Last chapter! We made it. Took a REALLY long time, but I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Tigress stopped, the hairs on the back of her neck standing tall. She crossed her arms. "Wow, since when can't you sneak up on me anymore?"

There was a chuckle behind her. "Cut me some slack; I'm out of practice."

The reason behind those words made both of them cringe. He'd left the team for Wally. His late best friend, and her…her true love, no matter how cliché it sounded.

But Tigress couldn't help smiling, something she hadn't done in a while. It's what happened in Dick's presence.

She turned to see a casual Nightwing beaming like the grown up troll he was. He was finally taller and stronger than her, and he blended in with the shadows of the dark alley like the bat he so much resembled. "It's been a long time, Mis."

She nodded. "Too long."

Her grin faded, and she looked away. It had been too long. Dick stayed around for a while after Wally died, helping her sort things out and just…being there. But he didn't want to live in Gotham anymore, so he'd left again for Bludhaven, and then he disappeared. He traveled all over the world, probably trying to find a way to bring Wally back, to prove he wasn't gone.

Stubborn ass.

He'd called once or twice to see how she was doing, but they always missed each other, and they both hated answering machines. She'd never admit it, but she'd really needed him. And he'd left. Just like Wally.

Nightwing's masked eyes upturned with concern. "Do you want to go for coffee? Talk?"

Yes. "I…coffee? It's like three in the morning! What place is open?"

He shrugged. "Maggie's is open 24/7 in Gotham."

Maggie's. Artemis remembered when Dick had invited her for breakfast, the day after she and Wally had gotten into an argument from hell. He'd convinced her that Wally was just an idiot, and he knew nothing when it came to women. They'd laughed over omelets and had avoided paparazzi due to the faithful employees.

She nodded.

They sat in their civvies, drinking quietly.

Dick leaned forward. "Listen, Artemis. I'm sorry I bailed on you. It was wrong of me."

It was so unexpected Artemis choked on her coffee. And yet, Dick really was predictable. He'd almost always apologize first, making his relationship with Wally perfectly balanced.

She swallowed. "Dick, it's okay. We both needed time to…get over it."

His blue eyes flickered with pain. "Have you? Gotten over it?"

She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "It's almost been a year. I think I'm…slowly accepting it."

She hadn't even noticed when his hand had covered hers. Then he pulled back, and she missed the warmth of his touch immediately.

"You know," he started, "I remember when I told him my ID like it was yesterday. It was right after he'd saved me from Killer Croc, and we were laughing and celebrating over ice cream. I finally had a real friend, something I hadn't experienced since the circus. I realized he would take a bullet for me, just as I would for him, and then the mask just came off. Just like that…" Dick sighed nostalgically. "He was so surprised. But the best part was, after the initial shock of it…he didn't care. I was so worried about telling anyone, aside from the fact that Bruce would kill me, because I'd thought he would see me as this snobby rich kid, and he hadn't."

Artemis sipped her coffee, smiling.

Dick ran a hand through his hair. "God, I miss him, Artemis." His eyes were watering, a rarity from the former Boy Wonder. "I've lost so many people…my heart feels empty."

Artemis remembered when he had said the same thing five years ago. She knew it was her turn to comfort him.

"You didn't lose me, Dick. I'm still here," she said, gazing into his deep blue eyes. "And I'll always be here for you, I promise."

Dick looked at her sadly, and then the sorrow seemed to melt off his face. "I'm sorry. I just can't take you seriously when you've got a cream mustache going on there..."

She let out a laugh she'd been holding in for a year and rolled her eyes, wiping her mouth.

There wasn't much left in her heart, but what remained of it, she thought, Dick could have.

The end!

Thanks for sticking around to read my attempts at fluffery.