Grief

I don't own YJ or the cover image.

"Dick, you need to get it together! You're losing your mind, and you haven't left this apartment in a month! You're driving yourself crazy, and all of us have to suffer for it! We want you to come back, all of us." Wally yelled at Dick, who had his arms wrapped around his knees in a fetal position.

Dick didn't open his mouth, he just dug his face into his knees.

Wally was mad. He was mad at Dick for everything that he had put him through in the past month. He had called and texted over and over again. Every single day he called, but Dick never responded. Dick looked like he hadn't eaten in a full week.

"How long has it been since you ate a real meal?" Wally asked, trying to sound more gentle.

"A week." Dick replied. Wally knew it.

"Okay, I'm going to make you some food. Why don't you go wash your hands?" Wally asked gently. Dick nodded and started to stand. His blue sweatshirt covered his arms completely. Wally found that odd, Dick hated that sweatshirt. M'gann gave it to him, but he told Wally how uncomfortable it was.

Dick stumbled as he walked out of the room. He easily looked 14 despite being 2 years older than that and living in his own. He looked so weak and vulnerable.

Wally sped around the kitchen, grabbing any food that was still in the cupboards. He had just enough to make Dick a small salad. He wasn't going to risk giving Dick too much food at once.

Dick came back and sat at the table. He started picking at his food instead of eating it, before finally putting some in his mouth. He ate slowly but surely. Wally stood and walked towards the bathroom, the door was still open.

He walked inside, and what he saw shook him to his very core.

A small knife rested on the counter. Both were stained red. The floor tiles had splotches of red in between them. Blood. Dick's bathroom was covered in blood. There was a roll o gauze sitting on the counter.

Wally walked out of the room, and back to the living room. Dick was still eating slowly.

"Dick. Explain to me why your bathroom looks like that." Wally stood in the door, his eyes wide. Dick turned his head and looked Wally right in the eyes. Wally knew exactly what that look meant.

"Take off your sweatshirt." Wally comanded firmly.

Dick shook his head. Telling Wally he didn't want to.

"Dick, Take off your sweatshirt before I make you." Wally demanded.

Dick slowly pulled the sweatshirt off, revealing his arms covered in gauze bandages, and the very little skin that was bare had slash marks littered across it.

"You've been hurting yourself. You, Dick Grayson, who has so many people who love and adore you, have been hurting yourself."

Tears filled Dick's eyes.

"I understand that you blame yourself Dick, but you can't do this to yourself. What would Jason think of his hero if he knew that you were doing this because you blamed yourself about him? It wasn't your fault." Wally walked over to Dick.

"That's the thing, Wally. You don't understand. You. Do. Not. Understand. It was my fault. If I hadn't been such a dick to Bruce and walked out, Jason would never have become Robin, and none of this would have happened. Or, if I had just been there, and not been so fucking bitter, he'd still be here." Dick placed his forehead against the marble counter.

"Well, maybe I don't want to see my little brother hurt himself. You know better. You know how many people love you, and you know how much Bruce blames himself for Jason. It's not just you. I do understand."

"Have you ever had a little brother that you loved more than anything? Have you ever felt that stab in your chest when you find out that someone you love more than anything is dead?" Dick asked, tears now falling freely from his face.

"I'm going to answer yes to the first question, and ask you this question: have you ever been hurt by the person supposed to protect you?" Wally frowned, and placed a hand on Dick's back. Trying to comfort the younger boy.

"No."

"You need to come back. We all want you to come back. Tim needs an older brother, Bruce needs a son. You need help Dick. We all want you to come back. We all need you to come back. We need our little bird." Wally said, in as comforting a tone as possible.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry big bro." Dick wrapped his arms around Wally's torso, digging his face into Wally's chest.

Wally ran his hand through the younger boy's hair while rubbing his back with the other.

"It's okay, I forgive you little bro. I forgive you." Wally whispered.

Dick walked through the Bludhaven zeta tube into the cave. It had been two months. He had spent two months going through DABDA, and now he was ready to move on.

When he entered the cave, they were all there waiting for him. M'gann had a tray of cookies, Conner had a huge smile on his face, Kaldur talking to Rocket, Zatanna was the first to give him a massive hug, Artemis was the second, and Wally was the third.

As Wally held the younger boy, he whispered in his ear, "I forgive you, Dickie-bird."

For those of you who don't know DABDA is the acronym for the grieving process.

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

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