I own absolutely nothing related to the Teen Titans. Nor do I own any of the songs or rights to the songs that I reference, may reference, or am even thinking of referencing in this story.

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When are you gonna come down?

When are you going to land?

I should have stayed on the farm.

I should have listened to my old man.

You know you can't hold me forever,

I didn't sign up with you.

I'm not a present for your friends to open,

This boy's too young to be singing the blues.

So goodbye yellow brick road.

Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

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Unfortunately, the next day was not the promised land. In fact, it might have been closer to the gates of hell.

At least for Robin.

He couldn't tell which was worse, driving the congested, potholed road that was A104 for hours on end, crawling along at roughly 60 kph ( 35 mph), making frequent detours due to construction, stopping at various points and simply just looking at the road.

Or listening to Beast Boy complain.

"Why the heck are they staying on the road? Why aren't they going cross country so we can see some of the sites? Why aren't they at least trying to go faster? This is BORING!"

Now, in all fairness to his green friend, Robin had many of the same questions and observations as well. However, he had been trained to put aside these complaints and focus on the mission at hand. If on stakeout he had complained (verbally) like this, Batman would have disciplined him, harshly, after 30 seconds and told him to pay attention.

Beast Boy had not been disciplined in such a matter. Plus to make it worse for him, he was essentially trapped in a small confined space, with no way to move or even with the distraction of driving. He couldn't fly off because someone had to watch the rover ahead of them while Robin concentrated on the road so he didn't crash or break an axel.

After about three hours, when they were on the outskirts of Nakuru, Robin finally had enough.

"Don't you EVER shut up? You've been talking and complaining since we left the lodge this morning. Sheesh, no wonder Raven throws you out the window. How on earth does Cy handle your constant chatter?"

The changeling looked hurt for a moment, then an aggravated look appeared on his fact. "You know, I don't remember seeing YOU spend a week as an iguana or spider and unable to speak during that whole time. I couldn't make a sound, I couldn't even leave the ROOM Kitengala was in. I moved only when he moved his headquarters every two days. I barely slept, only moments at a time. And what were YOU doing, o fearless, all-knowing leader? Did you speak to anyone? Did you take a stroll around the T-Ship on HUMAN legs?

"And now I'm stuck in an even tighter place, AGAIN, after eight days of being silent. Can't fly, can't run, can barely MOVE. All I can do is watch the road. This miserable, stinking road and that miserable stinking rover up ahead, which just pulled off into a food joint on the left. At least now we can get something to eat. If this place has ANYTHING vegetarian. Which it probably doesn't, so I'm going to have to go without food AGAIN while you stuff your face.

"Somehow, I really don't think you have much to complain about. So, while you park the rover and go inside and get something to eat for us, while I wait out here AGAIN, since I can't be seen or I'll give us away, if by some MIRACLE there's something other than a salad for me to eat. I'm going to spread my wings and finally get a little exercise." With that, Beast Boy changed into a falcon and flew out the Rover's window into the sky, leaving a rather stunned boy wonder.

"Oooookay. Not exactly the kind of reaction that I would expect from BB." Robin let out a deep breath, "You know, never really made the connection that maybe one of the reasons why he talks so much is cause he can't when he morphs. And there's no way to understand what it's like to not be in a human body. Wonder what it feels like? Does it hurt? I've been in a full body cast and not able to move for a few weeks, wonder if it feels something like that. Damn, that was one of the worst times, I was going nuts not being able to move. What about snakes? What's it feel like to not have any limbs?"

Robin got out of the vehicle, "This isn't getting me anywhere. There's just no point of reference for me. Does he have the animal instincts that make him want to always be moving? Would explain the hyperactivity. Or is that just his normal behavior?"

He went into the eatery and looked for his targets, they were at a nearby table eating quietly. "Gives me time to get something to bring back." He looked at the menu on the wall. "Not much again for him. Well, I can get him some fruit, there's some nuts for protein. Given his blow up, think I'll avoid the salad."

He paid for the food, selecting some of the local cuisine for himself, and went back to the truck to await his partners return and resume the journey.

The chase continued. If you could call it a chase. It was low speed and the prey didn't even realize they were being chased (or so the titans hoped).

And still they continued on the same road. Through all the small towns, around the potholes, at a steady speed of about 90 kph until both of them were thoroughly sick of this road. By late afternoon, they had reached the town of Kitale.

