A/N Well, I'm getting this chapter out pretty quick. I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Disclaimer I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, I would be too busy keeping season five spoilers out of the hands of people like me to write a story.

Time Changes Chapter 14

New Hobby

"I am so glad things have finally calmed down around here. Cyborg is up and playing Game Station and Robin is on the Internet. Yup! That's about normal." Beast Boy proclaimed to Raven. A hint of amusement showed on Raven's pale, tiered face.

It had only been a week since the titans had returned to the tower. Already Cyborg was completely recovered and Robin had been eating again, but he spent most of his time on the computer, ordering stuff on Ebay. What Robin was doing, Beast Boy and Raven couldn't guess. He was very secretive about the stuff he was ordering. That was fine with the Titans.

"And we've completely cleaned the tower, but I couldn't say it's normal." Her normally strait expression parted into a frown. "Something just doesn't feel right, without Starfire I mean."

"It's too quiet." Beast Boy agreed. There was another moment of silence.

"It's quiet because Starfire isn't here."

"Yeah."

Their short conversation drifted off into scilence. This was typical, short quiet, pointless words. There was a feeling in the air of not really saying what you really thought, they only said what was already common knowledge. Starfire wasn't there, and it was hard on everyone.

Each titan had developed a different way to deal with Starfire's absence, but nothing could make up for the hole that Starfire left in the Titan's dysfunctional family.

Cyborg spent each day out on the rooftop trying to make the same kind of pork there had been at Bruce Wayne's party, so far he wasn't successful, but there was more then enough pork for everyone at every meal, Beast Boy was the only one who wouldn't eat Cyborg's experimental meat. Last night they had even had smoked pork on their pizza.

Raven found herself surprisingly annoyed that no one was interrupting her meditations or reading. Though she would not admit it to anyone, she missed Starfire's constant "Come join me at the mall of shopping!" or "Will you tell me the history of Azerath through the fifth age?". So Raven took up a new hobby, she was learning how to cook. Sure, Starfire had constantly been trying to re-create Tamerainian dishes and Beast Boy could make tofu and Cyborg could make waffles, but the tower had never really had a real cook. Raven spent every spare moment trying to memorize the contents of the "Betty Cocker Cookbook".

Beast Boy walked 4 miles to the library every day and read book after book. So far he had read "The Flobbit", "A Gentleman's Guide to Manners", By Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler. He read all he could, in addition he led the team on missions. So far there had only been a few petty criminals attempting to rob the bank, Beast Boy had led Raven and Cyborg to victory and the robbers were now in the capable hands of the police.

Robin consumed his days in front of the computer. He spent most of his time on Ebay, though he also found some other sites to help him with his... Project. His project... Home... Starfire will come home, she's only gone for a year... She'll come home... He constantly went over those words in his head. Day and night he thought about Starfire coming home. And he made preparations for her homecoming, even though he knew it would be a long time. His plan was secret. No one knew about it, not Beast Boy, not Raven, not Cyborg and not Starfire, his plan was a surprise for her.

Starfire did communicate with Robin every day, several times a day that week. They would talk about Starfire's going to war and the problems on Tameran. Robin would tell her what was going on at the tower, the day to day life, and she loved to listen, then she would tell him about the feast she had just had, or what joke Galfore had told. It was almost like being in the same room, having a normal conversation, but the hardest part was just looking at each other.

It pained Starfire to see Robin in a wheelchair, and to know that she had caused his pain... But at least Robin could take medication for his pain, Starfire's only sufferings were in her mind, and they could not be treated with a mere pill. She told no one of her sufferings If Nightwing knew how much I miss him... It would only cause trouble. I must protect him from me...

Robin longed, yet he almost hated to look into that screen in his room and see Starfire's beautiful, cold, face. She doesn't smile much, even when telling Galfore's jokes. She does not frown, she doesn't cry. It's almost like looking at a blank statue. I wonder if I look the same...

Today when Starfire had called she called all the Titans. Everyone gathered in front of the TV screen in the living room.

"Friends!" She exclaimed, a broad smile on her face. Robin muttered a "Hi Star" so quietly that no one else could hear. Somehow, he was jealous of her smile, she was genuinely smiling for the other Titans, she hadn't really smiled for him. Plus, something about her didn't look quite right.

Starfire was wearing a purple Greek- style robe, a formal dress of some sort with the traditional Tamerainan crown. Her hair was curled to perfection and her face was glowing, but something was missing... Robin just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Hey Star!" Cyborg answered.

