Nerdybirdboy:

nerdybirdboy​:

“Likewise, Dr Thompkins,” Tim replied, a pleasant smile on his lips. Ok, Timmy, you can do this. Give her enough to be happy, but not enough to let her know any of your true thoughts and feelings, then it risks going straight back to Bruce and then he’ll definitely not let you be Robin anymore.

Sitting down, he was very conscious about keeping a fairly open body language, hiding the fact that he didn’t want to be there at all. “How does this work?” Tim’s voice was calm and steady, all of it through iron will. Which was also the only reason he wasn’t fidgeting. “If you want me to talk about the accident, I’ll do that, but it really was an accident. I wanted to sleep and in my sleep deprived state I took a couple of pills too much. That’s it, there’s nothing more to tell.”

What had happened was that Tim having not been able to sleep more than a couple of hours for quite some time and when Bruce and Alfred were going to be gone for the weekend, Tim had seen it as his chance to get some good sleep. He hadn’t really thought about what he was doing and had just taken some of the pills, which had been more than a person his size should take. Not dangerously much, but not good either. Okay, maybe a little dangerous, but the risk of him dying had been very low. Thankfully, Alfred had felt something was wrong and Bruce knew to never doubt Alfred’s senses and they had turned back. Instead of going away, they had spent the weekend monitoring Tim. Once he was awake and conscious enough to speak and drink, Bruce had been very very angry. Just as angry as when he’d run off to handle those thugs that first time before he became Robin. Alfred believed Tim when he said it had been an accident, Bruce hadn’t been sure.

It was true though. It had really been an accident, however, accident or not, Tim shouldn’t have had sleeping pills or benzo, but he had (not anymore though). Black market medicine, so he hadn’t stolen them from Alfred or anything. Tim didn’t think he’d done anything wrong besides worrying Bruce and Alfred.

Oh he was going straight into it? Okay, she could meet him there. But Leslie really ought to slow him down first. Get him comfortable. Or more comfortable at least. 

Closing the door, Leslie went about rummaging through the mini-fridge she had built into the cabinet against the wall. “Sure, we can talk about what happened if you want to Tim - do you want a drink? Snacks? I’ve got a stash of them here, you’re welcome to them anytime.”

Tim had clearly rationalised what had happened down to its finest points. Frankly, Leslie was fairly certain he was telling the truth, but even so, it was a symptom of what she feared was a much larger problem.

“So, you wanted to sleep? Okay, can I ask why you were sleep deprived in the first place? It sounds like you had a hard time getting sleep despite that - I presume that’s why you took the pills, but feel free to correct me.”

jp-todd-rp​:

Three days.

Grace…

Fucking fuck!

“If you want to clean up my vomit, then go right ahead, and make me tea. It’ll be a nice change of pace for me at this point…”

Jason swallowed, not meeting Leslie’s gaze, before letting go of the door. He made his slow way to the nearest chair, slowly lowering himself onto it. “Doc, I don’t wanna hear it. Just – don’t tell Alfie, okay?” Jason looked up from his slumped posture towards Leslie. “I’ll be fine…”

“I would.” Leslie stated simply. He had to know that there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for him at this point. She knew didn’t have much right to think of the young man as family, but she cared for him all the same. There was too much history there to pretend otherwise.

With a considering look, Leslie turned, making herself at home in his kitchen; Taking a glass from the side and running the water for a moment before filling it up. “It’ll take a lot more than the threat of vomit to scare me off and you know it. You are dehydrated though. I can tell just looking at you.”

Leslie placed the glass on the table, leaving the offer of a drink open to him if he changed his mind. She needed to know more, and knowing how stubborn he could be, she didn’t want to push Jason too hard. He’d managed this long on his own and knew his own limits.

Sitting down in a chair opposite, she spoke earnestly, sparing him the lecture he was clearly anticipating. “So what exactly is it that I’m not telling Alfred? I have a couple of theories: Bits and pieces I’ve put together... But you don’t look to be in the mood to play twenty questions and believe it or not, I didn’t come here to make things more difficult.”

Part of the deal. It was part of the deal, Bruce had told him. Jason didn't have to like, but he'd just have to go through it, pass, or whatever people did, and he could go out there. Finally, be someone. Be Robin... Jason knocked on the door, grateful, that the hallway was empty. - @jp-todd-rp

Technically, this was off-book.

Not that running a session with Bruce Wayne's ward was a particularly unusual thing to happen. Frankly, Leslie was happy to do it; Keen, really. But there would be no record of what they would discuss, not where any of her peers could access at least. Discretion was of the utmost importance when dealing with vigilantes with secret identities after all. With young Jason Todd living with Batman himself, Leslie was sure it would come up at some point.

