I feel like this day-by-day type of setting for each chapter is getting a little repetitive, so from now on time isn't really relevant unless it's the time of day being referenced. More RobRae ahead, followed by an interruption in your regularly scheduled lovebird programming for cooking with Chef Cy. Enjoy, and R&R!


"How was the job interview?" Robin asked as he followed the empath down the hallway.

"Bland. Odd in some respects."

"Do you think they'll hire you?"

"Who knows," Raven said, boredly shrugging.

"Well, if they don't hire you, you should take that restaurant job. I heard during rushes waitresses can make a lot of money."

"I'd rather end the world again," Raven snorted.

"So, what did you want to see me for?" Robin asked as she opened the door to her room.

"You remember our bond?" Raven answered.

"How could I forget?" he chuckled.

"Do you feel anything different? Do you think you can sense me, you can feel me?"

"Uh, not in particular," Robin responded, scratching his head.

"I want to strengthen our bond," Raven explained. Well, and do something else too, she thought to herself. But that can wait. "I can feel you right now. Your feelings, your emotions, memories, everything. But I don't think you have the same access. It's not equal."

"Raven, I appreciate what you're doing, but it's honestly okay," Robin said. "I'm fine with you knowing everything about me. I feel like I already know a lot about you. I don't want to invade your privacy."

"Robin, I'm doing this because I trust you with my mind. If something were to ever happen to me again, you'd be that much better off knowing what to do."

"If you say so," Robin conceded as he looked around her room. Various books and ornaments lined the shelves, with her bed and mystical headboard at the center of it all. He spotted the mirror that had caused so much trouble in the corner, and also a big trunk off to the side.

"Sit," Raven commanded. Robin obliged and she used her powers to set up a circle of candles around them before joining him directly across.

"Have you ever considered this is a big fire hazard?" Robin cracked.

"Unlike some others who reside in the tower, I am careful with my possessions," Raven replied seriously.

"Just tell me what to do and I'll follow best as I can," Robin told her.

"You'll want to first find your center. This doesn't necessarily mean closing your eyes, although for the majority of people that's usually how they can focus." Robin relaxed, trying to forget all thoughts and just concentrate on feeling balanced. "For me, meditation is linked to my powers, so I have to focus my magic," she continued. "I'll handle most of the bond strengthening. But I'll need you to be completely at ease."

"Do I have to say Azarath Metrion Zinthos?" Robin asked with his eyes still closed.

"If it helps you focus. Everyone is different. The most important thing is to achieve the state of balance." Raven started chanting her trademark incantation, and Robin found it difficult to not be entranced by the rhythmic repeating of the words. He decided to follow her lead, and they both started chanting, with the occasional crackling of a flame the only noise to cut through. Meditation came more natural to Robin as he had already received similar training, but he still tried to follow Raven's lead to a T and calm himself. He could only see darkness, and the sound of his own voice and Raven's gradually got softer. His breaths became slower and more even, and he felt himself slipping away from the reality of Raven's room.

Robin suddenly found himself in a strange environment. It looked like outer space, but…wasn't. He could only look around, and when he tried to move it felt like he wasn't actually going anywhere. Where…am I? he wondered.

"You are in the balanced state," Raven's voice answered, booming from all over. "Do not resist. Maintain your focus. You won't be here for long." Robin obliged, floating in place and observing the environment around him. He floated for a few moments before he saw something open in the sky. A warm light emerged, bathing him in its radiance. He felt himself start to float up towards the top, but there was no destination in sight. He just kept floating…floating…and…

The Boy Wonder found himself in a city with Greek-like architecture and long paths. He found he could no longer move, but rather he was being guided along by some force. This is Azarath, he realized. He saw a violet-haired woman running along the path with tears in her eyes. Raven's mother? He wondered. The scene suddenly changed and he saw a young Raven with a sad, confused look on her face as she was surrounded by monks in identical robes. The scene changed again. A pre-teen Raven, meditating with a monk in intricate robes. The visions Robin saw changed quite frequently, and over the next few moments he saw four demonic eyes in an angry red vortex, entering some portal with the Earth in sight at the end, running from city to city alone, and finally himself fighting Starfire through Raven's eyes. Suddenly, darkness. Four demonic eyes everywhere. The background turned bloodred and black, and he found himself hyperventilating. An evil laugh boomed throughout, and he felt it get very hot. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the hellish place disappeared. He was transported into another environment, this one completely white.

