Summary: Ace has been around since Dick was eleven and managed to con Bruce into buying a dog for him. Dick is 24 and Ace has reached the 13 years of life expectancy. Itās not a good night for anyone.
Warnings: Angst and tears. Mentioning of being put down.
A/n - I accept the consequences of this fic and I have brought tissues and chocolate with me. I am so sorry
Tim was awake before the first floorboard creaks. The shuffling halts for a second.
He wriggles in his sheets and sits up as the mattress groans. His left hand slithers under a flush pillow and curls itself around the collapsable staff heās had there since the first night he stayed at the manor all those years ago.
The next shuffle is hesitant and cautious. Then thereās fast foot falls and the second and third wooden floor boards creak and groan a second later. Timās hand uncurls around the staff while his brow furrows.
All the bats had their way of walking and everyone had it engrained in their mind. Dukeās was always hesitant, unsure. His strides were short but quick and always managed to sound meek on the floors of their home. He shouldnāt worry, his feet echo in these halls just like the rest of theirs. Engraved to this manor and to this home.
The first hint of something wrong is his strides. Theyāre no longer hesitant, theyāre hurried and worried and deafening in the silence of the house. The footfalls are loud as they come closer and Tim is throwing off his duvet and swiftly striding to open the door in an instant.
The second hint is when Duke doesnāt even flinch or apologise for waking Tim up. His face is oddly pale under his dark skin and his eyes wide with worry. He looks like a ghost in all honesty.
The final hint is when he speaks and Timās heart drops to his stomach and worry biles in the back of his throat.
āSomethingās wrong with Ace.ā
Timās feet push him past Duke and together they rush down the hallway, uncaring of accidentally waking the other residents. Timās room is the closest to the stairway anyway.
Duke leads them to the stairwell and Tim follows. They scramble down the stairs, not bothering to hold onto the railing as they skip steps at the time.
Duke freezes at the end of the large stair case, wiping sweaty hands on ruined grey tracksuit pants. Tim lifts a hand, squeezes his shoulder with a small smile. Duke does a trembling and worried one back.
āWhere is he?ā He asks and Duke swallows thickly. The younger male, no, his younger brother looks close to passing out. Tim squeezes his shoulder again, drops it back to his side as they begin walking.
āHeās in the living room.ā He licks his lips and his eyes flicker to the side of Timās face before gazing at the entrance way of the lounge. āI donāt-,ā he swallows, tries again, āI donāt think he can walk. Heās on his back and heās whimpering. I think, I think heās in pain.ā
Tim nods slowly as the faint whining and shuffling of claws scraping against wood reaches his ears. His stomach drops and the familiar feeling of worry grips his chest like a vice.
Titus licks Aceās nose gently, sniffing at the older German Shepard. The Great Dane whines softly and Tim walks over cautiously, cooing quietly at the fearful and pained whine that comes from Ace and the protective one escaping Titus.
āHey, hey boy. Itās just me and Duke here. We wonāt hurt you.ā He says gently, palms up in surrender as he slowly approaches.
He holds the back of his hand out, bending down a meter from the two dogs. Titus shuffles away from Ace slowly, sniffs his hand before licking it quickly. Tim scoots forward.
His hands hover over Ace before he gently lowers them. The fire crackles in front of them and Ace lets out another soft whine, tears soaking in his greying fur.
āI- I put on the fire. I didnāt know what to do. I just thought, maybe, that it would help somehow? I donāt know.ā Duke confesses, kneeling down besides Tim with a care that he shoots a distracted smile at.
āThanks,ā He murmurs back, preoccupied but sincere. Aceās stomach rapidly raises and falls, breathing erratic and loud. Tim licks his lips, feels sick with worry. āI think you need to get the others.ā
Duke nods slowly, rising to his feet with trembling knees. āDo you think heās conked it?ā Its hesitant and wobbly as tears threaten to break through.
Tim stalls for a second, fingers curled in soft fur. Eventually he manages a single nod and thatās all it takes for his eyes to glisten and chest to tighten as Duke lets out a wet noise.
āCan, can you get Jason and Dick? He needs to go to the vet. He doesnāt deserve to suffer like this.ā A tear escapes and he closes his eyes, smiling brokenly as Titus and Ace let out whines as if to reassure him. Theyāre too good for this world.
