Good Bye, Friend

Boston

Hello my faithful readers or new readers, I have written a new story. All the chapters are pretty much songfics and there will be three chapters. I have not stopped writing "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" and I am not on hiatus its just that I am having difficulty finding my muse for the story, but trust me I am trying so hard and ripping my hair out trying to finish it. Also, applying to colleges takes up a lot of my time so that is also another reason I haven't been updating a lot. Well I hope that you guys like my short story. Please tell me how I'm doing. Thank you all.

The sun was setting, the hues of bright orange, red and yellow beginning to blend in with the dark blues and violets and black of the incoming night. The ocean below resting calmly. The waves hitting the shore lazily as the warm breeze walked through the leaves of the trees. The ocean birds floating carelessly over the ocean waters.

Far off in the distance there were still many people enjoying the warm waters of the pacific. Little kids trying to smoother up the courage to enter the water but running away before the water would touch their toes and then trying all over again only to be met with the same reaction in the end and the cycle kept repeating until they were either too tired and went to their parents or finally realized there is nothing to fear and taking careful steps went into the ocean until the water reached their knees. Learning that the ocean did have its playful side.

Up on the tower a lone figure was sitting down on the roof with her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. Her auburn tresses trying to follow the gentle breeze. Her emerald eyes no longer held the same joy and curiosity as they once held years ago, now grown up, she had experienced much more life and pain reflected in her somber face.

When she came to Earth she was ignorant to its ways and relied on others to explain to her the Earthen customs, mainly she went to one person. A person that she had grown to care deeply about and eventually grew to love. She had always known there was a reason she had picked him to kiss when she wanted to learn the English language. It wasn't just because he was in front of her, or because he had taken away her shackles, freeing her from slavery, making her woman that controlled her destiny, but because she saw something in him, in his smile, how he helped her when she was destroying everything in sight, it was because he genuinely cared about her.

She still remembered that kiss. She wanted to communicate with them but found it frustrating she could not. Knowing that with her Tamaranean powers she could absorb his language she pulled him into a kiss. The instant her lips had touched his she knew that he was kind, she really didn't need to keep touching him from there but she kept going. His lips were so soft and gentle that she dragged on the kiss for a few moments longer enjoying his smoothness. It was relaxing.

She smiled to herself. That kiss was so long ago, it almost seemed like an eternity, but had only happened six years ago. Now, being nineteen and wiser, looking back on her relationship with Robin she sometimes wishes that she wasn't so attracted to him, that maybe she should have fallen for someone else, someone who was willing to love her as much as she loved Robin, but we do not chose who we fall in love with. Before we know it we trip and fall and sometimes we get hurt with bruises that never heal, wounds that never close and scars that don't go away, but maybe if we get lucky there might be someone to catch us, maybe if were lucky.

Starfire had been falling for six years and she had finally realized that Robin wasn't going to catch her but she wasn't going to hurt herself either, she was going to put her hands in front of herself and pick herself up, hopefully only left with scratches that would heal quickly and not scar. In the back of her mind she knew that this was not going to happen, she had been falling for far too long and getting injured was inevitable, she just had to clean herself up and try not to focus on the pain.

She looked up at the sky, the setting sun was being engulfed by the darkness, the stars were slowly beginning to emerge. She was so lost. She had tried for years to get him to let her love him and care for him, but he never understood that she didn't want to be just his girl friend but his girlfriend. He was always engrossed in his work, never looking to see who he was turning his back to. She had grown tired of his door always closing in her face because he was busy.

Silent tears were falling down her cheeks into her hands. He didn't love her, no, he wouldn't love her. He could blame his confinement of emotion to years of training from Bruce, but she knew that there was something else, he just wouldn't tell her, he wouldn't tell anyone. She wanted to know so she could help him, so she could see the real him. In six years she hadn't even seen his eyes, he isolated himself from the world, from his friends, behind a door and mask.

She couldn't spend the rest of her life trying to change him, she couldn't be around him anymore, he caused her more pain than he thought. She had crossed the galaxy to get away form another type of pain. For years before she had to endure torture from Gordineans. She could deal with physical pain and torture but she couldn't deal with the pain he was causing her, the way that he damaged her heart. She had to leave, she had to get away and never come back. Leave him behind her. The only way that she could do that was to go far away where he wouldn't harm her with his silence, his solitude. He wouldn't care anyways, he was always locked up, too busy to see her turmoil.

