Author Note: Hello every one. I apologize for the wait on this. I've actually rewritten this chapter seven time over the last month because I wasn't happy with how Slade kept on turning out, this is the best version so far and I'm not doing it again unless someone offers some really good hints on how to improve it. Speaking of which, due to the unfair new rules I'm no longer allowed to respond to reviews. So to every one who reviews I truly do treasure each one. Thank you.

Disclaimer : Due to artistic disagreements I am not the owner of Teen Titans. I think it was the insistence on more Slade that got me kicked out of the board room. Don't you just hate writers? So arrogant...

Tears flowed from the eyes of a shadow as the sorceress fled the concrete structure. It was cowardly to run from the things that hurt you but at this moment Raven didn't care. The brief meeting with her childhood friend had been painful, she'd forgotten how lost he could make her feel. So in the soul self the empath had mastered years ago, Raven flew away from the man she'd fallen in love with many years ago and towards her sanctuary.

The sorceress barely glanced at the man lying sprawled on the black leather couch before she fell into his arms, her tears still falling as his strong arms wrapped around her. Gently he began to stroke her hair, his fingers running through her long locks as if they were strands of silk as he patiently waited for her weeping to stop.

"He should die for hurting you,"

Raven shook her head gently, her voice soft as she replied to his cold tone.

"No… you promised me,"

The man held her close as he whispered into her ear. "I know, but he should,"

"I'm fine,"

Slade pulled back from the sorceress slightly as he examined her tear stained face.

"No you're not,"

Raven shrugged as she leaned back into the warriors embrace.

"It just hurt, seeing him again, hearing his voice… it brought back memories,"

"He rejected you?"

She nodded. "We knew he would, I just wish it didn't hurt so much when he lashed out,"

"You still love him," he stated, absently proud of his voice not faltering as he felt his heart crack.

"Yes," Raven nodded slightly before her empathic abilities picked up on Slades despair and she turned to him. The sorceress smiled as she looked into her lovers eye and kissed him. "And I love you, if I had the choice to live again I would choose you." The pair embraced once more, their kiss passionate as both of the battle scarred warriors fought for dominance, neither achieving it before they broke apart for air. Slade grinned as he studied the sorceress in his arms, she was perfection he mused as he leant down for another kiss. Raven eagerly reciprocated before they broke apart once more. The two lovers moved closer to each other as they merely enjoyed each others warmth for a few moments before Raven spoke up once more, her voice serious.

"Any news?"

Slade shook his head. "Not from my contacts. It seems these people are targeting any super human in sight, preferably those with experience in using their powers…" the warrior sighed before continuing. "Jinx disappeared three hours ago,"

Raven started. After the Titans had broken up Jinx had been a valuable ally as she became disillusioned with the life of a villain. After a while Raven had even begun to call her a friend and the two were known to spend nights studying spells. The last time she'd seen the pink haired enchantress had been to warn her of the kidnappings, that'd been just after she realised she couldn't contact Starfire.

"What? But I thought she…"

"I know. Apparently she hadn't hidden herself as well as she thought,"

"Did she have her tracer?"

Slade sighed at his beloveds voice resorting to a monotone. In all the time they'd been together Ravens control had only increased. After a decade she could be as emotional as any human yet still boasted powers beyond even her knowledge. Now the only time she returned to her old ways was if she was extremely angry, depressed or frightened and this time he couldn't do anything to help her.

"They were prepared, used a E.M.Pulse just after they grabbed her. Very professionally done I must say, the camera didn't catch a thing and they were silent the entire time. Well executed."

Raven glared at him slightly. "You don't need to sound admiring,"

"… of course not… my point is that they were expecting someone to be watching and they're very well trained. Jinx didn't get a hit in,"

The sorceress nodded. "Military?"

"I still doubt it. I still have quite strong ties with most of the… unsavoury departments of the government. I don't believe they've sanctioned this. There is a disturbing rumour though,"

"Which is?"

"Our housekeeper for the apartment in Tokyo called. Men were asking questions about a woman, one with purple hair and very pale skin in her late twenties, who didn't show her emotions…"

"Me?"

"Yes, but from their description I'd say they're looking for Raven of the Teen Titans a decade on. They don't seem to know what you look like or your habits, merely extrapolating from what the public knew of you when you were a teenager. Still the fact that they were around our home makes me… apprehensive."

Raven tilted her head as his words sunk in, her amusement evident in her eyes.

"You're worried for me?"

His gaze sharply met hers once more. "Raven this is not a joke. These people are dangerous and unknown. Just be careful… please?"

Raven smiled as she reached out to comfort him, Slade rarely showed any fear even to her. The sorceresses carefully controlled terror escalated once more before she roughly shoved her concerns to the back of her mind.

"I will. I'll be fine Slade, don't worry,"

Her lover grinned. "I know, I'm just slightly paranoid…"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Slightly? My love you still evaluate potential enemies and exits the moment you enter a room. I'd call that more than just slightly paranoid,"

Slade chuckled slightly. "Perhaps,"

Once more the pair merely relaxed in each others presence for a few minutes until Raven remembered why Slade had stayed behind in the pent house.

