Bruce: 46

Dick: 27

Lillian: 23

Jason: 21

Tim: 17

Damian: 11

Wally: 27

The Death of Wally West Part Two

Back at the mountain my three little brothers and I headed home only after Dick assured us that he would be fine seeing everyone off by himself. Alfred and a partially dressed Batman were waiting for us by the computers.

"Where's Dick?" Bruce grunted.

"Golden boy's fine." Jason answered. "He's waiting at the mountain to make sure the rest of The Team gets home safe."

"We're expected to change and meet back at the cave." Damian added before heading for the cave's showers.

"For what purpose?" Alfred questioned. He had a familiar look on his face. The look he usually had when suppressing the urge to sit us all in front of the TV with tons of comfort food until we smiled again.

"Dick seems to think we should get together and talk about what happened." Tim told the butler before following after our youngest brother.

"Perhaps I should prepare some snacks for the junior heroes Master Bruce?"

"Hmm? Yeah good idea Alfred." The British man excused himself and exited the cave. Jason left soon after mumbling something about the younger boys using all the hot water. Left standing alone with only Bruce I didn't know what to do. Apparently he didn't either. We stood in silence brown eyes trying to read brown eyes. I broke our gaze peeling off the Domino mask I had traded my cowl in for a few years back. When Bruce still didn't say anything, I left for the locker rooms.

I silently admitted to myself that I felt a little bit better after showering. Dick had just returned and was still in the shower. The rest of the boys were probably scattered around the house, and who knew where Bruce was. I glanced around the cave feeling for the first time in a long time just how dark, ominous and cold it could be. I didn't want to be in the cave, I didn't want to be in the house, but I didn't want to leave for the mountain just yet. I tried to think of somewhere none of the boys were likely to go. The cemetery. I thought knowing the last place anyone would want to go is a place that reminded them of just how many other people we'd lost.

Sneaking to my room for a light jacked I crept out the back door and walk the long way to the family cemetery. Even from a distance I could see the giant headstone for Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce's parents. Next to Grandma and Grandpa Wayne was a modest headstone for Mary and John Greyson, Dick's parents. Beside the Flying Greysons sat a small empty grave with a marker for Selina Kyle, my mother's body was never found. Behind Dick's parents was a stone with complicated scroll work in honor of Jack and Janet Drake, Tim's parents who were buried there. To the left of that there were patches of grass where a grave had been, Jason's grave.

"The grass hasn't grown right in that spot since, Kind of like me." I wheeled around surprised when I saw Jason standing behind me leaning on my grandparents' headstone.

"How did you know I'd be out here?"

"Was sitting on the roof smoking a cigarette when I saw you sneaking out the back door, I wanted to know where you were going."

"I wasn't sneaking! Well…maybe I was." I sighed. " What did you mean about the grass?"

"Just what I said." He shrugged walking to the vast space of uneven grass next to Tim's parents' grave. Jason ran a hand through he mismatched greenery before speaking. "When I first came to live back at the house, I stood out here for five hours straight just staring at this patch of grass."

"I remember. Alfred was worried you'd catch a cold so he came out looking for you. You were both out here for a while before you came in."

"I've never told anyone what we talked about that day, not even Bruce." He said. "Got time for a story?" He questioned.

"Of course Jace." I walked over to him leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Alfred said I should come in the house that it was where I belonged now. That was years ago, there was even less grass growing there then there is now. I told him, well I said some not so nice things, but mostly I told the old man that where I belonged was in the ground dead." A shiver tingled my spine as I remembered what a dark kid Jason had been when he'd first come back to live at the house. "He laughed at me, Alfred actually laughed at me. He said that I needed to change my perspective. Then he told me about the grass. I don't think I even understood exactly what he was trying to say at the time, but I do now. The old man started saying how grass starts out as tons of really small seeds and that only the strongest seeds grow into grass. Sometimes the grass gets too big for its own good, so they chop the grass down, but in its place good grass still stands. Sometimes people dig holes in the grass, but that doesn't stop the grass from growing stronger than it ever was before. He told me I was like the grass and well I didn't get it then but now…I guess he was right. It hasn't all grown back yet even after all these years, but the parts that have are stronger than they were before." I smiled. Despite the fact that I had just lost Wally I couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy a small piece of Jason maturing.

"Look at you Mr. All-Grown-Up." I beamed. He seemed to manage a smirk for me.

"All I'm saying is Wally maybe gone, but well maybe he's a little bit like the grass too. He might not be here anymore, but he's never going to leave you." Tears started to well up in my eyes but I forced them back down pulling Jason into a hug.

"Thank you Jason."

"Anytime." He promised. "Let's get back to the house; golden boy is probably looking for us."

Sure enough Dick was pacing back and forth in the cave waiting for Jason and me to appear.

"Where have you two been?" Dami snarled. He was probably just mad that I didn't ask permission before leaving his sight.

