Chapter Three:: Time Now
THANKS AGAIN TO HyDrOmAtIc and SuperHeroLADY.
Robin rolled over in bed once again as he had all the hours before. Only this time he was remembering the sight of Starfire reaching to him with a bloody hand. Raven had cleaned hers off in his room, but Robin couldn't watch her do it. It made him sick to remember what she looked like a mere two hours ago. He was berating himself for leaving her, for letting her get away instead of rushing to her and wrapping her up into his arms. He remembered the time she thought he didn't love her and she tried to leave, he made her feel guilty. He thought about it and this time he was the one making her feel unwanted and making himself feel guilty. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been with her. He had worked so diligently on her training before he got word of this damn conference, then every moment of his time went into his machine. When she had been assualted by Slade it was her tears that told him to meet her same fate and take on the poison within his friends. It was her unwillingness to live in a world where he is evil that stopped him from even pretending he didn't care about his friends. That was how much she cared about him. And the others, she cared just as much for them. The time she had asked repeatedly to check on Raven stood out against his thoughts accompanied by her comment about shoveling something forever to get Cyborg back. He wanted things to be like that always. He couldn't count how many times he'd imagined always coming home to Starfire.
He was coming home beaten and bleeding when Starfire rushed to him at the door. She lovingly and worriedly guided him to the couch and raced for the first aid kit. She tenderly touched his arms and blew on his wounds with sweet breath. He'd reward her kindess with a strong kiss, powerful enough to cripple her if she wasn't so strong herself. She'd give him the remote and a blanket, taking his suit for washing, and bringing him a cold drink while she left him some of whatever she ate for dinner on the table as she went to wash his clothes. Robin smiled to himself softly.
Or there was the time when he came into the room and tackled her from behind, kissing the back of her neck fiercely and listening to her giggles as she gently fought to get away. He chased her around the kitchen for more, but she would fly up over head and they'd spend the rest of the night in a tag kissing match. They always ended up in Robin's room with her asleep, snoring, into his pillow while he typed frantically to make up the work he had forgotten in his chase. Robin closed his eyes tight. He had to make this up to her. He had to show her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her forever....suddenly an idea hit with such force he felt a gigantic grin coming across his face. He couldn't fight this one, it was powered by love and excitement. He couldn't wait to see her expression when he sprung this one on her, she'd have to forgive him...Meanwhile he had to figure out how to destroy Daraow for hurting her. Robin rolled onto his stomach as he thought this one through more thoroughly. Beast Boy was sleeping better, no shouting, and Cyborg only had the occassional snort that lasted five minutes. Everyone was calmed by the idea of getting not only revenge but Starfire back.
Raven laid staring at the ceiling in her room. She wasn't down on herself like she had been before but comforted by the thoughts that Robin had voiced out loud. She could imagine Robin beating Daraow over the head with his staff until he passed out. She couldn't wait to see Starfire's expression when they came storming in to rescue her. She'd promise Starfire never to let her down again and they'd go straight to the mall and buy Raven something bright colored and girly, just to make up for her failure.
Starfire opened her eyes half way. It was still dimly lit in her room, but she didn't recognize it. The thoughts came back to her of Raven and Robin fighting for her and the strange voices that had been in her head earlier. She could hear voices now, but were they the same. She was exhausted and in pain, but she crept her eyes open a little further. She saw Aunt Purefire sitting at the end of her bed creating the Tamaranian light shapes that only extremely dignified women could make with thier powers. She remembered trying to learn when she was younger but she hadn't had the heart. She was doing it for her mother and after her first lesson her mother died. She didn't see the point in them any longer if the one person she was doing it for couldn't see it. But her aunt wasn't alone, she could hear another voice in the distance in front of Purefire. She couldn't see them but she listened intently.
"She will not corroporate if we don't do it Purefire," said a gruff voice strongly. Redfire! She knew it! She wanted to leap out of bed and hug him with everything in her body. "Starfire is just too damn smart now for our good. At least when she was on Tamaran we could stiffle her encounters with the outside world but now she's part of them. We have to be harder with her now and we don't have time. The conference is in the morning...if we want to pass her off decently we'll have to give her the medication," he added. Suddenly Starfire was not as inclined to hug her uncle.
"So you are telling me that we don't have time to break her spirits, we should break her body?" asked Purefire. Redfire came into the light and Starfire closed her eyes quickly. They didn't know she was awake and if she could keep it that way, maybe she would learn enough to be able to get away again. Redfire made an affirmative noise and Starfire felt his fingers brushing the hair off her forehead. Chills went through her of anger. Since her father died only Robin had the right to touch her in such a way...now that she knew her family didn't love her as they said. "Fine...but I'll have to tell her the Titans left. She still wants to be with them, and telling her would make her more easy to work with."
