Standard disclaimers apply.

CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.

GUIDING STAR

Chapter Twelve - Cocktails

Robin decided he would be amicable when it came time for Alfred to tell him what to wear. It wasn't as if Alfred would make him look ridiculous, anyway. He just told himself that he'd had to dress up for worse occasions, so he had very little reason to bitch for this one.

In the end, what Alfred made his wear wasn't all that bad. He figured he could live with a charcoal gray suit. Alfred said something about it being a "fresh, young-looking, wool herringbone style". Robin's sense of appreciation was much simpler: It had stripes and it looked good enough with a cool shirt and tie.

He checked the library to see if the girls were still there. They were; with Babs reading some passages from Dante's Inferno. Starfire was gasping at the disturbing imagery when Babs stopped reading to grin at him.

"Well, look at you! All cleaned up! Shaken or stirred?"

Robin shot her a sardonic grin. "Cut it out, Babs."

Starfire smiled. "Ooh, does Richard look very handsome?"

Robin reddened as Babs giggled, greatly amused.

"Let's just say he's fit to be seen with the likes of us," said Babs when she was done laughing.

Starfire grinned. "Then he must look stunning."

This set Babs in another fit of giggles. "That's my girl."

Robin arched an eyebrow, taking a seat beside Starfire. "Are you two going to make fun of me the entire night?"

Starfire gingerly felt for his shoulder then patted him, stifling a giggle of her own. "Of course not! Go take a book and read something to us. It will pass the time and keep us from getting into mischief."

Robin shrugged and grabbed "The Compiled Works of Edgar Allan Poe". He liked old Poe. He cleared his throat and read.

"Ah, broken is the golden bowl! The spirit flown forever!

Let the bell toll! â€" a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river;

And, Guy de Vere, has thou no tear? â€" weep now or nevermore!

See, on yon drear and rigid bier low lies thy love, Leonore!

Come! Let the burial–"

"God almighty, stop!" implored Babs.

Robin looked at her questioningly. "What?"

"That was so depressing! Read any further and I'll kill myself."

"Why? Is Leonore a friend of yours or something?"

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

Starfire's gentle touch fell upon his arm, a chuckle rising from her throat. "Perhaps something less dark."

"Go with a love poem," Babs suggested, shoving an open book in Robin's hands.

Robin read it over with furrowed brows.

"I love thee as I love the calm

Of sweet star lighted hours!

I love thee as I love the balm

Of early jes'mine flow'rs.

"I love thee as I love the last

Rich smile of fading day

I love thee–

"Cripes, Babs! It just goes on and on like this. 'I love thee this' and 'I love thee that'... who the hell wrote this?"

Babs scowled. "Eliza Acton. What's wrong with it?"

"Sappy as hell, that's what."

"Well, love poems are supposed to be sappy."

Robin scoffed. "Sez who?"

"Kori, try talking some sense into your boyfriend, will you!"

Starfire flushed, so did Robin.

To her credit, Starfire had the presence of mind to make a suggestion. "Dorothy Parker's version of love, I believe, would be more to Richard's taste."

"We'll see," he muttered.

Babs found the text and frowned when she read it. She rolled her eyes, giving the book for Robin to read.

Clearing his throat, Robin read.

"Into love and out again,

Thus I went and thus I go.

Spare your voice, and hold your pen:

Well and bitterly I know

All the songs were ever sung,

All the words were ever said;

Could it be, when I was young,

Someone dropped me on my head?"

Starfire giggled and Robin grinned. "Now that's a love poem."

Babs pretended to be moved. "Ah, to be young and cynical!" Her acting face thereafter fell. "Dick, you're a hopeless un-romantic."

"Just because I like this poem doesn't mean I'm not romantic. It just means Kori and I have the same taste in poems, right Kori?"

Starfire smiled. "Well, more or less."

A soft ringing tone played in the background and before Robin could decipher which song it was, Babs had fished out a cellular phone from her small purse and answered it.

"What's up Uncle Gordy?" She rose from the table and walked off to the distant side of the room.

