First Time Chapter 25: Surrender, a teen titans fanfic

Warning: chapter contains slight mention of rape

The lights turned off, and during the confusion Karen felt an arm go around her waist, yanking her forward. She could feel someone's lips upon hers', and thinking it to be Mal's she didn't pull away. The lights returned, much to everyone's relief, and Karen slowly opened her eyes, expecting to be greeted by the eyes of her boyfriend. She was beyond shocked to see that it was Vic holding her.

"What the hell!" screamed Mal, taking Karen by the arm and pulling her away. He stepped in front of her, separating her from Vic. "What do you think you're doing kissing my girlfriend like that?!"

Vic ignored him, his eyes trying to get a hold of Karen. "Karen? Karen, say something to me."

Her fingers lightly touched her lips, her eyes wide. Say something? What did he expect her to say after the stunt he just pulled? She couldn't even think straight...

"Hey, don't talk to her," Mal demanded, shoving Vic with both hands. ""Who do you think you are?"

"I think I'm the guy who's been there for her while you've been off playing music at some fancy school!" Vic snapped. "Now get out of my way-"

Mal blocked him, fist fist clenched. "Stay the hell away from my girlfriend!"

Finally fed up with Mal's interference Vic shoved him. "Make me!"

Mal accepted the challenge and raised his fist, prepared to strike, but Karen latched onto his arm. "Mal, don't!"

He looked at her in shock and couldn't help but glare. "Why not? He deserves it!"

"Because I'm asking you!" she yelled. "Please... don't hurt him."

Mal stiffened at that, and though apprehensive of what could happen next he took a step back. Once she was sure that Mal would stay put, Karen turned to Vic and couldn't help but notice how the corners of his lips began to turn upwards. It infuriated her... and so, she punched him as hard as she could, striking him in his cheek.

She glared at him. "You're the worse, Victor Stone!"

She turned from him then, grabbing Mal's hand, and exited as fast as she could with lowered eyes. Those around them had grown quiet as they watched, but now that it was over they returned to their own business, only briefly mentioning what had transpired.

"Man, I would hate to be that guy," said one boy in the crowd, referring to Vic as the former football star exited the ballroom with a hand touching his wounded cheek. He chuckled and took a sip of his beer.

With midnight rapidly approaching Raven went in search of Joey. Although her friends were looking forward to having their kisses at midnight, Raven didn't really care if she were to partake in the tradition or not. Making memories with Joey alone would be enough for her, but she had to find him first. As she poked her head in rooms upstairs she wished that Joey would be in a better mood than earlier. Hopefully Alain had found him and was able to lift his spirits.

Raven opened the door on her right side and poked her head in. The room was empty save for the grand piano. She walked over to it, brushing her fingers against the polished wood and smiled lightly. If only if Joey were here, she thought, he would love this beautiful instrument. She made a mental note to bring him back here after she found him.

As she turned to go the opened doors of the balcony caught her eye. If Joey was wandering around outside perhaps she could catch a glimpse of him from there. Figuring it was worth a shot she approached the balcony, the thin white curtains blowing in the breeze as she approached.

She took one step outside, the curtains finally settling into place. Her eyes widened as she saw the two familiar figures kissing on the balcony, Alain and...

"Joey?"

Remembering their agreement Joey finally pulled away, leaning his forehead against Alain's briefly as he murmured his thanks.

The faint whisper of a person's voice barely reached his ears. "Joey?"

He pulled away from Alain, his hands dropping to his sides as he turned his eyes to the opened double doors of the balcony. He had thought he had heard someone, but the only presence besides his own belonged to Alain. As the curtains began to blow once more with the wind he turned his eyes away, deeming the whisper to have been nonexistent.

"Finally... We're finally here!" Toni exclaimed, spinning around joyfully as she took in the sights and sounds.

"Hey, don't get too excited," Isaiah said as he raised the heels she forced him to carry. "We still need to solve your shoe dilemma. Can't have you walking around barefoot all night."

"Don't worry about it," she said coolly. "I know for a fact there must be a ton of girls here with flats or flips flops in their bags. I just need to find someone willing to share."

Isaiah rolled his eyes. He found it silly that girls would buy heels that they weren't able to wear all night. "You make it sound so easy."

