Wally stepped into the living room and was met by the stares of most of the Justice League. Uncle Barry motioned for him to come over and sit beside him. Wally squeezed in between his Uncle and dark suited, civilian clothed John Stewart, the Green Lantern who had Wonder Woman, in a navy pantsuit, on the other side of him. Seated in the sofa opposite them were Batman and Superman, both in black suits. Green Arrow sat in a recliner and Black Canary rested on the arm of it, half leaning on him. Aquaman sat regally in another large chair. Wally glanced to his left and seated atop the couch back between him and John Stewart was six inch high Atom. Sue Dibny was seated in a chair by the entrance of the room. Her husband, Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, was seated in the next room and stretched his neck around the corner so that his chin rested on her shoulder.
They were all talking about how to apprehend Professor Zoom, Aunt Iris's murderer. Wally tried to follow along with what they were saying about the time stream and a butterfly effect and alternate futures, but if his eyes moved just to the left or right of any Justice Leaguer he saw Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry's photo collection spread out in a half dozen different places. Batman made a point about alternate futures that everyone thought was decisive but Wally couldn't keep his mind on it. Just to the right of Bruce Wayne's head, was a framed picture of Aunt Iris and him in the stands at the NBA game she'd taken him to after Christmas. His breath seemed to fail. He had to close his eyes hard. Oh god. He didn't mind crying about her in front of all of them but he didn't want to seem too wimpy, either. He was acutely conscious that most of them were much much stronger than he was.
"What is it, Wally?" asked Uncle Barry in response to his nephew's labored breathing and wrapped his arm around Wally's shoulders.
"The picture on the table," Wally blurted out through short breaths. "Aunt Iris and me just after Christmas," said Wally as his blinking was no longer enough to keep his tears in.
"It's okay Wally. Let it go. It's okay," said Uncle Barry. And from his left, John Stewart leaned close. "To be hurt by the loss of someone you love isn't weak. The hurt measures how deep the attachment was, not how strong you are. Let it flow, son."
"Oh god," muttered Wally and his head fell limply back as he opened his eyes, breathing with difficulty as tears flowed in a nearly steady stream down his cheeks onto the yellow chest of his uniform.
In a pattern that repeated itself over the next few hours, he slowly regained his composure but then saw another photo of Aunt Iris and was reminded of some quality about her that made it painful to lose her. He shed more tears, etc. The one thing that was good was to be wedged in tight by Uncle Barry and for Uncle Barry to have his arm around him in a fatherly way talking to him.
It felt good to Wally and it felt good to Flash, too. Looking after his nephew distracted him from his own pain. And he didn't mind looking after Wally. He was a terrific kid, so hard working, so dedicated. Batman spoke so glowingly of Robin at the League. And sometimes Green Arrow would talk about Speedy. Sometimes Aquaman would relate an anecdote about Aqualad. But Flash thought Wally was best of them all and he said so, to the others. It was a sort of friendly competition among them about their proteges. The unspoken implication was that having the best protege meant you were the best mentor. But irrespective of any comparisons, Flash was proud of Wally. Iris had been like a lifeline thrown to the boy. Of course he's deeply hurt. It's only natural. But he'll get over it. Iris would want him to. She wouldn't want a memorial to her to be an injury to his spirit. Flash remembered little Wally on that same couch, on Christmas Day just weeks after getting super speed, feet up on the couch, knees to his chest, sitting between Iris and him listening with rapt attention, eyes like saucers as he explained to Wally what there was to learn from episodes of Columbo. And Wally said he'd used those exact lessons to help exonerate Jinx of the bank robbery charge the HIVE had tried to pin on her. Flash breathed deeply and remembered telling that to the others up at the JLA satellite with great pride. He gave Wally a squeeze about the shoulders as tears were falling like rain from his nephew's cheeks.
"It's okay, fella. You'll get through this," he said softly and rubbed his hand over the side of Wally's head.
It was working for both Flashes. And this didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room. Black Canary smiled and made a mental reminder to tell Barry how good he'd been with his nephew. Ollie could certainly do more for Speedy. And she glanced sidewise at Batman. Poor Robin.