"How are the children?"

"Lenore's sleeping but Edward and Quinn are challenging each other in the V.R. room. I saw fit to stay out of it after stipulating no serious injuries,"

Raven glared at him. "This is why you don't baby sit. Please tell me you didn't try teaching them how to fight again, or Chinese."

Slade tried to look innocent. "Another language is always valuable,"

Raven groaned as she fell back into his chest. "You do know how much trouble I got into last time I left you alone with them? Terra said Quinn refused to speak English for weeks and Cy complained about Edward destroying half the house with his antics…" Ravens voice faltered as she remembered her friends. Slade held her closer.

"We will find them, I promise," Raven smiled at him and was just about to lean in for another kiss before two six-year old boys tore into the room. Slade groaned as the piercing wailing of a three-year old girl followed the boys.

"Aunt Rae!"

Raven glared at the intruders. One was short, his pale green skin, hair and sky blue eyes showing his parentage quiet clearly, especially as he had come running into the room as a cheetah kitten. Raven inwardly smiled, everyone had known Terra and Beast Boy would get together, she just wish their son, named Quinn, wasn't as troublesome as his parents. Judging from the screams of his little sister, no such luck. The shape shifters companion was almost a complete opposite. He was tall, his ebony hair and brown skin one of the many false similarities between the six year old and his adopted parents. Cyborg and Bumble Bee had adopted Edward three years ago and had become fast friends with Quinn. Raven often mused that since he wasn't related to Cyborg, Ed shouldn't be as immature when around BB's son. Unfortunately Cy was a bad influence on his adopted son.

Slade groaned once more as he got up to comfort the screaming girl in the next room, whilst Raven dealt with the troublemakers.

Like their parents before them, the two boys trembled beneath Ravens glare.

"What did you do?"

"He did it!" Replied the two boys in perfect concert as they pointed at the other.

Raven sighed in exasperation. "Did what?"

The two boys shuffled their feet guiltily before Quinn started to speak.

"Umm…."

Ed took up the explanation as his companion failed to remember how to speak.

"We kinda…" his voice trailed away under the empaths gaze. Quinn started to speak as the two came to a truce to help each other explain themselves, each instinctively knowing that Aunty Rae was far more dangerous when she didn't get what she wanted.

"… wanted to see…"

"… if Len…"

"… was awake?"

"And?" Ravens tone dripped with venom as the two boys looked away. Suddenly Quinn saw a way to escape punishment.

"He hit her with a laser beam!"

Ed looked at his best friend, horror at the betrayal evident in his face, before he quickly exclaimed "I didn't!"

"You did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Raven sighed as the two boys ran out of the room, their arguing fading away with the distance. As much as she loved being an Aunt, she couldn't deal with children constantly. She didn't know how her friends could…

Raven felt a single tear fall down her cheek. All thoughts came back to her friends, her family. She didn't know whether she could survive without them again. Raven barely felt Slades arms pull her into another embrace, or heard Slades murmurs as he tried to comfort the sorceress.

"We will find them, I'll make sure of it. I'll bring the Titans back together, for you Raven, all for you…"

Nightwing knelt on the edge of the gothic skyscraper. Normally the darkness of Gothams architecture was a comfort to him, a reminder of his first years as the Boy Wonder, an enviable playground all for him. Today it tore his heart apart. Today all the darkness did was remind him of her… The vigilante looked up sharply and cursed. He was an idiot. She'd come back and all he'd done was insult her…

-FLASHBACK-

"You heard me Robin, the Titans are being kidnapped. I'm sure it's by the same people but I don't know who, why or where… I also suspect it's not just the old Titans who have gone missing…"

Richard snapped. For ten years he had been in pain, for ten years the sorceress had dominated his every thought and dream and for ten years he'd spent every moment alone. How could she just come back, how dare she? "Why should you care? You abandoned us! You left…"

His ranting was interrupted by the empaths fury. "Robin I told you back then I made my choice! It was what I needed, what I wanted… I wish you could be happy for me…" Ravens voice drifted to a halt as her own sorrow caught up to her. Richard snarled, staring at her in disgust. He barely saw her past his rage filled vision. For years he had planned what he would say to her if he ever saw the sorceress again. He had planned every single gesture, the perfect speech to win her back and yet now that he could finally talk to her again all that he could think of was his anger.

"Happy? You broke my heart… how could I be happy?"

Raven sighed as yet another wave of emotion from the man in front of her threatened to overcome her. She could feel how his fury was overcoming him and it hurt her. She hated how she'd caused him this much pain but she couldn't change the past, even if she'd wanted to.

"Rob… Richard. I know you hate me, I can sense your anger but that isn't important at the moment. Our friends are…"

"Our? You left Raven. How could you claim to be their friends?"

Raven shook her head as his barb failed to hit its mark.

"… We don't have time for this. The Titans are missing. They need help…"

"What about your lover? Did he abandon you? Did he break your heart Rae? Maybe you two really do deserve each other. The villain and the witch." Sneered the detective, his insults finally hitting their target as the sorceress straightened her back and glared at him.

