I apologize for the mishap with formatting. I split the chapter up to make sure this did not happen again.
Starfire could breath again. The flashes and the attack of chatter had ended. She had not realized how tightly she was clutching to Robin and she released him,
"I am sorry, Richard. I had not meant t-"
Robin's hand began stroking her hair, "I am so sorry, Starfire. I didn't see them coming. I would've gotten you out of there. "
Starfire tucked her head under his chin, "Richard. Please do not blame yourself."
Raven turned to the couple, "what was that?"
Robin shrugged, still hugging Starfire, "Richard Greyson is Bruce's adopted son. They think I have an idea of what Bruce is up to, so they try to get it out of me."
Raven nodded, "I told Beastboy to find Cyborg and meet us at the car shop. Unless, you… two are still up for shopping?"
Robin knew what Raven was really asking. She was asking if Starfire was still up for it. Robin shook his head, "no." His voice was sure, but there was evident sadness.
"We should not let the interruption interfere with our time in the mall of shopping," Starfire's voice was small, "if we could perhaps, try again?"
Robin shook his head, "they're probably looking for us now, angel. Let's just find Cyborg and Beastboy, let's head home."
Starfire bit her lip and pointed to one of the bags Robin was holding, "there is a present for Alfred in that package. I have wrappings in there as well. Might I wrap it in the car?"
Robin gave Starfire a kiss on the forehead, "yeah, angel, I'll help."
The three walked across the roof searching for a ladder to climb down, avoiding the skylights that may cause them to be seen from inside the mall.
"Would it be so dangerous for me to fly you down, Richard?" Starfire was eager to find the rest of her friends.
Robin sighed, tempted to give in, "yeah, we're civilians, Star. If we get caught doing anything that a civilian wouldn't be able to do, we're in trouble."
Raven nodded, "I sensed no one on the roof. That's why I brought us here."
Starfire nodded in understanding.
After a while, Robin finally pointed out the ladder, "it doesn't go all the way down, but it's not a bad jump. Anyone could make it." There was a clear emphasis on the word anyone.
Robin climbed down first. He landed with a grunt, then raised a hand to help Raven down. Raven smirked and put her foot in his hand, and leapt. Robin clicked his tongue but chuckled at the empath. Starfire handed down the bags from the shopping trip, then climbed down herself, she allowed Robin to grab her hips and lift her off of the ladder, "I am able to do it myself, Richard." She smirked at the boy wonder.
Robin chuckled and shrugged, "doesn't mean I don't wanna help."
Raven rolled her eyes, "c'mon you two. The car shop is this way."
###
"No seriously, Cy. Out of no where, they're just surrounded by a huge mob of people. I'm so happy I gave Star all of my bags! I would've had to go back in there for them. And we all know how badly they all would've wanted my picture!"
BEastboy was speaking to Cyborg, but he was looking in the rearview mirror. Starfire had been quiet and nervous the entire trip back to the mansion, he was relieved when he saw her giggling at him.
Raven rolled her eyes, "so what did you get Alfred, Star?"
Starfire bit her lip, "when I was speaking to him later regarding the 'latte' he said that his machine was very slow. I purchased him a new one!" The happiness Starfire was radiating spread to Raven. It took everything in her not to turn pink.
Robin chuckled. Starfire always loved holidays where she could give gifts. During her first few years on Earth, she would make up anniversaries and give everyone increasingly thoughtful gifts. The first few week anniversaries were the roughest, Starfire had gotten him nail polish. She had though that he wore his gloves because he was embarrassed by his 'naked nails'. He'd never told anyone, but he had let her paint one hand red, yellow, and green. He told her not to tell anyone because they would all want to paint his nails, and this was just for her. She'd never told anyone. That was when he realized the extent he could trust her. She would truly never betray his trust. He had thought of all the times he had betrayed hers and had sworn, long ago, that would never happen again.
"What's in that bag, Star?" Beastboy chuckled at her happiness.
Starfire instantly tensed up. She stopped writing the tag on Alfred's newly wrapped gift, she looked toward Robin, "I…I was unsure if…"
Robin furrowed his brows, "Star?" He instantly understood, "Starfire. You got something for Bruce?"
Starfire looked down at the ground. The car was silent.
Raven spoke first, "no one is made at you, Starfire. We don't know how you got him something. He's been so… terrible to you… to us. We just... I just..."
Starfire exhaled, "he is Richard's father. "She looked to Robin, "your intention of us meeting him was not to hate him, I presume?"
Robin shook his head, "I was hoping that he would help us all. With Slade, with everything. I don't know what happened."
Starfire rested her hand on his cheek, "then we shall continue trying. He said cruel things about us, yes." Starfire looked at the others, "and that will be hard to forgive, but we must attempt to-"
Robin shook his head, "Starfire, you guy really don't have-"
Raven shook her head, "Starfire's right. He's your family Robin. He and Alfred. We have to try. It's just-"
Cyborg spoke next, "it's going to be hard."
Robin nodded. He was shocked that his team would even consider this.
Beastboy poked Starfire's leg, "so what did you get him?"
Starfire rubbed her lips together, "it was difficult to find something that he needed, so I decided to get the novelty…"
The team's eyes widened as they braced themselves for the worst, Starfire had never bought a 'novelty' item before.
