It shouldn't have ended up like this, this shouldn't have become such a gruesome task, or this dreadful a night. Dick thought as he sped on his motorcycle into the depths of the night.

It was a Saturday night, one he'd originally had off. He picked up the extra shift because he knew they needed the extra manpower lately.

He was on patrol with Luis Perez, just a regular beat cop, a rookie just starting out. They'd been the ones dispatched to a domestic distress call; Dex Wallington, a six-year-old, calling the police from the inside of his closet while all hell broke loose in his home.

When they'd arrived at the scene it was a homicide, when they left the scene, it'd been a double homicide. The father, Max Wallington, was a well-respected stock broker in Bludhaven but recently it had come to light he'd been embezzling from the company and its clients. He was fired immediately and his first day of court was today. The trial hadn't even started, not really anyway, but he came home different. Demoralized. Desperate. He snapped, beat his wife to death and that's when Dex took off into the closet calling the only number he knew by heart.

When Dick arrived on the scene the man had a gun to the boy's head, it was a lose lose situation. There was no way he'd be able to save them both, but how could he rob the boy of what had been taken from him at such a young age too. He could see the pain and fear in Dex's eyes, the confusion but love he still had for his father. He would try, he would try to save them both. He'd opened his mouth to try to talk down the man but it was too late, the shot went off and Max dropped to the ground.

Luis had pulled the trigger and Max Wallington was dead before he hit the floor.

The wails of the oncoming sirens were drowned out by the little boy's cries. Pajamas soaked in tears and blood, Dick pulled him away from the gory scene, Perez was on his knees now; trembling, shocked at the speed at which the events occurred.

All three of them went to the hospital for routine evaluations and that was when Perez spoke. "How?" he whispered, still shaken.

Dick shook his head, "It was your first time in that situation, Wallington probably would've had to have been taken out anyway, no one could blame you for what happened." He said comfortingly.

Perez was shaking his head, tears brimming at his eyes, "Yeah right," he scoffed, "that little boy will blame me for the rest of his life and the chief? I'm toast. I just started and I've managed to rob a man of his life, rob a boy of his father, of his innocence….God what have I done." He choked, horrified.

The rookie hung his head in his hands.

"Perez…what happened tonight, it's part of the job." Dick started numbly.

"When did becoming a killer become part of the job Grayson?" he sobbed. The nurses walking in the halls tried to grab quick peeks into the room. Dick ignored their girlish squeaks when the spotted him and instead wondered where Dex was now…

"It's the part of the job that no one talks about, the part that no one can forget or escape, the part that robs you of your humanity while giving someone else's theirs. It's the tough part…but the harder part is for what comes next. Forgiving yourself; moving forward, doing more good, striving to be better to not let it corrupt or weaken you." Dick said absentmindedly. "Listen Luis, I won't tell you that what happened tonight should've happened or that it was the right thing to do because I don't know that it was but sulking and blaming yourself won't help."

Just as he looked up he spotted Celina MacCoy, a well-known social worker (well known for everything but her social work), walk by. He got up then and followed behind her discreetly, when she turned into Dex's room he cursed under his breath. She only showed up when there was no one else, no extended family to take care of the kids. She was standing over Dex now, he was fast asleep, his tear stained face showed no peace there, not that he had expected to find any there. He leaned against the doorframe.

"He has no next of kin?" he asked grimly.

Celina jumped and spun around to face him, her face flushed from the sudden start. "Richard Grayson, you always manage to give me a heart attack the way you sneak up on me. You could knock you know." She nagged.

Her platinum blonde curls bounced with every movement, her charcoal blouse left little to the imagine with the top three buttons undone.

Dick gave her mischievous smile, "Where would be the fun in that?" he asked jokingly. She frowned but before she could say anything Dick cut her off, "So what's gonna happen to little Dex there?" he asked more seriously.

Her frown fell into a sad pout, "I don't know, the only next of kin listed was the mother's older sister but we've been having trouble locating her. She's been off the grid for about as long as the kid's been alive. She might've changed name, you know gotten married or something but the search is coming along slowly."

Dick walked over to the hospital bed and ruffled Dex's messy blonde hair.

Celina sighed loudly, "Yeah, times like this make you think about what's really important in life…you know," she said.

Dick cocked a brow and looked back at Celina, now looking at him with a look of innocence plastered on her face. He wanted to roll his eyes, but instead he nodded and looked back at the boy on the bed.

"You know," she purred from behind him, taking noisy steps forward in his direction, "I could really use a hand for this case. I mean I know you're busy but maybe if we do it together we can find Dex here a happy ever after." She placed her hand on top of his shoulder blade then.

He whipped around and found she was standing directly behind him, her breathing got caught and her eyes widened in surprise. He quickly stepped to the side and cleared his throat.

"Sure Celina," he agreed quickly and awkwardly.

"Great! It's a date then, I'm free Monday night," she beamed.

A smile exploded on her face and he smirked at her eagerness. He couldn't help but appreciate her efforts, even though he had tried in every way possible to let her down as kindly as he could. He chuckled and ran his hands through his dark locks.

"Celina….." he started.

She threw her hands up in fronts of her feigning defense, "I know, I know, it's strictly professional but we both work very long hours and I think comparing notes over dinner would be the logical thing to do." She rushed to explain.

"Sounds logical," he said using her word and smirking, "but-"

"But nothing Richard, it's not like we are gonna find his aunt tonight, we're only human after all. But tomorrow, Monday, and the day after that? They're new days and new opportunities to do better work. So stop fussing and just say you'll see me Monday night with leads and great Italian food, kay?" she said backing out of the room quickly.

"See you Monday night." She said leaving the room altogether.

He shook his head and sighed, a date was not what he was looking for tonight. He sat in the chair and then sprang up just as quickly. Celina was right, finding Dex's aunt would take time, he'd have to burn the midnight oil to track someone who for all he knew wasn't even in town anymore because he was only human. Fortunately for him, he had friends that weren't so human.