Opening the door to her warm, comfortably decorated office, Leslie smiled at the boy, stepping back to allow him entrance as she spoke.

"Jason is it? Hello. I'm Leslie Thompkins, it's nice to meet you."

jp-todd-rp​:

And that made Jason look back to her. Because he had pushed away all that had reminded him of her at first; it was too painful, too raw. Too much of a liability.

He was barely getting used to being able to feel safe again. Let alone remember.

“She was… Before she got sick, she always read to me,” Jason started, a little hesitantly. “Encouraged me to read as much as I could too, and do well in school. Said I might actually make something of myself instead of getting stuck in the Alley. She tried to care, and be nice, but she…” She ended up caring more about the drugs than me.

Jason’s jaw tensed, before continuing. “When Willis died in prison, and she got sicker, that just – it was just us, you know? I had to look after her. Be the man. But she… guess she was too sick.”

That amount of grief. His father - Willis, rather, and then his mother. In the face of it, it was surprising that the boy before her seemed so well put together. 

She fought against a pang of  her own sorrow for what he had been through. But this wasn’t the time or place for her own emotions. When she had first began working with the Wayne family, one of the few reservations she had, had been around how it might be more difficult to maintain the professional boundaries that were needed for the job. Being in the know, almost a family friend... It had the potential to compromise her role as their therapist. She was careful not to allow it to happen.

And again, education seemed to be a common theme for Jason. It was clearly on his mind. Something that was important to him perhaps. Leslie made a mental note to come back to it, but while they were on the subject, she wanted to try and get a clearer picture of exactly what Jason had had to deal with.

A soft, slightly sad smile crossing her face, Leslie tried to match Jason’s careful tone as she inquired further. “Can I ask, what illness did she have?”

jp-todd-rp​:

Trust Grace to put her mark right on the money. Even though she didn’t quite get just how close to the truth she was getting. “She’s too smart for her own good,” he muttered under his breath, but pride laced his tone.

But the faint smile fell, as Leslie continued.

He could see it.

Grace worrying over him, working herself up over him, and what he’d done. Trying to find an explanation. “I – I’ll put her in too much danger if I tell her. That is… if she even wants anything to do with me for lying to her.” Jason shook his head. “I never should have let it get this far between us, I was an idiot.”

“She’s planning on working as a doctor, in Crime Alley, Jason.” Leslie pointed out. “I’ve had this talk with her, when she started - and again after the bombing. She’s not exactly playing it safe as it is.” While a doctor wasn’t the most dangerous profession someone could go for, in a city like Gotham it certainly came with it’s own set of risks. Leslie had the personal experience to attest to it.

“Grace isn’t shying away from the Red Hood either. Even after everything she knows about him - you.” Talking about Jason as if he were two different people was going to give her a headache, but when it came to Grace, the distinction was there. For now, at least. “These are all choices she's making. And after what happened to her the other week, Gotham can be plenty dangerous all on its own. If you hadn’t have given her that alarm...” Her voice trailed slightly, not wanting to think of what might have happened to her if not for Jason.

“She likes you. And judging by how she is around you when the mask is on, she likes more than just whatever civilian front you’ve put up for appearances sake. Don’t even try telling me it’s not the same for you, or you’d never have let it go on for this long. Even the others have noticed." Leslie wasn’t sure if she should mention the curious questions she had received from the others, Bruce especially who was all too keen to know what his son was up to, but it slipped out all the same.

Realising she had long since ventured into lecture territory, Leslie shrugged, pulling back. “I just think she deserves the option of deciding for herself. A real, informed decision. I think your secret would be safe at this point. She only speaks to me about it because she already knows I know The Red Hood.  And who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised at how things turn out.”

jp-todd-rp​:

“Exactly! Doc, Gotham is – it’s dangerous enough on its own.” And why would no one listen to him, understand him when he told them, warned them…

“But the people who have me on their hit list, both me and the Hood… Leslie, you couldn’t even fucking imagine. I don’t wanna expose her to that. I can’t…”

I can’t risk losing her to that.

It was already too late for that, Jason knew that, but the incident with the traffickers had torn off the sheer naivety of his infatuation, and exposed the perils that lay around.

A shudder travelled up Jason’s spine, and his body tensed up when the pain followed soon after. “Doc…”

“She’s already exposed to it Jason. You’re missing the point.” Leslie quipped. “Right now, she has no idea, but if you’d just-”

His wince of pain had her cutting off mid-sentence. Right. Maybe now wasn’t the best time for this either. There was no doubt in her mind that she had more to say on the subject, but for now, perhaps it could wait.

With a soft sigh, Leslie leaned forward slightly into the space. There were a few things she could suggest, but as Jason had said himself, he had been dealing with this for some time. She would defer to him this time. “What do you need? Let me help.”