I hope that I can actually get this chapter up in a reasonable amount of time for once. Thank you all for your patience, and I hope that you're enjoying the updates! Thank you. Please remember that this story has trigger warnings for violence, and rape.

Starfire dropped her bags onto her bed, reining in her annoyance. Blaming it on the long trip. A happy Silkie in her wiggled in her arms. She gave him a quick kiss.

"I did just as Robin had sent. Breakfast at eight o'clock sharp, lots of love until naptime after lunch at one, dinner when awake, more attention, bath, then bed time. I didn't know Silkie slept that much." Speedy talked quickly, tripping over his words and blushing.

Starfire turned to him, "I thank you for your care in taking care of my little bumgorf. He is most frightened when he is alone, and once he is out of his routine it is most difficult to correct it."

Speedy nodded, "it was really no problem. He's a sweet little guy. I can definitely see he loves his mom."

Starfire tilted her head, "his mother was a large moth."

Speedy rubbed the back of his neck, "I meant you. Sorry. We often call the owners of pets their 'mom' and 'dad'."

Starfire nodded her head, "I understand, I- "

Speedy entered her room and laid on her bed.

Starfire raised an eyebrow. She was thankful that the Titans East substituted for her friends in their absence, but they were given their own quarters and all their needs were paid for ahead of time. Starfire thought the Speedy's behavior was inappropriate, but was unsure that if the situation was different due to the favor Speedy and his team had done. She was desperately wishing for Robin, or Raven.

"You know; you guys have a lot of action here." Speedy looked towards her, she had retreated back into the doorway, "might need another member permanently."

Starfire tilted her head, "Robin has not mentioned it, I am sure he will inquire about the subject if he feels it is necessary. Speedy, I require the-"
"I would love to stay and help you guys out." He got up from her bed and approached her, "I'd get to see a lot more of you."

Starfire backed away, "I am usually seeing Rob- "

Her back hit the wall but still her approached, "you're a nice view, I couldn't say that I'd mind."

Starfire's breath was leaving her, and intense fear radiated up her spine. There was an uncomfortable familiarity, every cell in her body was screaming for an escape. Black clouds began to enter her vision.

He placed a finger under her chin and spoke again. She could not her anything he had said over the ringing in her ear. Her arm began to burn. Starfire shut her eyes tightly.

Suddenly the touch was gone. Still she kept her eyes shut and tried to breathe through the ringing in her ear.

She heard a voice.

It was a familiar, kind voice.

Starfire opened her eyes.

Cyborg was holding her face, concern in his eye.

"Star. You in there? Talk to me. Please."

Starfire touched his hands, "I am here. I apologize."

Cyborg shook his head, "you don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything, okay?"

Starfire tilted her head, and he spoke again, "are you okay?"

Starfire nodded, "yes, I apologize, I am unsure what happened."

Cyborg's face turned dark, "did he do something?"
Starfire looked over at the terrified, and sonic blasted form of Speedy, "no, he was just speaking to me… I was uncomfortable… but I do not believe he did the noticing."

"I could tell you were uncomfortable, he could tell you were uncomfortable." He looked toward Speedy, "I don't wanna hit you again in front of her. Your team is on their way out. They sent me to get you. I suggest you go."

Speedy nodded quickly, "I'm sorry Starfire, I didn't-"
Cyborg growled, "go. Robin will know exactly what to do to you."

Word could never describe the level of terror that came over Speedy's face. He rushed down the hall back toward the common room.
Cyborg patted Starfire's hair as he often saw Raven do, "okay. I'm going to tell Robin what happened, but I need you to tell me everything, okay Star?"
Starfire bit her lip, "please do not get him into the trouble Cyborg. I believe it was me."

Cyborg sighed, "let me hear what you have to say and we'll decide together, okay?"

Starfire nodded, "he was speaking to me in detail about Silkie as I walked to my quarters, when I entered, I expected to say good bye but he continued speaking. I suppose I did not say goodbye either… He had told me that the caregivers to 'pets' are called 'mothers' and 'fathers.' When I was going to convey to him that I understood, he entered my room and laid upon my bed. I was unsure if that was proper protocol in the situation, as they had just done us a large 'favor'. I was going to tell him that I required to do the 'unpacking' but he began to speak about the necessity of another member on our team. He was then approaching me and continued talking about this subject when… then you appeared."

Cyborg nodded, "I heard the last part of that, Star. He didn't touch you or nothing?"
Starfire shook her head, "he placed a finger under my chin. That was the extent of it."

