In his death, Tim will haunt them, Tim will haunt everyone in his family and anyone who considered him family, he will always be there, just a reminder that he is gone.
[See, I think when Tim dies, if he dies as a vigilante, it could be permanent. Not as in no one wants to bring him back, but that they can't. He would be killed so brutally so that there is no body to revive, just the echo. If not a vigilante, maybe Tim will make sure there is no way to bring him back, not wanting to risk the consequences.]
Imagine Jason Todd cracking open a new book, by some new author, Kip Kettering, something like that. To see his name.
For Timothy J. Drake, The closest friend I made, for all the things we got to do, and all the things you didn't.
He's never closed a book so fast in his life, never stared at a wall, the taunt in his hands, the book hurting him.
Or Dick and Damian, needing to watch a show that they love, the head actor, Danny T. James[assuming Danny uses a changed name when acting, only slightly] , has recently started producing the show as well.
They sit down all comfy, trying to forget, forget Tim is dead and try to just heal for a moment. Then they see it.
Damian insists on watching the intro the whole way through, when it says 'Produced by Danny T James' a message pops up after it.
For Tim Drake, I wish you got to see this seasons premiere buddy.
Damian and Dick don't comment on the episode like they normally would, just watching in silence.
Or being Steph driving in her car, when her phone tells her to make a turn coming up. She almost thinks she heard wrong when her phone announces the name of the street.
Steph can't hear the music anymore as she's driving by, it dulls out behind her. She returns to that street again and again, making detours every time she goes out, just needing to hear it. She doesn't care if it hurts a little more every time. Doesn't care that she forgot Cass was in the car that one time, and Cass just stopped talking. It's part of Steph now, driving that street.
Maybe it's Duke, in art class when the teacher starts speaking in a more solemn tone.
"As most of you may know, Tim Drake passed recently. He used to be a student of mine, a photographer, in his passing, he left me some pieces. They are beautiful, they always were..." She pauses, then smiles in that fake im-okay sort of way. "I think you'd all benefit from analyzing them some."
Duke can't deny their beauty, all of them masterfully taken. Duke only wishes it was Tim telling him how he took these photos and what they mean to him. Instead of older Ms. Abbot who seems to be holding back a wince every time she talks about that one photo of the sunrise.
Maybe its Helena taking a jog through Gotham streets, needing to clear her mind, maybe get some of those chips she and Tim always liked.
She jogs normally and she's passing a skate park, she hears people chanting "Go Star! Go!"
She slows down, watching through the fence as a girl with spiked up silver hair, killer eyeliner, and a dog tag sits at the top of a huge ramp.
"I call this one, The Jackson!"
The girl kisses her dog tag before completing the move, but Helena can't be bothered as she remembers Tim talking about his friend Star, who had the coolest hair and a raspy voice.
Maybe its Cass watching a football game, maybe Babs is there with her. Maybe they're sat there watching with intrigue as the team in Green wins.
The teams star player, Buzz Cohen has the camera zoom on him for a victory celebration.
Cohen seems to make a kiss to the sky, signing TD and smiling at the camera,
"That ones for you Timbo!"
Babs spends hours combing through information to know if a Buzz Cohen, if that Buzz Cohen, ever knew Tim.
He did, of course he did.
Maybe its Bruce, who's tired at this point, sipping coffee late at the office because Tim isn't here anymore, he overhears four employees talking.
"Can't believe he's gone."
"Me neither, didn't he up Ms. Fox-"
"Yeah, didn't Tim promote Tam to take over Neon Knights?"
"Makes it even more tragic he killed himself."
"The signs are always there."
Bruce doesn't notice he spilled the hot coffee all over himself till it starts to really burn, settling into his bones.
Because that's right. In a family full of detectives, not one of them could pick up that Tim was going to kill himself.
Not a single one of them knew till Tim's friend Ives had called paramedics, who had called Dick, who had texted the family and called Bruce.
For them all to arrive at the hospital saying that Tim was dead.
That he was gone, the slight chance they had of saving him from the slit throat was gone.
Tim had lost too much blood on the ride over, Tim was basically dead before he made it through hospital doors.
The last thing Bruce had ever said to his son was a grunt of approval over a week ago on a case.
He never got to say anything else to his son, and he couldn't get his son back either.