The bond is complete.

Robin didn't know where the voice came from, and it didn't sound like Raven's. He felt a chilly sensation course through him, but it quickly turned tranquil. It was like jumping into a pool and then adjusting to the temperature of the water. He felt extremely light, like he was one with the air. The white slowly faded away to reveal the balanced state he had initially achieved. He didn't know if he was supposed to say or do anything, so he decided to just…exist. He spent a few more minutes in the state until he felt a pull away from it, and his senses of reality returned…

Robin's eyes fluttered open at the same time as Raven's. They locked eyes, his mildly surprised expression a contrast with her stoic face behind the hood. He noticed that she had sat on the ground, just like him, not levitating in the air like she normally did. The candles had all burned out except for two across from each other and directly in the middle of them.

"Raven," he began. "I…"

"How do you feel?" she asked, not changing her expression. "Or, more accurately, what do you feel?" Robin thought and concentrated on his emotions, staring at Raven. He felt an eerie calm emanating off of the sorceress, and nothing more.

"Uh, peace?" Robin tried to articulate. "Or I guess, maybe like tranquility? It feels kind of weird. It's almost too still."

"Interesting," Raven remarked, giving a small smile. "This is how I usually feel after meditating. I didn't know how it would be sensed by others, though. I can tell you right now you're emanating confusion like a police siren."

"It's that obvious?" Robin said sarcastically. "So, like, what just happened? I saw your memories. Azarath, Arella, and Trigon. Then I heard someone say 'the bond is complete' and now we're back here."

"The bond is complete," Raven agreed. "You now have the same access to me as I do to you. The memories shared by the bond-bearer are the way in for the one who creates the bond. That's why the first time you asked me about my birthday, even if I had wanted to let you in, it would've been impossible without this."

"So how come you could do it to me without going through this?"

"There are many ways I can use my powers, Robin," Raven replied, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"So I can help you more now," Robin concluded. "I'll be able to feel you, no matter where you are. We'll be connected through our strongest memories and moments in life. Our essences are linked now."

"Exactly," Raven said, nodding.

"Can I test it?" Robin asked. "Can you pretend to get angry or something?"

"The emotions have to be pure, Robin," Raven said, slightly amused. "You'll learn how to discern what you're feeling as you gain more experience. You'll get more control over it. Right now, you won't be able to feel anything. But if you focus on me, you can feel what I feel in that moment."

"Hmm," Robin mused. He got up and looked around her room. How many secrets did all these mysterious objects hold? What more was Raven capable of that none of them had ever known? "Well, I guess I should thank you," he said, unsure of what to say. "It's definitely a new experience for me. But I'm glad that we can be…closer because of this."

"If it's too weird for you, just let me know and I'll figure out a way to sever it."

"That's not what I meant," he quickly backtracked. "I definitely mean it when it's new. I'm not sure how to quite handle it yet. Hopefully you can teach me how to use it like you do."

"Mmhm," Raven hummed. "It's late. I've kept you for long enough. You should go." She extinguished the remaining candles and got up to open her door.

"Raven," Robin said, stopping her. She pulled her hood down and looked at him. "What I mean is, I really do appreciate this. I always knew we had a special connection, but I never knew it'd manifest itself as something like this. You know I'll always be there for you. And I know you'd do the same for me. And I guess this is kind of a recognition of that."

"That's one way to look at it," she said, nodding. "I value our connection too, Robin. From the day we met, I knew you were different."

"You did?"

"Of course," she said simply, not elaborating further.

"Honestly, I might have seen that in you too," Robin surmised. "There was something about you that made me stop you from leaving that night. But I don't know how to describe it."

"You will figure it out," Raven replied. "I'm sure of it." Robin exited her room, walking out into the hallway before turning around.

"Could we maybe do some more meditating in the future?" he asked.

"Sure. I already do with Starfire whenever she wants to," Raven concurred. "Good night, Robin."

"Good night, Raven," he responded, and she slid her door shut. He walked down the hallway back to his own room, not realizing how much time had passed since they had begun the meditation. It had felt like minutes in whatever dimension he had entered in his mind, but it had been hours in the tower. The sun had set and this was usually the time he spent working on new gadgets or monitoring the news for suspicious activity. The brooding detective heard the sound of the TV in the main room and went over to see who was still up. He saw Beast Boy sitting on the couch alone, watching some late-night cartoons.