"It's been ten years Richard. Have you so much as heard a rumour of Slade? Do you really think he could keep up his ways without alerting someone? Slade hasn't done anything more illegal than speeding and running the odd red light in a decade! I know, because I'm still with him… and I still love him,"

Richard threw his hands into the air as he sarcastically yelled at her.

"Congratulations! I'm very happy for you, that's what you want isn't it? And since you two make such a great pair you can go play your tricks on some other poor idiot and leave me out of your games."

"Tricks? Richard everything I've told you is the truth. The Titans, your friends are in danger, they need your help…"

"And how would you know? You disappeared! No one's heard of you in ten years and now you just show up saying the team's in danger?"

Raven sighed and shook her head. "No Richard, you're the one that disappeared when the Titans split up. No one knew where you were…" the sorceress phased away from her child hood friend, leaving a business card fluttering behind her.

'Rachel Roth

Psychologist

0237892146'

Written on the back in Ravens elaborate hand was a simple message. 'In case you change your mind…'

-END OF FLASHBACK-

He had to talk to her, apologise before she left again he had to…

"Fool," growled a voice from the shadows. A voice that had haunted Nightwings mind for years and one that he'd never allow himself to forget.

"You!"

"Me," mockingly agreed the voice as a figure stepped into the eternal light a city cast. He was tall and would've been extremely handsome in a classically European way if a terrible scar, that had apparently claimed his eye, had not marred the right side of his face. His short, almost white blonde hair stood a sharp contrast to his intense steel blue eye. Nightwing paused in confusion before he attacked the stranger. His voice hadn't changed in ten years but that was expected. What the vigilante didn't understand was how the man standing in front of him looked in his early twenties when he should've been older than the hero. Slade smirked as he read the confusion in his one-time pupils' stance.

"What's the matter, did I forget too mention I stopped aging years ago? Yet another thing Raven and I have in common."

Nightwing growled as he attacked the former villain.

"What do you want?"

Slade smoothly avoided the blow, his smile never leaving his face as he dodged the staff blows.

"I don't. Raven does." Slade sighed as he caught the heroes staff in one hand, letting Nightwing over balance and fall to the floor. He moved back slightly as the dark hero caught his breath. "Her friends are in danger and my beloved gets very upset whenever they are threatened,"

Nightwing glared at his past nemesis as he pulled another staff from his belt and attacked Slade once more.

"She's not…"

"My beloved? Really? You truly think you still have a chance?" Slade tilted his head as if assessing his opponents chances at winning Raven back, whilst dodging a series of ferocious attacks that verged on deadly. "What's her favourite flower? How does she like her tea? When does she drink Chamomile tea? Who's her favourite author? Do you have the vaguest idea?"

Nightwing slowed his assault slightly as Slades questions echoed in his mind, each one going unanswered.

"… neither do you…" he weakly replied.

Slade shook his head in disgust.

"Her favourite flower's a black orchid, just one. She thinks a bunch of flowers looks tacky. She likes her tea as hot as possible with a few drops of honey but no milk and only after its been left to infuse for at least four minutes. The only time she'll drink Chamomile is if she's just woken and she's enjoyed Edgar Allen Poe since she was nine."

The warriors attacks ceased, the staff falling out of his hands before he whimpered an excuse.

"That's not fair… you've had ten years…"

"Pathetic. I knew that before you even followed her to the warehouse. Raven told me because I asked, because I made her feel as special as she was instead of ignoring her,"

"I never…"

"What does she do when she's nervous? How do you know if she's really enjoying a story?" Slade advanced on the broken hero, each word wounding him. "You didn't pay her any attention until she said she was leaving. She told me one of the last things you called her was a traitor, and you never apologised. Do you have any idea how much that hurt her? To be accused of betraying the few people she's ever cared about? No of course you don't. You never knew anything about her because you never talked to her. Within three weeks of us being trapped in that white room I knew more of her than you did after three years. You never deserved her. No one ever could."

Nightwing turned from his enemy, his back exposed. For a moment Slade considered ending the existence of someone who had caused Raven so much pain. So tempting was the idea he almost missed the vigilantes question.

"What do you want?"

Slade shook his head once more, his contempt for the once brave hero clear.

"As I said, I don't. As far as I'm concerned you deserve death more than most people, however Raven still cares for you. She wants your help. Very few things would make Raven happier than all her friends reunited once more, unfortunately that includes you and all I want is for Raven to be happy. Therefore you have one last chance. Help Raven find and liberate the Titans or not. Your choice, personally I'd rather you didn't. I haven't seen my love this upset for years and all because of you. As I said, you are a fool…" Slades voice trailed away as he disappeared back into the shadows. After a few moments Nightwing looked back around, the only sign of the warriors visit was the bleeding wound in his heart. The hero straightened up, he'd dealt with this pain for almost a decade and he could deal with it again now. There was only one thing he had to do, there was no choice really he mused as he leapt from the building, his confidence returning at the simple stunt. He had to find Raven…