:Disclaimer: I do own own Teen Titans.

:Summary: (AU) Rules were made to be broken. Hearts were too. When a mistake breaks the team apart, one man has to learn that he can just as wrong as everyone else.

:Pairings: Raven:Beast Boy (Miranda:Kevin) & Robin:Starfire (Tim:Rose)

:Author Notes: Welcome to another story.

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Ever Forward: Down We Go

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They are the few. They are the strong.

They are the System Force.

Leader of the group: Tim Erics. Strategist, tactician, specializing in unique weapons.

Rose Smith, linguist, translator, brute strength and guns.

Jacob Marls, one man bomb squad, electrician, heavy firepower.

Miranda Nicksson, psychiatrist, criminal mind analyst, hand to hand combat master.

Kevin Carson, comedian, joker, medic.

They are the elite, banding together to form their unique team which has crushed everything before it. When it seems that no one else can follow through, the Force is there.

But just because they are the best, doesn't mean that they don't have their own problems.

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It was an unspoken rule- one that had never been mentioned, merely understood. No one was sure when it had come about, or why it was there; only that they knew the one rule they could not break was this:

Nothing more than friends.

And to break it was sure to bring consequences upon them, for Tim would enforce it… even if it wasn't a written rule.

However, some may argue that Fate has other things in mind for us, and that something which applies only to the head and not the heart should be done away with. Some called it inevitable. Some called it Destiny. But one thing was sure: rules were made to be broken. It's only a matter of time.

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Tim walked up the stairs, one arm already complaining from the strain of carrying the thick ream of paper. He grit his teeth and kept going; his arm had a point. Paper work was the worst part, he decided, of this job. Being out on the streets fighting was no problem, but put a stack of forms in front of him was almost as bad as being shot.

Nearing the top of the stairs he paused, letting his eyes adjust to the sliver of bright sunlight coming in through the propped door. The roof was better for doing such things; at least he had some fresh air instead of the ever lingering smell of coffee and pickles. (Don't ask). About to push open the door all the way, Tim heard voices, and paused.

"We'll have to tell them some time." Kevin? What was he doing up there?

"I know. It's just… I'm not sure how Tim's going to take it. Hiding it for this long, I'm surprised he still hasn't found out." Miranda? What were they talking about?

"Do you want to keep hiding it?" Resignation in the other man's voice.

"No! I… want to be open about it. I want to not have to hope every moment that we're together that we won't be found. I love you, Kevin, and I want so badly to tell them. But…"

"That damn rule no one ever talks about. What a waste."

"I know. Am I the only one who sees how he looks at Rose?"

"No, I've seen it too. I think he's the only one who hasn't noticed it yet." A pause. "Miranda, we don't have to."

"And do what? Keep lying? No… The truth would come out sooner or later."

"And it's going to be sooner." Tim chose the moment to step out, eyes focused already on the two standing on the roof. They were surprised by his entrance, but he saw their hands linked together, and felt slow anger filling him.

It was the one rule no one had ever dared to break. The only rule he had never let them test.

And they had broken it.

Miranda was the first to recover, grip tightening on Kevin's hand. Her calm gray eyes met his furious blue ones as she took a breath.

"Tim, whatever punishment you come up with- it's for me only. Understand?" Before either men could say something, she squeezed Kevin's hand once more, and then brushed by Tim and headed downstairs.

"You." It was a snarl; an angry snarl in a voice Tim didn't know he could use. But he was too upset, too furious to care about anything else. Kevin didn't flinch.

"I love her, Tim. Apparently, that's the one emotion you don't understand." And then he too was gone, and Tim was left up on the roof, angry, confused, and filled with a cold determination to punish them.

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Tension so thick you really could cut it with a knife had filled the barracks in the last few days. The Force didn't live off base, in order to be ready whenever duty (or the chief) called. And everyone waited, waited for the brewing storm to finally break and pour down wrath. Two days later, it came.

Tim walked coldly up to Miranda, who stopped talking with Jacob and looked calmly at him, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand as the entire office froze.

"Miranda Nicksson, you are hereby relieved of your position on System Force. Pack your things and get out." Kevin, standing nearby as he had been nearly every moment since the discovery, started to speak as hate and rage filled his eyes. A look from Miranda- one of weariness, peace, and sorrow- stopped him as she took the sheet of paper from her former team leader. Placing the mug down on the nearest open table, she straightened and walked out.

When the door closed behind her, Tim felt a cool smugness trickle in. Now they knew he was serious. But when he too walked away, what he didn't realize was that every eye in the room was on him... And none of them were happy.

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