Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, they belong to DC Comics. But I own this story! (MWAH HA HA HA) *awkward

These are:

'Thoughts'

EmphasisSoul Searching

Chapter 2: Choices

The stupid, uncontrollable tears washed down my face as my eyes betrayed me. Karen was lightly comforting me as the little chimes for each floor flew by. At the instant that the elevator hit the first floor, we rushed out of the elevator and headed outside to one of the waiting taxis.

"Starfire! Wait!" Richard was sprinting across the lobby towards the two of us. "Wait! We need to talk!" I couldn't take this anymore. After he had had all of the time in the world for the past years, he now wanted to talk. Karen was already in the cab calling and begging for me to get in. But I just stopped dead in my tracks. He was going to pay for everything he caused me. I lifted my arm from its resting place and pointed my fist at him. At first my hand glowed the normal dark green of the starbolt forming, then it began to flicker between different colors, to the point where it was glowing red. My eyes joined the strange new glow, and I fired at him. I know I probably shouldn't have, but after all of these years, I wasn't going to let him gain anything from me, not anymore. The shot fired grew in size as it flew in midair. It hit Richard right in the shoulder, effectively knocking him down into a marble pillar at the side of the room. A surge of heat rushed through my body as I realized that by what I had just caused, had most likely broken my cover and gained the attention I really didn't want at the moment. Slamming the taxi door shut, almost wrenching it off, I seated myself next to Karen and the taxi sped off, leaving bird boy to wallow on the floor staring as we left him in smoke.

The tears were like waterfalls now, after all, I had once loved him. But the freakin' bastard is married. He imprisoned himself at his own hand by marrying that vixen. I constantly repeated that fact over and over in a single slither of hope that it would calm my nerves down. To no prevail, the tears grew stronger. The small taxi reached the front of a small, bricked house, Raven's.

Karen supported my weight as we trudged to the front door of the house, thanks to Raven's telekinesis, she opened the door for us when were close with Rose in her arms.

Raven didn't look very different except for the fact that she didn't wear a leotard anymore, just normal human clothes. She had even grown out her hair longer to the point where it rested on the small of her back.

Finally the release of tension was replaced with sadness as she read Bee's explanation in her mind. "Oh no… why Star?" Raven moved out of the way to let us in. I slumped into a dark blue chair beside the couch and I let myself cry my heart out in the comfort of a few of my only friends.

Richard's POV:

The starbolt to my shoulder wasn't the best thing to get at a time like this. Was it supposed to be red? Sure I could've avoided it easily… if I hadn't been so distracted by how she looked at the time. Frustrated, angry, and sad in a huge heap of emotions. Not to mention the fact that she looked….amazing since I last saw her, I couldn't even recognize her. Shit… I'm married, how could I forget something like that? I made a move to get up, then a sharp pain shot up through my shoulder. Double shit… she got stronger. I got to be more careful around her in the future. What if she wasn't coming back? How could I find her again? A worried mask replaced my original one as I lifted myself off the hard, stone floor.

The valet saw me coming out of the building, and began to walk away. I waited around two minutes, until he came back in my Volvo. The valet tossed me the keys as I stepped in. The drive home wasn't the most pleasant, since now my teenage years were catching up to me. Then all I could remember was her leaving, I couldn't remember anything but meeting Barbara over at the tower that day and sitting on the roof. It didn't make any sense. There was nothing between sitting on the roof that day and Star leaving; what could I make of this?

Once home, I rushed to my study and threw open the laptop in place on the desk. I went to a random search engine and typed in: Teen Titans.

"Richard is that you?" Barbara called from the bedroom, as I clicked on a link displaying the history of my old team. The first couple articles were some of our victories and downfalls, mainly about my insane obsession with Slade, then I came to a scan of an old newspaper. A chill ran down my spine as I read the headline.

Starfire, Beloved Member of the Teen Titans, has Died

There was no possible way or being or anything like this that could possibly be true. This shocking article pulled at me away from the real world. I felt like my lungs were going to explode. How could she be dead if I just interviewed her, if I had just seen her, if she had just hurt me? A shot of pain flew back into my shoulder all gift-wrapped and shining from my aching heart. My head flew to the injured shoulder that was throbbing and probably needed sever treatment. How could I feel her presence if I don't love her? I don't love her…. Do I really not love her? My eyes wandered back to the article; it was dated Dec. 1, 2000.

