Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or the characters. I only own this plot.

Please R/R!

Chapter One: Exposed

A young woman weaved her way through the numerous groups of desks holding a stack of papers to her chest. She slipped past police officers, not bothering to apologize as she bumped into them. No, her sole attention remained glued to one desk, one officer. Her mentor, of sorts.

She walked briskly up to his desk and dropped the papers in front of him. He looked up, a full on glare ready to kill for interrupting his work, but a light smile appeared on his features when he saw who it was. "Kori."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl forming on her face. "Officer Redd," she replied curtly. She motioned to the papers she had just brought. "Here are the papers on the kidnappings from Officer Doug."

He leaned forward in his chair, eyes narrowing, disregarding the papers for a moment. She never called him Officer Redd, only when the chief was present or they were on duty. Or, of course, when she was upset with him. It was always Xavier to her, or X, when she wasn't in a good mood altogether. "What did I do this time?" he sighed.

She narrowed her eyes, fixing a deadly glare on him. "Why did you keep information on the recent kidnappings in Jump away from me?"

Xavier straightened, taking a more serious attitude towards her. "You know full well why."

"No, I really don't," she snapped. "I can help with the case!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing another heavy sigh. "We don't know what criminal we're dealing with, and we don't know what he's capable of yet."

Yes, the usual routine. Xavier would assign Kori to a different case, less dangerous, and Kori would find out and confront him about it and they would have the same argument each time. Though this time was different. This case involved someone else, someone he didn't want her to get involved with.

"The department already has this covered. End of discussion."

Kori let out an exasperated sigh. "You never let me do anything."

"You're being overly dramatic about this."

She opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it. Okay, so maybe she was. But she had a right to be upset. For years she had been trained by Xavier, never getting the big, major cases; always being looked down upon. She was good at what she did; she just hadn't had a chance to prove it yet.

"Anders," one of the police officers interrupted. "Chief needs to speak with you in his office, now." Before Kori left, she sent a look to Xavier, and he knew this conversation was far from over.

Kori closed the door behind her, and walked in silence up to a desk, where a man, about the age of fifty, sat reading a file report. Her file report.

"You called?" she asked wearily, eyeing the folder.

"Yes; please sit down." He set down the file and motioned to the twin chairs, and she sat reluctantly, chewing on her lower lip. "Anders," he said eventually, clasping his hands in front of him, "you need to leave."

She clutched the chair tighter. This couldn't be happening. She had worked too hard for too long only to be let loose now. "Wait, chief—"

"I'm not firing you," he said, reading her thoughts. "You're being transferred. You aren't safe here anymore." The chief placed his hands on the desk, leaning forward. "He's back."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, confusion replacing vexation. His eyes darted to the door behind her, only causing her anxiety to heighten.

"Slade Wilson."

Fear gripped her heart. Her muscles tensed and she clenched her jaw. "In Jump?" she whispered disbelievingly.

He nodded grimly and continued, "Ms. Anders, you are one of the best on the police force and your detective work is brilliant. I believe your skills should be put more to use. I have arranged a place in Gotham for you.

"Your plane leaves tomorrow and you'll be meeting your new partner Monday. Commissioner Gordon will help you get situated from there. I know it's sudden and we don't even know if he has found you or if he's even back for you, but I'd rather you be safe."

Kori felt dizzy. Questions buzzed through her mind and she placed her hand on her head, taking a deep breath. "What about Xavier…he can't know."

"As far as Officer Redd and the department knows, you're being promoted."

Guilt stabbed her in the chest. She didn't like lying to Xavier like this. "Promoted?"

"Of course," he continued, "everything will be the same, minor a few changes. You won't be obligated to a mentor anymore. You and Officer Dick Grayson were assigned to case in Gotham. You'll find the file regarding all the information they have so far on your desk."

She clasped her hands together. "Thank you."

"No, thank you for your service here, Officer Anders." Upon seeing her distressed face, he added, "And, Kori, everything is going to be fine."

She nodded silently, thankful at his attempt to calm her down, even using her first name, which wasn't professional, but thoughtful all the while. She let herself out, walked to her desk in a daze, and slumped into the chair. Drowsily fingering a pen on her desk, she let out a heavy sigh, her mind trying to process everything that had just happened.

"Hey," Xavier said gently, leaning his palms on the top of her desk. "Congratulations on the promotion. Who's going to be your new partner?"

"Uh…something Grayson. I don't recall his first name."

"Grayson?" he mused, skeptical. "The Dick Grayson," he repeated to which she only replied with a shrug, still toying with the pen. "Kori," he hissed, snatching the pen. "Pay attention. This is important."

She blinked, snapping from her thoughts. "What?"

"Were you even listening?" he asked, his tone laced with impatience.

She frowned. "There is no need to get upset all of the sudden."

"You're right. I want...I mean…" He raked his hands over his face in attempt to calm himself. "He's—just be careful, okay?"

"He?" she echoed, perplexed. "This is about my partner?"

"I—no! …yes. I'm just worried about you."

"You think I'm incapable of taking care of myself," she scowled, crossing her arms.

"No! That isn't what I said at all," he said through clenched teeth, trying to keep calm.

She narrowed her eyes, stepping closer to him. "Then what are you saying?"

He pursed his lips, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Nothing."

"Xavier, don't. I can always tell when you are hiding something."

"I already told you," he narrowed his eyes in attempt to make her back off.

"How do you expect me to trust you when you don't even trust me?"

His jaw tightened at her forceful words and when he didn't reply she stalked out of the office, sending a glare in his direction.

She harshly pushed through the main doors and headed out into the freezing night, ignoring the cries of her name. She didn't know how she felt at the moment. Hurt, yes. Angry, definitely. But a guilty feeling still resided in her chest.

A warm hand engulfed her own, pulling her back. "How will you get back?" he asked.

Oh. She hadn't thought about that part. Her mind had been so focused on other matters that she had forgotten Xavier had driven her to work this morning.

Their apartments were just a couple buildings down from each other's, so sometimes, when he didn't have to be at the office early, he would offer to drive her.

And today was one of those days.

"I'll walk." She yanked away from his grip and turned around to continue her way, but he pushed himself in front of her, blocking her path. "Leave me alone," she demanded.

"No, I want to talk about this." He leaned his body forward in a very persistent manner. "I trust you, Kori. And I know you can take care of yourself, but…" He released a frustrated growl, running a hand through his unkempt hair. "I care for you. Maybe more than I should. All I want is for you to be safe."

She took a step towards him, looking up into his eyes. "How much do you care for me?"

He observed his hands, suddenly finding them much more interesting than the conversation at hand. If he told her the truth, it could ruin everything; their partnership, and friendship, which meant more to him than anything. She was a light in his dark life. One smile from her could change his day and chase all his problems away, even for just a second. He couldn't live without that.

"Forget it," he mumbled, carelessly waving a hand in the air. "You wouldn't understand."

"If you would just—"

"Have fun in Gotham," he said bitterly, walking back inside the building.

"Xavier!" she shouted, heedless of attracting unwanted attention, but he was already gone.

Author's Note:

PLEASE READ!

Whether this story is continued or not, it's up to you. Tell me what you think and depending on what you say, I may continue writing this or not, so I would appreciate feedback.

Thank you,

Kori R.