A/n: Final Chapter! Thanks everyone for reading this story. Please review!
"What are you going here?"
The harsh voice startled him a little bit, pulling him out of his doze. "I was checking up on you," Ollie stated, sitting up straighter in his chair beside Roy's bed. "Your friend Aqualad let me in."
The eye panels of Roy's mask narrowed. "Well, I'm fine," Roy informed him briskly, sitting up. He was still mostly in his dirty uniform, the exceptions being the tight bandages that encased his burns where the water had been before. Thank you, Kaldur.
"Are you sure?" Ollie asked him hesitantly.
Roy glared at him, swinging his feet out of bed. "Yes," he hissed. "I'm a big boy now, Ollie. I don't need your check ups, or your advice, or your money."
The older man held up his hands in surrender. "You don't need me," he said, "I get it."
Roy frowned as he stood up. "Good," he said, looking around the room for his bow and quiver.
"I get that you were ready to leave me," Ollie continued as Roy spotted his equipment, propped up against a wall on the opposite side of the room. He was walking towards it when Ollie said, "I just wasn't ready for you to go."
Roy inwardly groaned as he picked up both items and slung them over his shoulder. Not this talk. "Well, at least you don't have to worry about empty nest syndrome. You picked up another kid pretty-"
"If this is about Artemis again," Ollie interrupted, "she's not you."
"Thank God," Roy answered, heading towards the door. No, it's not about Artemis. She's just an excuse to get him out of here.
"Roy-"
"What?" he snapped, whipping around to face his older mentor.
Ollie paused. "It's - back at the building. You called me a father."
Roy crossed his arms and glared. "So?"
"I…I didn't know you felt that way."
He didn't have the patience to deal with Ollie's emotions right now. "Well, now you do," he said, heading towards the door.
"Roy?"
Roy paused in the doorway, before turning around slowly. "Yes?" he answered, leaning against the doorway.
"If you ever need anything – I mean, not that you do, but if you ever want to visit…I miss- well…" he trailed off. " I mean, thanks for helping tonight. You did good. Better than I expected."
Roy relaxed a little. "Look, Ollie, whatever I do, don't beat yourself up about it. It's not really your fault I left. Speedy was never Green Arrow's partner, and he couldn't ever be Green Arrow's partner. I realize that now."
A look of hope flashed across Ollie's face. "Well, Red Arrow could."
Roy shook his head. "Red Arrow works alone," he said. He exited the room before anything could change his mind. Red Arrow had to work alone, because otherwise he was no different than Speedy. And he was not Speedy anymore. People had to get used to to it.
As Ollie watched Roy go, he hoped that Roy knew he was the closest thing Ollie had to a son.