WARNINGS: Language . . . and maybe a box of tissues . . .

Red Hood straightened, looking down at his work but, like everything else he had done tonight, it hadn't helped to ease his guilt for deserting Nightwing or his anger at himself for listening to Dick in the first place.

"Are they still alive?"

The voice came from behind him, and Hood spun to see who had managed to get the drop on him. Only the Bat and . . . and Nightwing have ever been able to do either and he knew from the voice that this person was neither of them. He grimaced at the relief he felt when he was proven right. It wasn't Batman. Red Arrow dropped down from his perch on the fire escape above him.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Arrow asked, stepping past Hood to check on the downed man. "I have news."

"And you thought you'd come here to warn me?" he asked the visiting hero.

Arrow frowned, kneeling next to the ground meat that Jason had left lying in a pool of his own blood. "Still alive, but jeez, Hood, you could have left the guy his face."

Jason snorted. "I'm done babying these sons of bitches. Batman and Nightwing's been doing that for years and Gotham's still the closest place to hell on earth."

"If the string of bodies you left behind is any indication, I doubt the city's gotten any closer to heaven . . . despite all of the blood you've spilled," Will stood up, taking the time to call it in, requesting yet another ambulance for yet another of Red Hood's take-downs.

"Did some of them die?" Jay asked, only mildly curious. "They were all still alive when I left them, not that any of them deserved to be."

"They were, but it was close for a couple of them." Will looked accusingly at the younger man's torn and bloodied gloves. "You didn't even call an ambulance, Jason! You just left them there. If I hadn't come along . . ."

Jason turned his back. "Yeah, well, you did, didn't you?"

"You didn't know I was coming! You sure as hell didn't know I'd stumble onto the trail of victims you left behind," Will snapped angrily.

Jason turned at that. "Don't you dare call those scum victims," he snarled. "Not one of them is worth the oxygen they breathe. I'm doing the world a favor. How much do you want to bet that none of those bastards will dare commit another crime?"

Will was unimpressed. "You're right. Kind of hard to rob a convenience store from a wheelchair."

Great. More guilt . . . Jay shoved it down ruthlessly. "Exactly my point."

Will stared at him for a moment before he seemed to slump. "We need to talk, but not here." Sirens could be heard getting steadily closer. The archer looked up. "Let's go somewhere that won't be swarming with police in a few seconds."

"You're wasting your time. I already know what you're going to say," Jason growled even as he shot off his grapple gun.

He disappeared over the edge of the building's roof. Will followed as the first police car arrived at the scene below.

They didn't stop until they were near the boardwalk. It was empty this time of night – or morning, as the was case. Will dropped down beside where Jason had sat, atop a salt water taffy shop. The carnival, two hundred yards away, was dark and quiet. They looked out over the Atlantic as the sky began to lighten.

"I don't know what you're bitching about," Jason muttered, setting his helmet on the rooftop next to him. "I didn't shoot any of them."

"That wasn't the point," Will sighed. "Look, enough about them. I know you were taking out your worry and frustration on them, and who can blame you? The cops and EMTs will take care of them."

"This is Gotham, Will. The cops don't take care of anybody but themselves."

"That's not true," Will argued.

Jason looked at him.

"Okay. At least, it's less true that it was before Batman came on the scene."

"Yeah, hurray for the big, black Bat," Jay snorted.

"Forget it," he said, wanting to change the subject to the real reason he came to Gotham. "I don't want to argue. The only reason I'm here is because someone wasn't picking up the com."

This was a lie. He hadn't even tried to contact Jay over the com. He knew from Artemis that Jason hadn't been responding to her attempts. The trip was worth it, however, because Jason deserved to hear this in person.

"It's okay. I know . . ." Jay murmured, staring out at the ocean. "H-He's . . . dead, isn't he?"

Will looked at him, startled. "What?"

"You came to warn me that Batman's out for my head," Jason answered, nodding. He had been expecting it. "You wasted your time, Will. Batman didn't kill Joker when that sick clown murdered me. I doubt Batman will kill me, even for his golden boy. But, even if he did, it's no more than I deserve. So, you can fuck off now, knowing you did your good deed for the year."