"Outside." I answered before Jason could snap out something that would ruin our recent brother-sister moment. "Whoa did Al make all that food in an hour?" I said pointing to the four trays of food Timmy and Damian were holding.

"Some of it he cooked while we were on the mission. According to him we frequently have hungry teenagers over after long missions. Well Wally usually eats one of these trays by himself so…" Tim lost his train of thought as he realized his sentence had contained Wally in the present tense.

"There is more food in the kitchen if you and Todd would fetch it while Drake and I press on." Damian practically ordered.

"I'll go with Lilly. Jay can you go with Tim and Damian? Tell the rest of The Team we'll be there soon." Jason walked over to the zetatube and started mashing the keys in answer to Dick's question. The Robins reluctantly followed with their hands full of food trays.

"Don't forget sunglasses!" I hollered to the boys. "Just because Batman's not around doesn't mean we can get lazy about our identities." Jason didn't say anything, but pulled out three pairs of sunglasses from a shelf near the zeta-computer. I knew he'd make sure all three of them had glasses firmly in place before walking through the mountain.

"Are you alright?" Dick asked as we walked down the hall.

"I've managed so far." I said. "Though not ruling shock out at this point."

"I know what you're saying." He nodded as we entered the kitchen. "It still hasn't sunk in yet, you know? Like what Tim just said, for a second I didn't understand why he was upset. Then I remembered and…" Dick's sentence trailed off as we entered the kitchen. Neither of us filled the awkward air as we loaded our arms with more bags and trays of junk food.

"Dick," I said slowly as we headed back down to the cave "If you ever, you know want to talk about…anything." I practically whispered unable to say Wally's name.

"You'll be the first one I go to sis." He reassured me. "Are you sure you want to come along with us?" He asked suddenly as we neared the entrance to the cave.

"You mean because situations like this typically have me locked in my bedroom Bruce Wayne style?" I arched an eyebrow. "I admit I thought about, probably will do that when we get back, but I realized that while Stephanie Wayne might be crumbling on the inside, Batgirl would never do that. So for now I'm fine with letting her take over." I picked up a pair of dark tinted sunglasses that Tim and Jason left by the zetatube console and waited for Dick to arrange the coordinates.

"That should do it." He said finally picking up his own set of glasses.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" I stopped him at the mouth of the zetatube.

"It's what Wally would have wanted." He shrugged before stepping forward. I followed my older brother, stepping into the base of the mountain only footsteps behind Dick. It didn't surprise me which members of the team had already found their way to the mountain. Supergirl and Wondergirl were perched on counter near the computer console watching the zetatubes with anticipation. Conner was with them, not really listening to their conversation. M'gann and Artemis were off in another corner talking to Timmy. Jason and Damian were leaning against a wall, not talking to each other nor anyone else.

"I have spoken to La'gaan he will be arriving shortly with Kaldur." M'gann said to Dick as he crossed to the center of the room.

"Do we know if anyone else is planning on coming?" Nightwing asked his hands still full of food. Throughout the room heads were shaken and "no"s where whispered. "For now, why don't we take the food into the TV room?" Supergirl and Wondergirl carried the trays of food Tim and Dami had left by the computer, we all followed a sweatshirt clad Nightwing to the TV room.

"We need more chairs." Conner observed as the food was set out on the table. "Be right back." He left the room in search of some chairs. I stood in the door way not feeling much like sitting. All eyes turned to me when a very loud pop song filled the room. My personal cell phone. I didn't even remember slipping it into my back pocket. I fumbled with the phone expecting to see Barbara Gordon blinking on the caller ID. I was incredibly surprised when it read Barry Allen Home.

"Um excuse me everyone I have to take this!" I explained before running down the hall. "Hello?" I questioned into the phone once I was safe inside the Mountain's kitchen. I chose the kitchen because it was on the other side of the mountain far away from the other team members.

"Lilly? It's Iris, Iris West." Wally's Aunt. Over the years I'd met Iris a few times, usually in passing but I had spent a few nights at her house and her cooking was almost as good as Alfred's. I'd spent a lot of time talking to her on the phone the last eight months, since Wally and I had gotten engaged. Maybe Barry hasn't told her yet. I thought.

"Hi Iris." I replied trying to sound casual.

"Lillian," She seemed to struggle my name out. She knows. I breathed out, relived I wouldn't have to be the one to burden her with the terrible news. "I've spoken with Barry and Bart they've explained everything to me. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to call…I-I needed some time to process…everything. I know you were there and well Barry says that you seemed fine when he left but I wanted to call you myself. I want you to know Lily, that Wally loved you very much and if Barry and I can help in any way at all, please, please call us."

"Um…t-thank you Iris." I stammered out taken back by her words. The tears that I had been fighting off since the North Pole were threatening to come up. "It was so sudden; I think I'm still in shock." I barely whispered through the phone.

