Now wasn't that update fast? I finally get two chapters out within a year of each other. Anywho, I think the problem with my fan fics is that it seems that when you step back and look at it, everything seems to happen to fast. I mean seriously, it may not seem like it but that's probably because this story has been running for more than half a year now and the reunions been going for…about a day? Yeah, I need to work on that, but in order to accomplish that I need to either, drag out the story until each chapter crawls at a snails pace, which I seem to do unconsciously most of the time. Or I could go with option B which is pad out the story with filler acts which is basically just what the golf game was. It set up some other stuff but really when I came up with that idea all I was thinking was, "now what can they do in this chapter so I can kill a little time in the story?" So yeah, it was either that or just say time passed, which I'm not fond of doing. Okay, now, I want to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys are Amazah! I always love hearing from you guys and I thank you for your comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. You all know who you are ;)
Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not owned by DCfan100, heck they are in no way even remotely affiliated with each other.
"Let me guess, duty calls?" Alfred asked Richard who silently slipped into the black limo that had pulled up behind the country club. As Alfred maneuvered the car through the long roads behind the building he pressed a button to darken the windows making sure that any possible eavesdroppers would not see him changing. That is, if they could even see through the thick snow that had started to fall.
"Mob bosses. I don't think they're going to just wait for us to crash there meeting, do you Alfred?" the man replied slipping off his golfing clothes laying them in a compartment behind the back seats and quickly donning the gray armored suit.
"You know, it isn't exactly considered proper etiquette to leave your guests without so much as a goodbye." Alfred returned, not taking his eyes off the road as he started to drive off.
"The job always comes first," Richard sighed "And you know the way these mobs hold there 'meetings'. Things can get ugly pretty fast." He finished, his voice becoming nothing more that a deep growl as he slipped the black cowl over his head. He took a quick glance outside. The snow was still coming down in buckets and the road was already covered in a fine layer of it. Alfred scowled as the weather forced him to drive slowly in order to keep the car from sliding around the road as Richard sighed quietly to himself.
"You can let me off here Alfred," he said. "You're not going to get very far in this weather." The butler nodded and slowed the car down while he opened a panel on the roof. The wind rushed into the car as Batman quickly checked his gadgets once again with his usual fierce determination on his face. Alfred frowned a little, he really was fighting a never ending battle.
"Do take care out there sir," Alfred sighed just as Batman was about to disappear from the car. "It's quite cold out." He finished with a smile.
"I will Alfred," a brief smile also crossing Batman's face. "And…" The butler looked back curiously.
"Yes sir?" he asked. "Never mind, it's nothing." He said simply before taking out his cable leapt out of the limo and onto the roof before grappling away. Alfred sighed and prepared to turn the limo around. It would be best to get the car back to the club before anyone missed it.
"You're going to catch something worse than a cold if you stay out there much longer," a quite voice said from by the balcony window. Rachel turned around slowly to see Greta looking at her worriedly.
"Greta…Suzzanae's friend right?" Rachel asked, her voice just barely audible above the wind.
"Um…yeah," Greta said shyly looking down at her shoes. "Are…are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," was all she mumbled back.
"Not with frostbite you won't," Greta piped up in a forceful tone. Well, forceful by her standards. To anyone else it would've sounded like a sarcastic remark. Rachel just sighed and turned back around to watch the snowy landscape. Greta frowned and shyly looked away, embarrassed by her outburst. She started to walk away before coming to a stop and looking back.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" she asked cautiously.
"Of course," Rachel said simply.
"Rave…I mean Rachel," Greta began. "I can't really pretend that we've ever been good friends. In truth, I barely know you, but we're both telepathic. I can tell that something's bothering you. Your emotions are going haywire right now and….well you're not really even trying to suppress them. " Greta said before pausing to look at the woman for some sign of emotion, any indication for her to stop or to continue. Upon getting no response Greta sighed and continued. "I mean I know it's not really any of my business but it's seriously not healthy to stay out there like that. Would y-you…and I mean you don't have to but…would you mind telling me….what's going on?" she finished before silence settled upon the two for what seemed like the longest time. Greta shifted her feet uncomfortably while Raven remained completely stoic. The only sound that could be heard between was that of the winter wind hissing. Finally, Rachel spoke up.
"Do you know what it feels like?" she asked. Greta looked up curiously.
"Do I know what…what feels like?" she replied strangely.
"I came here, to this….reunion, because I wanted to test something. I wanted to see if people really could change. He left us, he left me all those years ago and no matter what I did I just couldn't shake the feeling that…never mind." Rachel said shaking her head. She sighed, it didn't matter anyways.
"What feeling?" Greta asked, almost timidly. As if she was afraid of accidentally offending or provoking her.
"It's not important," Rachel said back in her usual monotone her skin visibly shivering from the cold air.
"You're telepathic, you should know better than anyone, the importance of feelings." Greta said a bit more openly.