āOkay, yeah, I can do that.ā Clothes shuffle and Tim knows Duke is trying to wipe away his tears as if that would help stop them in the first place. He doesnāt think it worked.
A scuffle of socks exit the room leaving pained whimpers and the crackle of a fire in its wake. Ace closes his eyes and Tim pats his cheek gently as Titus curls around the both of them.
āHey boy. Youāre so strong yeah? Youāre the best first pet Iāve ever had and I know the others feel the same.ā Tim murmurs and Ace huffs, front leg pawing at his pant leg gently. āI know, I know boy. Weāll get you to the vet and you can have a nice long rest, how about it? You definitely deserve it boy.ā
Ace lets out a moan full of pain and Timās vision goes blurry with the tears gathering in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks.
Titus lifts his upper body, breath warm and wet on his face before heās licking away the tears. Tim smiles brokenly, lifts a hand to pat his head gently. Ace shivers again and Titus curls around the other dog, whimpering gently.
A frown flickers onto his lips and he swipes at his eyes. Slowly he gets up, hushing at the whines that greet the action.
āShh boy. Iām just going to get a blanket okay? Keep you nice and warm.ā He reassures and backs away to the couch on his right.
He grabs the blue woollen blanket before heās kneeling again, wrapping it over Ace and tucking it under him. Tim canāt help but be relieved heās resting on his dog bed. Hopefully heāll be warm now.
āOh Ace.ā Is what letās Tim know Duke has returned with Dick and Jay.
All three of them rush over and Dick is quick to be cooing over the old dog. Jason pets him gently before glancing at Tim. Tim wipes at his eyes again, body trembling as he backs away slowly. Jason follows him.
āHey babybird,ā Jason hums, and his arms pull Tim into a chest. He wraps them around him securely and Tim lets out a hiccup, burying his head into a shoulder as Jason pats his back. āCāmere Dukie.ā
A hesitant hand pats Timās back before a figure crashes into them as Jason pulls him. Duke lets out a sob and Tim feels a wet drop hit his head as Jason burrows his face into his hair and holds them tight.
āJace,ā Dick calls out gently and Jason pulls back, keeping the both of them at arms reach. Dick sends them a tired smile before directing his attention to Jason. āCan you get the car ready? Ace needs to go the the vet. Itās time for him to rest.ā
Jason nods and he squeezes their shoulders as he gos. He walks over to Ace, leans down and places a kiss on the snout. He pets him, then reaches over to scratch behind Titusā ears.
āGood boys.ā He murmurs before he rubs Dickās shoulder and Dick mutters something about calling Bruce when he gets there. Jason nods and walks out the room.
Tim wipes at his eyes, smiles brokenly at Duke whose still scrubbing at his. He looks at Dick and nods at the unasked question. āIāll go get Cass and Damian.ā
He gets a single nod before Duke stands up. āIāll get Steph.ā Is all he says.
Together they walk up the stairwell, eyes red and cheeks damp with tears. They part silently as they get to the top and Tim isnāt at all surprised when Cassā door opens before he even reaches it.
Her brows pinch and a soft frown tugs at her lips. Charcoal eyes scan over him and he smiles softly and sadly as they widen in realisation. Her shoulders go tight and her stance rigid. Tim pulls her into a hug and her hands hook onto the back of his blue shirt with a vice like grip. He presses a kiss to her forehead, long and sympathetic.
āItās Ace,ā he murmurs and Cass grips on tighter. She isnāt crying but her frame shakes. āI think weāre going to have to put him down.ā
Cassā face burrows into his neck and he rest his cheek against her hair, staring blankly at the wooden door as he rubs her back. Slowly she pulls back, slipping her hand into his and gripping on softly.
āDami?ā She whispers, expression pinched in sadness and concern. Tim knows what she means.
āWe havenāt told him yet.ā He admits and Cass nods, figure slouched in a way Tim never wants to see again.
āGo now,ā Her fingers trail up to loop around his arm and together they trek further down the hallway. They pass Jasonās open door and Dickās phone left on the carpet that stretches across the middle of the hallway.
Damianās is on the left, right next to Bruceās. Cass knocks gently, tightening her arm around Timās. Thereās shuffling and then the doors creaking open and a ruffled looking Damian blinks at them.