She laughed at him and turned away. She couldn't decide on what she wanted to do first; dance or eat. As she pondered this Isaiah tapped her shoulder.

"Isn't that Raven?"

She looked up to where he was pointing. Sure enough he was correct. Advancing towards them quickly was Raven. Toni's face brightened with a smile and she took a few steps forward to meet the girl. "Raven, hey! I'm so glad to see you. How's the party been-"

Raven brushed past her with lowered eyes and clenched fist, too upset to even realize that it was Toni's voice who was speaking to her.

Isaiah stood behind the perplexed Toni. "What's her problem?"

Raven forced herself to focus on one thing and one thing only; getting out of this horrible party and getting out of there fast. She ignored those around her, brushing past them as best she could as she approached the exit. The longer she remained the more she could feel a tightness growing inside her chest and a pounding in her head. The cold air of the night didn't even faze her as she made her exit, rapidly looking around. By a stroke of luck she noticed a cab and headed towards it.

There was already a person there, and Raven figured that could only mean that the cab was already claimed. She paused, ready to turn away and find some other means of leaving, when she caught a glimpse of the person's face who was standing by the yellow taxi.

"Gar?!"

The person by the cab halted by the door and turned around, allowing Raven a better view. Sure enough it was him, and she wasted no time in running over to his side.

"Hey, Raven," Gar began as she approached. "Are you leaving t-"

She walked around him and entered the cab. He blinked and bent over, poking his head inside the cab. "Um, Raven... I kind of called dibs on this cab already."

She crossed her arms and looked away, staring out the window. "I don't care. I need to get out of here."

He sighed. "Listen, it's been a long night and I want to go home already."

"Than take me with you. I don't care where I go as long as it's far away from here."

He regarded her seriously, his voice filled with concern. "Raven-"

"Please...," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself, lowering her head and causing her hair to act as a shield.

"Ay! Are we goin' or what?" the driver snapped.

"... Yeah," Gar answered as he entered the vehicle, shutting the door behind him. He looked at Raven from the corner of his eye, a frown on his face as the car began to pull away from the manor.

Kori's fingers lightly touched Xavier's cheek as their lips began to separate, eventually falling to rest on his chest, her palm pressed above his heart. His heart beat was fast, puzzling her for just a moment until she realized she was the cause. She flicked her eyes up at him as almost to confirm this and was met with the smirk of his lips. A light smile came to her face, her cheeks red, as he tucked her hair behind her ear. She leaned into the warmth of his hand and allowed him to wrap his arms around her, filling her with content as she slowly shut her eyes.

The feeling wasn't shared by her viewer, and with heavy footsteps of contempt he finally moved forward, stepping into her line of vision just as she begun to open her eyes.

She gasped, her heart skipping a beat as he came into view. She flinched in Xavier's arms, alarming him, and he raised his vision from the comfort of her shoulder to join her line of sight. Like Kori's green orbs, his own eyes widened at the person.

Although the hair was no longer spiked and now longer, resting just below the chin, there was no denying that the dark-haired blue-eyed person standing in the foyer was none other than Dick Grayson.

With mouth agape Kori's hands slipped from Xavier. She stood still for a moment, her body refusing to take action until she could confirm if the image before her wasn't that of an illusion. With the way he stood, tall and unmoving, it was hard for her to confirm if her emotions of desire and guilt had warped itself into a ghost to haunt her; though those eyes, that shade of blue... was it possible to image something so vivid and familiar. Finally, her doubt was put to rest at the sound of his voice.

"Kori," was the first word that Dick had said. It had been so long since she heard the sound of Dick's voice, let alone the sound of him calling her name. It excited her, filled her with unbridled joy that allowed her to take the smallest of steps forward, a smile already blooming. Before the flower that was her bliss could see the light, it was harshly hindered by the sudden flicker of Dick's eyes, cutting away from her with a hateful glare. "Xavier."

Kori froze and her gaze shifted to Xavier timidly. She had already forgotten that he was there. She wilted, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"... I can see that the two of you enjoyed your New Years," Dick said finally, his tone icy and distant. Kori winced at his words, knowing that he was about to pick out her pedals one by one. "Sorry that I interrupted."