"I agree. Now come dear, we should get to bed before it's too late. I want you at your best tomorrow," he smiled and took Purefire out by the hand. Starfire waited for the door to close before she opened her eyes again. SHe hadn't moved in nearly five hours and her body felt stiff, but she still didn't move. She wanted Robin here, she needed him...did he know that? Did he know she had to be with him or she'd die? He had to know! She had to tell him. Mmm, that thought hurt. She was getting too worked up and she could feel some extremely sharp pains coming from her side. She was in new clothes that were cool and silky while she could tell her wound had been patched. That much she was happy over. She was so tired and so extremely sad that all her mind could think of was falling asleep with Robin like she had that once after her sister betrayed her. They were watching the TV after the battle and the others had all gone to bed leaving her and him alone. She put her head on his shoulder and before she knew what was happening she was fast asleep and he had left her there. She imagined her pillow was atop Robin's hard chest and that she was resting within his protective arms back at the Tower. With a soft sigh she was out again.
Raven was the first to wake up of all the Titans. She meditated for strength in the events of the day and after an hour went to meet the boys for breakfast. She was counting the minutes until Daraow entered the room and saw the four of them together. She smirked to herself the whole way to the table.
Starfire meanwhile was waking up with a jolt of a finger pressing into her skin harshly. Her eyes shot open and she jerked upright, sending pain shooting through her body. She gripped her side and it eased somewhat, but Purefire wasn't going to take it slow with her.
"The conference is this morning. I bought you a dress," she said and pointed to the gown at the foot of her bed with a gently smile, " and I have asked the delegates to accompany you, since I do understand you don't understand everything about government yet," she added and moved away. Starfire watched her suspiciously. This was an unusual emotion for her, but she was getting used to it quickly. Her family wanted her dead so they could have the throne. If it hadn't been her home world she'd give it up to them and return to earth with Robin but...they were terrible people for doing this to her. Greenfire came toward her slowly and helped her sit up carefully in bed. She was more grateful to him for that simple action that she could have sang with joy. Purefire then came to the other side of the bed and smiled warmly.
"I've made you some tea dear that will help with your pain, please drink it before getting dressed so that you'll be feeling okay during the conference. It would not look good for us to be there and leave suddenly," she encourage and set the tray with tea on it next to her bed. Starfire said nothing and gazed into space. Purefire seemed satisfied though, she didn't realize Starfire was waiting for her to tell her the Titans had left her here. "Oh and your friends have left the ship. They were angry over your secret and went home," she said. "I'm sorry for you dear, people are very misleading. Everything'll be okay once we get you home to Tamaran." Starfire bit her tongue in order to keep her mouth shut. She watched emotionlessly as her aunt busily left the room. Starfire lifted the tea glass she had left and stared at it. Greenfire, who had escorted Purefire out, turned around and was coming back when he saw her. He kept his voice calm.
"I wouldn't drink that if you plan to stay alive very long," he said and went to the other side of the room to close the curtains. Starfire didn't look up, she just stared at the liquid.
"I was not going to. I overheard them talking last night and they poisoned it," she said dryly. "I wish to return to my friends..."
"Then, you don't believe what Purefire said?" he asked. He seemed to have actually believed it.
"Not for an instance. Robin would never leave me behind, it is not his nature," she said simply and put the glass down. Greenfire looked at her with awe.
"He is the one you kept calling out for last night. It was all we could do not to get you to say his name specifically around Purefire," he said and stood at attention at her side.
"Then you are the one who I heard in my dreams last night...who were the others?"
"Delegates you appointed to the conference," he said. "We supported the royal lineage, not Redfire and Purefire," he added strongly. Starfire looked at him surprised.
"You mean ... they are attempting to take my father's throne as I believed?" she asked innocently. Greenfire smiled kindly and nodded.
"That is right your majesty," he replied. Starfire looked down at her lap and cringed with pain. "We secretly keep the royal family above the others in the public eye," he smiled.
"Then you can help me," she said sternly and looked him straight in the eye.
Daraow, in the meantime, was coming into the buffet for breakfast, planning to meet the remaining Titans to attack Pludunn before the conference. At the sight of him Beast Boy started growling, a sure alert to the traitor's presence. Robin turned and looked at him enough so that Daraow knew where they were, but quickly turned back around and told the others to be cool. He then told them the basics of his plan and what they were supposed to do. Raven was enjoying the degrees of frustration on her enemy's face. Robin was smirking to himself with satisfaction and Cyborg knew by both their attitudes that this guy was going down no matter what happened. He eventually found himself smirking along while Beast Boy sat staring at them confused.
