Hi, everyone. :)

I know it's been what, over a year since I've posted? I sincerely apologize for that, but I promise I haven't stopped writing. This new story is proof!

However, this is the last story I'll be posting here on this site. In the future, I'll be posting and updating over at AO3 under the pen name 'Mizmahlia'. I have nothing against this site, as it's been a fabulous home for me for the last five years or so, but I felt it was time to move on and try something new in order to get myself writing again. I'm going to leave all of my work posted here, though.

This will be a few chapters in length and it will center primarily around Dick and Wally's friendship and how Dick deals with Wally being gone. If you're familiar with my work, you likely don't need an angst warning. But if you aren't? Consider yourself warned. ;)

I don't own these characters, as they are the property of DC. And I don't profit from this.

"I'm not resigning, just taking a leave of absence. Besides, if you need help, Barbara is more than ready to step up." Dick glanced over at her, his chest tightening as he did so.
"Agreed, but Dick..."

He cut Kaldur off, putting a hand on his friend's arm. "I need a break, Kaldur. You, me, Wally.. We.. We founded this team. Without him..." Dick didn't look at Kaldur, he couldn't, and stared past him instead.

Kaldur huffed quiet, resigned sigh and paused a moment. "I understand."

Dick recalled the last conversation he had with Kaldur as he zipped his duffel, purposefully looking away from his Nightwing gear hanging on his small closet door. His leave of absence from the Team and the Justice League was by no means permanent, but when asked by Tim if he was ever coming back, Dick hadn't been able to provide an answer. All he had been able to say was that he would come back, he just didn't know when. And while Tim knew Dick well enough to know not to ask any more questions, he pressed on.

"And what if we need you, Dick? Where are you going and why are you leaving your gear behind?" Tim sat on the edge of Dick's bunk, watching his adopted older brother pack all of his civilian things, leaving no room for tactical gear.

"Tim, hopefully you'll never have to experience something like this in order to understand why I'm going. But I need to take a step back and put myself back together. If I don't, I'm not sure I'd be any good to anyone, let alone myself." He continued transferring clothes from a rickety wooden dresser into his bag, neatly tucking things in the spaces between the bulkier items.

"You aren't running away, are you? Because Artemis is hurting, too. So is Barry. And Bart We're all hurting, but nobody is leaving. I don't understand why you have to." Tim stood abruptly and headed for the door. "I trust your judgement, I always have. But it doesn't mean I understand or necessarily agree."

Dick stopped packing and turned to look at Tim. "I'll be back, Tim. And until then, you'll be just fine. You can get along without me."

Tim hesitated in the doorway and turned his head slightly. "I can, but it doesn't mean I want to," he said quietly. "Drop me a line every now and again to let me know you're alright, okay?"

"Of course." Dick nodded and caught a hint of a smile on Tim's face as he left the room.

"Ten bucks says Bruce will know where you are no matter how hard you try to disappear," he challenged.

"You're on," Dick replied, shaking his head.

Dick took one last look around his room, making sure he had everything. Tim had quite a knack for telling him things about himself that he didn't want to tell anyone, or even admit to himself for that matter, and that's one of the reasons he knew Tim would be okay. Ever the detective, Tim had also taken on the roll as caretaker in the few days since Wally had been ki.. since Wally had disappeared, and he had been looking after anyone and everyone who was close to Wally. It frustrated him that the one person he wanted to help and couldn't was Dick.

With a determined sigh Dick threw on his black leather jacket, hefted the duffle bag off his neatly-made bed and closed the bedroom door behind him. The last few days had been difficult, to say the least, and in order not to lose sight of himself or his mission to do good, he needed to step back. He so desperately needed a break to process. To analyze. To think. And to grieve.

The Team and the League lost a member, a mentor and a friend when Wally died. Dick felt like he'd lost a part of himself, and without it, he wasn't whole and he certainly wasn't himself. He never imagined going through life without Wally and in order to figure out how he was supposed to do that, he needed time. And distance. And though he didn't yet know whether that was going to help, one thing he did know was that he had to try.

Shouldering the duffle bag he went out to the garage. Swiping his helmet from the storage shelf beside it, Dick mounted his bike and donned the helmet, revving the engine as the garage door unexpectedly opened. He whipped his head around, seeing Artemis leaning against the doorway with her hand on the control panel. With a sad, but understanding smile, she gently waved, tears shining in her eyes.

Dick raised a hand and waved back, pausing for a moment to look at her, to remind himself that he needed to do this. He turned back to the now-open door, seeing the setting sun outside and he revved the engine, let off the brake and accelerated, picking up speed as he cleared the garage, then the driveway before turning the throttle hard, speeding away into the twilight.

First stop? Back to where it all began.

Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard. -Dave Mustaine