Will laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder only for Jason to shrug it off tiredly. "Is that what you thought when I showed up? You're wrong, Jase. Listen . . ."

Don't lie to me!" The exhaustion was gone and the anger back. "I saw him, Will. I saw the blood he lost. There's no way Dickhead could have survived that . . . And it's my fault - because I left him."

"He did survive, though. Dick' alive, Jason. We got him help in time."

Jason stared at him for several long moments, the news apparently surprising the cynicism right out of him. Will watched as various emotions played across his face before settling on relief.

"Midnite saved him, Jason . . . but . . ." and here came the hard part.

Jay frowned. "But? But what? You just said he's alive."

"I didn't lie about that. His condition is stabilized, but the knife . . . "

Comprehension dawned like the sun had in front of them.

"His legs." It was a statement. Jason understood. "He lost use of his legs." Jason's expression hardened. He picked up his helmet, shoving it back over his head and standing up. "So, I was right the first time. He did die."

Will gaped at the sudden change. "No. I told you . . ."

"Shut up," Jason gritted out. "This is Dick we're talking about. You honestly think he can lose his legs and want to live? You obviously don't know him as well as you think you do. Okay, you gave your news, Will; your good deed is done. Now, get the fuck out of Gotham." He ripped his grapple gun from his belt and pointed it back in the direction from which they had just come.

Jumping to his feet, Will reached out but dared not touch the younger man. Jay was even more on edge now than he was when Will had first appeared. "Stop it. You're acting like his life is over."

"It is," Jay insisted. "Dickhead needs to fly like you and I need to breathe. Trust me. He's not going to thank anyone for saving him when it means he'll be grounded forever."

"You're needed on the Watchtower. Dick needs you."

Will tried to ignore Jason's interpretation of events and what this would mean for his friend. The hardest part of hearing it was that he couldn't argue with it. Will knew Dick better than Jason realized, but he had faith that Dick was stronger than anyone gave him credit for. He just needed his friends to be there for him, his family, his brothers - both of them.

"No one needs me, Will. Nobody wants me there, especially Dick," Jason shot off a cable.

"That's not true. Please, come see him, just once," Will pleaded.

"Dick needs me like he needs the plague. If I hadn't left him . . . But, h-he told me to go back. H-He said . . . Damn it! I shouldn't have listened to him. It's my fault that he's - that he's paralyzed. Believe me when I tell you, I'm the last person Dick wants to see right now." Jason hit recoil and was gone.

Will could have gone after him, but Jason was dealing with a boatload of guilt at the moment. With the sun crawling ever higher in the sky, he trusted that Red Hood's reign of terror was over for the time being. Jay would go home, wherever that was, and hopefully get some sleep. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Will activated his com.

"He's not coming," Will muttered to the person on the other end, defeated. "I'm on my way back in now."

Looking back at the ocean, Will watched for a moment as the morning sun glinted gold on the water, promising more hope than it could deliver. He turned in the other direction, toward the closest zeta-tube, struggling to forget Jason's prophetic words. He would have retired from this gig a long time ago had he been one to give in to defeat. Of all people, Will knew that a person was capable of overcoming all kinds of crap that fate threw in their direction. Certainly, Dick, the eternal optimist, could find the strength to move past his loss the same way he had with all the other losses the kid had been forced to bear over the years.

Moving swiftly through the rooftops of Gotham City, Will grasped at that tiny piece of hope like it was his own last lifeline. He refused to lose another friend so soon after regaining another.

"Hey, wake up, lazy bones."

Smiling, Wally pried his eyes open to see Artemis leaning over him. Then, he moved and immediately groaned. Shoving himself up in his chair, he rubbed his neck with one hand.

