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A Possible Reconciliation (3/3): Starfire and Nightwing
"What do you think?" Nightwing asked the little girl, holding up a small, velvet box. "Do you think that she would like it?"
The little girl flew to him while giggling. She stopped and made a kissy face before saying, "I love you." Then she was gone. The hologram of his daughter played in a loop, causing his deceased daughter to repeat the actions and words over again.
He didn't know what she would have truly thought of his decision but he responded to her based on what he would think she would say.
"Right, I am moving too fast...I know, I know; but they say the third time's the charm...Okay, you are right. We haven't talked about it. Maybe I should talk about her moving in with me first. Do you think that she will say yes?... You're right; she will say yes. I should just ask- "
Hearing the door to the columbarium opening, he quickly closed the box and tucked it away.
He waited for Changeling to come in. Although the columbarium was fully structured and designed, only he and Changeling used it. Cyborg preferred to visit the graveyard where his mother was buried while Raven stated that Azarathians believe that the dead couldn't hear you so they didn't visit graves.
However, the person that stepped inside the room wasn't Changeling; it was Starfire.
From the look on her face, she was shocked to see him as he was to see her.
"Sorry, I wasn't aware that you were here. I will return later."
"No, you don't have to go. I've stayed here long enough."
"Umm." She looked nervous as she fiddled with her hands. "I was wondering..." She glanced down at the floor. "I was wondering if you would stay. I want to tell you more stories about Mary. That is if you are not still mad at me."
"Starfire," he said her name gently. "I had time to cool down and think things over. I'm not upset with you anymore." His words caused her to face him. "I understand the decision that you had to make, the lives you had to save. I don't like the results, but I understand."
He watched as water gathered in her as she bit her lower lips. Knowing his ex-girlfriend well, he held out his arms and she flew into them.
She wrapped her arms around him and cried in the crock of his neck. "I didn't think that you would ever truly forgive me."
"I have, so don't cry." He patted her on the back. "Mary wouldn't want to see you cry. Besides, how are you going to tell me stories if you are crying?"
She pulled away from him and wiped away her tears. She gave him a watery smile. "You're right. I have many wonderful stories to tell you."
An hour and a half, they sat on the bench in the room, laughing and talking about Mary as the hologram video continued to play.
"I wish that I could have met her for myself," Nightwing said wistfully.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes traveled to her feet.
"I'm not blaming you, Starfire." He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up towards him. "I'm thankful that you had her and that she was able to live a happy life with you and your people. Thank you."
She smiled. "You don't have to thank me. She was my daughter. Our daughter."
He watched her bite her lower lip. He frowned. He hated to see Starfire self-conscious around him. It dimmed her beautiful personality. He opened his mouth to ease her worries; however, she spoke before him.
"I still love you. I know that you are with Raven, but I can't stop loving you. Please, tell me that I have a chance. If you want me to wait, I will."
He dropped his hand from her face. He closed his eyes then opened them to see the saddest pair of green eyes that he ever saw. His heart tightened.
"I wish that I could, Star. But I can't do that to you or Raven. I love and respect the both of you too much. I love her, Star. And -" He turned away to face their daughter's image. "We've already missed our chance."
"Forever?"
He turned and gave her a sad smile. "I want forever with her."
"And I wanted forever with you."
"Starfire-"
"One. Two. Three. I will be happy!" She shouted, jumping up suddenly and holding her arms up in the air.
He smiled a little as he watched her. He knew that was what she did when she didn't want to dwell on unpleasant thoughts or feelings.
She turned and looked down at him. "Will you help me find closure then?"
"Of course, if that is what you want, princess."
"Don't call me princess anymore. It..." Her eyes shifted away from his.
"I understand. What do you need for me?"
Her eyes met his. "Answers." He nodded and waited for her to ask her questions.
"Why didn't you trust me?" She asked
"I trust you." He said, confused. "I trust you with my life."
"But not your identity."
He wanted to look away but he maintained eye contact. "It's hard to explain. Before when you left for your first marriage, I wanted to tell you. However, it didn't work out as I planned. Then, when you returned, I had become jaded about it. It had become complicated by then. It was easier for me to not tell you. I felt that it was for the best if I didn't."
"Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes." He left out the part that he had wanted to tell her the night that he was planning to propose to her. Yet, he didn't think that would help her with what she was trying to accomplish.
She nodded and asked her next question. "Why didn't you stop me from leaving the second time. I was prepared to stay if you would have asked."
He hesitated before he answered. He gave her the same answer that he gave Cyborg when he asked the day she had left. "Because if the situation were reversed, I wouldn't have stayed if you would have asked me." It was the truth.
She nodded again and asked her next question. They continued this for thirty minutes until she came to her last question with teary eyes. Tears had also gathered in his eyes; however, he knew that his mask hid them well. It was hard to bear himself to Starfire, knowing that there couldn't be a future for them.
"Was I not good enough for you? Am I not good enough for you?"
"Starfire, you are perfect. No guy would dream of wanting more than you. You are perfect, and at one time you were perfect for me. You were my world. However, you are ... It is Raven who I wish to be with, who I crave for now."
"I don't want to perfect, Nightwing." Clear tears fell from her lovely, green eyes. "I want to be the only person that you look at, love."