Xavier took a step forward so he could stand by Kori's side. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Kori. You see, I was still under the impression that he and I had something special. But I can see that when it comes to Kori I'm easily replaceable."

Kori looked up, startled by his accusation. "Dick, that's not true. I-"

"Don't treat me like an idiot!" Dick screamed, his face twisting with rage that frightened Kori. Dick and her have had their arguments in the past, some more hurtful than others, but never before had he given her such a look that made her feel as if he was looking at absolute scum. "I saw the kiss that you initiated. You did that, Kori. You!"

She sucked in a shaky breath as her eyes began to fill with tears. "I'm sorry. If I had known that you were there I would have-"

"Would have what?" Dick inquired, stepping forward. "Wouldn't have kissed him?" Dick shook his head, a disgusted chuckle escaping his lips as he shielded his eyes with his hands. "If it were only that..."

Kori's eyes widened at the implication of his words and she covered her mouth with both hands, shaking her head as she wished it wasn't true.

"I heard every word," Dick began, his voice shaking. He took a deep breath, forcing his grief down and allowing his rage to consume him. He pointed at Xavier, furious. "I know you're having that bastard's baby!"

She shook her head at this, covering her face. It was all wrong, all of it. But how could she even begin to correct him? He was already so angry; would he even listen if she tried to explain? More importantly, what would he think of her?

Although trembling with fear Kori tried to be strong, lifting her gaze to meet Dick's. "Dick, please, just calm down-"

"Calm down? Calm down?! How can you expect me to calm down?! I've been waiting for the chance to see you for months! I've missed you so damn much this entire time that it actually hurt," his lips quivered a little, recalling his empty days at the boarding school. "All I wanted was to be with you again... That's why I came here tonight. I came here to be with you again, thinking that you missed me just as much... and yet the entire time I've been gone you've been shacking up with Xavier!"

"You're wrong," she declared, taking a step forward, reaching for him with her hand. "If you would only let me-"

He swung his arm, pushing her outstretched hand away. "Don't touch me!"

Xavier narrowed his eyes and pulled Kori behind him immediately. "Keep your fucking hands to yourself."

Dick laughed at Xavier's reaction. "Or what? What are you going to do to me, Xavier? You already stole my girlfriend! You even took her to bed and got her pregnant. You must be so proud."

"Shut your damn mouth about things you don't understand, Grayson!"

"I understand perfectly! I just wish I hadn't fooled myself for so long," he turned his glare towards Kori. "It's always been about Xavier with you, hasn't it? He's your number one? The one you decide to take to bed and share your life with? Well then, I guess I owe you a congratulations."

Kori attempted to reach out to him, but Xavier blocked her from doing so as he watched Dick carefully.

Dick's hands went around his neck as he fished out the chain hidden under his shirt. He pulled it out and snapped it from his neck. He held it up, allowing the pendant to sway in front of his eyes. Kori recognized it as the key she had given him to her house when they were sophomores. Dick captured the key in his hand, squeezing it. He clutched it with both hands, taking a moment to lean his forehead against his fist; pouring all his memories and emotions that concerned Kori into it. During this moment he kept his eyes closed, but once he had emptied out all he could he lifted his head, his eyes opening slowly. Kori's image filled his vision and the frown on his lips turned into a snarl. Clutching the key once more he raised his hand and tossed it in her direction. It hit the floor by her feet with a resentful bang.

Kori looked at him, stunned by the weight of his action, and bent down to pick up they key with an anguished face. She held the key in her hand, looking at if for a moment, before looking up at Dick, silently pleading with him to take it back.

Dick saw this and made sure that their eyes were locked as he gave her his reply. "I don't want anything to do with you."

His declaration was piercing, causing tear drops to fall from her eyes.

Dick saw this and remained unfazed. His hands slipped into the pocket of his brown leather jacket and he pulled out his old trademark sunglasses. As he turned to exit he had only one thing left to say.

"Have a nice life with Xavier."

And then he was gone with the slam of the door. Kori had heard his words, watched him leave, but it wasn't until the vibration of the unforgiving slam of the door hit her did she realize that he was gone.

Dick was gone. He was gone and he was never coming back.