"Good to see you again." Beast Boy chimed in.

"Yeah." Raven hopelessly tried to sound enthusiastic, but she just couldn't, it didn't matter, Starfire smiled even more to hear her friends speaking.

Robin gritted his teeth, he couldn't help feeling a bit of bitterness, he loved Starfire, but he just couldn't face her today, he just couldn't understand why she was smiling for them, the other titans. He suddenly realized what she wasn't wearing, her engagement necklace. So he quietly left the room. He had just oiled the wheels on his wheelchair, so it was easy to slip out unnoticed.

He had just gone out the door when Starfire realized he was missing.

"Where is Robin?" She asked, remembering that he hadn't told the other titans that he was going to call himself "Nightwing".

"I don't know. Do you want us to go looking for him?" Beast Boy offered, remembering the book on manners and politeness he had read yesterday.

"Yes, please." Starfire said, the smile disappeared from her face.

"I'll go." Beast Boy insisted. He Turned to Raven and Cyborg, and remembering his newfound manners he bowed low and said "By your leave."

When Beast Boy was gone, Cyborg and Starfire burst into laughter. Raven stood there quietly, though anyone could see that she was amused. When finally the laughing fit stopped, Raven thought it might be good to explain Beast Boy's actions.

"Best Boy is genuinely wanting to be more, 'Responsible', so I called Alfred and he told me about a book of manners. It sounded like a good idea, getting Beast Boy to read about manners, but... he a little 'over-the-top' now."

Cyborg and Starfire started laughing again, and Raven came close to a smile. They were still laughing when Beast Boy and Robin came back into the room.

It relived Robin to hear Starfire's musical laughter, but at the same time he felt bitter jealousy, Starfire hadn't laughed when he and she had been talking the day before, but then, they hadn't had anything to laugh about. He didn't understand why he couldn't isn't talk to Starfire like the other Titans, it was almost as if he didn't feel comfortable talking to his own fiance', and that made him bitter.

"Robin! Beast Boy! It is good that you are back." Starfire said, addressing the newcomers. She smiled with delight, Beast Boy grinned back, and despite himself Robin let a small smile creep onto his face. Now Starfire was smiling at him again, and he instantly felt bad for thinking such horrible thoughts about Starfire.

"Angel, you look a thousand times better then 'Helen of Troy'." Robin replayed, clam relaxed sounding, though he was feeling very confused. What had caused the change in Starfire's behavior?

"I called you all today to tell you of the celebration going on in the capital. Today is the start of the Blorthog festival, and though there is a war, we are celebrating the power of friendship. In fact, yesterday General Ph'Yzzon and the Tamerainian army have archived a great victory against the Brigands! Everyone in the capital is celebrating, and it doesn't even feel like a war is going on!"

The Titans knew about the was and General Ph'yzzon's army because Robin had told them, so Starfire didn't have to explain. Everyone in Titans Tower smiled, but Robin's smile was the biggest.

"Does that mean you won't have to go to war?" Robin asked. The mood of the conversation changed. Starfire frowned.

"No... In fact, I am going to join the Army tomorrow. Galfore didn't want me to go so soon, but I am needed. I only decided to stay today because it is Blorthog. There are very few Tamerainians with my experience in battle, and I am needed."

"I see." Robin said. He looked down at his knees. Suddenly he remembered something important. He lifted his eyes to meet Starfire's and asked "Why are you not wearing you necklace?"

Starfire's right hand shot up to her neck, feeling for the cool silver chain. It was not there. Starfire ran out of the screen's range. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven held their collective breath, they new that Starfire was in trouble if she couldn't find her necklace, but their fears were relieved when she returned to the screen's view, her necklace back where it belonged.

"I must have forgotten to put it on again this morning." She said, offering a weak smile, her teary eyes begging for Robin's forgiveness.

"It's alright Star... Just please... Please don't forget again." He begged her, his eyes pleading.

That necklace was more then just a gift. Starfire's necklace was a symbol of the purity and love they shared. Like a normal couple's engagement ring, that necklace was a constant symbol of the fact that one day they would be bound together in the holy union of marriage.

Robin was upset that Starfire had forgotten the necklace, and he was desperately trying to ignore the pounding thought in the back of his mind, that in only one week apart, Starfire was forgetting about him. But no, that couldn't be possible...

Could it?

A/N So, I'm sort of leaving you of a cliff-hanger there, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

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