Summary/Extract: The wheel of life turned, and grief always came back to the top.

POV: Lucius Fox

Timeline: Written while a certain someone was dead.

Notes: Obviously, I have much better things to be writing than this. But it wouldn't go away, and Lucius was persistent. Considering my knowledge of the last year or so of canon rates as -1, well, you read this and take your chances. And apparently my Lucius fictive can be very demanding. He wanted a reaction moment, and well, here it is.

Also, note that its not betaed. This is just a vignette thing. Persistent fictives.

WHEEL OF LIFE

All was quiet on the top-floor offices of WayneTech Enterprises. To be honest, it had been quiet for a number of days, now.

Lucius Fox, Vice President, would have gone so far as to say that it was 'deathly quiet'...but that would be a pun of the macabre sort that he was trying hard to avoid. Especially since... yeah. Some things didn't even bear thinking about.

He stared at his desk, at the piles of paperwork he'd been shuffling around and quietly re-arranging for the last week or so – or was it longer? It was hard to know. It seemed longer. It seemed like a year, if you asked him.

Since Bruce—

Yeah.

Obviously, today was going to be another one of those days where he got absolutely nothing done.

Nor would his receptionist, if he missed his guess. Oh, she looked busy. But he'd been working with her too long to know better. Nancy was a fine woman, but she couldn't fool him – not even Bru—

Maybe he'd be better off at home.

Too many memories, that was the problem. Too many memories.

Lucius sighed to himself as he stood, his mind made up. As much as he knew it owed to Br— his boss to be here, to keep the ship 'shipshape', it was too much, too raw. Maybe tomorrow would be better. He gathered up his paperwork and shoved it unseeing into his briefcase, for once in his life not caring how neat he was. He'd sort it out – finally, maybe – at home. When he had some peace.

He strode from his office then, determined to take the rest of the day off.

Then the elevator dinged, announcing someone had come up to their floor.

He couldn't help it. He looked.

Expecting...

Yeah.

He pushed aside the tumult of emotions and focused instead on what he did see.

The one person he'd never expected to see up here on this level. Especially when the news was still so raw. Let alone in a suit.

The heir. The son. Dick Grayson.

Lucius felt his heart swell in sympathy, even as another part of it broke at the sight of the kid. Because that's what the young man would always be to him. Br— the Boss's kid. He still remembered when young Dick came to them, all blue eyes and promise in the that wide smile touched with grief...

Ironic, how the wheel of life turned, and grief always came back to the top.

Lucius found himself summoning a smile from somewhere, though he knew his weariness shaded it. "Dick. What can we do for you?"

Dick smiled back, though Lucius noted that it never reached his eyes. "I...um...I'm sorry to bother you Lucius, but I need..." He paused to clear his throat, and maybe his eyes.

For this, Lucius figured he could give the kid all the time he needed. He obviously hadn't been sleeping well – if at all, judging by the bags under his eyes – and his voice did little to hide his grief.

Finally the kid continued. "I need...to see his office. Sign some things."

Comprehension was swift, and with it, if possible, even more aggrieved pain. Lucius nodded. They had yet to pack up the office, and well, better if the family did it. "I understand."

Somehow, he managed to show the kid to the office without letting his reaction to the pain in those eyes show. He was about to offer his help anyway, but then the door shut behind the forlorn figure. And then there was just him and his paperwork.

And the memories.

Maybe tomorrow would be better, and...

Yeah.

FIN

Okay, time for some author notes things – with spoiler. So don't keep reading if you don't want spoilers – but what are you doing here if that's the case?

Anyway. Since I wrote this, its been pointed out to me that Tim took over WayneTech while Bruce was "dead". So what was Dick doing there?

To be honest, I wrote this with just knowing that Bruce had "died", and Dick was the heir. It was logical (to me, at least), that therefore at some point he'd have to show up at WayneTech HQ to "tidy up", and at some point there he'd encounter Lucius. Even before someone else could be appointed to look over things, the heir has to legally show up to take responsibility/delegate - he's the signatory, etc. Tim couldn't do a thing without Dick originally showing up to sign the relevant papers. Of course, my point of view is more financial than legal, but I'm still pretty sure I could point people to the relevant standards. :)

I was, actually, going to explain all that in there, and do it from Dick's point of view...but Lucius kind of took over the fic. :) Hope that helps people.