A/N: A very special thank you to Black Friar for the fast and excellent beta!

Okay, Wally thought as he stood outside the gates of Wayne Manor, looking up at the towering spirals in front of him. Now what?

He'd made it to Gotham without breaking a sweat – not that that was anything special considering he'd come in his civvies and running at superspeed in his civvies meant the wind cut through his clothes like knives, plus he'd spent the last ten minutes of his trip running through a deluge and that meant he'd very nearly frozen his freaking butt off, not to mention some of his other, more delicate parts and-

Okay, moving on.

He did a quick sweep of the perimeter, checking for weak spots in the large iron fence surrounding the manor and the estate but wasn't surprised when he found none, because duh, Bruce Wayne, billionaire. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to pay for repairs or, like, have the entire fence replaced every single day if he needed to.

But it was kind of annoying when you wanted to pay your best friend a surprise visit.

Resigned, he backed up a couple of steps and then ran straight at, up and over the tall, slippery fence, his sneakers squeaking as he went. He prayed he didn't trip any alarms or trigger any booby traps and that he would be fast enough for anything other than a faint blur to show up on any security feeds.

He reached the manor in under a second and scaled the side of the building, knowing exactly which window was the doorway to Dick's room. Once he made it onto the window ledge, he inched sideways to take a quick peek. It was pretty late after all, and if Dick was in his room he didn't really want to catch him in the middle of changing into his PJs or whatever.

The lights were on in the room, but the first time he glanced inside he thought nobody was there and it occurred to Wally suddenly that Dick might not even be home. He hadn't heard from his friend all week so he really had no idea what Dick was up to or where he was. He might be out on patrol or on some super secret mission with Batman for all he knew.

But when he snuck another look inside, he spotted his friend sitting on the floor in a corner of the room, his back against the wall, arms wrapped around his legs and his forehead resting on his knees.

Wally stared. Dick's shoulders were shaking.

For a moment Wally considered leaving, not wanting to intrude, afraid that if he encroached on Dick's privacy when he was clearly hurting, Dick would avoid him like the plague afterwards. He'd seen Dick injured and in pain, sad even, but never like this. Never this…forlorn, vulnerable.

Alone.

Screw it. He needed to get in there.

Wally tapped the window and Dick's head shot up, his eyes going wide. Wally gave him a sheepish wave and Dick gawked at him for a full minute before scrambling to his feet and hurrying to the window, dragging his sleeve across his eyes as he went.

"Wally?! What are you doing here?" Dick exclaimed as Wally climbed inside.

"Uh…heh," Wally began, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I wanted to check up on you?"

Dick stared at him, eyes wide and red-rimmed.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? You're not picking up your phone, you haven't replied to any of my texts. I haven't heard from you in days! I was worried, okay?"

"You- were worried?" Dick said. "About me?"

Wally frowned. "Well, duh! You're my best friend!"

"Shh! Alfred'll hear you," Dick hissed at him.

Wally planted his hands on his hips. "Please, the fact that I'm standing in your room right now and didn't get thrown into, like, the dungeons or something the second I made it inside tells me Alfred totally approves of me being here."

For a moment Dick stared at him, but then his lips twitched into a faint smile and Wally's heart lifted a little. "Yeah, you're probably right," Dick said. He looked Wally up and down. "Dude, you're dripping on my carpet. I'll go find you something dry to wear."

Ten minutes later, Wally was trying to squirm his way into a pair of ridiculously tight sweat pants. "Dude, seriously, these were the biggest pants you could find?!"

"Yup," Dick said with a grin and entirely too much glee in his voice as he sat on his bed, leaning back on his hands.

"I need stilts to get into these! Like, really short stilts," Wally complained, looking down at his exposed ankles. "I knew you had scrawny little chicken legs, but jeez!"

The hoodie he'd been given to wear was slightly less snug (thank god it at least covered his belly-button because that would've been embarrassing), although the sleeves were a little on the short side. Dick was still smirking at him from his spot on the bed but there was a sadness about his eyes now that didn't belong there.

"So uh…" Wally started once he'd finished changing, plopping down beside Dick. "What's been up with you, dude?"

Dick's grin faded and he looked away. "Nothing. Just- stuff."