But Batman's thoughts would have surprised Black Canary. He'd felt humiliated at Titans Tower four months earlier. He'd since put in time thinking about his protege and doing him justice. What was justice? Was justice only meting out incarceration and punishment to those who did wrong? No. Justice was praise of the good, too. He watched Flash hugging his nephew with one arm around the shoulders of his protege and nodded almost imperceptibly. He even admitted the quality of one feeling the sight evoked. Envy.
Aquaman looked on with a different perspective. Hmmph, he sniffed. Even a boy who cries a river has more fecundity than Garth. He's the one who converted a villain girl to the right side, isn't he? Wanted the girl so bad he fought a whole team of them and brought her over from villainy. Meanwhile, Garth has maidens practically begging him, no, not just practically, actually, actually begging him but . . ! Sigh. Poseidon! How will the line ever be continued? Who knows what he's doing right now? Didn't Ollie say that the two of them are coming here on the Titans East plane? A good test of the autopilot! Sigh.
Toward evening the rest of the Teen Titans arrived along with Jinx. They pulled the T-Car right into the garage and got out in their hero clothes. The Justice League members and Wally had all gotten up from the living room and greeted them in the kitchen. Robin went straight to KF and hugged him. "How're you doin' buddy?"
Kid Flash just shrugged weakly.
"I've been there, Wally. I can help," Robin whispered.
And Jinx hugged him for minutes, letting her own hurt come through at the sight of deeply wounded Wally. She shocked herself that she cried on his shoulder, such a girly girl, emotional, wussy girl thing to do but there it was. But how much must he have cried? The tear tracks down his cheeks were plain as could be. And holding him in a hug, he felt weak and he felt hurt. The look in his eyes! He was devastated.
"Oh Wally."
Batman told everyone what the plans were. There was a block of rooms waiting at the Central City Ritz hotel for everyone. Everyone had their own room, except Ollie and Dinah, of course. Calling hours at the funeral home would be from 2 to 6 tomorrow. The wake would be held at a function room of the Central City Ritz.
Just as he was finishing assigning room numbers, Speedy and Aqualad showed up. They both hugged Flash and offered condolences then lightly hugged Kid Flash.
Wally was just carried along by the plans the others made. He found himself being led out of the house. He gave Uncle Barry a hug before stepping out the doorway because he happened to walk past him. Then he got into large car, a Bentley or Rolls, perhaps, driven by Green Arrow, Ollie Queen, with Dinah at his side in the front seat. Wally found himself wedged between Jinx and Speedy in the back. Ollie drove from Flash's house to the valet parking of the Central City Ritz. It could've been anywhere for all Wally knew. He was lost in thought about Aunt Iris. He never noticed noticed Speedy's hand against his left hip or Black Canary's many glances back to check on him. He was vaguely aware of the pleasant warmth of Jinx beside him and her soft whispers but that was about it.
Poor Aunt Iris. She did so much good. She didn't have a super power or utility belt or supernatural abilities but she helped change thousands of lives for the better with her reporting. Any businessman in New York City who doesn't have to deal with the mob to have his trash picked up can thank her. And anybody who gets access to drugs quicker, instead of at the FDA's cover their asses at all costs pace, can thank her. And everybody who doesn't have to deal with all those crook politicians she exposed, the Clinton commerce department guy, that congressman shakedown from new york and the others from Washington and Louisiana can thank her. I get to run around in a uniform and be officially a hero. Have I done so much more than she did?
Wally dwelt on this and other things about Aunt Iris till they were almost in front of the Ritz and Jinx elbowed his side.
"Wally!"
"Huh? What?"
"I was saying, Wally" began Black Canary looking back from the front seat. "Why don't you run on in to the hotel the way you can. Go on up to the 26th floor and we'll see you there. I've got a hat for Jinx and we've got some sweats that Speedy can pull on but the other Titans have your civilian clothes. They'll give 'em to you inside."
Wally did as told and a few minutes later the others were all there. It seemed the whole room of floors had somehow been blocked off for them. "Wayne Corp." said Robin under his breath to Wally. Everyone went to their rooms and unpacked their few things.
