Sorry, guys, the next two chapters are kinda slow. But they're crucial to the story, so be patient with me, and reviews are always welcome. ;)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. *sniff*

The door to his study slid open with a nearly inaudible grating sound, the sleek metal protesting just slightly as it slid into the wall. The book in Robin's hands felt unnecessarily heavy, as if Raven's thoughts and memories were weighing him down just as much as they had her. She was instilled in this little object, steeped in the pages onto which she had placed her thoughts and feelings. It was much more than a diary; it was a channel, and Robin was not at all sure that he could invade her privacy like this, even with permission. Slowly, he placed the book dead center on his desk. He didn't open it. Two hours passed, during which he managed to find distraction after distraction, all the while glancing at the linen bound cover.

Finally, after a useless foray into arcane texts about demon origins, Robin stood up and left his office. Normally, he was able to mindlessly absorb himself in his work, playing recordings and videos as a constant hum in the background as he devoted himself entirely to studying and decoding his enemies. But the footage he had of Raven fighting her father and Slade was too painful to watch over and over again. It felt wrong somehow to treat this as clinically as he did everything else, even if he knew it was necessary. He wandered down the silent halls of Titan's Tower, appreciating the quiet and peace of mind he found in the echoing stillness. After about ten minutes, he found himself back at the entrance to the hospital wing.

The door slid open at his touch, and he looked at Raven's sleeping form. Telling himself that her vitals needed checking, he crossed the room and looked at the screens that laid out her injuries so dispassionately. She looked as well as could be expected on paper, her heart rate relatively steady despite her irregular breathing. He glanced down at her, feeling his chest tighten. She was stirring slightly in her sleep, hovering a few inches off the bed one moment, then sinking back down with a barely audible whimper the next.

"You're trying to heal yourself."

He whispered it to her, receiving no response but a twitch from her fingertips. Operating out of instinct rather than logic, Robin reached out and touched her hand, and at the same time extended his mind. Ever since she had saved him from the toxicity in Slade's mask, they had had a bond. He had sometimes felt the spikes in her emotions, particularly at night when she was fighting her ever-present nightmares. But trying to do it purposely was entirely another matter. It felt strange, like he was wading through slowly thickening concrete. He could feel her nearby, but couldn't quite access her mind, nor was he sure what he was trying to accomplish.

It felt as though something had enveloped her mind, something black and red and inflexible. It was flickering. He could almost see it in his peripheral vision.

Again operating out of instinct, the next time he saw the thing waver, he launched himself at it. If somebody had asked him later what he had done, he wouldn't have been able to tell them anything except that it had taken every ounce of his strength and concentration. His hands tightened on the railing around Raven's bed, knuckles turning white as he tried to get rid of the thing. As he did so, his teammate rose into the air, this time almost a foot off of the bed. Blue energy that Robin remembered from all the times Raven had healed him enveloped her frame. He was shaking now; whatever he was fighting off was fighting back. He felt a stirring in Raven's mind as she joined his efforts. She trembled in midair, fine tremors causing the blue energy around her to flicker alarmingly.

This went on for what felt like forever. At some point, Robin glanced at the monitors built into the wall and grinned disbelievingly. Somehow, she was healing. He was helping, and she was healing. A relief so strong it was almost physical swept over Robin, and he redoubled his attempts to ward off the thing. But even he had a finite amount of energy, and he eventually collapsed, his vision going gray. He had just enough time to see Raven lower gently back onto the hospital bed before he blacked out beside her.

The next morning, Robin awoke to a splitting headache and the soft beeping of the monitors around him. Somehow, he had ended up on the hospital bed just beside Raven, still fully dressed and maskless. Raven herself was sitting up in bed and watching him. Something about the expression on her face made him nervous. It was as though she was trying very hard to conceal some sort of emotion, probably anger. At him. He groaned, rubbing his temples, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Raven folded her arms across her chest.

"You know, it's very rude to enter someone's mind without permission."

He looked at her, trying to uncover exactly how angry she was, and how likely she was to attack him.

"Bit rich coming from you."

Something that may have been a smile flickered at the corner of her mouth, but it was gone before he could decipher it.

"I'm an empath. I sense emotions involuntarily. It is not the same thing as actually diving into someone's thoughts. I've only done that once. With you. To help you."

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"And I wasn't helping?"

At that, she relented, smiling with genuine warmth.

"You did. I don't know how, but you did. I may even be able to walk around today…Thank you."

Jordanals: Thanks so much! All my goals for this fic have been met. Thank you for reviewing, it made me happy.

lunastorm13: I think your review was for chapter eight, but I didn't see it until now. :/ weird. Anyway, thank you! I'm so glad you've been following the story.