The Hardest Part
[A/N: Takes place after this (Cassie's), this (Diana's), and this (Tim's). All characters used with express permission.]
Prompt: "What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, as well as the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers."
-Sarah Dessen
It's Diana who calls him.
His first five thoughts are:
Why Diana, where's Tim?
Is Tim okay?
I should have been there.
Does Kon know?
We all should have been there.
Diana's still speaking, of course. Those thoughts run through his mind and repeat themselves over and over again while she does. "- were at the meeting with her, so I thought I should inform you." Her voice is tight, and Bart murmurs a thank you. Cissie can already tell something is wrong and is looking at him with worried eyes. "She looks to you as a leader, even if you've got nothing to lead. I thought you should know."
"Thank you, Wo - Diana. We'll be right there." Now Cissie's holding onto his arm tightly. Diana shouldn't be calling them. Why would Diana call them?
"It's past visiting hours. Tim's here, but Bart, I -"
"We'll be right there."
She lets out a breath. It echoes like a thousand sighs across the phone line. "Of course." Her voice is almost pleased, but he doesn't think about it.
We should have been there.
Bart hangs the phone up and looks at Cissie. "Cassie - "
And Cissie's out of the bed, getting dressed. Bart's in his uniform before she's got her pajamas off. Better to look like a superhero if you're going to be running at top speeds and demanding to see Wonder Girl way past visiting hours.
"Kon," Cissie says as she pulls a sweater over her head.
He nods. He's already dialed. "Kon, it's Bart. Listen, Cassie -"
His friends know him so well. Just the tone of his voice tells Kon everything he needs to hear.
"Were going now, yeah. Diana said he's at the hospital. Okay." He ends the call and looks at Cissie. "Ready?"
"Of course not."
"Oh." Oh.
We should have been there.
--
It doesn't take long to get past security. Inertia is a member of the Flash family, after all. They pass Diana in the hallway and he nods silently. She nods back. Alfred is there, dozing on a chair. Bart looks at Cissie and she looks at him, and then they go into Cassie's hospital room.
He changes out of his uniform and goes to stand behind Tim, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Cissie goes to the other side of the bed and takes one of Cassie's hands in her own. They don't say anything for a long time.
We should have been there.
Eventually, Tim breaks the silence. His voice is quiet, and Bart remembers the last time he heard it sound like that. The night Kon died. "Kon?"
"I called him. He'll be here."
Tim nods. "Thank you. He should know."
"We should all know." Cissie gives him a look, but Tim nods again.
"Yes. Of course." He turns and looks at Bart, and they exchange messages without saying a single word. Brothers. Team mates. Tim understands. This shouldn't have happened.
We should have been there.
Cissie asks: "Can we get you anything?"
"No." Tim pauses. "Maybe you should talk to Diana. They were after her. She'll need-"
"I don't care," Bart answers. "Diana has... she doesn't..." Cissie's giving him another look, but this one is softer. He remembers that she was there when both he and Kon died. Just like Tim. Just like Cassie. He thinks about what he'd do if anything ever happened to her, and the thoughts explode in his mind. "We're staying."
"Thank you." It's all Tim says. It's all Tim needs to say.
Bart settles into a chair, and for the first time in his life, Bart Allen waits. He waits for Kon to come, he waits for Cassie to wake up, and he waits for their team to be whole again.
He waits for his family.
Prompt: "What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, as well as the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers."
-Sarah Dessen
It's Diana who calls him.
His first five thoughts are:
Why Diana, where's Tim?
Is Tim okay?
I should have been there.
Does Kon know?
We all should have been there.
Diana's still speaking, of course. Those thoughts run through his mind and repeat themselves over and over again while she does. "- were at the meeting with her, so I thought I should inform you." Her voice is tight, and Bart murmurs a thank you. Cissie can already tell something is wrong and is looking at him with worried eyes. "She looks to you as a leader, even if you've got nothing to lead. I thought you should know."
"Thank you, Wo - Diana. We'll be right there." Now Cissie's holding onto his arm tightly. Diana shouldn't be calling them. Why would Diana call them?
"It's past visiting hours. Tim's here, but Bart, I -"
"We'll be right there."
She lets out a breath. It echoes like a thousand sighs across the phone line. "Of course." Her voice is almost pleased, but he doesn't think about it.
We should have been there.
Bart hangs the phone up and looks at Cissie. "Cassie - "
And Cissie's out of the bed, getting dressed. Bart's in his uniform before she's got her pajamas off. Better to look like a superhero if you're going to be running at top speeds and demanding to see Wonder Girl way past visiting hours.
"Kon," Cissie says as she pulls a sweater over her head.
He nods. He's already dialed. "Kon, it's Bart. Listen, Cassie -"
His friends know him so well. Just the tone of his voice tells Kon everything he needs to hear.
"Were going now, yeah. Diana said he's at the hospital. Okay." He ends the call and looks at Cissie. "Ready?"
"Of course not."
"Oh." Oh.
We should have been there.
--
It doesn't take long to get past security. Inertia is a member of the Flash family, after all. They pass Diana in the hallway and he nods silently. She nods back. Alfred is there, dozing on a chair. Bart looks at Cissie and she looks at him, and then they go into Cassie's hospital room.
He changes out of his uniform and goes to stand behind Tim, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Cissie goes to the other side of the bed and takes one of Cassie's hands in her own. They don't say anything for a long time.
We should have been there.
Eventually, Tim breaks the silence. His voice is quiet, and Bart remembers the last time he heard it sound like that. The night Kon died. "Kon?"
"I called him. He'll be here."
Tim nods. "Thank you. He should know."
"We should all know." Cissie gives him a look, but Tim nods again.
"Yes. Of course." He turns and looks at Bart, and they exchange messages without saying a single word. Brothers. Team mates. Tim understands. This shouldn't have happened.
We should have been there.
Cissie asks: "Can we get you anything?"
"No." Tim pauses. "Maybe you should talk to Diana. They were after her. She'll need-"
"I don't care," Bart answers. "Diana has... she doesn't..." Cissie's giving him another look, but this one is softer. He remembers that she was there when both he and Kon died. Just like Tim. Just like Cassie. He thinks about what he'd do if anything ever happened to her, and the thoughts explode in his mind. "We're staying."
"Thank you." It's all Tim says. It's all Tim needs to say.
Bart settles into a chair, and for the first time in his life, Bart Allen waits. He waits for Kon to come, he waits for Cassie to wake up, and he waits for their team to be whole again.
He waits for his family.