Title: Stepping Up Past Expectation.
Chapter: Seven. Grave.
Word Count: 1,199
Pairings: None.
Summary: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mantel with Iris' pushing.

Wally gently sets Iris onto her feet in front of Barry's gravestone. His coffin under the freshly grown grass below their feet. Iris isn't crying in more. She's sobered up quite a bit. She looks away from the stone and places one hand on Wally's arm while she places the other on his cheek making him look at her. His green eyes are still hidden behind the white lenses of his cowl, but she knows its Wally. She isn't fooled this time.

"He would be so proud of you, Wally." Her whispered words, so certain they sound, is carried by the wind.

The hero nods. "Thank you." And then a moment later he's pulled her into a hug hiding his face in the crock of her neck. "I'm so sorry, Aunt Iris. I'm sorry he's gone."

She ruffles his hair while returning the hug. "I know. I know, honey. I'm sorry he's gone too."

And they stood like that, the sun setting behind them in front of the grave of a man they love so much. They're still holding each other when the team shows up.

"Wally!" Robin shouts, leaving the rest of the team yards behind him as he rushes at the pair. When Wally pulls away from Iris to look up at the sound of his name he's surprised to see the team yet he's so relieved. He knows he needs them, missed them in his absent from the team.

Robin stops short from throwing his arms around his friend and the redheaded woman besides him. It doesn't take long before the others are behind Robin. "Wally..." Robin trails off and suddenly Wally feels guilty for not talking to him sooner.

The younger hero looks at a lost of what to do. He's torn between telling Wally he's an idiot, asking him what he was thinking, and hugging his friend. The memory of Wally clutching to Robin's shirt in that pasture weeks ago is still fresh in his mind.

Wally pushes an uneven smile onto his face. "Hey, Rob...guys?" And then M'gann pushes past Robin and the others to throw her arms around him.

"We missed you, Wally." She whispers into his ear. And he's sorry again for not stopping in at the mountain after Barry's funeral. He's sorry but he knows he really couldn't handle running like that.

"I missed you too, Beautiful." Wally looks over M'gann's shoulder, "I missed all you guys." Artemis steps up past Robin, looks like she wants to throw a punch and then wraps her arms around Wally and M'gann.

"You're so stupid, Baywatch. So stupid." She mumbles.

When Wally laughs, Iris can't help but smile. She hadn't heard him do that in a while. "I know I am, Arty. I know, but I had to do it. I don't know if you understand now or ever will but I had too."

With that M'gann and Artemis step back slightly, their eyes never moving from Wally. "I'm behind you Wall." Roy states with certainty. Wally was there when Roy left to be his own hero. With Wally's stunt he basically did the same thing. Roy will be there for Wally as Wally has been there for him. It's about time Roy get a chance to return the favor.

Kaldur looks to Conner and the two men seem to communicate something then turn to meet Wally's hidden gaze. "We as well will stand behind you, friend." Kaldur places a hand on Roy's shoulder significant their united stand.

"No matter what the League says." Conner adds with a rough tone. And Wally appreciates the meaning though he wishes it will never come down to the team picking between him and the League. He knows it probably will come to that though.

The man in red looks foreign to Zatanna. He looks like the Flash, Zatanna thinks, but he stands like Wally and speaks like Wally. She's having troubling really putting the two together. She wished he would take off the mask; it would make it easier. Yet even with the slight confusion Zatanna can see the man Wally is becoming and the hero he really is. And she smiles softly. Wally, the Flash has no problem returning it.

Robin can't see past the uniform. He can't see past how Wally just unraveled so much by telling the world his name, Barry's name. He can't see how this made Wally feel better. But he wants too. He wants to be there for his friend but the cowl is hard to dive past.

It's frozen him in place and stolen his tongue. He needs that hood removed though and Wally keeps glancing at him. Probably with superspeed so the others won't notice cause they don't seem to but Rob feels his friend's gaze. He tries to speak and once again he's astonished at how in sync the boys are because Wally doesn't waste time in removing the cowl from his head even though Robin can't seem to find the words.

And it's Wally standing in front of him. His best friend. Grieving and dealing the best way he can. The boy with red hair and a fresh smile. The boy that knew enough about him to wright a couple of books surrounding his life. The boy that has seen him cry, that he saw cry. The boy that cracks jokes and run laps because he could. The boy that loved being a hero. His best friend.

And Roy is right. The others are right. They'd stand together no matter what; they're a team. He grins, raises his hand. Wally returns the fist bump and smile. As their gloved hands touch, "Happy Birthday Wally." He pauses looking for the words. "The League is already up in arms about what you just did. And to tell you the truth I am too. But I'm with you Wally. I'll play this out with you." Robin didn't offer Wally a way out. The other hero was either going to do this with Robin at his side or not at all.

He'd spent nearly a month on his own with his grieving aunt. Wally needs more support. Iris needs more support. And Robin, the others have no problem stepping into being that support even without the Wests' blessing.

It looks like a weight seemed to drop off his shoulders, Wally seemed to stand a bit straighter, his smiles a bit more real. "Thanks guys. I mean it and I'm probably gonna need it."

He looks to sideways at Iris who looks considerably brightened at seeing how loved Wally is. She's not fool enough or delusional enough to believe that the team agrees with what Wally did - after all Robin plainly stated he didn't - but she sees the support they're giving and she can't hide the joy she's feeling at knowing Wally will never stand alone with friends likes these.

A/N: So I think that's it for this story. I'll probably work on the League's reaction in a separate piece as well as Jay's. Iris and Barry's had kids in the comic so I might try and work that into a piece surround Iris without Wally, though I'm sure he'll be mentioned. Probably work on that piece first cause I actually don't know too much about Jay and the League is gonna be hard to write. Gotta figure out who to include and who not to.

However, I don't know when I'll get these done. I have lost my Flashdrive which is where I keep all my stories, typed up outlines as well as my school work, and it's driving me crazy! Its distracting not knowing where it is.

Besides those ramblings. I would like to thank all you guys again that have been reviewing, alerting to, or simply reading this and my other stories. I'm so thrilled over the fact you guys like the series I'm writing. I really enjoy writing Wally, and adore the Flash as a hero, so this is grand getting to write something I like and have other people actually like reading it. Haha, anyways, Thanks again!