"You'd think they'd make these chairs more comfortable," Wally grumbled, carefully bending his stiff neck to loosen the stiff muscles. He glanced at the blonde next to him, smiling despite the ache. He'd put up with a lot more than this so long as Artemis was there to greet him every morning. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. I slept against your shoulder most of the night," she admitted. She handed him a plate stacked with a dozen breakfast sandwiches and a large coffee. "I also brought you a little snack until you can get down to the cafeteria for a decent meal. It's from the bottom of the pot, so it's a little strong," she informed him apologetically as he took a sip from the hot beverage. "They were brewing a new pot, but I didn't want to wait around for it."

"S'okay," he assured her. "I appreciate the gesture."

Eating one of his sandwiches, Wally looked around the waiting room. Not nearly as crowded as it had been last night. Connor and Kaldur where talking quietly across the room while M'gann napped with her head on Connor's thigh. Tim was out cold, stretched across one of the benches. Most of the others had gone home or to their rooms here on the Watchtower after Robin had come out to give everyone the update on Nightwing's condition. One would have thought Dick had died by their reactions . . . It had pissed Wally off. It had pissed Will off far more, though, as he had laid into them.

Dick is alive! He is stable. They should be celebrating, and for a little while Wally had felt that elation. He hadn't killed his best friend after all but, then reality had set in. Dick is paralyzed. How much of that was Wally's fault?

His sandwich turned to ash in his mouth, and it was all he could do not to throw up.

I dropped him . . . My best friend has saved my life, and I dropped him with a fucking knife stuck in his back! He blinked hard, but the tears fell anyway, dripping onto the tiles between his feet as Wally set the plate on the seat next to him. He kept his head bent, his elbows on his knees. He couldn't look at anyone. Artemis set the coffee cup aside to put her arms around him.

"It's not your fault," she whispered to him. "Savage did this to him."

Wally shook his head as he watched the drops hit the floor, one of them splattered on his boot.

Savage wouldn't have been able to do anything had Wally had just gotten his shit together a few seconds sooner. He could have stopped Savage before he could have stabbed Dick. If he had just been a little faster, the explosion wouldn't have caught up with them. Nightwing wouldn't have been thrown from his arms. Wally was too slow . . . and isn't that what had gotten him into trouble in the first place?

Too slow . . . Too damned slow . . . The next tear slowed as it fell until it was hovering in midair halfway to the floor.

"Wally? Wally!" Artemis cried out.

Her voice snapped him out of his funk, and he glanced at her, startled. Conner and Kaldur were on their feet across from him as M'gann and Tim sat up, rubbing at their eyes. He frowned at their concern he saw in their eyes. It was directed at him.

Why were they looking at him? He was fine. Their concern should be for Dick, not Wally.

"Wally, stop it!" Artemis snapped at him. "You're vibrating. My arm just fell through your shoulder."

He looked at her in confusion, then glanced at the others for confirmation.

"She speaks true, my friend," Kaldur told him as Conner nodded.

He had been moving so fast that time had stopped for him. This was the worst kind of irony, that his speed would arrive when he didn't need it. What good would his speed do for Dick now?

"Wally, we're all upset . . ." M'gann began, but Wally waved her off.

"No. Stop, M'gann. This is all my fault. I should have been able to stop Savage before he could stab Dick," Wally choked. "It took me too long to wrap my head around what was going on behind me. I was too slow," he ground out. He started laughing but it was bitter.

"You're being unfair to yourself," Artemis argued. She understood what he was going through, though. She knew this was tearing him up inside. "I don't know what Savage was doing to you when Nightwing found you, but we do know he was trying to brainwash y- . . ."

"You weren't there," Wally yelled, slashing his hand in front of him and bringing any forming arguments to a halt before they began. "You weren't there," he repeated, softly this time. "I'm Kid Flash, for God's sake! I should have been able to stop Savage before he could stab Dick. If I'd have stopped him, then Savage wouldn't have been able to activate the bombs. I wouldn't have had to move Dick when he had a spinal injury . . ."

"You had no choice," Kaldur interrupted him. "You were hurt."

"There were several bombs," M'gann added. "The explosion even caught the bioship."

Wally continued as if no one had spoken. "Then I dropped him. I was running and then I fucking dropped him. Dear God! Dick's lucky I didn't kill him outright," he declared, holding his head in his hands in his distress.