"Oh hey, Robin," Beast Boy greeted as he turned around. "You and Raven kind of disappeared after dinner."

"I was meditating."

"You now? Seems like soon we're all gonna be chanting Azarath Metrion Zinthos and the tower will be deader than this channel," Beast Boy grumbled.

"What are you doing up anyway?" Robin asked. "Don't you usually watch earlier than this?"

"Cyborg went to fix up the T-Car like he always does. He never lets me near that thing. And Star is busy with her makeup in her room."

"Well, I'm glad she found something to take her mind off things," Robin said to himself. He sat down on the couch, the length of the day beginning to hit him. There was the early morning stuff with Star, combat practice, video games, and meditation. Robin began to notice just how long the days felt to him without any calls to respond to.

"You should get her some more makeup so she's not sad," Beast Boy commented as he started flipping channels again. "Although she seems to be handling it pretty well."

"I don't think now is the right time," Robin said. He got up and made himself a PB&J, before noticing that there was still some coffee left in the pot. Robin only drank coffee when he needed the boost, most of the time maintaining a strict sleep schedule so he would have enough energy. Maybe a little boost was what he needed to sort through everything right now.

"Dude, late night coffee?" Beast Boy remarked groggily. "You're gonna be up all night."

"You should probably shut the TV off and get some rest yourself," Robin laughed, as he microwaved his mug. "I'm going to go back to my room."

"Just gotta finish this…last…episode…" Beast Boy moaned wearily. Robin shook his head, hoping he'd remember to turn the TV off, then went back to his room.

After a few minutes of fiddling with spare parts and sipping from leftover coffee, Robin decided he'd had enough. He wasn't doing anything productive and it was getting late. He turned off the light and hopped into his simple bed with white sheets, staring at the ceiling. Raven's bond…he wasn't sure how he felt about it yet. He tried focusing, tried to feel her presence. At first, nothing. Slowly but surely, however, he felt the familiar calm feeling again. Was she always like this? He began to appreciate her more. Not many had the willpower to stay that calm for that long. His mind drifted to other things. Their way of life since finally wrapping up Dr. Light, the nagging worry about Slade in the back of his mind, the rocky times with Star. But most importantly, he thought, the increasing closeness to Raven. They'd always had each other's backs, but he found himself drifting to her more and more for everything. Whether it was a serious conversation, small talk before breakfast, or light taunting, he was always comfortable around her. Even in silence, he could pick up what she was thinking about. She wasn't bad looking either, by any means.

Robin frowned at the sudden turn in his mind. Why had he just thought of that? One moment, he was combing through the many intricacies of their relationship, and the next…normal teenage boy thoughts. Well, he couldn't lie to himself. She was fairly beautiful. The primitive part of his brain directed his attention to her legs, and he shook his head. There was more to it than that. He gravitated towards her…mysteriousness. The reserved tendencies, cryptic parting words, and well-timed, yet occasionally riddle-like advice. She was beautiful in her own way.


The Boy Wonder hadn't realized, but Raven was monitoring his emotions as well. She knew eventually he would figure out the nuances of the bond, but she was enjoying the little spy time she had where he still wouldn't quite be able to read her emotions completely. She lay in bed as well, her cloak hanging on the bedpost and her hands supporting her head. She sensed a lot of confusion and questioning from him. He was trying to digest everything, take it from a big picture perspective. Not surprising. He was the type who wanted to know, or at least feel like, he was in control of everything, of his destiny at all times. In truth, she was starting to appreciate, to seek out his company more. Although she didn't mind hanging out with the others, even Beast Boy, Robin was the only one who would never get on her nerves. She couldn't remember the last time they had had an argument, and the few times they did fight came in the midst of stressful moments of fighting supervillains.

Raven picked up a sharp turn in his feelings. He went from pensiveness to…feeling affection? She blushed as she felt a little bit of his testosterone-fueled passion. Then, it faded to a more subtle, controlled sense of affection. He was quite clearly attracted, or at least involuntarily feeling those things, for someone. But who? It couldn't have been Starfire. And he hadn't really talked to anyone outside of the tower, let alone Jump City, lately.

