A/N: Anyone have a reference for the names of Robin's parents? Anyone?

Thanks: Not too many people are into this one, but that's okay. It's good good amount of hits, but people aren't reviewing, but that's alright. Thanks to all the people who are. ((GRIN))

Home: Chapter 4
Changes
by Em

"It feels like home to me / It feels like I'm all the way back / Where I come from..."
- Sophie B. Hawkins, Feels Like Home

The routines and shows hadn't changed too much since he left. Sure, there were advances, just like in anything, but the "Haly's Circus"(1) was humble and prided itself on its human interaction above the fancy spectacles that served only to separate the audience from the performers.

Because of this familiarity, Robin's attention kept being drawn away from the recognizable routines, over and over again, to Raven's face.

It was a strange thing to watch her experience something for the first time. He knew everyone always thought Raven was completely unemotional, but he knew that wasn't true. When the attention of others was on her, she tended to hide behind a mask of aloof indifference. But if she thought that people weren't watching her, or if she forgot she might be drawing attention, then her expressions were pretty...well, expressive.

Of course, she still didn't have large, overzealous shows of emotions the way Starfire or Beast Boy did. But if one knew when and how to look, one could definitely find more than a few emotions flitting across her features.

Robin knew how and when to look.

Hence, he wasn't as surprised as some might be to note that her face wasn't set in the seemingly perpetual lines of a frown or bored nonchalance. She wasn't shining in joy or anything, but she was definitely feeling something pleasant. If anyone asked, he couldn't even really describe it. It wasn't like her lips were spread in a toothy smile or anything. It was more subtle than that. It was more like her expression was relaxed. Open.

As she watched the tumblers, her lips were slightly parted, her jaw was a little slack, her eyes were just a little wider than normal and she was leaning forward just slightly in her chair, her hands laying lax on her lap.

The jugglers and their comedic routine made her smirk and the animal acts kept her rapt attention and softened the look in her eyes, like she was remembering something pleasant.

When the lion tamer (Skip, to Robin who recognized him as the previous lion tamer's son) placed his head between the massive animal's pointy jaws, Robin turned to find a tender smile on Raven's face. He frowned, and followed her line of sight only to be pleasantly surprised at realizing that she was looking at the face of the little girl in her mother's arms a few rows down and to the left of them.

Raven turned her eyes back to the lion and the man in the cage with him while the man put the lion through more acts and Robin leaned close to her, "That's Skip," Robin whispered in her ear.

"Skip The lion?" she whispered back.

Robin chuckled, "No, the lion tamer."

Raven narrowed her eyes to get a better look at the tamer and then glanced at Robin, reacting a little at realizing how close he was, "Is he the one that called you?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No," he admitted, laughing, "I just remember him, he was still a kid the last time I..." he trailed off and although the smile didn't leave his lips, the feeling behind it changed to one of slight melancholy.

"He's more attractive than I would have thought a lion tamer would be," she commented nonchalantly.

Robin's look of nostalgia evaporated in a puff of surprise, "What?" he asked.

Raven shrugged, "There's something about a guy who gets that close to danger all the time and..." she trailed off as Skip made the lion move so that it appeared he was dancing with him, "...dance in the face of it," she finished, the humor obvious in her voice.

"Yeah, well," Robin said, "The first time his father told him to get in the cage with the lion, he peed himself."

Raven looked at him in surprise, "So he overcame a nearly debilitating fear as well?" she asked, clearly impressed.

Robin frowned and looked back at Skip as he took his bows, "I'll be sure and introduce you," he said as the lights came on for the intermission, "I'm sure you two will have a great time if you can get past the wet animal smell of him."

Raven tried very hard not to chuckle, "Thanks but no thanks," she said nonchalantly, "Just being attractive doesn't cut it for me, you know."

Robin turned to her as the crowd began filing out searching for food and other intermission pursuits. "No?" he asked. She shook her head. "What does?"

She shrugged, "The kind of guy that would brave a stampeding herd of circus goers to get me another cotton candy...perhaps," she said, her tone never betraying the teasing nature of her words.

He laughed, "I'll brave the herd," he confirmed, standing up, "But how about popcorn instead?"

"I was joking," she said, standing up, "I won't let you go alone," she started walking with him, then realizing what he had said, turned back to look at him, "How about one cotton candy and one popcorn?" she bartered.

"Nope," he shook his head, "No more cotton candy."

"Why not?" she frowned.

"I don't think I can take it," he answered on a sigh.

"Well, you don't have to eat it," she countered, "I can eat it all."

He laughed, despite himself, "That's what I'm afraid of," he finished, leading her through the crowd and to the refreshment tent.

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Notes:

(1) I found the name of the circus on titanstower or something like that.