It was a weird evening socially. Everyone liked being together but hated that it was for the reason of a death. Everyone was almost afraid to laugh out loud or smile too much on this occasion. Robin stuck close to Wally and Jinx who had no fears of doing either. She hadn't realized that he and Wally were so close. But there wasn't much for a friend of any degree to do right then. Wally was crushed by Aunt Iris's passing and barely spoke a dozen words that evening. He stared off to one side or straight ahead lost in somber thoughts of her and every so often cried at some recollection of her.
"If it wasn't for her," he said to Jinx as they were getting ready for bed, I wouldn't be Kid Flash. She arranged for me to be at Uncle Barry's lab that day. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably be some kind of criminal or bad guy. How would I get through my years with my family if not for her? And now . . . " his voice trailed off.
He slipped under the covers next to her but only held Jinx close looking straight into her eyes from an inch away. Not quite straight into her eyes even with the two of them embracing, she could tell, he wasn't there. Ooooooooooookay. Well, this is different, she thought. The sex freak, 15 year old foreplay lover just wants to lie next to me. Now, I've seen everything. She watched his eyes slowly moving the way peoples' eyes do when they recall things. He wasn't there. He was at a family gathering 8 years ago or with his aunt and uncle 4 years ago or somewhere that he remembered. She had no clue. It was okay. She understood. At least he wasn't so hurt at the moment that he was moved to tears. His right arm was under the pillow somewhere but his left hand idly grazed the skin of her hip. Like I'm the only one automatically going for someone's buns, huh, she laughed to herself. But even her smile went unnoticed and her hand going up and down him from thigh to shoulder went completely unnoticed as well. Amazing. She sighed. Poor Wally.
She endured a half hour of that, passing time seeing if he would even notice her hand on him. Nope. And thinking of the term "iris", she stared for quite some time at his blue blue eyes, at first with no particular purpose but then trying desperately to find some irregularity in the color. Everyone had at least minor differences in color in their eyes if you looked real close, didn't they? He didn't. She'd been struck by this before but hadn't had a half hour to try and find some irregularity. The blue was not only very bright but perfectly uniform. Every little cell of the lattice pattern of his irises was exactly the same blue. Something almost seemed wrong for it being so right. Finally, she reached toward those eyes.
"Wally?" she whispered. He didn't move until her fingers were almost in them.
"Hey."
She put her fingertips to his eyelids and pulled them down.
"Go to sleep Wally. Just go to sleep."
With a sigh and nothing more he obeyed.
She woke on top of him, Wally lying on his back, the steady, comforting beat of his heart under her right ear. She had no recollection of moving there but, fine, it was more than pleasant enough. She pretended not to have awakened, at first, because she wasn't sure if he was already up. But she quickly realized that he was and then pretended to be sleeping to allow him to make the decision. She knew he was up. He lazily ran his hand over her again and again. He was thinking about his aunt some more. She knew that's what it was. She could see the clock. It was just after 8. Some time just after 9, his slow slow breathing sort of hitched, like a long smooth line suddenly having sawtooth jumps in it. Crying. He held her tighter and she went back and forth in her mind between showing that she was awake and just letting him work through it on his own. She let him. They finally got up around 10 and had a big breakfast from room service. They ate in near silence, but at least his mood had sort of stabilized. He kissed her and thanked her for her understanding and they joined some of the others in Robin's room where they passed a few hours with some of the most inconsequential small talk ever. Wally and Jinx ordered some more food, three meals for him, one for her and they ate heartily before heading out with the others to calling hours at the funeral home.
They rode in the Bentley with Green Arrow, Black Canary and Speedy. He was much more alert this time. "Hey, get your hand . . "
"Oh, sorry," said Speedy as Jinx then got in on the other side of Wally.
"You clean up nice," said Black Canary reaching from the front seat to his cheek. "I like the combed hair."
Jinx laughed. "I combed his hair."
"Well you did a nice job," she said to Jinx and added to Wally. "See, there're still people looking out for you."
He nodded. I know.
