. But you had to know she’s here. I’ll res—” 

“I want to be there for her,” Tim cut her off, brows drawing together in confusion and looking incredulous. 

Raven felt her breath catch and heart hammering in her chest. “Please don’t think I’d never want to be a part of my daughter’s life, Raven,” he said, voice sounding just a little wounded. A myriad of emotions pressed into her as Tim continued. She watched Tim swallow, looking clearly overwhelmed. “Look, I wish I knew sooner. I wish you didn’t feel the need to hide and protect yourselves – or myself. I wish I could have been there for the both of you. It’s unfair you had to do this alone for the last three years, I should have helped,” he said, regret lacing his voice. 

Tim offered her small, tired, tentative smile. His tight, defensive posture finally sagging as at the weight of his words. Yes, he had a daughter. They had a daughter. “It’s a lot to take in,” he admitted. Tim absently stared at Coco the rabbit and fiddled with one of the floppy rainbow ears. “I–I don’t know what to do right now. I do want to take responsibility and be present, if you let me. I know we’ll figure something out, right?” 

Raven inhaled, taking an unsteady breath, as the weight of his words settled around her. They rattled her– things could easily go so wrong and right. Raven tried to navigate her emotions and offered him a soft smile. “Right,” she repeated, offering them both some assurance. 

They stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to say something. As if on cue, a soft whine carried through the quiet of her apartment and they both stared at the doorway of her living room. “Oh,” Raven breathed. 

Tim watched Raven stand up, offering him a murmured “One moment,” before disappearing through the doorway and into her dark apartment. After another whine and low whispers, Raven returned with a small peach colored bundle wrapped around her chest. Small fuzzy socks with avocado patterns dangled around her hips and Tim stared breathlessly at the sight.

It felt like the room exploded with emotions as Raven carefully stepped into the room, cradling their sleepy daughter to her chest. Her steps faltered at the onslaught of Tim’s jump of emotions as he stared at them slowly returning to the couch. Leila whined in discomfort, likely feeling the jumble of emotions in the room, tiny hands fisting into Raven’s shirt and sleepily squirming in her hold.

Under Tim’s intense gaze, Raven carefully sat down and gently arranged their sleeping daughter on her lap and pressed her into her chest to make her more comfortable. Tiny arms and legs wrapped tightly around her in sleepy discomfort, releasing a soft whine. 

“I think we might have been thinking and feeling too loudly,” Raven whispered thoughtfully, her dark blue eyes staring at the top of Leila’s head tucked under her chin. Placing a gentle hand on her daughter's back, she hoped the added little weight would comfort the little girl. 

Raven glanced at Tim, his blue eyes widened, and he carefully leaned away from them. “Oh,” he breathed in mild panic. “I’m sorry,”

Whatever worries she may have had over Tim, the chaos she seemed to have unceremoniously dumped into his life, and him finally arriving in his daughter’s life seemed to momentarily dissipate. She watched the awe blossom on Tim’s face as he intently stared at the small breathing bundle, tightly wrapped around Raven. She felt his gentle emotions press into her and Raven felt her chest warm in response. She drew in a measured deep breath as distant memories and emotions sent tingles down her spine. She willed her nerves to still.

“It’s alright,” Raven offered, voice gentle and controlled. She watched as Tim stared intently, memorizing the tiny foot covered in cartoon avocados to Leila’s peach-colored pajamas with funny little fairy drawings. The child’s head was turned away from him, safely tucked under Raven’s chin – but Tim continued to stare at the little breathing lump, in total awe. 

As if on cue, the little girl gave a little sleepy mumble and wiggled in Raven’s arms, trying to get comfortable. With a soft yaw, Leila turned her head and pressed her left cheek into Raven’s chest. Raven watched a little breathless as the little girl sleepily blinked at a very still Tim. 

Tim inhaled sharply and in the muted lights of Raven’s living room, stared directly at his daughter in sheer wonder for the very first time. Sleepy cerulean eyes stared back at him, cheek smooshed into Raven, and long black mussed hair framed her sleepy face. Raven watched Tim swallow, at a loss at the sight. 

“Hi,” Tim croaked. Raven watched a watery smile cross his face. 

Leila blinked, stared at Tim for a moment longer, before yawning and slumping further into Raven and slowly closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. Raven heard Tim release a shuddering breath and she turned her attention to the man, noticing how he seemed to have scooted just a fraction of an inch closer and just stared enthralled at the sleeping child. 

“She–”

“Looks just like you,” 

Tim swallowed, his blue eyes breaking contact from Raven’s and dropping back to the little girl, completely enraptured by the sight. “Raven,” Tim breathed, as if finally, the reality of being a father hit him. She knew Tim well, she felt him at this very moment – working, thinking, planning, and ensuring the future, safety, and everything possible for this little new human in his life. 

“We’ll make it work,” she assured him, but perhaps more for herself too. Tim nodded before carefully settling into the couch, deciding that he had no place he’d rather be than watch his new daughter sleep. 

Raven watched as Tim Drake-Wayne in full Red Robin uniform comfortably leaned into her couch and just stared at his sleeping daughter, a gentle aura of fear, admiration, love, and so much more emanating from him. She ignored how that ugly mixture of guilt and longing suddenly returned and gnawed at her chest. 

This will work.