{Tim opens his mouth to reassure Dick, to tell him Of course we handled it together, but he finds his words faltering and his eyes averting from Dick's face instead.}

I spent some time in San Francisco, but...{He sighs.} There was a lot going on, Dick. {His dad, Conner, Bart, Bruce...Trying and failing to clone Conner because he had taken leave of his right mind...He had made just as many mistakes as everyone else. If not more.} You had Damian to take care of, I had the Teen Titans. {A lie. Bart was gone Conner was just barely back and Cassie thought he needed as much therapy as Dick had.} Damian and I don't get along all that well, so we didn't see each other much. We kept busy.

{It is the gentlest, more truthful way he could tell this tale, and he's still going to break Dick's heart, so he tries to get past it.}

But that was a while ago! You're back in your own suit. Bruce and Damian are Batman and Robin. He's got me working with a new team. Kate's training us to work together.

{He knows this isn't going to be enough, so he grasps at straws and thinks quickly. This is Dick before Damian, and what would he want, what would make him feel better? Hugs, probably. And time. Brotherly bonding time. Which....if it was the Dick Tim knew at home...Tim might resist a little because they still had so much left unsaid, but this Dick hadn't chosen Damian yet. He still wanted Tim as his little brother.}

And besides, we'll have time to spend together here, right?