'My God I am sore!'

'Well if you will go falling down mine shafts, Baywatch, you're going to be sore.'

Wally glared at the archer from his place on the couch, his leg in a cast and resting on a cushion. Artemis was helping the martian in the kitchen, she glared right back at the injured red head.

'It's not like it was my fault!' said Wally loudly, 'Rob fell down as well. Speaking of which...' Wally then proceeded to throw one of the cushions from behind his back at the boy on the end of the couch. 'Robin, wake up!'

'I'm not asleep.' said Robin, not opening his eyes.

'Better not be, Bats said you had to stay awake for another few hours. You're lucky you didn't crack your skull open, so don't push your luck.'

'I'm fine Wally.' The boy opened his eyes to look at his friend's concerned expression. Wally couldn't argue with him; the cut that had been bleeding so profusely a few hours ago was already starting to heal.

'What did your Mom say about the whole purple eye thing?' Wally said quietly. The boy on the other end of the sofa closed his eyes again and sighed.

'Nothing. I didn't tell her.'

'Don't you think you should maybe mention it? Pretty sure having vampire abilities while you're still human isn't normal.' said Wally, his whole body vibrating with concern and somewhat frustration.

'Nothing about this situation is normal KF.' Sighing again, Robin looked over to his friend, turning his body to face him. 'I really don't want to give Alexander any more reason to drag me over to England.'

'Do you think Christine would let him?'

'I'm the heir to the Dracula name. I don't think she would have much choice if he really wanted it.'

Wally's expression looks disturbed, heavy on the dis. Dick could sense his best friend's body tense.

'It's weird to think that you're a prince.'

'I'm not a prince, Wally.' Robin interjected.

'Yeh Dude, you kind of are.'

Robin flashed him a look and Wally dropped the matter, allowing his friend to close his eyes and rest his head back against the couch. Wally could tell that what he had said was still going through the younger teens head. He could practically hear the gears in his mind turning in over time.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, Wally watching the rest of the team in the kitchen. But when he turned idly back to make sure the young fledgeling wasn't asleep, he jumped in surprise.

'Dude!'

Robin's eyes opened again and looked over his glasses to the ginger.

'What?'

'Dude,' Wally repeated. 'Your hair! It turning white!'

Upon hearing Wally's cry, the rest of the team congregated in the living room, all of their eyes widening as they took a look at the Boy Wonder. Through the teens black hair were very visible streaks of white...no not white, silver.

Robin could see the wild look in his friend's eyes and his breathing started to increase. But the more startled and anxious be grew, the more white his hair became. Standing quickly, he moved over to the mirror that was hanging on one of the living room walls. He stared at himself for what seemed hours, taking in the lack of pigment in his otherwise dark hair.

'Holy crap.' He whispered. 'I need to get out of here?'

'Dude, you have a concussion!' Said Wally, trying to stand before remembering he was trapped by his broken leg. 'Bats will kill you if he realises you've up and left again!'

The word again hung in the air like a bad taste, but Robin ignored it despite the words initial sting. He had to get out before his family saw. Before Dracula saw.

'If Alexander see's this, I will be in England before you can say Bye Bye Boy Wonder.' The thought made his heart race and his hair to lighten.

'Where are you going?' Asked M'gann, her eyes filled with worry. They had only just got Robin back, they did not wish to lose him again so soon.

'Titans Tower. Just until this disappears, then I will be back. I promise.' He didn't wait for an answer. He headed straight for the zeta beams, punched in the code for the tower and entered the swirling light.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The Titans were sat on the couch, the girls watching the boys play on their game station. This was how their weekends were becoming. Since the incident with the vampires and Robin leaving the team, none of them had really felt like going out and having fun. The loss of their leader had left a hole that they didn't know how to fill. So instead they sat together, waiting for the dawn when they were certain no vampires would be lurking.

