Just a few Notes:

1. This is my first fanfic, so I'm just getting the feel of the format and layout. I do not expect for you to go easy on me, and appreciate all review, compliment and critique alike.

2. I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters, specifically Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, nor do I own the song "If I Die Young"

3. These are my two favorite comic book characters (as you may have guessed from the name), and I love their will-they-won't they. That said, I apologize to those who don't like what I've done with the dynamite duo.

THE WATCHTOWER

June 20TH, 23:15 EDT

Barbara Gordon felt like she was going to drop. Today had not been a good day, by any standards. Sure, the Reach left, and the world was saved, but no one counted it as a victory. She still couldn't believe it. Wally is gone. He was the lovable idiot, the one who cracked jokes when they were needed the most, and who's cluelessness could brighten the darkest mood. No wonder he and Dick got along so well. Wally is gone. He was the just the kind of person to be an ass and prove himself a hero. Wally is Gone. And Dick blames himself.

Ever since Bart and Barry emerged from the twister, Artemis had been waited on hand and foot, everyone doing their best to help her and support her. Artemis finally got some time alone, and it was only to partake the worst task of all. Of course Artemis needed the support; She loved him. But Barbara couldn't help thinking how Wally's closest friend was taking the loss.

After Wally's death- Barbara choked back a sob- Dick had been one of the first ones to Artemis' side and had been invaluable to the hurting archer. But about an hour ago he headed home, exhausted and unresponsive. He was barely missed by most, but Barbara, trained by the World's Greatest Detective, noticed the signs. Dick was hurting. And he's only going to point the finger at himself.

It wasn't too much of a stretch, especially for a grieving soul, to make. Dick risked the lives of Kaldur and Wally's soulmate, Artemis. Therefore, he's responsible for Wally's death. But Barbara wouldn't let Dick think that. She wouldn't let him be alone for the night. She didn't know what that would entail, but she knew she couldn't leave her best friend after a loss like this.

Knowing he wouldn't respond to a knock on his door, Barbara shrugged aside her civvies for the cowl and took the zeta beam transporter to Blüdhaven. It didn't take her long to get to Dick's house; she remembered going apartment hunting with him when he first moved. As the house came into view, Barbara swung along the neighboring rooftops and snuck into the tree by Dick's bedroom window. She thought that a light-hearted scare could lighten him up, at least a bit.

As she looked through the unlocked window, the sight surprised her. There, sitting on his bed, looking away from her, was Dick Grayson. What was surprising was the acoustic guitar in his lap, and the recording microphone hooked up in front of him. By his side was his laptop, apparently recording what the mike picked up. In the port was a drive with the name "Babs" written on it clearly in blue ink. It took Barbara a second to realize Dick was talking into the microphone.

"Hey Babs, this is Dick, here to mess with you one final time. I'm recording this on uhh… June 20th. Well, it's probably more significant if I told you what happened today, so here goes."

Barbara watched as the man sitting in front of her took a deep breath, steeling himself for what came next.

"Wally died. Another person close to me who bit the dust, huh Babs. I guess you can use that as a reason to stay away from me, not like you have a shortage of them." Dick let out a little chuckle, and Barbara started to see Dick shaking. He was crying, she realized.

"Anyway, this event gave me another thought, always dangerous, blah blah, just thinking back on Tula, and Ted, Jason, and Wally." He paused. "The life we live Babs… it isn't easy. The higher you climb, the harder you fall, and trust me, what we dedicate our lives to is riskier than the trapeze without a net, especially if one has the amount of training you have. And I've started thinking of who's next is on the chopping block. And if it's me, well, I want to you to have something to remember me by so, here it is." Barbara heard the cords of Dick's guitar as he tuned it.

"This song is normally for an alto, and isn't necessarily a solo guitar piece, but it fits how I feel, and what I think."

Barbara watched as he took a deep breath, and began to play.

"If I die young bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song"

Dick's voice caught Barbara off guard. It was a strong tenor and conveyed every emotion that was put into the song. As the vocals blended with the acoustic guitar, Barbara became caught in a trance, barely noticing anything but the boy in front of her, letting his emotions run rampant. As the music played, Barbara saw meanings in every verse;

"Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother

She'll know I'm safe with you when

She stands under my colors, oh and

Life ain't always what you think it oughta be, no

Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life,

Well, I've had just enough time"

As he went back into the chorus, Barbara felt the struggle Dick was conveying, as he needed his best friend to be happy and safe, wherever he was. Almost as a reflex, she removed her cowl, revealing the freckled, tear-stained cheeks.

"And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom

I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger

I've never known the lovin' of a man

But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There's a boy here in town says he'll love me forever"

With a jolt, Barbara realized what Dick was saying, and stood there, within the tree, wide-eyed. He's the boy. Sure, they had flirted in the past, even after they split up, but Barbara never thought farther.

"The Ballad of a dove

Go with peace and love

Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em"

Barbara wanted to cry out, to tell him that he would be worth every tear, that he wasn't going to die, but she stopped when she heard what Dick said next.

"I know you Babs, and I know that, however I die, you won't stop blaming yourself. You're like me that way. And I want you to know, whatever you're cursing yourself for, I forgive you. I could never be mad at you, feel betrayed by you, or stop caring for you. As the detective you are, you've probably already figured out why." He paused for a moment, plucked his guitar strings for a second, and reverted his attention back to the microphone. "I love you, Babs. Always have, always will."

Barbara didn't notice the tears streaming down her cheeks, the accelerated heartbeat, the sudden silence in the world around her. She didn't realize she was clasping the necklace Dick had given her two years ago on her birthday. All she understood was that she felt pure, raw emotions, and didn't trust herself to differentiate between them. She watched as her best friend, her closest confidant, having just told her the one thing she couldn't handle, nonchalantly began packing up his equipment and transferring the recording to the small hard drive. She watched as he began to turn around, and walk towards the window.

When he reached the window, Barbara was barely clinging to the slanted roof above, barely out of the window frame. All he had to do was look up, and Dick would have spotted her. Instead, after a second, he walked away, his steps echoing on the floor, growing lighter and lighter until the door creaked open, then was shut again.

Relaxing her nerves to the best of her ability, Barbara pulled over her cowl once more and decided to head back to Gotham. Dick had found his own way to cope, at least for the night. She was about to leave when she noticed it. There perched on the window sill, was the hard drive labeled with her name. He knew she was there. Barbara hesitated for a moment, eventually picking it up before swinging away.

Back at her own apartment, Barbara plugged in the hard drive to her laptop. She let out an involuntary gasp as she saw what was inside. On the hard drive was a single file, was a simple yet morose title.

When I Die

Thanks for sticking through this piece, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who review this piece. I'm still getting into a groove and appreciate the support.