Cyborg nodded, "he won't be in trouble, but Robin would want to know. That's not how you treat a teammate."

Starfire nodded, "I am sorry Cyborg."

Cyborg shook his head and placed a finger on her nose, "nothing to be sorry for. Let me help you unpack."

###

Starfire walked silently next to Cyborg.

Cyborg had told her that she would not be in trouble, but there were still nerves in her stomach. She felt that she was so much trouble these past few weeks, she could not bear to bring even more. She was also afraid of what this would mean for Speedy. Cyborg had been so angry with him. Yes, he had made her very uncomfortable but she did not want to get him into trouble.

The doors to the common room opened slowly. The rest of her friends sat enjoying the relief of finally being home. The relief that she was about to ruin for Robin. She grabbed Cyborg's arm,

"must we?" her eyes were pleading in a way that broke Cyborg's heart.

"What's wrong, Star?" Raven's voice was concerned, and as Starfire had feared, the attention in the room turned to her.

Starfire released Cyborg and began to wring her hands. She should have known that Raven would sense her fear as soon as she entered the room.

Raven sat on her knees and turned so she could look over the couch at the girl, her book open but forgotten.

Cyborg began to rub Starfire's back in an attempt to comfort her. Starfire could feel the cool touch of Raven's powers as Cyborg spoke, "Speedy, sorta, um… came on to her?" When Robin jumped up, he clarified, "not in a physical way. He made Starifre uncomfortable. When I saw it I sorta… shot at him… but I just saw how uncomfortable she looked. And…"

Raven spoke now, "I just saw it…" There was a moment of silence as she spoke to Robin through his mind.

Robin sighed then nodded, he walked to Starfire and hugged her. He looked towards Raven, "tell Bee, would you?"

Raven nodded.

Robin kissed Starfire's head and whispered into her ear, "I made you a promise, didn't I?"

Starfire offered him a small smile before he turned to Cyborg, "thanks."

Cyborg nodded back, a small smile on his face, "anytime, man. You know that."

Robin smiled, and led Starfire out of the room.

Starfire bit her lip, "I am sorry, Richard."

Robin seemed to jump in surprise, "you're sorry? Star, you didn't do anything."

Starfire looked to the ground.

Robin placed a hand on either of her shoulders and made her face him. He lifted her chin with his hand, "Starfire. Raven showed me what happened. You did nothing wrong. And even if I hadn't seen it… Starfire, angel, I know you didn't do anything. I'm upset that you were treated like that by a teammate, or treated like that in general. I could se that you were uncomfortable the minute he came into your room uninvited, which should have never happened. You did nothing wrong."

Starfire tucked her head under his chin and held on to him tightly, "I did not mean to ruin your return home…"

Robin chuckled, "are you still going to steal all of my blankets?"

Starfire nodded, "and you with it."

Robin gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth, "then it's far from ruined."

He led her into his room. Once the door was closed, he held up a finger to signal that he wanted her to wait. He took off his shirt, mask, boots, and gloves, then took all the blankets from his bed. He wrapped them around a now giggling Starfire and carried her to the bed,

"there, " he said, "perfect."

Starfire's giggles were radiating throughout the room, and Robin could not help but smile.

Robin sat next to Starfire and rubbed her back, "how are you doing, dy iliuni?"

Starfire smile, "I am the o and k, Richard. I am just sorry the I disturbed the welcome home."

Robin shook his head, "you didn't ruin anything. I'm glad it was brought to my attention."

Robin continued to rub her back. There was a comfortable silence until Robin's hand strayed to Starfire's left arm, running over the metal band on her arm catching on the edges.

Starfire sat up quickly at the contact, eyes wide.

Robin held up both hands, unsure of what had happened, "Star, angel, are you okay?"

Starfire sighed at herself and nodded, "I am sorry, Richard."

Robin raised and eyebrow when she attempted to lay back down as in nothing had happened, "ummm… Star?"

Starfire rubbed her lips together, "hmm?"

Robin smirked slightly as her attempted nonchalance, "what was that?"

Starfire looked up, "nothing."

Robin chuckled, "ohhh! I'm so convinced, thank you."

Starfire huffed and laid her head back down into the pillow and mumbled something illegible.

"what?" Robin said, his chuckles under control.

When Starfire didn't respond Robin looked at her arm again, "those are like Tamaranean band-aids right?"

Starfire hummed, knowing already what her was referring to, "yes, I supposed that is the closest explanation."
She turned and looked at Robin's face, tucking her arm under herself in the process.

