ARGH! I hate this computer, it keeps deleting my documents and now I have to rush through this! GRRR!

Disclaimer: I don't own TT


She was in what looked like a warehouse, with dim lights and bare floors. It was nighttime, that much she knew by the one window. But other than that, she could tell nothing. Why was she here? She had a purpose, something that she couldn't quite grasp, but knew was there. She walked forward, into the center of the gigantic room.

Slowly, the steps illuminated themselves inside her mind. She knew where to stop, and exactly how long to wait. Five seconds. Then a soft, dark voice, one she knew, but couldn't quite place, asked, "Have you prepared?"

Her voice sounded different. Like she had a cold, except it wasn't stuffy, it was just lower. "Not yet...there were delays."

There was a silence from the voice. She wanted to look around, to see where it had come from, but something restrained her. "What kind of delays?"

"Money," she mumbled. "I was running short."

The voice took on a colder tone. "Spend out of turn one more time, and you will be punished." She shivered, knowing the voice, whoever it was, was not joking. "Go now. Remember, I always hold to my word..."

"Yes, master," Kori said, bending her head down in shame. She walked out, her long hair swishing behind her. It had been raining outside, and she caught her reflection in a puddle. Gasping, she realized she was not Kori at all.

She didn't feel anything, nothing at all, but once she saw the blood fly from her back, she knew she had been stabbed. She fell to the ground, probably dying, but the pain wasn't there. A person stood above her. She could not make out anything, except that he was a man, yet she knew that the voice belonged to him. "You know too much. You shouldn't have seen yourself." The knife was in his hand, covered in her blood. He rose it up again, and her piercing scream filled the night.

"Kori, Kori, shh!" Galfore whispered urgently. There was no need to do so. Every family member had been awakened. Kori still screamed as she woke, realizing a few seconds later that there was no more harm. Her two oldest cousins were crying silently, clinging onto their parents. Kori shook with fear.

"Richard...where is he?" she whimpered. Galfore and his wife exchanged looks, but a furious pounding sounded on the front door. Kori curled up into a ball, sure it was the man from her dream, after her. The entire family went downstairs, the children unwilling to leave their parents and be alone with her. Not a minute later, Richard darted into her room, embracing her tightly, and it was all she could do not to hang on to him for dear life.

"Are you okay, Kori?" he asked softly. She just nodded, not surprised at all that he'd gotten here somehow. He always seemed to know when she needed him most.

Galfore and his wife wisely stayed away from the room, but Suneta came toddling back, once she saw that all was calm. "Who are you?" she asked, pointing a pudgy finger at Richard. He grinned.

"My name's Dick Grayson, and you?"

She stared at him for a moment, and Kori mentally thanked Suneta for not being the kind of little girl who goes, "Ooh, are you her boyfriend?" Kori couldn't take that right now. "Suni," Suneta replied. She yawned and immediately crawled into her bed to sleep.

Richard turned to her. "Tell me."

She did, the whole, horrible nightmare. She left out what she had seen in the puddle, though. She hadn't wanted to think about that. But with Richard here, she felt so much safer. He gripped her arm firmly as she spoke, and listened intently. "It was just...real. It seemed real."

"I know," he said. "But it isn't. You have to remember that." He stroked her cheek gently, and Kori was almost sure he would kiss her right then and there. Goodness knows she wouldn't have minded. But he didn't. "Sleep, Kori. I'll stay until you do, I promise."

Kori gulped and nodded, her hand weaving itself into Richard's. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and tried to push away the images of that dream assaulting her mind. The only thing that gave her any comfort was that fact that Richard was there, and that he hadn't moved at all.


Another perfect day at school. Just wonderful. How many girls had come up and asked him out, when they found out his relationship with what's-her-face was over? Gar was still ticked off, and Rachel had silently taken her boyfriend's side. It was happening again, this fight. All because of Kori. But they didn't understand, no one did.

As if by a miracle, Richard managed to make it home to Wayne Manor without being pestered by more than five girls to ride on the motorbike with him. He was looking forward to the peace of the Manor, and a warm meal from Alfred. It was already the middle of autumn, and sharp winds chilled him as he sped home. He was so tired...maybe he'd actually have a nice, calm, eight-hour sleep tonight.

"'Evening, Al," Richard greeted lazily as he entered the house.

"Good evening, Master Dick." Alfred called from the kitchen. He carried a plate of food out and set it on the table, which Richard dug into ravenously.

"Thanks," he muttered halfway through, embarrassed. Alfred gave a small smile and left.

After three hours of struggling to focus on his homework, Richard had completed a sufficient amount and gave it up for the day. He was exhausted, but that was what came from not sleeping right for weeks. His head fell forward on to the math book and he dozed off right then and there.

Richard...where is he? Richard awoke with a start, the voice repeating itself over and over in his head. Where was he? This wasn't his room. But he looked down at the math book and remembered. It was now four full hours after he'd fallen asleep, and no one had woken him. Grumbling about sore necks and backs in the morning, Richard slammed his book shut. Then came the voice again, from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Richard...where is he? Familiar and sweet...then it came to him. And his heart sank, but not of it's own accord. Something was very, very wrong. With Kori.

It took less than five minutes for him to get to Galfore's house, and he pounded on the door, forgetting that no working man and woman with ids would probably be up at this hour. But the door opened anyway, and Richard didn't take time to exchange pleasentaries. He galloped up the stairs, two at a time, until he reached Kori's room. She was curled in a ball on her bed, staring at him fearfully. Dried tear tracks covered her cheeks, and she was shaking.

He embraced her at once, murmuring soothing words in her ear until she calmed down. A little brunette girl, possibly six or seven, was staring at them when he let go. "Who are you?" she asked.

He grinned at her. She was probably one of the cousins Kori had spoken about before this whole mess. Funnily enough, he'd never met them. They'd come from Tamaran, Kori's homeland, about three weeks before he and his friends had gone on that vacation that ultimately ended his relationship with Kori.

"My name's Dick Grayson, and you?" The girl studied him for a moment.

"Suni," she answered finally. Then she plopped down headfirst on her bed, snoring.

Richard turned back to Kori, who had a ghost of a smile on her face at the exchange. "Tell me," he prodded.

He was surprised to find that it had only been a nightmare, but didn't show it. He might have gotten used to them, after having them almost every night. "He...the man, the one the voice belonged to, he stabbed my...me, Richard." Richard had the feeling she was hiding something from him, but didn't voice it. She was upset enough. "It was just...real. It seemed real."

"I know." He went through the same experience all the time. "But it isn't. You've got to remember that." Kori nodded solemnly, and Richard guessed she had, like him, noticed that their faces were mere inches apart. He scooted back. "Sleep, Kori. I'll stay here until you do, I promise."

Kori did as she was told, out within minutes. Richard's own fatigue from earlier returned. It was time to go. He bade good-bye to a confused and exasperated Galfore and his equally confused and exasperated wife before stumbling on to his motorcycle and riding home to Wayne Manor.

So...what's going to happen between me and Kori, now? The question hit him out of the blue. At the time, he hadn't been thinking about anything but helping Kori when she needed him. But he knew this would have to be answered before school tomorrow, however much he didn't want to think about it. He sighed. I think...I think I can handle being friends with her, he thought resignedly. It was like announcing his own death sentence.

At least, I hope I can.


Again, sorry for the short chapter, but I have to go...again. I seriously hate this computer...