It was too much to consume at once, and Kori struggled to catch her breath as she absorbed it all. Her erratic breathing worried Xavier, and he dropped to one knee, his hand on her back to comfort her.

"Kori? Kori, listen to me. You need to calm down."

She shook her head, a sob escaping her as she lowered her head. "He h-hates m-me... I ruined everything!"

"No, Kori," he grabbed her shoulders and tried to get her to look at him. "Nothing is ruined. I'm still here. You still have me."

"No!" she screamed, fighting to push him away. "You told me to give up on him! You told me he didn't care about me, but you were wrong! You were wrong and now... now... Everything is all wrong!"

She covered her face with her hands, hiding her tears as she stood to run to the living room. She collapsed onto the sofa, hiding her face in a pillow as she sobbed uncontrollably. Xavier followed her, standing by the sofa with a pained expression. He took a step closer, wanting to be with her, but couldn't bring himself to go to her side, knowing fully well that he wasn't the one she wanted.

"Kori... cutie...," he began softly. "Just tell me what to do, please..."

She lifted her head, taking deep breaths to try to subside her tears, but didn't look at him. "... Go... just go, Xavier. I can't... not now..."

Although he didn't want to he did as she asked, leaving the living room with a sullen expression. He paused at the foot of the stairs, his eyes looking back at the living room briefly. He sighed, his eyes dropping to the floor. The metallic shine of the key Dick threw caught his eye and Xavier approached it slowly, bending down to pick it up. It must have fallen from Kori's hand at some point. His eyes narrowed and he squeezed the key in his hand.

"Grayson...," he muttered darkly, rising to his feet. Swiftly he went towards the front door, exiting it.

Toni, and a reluctant Isaiah, hid behind the ice sculpture of Roy's face as they caught their breath.

"I can't believe you did that," Isaiah scolded, leaning his back against the wall.

Toni held a pair of studded black wedges in her hands, gazing upon them lovingly, pausing only a moment to glare daggers at Isaiah. "They deserve to be with a person who loves them!"

Isaiah raised a brow. "Seriously? They're shoes."

"Beautiful shoes," she corrected, petting the silver buckles. She squealed, squirming in excitement.

"That girl is going to want them back."

"Oh, she's so drunk I bet she won't even notice they're gone... But we should stay low for awhile."

"What for?" asked Joey with Alain standing right behind him.

The couple jumped, turning their heads to the side.

"Dangit, Joey!" Toni whined. "Don't scare a girl like that. I thought you were someone else."

Although originally curious to the couple's odd behavior Joey decided it wasn't important at the moment. He had other things to concern himself with. "Have you guys seen Raven around?"

"Yeah, we saw her," answered Isaiah. "But that was awhile ago."

"Did she say where she was going?" Alain inquired.

Isaiah shook his head. "She ran past us. I'm pretty sure she left."

"Left?" Joey repeated, looking away. "Where could she have gone?"

Gar carefully treaded down the steps of his basement, his arms loaded with a quilt and pillows. He set the items on the open sofa bed, arranging it properly and neatly. As he took his time to set things up he noticed Raven standing in the corner, a snow globe in her hand. She appeared bored and indifferent, her usual countenance, yet there was a distance in her eyes; as if she were pondering things too precisely. Whatever she was focusing on, it had obtained her complete and devoted attention, rendering her mute.

Gar couldn't fluff the pillows forever, and eventually he had no choice but to try to pry her from her thoughts. Dropping the pillow roughly he looked up at her. "What's up with you? You're acting weird. And not your regular kind of weird."

She placed the snow globe back in its box before turning around, her eyes lowered. "... Something happened at the party. I didn't like it."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly," she answered, crossing over to the opened bed and taking a seat, her back to him.

He sighed and sat as well, his back to her as well. "... Party wasn't everything you had hoped it be, huh?"

She didn't respond, but he didn't need her to."

"Same here... Atlee and I broke up tonight."

She lifted her head a little at that. Now would probably be the right time to show him sympathy and perhaps encourage him a little, but honestly speaking Raven wasn't in the right place to be supporting anyone.