Robin idly flipped through the pages of the book in his hand. "I hope Bruce gets back here soon. I guess I could deal with the Commish and the Chief, but I could only keep up the college preppy act for so long. The Commish is going to want frat stories and unless Bruce shows up midway, I'll run out tonight."

"Perhaps I could help you entertain them. I am sure they will be asking me about Robin. Babs told me Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara have been asking about you."

He grinned. "I could use the help. Er, think we could leave Larry out of it, though? I'm afraid that's a bit too entertaining."

Starfire laughed, softly. "It is not as if I could describe Larry. He is... too strange to make sense of."

Robin nodded, his thoughts drifting to memories of his weird alter-ego.

Babs was still on the phone with her uncle when the door to the library opened. A beautiful woman with luscious raven-black hair and arresting blue eyes walked in. Her shimmering cocktail dress of black hugged her awesome curves. Her eyes swept the room for a heartbeat, first falling on Robin, and then resting on Starfire.

Robin couldn't help but gape at the woman; half-admiring, half-fearing her; her presence was utterly intimidating. Babs had forgotten that she was on the phone with her uncle and snapped it shut, staring slack-jawed at the new comer.

Alfred promptly came up from behind the woman and stood to her side. The woman pulled her eyes from Starfire and said something to Alfred after which he bowed and left the room.

"There is a woman in the room who has excellent taste in perfume," whispered Starfire, nose tilted.

Robin didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do either when the woman began to approach him. He rose cautiously, eyeing her warily. She looked like she was going to punch him, but would look very sexy doing so.

The faintest hint of a smile passed the woman's lip. "Finally, I meet Dick Grayson, Batman's trusted sidekick." She stuck her hand out. "My name is Diana."

Holy sh–this is Wonder Woman. He took her hand in a shake and had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out. Cripes, what a grip! I'm going to be feeling the effects of that in the morning! Thankfully, he was able to blurt out a coherent reply. "It's an honor to meet you, Diana." He figured that he didn't have to explain that he had ceased to be Batman's sidekick, even if he was itching to say so. He gestured to Starfire instead. "This is Koriand'r."

Starfire rose, perhaps feeling the commanding aura that Diana exuded.

Again, the faint smile. "Of course I know Starfire." She took Starfire's hand gently to shake it. "Kin spirit?"

Starfire looked mildly startled. "I am?"

Diana gave a restrained shrug. "Maybe."

Babs appeared beside them, obviously star struck. "Di–ma'am, it's such an honor to meet you. I'm–" she sought a word that she apparently couldn't find. "Speechless."

Robin couldn't believe cool and confident Barbara Gordon was spazzing-out, but she looked so endearing doing it that Diana actually smiled.

"A pleasure to meet you, Speechless."

"What? No! I mean–my name's Barbara Gordon, but you could call me Babs..."

Perhaps realizing that Babs was too awed to do anything, Diana initiated the handshake. Babs shook her hand enthusiastically. Robin thought Babs would get on her knees and start kissing Diana's feet.

With introductions done, Diana gave her full-attention to Robin. "I was supposed to come here with Bruce."

His date! thought Robin. Nice. Girlfriend? Maybe not yet... he wouldn't be babbling about his "women as a distraction" if he was involved with someone, let alone someone like Diana. Maybe Bruce is in denial, and he's trying to project his denial on me. Robin indulged himself to a vision of Bruce lying on a couch while he, Robin, sat cross-legged on a nearby chair making notes and holding up a flashcard. "Tell me, Batman," he imagined himself saying. "What do you see on this inkblot?"

Diana continued amidst Robin's mental parody. "... but he called to tell me that I should head on ahead because you might need help in entertaining the commissioner and the chief. I was happy to oblige, of course. Besides, I wanted to meet Robin and Starfire more intimately."

Robin suddenly felt like he had walked into an exam he wasn't ready for.

Babs eagerly ushered their group to some lounge chairs where Diana subjected Starfire and Robin to surprisingly easy conversation. Diana was very much interested in their work at Jump City and she asked several questions about Starfire's powers. Diana also liked asking questions about Bruce, the way Robin knew him, and found great amusement when Robin busted out some of Bruce's more choice secrets.