"Will you do my hair, too?" asked Speedy.
"No." Jinx chuckled dismissively and Ollie and Dinah guffawed.
Sitting beside him in the Bentley, Jinx could feel him tense up as they got there. Another step in the process, she figured. More confirmation, more finality to Aunt Iris's passing. But once inside, he was okay. And all the Justice Leaguers and Titans checked in with him to see if he was okay. Jinx stayed beside him the whole time and Robin was beside him for much of it as well. His comments were pretty innocuous, but his body language and expressions, all the visual cues he was giving off were more sympathetic to Wally than she ever would have guessed would be the case. Hmm? Wally'd said he wasn't what he appeared to be at a glance.
But everyone in the room tried to appear to be only what they seemed at first glance when other visitors were there. There were other reporters with whom Aunt Iris had worked. There were editors. There were a couple different people whom she'd helped with her reporting. There were neighbors. They all went to Wally's Uncle Barry. Jinx was pretty sure they just wrote her off as the nephew's punk rock girlfriend with her hat over her hair. Wally went up to view the body just once. They'd put more makeup on her than she ever used. He felt odd about noticing that right away, about wasting a precious moment of thought so close to her with something like that, but Aunt Iris used as little makeup as possible at all times, usually none. She still looked pretty there, just not in the style that Aunt Iris had actually had. He sighed and spoke in his mind as if speaking to her.
"I'm not sure how I can talk to you here. I said goodbye at the morgue. But, I didn't believe it at first and I guess I still don't completely believe it, Aunt Iris. Weren't we going to get together and make a day of it, you and me and Jinx next month or so? I would have loved that. Jinx would've too. She's the real thing, Aunt Iris. Can you believe that? First real girlfriend I have and she's everything. Thanks to you. You know that. I'd be nothing if you hadn't been there to help me. Thank you Aunt Iris. I love you."
He knew all eyes were on him when he got up but he didn't wipe his tears. He just let them flow.
Something else flowed at the wake that evening. After calling hours were over, everyone went back to the 26th floor of the Central City Ritz. Then they gathered in one of the function rooms. Uncle Barry in dress pants and white shirt raised a full glass of beer to the assembled crowd.
"I know this is a somber time for all of us," he began, "for me and Wally, especially. But Iris told me years ago, that if she went, if, she didn't want everyone moping around on her account. She said she'd accept a somber funeral but that the wake had to be a full on irish party of a wake."
There was laughter as everyone looked around and saw their grim hero colleagues or their underage proteges and imagined either impossibilities or perhaps misdemeanors.
"And, as a private party, I think we have the right in this state to serve alcohol to our minors, so, without further ado . . . "
A double door to one side opened and Ollie Queen rolled in a table covered in bottles of beer and other alcoholic beverages.
"Messieurs et Mesdames," he began. "Choose your poison."
Laughter went up in the crowd and Wally smirked and looked at Jinx uncertainly.
"She wants you to have a good time, Wally. Are you gonna disobey her wishes?"
He smiled and grabbed a Heineken. "That would be disrespectful!"
When everyone seemed to have a drink in hand, Uncle Barry called out, "A toast! To the life and memory of the most wonderful woman I ever met, Iris West!"
"Here! Here!" came shouts from all over the room and glasses and bottles clinked together before mighty gulps were taken. Jinx sipped moderately from hers, but saw Wally gulp down his entire beer in a few seconds. He'd scarcely put it down before a bottle was flying through the air at him. He caught it easily with one hand.
"Good catch, boy!" came a deep voice and Wally turned to see Aquaman gulping down his own beer. "I hope the girl proves to be as good a one!" he added with a laugh pointing to Jinx with the brass spear that was there instead of one hand.
Wally pulled the top off this new Heineken and gulped it down as well.
"Is that how you treat all your catches?" Aquaman laughed glancing at Jinx.
"No," grinned Wally. "But you don't have enough time for me to show you and the bottle could never make me anywhere near as happy as the hourglass."