"It was for the best, you know. We weren't clicking. I mean, I thought we were... but it was only because I wanted something from her that she couldn't give me," he sighed. "The whole time I thought I was being a good boyfriend, but I wasn't really there for her at all." He turned his head to the side. "Are you going through something like that?"

Raven's shoulders stiffened as she thought back on her relationship with Joey. He was generous and kind, perfect attributes of the model boyfriend, but yet... maybe he was too perfect? After thinking about everything, especially the kiss with Alain, Raven wondered if she was truly surprised. Joey, though romantic at times, always had a distance about him. Their hugs weren't very long, nor their kisses. He always brought her home on time after a date, never tried to linger and steal some extra time. He never pushed, never ogled. Originally she had thought this all to be good respectful qualities, but maybe... maybe he just wasn't that into her. Maybe that kiss she saw him and Alain sharing...

Her fingers clenched at her sides. "... I don't know."

Gar paused as he considered the option of pressing for more answers, but eventually he decided against it. Although he wasn't the brightest one out of all his friends, he wasn't completely oblivious either. He suspected Raven's problem, whatever it may be, dwelled with Joey. It was no secret that he had many female friends, and when angered the source typically laid with their significant other. He was sure that Raven was suffering from some lovers quarrel, and he was sure whatever the problem may be it would be solved whether he contributed some small amount of service or not. Perhaps the best thing he could do was back off and leave Raven to her thoughts.

He got up to do just that, but as his hand touched the railing to the stairs he turned around. "Do you want me to stay?"

With her back to him still she took her time in answering, but eventually the soft tone of her voice reached his ears. "... Please."

He went over to join her, the two shifting about as they got under the covers. It took a few moments for Gar to get comfortable as he shifted over as far as possible, making sure to give Raven plenty of space.

"Gar?" Raven said softly after he was done squirming about.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for not pushing."

"No problem," he replied as he shut his eyes, only to open them a moment later. The brush of Raven's pinky against his own startled him and he looked down at their hands in bewilderment. Although he was under the impression that she was reaching out to him her hand remained still, almost as if asking for permission to fully touch. He turned his eyes back towards the ceiling, shutting them, and wrapped his hand around hers. As sleep began to claim him he was sure he felt her hand squeeze his.

Wind rushing past him Xavier raced through the streets of Jump City, riding his sleek black motorcycle that filled the night with the roar of his rage. As he carved his way through the vehicles around him his phone began to ring continuously in an annoying melody, and as he gripped the handles of his motorcycle he wished he could strangle more than just Dick Grayson's neck tonight. Pulling up to the curb his journey for Grayson was put to a halt. With animosity guiding his hand he tore his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket, answering it with a yell of rage.

"WHAT?!"

"... Uh, is this a bad time?" Patrick squeaked into the phone, his nerves giving him an embarrassing pitch.

The urge to say yes was immense, but as Xavier surveyed the area he had a sudden change of heart. His anger had driven him nowhere. He needed to slow down, needed to think. If he was going to find Grayson it would take more than wrath and speed.

"It's fine," Xavier replied, abruptly grateful for the intrusion. "What do you need?"

"Okay, so since you so rudely declined my invitation to go get wasted I found two chicks instead. And these were some bad ass babes, Red. Both of them were willing to go home with me."

Xavier could hear the grin in his voice and rolled his eyes. "Get to the point."

"Okay, okay, geez... Anyway, the girls and I are ready to leave when this guy shows up and steals them from me, the dick."

"And this is so important you had to call me because...?"

"Because I'm pist! Now I need you to get to this bar and help me kick this guy's ass!"

"Sorry, but I already have someone on my hit list."

"Well whoever he is he can't be worse than this guy. What a prick! He comes in like he's all hot shit, drops his name, and suddenly the girls are cooing all over him. I tell you, this is why I like my country gals."

"That's rough," Xavier remarked sarcastically. "Who is he? A celebrity?"

"Hell if I should know. He calls himself Dick Garrison. No, that ain't right. Dick... Dick Grey...," Patrick snapped his fingers, trying to call the memory forward. "Dick Grey..."

Xavier's eyes widened. "Dick Grayson?"

"Yeah! That's his name!"

"Patrick, you have to tell me which bar you're at. Quickly."