All four heroes jolted upright when the newly installed zeta beam burst into the life. Through the swirling tunnel of light, the figure of Robin appeared. The rejoice they all felt as their leader entered was short lived when they saw the look of panic on his face and the silver patch running through his dark hair.

Robin walked away from the beam and closer to where the Titans were sat.

'Raven, I need your help.'

Ten minutes later, he and Raven were alone in his old room. The lights were off and they were both sat, cross-legged, on the floor. Robin's panic attack was still crawling at his lungs, trying to cut off his breathing. The hair on his head nearly as white and Christine's.

'Ok, from what I can tell your hair is like your eyes, they change depending on your emotions. Your stress levels are making your body feel like you're in danger so it's getting ready to defend itself.' Of all the people Robin knew, Raven was the one person he knew had a chance of understanding what he was going through. When he had first found out the truth and left the Titans, he had called her every night. The young amaranth had listened to her friend before talking him through his panic and calming him back down.

'That's all very well,' Robin breathed. 'But how do I stop it?'

'You could start by calming down. What was it that got you so upset?'

Robin hesitated. They sat in silence for a moment, the sound of Robin's ragged breathes bouncing off the walls until finally, he spoke.

'Wally pointed out something that I hadn't really thought about before.'

'What was that?'

'The fact that I'm a prince.'

'For all intense and purposes, yes you are. And that isn't going to change, vampire or not, that is who you are, just as your mother is the princess to the Dracula throne.'

Robin groaned, putting his head in his hands. Why was hearing that so hard!

'Dick.' The name sounded strange in her voice. She rarely used it, there was no need to as in the tower he was Robin. But hearing his name, drew him away from his grief, if only slightly.

'I don't want him to take me away, Rae. I don't want to be ruled by him.'

'Are you afaid of him?' She presumed she meant the man who was apparently his grandfather.

'I'm afraid of him taking everything I have away. I'm afraid of loosing who I am. I'm afraid of being alone.'

'Dick, this isn't going to go away. You know I know what it's like to be tied to your families legacy. At least yours isn't out for the end of the world.' She smiled a rare smile. 'Knowing this information doesn't change who you are. You're still you, this is just some more crap you have to take in your stride. And we both know you're good at doing that.'

Dick listened to her talk, his eyes locked with hers.

'You're not alone in this Richard. You're going to be ok. You just need to breathe.'

It was then that he realised he was breathing and his chest was no longer tight. He took a deep breath, just to be sure then smiled timidly to his friend when she showed him his face in a hand held mirror. His hair had returned to black.

'Thanks Rae.'

'No problem. Now, I suggest grabbing some lunch with us and then heading back before the sun gets too low. I don't think Beast Boy would cope if any of the League came looking for you.'

oOoOoOoOoOo

Christine looked down the shaft where her son and Kid Flash had fallen. It was deep, it was no wonder the boys had been as injured as they were. But the question that was bugging her remained.

How had they gotten out?

Wally's leg had been badly damaged. There was no way he would have been able to pull himself out, nor assist Robin in carrying him out. Yet, when they had arrived both boys were on the surface. There was no way Van Helsing would have helped them, the boys had stated that he had only arrived after they were out.

The boys had been very vague as to the details of their escape. She had allowed them to remain quite on the matter when they had first returned home due to Robin having a concussion and Wally needed to have his leg pulled back into place. She hadn't wanted to put them through any unneeded stress.

But she had an uneasy feeling that had kept her awake for the most of the day. Something was going on that didn't feel right and she was sure her son was in the midsts of it.

A/N OMG! It has been so long and I am so sorry. But i have a brill excuse. I was studying at university and I have just finished my last year of my degree. Please to say I will be graduating next month with a First Class Degree in English and Creative Writing with Honours. (I'm a little excited and very please with myself if you can't tell!) So that is why I have been away for over a year, but I am back now and my aim for the rest of the summer if to finish this story! Thank you for being patient with me and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Review. Karin xx