"Starfire-"
"I'm finished asking my questions." She wrapped her arms around her. "Can you leave?" She turned away from him.
He wanted to comfort her and tell her that it will be alright. Yet, he knew that she needed to figure this out on her own.
He got up and didn't say anything as he left. There were no words left to say. His future was now with Raven.
Slade Wilson paused from putting on his shirt. Someone was entering his room without knocking. It was common in this nursing home for the room doors not to be locked so the staff could easily enter in case of an emergency. However, it was unique for someone to enter without knocking. Even the pretty, young nurse who he was sleeping with knocked when she entered.
He sighed with annoyance. It probably was a resident who had mistaken his room for theirs.
Yet, when the door fully opened., it wasn't an old resident that entered but a young woman.
Her black ankle boots clicked against the floor as she entered the room. Pale legs peeked from the side of a long black skirt that had long slits on the side. Bright red roses leaned against a dark green crop top with thick shoulder straps as it was carried in her arms.
He waited for her to close the door before he spoke. "It took you long enough." He continued to put on his shirt as she sat down in a chair in the sitting area. She placed the flowers that she brought on the coffee table as she looked around.
His room was nice, clean, and spacious. It was designed to look like a miniature flat with a sitting area and kitchenette. A bathroom and a closet were behind the closed doors.
When she was finished looking around, her eyes turned to him. "I'm not used to deciphering and answering messages from people who I thought had betrayed me," Raven said.
He smirked inward. Despite what they had been through, she remained cold and indifferent to him. Nevertheless, he knew that he got under her skin.
"If you had, you could have helped Trent earlier, and I wouldn't have to stay in this place for so long. Besides, you and No Man seem to be getting along. " He said, buttoning up the last three buttons on his shirt.
"That's different. I never trusted him."
"And you trusted me? I'm flattered. Tea?" He asked, moving to open a cabinet in the kitchenette.
"If you have nonpoisonous tea, I will take it."
He glanced over his shoulder to reply to her comment; however, she was looking outside the window. Most likely at the Tai Chi class that was going on outside. Looking at the blank expression on her face, he decided to keep his comment to himself.
"And I never trusted you nor will I ever." She continued as he fixed her tea the way she liked it. "However, I couldn't ignore your feelings for Mari and Trent. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that one could love and treat someone else's child better than their own children."
Slade placed a cup of tea in front of her and sat across from her in a single, armchair. "My relationship with children is complicated. Trent was easier to handle, easier to love, and he was Mari's son. Nevertheless, I love Trent and my sons equally," he said truthfully.
"And Rose?" She grabbed her tea and took a sip.
"I love her too, " he answered honestly.
"You have a twisted way of showing it. "
"I won't deny that."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Either way. I am grateful for you keeping up your end of our deal. Trent wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you."
"And you too. I doubt that I will ever forget what you have done for someone that you love." Their eyes connected over Raven's teacup. "Anyways, how is the boy?"
She placed the teacup down. "He is safe but scared."
"He will be fine."
"He isn't like us." She countered.
"And you weren't like me at one point in time. And now..."
"I don't want Trent to continue down the path that we created for him. I want him to have a happy and normal childhood. That's why I'm moving to Azarath with him after we complete our contract."
"And you want me to stay out of his life for good."
Even though he knew that she would suggest that, he couldn't help but feel anger creeping up his spine. He wasn't lying when he said that he loved Trent as a son and that Trent made it easy for him to. So, the thought of separating from him like he had to with his sons didn't sit well with him.
"That is what I want. However, Trent is attached to you for some reason, so I am asking you to come with us."
Slade raised an eyebrow as surprise consumed the anger inside of him. "Are you serious? I desecrated Azarath; do you think that I would be welcome there with open arms?"
"No. However, no one knows what you look like. If you continue to use the alias Evan Dosletter and try to keep your head down, no one will know who you are. The leader of Azarath is a forgiving man. He doesn't mind if you enter Azarath as long as you don't cause trouble and act as a guardian for us. "
"Has living with the Titans again made you soft?" Even though he was happy with her words, logically it didn't make sense to him.
"No, but I know Trent. He will search for you until he finds you. And I don't want him getting caught up in your mess or becoming collateral damage for something that you did. It would be for the best if you were close by."
"Where you can watch me with him."
"Where I can watch you," she confirmed. "We will leave soon. His project is almost completed." She said, referring to the Master Mind.
"Then, I will be waiting for you both." He said after a moment of silence. He was getting what he wanted but it felt weird that he didn't have to fight for what he wanted. Even when he and Raven were working together, they rarely found common ground between them.
To direct the conversation back to a level that he was used to, he asked, "What about your relationship with Richard Grayson? I got word that you two were dating. I wonder if that was his choice."
"Thanks for the tea." She said, getting up while glaring at him. He knew that She had no desire to share any information about Dick with him. He found that amusing.
Slade chuckled. "Oh, don't forget your flowers," He said when she walked past the coffee table. "I appreciate the thought but I don't do flowers."
Rachael looked at the roses then back at Slade."They are for you to place on Mari's grave. I'm sorry, Slade. She is gone for good now."
"I see." He chuckled as he heard the door closed. Those sisters always shook up his emotions.
