A/N: After his parent's deaths, Bruce never took Dick in. Dick to juvie but after being there and dealing with abuse, he could barely handle it. His mind filled with suicidal thoughts. He attempted it once but afterwards, he knew if he stayed there he would just continue to break and become something that his parents never dreamt for him, so he went straight out onto the streets. Living all alone, but someone comes along and reshapes his life.
Dick: 13
Artemis: 16
Wally:15
*Contains mentions of past abusive and self harm.*
-Spitfire

It was cold out. The temperature in Gotham City was dropping down to 19°, plus it was currently raining.

Dick sat in a cardboard box with his hood up, in an ally way. He tried closing his eyes and falling asleep but between the sounds of cars going by and the cold rain seeping through the box, he was calling his home, he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. Plus Gotham's streets weren't the safest, so Dick couldn't relax at all.

He then laid down and shuttered from the cold.
He gazed out into the streets and thought to himself, how did things go so bad? How did he end  up like this and why?
Dick already the how but he could never understand the why.

He then squeezed his eyes tightly and he thought about his parents, silent tears now falling down his face. He was shaking from the cold and with the small sobs that racked through his small frame.
"I just want to go home...I want my parents" thought Dick as he continued to cry in the night.
>>>------------------>

Artemis was walking down the street, heading slowly towards her apartment. She just recently moved out of her house, it took long enough, she thought.

After all the years of living in an abusive home, with her mother crying late at nights, then disappeared and in jail. Her big sister then left, not seeming to care enough about her, fully knowing what she was doing, she was leaving her all alone with their father. Hr left cuts and bruises upon her body.

She felt worthless, that was until she met the sweetest boy in the world, who showed her kindness and love for the first time in her life. He made her happy and gave her the knowledge that she mattered, that she was enough just they way she was, and that she could and should be happy. He gave her the willpower to stand up for herself and to set out to make her life better, to escape her family. She now felt brave, strong and happy and that was all because of the kind soul that came into her life at the right moment. She could picture a future now, a future with Wally, the guy she loved with her whole body and soul.

She kept walking the streets. She pulled her phone out to text Wally, saying she was almost at the apartment and for him to come over.
She walked passed an alleyway but quickly stopped and took a few steps backwards. She heard a small whimper. Artemis looked down the dark alley but couldn't see anything. She turned the flashlight on her phone and slowly entered.

She then froze when she saw a small child laying in a cardboard box. Falling to her knees quickly, Artemis reached out and touched the kid's shoulder which caused the small child to gasp and jump back in fear and shock.

Artemis held her hands up, showing him she meant no harm.

"Are you okay?" Artemis asked and waited for the kid to answer. He then quickly shook his head 'no' and he moved farther away from her.

He then sneezed and hiccupped with tears still falling down his face.

Artemis then held a hand out to him. "Let's get you out of here. Get you warmed up."
She watched the boy, he was like a skittish animal. He extremely slowly moved forward. He gazed down at her extended hand, afraid to touch it. She could clearly see the fear of being hurt within his puffy red eyes. She knew that look because she had it, saw it all the time in the mirror.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." Artemis said and waited, not wanting to move to quickly and rush him in fear he might panic, cause that has happened to her a few times. Dealing with things like this needed to be taken one step at a time with a lot of patience.

She inhaled sharply when he suddenly reached forward and his small hand made contact with her. He jumped slightly when their hands touch, she could see that he almost pulled  back.

Artemis slowly stood up, pulling him up with her. As soon as he stood, his eyes shut and he wobbled appearing to be dizzy.
Her apartment wasn't too far away, even if he did collapse on her, it looked like she could carry him. He was so small and definitely malnourished.

She could faintly see from the street light the quick rise and fall of his chest. She smiled at him and she watched as he slowly moved his head to now look up at her.
They slowly walked towards her apartment, now completely drenched from the rain.
>>>------------------->

Back inside Artemis apartment, she lead Dick over to the couch to sit down.
He looked very hesitant to sit down upon the couch. Artemis sighed and nodded for him to go ahead, he did eventually sat down, but very slowly as if waiting to be yelled at. She didn't know if he sat down because he trusted her a bit or the fear of not following her request to sit, which in his eyes could have been an order.

She quickly got a glass of water for him and handed it him. She sat down across from him and watched him slowly lift the glass to his lips, his hands were shaking wildly.

Artemis looked him over, he was extremely thin and pale, his eyes were red from crying and he had dark circles under his eyes, from a lack of sleep.
She could see a ghost of a bruise on his check.