"Dick's alive because of you," Artemis insisted.

"Dick's paralyzed because of me," Wally snarled. "He's going to hate me for this. You shouldn't have come after me. I'm not worth the price Dick's having to pay."

Artemis kneeled in front of him, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her. Tears streaked her face as well. "Don't say that! We love you, Wally! I love you and I will always come after you."

"Dick would disagree . . ." Tim said softly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Tim, how could you say that?" Artemis gasped at the boy.

"No, listen to me, Wally. Dick blamed himself for your death," Tim continued. "He blamed himself for everything. Although, he didn't talk to me before going after you, he didn't have to for me to know what he was thinking, feeling at that moment." Tim ran his hand through his hair as he stood up.

Walking over to the speedster, Tim laid his hand on Wally's arm. "He would have said your life is worth it. Believe me when I tell you, Dick would have given anything to bring you back to us . . . even his legs." Tim met Wally's gaze with all the sincerity in his heart. "Even had Dick known what it would cost him beforehand, he would have gone after you. He wouldn't have thought twice about it."

Wally rubbed at his eyes. "Tim . . ."

"You know it as well as I do, Wally," Tim insisted. "He's not going to be happy about the cost, of course. He's going to hate being in a wheelchair, hate it with every fiber of his being, and who could blame him? Dick doesn't belong in a chair but, Wally, I guarantee you, he'll never regret going after you, never regret saving you from the plans Savage had for you."

"Tim . . ."

"No! You can't argue with me on this. You know I'm right," Tim persisted.

"I know," Wally whispered. The boy was right, but it didn't make the pain of knowing he was responsible for his best friend's paralysis any easier to bear. "I know you're right. Dick's a selfless bastard like that but, that doesn't mean that I have like it."

Wally pulled the teen into his arms, hugging him for all he was worth. Dick got lucky getting this kid for a brother.

"You good, now?" Tim asked, his voice muffled in Wally's shoulder.

"Yeah," he sighed, "I'm good . . . but, for the record, this still hurts like a sonofabitch."

And Wally knew that it always would.

It was time to pay the piper.

Wally entered the ICU unit. This place was for those who might not live through the night or whose lives were changed forever – those who wouldn't be returning to active duty ever again. Artemis was at his back for moral support. Tim followed them in to check on Bruce.

Behind the nurse's station stood Dinah, Dr. Midnite, Batman, and Superman. Dinah looked exhausted after being on duty all night. Wally walked over to her. Smiling, she came around so she could greet the newly resurrected speedster.

"Wally," Dinah whispered to him, pulling him in for a hug. "I wanted to do this yesterday when I saw you on the bioship. How are you feeling? Pieter saw you, didn't he? Are you alright?"

Hugging her back, Wally answered her. "I'm okay - Better than okay, actually. N-Nightwing got me out of there in time. Physically, I've no lasting effects, and M'gann and J'onn assured me there's no hidden programming up here," he announced, tapping his finger against his temple.

"Wally's problems were mostly dehydration and malnourishment. Once those issues were addressed, his weakness and disorientation cleared up right away," Artemis inserted.

"That's wonderful to hear," Dinah exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Wally asked, nodding at the conversation going on between Superman and Batman.

"The League found him," she announced. "They captured Vandal Savage. He was brought in just twenty minutes ago. But you're here to see Dick, aren't you?" Dinah used Nightwing's real name as everyone present already knew his identity.

The news Savage's capture distracted him for a moment. "You got him?" Wally asked, joining the other heroes' conversation.

Superman nodded, his face lightening at the sight of speedster. "We did, although I suppose we should thank him for finding you and pulling you out of the speed force. I'm so sorry, Wally. We had no idea you were trapped there," he apologized, laying a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "It is good to have you back. You were sorely missed."

"No, I understand. I don't blame anyone for that. I assumed I was going to die as well. And while it's good to be back amongst the living, I have a grudge to settle with Savage," Wally told them. "I want to see him."