Aquaman gave a hearty laugh. Well done, he told Wally. And for the next half hour, to Jinx's amazement, Aquaman was Wally's rollicking drinking buddy, talking about cases and girls and the wonderful sea beds around Ireland, the gulf stream and more. Turned out he went by the name Orin. It was just one of many improbabilities that evening as mass quantities of liquor were imbibed by extraordinary people anxious for some kind of release from the grim circumstances. Aquaman could apparently hold his liquor with the best of them but Wally had only to drink a little water and he could deal with it even better. He seemed to have a few minutes now and then when the effect of prodigious drinking hit him but then was fine.
And Jinx certainly never thought she'd see Wally doing an irish dance, but his uncle had turned on an ipod station at the start of the wake and played a couple bagpipe and flute heavy songs. "If it's going to be an irish wake, we've got to have at least a bit of this," he said from the slightly raised stage at one end of the room. Black Canary, in skirt and blouse, immediately jumped up on the stage and whirled away. She was a lightfooted natural and knew all the steps. She shouted for a partner. "Come on you cowards!" she laughed.
Jinx gave Wally a push in the back. "Go on! You can do it."
"Just give me a second to figure it out," he said and burped.
Hmm. This could be interesting, she thought. What if he's under the influence enough to mess up? But he grinned and ascended the little raised stage. The assembled crowd laughed. One of the Flashes, Dinah! He jumped in right in step, smiling all the while and kept up with her through all the different dances no matter how fast. Finally, the music ended and the crowd gave them a roar. Black Canary hugged slender Wally. "You were wonderful, you super speed cheat!"
He smile bashfully, said thank you, complimented her and had another beer thrown at him by Aquaman as soon as he was off the stage.
"Thanks for holding up our end of things, boy!"
And also complimenting him was a tipsy Robin. And if that wasn't surprising enough, Jinx later saw what she thought was Batman, in civilian clothes, and perhaps well past tipsy. It seemed everyone was at some point. She saw all the Titans boys clearly under the influence, Gar trying, foolishly, to keep up with Wally and also trying to make some headway with Raven but getting nowhere with his slurred proposition. He had to rush off to the bathroom twice. If he hadn't already been green . . .
At points in the evening, everyone seemed to break up into groups by, teams or gender or age. For a while, Jinx was in a circle with Black Canary, a woman who had come with Green Lantern, one who'd come with Atom, Wonder Woman, Starfire and Sue Dibny. And, in a pleasant surprise to Jinx, the discussion among the women was freewheeling, in fact, pretty risque at times. They talked in shocking candor about their men and their love lives and dealing with the hero life. They also talked about all the intriguing males around them. Black Canary was facing toward Wally and Robin with their backs to her, at one point. She shook her head at the sight of him in his dress clothes and smiled at Jinx.
"The only other time I saw your Wally before this, he was, I think, 12 years old. He was at the Justice League satellite with Flash and he was just the cutest little guy. Sooooo thin. And he was all wide eyed and deferential. Such a nice boy and you could kind of see how how would turn out. And now!" she laughed pointing to him. "I mean, there must be some kind of crime at a ballet school or ballet company where we need to have Kid Flash undercover in white tights, isn't there? I mean, look at him. That picture forms pretty easy, doesn't it?"
Jinx laughed. "Believe me. I've tried to come up with something!"
The girls all laughed and from his position along the wall next to Speedy, Aqualad also formed the picture very easily. And what's more suitable for a prince in white than a prince of the deep blue, he mused.
Next to him, Speedy smirked his signature smirk, one side of his mouth a full smile the other side limp. Kid Flash dressed for ballet! Ha! Him in white tights? We soooooo have to make that happen! And, oh man, the backstage area of a ballet! Everyone in tights! Everyone! Every rear on display for you! Every single one! Mmmmm. His eyes flickered with lascivious delight at the prospect.