"Robin stuff?"

"No."

"School stuff?"

"No."

"Did you and Bruce fight?"

"No."

"Dude, then what?" Wally asked, exasperated.

Dick got up from the bed. "Look, I don't really want to talk about it, okay? Do your- your parents even know you're here?"

"Uh…sort of? They think I'm staying at Uncle Barry's but-"

"You shouldn't lie to your parents, Wally."

"Huh? I didn't lie! Well, not technically. I was staying at uncle Barry's but then, you know, decided to pay my best friend a visit."

"That's still lying. What if your parents find out? They'll be upset and- and you don't want them to be upset- because- because…" Dick trailed off, leaning his back against the opposite wall and sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. "…Because you always want them to be happy," he whispered finally before drawing his legs up and wrapping his arms around them.

Wally stared. Uh…what just happened? Dick looked- he looked lost. Utterly confused and a little scared, Wally got up and sat down beside his friend once more. Dick was staring at the carpet, his finger tracing patterns.

"Dick…c'mon dude, you're freaking me out. What's wrong?"

It took Dick a while to answer, but eventually he sighed. "It's- my parents… They- they died, three years ago today."

Oh. Oh god. How the heck could he have forgotten?! It had been a little over a year since Dick had revealed his secret identity to him on a rooftop in Central City; it had happened a couple of weeks after they'd been on their first mission together (well, "mission" – it hadn't actually been sanctioned by Batman or the Flash or…anyone, really).

Wally knew all about the Flying Graysons – he had made it a point to learn everything there was to know about his best friend's family as he would never actually get to meet them. So the day after the monumental reveal of secret identities, he'd googled the Flying Graysons. There wasn't a whole lot of information; mostly old newspaper articles, some posters and ads…and the horrifyingly gruesome crime-scene photos some insensitive jackass had thought would be cool to post online. Wally had never hit the back button so fast, and even then he'd had the images seared into his mind and lost his lunch. He wondered if Dick had ever seen those photos – he hoped not, but then again those pictures couldn't possibly be worse than what the bodies had looked like up close.

Wally knew exactly when the Graysons had died, and yet it had totally slipped his mind. Good job, West, some best friend you are. He pulled his own legs up to his chest, mirroring Dick's pose.

"God…dude, I'm- I'm so sorry," he said, feeling horribly inept. What the heck was he supposed to say? He'd never lost anyone close to him…how could you possibly make someone who'd lost both their parents feel better? "Uh…isn't- isn't Bruce around?"

Dick shook his head, still staring at the carpet. "He's on a League mission, off-world. He usually makes sure he's here today, I mean, on- on the anniversary. But he couldn't not go this time, so…"

"That sucks…"

"Yeah."

Silence stretched and Wally fidgeted. God, Wally, why are you so bad at this? He wanted to say something meaningful, something comforting, but well, he was just fourteen, what the heck did he know about this stuff?

"You know what scares me?" Dick said, finally breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Sometimes when I think about them, all I see is their bodies, like- like I'm starting to forget what they were like when they were alive. And I don't- I don't want that. I want to remember them alive and healthy and- happy, but I'm really scared I'm gonna forget."

Wally frowned. "Well…don't you have any pictures of them?"

Dick glanced at him. "Just one, an old Polaroid. Yeah, Polaroid," he added when he saw the disbelief on Wally's face. "We were circus people. We didn't really have the money for fancy cameras or iPhones and stuff, you know?"

"Right." Wally chewed his lip. "Okay…so…maybe- maybe it would help if you told me about them? About your mom and dad? What they were like, I mean? That way if you ever forget you can just ask me and I'll tell you what you told me."

"But…what if you forget too?"

"I won't," Wally said. "I promise I won't. And- and maybe talking about them will help keep them alive too? Sort of? I mean, I don't know." Wally cringed and rubbed his neck, his face growing warm.

Dick considered him for a long moment, expression unreadable, before he got up and went over to his desk. Wally couldn't see what he was doing but a minute later Dick sat down beside him again, a picture in his hand. Wally leaned in to get a proper look.

There were three people in the picture: a man, woman and small boy. Wally recognized Dick instantly; he looked younger and smaller but he hadn't changed much. His heart ached at seeing the carefree grin on younger Dick's face.