Batman's hand on his shoulder startled him. "You'll have to stand in line, Wallace," he growled low and menacing. "In the meantime, Dick's been asking about you. He'll be happy to see you."

"A-About Dick . . ." The words froze in Wally's throat. What could he say to the man? This was Dick's father and, despite what Tim said earlier, Batman would be well within his right to hate Wally now. "H-how is . . ." he trailed off.

Batman's jaw tightened. "He's alive. I have you to thank for that, I hear."

Oh God! "No, don't thank me. I didn't . . . I mean, I wish . . ." he sighed, dropping his gaze. He couldn't look the man in the eyes. "I only wish I could have saved him back. I-I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Batman told him. "Nightwing would have died if it hadn't been for you. As for the rest of this . . ." he sighed. "Well, we'll have to wait and see what fate has in store. For now, let's just be grateful that he's still with us."

He blinked at those kind words. How long was I gone again? Wally had expected the man's hands around his throat, not squeezing his shoulder and thanking him.

"Is Dick . . . Is he grateful?" He nearly choked on the word. Wally felt he already knew the answer to his question, but he just didn't want to hear it confirmed.

This time, it was Batman who looked away. "He's . . . It's early yet. He's still dealing with the effects of a concussion, so he hasn't had time to process the news. And it's too soon to give up hope, despite the prognosis."

Wally saw Midnite's mouth tighten briefly. Although Wally wasn't the best at reading subtle cues, especially when half the person's face was hidden by a cowl, but it appeared to him that the doctor disagreed with Batman on this. So, Midnite believed Dick's condition to be permanent.

Was Batman in denial? While he knew the doc's opinion held more weight in these matters that that of a distraught father, Batman was no ordinary dad. If the Bat still had hope, then Wally would side with him. He would need to be careful, however, not to get Dick's hopes up too high. If, in the end, nothing could be done for him, Wally didn't want his friend to shatter when hope and reality eventually collided.

"Before you go in," Batman told them, "you need to be prepared for what you'll see."

"I don't understand. What you mean 'prepare'?" Prepare for what?

Midnite offered the explanation. "To protect Nightwing from any further injury and allow time to heal from the surgery, it was necessary to use a traction bed. This means he won't be able to move anything beyond his fingers. Nightwing will need to be kept completely immobile for the two weeks. The bed can be a shock when you first see it. Try not to let this visibly upset you as it could add to an already distressing situation for the patient."

Two weeks? Oh God, this was going to be a nightmare. Dick couldn't even stand the inactivity that came with a broken leg. What was this going to do to him?

Artemis tucked her arm in Wally's, lending him her strength. Good thing, too, he thought. He was feeling a little lightheaded himself by the news.

"We'll be careful," she promised.

"Wallace. I need to step out for a few minutes," Batman told him. "If you and Artemis could stay with him until I return or, if you need to leave, have Tim take your place. I-I don't want him to be alone right now. You understand."

Wally swallowed, nodding. "Of course, we understand. No problem."

"Thank you." Batman's expression hardened as he turned, leading the way out of the ICU unit, Superman on his heels.

Wally stared after them, thinking, Savage has no idea the shitstorm that's heading his way . . .

"Try to keep him calm if you can," the doctor reminded them before he, too, left the unit. "Dinah or J'onn will be here if he needs anything."

"He was given something a little while ago for pain and anxiety," Dinah told them. "He can have more if he needs it; just hit the call light or pop your head out here. J'onn will be relieving me in a few minutes if you need help."

"What kind of help," Wally asked warily.

"Anything," she said. "Anything at all."

Her smile wasn't especially reassuring. The fact that they needed to be reminded more than once to keep Dick calm meant that he was having a hard time adjusting. And the emphasis Dinah placed on the fact that the Martian would be available wasn't lost on the speedster. J'onn would be available to calm Dick psychically if the drugs weren't able to do the job.

Wally grabbed Artemis' hand for support. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

Dick's mask was off, his eyes shut when Wally entered the room. The speedster was suddenly thankful for the warning they had been given. As it was, he was barely able to contain his gasp at the sight of his best friend strapped into the traction bed. The inability to move more than his fingers had to be hell to the younger man.