āWhy are you here? Iāve got school-ā Cass doesnāt let him finish. She surges forward, cradles him to her chest and rocks them in a dance of sorrow.
Damian freezes and Tim licks his dry lips. Green eyes peer at him through messy charcoal locks and widen. He smiles forcefully back, tongue feeling heavy in his mouth.
Cass slowly pulls back, cradling his face in her hands. Damianās gaze flickers back to her, a look of confusion painted on. She pulls him forward as she leans down, placing a gentle and loving kiss to his forehead.
āWhatās going on?ā Damian mutters, looking up at Cass with dawning worry and terror.
Tim rests a hand on his shoulder realising in dread that he was the one that was going to have to deliver the news. He swallows thickly, stomach churning uncomfortably as Cass gazes at him and Damian glowers as his default mechanism.
āItās Ace. Heās not well, Dami.ā Tim watches the reality dawn on him and a sledgehammer slams against his chest as Damianās expressions crumbles.
āNo.ā He murmurs, shakes his head. āNo. He says again and then heās sprinting down the hall and scrambling down the stairs as they try to keep up with him. He freezes at the stairwell and so does Tim.
Cass slowly pulls Damian towards her, gaze trained on Dick as he cradles Ace in his arms carefully. Ace is crying, whimpering softly.
Dick shoots them a broken smile and slowly they step forward. Tim scratches behind his ears as Cass wipes away the tears fondly.
āDami? Itās time to say goodbye.ā Dick says gently and Tim carefully wraps an arm around Damianās shoulders, leading him forward. Dick shoots him a grateful smile, eyes wet.
āYouāre a good boy.ā Damian eventually whispers, dragging his hand over his neck to his belly. āA very good boy.ā
Dick sniffs and looks away. A soft cry from Steph has Tim gazing at her and Duke with a soft and sad look. Theyāre holding each other up, eyes red and blotchy.
āWe have to go.ā Dick manages to choke out and Tim nods, winding his arms around Damian to bring him into his chest. Damian stares brokenly at the German Shepard, eyes red but stubbornly not crying.
āYouāre a good boy Ace. Itās time to rest now.ā Stephanie says clearly, voice cracking. Duke hugs her tighter and Tim does the same to Damian. Cass leans into them.
Slowly they follow Dick as he walks out the front door. They watch as Jason helps to load Ace into the car with great care. It takes some hustling and moving around but they get him in comfortably and thatās all Tim could ask for.
Jason stands up and wipes at his jeans he fell asleep in as Dick gets into the car and starts the engine. āDoes anyone want to come?ā
Damian shakes his head fiercely and Tim tightens him to his chest. He gazes into Jasonās green eyes and Jason nods in understanding as Cass wraps her arms around both of them.
āStay.ā Is all she says and Jason nods.
āIāll come!ā Stephanie says hurriedly, rushing forward with Titus. āHe needs a friend and maybe Titus can comfort him better than us.ā She says at Jason blinks at her.
A smile slips onto his face and he scratches at his cheek. āGood idea.ā
Before Jason steps into the car Damian calls out to him, tears gathered in his eyes and yet refusing to let them fall. āHug him for us?ā
Jason nods. āOf course.ā
Wheels crunch against gravel and together they watch as the car drives away and disappears into the darkness of the night.
āHe wonāt be in anymore pain?ā Damian asks and Cass stages her hand through his hair.
āNo more.ā She agrees and Damian bobs his head.
āT-thatās good.ā His frame shakes and then a sob escapes his lip and tears spill down cheeks that have yet to loose any baby fat.
Tim twists him around, pulls his face into his chest and rubs a hand through his hair as his other rubs his back. Cass kneels on the ground, wrapping her arms around Damian and leaning her head against Timās stomach. Duke leans on Timās other side, rubbing Damianās shoulder as they boy breaks down.
Thatās how Alfred finds them.
Tim doesnāt really remember much but now heās on a mattress thatās been pulled into the living room, the fire crackling slowly. Damian is tucked in between Cass and him and on top of Dick. Duke and Jason snore from the couch as Stephanie lays on top of them. Bruce rests on an armchair with a mug laying on the floor as Titus whimpers from the spot in front of the fire.
Everyoneās faces are blotchy and red and Tim hopes Ace was resting know, he didnāt want him to be in pain.
Tim hopes Ace knows how much they love him.
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