[ Of all the things he is expecting, it is not this.

To hear Grayson's voice, if perhaps a little deeper than he is used to and then to see... this. This man who is what Kaldur hopes he will return in time to see, his friend full grown and into himself.

This Grayson is far more burdened than the one he knows.

And far older, it strikes him, as apparently the date Kaldur has come from has not come to pass. ]

I am... relieved, to see you well.

[ His voice is firm, steady, but those who know Kaldur can see the emotion he holds back. Even if it is not his Dick, it is Dick. And one far more in need of a friend, to judge the way the cowl settles upon his shoulders. ]

And I am sorry for your loss.

[ He pauses, and lets the silence grow, gathering thoughts and generally allowing this new information to shift and settle. ]

Our timelines differ more greatly than I had first believed. For in my world, you, Grayson, are younger than me by at least three years.

Even so, you are my friend, and I doubt that there is any world in which you do not retain the full strength and goodness of your character, and I would not count you otherwise.

[ Automatic, easy acceptance, and yet it is not a decision Kaldur seems to make lightly. He does very little lightly. ]