Innocence Lost by CidGregor

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.


Chapter 2

"Raven, do I appear sick to you?"

Raven glanced up from the book she was reading to see Starfire staring at her intently from the edge of the living room couch, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You look a little pale," Raven said, "but I wouldn't say you look sick. Why, do you feel sick?"

"I do not know. I fear I have perhaps contracted an Earth virus of some sort, for my symptoms are most unusual of any Tameranean sickness!"

"What symptoms?"

Starfire glanced hesitantly at the boys at the other end of the couch. "Err…may we speak in my room?"

Raven's eyes narrowed, and she sighed inwardly. If Starfire didn't want to discuss this in front of the male Titans, the odds were that this was going to be a little awkward; not exactly the most thrilling prospect for the dark girl. Not that the boys were paying the girls any attention; Cyborg and Beast Boy were engrossed in their video games as usual, and Robin was poring over maps of the city spread out over the kitchen counter, marking the most recent sightings of the ever-elusive Slade and paying the rest of the world no attention at all. Nevertheless Raven nodded, and followed Starfire to her room.

As they walked, Raven swept her senses across the Tower. It was something she did every once in a while to check for possible intruders, just in case someone managed to get through Cyborg's security. She was almost doing it out of habit nowadays, as she never sensed anything other than the five of them. But this time was different…it was very vague, almost nonexistent, but this time Raven could feel someone else in the Tower. It was such a miniscule sense, though; she could barely feel it at all, much less pinpoint it, whatever it was.

"Raven? Is something troubling you?" Starfire said, noticing the frown on her friend's face.

"Not sure…there's a weird sense in the Tower…almost like there's someone else here, somewhere…but it's so small I can't pinpoint it."

"Perhaps it is merely a small animal of some sort, like your Earth mice."

"Maybe…" Raven said, but didn't really believe it. She could tell the difference between an animal sense and a human one.

Raven pushed it out of her mind for the time being though as they reached Starfire's room. "Okay, what is it that we couldn't talk about with the boys around?" Raven said as she closed the door.

"It is a little embarrassing," Starfire admitted with a bit of a reddened face, "but…lately my digestive system has occasionally been rejecting the food I have eaten."

Raven made a face. "You mean you threw up?"

"If that is what you call it…such a symptom has never been seen on my planet. Is this a common Earth illness?"

"It might be the flu," Raven said, understanding Starfire's hesitation to speak in front of the boys; talking about throwing up wasn't the most pleasant of topics between genders. "If that's the case, then yeah, that's a fairly common symptom. What else?"

"Perhaps it is a result of this 'throwing up,' but I have also been desiring larger quantities of food lately," Starfire said. "Occasionally even for foods that I have never desired before in my life."

"You mean like Beast Boy's tofu the other day?" Raven said, referring to a couple of days beforehand when Starfire had amazed everyone by eating more tofu in one serving than Beast Boy had the entire day, and then demanding seconds.

"Yes," Starfire agreed. "Is that common of this 'flu' sickness?"

"Not really," Raven said. "That one sounds more like…"

Raven suddenly stopped herself. No, that couldn't possibly be it, she said to herself. That ridiculous.

"More like what?" Starfire pressed.

"Nothing," Raven said. "Any others?"

"Only some mild stomach cramps."

"All right then, let me go check some of my books, I'm sure I could find some sort of herbal remedy for you."

"Thank you, friend Raven," Starfire said, and smiled, something that was still rare to see from her. "And good luck finding the other sense of which you spoke."

"Thanks," Raven said. She opened the door and was halfway out into the hall when she stopped dead, her face frozen in disbelief.

The other sense, she thought to herself. One so small I can barely feel it…and those symptoms Starfire had…no, it couldn't be…could it?

"Raven? Is something the matter?"

She spun to see Starfire standing behind her, politely curious. Raven chanced a glance downward and noticed, for the first time, a slight roundness to the alien girl's stomach, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Maybe she is after all…no, don't jump to conclusions, Raven instructed herself. You have to see for sure.

"Starfire…I've had an idea about your symptoms, but I need to try something first, just to make sure, okay? Hold still for a second."

"What are you going to do?"

"Just trust me," Raven said. The dark girl knelt down and placed one hand on Starfire's stomach. She closed her eyes and muttered, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

It took less than a second for the answer to come to her.

Raven's eyes flew open in shock and amazement. It was the absolute last thing she would have expected, especially of Starfire.

"Raven, you have discovered my illness?" the alien girl asked tentatively. "It is this 'flu,' is it not?"

Raven slowly shook her head no, hardly daring to believe what she'd just discovered. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Starfire…Starfire, of all people… she thought to herself.

"It is not the flu?" Starfire said. "Is it worse? Please, Raven, what is it that ails me?"

"Starfire, this is no illness."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Star…I don't know exactly how to tell you this, but…you…you're…"

"What? What am I?"

"…pregnant."