The article read:

Starfire, Beloved Member of the Teen Titans, has Died By: Karen StoneThrough all of the frustration and grief that we Titans have been experiencing, I have found myself writing this article. We all remembered her as the bright, cheery alien who had once lifted our spirits to the highest peaks of the sky. Even if she did annoy us in the process, I now fully regret ever-even thinking of these thoughts to this day. She has left us three days ago on the date of Dec.1 and will be greatly missed. Starfire, or Koriand'r as her birth given name, contributed to our planet's well being. She may have been from another planet, but she helped us in love of the earth itself. Sadly she had to leave us on the planet she loved the most in a car accident along Hallow's Creek. She lived a happy and thoughtful life and loved everyone on her team, some a little more than others, but loved them just the same. But like all people, Star had to die at some time, and now she can rest in peace from the tragedy of the end of the Teen Titans and the end of her love for the one she held dearest. Good-bye Starfire… I'll miss you.

Love you even in the afterlife,

Bee

I frowned at the article. It had been written by Karen, yet she still treated Starfire like she was the light of the world for all of the people to see. Her memorial type letter explained her alibi, but what about the end of her life. The part where she can supposedly "….rest in peace from the tragedy of all the end of the Teen Titans and the end of her love for the one she held dearest." Who was this person she held dearest, and what did the Titans ending tie in with her "death." Why hadn't I seen this earlier? And if this was true, why was she sitting in Bruce's office while we interviewed her? I'd have to ask Karen, if she'd let me. I hurriedly searched for the date this article was published. Dec.4, 2000, the date of my wedding. That explains a lot about my messed up life. No wonder I'm an outcast to the masked hero world. Light pierced my eyes as Babs came into the, what I know realized to be dark, study. Her arms slid their way around my neck seductively. I pushed her away. She seemed shocked and tense at my response.

"Richard, is something wrong?" she asked curiously. I guess I had always been so obedient to her; I guess I was a slave in her hands. Her eyes slowly moved to the article I was previously reading, and a frown was placed on her tight lips. "So she's dead. Hmm… weird." Babs' hands moved onto both of my shoulders, that's when everything collapsed. My flinching set her off, and like always, began to search my arm for anything out of the ordinary. The ordinary being the old scratches and bruises from "the glory days." Babs let out a high pitch gasp. Apparently, my skin had turned into a deep shade of purple.

"Who did this to you, honey?" she almost shrieked while she was right next to my ear. I was going to need to get that checked.

I sighed there was no way to get out of this without someone getting hurt, and I definitely didn't want it to be me. I merely pointed at the smiling picture of Starfire on the bright screen in front of me.

"But she's dead…right?" Her picture perfect moment of anger amused me in every way shape and form. But I dare not to laugh at a single notion she pronounces for it will be the death of me! "yeah… until she showed up in Bruce's office for an interview." This response didn't lower Babs' frustration and anger.

This time, she did shriek. Louder than any howler monkey could. She could put a pack of hyenas to shame. "What she can do that to you! How could you let that go without telling me? We're going to sue for everything she once ever had!" I sighed, this was what she was like all of the time. I get hurt and she sues. Wonderful.

Kori

Memories began to fill my heartbroken dreams. Especially the day when I was no longer Starfire, the alien girl from Tamaran.

~(Flashback)~

"Bee," I complained for the umpteenth time that day already, "will you please slow down the car. You're driving me mad!" I cried out. Bee had been helping me out since I left the original Titans. I've been able to actually speak the right way, without strange people staring at me.

"Wow, I must have taught you well. You're even complaining and putting my driving down without sounding polite. I have to admit, I'm impressed." Bee slowed down a little bit, but not even close to my liking. A loud horn began to fill the air as we turned around the corner. A bright yellow Mercedes was rushing straight for us. It hit us dead on, and I could feel the force of the impact. I flew out the front windowpane and into the river. It was ice cold and I couldn't keep my head above water. I struggled gasping for breath as I was pushed away and under by the heavy tide.

"Starfire!" Bee was yelling as she rushed to the steep, fenced off cliff. At the sound of my name, everyone rushed to the fence to catch a glimpse of the former superhero that had suddenly disappeared. Then everything went black. Was I dead? Could I be? If I am, that was a sad way for me to die. Being thrown out of a window and all. I guess that was the last time I would ever see Bee ever again. I truly am going to miss her and her husband, I guess I should have seen Vic coming into her life. Then there was Raven and Garfield. Garfield, who could ever get over how obnoxious he was and how funny his name was; either way, he was a good friend. And Raven she was one of the best people I could have ever met in my entire life; she may have been called many different things, but I'm going to call her my best friend. I don't know what else to think about the other two. Richard and Barbara are happy together I guess, and they don't need me butting into their lives… I guess this is it. I guess I'll just pass through as peacefully as possible…