In a dive bar in one of the rougher areas of Jump City, Dick Grayson stood with que stick in hand, examining the colorful balls scattered before him. He took aim and successfully managed to sink two balls. Smirking proudly he turned to the two girls watching him.

"I made the shot. Now what's my prize?"

The girl wearing a black fedora with a leopard print ribbon took a step forward, molding her body against his, and took hold of his face, bringing him into a rough kiss. She bit his lip before pulling away, wearing a smirk of her own.

"No fair," whined the other girl with the cropped black top and blonde hair. "I wanted to do that."

"No one's stopping you," Dick said, hooking his free hand into one of her belt loops and tugging her closer. He leaned over her, noses touching. "If you want to kiss me, do it."

The girl looked at her friend hesitantly. "You won't be mad?"

In a gesture of approval the girl in the fedora tipped her hat with a smile. Permission granted the blonde wasted no time and threw her arms around his neck, yanking him into a sloppy kiss. Although he went along with it at first, he couldn't help but pull away when the girl tried to French kiss him.

"Oookay," Dick said once he was released, taking a step away from the starry-eyed blonde. "I need a drink."

He reached for the bottle of vodka that he had perched on a nearby table and raised it to his lips, shutting his eyes...

A hand suddenly seized his arm, forcing it down. He opened his eyes immediately and was shocked to see Xavier.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Xavier asked, loosening his grip.

"Get your hands off of me!" Dick snarled, pulling his arm away and raising the bottle to his lips once more.

"Pathetic. What would Kori say if she knew you were drinking again?"

Dick lowered the bottle and wiped his lips. "It doesn't matter what she would say because I would tell her to piss the fuck off. Besides... what would she care?" Dick added, lowering his gaze as he turned away. "She has you now."

Xavier remained silent. He had intended to knock Dick out cold as revenge for upsetting Kori... but as much as he hated to admit it he felt pity for him (probably an unfortunate side effect of living with Kori). Dick had hit his low, throwing himself into his old destructive habits to conceal the pain of losing Kori. Kori had told him about the last time Dick behaved like this, back when the two were sophomores and had broken up. That had been a terrible time for her, and if it were to happen again Xavier knew she would fall victim to his behavior.

Dick stepped away, opening his arms up to the girls. "Who's ready to go back to Wayne Manor with me?" he inquired with a grin. "We can try out the new sheets. They're made of Egyptian cotton, you know."

As tempting as it was to leave Dick to his own self-destruction Xavier couldn't allow it for Kori's sake. Taking a handful of Dick's jacket he yanked him backwards, pulling him towards the back exit. As he dragged the miserable rich boy out he heard Patrick's voice swooping in; trying to charm the girls.

After dragging him out into the alley Xavier shoved Dick against the wall. Dick staggered for a moment but quickly caught his footing. He stood up straight and glared at Xavier.

"What the fuck is your problem?! You already stole Kori from me and now you're cock blocking me! What, Kori ain't enough for you? You have to steal those girls from me too?"

"Trust me, Grayson, I want nothing to do with those girls."

"Then what the fuck are you doing here? Huh?!" Dick screamed. "Going to rub it in my face? Is that what you're going to do? Well you can just save it!"

Dick stormed past him, heading back towards the bar, but Xavier grabbed his arm, pulling him back and forcing him around to face him. "I didn't steal Kori from you. If you would just shut up and listen to me-"

Dick rushed at him, fist raised, but his movements were sloppy, allowing Xavier the easy option of stepping out of the way and watching him fall into some trash bags. Despite the setback Dick was quick to get on his feet again, his fist raised.

Xavier remained still. "I'm trying to help you."

"Help me? You got my girlfriend pregnant you fucking bastard!" Dick roared, rushing forward again. "I HATE YOU!"

Like before Xavier stepped out of the way, only this time he grabbed hold of Dick's jacket, spinning him around and throwing him against the wall. With Dick's back to the wall Xavier pinned him, his arm pressing against Dick's collar-bone to keep him there.

"I'm not the one who got Kori pregnant! Phey Zzon did!"

The hands that had been digging into the leather of Xavier's jacket suddenly ceased motion. Dick looked at Xavier with wide eyes. "What?"

Xavier looked away, easing up a bit. "... The baby Kori is carrying belongs to Phey Zzon."