"Abandoned okay?" Rachel huffed. "We'd been so close, more that Beast Boy or Cyborg or Starfire, I was closer to him than any other member of the Titans. He was the only one that I could really talk to. He was always calm and collected, ready to listen to anyone who approached him and then...He packed up and left me just sitting there. I learned to deal with it. I can take care of myself. I didn't enjoy it but I lived with it. I guess I really came to resent him. I had so many….enjoyable moments with him but it just made me mad to dwell on those things. So, I left the Titans, tried to leave those memories behind but my old teammates kept dragging me back and then when I got the invitation to come here I thought that maybe I'd give him another chance. That maybe we could have our old relationship back."
"But he wasn't the way you remembered."
"No, apparently the reunion wasn't his idea in the first place. He was cold, distant, and…"
"Dark?" Greta offered. It was Rachel's turn to look curious. "Telepath, remember?" Greta said sheepishly.
"Yeah, dark," Rachel nodded, starting to open up. "For awhile I was actually a bit afraid of him, then I just got angry. I wanted to expose him for the fake he was and make him see what a jerk he'd been to me…Then something happened. I started to miss the old Richard. I wanted the old kind, stern, happier Richard back. I just…really, really…liked him like that. He was so…so enjoyable to be around. I know that things can't go back to the way they were before but if I could get him to open up just a little, that would mean the world to me."
"So what's the problem?" Greta asked. "Having problems getting him to open up?"
"No, not really…well yes but that's no my biggest concern," Rachel said. "Roy's also trying to get Robin out of his shell. To do that we…" she stopped as her face started to turn red, through from the cold instead of embarrassment.
"You tried to use love to get him to open up so you pretended to pair up with Roy to try and get some emotion from him," Greta said with a knowing smile, all the while looking like she wanted to giggle.
"Can we talk about this inside?" Rachel asked shivering.
"Of course," Greta smiled, welcoming her back inside and quickly shutting the door behind her.
"You're right of course," Rachel continued rubbing her hands to stay warm. "I didn't like it and Roy was probably in it just for fun, I'm never sure with that guy but then... Suzzanae took a liking to Richard and he's sort of played along with her." Rachel said pausing while he face tightened. "That's made things complicated. For some reason it just drives me crazy to see her...you know. It just makes things that much harder. She's not prepared to deal with him!"
"Rachel," Greta said softly.
"It just makes me extremely frustrated, no, not frustrated, angry when I see her because she's doing my job. I know I didn't exactly call…dibs or anything but I wanted to be the one to help him out. I'm best equipped to handle this. She's just…she's just…she's way to forward with him."
"Rachel!" Greta said a bit louder.
"And then there's the worst part. Richrad goes along with it. It's like he wants to make me mad. And of course Suzzanae just has to flaunt the fact that she's made it with Mister Big shot when they've only really known each other for a single morning! That's not enough time to connect with him, not like me. I've known him for years!"
"RACHEL!" Greta yelled. Rachel paused and turned around to looked at Greta who looked like she was ready to pass out from talking so forcefully. "You w-were ranting there." Greta said with a small smile.
"Sorry," Rachel said, her voice now back to her usual monotone.
"Rae," Greta began "Don't you think that this might go beyond wanting to help out your friend?"
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked. "Our relationship has always been that of good friends, always had been always wil…"
"Rachel you were just going on and on about…well frankly how you were mad at my best friend about moving in on 'your turf'." Greta said with a small smile. Rachel paused and looked away silently. The two just stood there. Rachel in deep thought and Greta waiting for a response. The minutes ticked by as Rachel continued to process thoughts inside her head with Greta standing by her side reading the emotions that were flowing off of her. Finally, after a long while, Rachel looked up, a surrendered looked in her face.
"Thanks for that Greta," she said silently. "I know what I need to do now."
"Yo!" Roy called as he saw Alfred walk past the restaurant. The butler turned and casually walked towards the Archer.
"Yo," he casually returned in his crisp accent.
"Yeah hi Al, say I wondering, have you seen Richard around? He just kind of disappeared." Roy asked curiously an aloof look in his eyes.
"Well, I didn't see where Master Richard went off to, of course I do recall seeing him head off some place. Though I doubt that he would be very happy if I tried to remember where that place was." Alfred answered with a twinkle in his eye. Roy looked at him with a smirk.
"What are you planning old man?" Roy asked.
"Planning? Whatever do you mean?" Alfred returned. "I'm just reciting a few events that I'm not sure Master Richard would approve off. I'm sure he would be furious with me to reveal that he was heading to bust up a mob deal and I'm sure he would be less that thrilled if I revealed the location." He finished slipping Roy a piece of paper. The Archers face immediately brightened.
"Oh you're not getting have all the fun tonight buddy." He smirked.
More action next coming next chapter. Or should I say, action coming since there really hasn't been any of it in this story. And I also know what a lot of you must be thinking right now and all I have to say is DON'T…GET…YOUR….HOPES….UP. Raven Is Not Thinking What You Think She Is Thinking. This is my first attempt at 'drama' (the very thought of attempting to write it makes me shiver) and my idea is, if a little drama is good, then a lot is better. So, I'll just leave you with that cryptic ending, Yeah, it really makes no sense but you've probably already figured out what my so called 'twist' is by now. So, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time. Hopefully very soon!