All the while, Beast Boy was comparatively quiet. There was still some mumbling and grumbling, but it seemed that despite his complaining he was feeling somewhat better after flying during lunch. Oh, you could tell he was still major league ticked off at Robin, but he at least seemed in somewhat better spirits.

By now, the traffic along the road was pretty minimal, so the titans were quite a distance back, relying on the changeling's better than human eyesight. As they drove slowly through the crowded town, Beast Boy muttered, "Always liked Kitale, nice people, lots of food, but way too crowded."

"Been here before I see."

The green teen paused, "Yeah, a few times." But the conversation ended there. He didn't seem interested in continuing his observations.

By the time they had finished making their way through town (only a few miles), it was early evening and sunset would be in a couple of hours.

Beast Boy resumed talking, "Where are these guys GOING? There's not much up here. Looks like we're heading for Uganda. Wonder how we're…Whoa, check this out. They just made a left turn up ahead."

The boys continued on their way until they reached the turnoff. Reading the sign, Beast Boy let out a yell, "SWEET! We're heading for Mt. Elgon. All RIGHT! Finally, we'll get to see some of the real sights."

They continued along the road for another half hour or so before entering the park. Within minutes the rover up ahead pulled off to the side in front of a small house.

"What's that?" the boy wonder asked.

"That means we have a problem," his teammate responded. "That's one of the guest houses. No way we can stay there. They'll see us." He paused. "Guess it's time to break out the tent. Lots of camping around here so it's not a problem, but we'll have to be up quick to follow them in the morning."

The boys made their way to the campsite and pulled off the road. Getting out the tent, they moved over to one of the open areas and began to pitch it. At least that was the original intent.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked.

"I'm putting the tent up."

"Not like that. You've got it in a gulley, if it rains we'll get washed out."

They moved over a bit.

"NOW what are you doing?"

"Uhh, putting up this pole?"

"It doesn't go there."

"Where does it go?

"It fits in this post, it's part of the framework."

"Oh."

The two resumed. About a minute later, Robin stopped.

"You've never put up tent, have you?"

Beast Boy was looking at two metal rods with a confused look on his face. He sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and dropped the metal rods. "Uhh, no, not really. In the Doom Patrol when we didn't use the ship to sleep in, the others put the tents together. Other than that, if I slept outside I changed into a dog or something."

Robin let out long breath. "Fine, just watch me while I put it together. It was part of my training." And over the next few minutes, without Beast Boy getting in the way, the titan leader assembled the tent in record time.

After the tent was assembled, the boys moved some of the supplies into it, along with the sleeping bags. Before they left the rover, Beast Boy spoke up, "Don't forget the mosquito netting."

The titan leader nodded, "Right, malaria as well as a hundred other diseases. Thanks."

As they got back in the tent, he continued, "Where's yours?"

The shape shifter answered back, "Robin, why didn't the shark bite the lawyer when he fell in the ocean?"

The teen detective looked nonplussed, "What does that have to do with anything? I'm not Raven, you don't have to tell me any jokes."

"Come on, why didn't the shark bite the lawyer when he fell in the ocean?"

Robin gave a disgusted look and in a bored voice said, "I don't know; why didn't the shark bite the lawyer when he fell in the ocean?"

"Professional courtesy."

"What does that have to….oh, I get it. Since you can turn into mosquito, they recognize you and don't bite."

"Yep, my body gives off lots of different pheromones. It only really affects those insects and other type of creatures that use smell as a way to locate food and stuff, but it means the bugs leave me alone."

"Neat." He paused, "You know what pheromones are?"

Now it was the changeling's turn to give him a disgusted look. "I'm not really THAT stupid. Anything having to do with nature or animals I'm pretty good at."

"No, no. I get that and it makes sense. I thought it was more zoology and biology, not chemistry."

"You think they're not linked?"

Robin gave a self-mocking chuckle, "Now that you mention it, no, that was a pretty stupid assumption on my part. You also know botany as well, right?"

"And physiology, anatomy and anything else that affects the animal world. Pretty good with environmental sciences too."

"So why hide it?"

Beast Boy didn't say anything for a moment. "Never really thought about it. How much talking do YOU do about criminology and tactics? Not your everyday conversation topic."

"Guess not."

