Chapter 1

Starfire was worried. In and of itself this wasn't much of a cause for concern for the rest of the Titans. Starfire always worried. She worried about Silkie getting into her Zorka Berries, or about if she was feeding Silkie correctly, but most of her worries were about Robin. About their relationship, about his getting enough sleep, about how he obsesses when he's on the trail of a criminal, and that worry doubles when the criminal is Slade.

But this time Robin, and the others shared Starfire's worry, because for the first time any of them could remember, Starfire was worried about . . . .Starfire. Robin and Raven were the two Titans' most closely associated with what was worrying their Tamaranean team mate. Raven because of the bond she opened with her, and because Starfire was her closest friend. Robin also shared a bond with Starfire through the crystal she had given him on her welcomed return from Tamaran after being gone for almost a month, and believed dead for a very short time. Another reason Robin was so closely enmeshed in her problems was because they were bonded, or as they say on Earth, married.

It started out innocently enough. A couple weeks after she had returned from Tamaran, she and Robin had taken a stroll through her garden. Afterwards they were sitting on the sofa in the common room sipping hot chocolate, when Robin noticed an odd look on her face.

"Star, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I am not sure, Robin. When did we come in from our walk?"

After a short question and answer session with Robin and Raven it was revealed that Starfire had "lost" about twenty minutes.

The next instance was almost two weeks later when they had been going through the obstacle course. Starfire had just finished her run but she continued flying and nearly hit Beast Boy with a star bolt.

Robin and Raven both felt that Starfire had good reason to be worried about herself, as Cyborg and Beast Boy were thinking some very unfriendly thoughts about her at the moment. Believing that Starfire was in her room, Cyborg had called the rest of them to the table in the common room.

"What are we going to do about her?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Cy, but if we're going to discuss what's been going on with Starfire, she should be here."

"You don't know what I mean?" Cyborg asked incredulously. "Robin if it wasn't for whatever you made your cape out of, you'd be up in the med-lab being treated for some very serious burns, if you survived getting hit by a star bolt that powerful ."

"Rob, it's not like we're thinking of lynching her, but she's getting outta control, dude."

Starfire stood to one side of the doorway to the common room. The only thing that made her comfortable with doing the eaves dropping, was that she could feel Robin and Raven's approval. Cyborg's comment to Robin brought the memory of the fight with Cinderblock they had finished just over two hours ago. Well most of them had. She still shivered when her mind replayed the image of Robin, laying face down on the ground, his cape still smoking from her star bolt. Her original explanation was that he had somehow gotten into her line of fire and she had accidentally hit him, but the video that Cyborg had taken during the fight had proven otherwise.

Robin had awakened in the med-lab finding Starfire at his bedside, as usual. What was unusual was she looked absolutely consumed with guilt. "What happened?"

"Robin, I truly do not know," she replied tearfully. "We were fighting Cinderblock, and I fired some star bolts to distract him so Raven could use her powers to immobilize him, and the next thing I know, both you and Cinderblock were laying on the ground."

"Raven and Beast Boy took down Cinderblock," Cyborg said as he entered the room. "She took you out."

"What! Star, what happened?"

"As I said, I truly do not know. I can think of nothing that would cause me to attack you, my husband."

Robin sat up and gathered her into his arms. "Kori, it's alright. Whatever has been bothering you the last month we'll figure it out, together."

Starfire's attention was brought back to the present, by Robin's echoing those words, only meaning that the Titans would help her with her ailment.

"Rob, we've been trying for almost three weeks, and she's getting worse. We're no nearer knowing what's wrong with her. Even that Psychiatrist, Chase Meridian that you had come out from Gotham and Doctor Benson are in the dark."

"This arguing is pointless. She's our friend, and she needs our help."

"And she's going to get it, Rae. Right guys?"

Whatever Cyborg and Beast Boy were going to say was cut off as Starfire made her presence known. "Robin, do not argue for me any further. Much as I do not like the idea of this meeting going on without my being here, Cyborg and Beast Boy's concerns are valid." Robin watched as she stepped to the table, and placed her hand on it. "I am removing myself from the active duty, until such time as I have regained your trust."

The four of them looked in shock as Starfire's hand left behind her communicator. "Now if you will excuse me, I am gong to the roof to do some thinking, and I wish to be left alone, fellow Titans."

Cyborg noticed that Robin was surprised at what Starfire had said. "Rob, what is it? Why does her going to the roof to think bother you?"

"It's not that, Cy. It's what she called us. Not friends, but fellow Titans. The only time she has ever addressed any of us that way was when we were marooned on that strange planet. After I upset her, by saying that she wasn't my girlfriend."

"It's not like I don't like her anymore Rob, but.. . . ."

"You don't trust her enough to fight beside her."

"Can ya blame us Rae? The first time she had an accident with her star bolts, she almost hit me, and the last time she nailed Robin."

Robin stood up angrily. "Well she's removed herself from active duty, so you won't have to worry about that again."

"You heading for the roof?"

"No, Beast Boy, I'm heading to my room to do some more computer searches to try to give her the privacy she wants."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A while later, Robin pushed back from his computer desk as his terminal chimed, letting him know that it was nearing sunset. 'Two hours,' he thought then sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to relax his racing mind. "Star?" he called through their bond. "May I come up and share the sunset with you?"

"Are you sure you trust me that much, Robin?"

"Kori, pe ensura shu que ne itera."

"I wish I could trust myself with your life," she said sadly. "Raven, will you please join us?"