THANKS AGAIN TO HyDrOmAtIc and SuperHeroLADY.
Robin rolled over in bed once again as he had all the hours before. Only this time he was remembering the sight of Starfire reaching to him with a bloody hand. Raven had cleaned hers off in his room, but Robin couldn't watch her do it. It made him sick to remember what she looked like a mere two hours ago. He was berating himself for leaving her, for letting her get away instead of rushing to her and wrapping her up into his arms. He remembered the time she thought he didn't love her and she tried to leave, he made her feel guilty. He thought about it and this time he was the one making her feel unwanted and making himself feel guilty. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been with her. He had worked so diligently on her training before he got word of this damn conference, then every moment of his time went into his machine. When she had been assualted by Slade it was her tears that told him to meet her same fate and take on the poison within his friends. It was her unwillingness to live in a world where he is evil that stopped him from even pretending he didn't care about his friends. That was how much she cared about him. And the others, she cared just as much for them. The time she had asked repeatedly to check on Raven stood out against his thoughts accompanied by her comment about shoveling something forever to get Cyborg back. He wanted things to be like that always. He couldn't count how many times he'd imagined always coming home to Starfire.
He was coming home beaten and bleeding when Starfire rushed to him at the door. She lovingly and worriedly guided him to the couch and raced for the first aid kit. She tenderly touched his arms and blew on his wounds with sweet breath. He'd reward her kindess with a strong kiss, powerful enough to cripple her if she wasn't so strong herself. She'd give him the remote and a blanket, taking his suit for washing, and bringing him a cold drink while she left him some of whatever she ate for dinner on the table as she went to wash his clothes. Robin smiled to himself softly.
Or there was the time when he came into the room and tackled her from behind, kissing the back of her neck fiercely and listening to her giggles as she gently fought to get away. He chased her around the kitchen for more, but she would fly up over head and they'd spend the rest of the night in a tag kissing match. They always ended up in Robin's room with her asleep, snoring, into his pillow while he typed frantically to make up the work he had forgotten in his chase. Robin closed his eyes tight. He had to make this up to her. He had to show her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her forever....suddenly an idea hit with such force he felt a gigantic grin coming across his face. He couldn't fight this one, it was powered by love and excitement. He couldn't wait to see her expression when he sprung this one on her, she'd have to forgive him...Meanwhile he had to figure out how to destroy Daraow for hurting her. Robin rolled onto his stomach as he thought this one through more thoroughly. Beast Boy was sleeping better, no shouting, and Cyborg only had the occassional snort that lasted five minutes. Everyone was calmed by the idea of getting not only revenge but Starfire back.
Raven laid staring at the ceiling in her room. She wasn't down on herself like she had been before but comforted by the thoughts that Robin had voiced out loud. She could imagine Robin beating Daraow over the head with his staff until he passed out. She couldn't wait to see Starfire's expression when they came storming in to rescue her. She'd promise Starfire never to let her down again and they'd go straight to the mall and buy Raven something bright colored and girly, just to make up for her failure.
Starfire opened her eyes half way. It was still dimly lit in her room, but she didn't recognize it. The thoughts came back to her of Raven and Robin fighting for her and the strange voices that had been in her head earlier. She could hear voices now, but were they the same. She was exhausted and in pain, but she crept her eyes open a little further. She saw Aunt Purefire sitting at the end of her bed creating the Tamaranian light shapes that only extremely dignified women could make with thier powers. She remembered trying to learn when she was younger but she hadn't had the heart. She was doing it for her mother and after her first lesson her mother died. She didn't see the point in them any longer if the one person she was doing it for couldn't see it. But her aunt wasn't alone, she could hear another voice in the distance in front of Purefire. She couldn't see them but she listened intently.
"She will not corroporate if we don't do it Purefire," said a gruff voice strongly. Redfire! She knew it! She wanted to leap out of bed and hug him with everything in her body. "Starfire is just too damn smart now for our good. At least when she was on Tamaran we could stiffle her encounters with the outside world but now she's part of them. We have to be harder with her now and we don't have time. The conference is in the morning...if we want to pass her off decently we'll have to give her the medication," he added. Suddenly Starfire was not as inclined to hug her uncle.
"So you are telling me that we don't have time to break her spirits, we should break her body?" asked Purefire. Redfire came into the light and Starfire closed her eyes quickly. They didn't know she was awake and if she could keep it that way, maybe she would learn enough to be able to get away again. Redfire made an affirmative noise and Starfire felt his fingers brushing the hair off her forehead. Chills went through her of anger. Since her father died only Robin had the right to touch her in such a way...now that she knew her family didn't love her as they said. "Fine...but I'll have to tell her the Titans left. She still wants to be with them, and telling her would make her more easy to work with."