"Besides," he had a wide grin on his face, "it's more fun to just goof around, take it easy, bust on everyone. Just have a good time."

"And ignore me when it's time for team meetings?"

"Sorry, you say something?"

The two let out a chuckle, "Never mind. Time to hit the sack. According to YOUR plan, you've got a lot of flying to do tomorrow if we go cross country in the park."

The next day, Beast Boy did, indeed, have a lot of flying to do. In the rover, Robin stayed several kilometers back, well out of sight of their quarry. During that time, while trying to stay abreast of the flight of various green birds, a green antelope that joined a herd of other antelopes, a green buffalo (not a bison, a buffalo) and, at one point, a green elephant that looked quite out of place amongst the others, but seemed to be accepted without question.

It was definitely one of the most beautiful surveillances that Robin had ever been on. The weather was hot since their prey didn't go up the mountain, but down around the south of the volcano. They made their way south around Laboot, then continued due west around the grasslands and through the forest. It was pretty obviously that the two smugglers were confident they had no pursuers since even Robin couldn't see them, only a green bird circling overhead to the west. The long day turned to dusk and a green egret flew into the rover window, where it changed back to his comrade.

Beast Boy looked exhausted. In a low, tired voice he said, "They've stopped for the night. Pitching a tent now." He paused. "Got anything to eat?"

Robin rummaged around in the back of the rover for something for his friend. "Let's see, here's some fruit bars, lemonade, chips. Eat those, you need to replace salt after being in this heat. Here's some bread." He gave them to the weary shape shifter who began to devour them. "Wait here while I pitch the tent. Then you get some sleep."

The teen detective began to assemble the tent and had it together in short order. Then he moved the sleeping bags in and his mosquito netting. He sealed up the rover, locking all of the food inside where it wouldn't attract any of the native beasts.

The changeling stood by, half asleep on his feet. Robin didn't want to ask, but he was burning with curiosity. "Look, BB, I know you're tired, and the trip across the park was fantastic for me, and I know you enjoyed it, but why?"

"Huh?"

"Why go through the park while we were making pretty good time on the roads?"

Beast Boy mumbled, "Uganda."

This time it was Robin's turn, "Huh?"

"We're in Uganda now. Park crosses the border. This way they don't have to look for border guards or the army."

Robin raised his eyebrows above his mask. "OK, that makes sense. That's all, get some shut-eye."

Beast Boy flopped over onto his cot and sleeping bag and was out almost immediately.

"Guess flying and running all day would take a bit out of you. Well, night BB."

And Robin also turned in for the night. While not as strenuous as flying, driving a car all day while trying to track green animals was mentally weary. He also fell asleep quite quickly.

The next morning just as dawn was breaking, as Robin was taking down the tent, he looked once more at his teammate. There was still tiredness in his eyes, but not as bad as the night before. He moved somewhat slowly, without the brisk bounce to his walk. While they were eating, he was quiet as well, almost as if he were saving his energy.

After finishing, the changeling said, "OK, let me fly up ahead and make sure they haven't left yet. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, he changed into a falcon and flew off. Robin quickly finished his meal, took down the tent and packed up the rover in case they needed to leave immediately.

Just as he was getting ready to get in the rover, Beast Boy appeared.

"We need to leave now. They're taking off and heading west….oh, you've already packed." The shape shifter closed his eyes for a moment and took another breath. He looked exhausted. The week of surveillance with little sleep, the all-day flying, running and chasing the rover and the minimal food was finally wearing on him. It was obvious he really needed a little down time.

"Are you going to be all right? Can you fly?"

"Do we have a choice?"

Robin slowly shook his head. No, they really didn't if they were going to catch the smugglers. "OK, I'm on my way. Same plan as yesterday."

Beast Boy nodded and changed form once again, flying off into the distance.

And so the chase resumed.

Not for long, however, after about an hour, Robin was rejoined by his companion.

"There's a road up ahead between a bunch of churches. Our friends have taken that. Looks like we've stopped going cross country. If you bear right, we'll hit it."

Sure enough, within ten minutes, the titans had found the same road and were making their way west, a few minutes behind the black rover. Beast Boy exited the car again and flew up to get a look at the lay of the land.

A moment later he was back. "We've pretty much caught up. At the end of this road is another church, they've turned left and gone cross country to the next road. It's not far, few hundred feet. Then it meets up with the main road system and, I think, leads out of the park.