She gently stood up as the sun's last rays were smothered away by the blanket of the night sky. Wiping away her tears she walked back to her room and began to pack some clothes and personal items in a backpack. She changed into jeans, a lilac tank top, tennis shoes and a jacket completed her look. She quietly put her uniform on top of her dresser, off to the side she set her communicator, gloves and arm bands. Her eyes were beginning to rim with fresh tears. She sniffed back a sob. She looked at her self in the mirror and put her hair up in a pony tail, her fiery red hair falling down to her waist.

She studied herself in the mirror. She had changed so much since she had become a member of the Teen Titans. She was taller now, her figure more feminine that hid the strength of a dozen men, but the most dramatic change could not be seen. She was now neither ignorant, nor naïve anymore. She looked at her face. He completion without imperfections, her large emerald eyes standing out, her lips rosy and full. Many people have told her she was beautiful, even Robin, but she didn't think of her self beautiful or even pretty, just as another Tamaranean, another person.

She rubbed the back of her hands over her reddened eyes, picked up her back pack and slung it over her shoulder, heading for the door when a light caught her attention. She turned and looked at her desk. The light of the moon was being reflected from a picture frame that Raven had kindly given to her on her eighteenth birthday. She picked it up and began to study the picture. Robin had given it to her after her first year of being a Titan. It had been taken after the Tower was completed. The whole team was standing in front of it. Beast Boy and Cyborg were laughing after pulling a prank on Raven. Raven was standing off on the side, her navy blue cloak flowing behind her, not a smile on her face. Robin was smiling, showing his white teeth. Lastly Starfire looked at herself. She was standing next to Robin her mouth open as she said cheese. It was one of the happiest moments in her life, the whole team together. The picture seemed to capture all their personalities so perfectly. Beast Boy and Cyborg were the comedians, ready to put a smile on anyone's face, Raven lonely and dark, no emotion escaping her disciplined barriers, Robin laid back but strict when at work, and Starfire actually saying cheese when it was just and "expression" as it was later explained to her.

Starfire put her backpack down and wrapped the frame in a shirt hoping to keep it safe. She put on her backpack and headed out to the roof. She counted every stair, forty-seven. As she opened the door she smiled despite herself as it gave its old familiar creak, it was most likely going to be the last time she would hear that sound. She stood silently on the edge of the roof. Looking at the crescent moon that hung low in the sky. There were no longer people on the far off beach, the ocean birds were no longer floating on the ocean. This was it, she was leaving Titans Tower forever and never return.

Her feet were beginning to leave the ground as she reluctantly began to fly. To her surprise she felt a hand on her shoulder pull her back down. She wanted to leave, she really did, should would have taken off despite someone pulling her back. What stopped her was who that hand belonged to. She turned around to be met with a masked face.

"What do you think your doing?" Robins voice soft but demanding.

"I am leaving." She responded quietly.

"Why?" his tone full of pain and confusion. He didn't want her to leave, not like this, not now. He needed her by his side, she was what kept him sane. She was what separated himself from every other villain, she was what made him good. She was what made him what he was. Even if she didn't know it, she had molded him, made him a better man.

"Because being here would only bring me pain."

"Starfire, what is causing you pain. Maybe I can help?" Anger boiling inside of him at the knowledge of someone causing his Starfire pain. Enough pain to make her leave from his side. Yet, he still held concerned for her safety, he wanted to protect her at all costs.

"You can not help me Robin." Her eyes downcast, not wanting to look at his for he will most likely get the truth out of her. He always seemed to know when she was lying and would stop at nothing to get the truth from her. It was slightly annoying to her, especially when he wasn't suppose to know. Like when she had told him of his surprise birthday party that the whole team had worked hard for and he had gotten it out of her. It seemed that he always knew her weaknesses and used them almost maliciously sometimes.

"But why? I want to help, I need to help." He stressed the last part hoping to convince her.

"But you cannot. Don't you understand Robin. I do not want your help. You may think that I am weak and too naïve for my own good but I am not. I am strong and wiser than what you have given me credit for. I have grown much since the first time we met." Desperation taking over her emotions. She wanted him to let her go, to let her take care of herself.

"I know that you are stronger and wiser, you have proven that to me many times in battle. I just don't want you to leave. I want to help you through whatever it is that you are going through."

"I do not mean strength in battle, I mean in soul. There are times when we must do things alone. You cannot help me, not this time, for you do not know what I am going through, nor will you understand it." She turned to leave but was stopped once again by his hand on her arm.

