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. It’s 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 he’s had there since the first night he stayed at the manor all those years ago.
The next shuffle is hesitant and cautious. Then there’s fast foot falls and the second and third wooden floor boards creak and groan a second later. Tim’s 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. Duke’s was always hesitant, unsure. His strides were short but quick and always managed to sound meek on the floors of their home. He shouldn’t 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. They’re no longer hesitant, they’re 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 doesn’t 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 Tim’s heart drops to his stomach and worry biles in the back of his throat.
“Something’s wrong with Ace.”
Tim’s feet push him past Duke and together they rush down the hallway, uncaring of accidentally waking the other residents. Tim’s 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.
“Where is he?” 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.
“He’s in the living room.” He licks his lips and his eyes flicker to the side of Tim’s face before gazing at the entrance way of the lounge. “I don’t-,” he swallows, tries again, “I don’t think he can walk. He’s on his back and he’s whimpering. I think, I think he’s in pain.”
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 Ace’s 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.
“Hey, hey boy. It’s just me and Duke here. We won’t hurt you.” 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.
“I- I put on the fire. I didn’t know what to do. I just thought, maybe, that it would help somehow? I don’t know.” Duke confesses, kneeling down besides Tim with a care that he shoots a distracted smile at.
“Thanks,” He murmurs back, preoccupied but sincere. Ace’s stomach rapidly raises and falls, breathing erratic and loud. Tim licks his lips, feels sick with worry. “I think you need to get the others.”
Duke nods slowly, rising to his feet with trembling knees. “Do you think he’s conked it?” 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 that’s all it takes for his eyes to glisten and chest to tighten as Duke lets out a wet noise.
“Can, can you get Jason and Dick? He needs to go to the vet. He doesn’t deserve to suffer like this.” A tear escapes and he closes his eyes, smiling brokenly as Titus and Ace let out whines as if to reassure him. They’re too good for this world.
“Okay, yeah, I can do that.” 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 doesn’t 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.
“Hey boy. You’re so strong yeah? You’re the best first pet I’ve ever had and I know the others feel the same.” Tim murmurs and Ace huffs, front leg pawing at his pant leg gently. “I know, I know boy. We’ll get you to the vet and you can have a nice long rest, how about it? You definitely deserve it boy.”
Ace lets out a moan full of pain and Tim’s 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 he’s 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.
“Shh boy. I’m just going to get a blanket okay? Keep you nice and warm.” He reassures and backs away to the couch on his right.
He grabs the blue woollen blanket before he’s kneeling again, wrapping it over Ace and tucking it under him. Tim can’t help but be relieved he’s resting on his dog bed. Hopefully he’ll be warm now.
“Oh Ace.” Is what let’s 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.
“Hey babybird,” 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. “C’mere Dukie.”
A hesitant hand pats Tim’s 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.
“Jace,” 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. “Can you get the car ready? Ace needs to go the the vet. It’s time for him to rest.”
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 Titus’ ears.
“Good boys.” He murmurs before he rubs Dick’s 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. “I’ll go get Cass and Damian.”
He gets a single nod before Duke stands up. “I’ll get Steph.” 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 isn’t at all surprised when Cass’ 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.
“It’s Ace,” he murmurs and Cass grips on tighter. She isn’t crying but her frame shakes. “I think we’re going to have to put him down.”
Cass’ 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.
“Dami?” She whispers, expression pinched in sadness and concern. Tim knows what she means.
“We haven’t told him yet.” He admits and Cass nods, figure slouched in a way Tim never wants to see again.
“Go now,” Her fingers trail up to loop around his arm and together they trek further down the hallway. They pass Jason’s open door and Dick’s phone left on the carpet that stretches across the middle of the hallway.
Damian’s is on the left, right next to Bruce’s. Cass knocks gently, tightening her arm around Tim’s. There’s shuffling and then the doors creaking open and a ruffled looking Damian blinks at them.
“Why are you here? I’ve got school-“ Cass doesn’t 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. Damian’s 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.
“What’s going on?” 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.
“It’s Ace. He’s not well, Dami.” Tim watches the reality dawn on him and a sledgehammer slams against his chest as Damian’s expressions crumbles.
“No.” He murmurs, shakes his head. “No. He says again and then he’s 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.
“Dami? It’s time to say goodbye.” Dick says gently and Tim carefully wraps an arm around Damian’s shoulders, leading him forward. Dick shoots him a grateful smile, eyes wet.
“You’re a good boy.” Damian eventually whispers, dragging his hand over his neck to his belly. “A very good boy.”
Dick sniffs and looks away. A soft cry from Steph has Tim gazing at her and Duke with a soft and sad look. They’re holding each other up, eyes red and blotchy.
“We have to go.” 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.
“You’re a good boy Ace. It’s time to rest now.” 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 that’s 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. “Does anyone want to come?”
Damian shakes his head fiercely and Tim tightens him to his chest. He gazes into Jason’s green eyes and Jason nods in understanding as Cass wraps her arms around both of them.
“Stay.” Is all she says and Jason nods.
“I’ll come!” Stephanie says hurriedly, rushing forward with Titus. “He needs a friend and maybe Titus can comfort him better than us.” She says at Jason blinks at her.
A smile slips onto his face and he scratches at his cheek. “Good idea.”
Before Jason steps into the car Damian calls out to him, tears gathered in his eyes and yet refusing to let them fall. “Hug him for us?”
Wheels crunch against gravel and together they watch as the car drives away and disappears into the darkness of the night.
“He won’t be in anymore pain?” Damian asks and Cass stages her hand through his hair.
“No more.” She agrees and Damian bobs his head.
“T-that’s good.” 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 Tim’s stomach. Duke leans on Tim’s other side, rubbing Damian’s shoulder as they boy breaks down.
That’s how Alfred finds them.
Tim doesn’t really remember much but now he’s on a mattress that’s 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.
Everyone’s faces are blotchy and red and Tim hopes Ace was resting know, he didn’t want him to be in pain.
Tim hopes Ace knows how much they love him.
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