"I agree. Now come dear, we should get to bed before it's too late. I want you at your best tomorrow," he smiled and took Purefire out by the hand. Starfire waited for the door to close before she opened her eyes again. SHe hadn't moved in nearly five hours and her body felt stiff, but she still didn't move. She wanted Robin here, she needed him...did he know that? Did he know she had to be with him or she'd die? He had to know! She had to tell him. Mmm, that thought hurt. She was getting too worked up and she could feel some extremely sharp pains coming from her side. She was in new clothes that were cool and silky while she could tell her wound had been patched. That much she was happy over. She was so tired and so extremely sad that all her mind could think of was falling asleep with Robin like she had that once after her sister betrayed her. They were watching the TV after the battle and the others had all gone to bed leaving her and him alone. She put her head on his shoulder and before she knew what was happening she was fast asleep and he had left her there. She imagined her pillow was atop Robin's hard chest and that she was resting within his protective arms back at the Tower. With a soft sigh she was out again.
Raven was the first to wake up of all the Titans. She meditated for strength in the events of the day and after an hour went to meet the boys for breakfast. She was counting the minutes until Daraow entered the room and saw the four of them together. She smirked to herself the whole way to the table.
Starfire meanwhile was waking up with a jolt of a finger pressing into her skin harshly. Her eyes shot open and she jerked upright, sending pain shooting through her body. She gripped her side and it eased somewhat, but Purefire wasn't going to take it slow with her.
"The conference is this morning. I bought you a dress," she said and pointed to the gown at the foot of her bed with a gently smile, " and I have asked the delegates to accompany you, since I do understand you don't understand everything about government yet," she added and moved away. Starfire watched her suspiciously. This was an unusual emotion for her, but she was getting used to it quickly. Her family wanted her dead so they could have the throne. If it hadn't been her home world she'd give it up to them and return to earth with Robin but...they were terrible people for doing this to her. Greenfire came toward her slowly and helped her sit up carefully in bed. She was more grateful to him for that simple action that she could have sang with joy. Purefire then came to the other side of the bed and smiled warmly.
"I've made you some tea dear that will help with your pain, please drink it before getting dressed so that you'll be feeling okay during the conference. It would not look good for us to be there and leave suddenly," she encourage and set the tray with tea on it next to her bed. Starfire said nothing and gazed into space. Purefire seemed satisfied though, she didn't realize Starfire was waiting for her to tell her the Titans had left her here. "Oh and your friends have left the ship. They were angry over your secret and went home," she said. "I'm sorry for you dear, people are very misleading. Everything'll be okay once we get you home to Tamaran." Starfire bit her tongue in order to keep her mouth shut. She watched emotionlessly as her aunt busily left the room. Starfire lifted the tea glass she had left and stared at it. Greenfire, who had escorted Purefire out, turned around and was coming back when he saw her. He kept his voice calm.
"I wouldn't drink that if you plan to stay alive very long," he said and went to the other side of the room to close the curtains. Starfire didn't look up, she just stared at the liquid.
"I was not going to. I overheard them talking last night and they poisoned it," she said dryly. "I wish to return to my friends..."
"Then, you don't believe what Purefire said?" he asked. He seemed to have actually believed it.
"Not for an instance. Robin would never leave me behind, it is not his nature," she said simply and put the glass down. Greenfire looked at her with awe.
"He is the one you kept calling out for last night. It was all we could do not to get you to say his name specifically around Purefire," he said and stood at attention at her side.
"Then you are the one who I heard in my dreams last night...who were the others?"
"Delegates you appointed to the conference," he said. "We supported the royal lineage, not Redfire and Purefire," he added strongly. Starfire looked at him surprised.
"You mean ... they are attempting to take my father's throne as I believed?" she asked innocently. Greenfire smiled kindly and nodded.
"That is right your majesty," he replied. Starfire looked down at her lap and cringed with pain. "We secretly keep the royal family above the others in the public eye," he smiled.
"Then you can help me," she said sternly and looked him straight in the eye.
Daraow, in the meantime, was coming into the buffet for breakfast, planning to meet the remaining Titans to attack Pludunn before the conference. At the sight of him Beast Boy started growling, a sure alert to the traitor's presence. Robin turned and looked at him enough so that Daraow knew where they were, but quickly turned back around and told the others to be cool. He then told them the basics of his plan and what they were supposed to do. Raven was enjoying the degrees of frustration on her enemy's face. Robin was smirking to himself with satisfaction and Cyborg knew by both their attitudes that this guy was going down no matter what happened. He eventually found himself smirking along while Beast Boy sat staring at them confused.