With a smiling face, she reached into the bag and pulled out a tie. A back tie that lit up with 'the Batman' symbol.
The team fought not to laugh. Robin looked out the window with a large grin on his face. They were pulling up to the mansion now.
Robin let out a quiet chuckle. Years of training and discipline would never prepare Bruce for Starfire. Ever.
###
The team entered the cave. Their bags with Cyborg, and Starfire held the newly wrapped gifts.
"You really didn't have to say the gifts were from all of us Star." Cyborg was still fighting back laughter from the reveal of Bruce's gift.
Starfire shook her head, "it is not 'the big deal' I am very happy to do so."
Starfire smiled at her friends in a way that turned them all to putty.
She tilted her head, "so after the gifts of the holiday are given, are we permitted to return home?"
The way Starfire said home seemed to send a ripple of homesickness through everyone of the Titans. They missed their rooms. Their tower. Their ocean. They missed the previous months where none of this had happened. When no pain was inflicted on their friend. Home was the place where Starfire laughed, woke up at two thirty in the morning to make them an extremely thoughtful breakfast, where they watched movies together, and where they were together. Where they were home, together.
Robin walked forward and kissed Starfire's head, "yes, angel. We can go home."
Starfire smiled widely at him. The door behind them slid open, and Starfire squeaked in anticipation. Alfred and Bruce stood, Alfred smiling at the excited girl. Bruce raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"I trust that you venture was successful," Alfred chucked at Starfire.
Starfire nodded, "yes, please. We have brought you back the belated Christmas presents!"
Bruce seemed taken aback, and even Alfred lost his composure for a moment, just a moment.
Alfred was the first to speak, "well, thank you. Very much."
Starfire had Cyborg hand the large box to Alfred and Robin to give the smaller to his father.
Starfire gripped Robin's hands with nervousness as the pair opened their gifts, "they're going to love them, dy iliuni." Robin's voice was quiet but calming.
"Why, this is precisely what I needed. I thank you, Titans." Alfred smiled knowingly at Starfire who bowed her head slightly in embarrassment.
"and what did you get, Master Bruce?"
Every eye swung to the Bat. The tall, strong man, who was staring straight ahead with a red face, fighting back laughter. Starfire tilted her head, and looked at Robin who was fighting back laughter as well.
Starfire whispered into his ear, "I have done wrong?"
Robin shook his head, letting a quiet chuckle slip through, "no, angel. You did right. You did very right." Robin raised an eyebrow at his mentor, "and that, my friends, is what happens when you don't tell a Tamaranean Princess what you want for Christmas."
###
The flight back to Jump City was uneventful. Every titan had the face of Bruce when he opened his gift etched into their mind. And would randomly laugh throughout the flight as they remembered it. Starfire on the other hand, sat in the right wing of the plane with Beastboy helping him wrap his present, and would raise an eyebrow whenever he had a laughing out burst. The team could tell that all the laughter had made Starfire realize that there was something funny about Bruce's gift. She had asked if she did something wrong, but everyone had told her no. She asked them if she should apologize to Bruce and there was a vehelment response of no. She hadn't any idea why Bruce's gift was funny. She had seen him wear many ties, and she had figured that one with his symbol on it would be interesting when he was walking around the mansion in his suit. She was sure she was annoying Robin with her many questions. She turned to Beastboy,
"please, was I mistaken to give Bruce that gift?"
Beastboy looked up from his clumsy wrapping, "no Star, please don't feel bad about it. It was the perfect thing to get him."
Starfire bit her lip.
"Star. We were laughing because, he has been so mean to us, and you sat there and thought about what to get him. And you get him something sweet and fun-… thoughtful like that. He probably had no idea it was coming. I mean couldn't you tell by his 'thank you' and how quickly he left?"
Starfire looked down, "I had believed him to be angry."
Beastboy chuckled, "I know, he makes it hard to tell." He nudged her with his elbow, "good thing we got the expressive one, huh?"
Starfire laughed whole heartedly.
There was a knock at the door. Robin's muffled voice came through, "it's me, is it safe to come in?"
Starfire looked around for Robin's gift, and Beastboy held it up, messily wrapped, "it is safe!" she called back.
The door slid open, Robin leaning against the frame, "you're still making her wrap for you?"
Beastboy rolled his eyes, "oh, ha ha. No, I guess she's free to go. Thanks Star, for everything."
Starfire stood and bowed her head, "and thank you friend."
Robin held out his hand for Starfire, to which she smiled and took it gratefully.
Robin kissed the side of her head. She spoke, "your turn in flying has finished?"
Robin nodded, "yeah Cyborg wanted to be in charge of the first Earth landing."
Starfire perked up, "we are almost home?"
Robin laughed and nodded, "yeah, that's why I came and got you. I wanted to show you something."
Robin gently pulled her hand, and led her towards the middle of the ship, then down a short set of stairs. He typed a code into a large door, and it slid open slowly. Starfire gasped with wonder at what she saw.
There were two large windows that showed the open space around them. You could see every star, every planet. Starfire smiled. There in the distance, and growing larger was her precious blue and green planet.
Robin smiled lovingly at the happiness in her eyes. He put his finger under her chin and tilted it up, giving her a lingering kiss.
She looked up at him with wonder in her eyes, "we are home."