It looked like a damned torture device . . .

Wally took a minute to regain his composure. He knew his face must be showing every emotion running through him. Artemis' hand tightened around his wrist she choked back a sob.

"Sh," he warned her quietly, and felt her nod against his shoulder.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

He wished he could say the same for Dick. Even with his eyes closed, Dick's face was still damp, fresh from tears. Wally hesitated, afraid of waking him up.

"He looks exhausted," he noted softly.

Actually, he looked utterly devastated by the news. Wally knew they were only seeing this because he thought he was alone. Dick had never been one to complain about his problems . . . But this? This wasn't being grounded or having his car towed.

"I doubt he's gotten any real sleep since waking up from the surgery," Artemis murmured.

Wally backed up a step, pulling Artemis with him. "We probably shouldn't wake him," he told her quietly.

"Batman didn't want him to be left alone," she reminded him. There was only one chair available in the room. "You stay. I'm call Will with the news about Savage. He'll want to know. I'll be by the nurse's station if you need me."

Wally spun around, but Artemis was already slipping out the door. "Wait!"

"Nngh . . . Bruce?"

The sound of Dick's voice stopped Wally in his tracks. God, his voice sounded like he's been gargling glass

"Bruce?"

Wally could hear the panic creeping into his voice. He'd been told to keep Dick calm. Damn it! What the hell could he say? Girding himself, Wally stepped up close to the bed.

"Uh, no. Sorry to disappoint you, but it's just me, buddy."

"Wally?"

He leaned over the bed and into Dick's line of sight.

Bloodshot eyes glistened with emotion. Wally watched his friend swallow his fear and replace it with a smile. It was weak and tremulous but still a smile, nevertheless. Wally had never been more impressed by Dick's courage and strength of spirit as he was at that moment and had to swallow his own lump of emotion.

"Wally? Wally! Oh, man, are you a sight for sore eyes," Dick croaked. "How are you? Did Midnite look you over? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Wally choked. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, he did last night. After . . . you know. Clean bill of health." He tried not to flinch at his own words.

Dick's smile widened even as a single tear escaped, slithering into his hairline at his temple. "That's good! That's great! I was afraid that maybe we didn't get to you in time. Our intel said that Savage planned to brainwash you and use you as a mole within the League."

"He would have had his hands full with that task," Wally tried to joke. It fell flat. He sighed. "J'onn and M'gann have already checked me out. They both deemed me free of any programming." A muscle in his jaw clenched. "You, um, . . . You got to me in time. I-I want to thank y . . ."

"Don't thank me," Dick interrupted. "Not when it's my fault you were trapped in the speed force in the first place."

Wally's eyebrows shot up. God, Tim was right. "How'd you get a numbskull idea like that?"

Dick blinked as if it were obvious. "It was my plan that . . ."

"Your plan?" Wally cut him off with a laugh. You planned to have the alien assholes blow up the world?"

"Uh, no, but . . . if everything had gone as it should have, we would have been able to prevent the Reach from activating those bombs to begin with," Dick argued. "You shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place."

"Dick, don't." He stopped Dick in mid-castigation. Glancing down, he found his friend's fingers and clasped them in his own. "Just - Don't be like Batman. Not everything is about you. I made that decision. What happened that day in the artic, it was all on me and you know it. I chose to help. I knew what it was doing to me and I made the choice not to stop."

Another tear slipped free. "No! You and Artie were retired. You wanted out of that life. You would have been safe if I hadn't talked Artemis and you into helping me."

"Listen up, buddy. I saved the world and you're not going to take that away from me," Wally smirked. "I'm a hero. Self-sacrifice is what we do." His breath hitched on that last line as he stared down at what remained of his best friend. "You shouldn't have come after me, Dick. God! I'm so sorry!"

So much for keeping Dick calm. Wally's face crumpled as he leaned down, pressing his forehead to that of his friend. "I'm so sorry! I should have stopped Savage and I didn't. I was too slow."