"I understand Sweetie. When you're ready to talk you have my number. Of course you're always welcome to stop by as well. Please tell Alfred to keep an eye out for the funeral announcement, you, Bruce, Dick and the boys are invited of course. Barry and Bart send their love."

"Tell them I said hi and that I'm sorry. Iris I love-ed Wally with all my heart. If myself or any of the Waynes can be of assistance please call me. I'm sorry but I've got to go now. I will talk to you later I promise." We exchanged polite good-byes before I hung up the phone and tossed it across the room. Alone for the first time since that afternoon I removed my sunglasses and allowed myself to sink to the floor. Tears came pouring out like waterfalls, I was crying so hard I could not think of anything else other than how much pain I was in. Wally was gone and he was never coming back.

The handle on the kitchen door jiggled and someone called through from the other end. "Hello? Batgirl are you in there?" A deep voice asked. I didn't answer hoping they would just go away. A loud sigh came from the other end of the door. "Stephanie I know you're in there, X-Ray vision remember? Don't worry about the sunglasses it's just me I promise." Conner added. I reluctantly unlocked the door and hastily swiped at tears as Connor relocked the kitchen door.

"I didn't mean to ease-drop…It just kind of happened. Oh Lil, I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you can say Conner." I told him. "You're not the one who talked Wally into coming out of retirement for this mission. You're not the one who promised him that everything would be fine, that it was just a simple mission."

"You don't think that what happened is your fault, do you?"

"Isn't it though?" I asked through watery eyes.

"Lilly I've known you and Wally, well my whole life basically, which isn't saying much I know, but in the time I did know you both; Wally never let you, or anyone else, talk him into doing anything. I'm not sure if he said anything to you or not, but he'd been hinting around to Dick and I for weeks that he wanted to go back out in costume again. That's why Dick suggested you take him along in the first place. And that stuff that happened at the North Pole? That's not your fault either. Wally was a physics genius; he knew what was going to happen when he jumped in with Flash and Impulse. He had to make a quick decision, save himself and let that MFD destroy the world or sacrifice himself to save…well to save the entire planet. He died in the field as a hero."

"That doesn't stop me from missing him more than anything else on the planet." I squeezed out before a fresh waterfall of tears broke through the surface.

"Hey come here." He pulled me into his chest gently. "I Know, I'm sorry Lil, really I am." I didn't say anything I just continued to cry into Conner's rapidly dampening T-shirt. After what must have been twenty minutes of me violently weeping and Connor not saying anything, I felt Connor lift his chin from the top of my head. "Lilly why don't I take you home?"

"I-I can't! The B-b-boys…"

"The Boys will be fine, Dick's with them. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think they're in good hands under Jason's watch too. Dick and Jason won't let anything happen to Tim and Damian, and together your brothers can handle anything else that comes up. You can't stay here, hiding in the kitchen all night. Please just let me take you home I'm sure Alfred will cook you a nice home cooked meal."

"I D-d-don't want to be a-alone."

"I'll take you to my place then or Clark and lois'. I don't really want you to be alone either." I nodded. "Ok I'm going to tell Dick, stay right here alright?"

"Conner wait!" I called as he turned to leave. "Can you get Tim instead?" Connor looked confused for a minute before turning to leave. He returned within minutes, Tim by his side.

"Lilly are you ok? Connor said you needed to talk to me."

"Um yeah." I nodded whipping tears from my face. "I'm going away for a little bit. I need some time to think about things, not just Wally but well everything."

"What do I tell Bruce and everyone?" Tim asked his eyes shining with uncertainty.

"Tell them the truth. I'm no use to anyone like this. I need to get out of town for a while and clear my head."

"Where will you go?"

"Connor's offered to let me stay with him in Smallville. I think that sounds like a nice place to go. It's a nice quiet town, I won't be alone but I won't be in anyone's way either…."

"Lilly you're not in anyone's way!"

"Maybe not when I'm fully functioning, but…It's hard to explain Tim." I decided not to spill out all of my complicated emotions to Tim. "Can I trust you to tell Dick, and Bruce what's going on? Together you guys can decided how much to tell Jason and Damian though I'm sure they'll figure it out on their own."

"I'm not even sure what's going on and I'm the one you're telling!" Tim said half under his breath. He then heaved a great sigh before pulling himself up tall. "You can count on me Lilly

. For now if anyone asks I'll just tell them Connor brought you home, that'll stop the others from asking questions until we're back at the cave."

"Thank you Tim." I said with honest gratitude as I pulled him into a hug. "If the family needs me for any reason," I added as I let him go. "I'm only a phone call away."

"We'll be ok for a few weeks but I'd better head back now, if I'm gone for too long Dick will worry. Just…Text me when you get to Smallville?"

"Will do Timmy." I promised before he left the kitchen.