"The guy could sing, I'll tell you that," said Robin. This tidbit, in particular, elicited an unmistakable sparkle in Diana's eyes.

Diana also addressed Babs occasionally, but Robin could tell Diana was just being polite, although Babs didn't seem to mind. Batgirl seemed content at the mere fact that she was in the presence of Wonder Woman.

Robin assessed Diana. The woman didn't laugh much, and she was stingy with her smiles, but she had extraordinary grace, the way a queen would be at ease in a room full of subjects. They felt they had to respect her, but she didn't impose her rank upon them, rather they knew their place and she most definitely knew hers. Upon further observation, Robin could tell she treated Starfire differently than she treated him and Babs. With Starfire, Diana was still commanding, but on a level Robin found odd.

Student-teacher?thought Robin, slightly confused. It didn't make any sense, but it was there. He remembered some tales about Wonder Woman; about how she was some kind of Amazon leader. That would explain the commanding presence, but he hoped she wasn't going to recruit Starfire to her tribe.

Robin frowned slightly. That would be most un-cool. What if Starfire came out of Amazon Boot Camp hating men? That would certainly put him in an awkward position with her. Of course, several self-proclaimed experts said Amazon Women weren't about hating men; they just...

...have no use for us, thought Robin

"And how is your analysis of me going, Richard?" asked Diana all of a sudden. She didn't look annoyed; in fact, she looked somewhat amused, but Robin was not above blushing painfully at the comment.

Had he been that obvious? "S-Sorry. Force of habit..." he said lamely. As much as he wanted to deny it, he felt that lying to this woman would be somewhat of a mistake.

Again, a whisper of a smile crinkled her lips. "No need to apologize. You weren't obvious. I just knew you were doing it because Bruce does that sort of thing all the time. I'd expect his protégé to apply the same tricks."

Robin figured it was only natural for Bruce's women to keep comparing him to Bruce, but he didn't have to like it.

Starfire grinned, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Richard applies those tricks quite well, then. He leads our team with great competence. I could only assume Bruce is as fitting for his role as the unofficial leader of the Justice League."

Robin noticed Diana subtly eyeing the physical contact with measured criticism before replying. "He does his job excellently, for a man." She combined her tiny smile with a raise of an eyebrow.

Babs and Starfire chuckled. Robin was, however, feeling particularly left out of the joke.

Babs' cellular phone gave a beep and reading the text message quickly, Babs said that her uncle was close to arriving.

"Then we should be at the cocktail lounge when he gets here," said Diana, rising from her seat. They followed her without protest. Before they stepped out of the library, Diana turned and looked Robin over. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Nice suit. I hope you didn't give Alfred a very hard time."

Robin colored but replied. "No ma'am."

"Good. I'm sure Bruce will be proud to see you in wool herringbone."

Whatever wool herringbone was, Robin was just glad she approved.

Fifteen minutes from the time they walked into the cocktail lounge, the commissioner arrived; and later still, Chief O'Hara and his date who was a sweet little lady, a bit on the plump side and almost painfully shy. Diana made the proper excuses for Bruce's being late and she was so captivatingly gorgeous that Robin could tell that none of the guests minded. After all, their main purpose for showing up was for Dick Grayson and the other celebrity, Miss Koriand'r, better known as Starfire. It helped too that they thought the cheese, caviar and wine were excellent. Robin was just glad they liked fish-eggs better than he did; that meant more "edible" hors d'oeuvres for him. Luckily, nobody noticed him scarf down the ham and cheese rolls positioned at the far end of the buffet table.

Gradually, the conversation moved on to Robin, the Boy Wonder. Starfire handled the subject with flawless ease and Babs was having a terrific time pretending to be a "big fan".

Robin noticed that they were tiptoeing around Starfire's accident, but that was expected. Besides, he didn't mind if Starfire didn't.