The man and woman standing beside him were obviously Dick's parents. Dick looked so much like his mom: he had her nose, cheekbones and her smile, but his blue eyes were his father's, as was his jet-black hair.

"Your mom was really pretty," Wally observed.

Dick smiled a little. "She was really kind and generous, too. I mean, we were pretty poor but whenever we spent a day out in whatever city Haley's was touring, she would always give some money to people living on the streets." Dick chuckled suddenly. "She had a bit of a temper though. Dad used to say it burned as hot as a supernova if she let loose. One time I was being bullied by some kids and when mom found out she lost it. Like, really lost it. She literally took one of them by the ear and dragged him all the way back to his parents and gave 'em an earful. I never saw any of them again. I don't remember her ever being that angry with me though."

"That's probably 'cause you were a goody two shoes."

Dick looked affronted. "Was not!"

"Still are," Wally said with a smirk. "So…what about your dad?"

"Dad…Dad was warm. Like, he got along with just about anyone. I dunno, maybe it just seemed that way because I was eight but I don't think I've ever seen him fight with anyone, not even with mom. It's weird, but Bruce reminds me a little of him in some ways – not in the brooding, hunting down criminals in a giant Batsuit kind of way obviously," Dick added when Wally did a double-take. "But there was a hard edge to him sometimes, I don't know if it was determination or what, but when it came to training he could be really tough, just like Bruce."

They sat like that for a while, Dick reminiscing and Wally listening until Dick was interrupted by a polite knock on the door. For a wild second Wally thought it was Bruce and he was already in the process of diving underneath Dick's bed until he remembered that Bruce was off-world. Alfred caught him with his legs still sticking out.

"Ah, Mister Wallace, it is good to see you," the butler said. "Did you lose something under the bed?"

Wally poked his head out. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Lucky guess, I suppose," Alfred said dryly as Dick snickered. "Would you care for some tea and biscuits, sirs?"

Wally squirmed out from under the bed. "Biscuits?" he said, ogling the tray the older man was carrying.

"Look at him, Alfred," Dick said with a grin, "he practically starts salivating at the mere mention of food. It's almost Pavlovian."

"Are you comparing me to a dog?"

"If the shoe fits."

"Whatever, dude. Yes, please, to the biscuits, Alfred."

Alfred handed both of them a small plate with cookies and poured them some tea. "How are you feeling, Master Dick?" Alfred asked as Wally stuffed his second biscuit into his mouth.

"I'm okay, Alfie," Dick said with a smile and Wally was happy to note he didn't look nearly as sad as he had earlier.

"I am pleased to hear it, young sir. Mister Wallace," Alfred said, turning to Wally. Wally instantly stopped chewing. "Did you intend to spend the night at the manor?"

Wally swallowed. "Uh…am I allowed to?"

"Could he, Alfred?" Dick asked. "Please? He can sleep in my room so you wouldn't have to prepare one of the bedrooms… I can just get my air mattress and stuff."

Alfred regarded both of them for a moment. "Very well. I trust you will inform your parents, Mister Wallace?"

"Uh…yeah. Yeah, I'll let them know."

"Very good. I shall return shortly with a set of bedclothes," Alfred said, before leaving the room.

When the door clicked shut they exchanged bright grins. Wally hadn't planned on spending the night but sleepovers were always fun and he was kind of glad he didn't have to leave Dick alone tonight. He wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway, knowing his best friend was hurting and Bruce was away. Wayne Manor was a pretty cool place, but it was also huge and empty and kind of cold.

"You gonna call Barry?" Dick asked.

"Oh! Yeah, lemme just grab my phone…"

An hour later, Wally was making himself comfortable on Dick's air mattress, which they'd placed beside Dick's bed. It was quite a cushy one as air mattresses went, and queen-sized too. It might have even been more comfortable than his own, actual bed.

"Dude, I seriously love this mattress. I feel like I'm floating."

"That's 'cause you technically are. You know, air mattress."

"Ha ha, you know what I mean."

Dick chuckled as he turned off the lights. Wally closed his eyes, suddenly tired.

"Hey, Walls?" Dick said into the dark.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

Wally smiled. "Me too, dude."

- End -