"Please just let me go." Tears were beginning to make their way to her green eyes.

"Just tell me. Will we ever see you again?" Hope prominent in his voice.

"I do not know." She said earnestly as the tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Where are you going?"

"I think I'm going to Boston." More tears began to fall down her face.

"Why Boston?" His voice was soft. His heart was heavy, he was really losing her, his Star.

"I think I'll start a new life. I think I'll start it over." She turned to see his face for possibly the last time, her eyes red as tears were shed.

"Was being here so horrible?" He questioned looking into her eyes.

"I am think that it is time that I live my own life. Make my own destiny and if I stay here there will always be people that know who I am. I need to go where no one knows my name." She wiped away the tears that continued to cascade down her face.

Robin looked at her. She wasn't just upset, she was weeping emotionaly. Deep inside he had a feeling that she was leaving because of him, he had done something that he wasn't yet aware of.

"I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather. Lately it seems that it mocks my sorrow. The breeze so cheerful, the ocean so playful." She tried to smile behind her sorrow. He could see that it was taking a lot from her to smile. He remembered when everywhere she went her smile would illuminate a room, she was always so joyous, so happy.

"Then what will you do?" He asked, trying to keep her with him as long as he could.

"Maybe I will find someone that loves me, that cares for me as much as I care for him and we'll fly to Spain. I have always wanted to go to Spain. It looks so beautiful in books." She looked back to the horizon where the sun had set, her eyes dreamy.

"Why do you want to leave the Titans? Aren't you happy with us?" He wanted to know why she choose this path, why she was choosing to leave. His suspicion was confirmed, he wasn't loving her enough, wasn't appreciating her. He had broken her once joyous spirit. She deserved more than he could ever offer her, she needed to find the man that would make her happy and would make all her dreams come true, and the harsh reality was that he wasn't that man.

"I am Robin, but I have been protecting this city for six years. I think that I'm just tired. I think that I need a new town to leave this all behind. I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset." Her eyes still lost in the horizon she spoke softly, trying in the back of her mind to convince herself why she was leaving.

"But why so far? Why Boston?"

"I need a change. Here it's nice in the summer, but some snow would be nice. Plus, in Boston no one knows my name." She turned to look at him, his face showed sadness. She could tell even through his mask. The way his eyebrows curved, the corners of his lips turned slightly downward.

They stood in silence enjoying each other's presence and sifting through their thoughts. After a few minutes of silence, Robin spoke first.

"Before you leave I want to show you something." He brought his hands up to his mask and began to remove it slowly. He was nervous, this was the first time since he had joined the Titans that he was going to share something so intimate to a team mate.

She watched in shock as he removed his mask, she had always wanted to see what he hid behind it, always wondered what color his eyes were, but she wasn't prepared for him to show her now.

He had removed his mask but his eyes remained closed. He felt the cold wind over his naked eyes. Starfire waited patiently for him to open his eyes. She knew that he was very private and reserved, that his eyes were very precious to him.

He finally opened his eyes and stared directly at Starfire's. Her eyes seemed to show much more emotion now, he could see them more clearly without his mask reflecting something else. Starfire stood still as she intently studied his eyes. They were a deep cerulean, his eyelashes long and held a natural curl, they complimented his ebony hair. In their depths she could see glimpses of sadness and pain from many years before. She now understood why his eyes were so precious to him, they were a window to his past, his past that he had shrouded in mystery to the team.

She gently reached out and placed a shaky hand on his cheek slowly caressing it, watching as he placed one of his gloved hands on top of hers and drew it closer to his mouth. He placed gentle kisses on her hand feeling her soft skin against his lips. She whimpered slightly at his affections. If he continued to do this then she wouldn't be able to leave, and if she stayed he would only end up hurting her in the end.

She pulled her hand back slowly "I am most sorry, but I need to leave." Her voice barely above a whisper and hoarse from crying.

He looked up to her looking at her eyes, red and swollen from crying.

He took her hand back, "Keep this" he placed his mask in her fingers.

She took it and put it in her jacket.

"Good bye, friend. Maybe we will see each other again sometime." With that she turned and flew away.

He stood on the roof, watching as his princess flew away from his reach. "Good bye Starfire. I hope that we do see each other again." He whispered to himself, and watched until he could no longer see her slim frame.

Tears were trailing behind her as she continued to fly faster and farther away from the place that she had once called home. She flew to Boston, where no one knew her name.

Please review!

Much love,

Josy