And Black Canary steered Jinx aside from everyone else a bit later. "I don't know if you know this, but Iris and Sue Dibny and I had a decade long back channel conversation going on, not just about the super hero biz but anything and everything. I think you kind of know how Iris felt about Wally. He was sort of her special project, trying to give him enough love in the times when she could be there to make up for the way she thought her brother and sister in law neglected him. She was so happy that he was turning out well. So, when a serious girlfriend came into the picture, and one who'd been on the other side, let me tell you. I heard about every possible misgiving about your being with Wally. Iris wasn't one to mince words. And in private company! The language! Oh my god. Worse than Ollie! This effing little, I won't even say that word, had better not hurt him. If that little villain . . um, another word I'd never repeat, hurts him . . "
Jinx smiled. "She told me she'd kill me if I did him wrong."
"I'm sure she wasn't kidding."
"I didn't think so, either."
"But in the last month or two, you know what Iris was saying?"
Jinx shook her head.
"She said, he got the right one the first time out! Can you fricking believe this! That's what she said. He got the right one the first time out. Can you fricking believe this! She was soooo happy about you and Wally. I know she was planning to do something for you two but I don't know what it was. But she was completely sold on you."
Jinx sighed and they hugged. It was like having a new older sister. They exchanged phone numbers. "Thanks, thanks . . Dinah."
And in another part of the room, Bruce Wayne approached a table where Robin and Kid Flash, in civilian clothes, were leaning back, side by side and laughing. He put a hand on Wally's shoulder and gave him a friendly pat, a gesture that Dick had never seen from him before. "Um, Wally could I have a minute with Dick?"
Wally nodded, sure, and made his way over to the circle of Gar, Cyborg, Garth and Roy.
"I've been doing some thinking Dick."
"So have I Bruce. I was a little jackass the last time we met. I wanted to hurt you. I was still mad. Hell, I am now. But-but you gave me what you could and I was a little fricking ingrate to crap on you. I-"
"Dick? Shut up. Just shut up."
Dick Grayson's mouth dropped open at the casual delivery of these words.
"You deserve my praise, Dick. There's no reasonable accounting of things that doesn't accord you praise. Teaching you to fight's not enough. You're the leader of the Titans. You've carved out a crime fighting niche of your own. You've earned everyone's respect and you've done a great job, Dick" said Bruce Wayne, and as shocking as the words were, the hug that followed them was even more amazing to Dick Grayson. He was left there speechless as Bruce Wayne picked up his beer and went over to where Green Lantern and Green Arrow were talking and laughing.
Robin shuffled uncertainly toward the circle that included his teammates as Speedy was telling them all " . . . AAU Teen Gymnastics Championship! And they're staying in . . this . . ho . . tel!" he finished with a gleeful laugh.
Robin saw that Wally hadn't been listening to Speedy but was looking at him. He pointed toward the spot where it had happened.
"He . . . me . . . did . . did . . you . . ?" He pointed again toward the spot where it'd happened, where Batman had actually hugged someone, had hugged him and had actually praised him.
"Tell me you saw that, Wally?"
Wally nodded. "A little liquor and he becomes a big softy," he said. Robin laughed. He doubled over laughing. When he stopped he let out a big exhale.
"Been holding that breath in a few years?"
Robin grinned. Maybe.
Jinx worked her way back to Wally, past an unsteady Raven edging closer on a couch to a clearly disinterested Aqualad. Oh my god! Can't she tell! Jinx allowed herself a smirk. But Wally's a dumbell? Yeah. Sure. As she got near Wally, sitting on the edge of a table next to Robin she could overhear their conversation.
" . . because you've been through it."
"Listen, if something good finally comes out of all that, I'm okay with it. The thing is, you have to let it work at its own pace. You'll wake up one morning and think you're all done with tears and that knife in your gut feeling and you'll see something that reminds you of your aunt in a particular way that makes the pain feel fresh. That's gonna happen. Don't be surprised. Don't be angry that you're not, oh, progressing. Don't try and put a timetable on it. And, Wally, any time, star then R."
Wally nodded.
"And speaking of Star," said a smiling Robin. He got up from the table and went halfway across the room to Starfire. He said a few words to her, she nodded with a grin and they left the function room.
Things finally broke up in early morning. Just as Iris West had wished, the occasion had been a source or great happiness. It had also exhausted the hotel's stores of beer. But the beer could be replaced the next day. The memories would last.