"Hey! Hey, it's alright," Dick murmured. He flexed his fingers in the speedster's grip. It was the best he could do. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

Wally couldn't speak, so he nodded, squeezing Dick's fingers in response.

"It's okay, Walls," Dick told him. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It was worth any price I had to-to . . ." Dick might have convinced him if his ruined voice hadn't cracked at that moment. The tears were coming harder now.

Wally leaned back up to gape at the younger man, incredulously.

"Really! You're my best friend," Dick ground out, sniffling. "You're worth it. You are." It sounded like he was trying to convince himself, but was failing miserably.

Batman and Doc Midnite would kill Wally all over again if they walked in right now.

Dick's nose was running but, strapped down like he was, he couldn't do anything about it. Grabbing a handful of tissues, Wally tried to look nonchalant as he dabbed ineffectively at his friend's face, grimacing.

He shoved the wad over Dick's nose. "Here," he commanded. "Blow."

Dick gaped at him for a long moment before he burst out laughing. "You're terrible at this, you know that?"

"Are you going to blow or not?" Wally asked, his own lips twitching. Never would he have imagined the two of them being in this situation.

"I suppose you should get the practice in before you and Artie have kids," Dick snickered.

"Wait, what? Kids?" he stammered.

Dick blew.

"Ew, gross!" Wally yelped, struggling valiantly not to retch. "This is disgusting. No, wait. It's okay. I've got this." He dumped the wad of used tissues in the trashcan and yanked out a dozen more, slapping them over Dick's face. "Right, so . . . Um, you need to blow again?"

Dick's response was muffled, so Wally lifted the tissues.

"No. I'm good."

"'Kay." The speedster mopped awkwardly the rest of the mess. "Ack," he squeaked, "I've got your snot on me!" He tossed the tissues away while covering his mouth with his other hand. "'Hrk'!"

"Wally! If you puke on me . . ." Dick growled in warning.

Wally snorted then promptly choked. He laughed helplessly between his coughing and the gagging as he held the trashcan under his face.

"Hate to tell you, but you kind of suck at this," Dick declared dryly, but his amusement was evident. "Better pray your kids never get colds."

"Urk! I know!" Wally wailed as he turned on the faucet at the sink. He splashed water on his face and rinsed his mouth. "I know. It would be awful!"

The door creaked open and Artemis peered carefully around the edge. "Is everything alright in here?" she asked warily.

"Artie?" Dick called out, unable to see her from his position. "Save me from this idiot."

Wally laughed, patting his face dry with paper towels. "You ass!"

"Wimp!"

"Jerk!"

"Dick," they both blurted together then burst into more laughter.

Tilting her head at the unexpected turn of events, Artemis stepped fully into the room, allowing the door to close behind her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Wally assured her, smiling weakly.

"I can't believe he can take on the likes of Gorilla Grodd and Captain Cold but get a little snot on his hand and it makes him hurl," Dick sang out happily.

Artemis gazed from one to the other. "Do I even want to know?"

Dick smiled tiredly. "Probably not."

"Probably not," Wally agreed.

It wasn't hard to figure out looking down into wet, reddened eyes and the streaky mess Wally had left still on him. Whatever occurred in here, Artemis decided it had been cathartic. That could only be a good thing - she hoped. Wetting some paper towels, Artemis finished the job that Wally had botched. The speedster walked around to the opposite side of the bed before resting his hand over his friend's.

Following suit, Artie took Dick's other fingers in her own. She leaned down him, carefully pressing a kiss to Dick's forehead.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Bringing him back to me," she told him. "Thank you for bringing him back to me."

"He's worth it," Dick told her solemnly, then grinned. "He's a complete pantywaist, but he's worth it."

Shaking his head, Wally gripped his friend's fingers, but he was smiling. "And you're still a dick," he quipped.

"But you love me anyway," Dick smirked.

His expression grew serious. "Yes," Wally agreed. "I do."

Reaching across the bed, Artemis took Wally's hand in her free one as she, too, agreed to the sentiment.

"We both do."

REACTIONS?

I love the bromance these two have . . .