And so it did.

Following the Bududa Ring, the two boys turned left at Bududa and after about an hour, they had left the park and were approaching the nearest town, Mbale, in Uganda. The two titans continued to track the black rover through the town, turning due north at the roundabout onto Mbale-Soroti Road. They stopped briefly at a petro station by the Living Stone International University, but caught up again with their quarry outside of the town as they continued north northwest on the road.

And then, the long boring road resumed. Hours passed by with nothing but following the rover at a respectable distance. Always heading in the same direction. They passed through Soroti without pausing, heading straight through onto Soroti-Dokolo Road. Even Robin was getting bored.

"BB, do you have ANY idea where they are going?"

"I dunno. They could be heading for Juba, in the South Sudan, or they could be heading for the Congo. Both are war areas and we were told they came from there. We'll know when the hit Lira. If they keep heading north, it's the Sudan." He fell silent after that.

So they continued through Dokoto and continued straight. And still further they went almost due west.

After another hour, Beast Boy spoke, "Shit".

That was a surprise to Robin. "What's bugging you?"

"We missed the turn to Lira."

"We have to go back? Aren't they still ahead of us?"

"Yeah, we're not going to South Sudan, we're going to the Congo."

"Why is that a problem?"

There was silence for a while, then Beast Boy mutter, "Just keep driving."

More time passed. They continued on the same roads. It was mid-afternoon by now and they had been driving for over six hours now and were both pretty disgusted with the view. Robin was tired and Beast Boy…well, Beast Boy was usually quiet.

At Amil, they turned due north again and followed the Victoria Nile River. The river was actually quite nice to look at, a change from the dusty roads. Robin was rather enjoying this view, his partner, however, was deliberately focusing on the car ahead and NOT on the river. Finally, about a hour or so before dusk, they turned west again.

"Hey, we're heading for another park. FINALLY, looks like they are through for the day. Which one is this?"

"Murchison Falls" Beast Boy muttered. He said nothing more.

"Hmm, should be nice."

The boys had barely entered the park on the Bobi-Masindi Road when the car ahead of them pulled off to the side of the road, obviously ready to make camp. Rather than risk being sighted by them after all this time, Robin continued to driver for a few hundred feet more. Then he too pulled off the road towards the left and back towards the Nile. The road circled back, so he continued to follow the path and then stopped the car.

"Oh, this'll feel good. Be glad to finally stretch my legs. Come on BB, let's go." And he got out of the car. There was a bit of a roaring that could be hear from the Nile off to the South, but after so many miles of driving it was kind of nice. He turned back to the Rover. Beast Boy was still inside.

"You'd think he of all people would want to get out," the titan leader mused. He then moved to the back of the rover and got their gear out.

"Come ON, BB, let's get GOING. We've got to set up camp. Looks like we can even set up a fire tonight. Be kind of nice." And he left to make camp.

Looking around for some wood for a fire, he walked a couple of hundred feet and found the Nile river, along with a breathtaking waterfall.

"Nice. I see what Beast Boy means when he talks about the sights of Africa. This is pretty neat."

He made his way back to the camp and, to his surprise, the changeling was still in the rover. Now he was more than a little annoyed. Going over to the rover, he went to the passenger door and opened it.

"BEAST BOY, NOW. Come on out so we get make something to eat. I've got some wood for a fire, but I want to show you this great waterfall."

"Karuma," the green teen whispered.

"Guess so, come on get out." And he pulled the teen out of the truck. Figuring the sight would get him going, Robin dragged him the couple of hundred feet to the water's edge. He stood for a while looking at the majesty of the falls. Then he turned to his teammate

Beast Boy was down on ground, one knee up, his head in the crook of his right arm. Robin figured it was just the exhaustion from the past few days. Then he bent down to his friend.

Between sobs, he could hear the younger boy whisper, "Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I'm so sorry Mom, Dad."

And all Robin could think was "Oh, shit, this is not good."

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The Long and Winding Road

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Well, I did warn you that there would be long pauses in updates. This one took a bit of time since, truthfully, it's not very interesting and needed some research. I needed a transitional chapter to get to the next chapter and this was it. My apologies for those who find it dull. Next chapter should be more interesting and it's FINALLY time for Robin and Beast Boy to learn a few things about each other.

Until next time my friends.