When Bruce showed up, Robin was greatly relieved. He still had to stand around talking with the commissioner, Babs, the chief and his quiet date, but at least he didn't have to tell anymore frat stories. Nearby, he could hear Diana and Starfire talking and he couldn't help but eavesdrop. Their voices were low, but by completely tuning everything out Robin found that he could focus on their conversation.

"So, Starfire," said Diana. "Just out of curiosity, did you train with the Warlords of Okaara?"

Starfire was silent for a moment before she replied. "Yes, I did. My father sent me."

"Naturally. Did you like it there?"

"It was difficult..."

"I wouldn't expect less from the warlords. But you know what they say: If you thought Okaara was easy, then they probably didn't think you worth training."

"You... know a lot about Okaara?"

Diana took her time in answering. "My tribal rank requires me to know such things. Tamaranians are a peaceful race, yes? But you all have warrior-blood, one way or another. Warrior races have to understand other warrior races, threat or not."

The silence of Starfire was pensive. "What else do you know about Okaara?" She had asked it so softly that Robin almost didn't catch it.

"I know that only a particular kind of... people are sent there for training, at least as far as Tamaranians go."

At that point, Robin couldn't hear anymore. It was as if Starfire had lowered the volume of her voice considerably. He hazarded a look and found that they both had their backs turned. It bugged him that Starfire was keeping secrets from him.

"Isn't that right, Dick?"

Babs jabbed him painfully with her elbow and Robin stifled a yelp of pain. He realized then that Bruce had addressed him and he automatically responded with a nod and an, "Absolutely."

Bruce merely arched an eyebrow at him. When the ham and cheese rolls were replenished, Robin lost no time in withdrawing from the group to have first dibs on the fresh plate. The others gravitated to Starfire and Diana. Seeing that Bruce hadn't joined them, Robin took the opportunity to have a private talk with him.

Apple juice in hand, he came up beside Bruce who was swirling the wine in his glass absently. Both of them watched the small group across the room.

"Did you say hello to Mr. Freeze for me?" Robin asked in a low tone.

If Bruce was surprised by the question, he didn't show it. "I didn't see him."

"Starfire told me all about you and the Arkham Asylum. Trident talk yet?"

Bruce took a sip of his wine. "Nope."

Robin bristled at that. "I ought to go on over there and beat the crud out of him. Or maybe bang on the aquarium. I know that drives fish crazy... make him wish he was caviar on brie and crackers..."

"I thought about that already, but then I kept remembering Kori telling me why I shouldn't do that. Her lecture on equal-opportunity dignity made me feel like a world class asshole. Now I don't know if I could still beat information out of super-villains. Your girlfriend's a menace."

Robin sighed miserably. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Better that way."

"I didn't ask your opinion on it, Bruce. Wait a minute... she got to you?"

Bruce arched an eyebrow in mild uncertainty. "Well, I wouldn't say she got to me. She just... made me see things differently."

Robin shook his head in disbelief. "I couldn't believe she got to you. Nearly nine years, Bruce. Nine years I've known you and I've never–and she has a private talk with your for–what, forty five minutes?"

"Give it up, kid. The girl's a natural at getting under people's skin. I mean, look at her. Babs and Diana have claimed her as their own. They're not the easiest of women to please. Babs dumped you–"

"I just don't get no respect around here."

"And don't even get me started on Diana."

"She dumped you too?"

"Dick, you know me better than that. Why would I set myself up to be dumped unless I wanted to be dumped? And I certainly wouldn't want to be dumped by Diana. I dis her and I dis her entire Amazon tribe. I like my balls where they are, thank you very much, so I'd rather not risk it."

"Coward."

"Only when it comes to Diana."

Robin realized at that moment that he was one to talk about taking risks in relationships. Hoping to mask his lapse, he hastened to turn the subject back. "So, what were you doing in Arkham if you weren't making marinara out of Trident?"

"My favorite part of this crime-fighting business: untangling red tape. Some gung-ho shrink declared Trident sane; said he didn't belong in Arkham. If the good doctor Meridian hadn't told me about it, I'd probably be chasing down Trident as we speak, no doubt having escaped in transport between Arkham and the Gotham City Prison."