"Hey, Star," Robin said softly as he came up beside her. His smile faded as she ducked under the arm he went to put around her shoulders and moved away from him. "Kori?"

Starfire didn't turn to face him, but continued to look out over the bay. "Are you not going to join with the others and send me away?"

"Star, no one wants you to leave, least of all me."

"But you still do not trust me."

This time it was Robin's turn to take a step back, his shock clearly written on his face.

"Starfire, you know better than that," Raven's voice said as she phased up through the roof. "If anyone trusts you it's him. Why else would he defend you even after he's seen video of you shooting him with one of your star bolts?"

Starfire turned and the two girls stared at each other. Starfire's emerald green ones faintly glowing with her anger at those she had thought were her friends. Raven's amethyst ones unusually soft with compassion and her desire to unravel the mystery of what was troubling her friend. Both could feel the hurt and feeling of betrayal Robin was feeling due to Starfire's words. Raven ignored it, focusing on Starfire, and Starfire simply ignored it. The redhead was first to break the staring contest, glancing over at Robin. "If he trusts me as you say, he will give me his crystal."

Without the slightest hesitation, Robin stepped over to her and pulled the green glowing crystal from under his shirt, his eyes locked with hers, "Pe ensura shu que fetan co pe ensura shu que ne itera, mathad."

Under other circumstances Raven would have rolled her eyes at Robin telling anyone else that he trusted them with his life. One reason she was glad to have a mental bond with both Starfire and Robin was that when they spoke Tamaranean to each other she picked up the feelings behind the words and didn't need her translator. Another reason would come into play shortly as once Robin was far enough away from his crystal he would no longer have his bond with Starfire. Raven and the others had seen the video that Slade had sent and they all felt that it for the best that there was some way to keep track of where Starfire was and Robin's bond with her fit the bill nicely. If she was going to take the crystal from him, the mental bond she shared with the Tamaranean would have to do.

"Now you will tell Raven to sever her bond with me."

"That I can't do, Star. Raven is her own person, and her bond with you is something I have nothing to say about. It's between you and her." He watched intently as she turned her back on him as he spoke, her fists clenched.

"Is that what you really want Starfire? Have you lost your trust in me as well, Shalay'fa?

Robin noticed the when Raven spoke the word 'Shalay'fa' that Starfire's back seemed to stiffen for a moment, then she turned to face them. 'I see it Rae.' he thought to her as they both noticed a difference in her expression. It now seemed more relaxed, friendly."

"No. . . . .no, Raven, I trust you. Why do you ask, and why do I have Robin's crystal?"

"I asked because you told Robin to tell me to break our bond."

"I did? But. . . ."

"Star, you asked me to give you my crystal, as proof of my trust in you."

"I. . . . .would not do that," Starfire said, her voice shaky and confused. "You are my shokala, my husband and before that you were my shalocfa. My trust in you is absolute as I know yours is of me." she took the chain with Robin's crystal on it and refastened it around his neck, then simply slid her arms down and drew him into a hug. "I do not doubt what you are telling me as I know that you would not lie to me." she pulled back just enough to look Robin in the eyes. "I will be sleeping in my own room tonight, my husband, and I will be removing my own crystal as I have much to think about. No Robin, it is not that I do not trust you to not intrude in my mind, but more the other way around." she added quickly, feeling his fear that she was pulling away from him. "I must think of this on my own, to sort out my own feelings and with our bond I would be too sorely tempted to use your help, but this is something I must do on my own."

"Co shu delina, mathad, as you wish, beloved." He watched as Starfire flew up over the edge of the roof, and down.

"Robin these memory losses are bothering her deeply. She's terribly confused right now, and wants to sort out her own feelings without your influence."

"I know, Rae, I'm just having a hard time convincing my heart of that."

"Well I'm sure you have some thoughts of your own to sort out."

"Thanks, Raven." He watched as she sank down into the roof, then he stood looking at the lights of the city as they flickered in the distance. "You think she's that dangerous, Cyborg, that you spy on us?" Robin turned and watched Cyborg step out from behind the stairwell door structure. "Or were you hoping to catch us in a moment?"

The big Titan rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Robin, it's just. . . . "

"Just what, Cyborg? Do you honestly think that she would knowingly attack me? For pity's sake she's pulled all of our butts outta some close scrapes before. How can you think of her as a threat?

"Four words, Robin," he replied softly. "I don't love her. Man, your love for her is blinding you to the facts."

"The fact is that she's got something medical or psychological wrong with her, Cy. I'm certain of that. She's taken herself off active duty so she won't be going on missions with us, so she can concentrate on getting better, thanks to your distrust." He glared at the titanium Titan for a moment. "Are you thinking of asking her to leave the Tower?"

"I won't lie to ya, Rob. Her lapses or whatever ya wanna call em are getting more frequent, and she's getting so she doesn't trust us. Is it going to take her turning on one of us to make you see the light?"

Cyborg stood his ground as Robin crossed angrily to him and stood almost nose to nose with him. "I just hope your trust in Bee is better than it is in Star, or your relationship won't last," he hissed, the quickly turned and stormed off.

Cyborg stood there a moment, stunned by what he just heard. He started to wonder what relationship with Bumble Bee, but realized that Robin was observant enough to see that he and the leader of Titans East were close, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to get closer, and hoped that she did as well. Just as he was heading for the stairs he felt the fist drops of what was forecast as a near freezing rain that would last most of the night.