Robin furrowed his brow, "you've had that ever since we first met, you have something that won't heal?"

Starfire sighed at the worry in his tone.

"Starfire, dy iliuni, has Raven tried, you're not going to upset h- "

Starfire took Robin's hand and rested her head in it, "it is not an open wound, dy iliuni."

Robin shook his head, "then why do you have to keep it covered?"

Starfire sighed, "when the Gordanians take a prisoner, there are certain… measures they take to label us a prisoners and slaves."

Robin rubbed his lips together, "I don't understand."

Starfire kissed his palm, "Gordanian prisoners are branded when they are taken onto the ship."

Robin was silent. His eyes were wide. He reached for Starfire's arm. He ran his fingers over the metal wrap until he felt the thinnest point, Starfire's hand came onto his,

"Richard, you do not wish to see it."

Robin shook his head, "there might be something that we're able to do Star, Raven might be able to help."

The intensity in Robin's eyes told Starfire that there was no changing his mind. She sighed and let go of his hand,

"I request that after you inspect it we rewrap it. I have resyord in my procession. I prefer to keep it covered."

Robin gave her a kiss on the forehead, he found the thinnest point again and pulled. The snap of metal filled the silent room.

The breath left Robin, there it was. Puckered, scared, even still charred skin raised into an ugly, hacked pattern that Robin suspected was a Gordanian symbol for something. Robin traced his finger over an area of skin that was still charred black. His voice found him, "it still looks… new."

Starfire shook her head, "Gordanians use a strain of their venom heated with the nearest star to brand their slaves."

Robin looked closer at the mark, attempting to make out anything, though he knew it was hopeless. He had only ever seen Gordanian writing on the ship the titans attacked when they first met Starfire, and those symbols looked nothing like these. A large, rough, scratch-looking attempt at a letter surrounded by smaller versions of this mark with slightly differentiating features.

Starfire sighed, "Richard, you cannot hope to read Gordanian."

Robin shook his head, unsure of what to say.

Starfire looked at the brand on her arm, "Gordanian script is the most ugly, is it not?"

Robin took her hand, still searching for words, Starfire knew he was still trying to decipher what it meant.

She sighed, "it means 'Troq', Richard. During our first war with the Gordanians, Tameranean slaves were branded with this so that if they escaped they were shamed, or even returned. Now I believe we receive this mark so they so we would learn our place."

Compassion and sadness filled Robin's eyes. Robin knew the Goradanians were cruel, even more than he had ever before. But this was something he never expected to learn of. It fit their cruelty, raping and murdering people. However, it had not even occurred to him to expect this. He had always thought that Starfire wore her armband as a decoration for her people. He hugged her, there was nothing else he could do. He remembered Val-yor. How he called Starfire a Troq, and her it was, branded on her arm, a permanent reminder of everything she had gone through. An attempt to hurt her on the deepest of levels. He pulled away and kissed her lips. He couldn't fight the light tears escaping his eyes.

Starfire felt his tears and hugged him, "I am sorry Richard. I had never desired you to see this."

Robin pulled away, Starfire wiped his tears and kissed the lids of his eyes.

Robin shook his head, "Starfire, I am so- I am so so sorry."

Starfire kissed his forehead, "no, dy auera. This is not for you to answer for."

Robin's heart hurt in a way he never knew was possible, Starfire had faced terrible, terrible things on that Gordanian ship, and she wore a permanent mark from it along with the memories she could never forget.

Robin gritted his teeth, he shut his eyes tightly, an anger he had never felt before boiled inside him as he filled in the gaps in Starfire's story, as he pictured her life on that ship. He thought of everything they did to her, everything they said. He pictured Starfire bruised and beaten on the floor, no one there to help her. He felt the hot anger boiling under his skin, it burned. But there was something giving off more heat.

Robin opened his eyes and looked up.

Starfire's eyes were angry, her eyes glowing with green flames.

Robin exhaled in shock, all anger leaving his body. He reached for Starfire, "Star?"

The glowing green in her eyes vanished. She held Robin, but her could see the fear in her eyes,

"Star, angel, what is it? What did you see?"

Starfire shook her head, her eyes not leaving Robin's, "Richard, that was not..." Her words trailed off but the fear stayed in her eyes.

It sunk in slowly. Robin's lips parted slightly, a breath escaping.

"Richard, that was you."

###

Robin controlled Starfire's powers for the first time, if you hadn't guessed.