"So is he staying in Arkham?"

"Yep."

"Is the check in the mail?"

"Practically."

Robin scoffed. Arkham always welcomed donations. "So what are we going to do about Trident?"

"Chase said she'd handle it."

Robin arched an eyebrow.

Bruce cocked a grin. "I could honestly say that I didn't have anything to do with that. Chase volunteered. No doubt, she's doing it for the love of Kori, but I didn't ask Chase how she was going to do it. Truth be told, I didn't want to know. I think Trident would have gotten it easier from us. In a way, I pity him..."

"Yeah..."

There was a brief moment of silence then they shook their heads in unison.

"Nah."

They clinked their glasses together and drank to red-heads.

The get-together ended early enough on account of the fact that the guests weren't exactly party animals. Babs left with Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara and his date. Diana, having stayed long enough to see off the other guests, declared that she had things to do at the Watchtower.

"It was a fascinating evening," she said, giving Robin a pointed stare and placing a gentle hand on Starfire's arm.

Before Robin or Starfire could say anything, Diana had turned to go. She spared Bruce a glance before she went with Alfred to go to her transport in the garage.

When Robin was sure Diana was out of earshot, he leaned over to Bruce and softly said, "What? No kiss?"

"You're whispering. Coward."

"Only when it comes to Diana. Ow..."

Starfire had pinched him on the arm to chastise him. "Richard, have some respect."

He rolled his eyes at Bruce. "You see? I just don't get that around here. I blame you, Bruce. You're the mother in my Freudian psyche."

Bruce groaned. "I've had enough of shrinks tonight, so shut up with the psycho-babble. I'll be in the study. If you need anything, go see Alfred." He left.

Robin would have stuck his tongue out at him. "Grouch."

Starfire giggled. "Oh, he is just tired, Richard. He worked all day and then he had to attend to this party, not to mention his Arkham visit..."

He patted her hand, leading her up the stairs to the rooms. "He told me about what he did there. You don't have to worry." He told Starfire all he had gathered from Bruce regarding Arkham but tried to broach the subject of Dr. Meridian cautiously. As expected, Starfire frowned a bit at what he told her and Robin hastened to assuage her. "I admit that she could be... vicious when she wants to be, but we know how she works. She wouldn't do anything Trident wouldn't be willing to subject himself to. I guess you could say she has extraordinary powers of persuasion."

"Truly?"

"Truly."

She smiled, leaning on him.

He remembered the conversation he overheard; the one Starfire had with Diana, and he tried to think of a way to broach it without giving himself away. She hadn't kept the fact that she had been sent by her father to the Warlords of Okaara, but until now, he'd only given it passing thought. What did it mean to be sent there? Diana apparently thought it meant something significant. He could do research, but he wanted Starfire to tell him so that he wouldn't feel like he was violating her privacy.

He couldn't understand why these things nagged at him.

"Robin?"

His thoughts were interrupted. "Yeah?"

"You know, I am... very glad to be here. Not just because it gives me hope but because I am around the people who shaped you. Alfred, Babs... even the Commissioner and the Chief. And then of course there's Bruce, who is most like a father to you."

Robin had an itch to protest but kept still, knowing that it would be stupid to deny it. While he didn't exactly have a Hallmark Greeting Card relationship with Bruce, in a lot of ways–real ways–it was like father and son.

"Even if you act like you don't like him very much, I know you respect him. He does come across as cold and detached at times, but he couldn't be that bad if he raised someone like you."

Maybe she was giving Bruce too much credit, or maybe she was giving him too much credit. Either way, it was embarrassing to be thought so well of. "He pushes everyone away. I couldn't stand that with him. Maybe because compared to him, I'm more touchy feely..." which isn't saying much, either, he added dourly in thought.

Starfire shrugged. "Maybe he's more afraid of getting hurt than you are. Maybe it is even more than that."

"Man's got issues, that's for sure."

"Well then it just goes to show that Bruce cares more than he is willing to admit."