The words were startling for Dick to hear and sickening for Xavier to say. It put a dent in him and he slipped his arm away, stepping back.

"I don't understand... What do you mean the baby is his? Kori would never go for a guy like that, never!"

"... Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" Xavier replied scathingly.

Dick shook his head in disbelief, searching Xavier's face, hoping to find a trace of a lie. It was a futile search, and as it became more and more apparent that Xavier's implication was indeed a truth, the more Dick tried to ward it off.

"You're lying!" Dick shouted fiercely.

"I'm not lying!" Xavier yelled back.

Dick grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, glaring at him with intense loathing. "You're lying," he hissed. "You're a fucking liar!" His voiced cracked. "... Something like that... that could never happen to my Kori. Never."

"... It did happen."

Dick gritted his teeth and successfully struck Xavier with his fist. Xavier staggered, paused as he sucked in a breath of air, and returned the gesture, successfully knocking Dick to the ground. Dick remained on the ground, though mostly unhurt he couldn't bring himself to stand.

"It's not true!" he cried suddenly after a slight silent pause, clenching his fist. "It can't be true!"

Xavier approached him, looking down at him resentfully. "Get up."

Dick shook his head. His legs suddenly felt like weights.

"Get up I said!" Xavier yelled, yanking him up roughly. He glared distainfully into Dick's wide fearful eyes. "You don't get to act this way!"

"Get off of me," Dick protested feebly, his exhausted limbs raising to Xavier's wrist, trying to pry them away.

Xavier shoved him against the wall. "Quit acting selfishly! When Kori told me what happened to her I didn't get to be in denial! I had to be strong for her! You need to be strong for her! All that matters is her!"

Dick shook his head. Everything was spinning out of his control, the information to vast to process all at once.

"Don't fucking shake your head at me after what you did! Kori is at home now crying her eyes out because of you! You need to fix things because I can't do it! I'm not the one who can dry her tears this time!"

Xavier released him then, and for awhile the two stood in silence. Dick leaned against the wall for support, stepping away from Xavier slowly. Xavier's eyes narrowed at him.

"The choice is yours, Grayson. You can either go back in there with those two skanks," he began softly, waiting for Dick to turn back to him before he continued. He reached inside his pocket once he did and opened his palm, revealing the key Dick had discarded earlier. Dick stared at in silence, unmoving. "Or you can come with me."

There was a hand on her shoulder, coaxing her out of her sleep. Kori blinked her eyes, her vision blurry. "... Xavier?"

"... No... It's me, Kori," said the owner of the hand. "I'm back."

She sat up immediately at the sound of the voice, startled. She blinked her eyes several times, trying to shake off the weight of drowsiness that sought to reclaim her. "Dick?"

He smiled softly at her. "Yeah, it's me."

She launched herself into his arms, joining him on the floor of her living room floor. Had he not held onto the coffee table the two surely would have fallen backwards.

Kori clenched him tightly, trying to feel as much of him as possible, her fingers brushing across the muscles of his back and the ends of his hair as she breathed in his scent. As her chest swelled with happiness she wondered if she was dreaming. "I can't believe you're here," she whispered, burying her face into the crook of his neck, her eyes squeezed shut. "I have so much to tell you. I-"

"Shh," he soothed gently, stroking her hair. "It can wait. You need your rest. C'mon, let's get you to bed."

He helped her up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I don't want to sleep," she protested. "I want to talk to you."

"We can talk tomorrow," he assured her as they climbed the stairs."

They reached her room and Dick gently tucked her into bed before climbing in himself.

As he settled in next to her she gazed at him. "If I go to sleep, will you still be here tomorrow?"

He kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her. "I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

With his promise soothing her, she settled into his arms comfortably. Watching the scene from the doorway was Xavier. Dejectedly he turned away and proceeded to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Xavier needs a hug... Everyone hug Xavier!

Title of this chapter was inspired by the song Surrender by Billy Talent.

I have a message to say... but I forgot. I'm like still on my Comic Con high (it was EPIC!) And also I have a cold so I can't think too well. If I remember the message I'll be sure to post it on my profile.

Next chapter: Dick and Kori need to have a serious talk. As does Raven and Joey.

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