New chapter, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

When Batman left the room, it was with the unspoken command for the others to follow him. Every one of them noticed this but not one of them actually moved. Wally was maintaining a steady, shocked gaze with his uncle. M'gann was weeping openly, with one of Kaldur's hands on her left shoulder. Behind her, Conner hesitated to move - their relationship was still strained - but seemed to eventually decide to advance in on the girl he still cared deeply for, if only to place his hand on her right shoulder. He didn't know how to react himself; M'gann was open with her sorrow and even Kaldur seemed pained, but neither reaction seemed right for him. He decided that whatever reaction he might have could be had later, focusing his energy on supporting his friends right now.

Dick didn't know how to react, either. He certainly wasn't going to follow his old mentor's lead and merely depart, but it was clear that trying to say anything to Wally would be a wasted effort. His best friend seemed to be in shock; no real reaction, no anger yet and no grief. It hadn't sunk in yet.

When it finally did, over two full minutes later, Wally did not shout or cry or display the sort of raw emotion they had expected. Both Dick and Kaldur had been expecting something akin to his reaction to Artemis' death during the failed training simulation that none of them had ever forgotten. They had definitely not expected such a calm reaction as a shake of the head.

The Flash turned his head to Kaldur and nodded once, a plea as well as an order, before returning his eyes warily to his poor nephew. Taking the hint, Kaldur slowly maneuvered both Conner and M'gann out of the room, subtly signalling for Dick to follow them out. His friend acknowledged the gesture but did not pay it any attention.

Dick stood shoulder to shoulder with the Flash, who glared at him half-heartedly before removing his hands from Wally's shoulders and stepping back two steps; although he did not like having to release his nephew, Barry appreciated what Wally's best friend was trying to do here. Sometimes a family member isn't what you need - after all, the baby that Artemis had been carrying was Barry's family, too.

Now that Wally stood alone, his friend was able to move that little bit closer to him; from this close to him, it was obvious that the man was literally vibrating with shock. Dick almost felt bad for what he was about to do but he knew that it was necessary.
"You have to go in there." He placed his hands on Wally's shoulders, mimicking the actions of the man's uncle. "Wally, I am so sorry. But Artemis needs you."

Wally opened his mouth as if he was going to reply - as if he wanted to reply - but no sound came out. The shaking increased and his eyes suddenly clenched shut, like he wanted to hide within himself and pretend that this was not happening. Dick could hardly blame him; he knew the pain of losing one's family all too well. Barry noticed that Wally reacted and very nearly stepped in, but upon the realisation that Dick was bringing the inevitable reaction to the surface he dropped back, leaning against the wall.

"I know this is horrible for you as well but she's the one who just lost a baby." He didn't have to clarify that he meant 'lost' in the technical term of miscarriage, not the generalisation that applied to everyone who had been ready to welcome the child into their lives. "Think how bad she must be feeling. She's going to need you to go in there and take care of her."

Wally looked at his best friend rather desperately. "I ... I can't go in there."

"Wally, Artemis has..."
"I know, alright?! I know!" Wally burst out, taking a deep breath to calm himself even as two tears slid down his cheeks. "I should have protected her. This is my fault. I can't... Dick, how can I go in there and face her?"

With his fears on display, the breakdown was inevitable, but Wally had grown up. He was no longer the angry teenager who released frustration by shouting and yelling and destroying inanimate objects. He tensed as tears began to flow silently; no sobbing or wailing, just a steady stream of soundless agony. There was nothing that he could do to make it better, Dick knew that, but he would always try regardless. Watching his best friend - his brother - break down in front of him, Dick shifted his arms to properly hold Wally in a comforting embrace. Wally clung to him, hands clenching the material that covered his back; his knuckles turned white from the tension within him as he fought to stop crying.

Barry quietly made his way out of the room, sensing that his nephew was in good hands. No matter how much he wanted to be there for Wally, he was needed elsewhere and Wally would be taken care of. Somebody had to inform Iris and Wally's parents that there would be no new addition to the family, and Barry wouldn't place such a terrible burden on his nephew's shoulders.

For a few moments, Wally allowed himself to be consoled in his best friend's arms; it vaguely crossed his mind that this was a complete reversal of roles from their younger years. Back when they had been younger, back when the team was smaller and Dick was happy being Robin, it had been Wally who would hold Dick in his arms after the younger of the two had suffered some terrible trauma or had nightmares. Wally was glad that he and Dick had been able to grow up together because he wouldn't have believed, had he not seen it, that the cackling teenager he'd known was now the man who offered selfless support in the form of a hug and the gentle prodding to do the right thing. After all, Wally wanted to run and hide and wallow in self pity for a while; he had so been looking forward to being a dad.
But he couldn't do that because this wasn't just about him. It was also about Artemis, and no matter how bad he felt, he had to go into that room and take care of his girlfriend.

Knowing that it was pointless to put it off - and unfair to Artemis - Wally managed to calm himself down. He gently pulled out of the embrace and leaned against the wall to his right. Dick stood in front of him, eyeing him with a steady gaze that was both demanding and sympathetic. Wally nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm going in" he whispered. "Thanks."

Dick nodded once and then he left, respectfully allowing Wally a few moments to gather some much needed courage before he entered the room to face Artemis.

So this may be the last chapter, or I may add one more that has Artemis in it.

Please R&R