Dick took a sip of water it was cold and refreshing. He gazed up slowly at the girl before her, wondering what was next. "Did she just bring me here to gain a grain of my trust then....hurt me? "  thought Dick.
She then smiled warmly at him, making him relax just a bit. He sat the glass down and moved an inch from her.

When she stood up suddenly, Dick jumped backwards, knees to his chest and arms covering his head and face, shaking more while he waited for the hit that was surely coming his way. But it never did.

"Shhh...its okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Shhh calm down, you're alright." She said and he hesitantly slid his arms lower but they still remain up for protection. He peeked his blue eyes out and looked at the blonde before him.

She sighed. "I'm going to change out of these clothes, I'll bring you some for you and...a blanket" Artemis said and turned and left him all alone.

His eyes widen and looked off in the direction she just went off to.
"Was she really being kind to...him? Why? There had to be a reason, right? There always was one" thought Dick.

Moments later, she came out changed in what looked like PJs.
She had a folded set of clothes within her hands. She slowly held them out towards him and waited for him to take them.
When he didn't move to take them, she sat them onto the table and walked into the kitchen. She slowly grabbed a few things, preparing to make dinner.

She kept a watchful eye on the small boy. When she saw him take the clothes and slowly rise to his feet she let herself smile.
"Bathroom is down the hall, first door on the left" Artemis said not turning around.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him walk into the hallway and disappear.

20 minutes pasted until he appeared in the doorway, leaning up against the frame for support.

"Are you okay?" Artemis asked, he slowly nodded his head. He took one step forward, his eyes began to flutter shut until he was collapsing. She quickly dashed to his side and caught him.
Said child now laid limp within her arms. The sleeve of her large sweatshirt on him raised up, showing bruises on his stomach. She closed her eyes and stood up. She then froze when she saw small red lines on his tiny wrist.
"Ahh poor kid" thought Artemis.

Artemis carried him to the couch and laid him down, dropping a blanket over him.

She then sat down at the table when suddenly her apartment door was open and Wally stood there.

"Hey beautiful!" Wally shouted and ran over to her and kissed her on the lips.
"Sorry I'm late. Uncle Barry wanted to talked about some crime stuff, things on Mirror Master and Captain Cold" he said then shut up when he looked at her.

"Sorry I forgot. No hero talk" Wally said then kissed her check. Artemis got out of the hero business recently, wanting to focus on a new and normal life.

"That might be a problem then" she said and Wally tilted his head to the side, not understanding what she was talking about. Artemis then pointed to the couch and went over to it.

His green eyes widen and he turned to look at her.
"Who's this?" Wally questioned her.
Artemis quickly explained everything to Wally and he went over to her and hugged her, for she had the biggest heart of anyone he knew.

Wally walked over towards Dick while Artemis set the table for three. Wally saw how the small boy was shaking and he reached out and touched his forehead. As soon as he did that, big bright blue eyes shot open and Dick jumped backwards.

"Whoa! Easy there" said Wally holding his hands up.

Dick looked at the tall ginger then around the room.
"W-what....where's t-the girl? Who are y-you?" Dick said, stuttering along with his voice cracking showing the teem before him that he was weak.

"Arty! I think he wants ya" shouted Wally and Artemis came dashing into the room.

"Hey, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you." Artemis said and easily sat on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah your safe" said Wally who smiled at him.

Dick looked between the two of them then faced Wally.
"Who...w-who are you?" Dick asked.

"Oh, I'm Wally and this," Wally said pointing to Artemis. " this is Artemis but you can call her Arty. And not to pry, but what's your name and how old are ya?"

Dick hesitantly looked over at Artemis then back at Wally, he has this odd feeling of being safe with these two.

"I-I...I'm Dick and....I'm 13" he said and lowered his head.

"Well, it's nice to met you Dick. Are you hungry? Cause I'm starving" Wally said hoping up onto his feet then held his hand out to Dick. Dick looked up at him and took it.
It was odd, Dick felt welcomed and safe here, something he hasn't felt in a long time.

They ate their dinner slowly and Dick silently listen to their conversation. He once in a while would smile slightly at something Wally said and Artemis would smile seeing this.

What none of them knew was this was the start of a great bond, a great friendship.
That they would become big siblings to Dick and that he would become their little brother.
Dick would finally be happy again, it would take some time but both Wally and Artemis was going to do all they could for Dick.