Robin laughed, mildly sardonic. "You'd think of it that way."

"Oh, maybe I am too optimistic for my own good..." she conceded lightly. "Perhaps I am putting too much into how he bought you that motored cycle, and how he proffered that small amount of funds for our trip, and how he's helping me find my sight back because you asked him to. Although I must say that it was a bit much that he requested the Justice League's help in catching Trident. That must have cost him a lot of favors..."

Robin frowned. Starfire was making too much sense of something he had been trying to make sense of for years.

"Of course," she continued. "Some people prefer greeting cards to convey their love, but I suppose that wouldn't suffice for someone like Bruce Wayne. Most greeting cards have–what do you call it? Sappy? Yes, sappy messages. And Bruce Wayne is not sappy at all."

There it was again: Stafire getting under his skin. Bruce was right, she was a natural; a menace to the suppression of good will and optimism. He loved her for such things, of course, but how to tell her?

He supposed he could just lean over and kiss her. It would certainly explain things better the way his words never could. Of course, a kiss without due warning could earn him a slap on the face, and that would pretty much be the end of it.

Robin wished, for one second, that he could be as suave and dashing as Bruce then maybe all this would be easier. He was so deep in his thoughts that he barely noticed their arrival in front of Starfire's door. They might have missed it if he hadn't looked up just then.

"Are we at my door?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

She nodded. She rubbed her palm gently against the sleeve of Robin's suit and she laughed softly. "This is what they call wool herringbone."

"Whatever that means."

"I wish I could see you in it, Richard."

He smiled wanly but became mildly surprised when she stepped closer. Her fingers touched gently upon his face again, but this time, instead of feeling uncomfortable about it, he let her.

Her eyes were focused on nothing in particular and he waited for her to finish her inspection. He was momentarily unnerved when her fingers glided softly on his lips. It tingled like mad and he prayed she would stop or else she would be in dire danger of getting kissed by a dweeb.

He was, therefore, utterly shocked when she tilted her chin and pressed her lips on his. His eyes widened and practically crossed trying to look at her. He had not seen this coming.

His first thought, of course, was that he had somehow died, between climbing the stairs and reaching the chamber halls, and had promptly gone to heaven, or wherever the heck souls were supposed to go to when they were good. His second thought was that he hadn't died; that it was real, and that he wanted to put his arms around her, pull her closer and definitely make the kiss much more interesting.

He was about to do just that, his eyes drifting close to savor the kiss when the contact was abruptly cut off. He practically stumbled forward trying to get the sensation back and his eyes were jolted open. She had stepped back. She flushed everywhere her dress wasn't covering her skin and hastily turned to get through her door. For someone who couldn't see where she was going, she was too damn fast for his mostly stunned brain, even if she had collided against the closed door at least once.

The banging of her door woke him from his stupor and only then did he realize that he could have done something better than stare like an idiot.

He had a wild urge to bang on her door and–what? Ask for more?

Besides, she was running into walls trying to get away from him. What did that mean? He had to know.

He stepped towards the door, raised a fist to knock but heard another door bang from inside. He gritted his teeth and rapped lightly. No answer.

He rapped a bit less lightly, and still no reply came.

Robin lost his resolve. She may have gone into the bathroom, or maybe not. Either way, it meant she wasn't in the mood to talk.

He willed himself not to think about it and he stepped back; one step, two steps...

Walk away, Dick. Tomorrow. Ask her tomorrow. You'll live. There's tomorrow.

It was like a mantra, and each time he thought it, he felt his step lighten until he was practically floating into his bedroom.

Thoroughly stoked, he could've laughed like a madman. He took off his coat and tossed it on the rack. It draped perfectly on a hook.

"Wool Herringbone rules," he told the coat rack, grinning. How could he possibly fall asleep in this state?

He pressed the power button of the laptop on his desk and waited, fingers drumming to the beat in his head. He accessed his Dick Grayson email which was "rjgrayson" in the Wayne email provider. There was a ton of email, mostly from people he didn't know, but there was one he recognized and eagerly clicked on. Theoluvs7of9 had a PDF attachment for him, which was about as much as Robin expected.

