Author's Note: OK, folks, I just wanted to reassure you that this has a fleshed out plot, and a reason to every little thing that's going on. And it WILL be explained. But I think this chapter will raise more questions than answers...

"Kiss me."

"If you insist."

She tasted like cinnamon. He pulled away and smiled at her. "You really like that Big Red gum, don't you?"

Starfire giggled and smiled bashfully. "Well, it has a spice to it."

Robin laughed and gave her an Eskimo kiss. "Mm, yes, it's called cinnamon."

"A wonderful spice," Starfire said.

He kissed her again and they heard a scoff. Breaking apart, Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes behind his lids. He spoke before opening his eyes.

"Raven, do you just get a kick out of ruining the moment?"

"Just a little bit."

The two lovers broke apart to greet their friend.

"To what do we owe this interruption?" Robin asked.

"Cyborg and Beast Boy are fighting over the main dish," Raven explained. "Cyborg wants chicken or fish, by Beast Boy wants pasta or tofu."

"I shall help them find a compromise," said Starfire. She kissed Robin on the cheek. "I will see you again soon."

Raven watched Starfire leave. Robin was immediately uncomfortable.

She turned to look at him inscrutably. "You really thought I was jealous, didn't you?"

"Raven…"

"You really don't think it's too soon, do you?" Raven asked. "You, Starfire. Marriage. Really."

"Always a bridesmaid…" Robin started.

"I will never be a bride," said Raven, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Not if I can help it."

"Marriage too holy for hell-spawn?" Robin said.

"If that was the case, they would never have given you two a license," Raven returned.

They were quiet.

"You're such a dick, you know that?" she said angrily. Robin was surprised.

"What?"

"You won't be there," said Raven. "I saw it. I saw it in my dream, you are going to abandon her and she will die. Why?"

Robin laughed, but it was a nervous laughter. "Raven, it was just a dream. I love Starfire."

Raven gave him a twisted smile. "Dreams are never just dreams, Robin. You should know that."

Robin was angry. "You're accusing me of leaving my fiancé? Based on a dream? Oh please, Raven, even you aren't that crazy."

Raven was incensed. "Oh, I'm crazy? I'm not marrying someone in my teens! For God's sake, Robin, do you always have to grow up too fast? There's life out there, things to experience, people to… Well you always did love to put the cart before the horse."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin said, approaching her. She did not back down.

"It means that you want to live in a retirement home before you go to elementary school, Robin, you're—" She cut herself off and sighed. "You're killing me, here."

"I'm killing you?" Robin laughed. "So what, I'm a traitor and a murderer now?"

"Never in my life have I seen anyone more miserable than you," Raven said.

"You don't look in the mirror very often, do you?" Robin returned.

"Robin, if you marry her, so help me God—" Raven started, in his face.

"You'll what, Raven? Object at the opportune moment?"

"I won't do anything!" Raven hissed. "You will never get the itch out of your system."

"Itch, what itch?" Robin said, confused.

All of a sudden, he tasted cinnamon. Her hands were on his cheeks and his eyes were closed. He put his arm around her. Her lips were soft, her caress gentle. He faintly smelled the sharp scent of lavender. When their lips parted, he did not close them. He relished the taste.

"Starfire, you are…"

But as instantly as he tasted cinnamon, he tasted the metallic sting of blood. His cheek and tongue were in pain. She had slapped him, and he had bit his tongue.

"You son of a bitch," said Raven. "Son of a goddamn bitch." She shook her head as she took a few steps away from him. Robin put a hand to his cheek and threw the other one up in the air.

"I don't get it!" he exclaimed. "What in the name of hell just happened here?"

"You just kissed another woman. And enjoyed it!" Raven cried.

"You kissed me! And… And I forgot that you aren't…"

"That's right, Robin, I'm a long shot from Starfire," Raven said.

"You're right," said Robin, suddenly realizing. "You have a taste for Big Red gum?"

"I stole a piece from Beast Boy earlier today," she said. "No big deal."

Robin walked over to her and stroked her cropped hair. He smelled the lavender again. Sharp and sweet.

And then, just like that, they threw down their arms and surrendered the fight.

Her kisses were like a thousand knives. And he needed to bleed.

On second glance, she wasn't bleeding. Terra wasn't near him, and Cyborg was still laughing at his morbid riddle. Starfire was in her funeral garb, chatting amiably with Beast Boy. Raven was buried underground.

Robin felt cold.

He spun around immediately and saw the shadow again, but only for a second. He'd seen it near Terra. For the first time that day he felt that something was not right.

He made a beeline for Terra and grabbed her by the collar.

"I feel like I'm seeing clearly for the first time all day. What the hell is going on here?"