Roll out the red carpet, sista! A voice rang out in her head and she caught a glimpse of a pink cloak in the corner of her eye. Our very own Raven's caught the eye of the hottest boy in town!

I swear I'm going to—

Hoo-wah! High fives all around! Brave Raven joined in. First we're gonna grab you the flashiest dress, then you're gonna kiss him in front of everyone, and then—

He doesn't like us, a third voice interjected, as Raven saw a gray cloak dance in front of her. He just thinks our legs are pretty.

As long as he buys us food, a fourth voice joined as Raven saw orange, and doesn't mind when we burp it up in his face. Raven buried her face in her hands and let out a loud, lengthy groan. That's how you're gonna sound, the orange Raven responded, once he whips out his—

Which one of you wants to be the first to join Father? Raven growled to her different personalities. They all quieted down and she rolled her eyes. From now on, not a word out of any of you. I don't want your advice with this nor do I want any comments. And if any of you disobeys, I will follow through. She saw the orange cloak flash by quickly.

I was going to say once he whips out his new R-Cycle.


"On air in one minute, Cyborg," one of the technicians called out. Cyborg gave a thumbs up back and took a deep breath. His cooking show's first season had been wildly popular, and then he hadn't had time to continue during the Titans' quest to take down the Brotherhood of Evil. Now he was back at it, and he had already prepared a whole season's worth of recipes. Cyborg carefully inspected the utensils laid out in front of him, and made sure everything was in place. The signal was given and he started, with no looking back.

"Hello to everyone!" he boomed. "It's been far too long! Chef Cy is back, and for our very first episode of our second season, I've got something special planned for y'all!" He tore open a bag of noodles and tossed them in a pot. "Many of y'all have been asking for my famous spaghetti and meatballs, and today I'm here to show you how you can easily do this within the comforts of your own kitchen!" Over the next few hours, Cyborg narrated while quickly putting everything together. Dozens of cameramen operated the angles, making sure every detail was covered.

"Who doesn't love meatballs?" Cyborg quipped as he grilled ground beef on the stovetop. "Here are the ingredients you'll need to make my special mix of spices," he continued, gesturing to an empty space where an ingredient list would eventually be edited in in the final cut. "But you know what's better than meatballs? My TRIPLE MEAT SAUCE ON TOP OF THEM!" he shouted. A compartment in his body opened and various spatulas popped out. He stirred the sauce while simultaneously cooking the meat and managing the noodles. "Remember kids, not all of you can do this all at once like me," he advised. "Make sure you follow the recipe just like I've demonstrated here, and you'll be able to make some of my delicious spaghetti and meatballs in no time!" The half-robot took breaks while waiting for the food to finish cooking, and they filmed segments after that of him preparing the dish and putting the final touches on it. The entire filming lasted many hours, and even Cyborg was tired out by the end of it. Even though his own cooked dish had been sitting out in the light for a while and was probably bad now, he didn't mind that they threw it away. After all, Cyborg didn't reveal all of his secrets for the show. Just enough to make his dishes unique, but not enough to give them the love that his home-style cooking received and that made the Titans salivate most of the time.

"Booyah!" he shouted as he quickly whipped out plates to the tasters. "Everything is the perfect texture and flavor. Dig in!" He folded his arms and smiled as the tasters all stared at it in wonder after trying it. The camera cut, and Cyborg dug in to the dish he had made before the filming for the tasters to try.

"Good work today," the producer complimented, shaking his hand. "Are you free this same time next week to film the next episode?"

"Should be," Cyborg confirmed. "Thanks for having me."

"We'll transfer your pay for this episode in about two weeks," the producer told him. "If we stick to schedule and our plan you should get all your pay from this probably three months from now."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Cyborg agreed, as he walked out of the studio. He was paid $5000 an episode now since the show was so popular. Most of its popularity stemmed from him being a Teen Titan, but as people tried his recipes, they found that they were actually delicious, and more and more started tuning in. He whistled as he walked back to his T-Car, pressing a button on his arm to open the door. He rolled the windows all the way down and put on some banger hip-hop tracks, getting on the highway to drive back to the tower. It was a warm day for fall in Jump City and the cool breeze felt great. "I could get used to this life," Cyborg said to himself, smiling.