Robin was just about to download it when his MSN Messenger rang like a doorbell. It was Theodore's IBreak4Borg account. Robin opened a window for him and was surprised to see another window pop up. The guy had a webcam. Shrugging, Robin activated one of his own.

"Well lookee here!" said Theodore, grinning. He was smoking something, and whatever it was, it was making him very happy. Another face peeped out from behind him and waved. It was Alberta, of course.

Robin grinned back. "You guys still at the lab?"

Theodore shook his head. "Dude, we're at Albie's place. I'm standing in for her with one of her cyber-flings. She accidentally made dates with two guys at the same time."

Robin laughed. "Are you sure it's a guy?"

"No, but I'm having fun and he's buying dinner, so it's all good. I wonder if this means I'll have to–you know–put out later."

"Don't put out!" cried Alberta in the background. "I never sleep with a guy on a first date!"

Theodore scoffed. "Women."

On this night, Robin had no complaints about them. "I'll leave the decision of Albie's virtue to you, Theo. I got your PDF file."

"Awesome! You read it yet? Man... I want me some White Castle... serious munchies."

Robin arched an eyebrow. "I'm downloading your PDF as we speak."

"It's excellent stuff."

Robin wasn't sure if he was talking about the PDF or the weed he was inhaling.

Theodore popped a potato-chip in his mouth. "We worked on it like crazy this afternoon, but it was well worth it. Star Trek-worthy shit right there! Eh? Yo Albie, what do you make of this? The guy told me to 'tough his sock'!"

"Tell him he's a sock-ducker and he should go crew himself."

"Okay!"

Robin winced. However entertaining Theodore could be, high, he had better things to do. He opened a window to Alberta's Ubersonderlingdame account. He gave his goodbyes to her and to Theodore, telling them he'd contact them if he had any questions about the research.

They signed off.

Robin opened the PDF file and read a bit as he hit print. The report was professionally done, with headings, sub-headings and pictures. He should have expected that from them, but it was still amazing.

He found a picture of a Plasmus-sample under a microscope set beside a picture of what looked like a...

Robin squinted. Microchip?

No, it wasn't a microchip. The high-speed printer nearby was just about done and he collected the finished pages. He flipped through it and found the same pictures juxtaposed on paper. He read the passages and ran his reading eyes quickly over other parts of the text.

His frown slowly formed into a smile and finally, he couldn't help it. He threw his head back and laughed, tilting his chair back too far and crashing to the floor.

But he didn't care. Theodore and Alberta were brilliant! He knew they could do it. He just knew it!

This was turning out to be one of the best days of his life.

He could hardly wait until the next day. He kicked off his shoes and jumped on the bed, loosening his tie as he started reading the text from page one.

To be continued...

Closing notes: Poem titles are (respectively) "Leonore" by Edgar Allan Poe, "I Love Thee" by Eliza Acton and "Theory" by Dorothy Parker. I also got the idea of a singing Bruce from the Justice League episode entitled To the Man Who Has Everything. The guy sang really well; dreamy as hell. Made me want to throw my drawers on-stage.

Robin's particular dismay for designer clothing, stuffy suits and caviar might seem unlikely, considering a lot of his developmental years were lived with Bruce and the extravagant lifestyle that went with it, but we have to remember that Robin was taken in when he was 9 years old, under the harshest of circumstances. He would have already had a personality base of his own (we usually don't give 9 year olds the credit they deserve) and I figured he would have clung to the kind of life he would have lived with his parents just because he lost them so traumatically.

Theodore is me. I mean, I'm female, and I'm no chemical biologist, but that's who I'd be if I were a guy. Theodore is the kind of name my mother would give me if I had been a boy. I've also stood in on a cyber-date for my friend, but she didn't let me stand in for long. My friend said I was acting like a lunatic, and she didn't want to have that kind of reputation in the internet.

I'm also very glad that I didn't get any hate-reviews for Babs. Haha! I was afraid for her, but I need her around, especially in the later stories.