Terra was flustered. "Robin, you're hurting me!"

"Not yet, but I can," Robin hissed, pushing her up against the buffet table. "Just tell me one thing, Terra. Why pickles and mustard?"

"What?" Terra exclaimed.

"You said pickles and mustard."

"It was just something! I pulled something out of the air, it meant nothing!" Terra insisted.

"Then why do I feel like it does."

Terra looked at him, then folded her arms. "What, Robin? Finding meaning in the most frivolous of things, are you? You're becoming quite the philosopher."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin demanded.

"You always did love to put the cart before the horse. Find the answer before you even know the question."
Robin felt that eerie sense of déjà vu again. "Who are you?"

"I'm Terra."

But Robin looked at her and shook his head. "No. None of this makes sense. One minute, Raven's in a coffin, and the next, she's slitting Starfire's throat."

"That's not all that's going on," said Terra. "Haven't you noticed?"

Robin frowned. "I don't understand."

Terra smiled at him wickedly. There seemed to be a flash of lightening. The lights went out. When they came up again, Terra and everyone else in the room was gone.

Left alone, Robin looked around. The buffet table was swept clean of food and covered in a white sheet. The black and white checkered floor was dust covered and gray. The large fireplace in the north end of the room was black and covered with soot. Robin frowned.

He heard something, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. He followed the sound down the hall until he could hear it as weeping.

He found Starfire alone in a room. She was wearing her wedding dress and was facing the corner. Robin walked over to her, with the intention of comforting her. He put his hand on her shoulder. When she turned to look at him, he realized that her hands were not at her face to tend to her tears, as he had assumed, but they were clutching at her neck.

Blood seeped out from under her hands like the mascara that leaked from her eyes. Her dress was streaked with red. She looked like she was trying to say something to Robin but he backed away.

"What the hell is going on here?" Robin stuttered. He backed right into someone. He spun around instantly.

Raven's eyes were as red as her dress. Her fingers traced the last button on Robin's shirt and her fingers walked up his tie. She grabbed it and pulled him in to kiss her.

Robin gagged and pulled away. He coughed into his hands and realized why she had tasted so hideous.

He looked from the weeping and spluttering Starfire, to the sinister Raven, to his hands in disgust. He licked his lips and tasted that same vile, metallic taste.

He didn't know how, but he knew that the blood that covered his hands belonged to Starfire.

Starfire sat in front of her mirror and brushed out her hair. He watched her from the doorway. She seemed to sense him as she stopped. She turned to look at him and smiled.

His heart sank. He loved her so much. He felt so filthy.

"Starfire, I think we should talk."

She frowned, then rose gracefully from her seat and approached him. She nodded, expectantly.

"Well, I… Um… how are you?"

She smiled, and shrugged.

It was then that he realized she hadn't spoken a word to him. Did she know? His blood ran cold.

"Um… why aren't you talking?"

She pointed at her throat. "Sore."

"Right, right!" said Robin, suddenly understanding. "Sorry."

"S'OK," said Starfire, hoarsely. She rubbed her neck and Robin frowned.

There was a scar.

He ignored it.

"I think… maybe, um, maybe we should postponed the wedding."

She looked surprised, then shook her head vehemently. She coughed and then seemed to strain to speak, but he stopped her.

"No, no! Don't speak, not if it hurts."

She ignored him. "Alerted home. Galifore… they're coming. And…" she smiled, bashfully. "I know that I said before…" she shrugged. "But I am excited. Not too soon at all."

Robin smiled and caressed her cheek. She was so beautiful. He couldn't hurt her.

"Alright," he said.

"That all?" she asked.

Robin hesitated, then smiled. "Yeah. That's all."

Robin left Starfire's room feeling dejected. He couldn't tell her. He passed Raven in the doorway to her room and didn't even notice.

"You didn't tell her, did you?"

He jumped at her voice and spun to see her pale face. "Um… I was going to."

"You didn't have the guts, did you?" she sounded almost disgusted.

Robin approached her swiftly and grabbed her sternly by the shoulders. "Listen. She's too fragile, alright? She's too perfect. Don't."

"I wasn't going to," said Raven.

"Good," said Robin. "Let's keep it that way."

He turned on his heal and began to walk away. Raven once again caught him off guard, but with her words, not with her voice.

"I only did it because you were begging me."

Robin rolled his eyes and turned around. "Right, I was begging you."

But Raven was grinning, an unnaturally wide grin. "You were screaming for it. You were trapped and you knew it."

"Raven, I didn't ask you to—"

"You asked me every day," said Raven, walking slowly towards him. "With every little death, you were screaming in your head, 'Do it! Do it! Someone, please, just slit her throat!' So I finally did."