DISCLAIMER: :Sob: No... :sniffle: I don't own it... :hic-up:

Hey! GUESS WHO! Woo-hoo! It's me!

Yeah... okay so here's the deal: I didn't upload for a while because I found it extremely boring to write the funeral (and I'm sorry if the funeral is boring to read also) so I have to motivate myself to write it but after the scene with Robin and Starfire I wrote in like five minutes... Anyways also I tried to load up the Sims2 on my compy again but it didnt work so my dad took apart my computer so it was unhooked for like 2 weeks >. sorry everyone...

But as you know (or not...) this is the LAST CHAPTER. But with the help of my editor, I have named the next one: The Shifting Winds of Change. So be on the look out for the first chapter soon!

So anyways, enjoy

CHAPTER 10

A Drop of Bitter Sweet Poison

Five teenagers sat in a scarcely populated church. The big doors were open shinning a patch of uncomfortable hot sunlight on them.

Raven looked down the aisle at her friends: Cyborg was fanning himself with the thin booklet that was given out, Beast Boy was panting and whining under his breath about having to wear a suit, andStarfire who was dressed in an elaborate black heavy funeral dress with a huge hat with black lace covering her face and occasionally reaching under the lace to dab the tears in her eyes. Raven felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and looked up at Robin and smiled sadly. It was Robin's idea for all the Titans to come to the funeral with Raven for support. Even though she was grateful she didn't have to go through this alone, she also thought that the rest of the Titans would have been happier if they stayed at home away from the small cheap church.

The small community church was crammed in between a 99 cents clothing store and the large tan library. Raven thought it was a bit of sick irony that the last time she saw Sarah was only about 20 feet to her right and now she was about 10 feet in front of her laying in a coffin.

Raven then turned towards the priest that stood at the front of the church telling about Sarah. It was apparent that he never even knew Sarah. His old, dry raspy voice irritated Raven so she decided to look around the church some more.

The big doors where open, trying to get sunlight in or maybe something like that. But all it did was make bursts of hot, dry air float around the small church. The others in the church also seemed uncomfortable in the hotness. Raven saw Sarah's father sitting in the front row but was sitting off to the side, almost touching the wall. Raven then saw a single mother with four young kids sitting a few rows in front of the titans. They squirmed and complained loudly to their mother while she quietly tried to hush them. Cousins perhaps? Raven thought observing the children for a minute or two. There were also a few other people that Raven didn't know.

Raven slumped in her seat. The funeral was an embarrassment. This wasn't the way she wanted to remember Sarah. Raven sighed inwardly as the people started to file out of the church to drive to the gravesite.

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Four men lowered the imitation cherry wood coffin into the ground. Raven glanced around; sad pale faces stared blankly at the coffin. Raven then looked at the men lowering the coffin. Dressed in black, the graveyard workers slowly lowered the coffin into the ground. Inch by Inch. Foot by foot. One foot, two feet, three feet... Raven couldn't see the coffin from where she was standing anymore. She began to study the men's faces instead. They had a blank respectful look on their blank faces. A quick gentle scan of brainwaves showed what she thought. They were used to death and coffins. Spend hours digging, quickly add some flowers and then lower the box into the ground. Same old, same old. It was like they didn't even care about it anymore or even feel. They've become completely desensitized. A quick pain in her heart brought back memories of Michael. She quickly shot the feelings away and stared blankly at the gravesite. The men had finished and people were tossing roses in the grave. She felt a light squeeze on the shoulder and looked behind her expecting Robin. But surprisingly it was Cyborg. "Hey," he said in a soft voice, "You alright?"

Raven nodded wiped her stinging eyes.

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Robin sat on the couch. His white button-up shirt was undone on the bottom and untucked while his tie was loose. He had been sitting on the couch flipping channels ever since he got home about an hour ago. Raven had floated up to her bedroom mumbling something about having to mediate and BB went to his room also. Robin noticed Cyborg heading toward the Titan's hospital. Probably to see Catgirl, he thought to himself.

Robin heard the living room door swoosh open and close. He looked up and saw Starfire changed out of that awful funeral get-up. She flew over to the couch and took a seat next to Robin. He mumbled a greeting.

"It's... sad about friend Raven's companion Sarah... isn't it?" Starfire asked meekly, staring at Robin with her big, sweet green eyes showing moisture. Robin turned off the TV with the remote and turned to face Starfire. "I know... it's going to be hard for Raven to get over it..."

Starfire scowled on the inside not liking that the conversation was drifting over to the topic of Raven. So she sucked in a big breath and let out a big depressed sigh, "I guess it makes me think about how short life really is... I mean, dear Sarah was young herself. It makes me wonder how long my life will be... how long our lives will be..." Starfire said softly. Her voice was like liquid honey. It was sweet and charming and with her large emerald eyes made you pity her.

Robin drew this all in captivated by Starfire's charm. Starfire whispered the last part and then watched Robin's reaction. He just opened his mouth and stared for a second taking in her words and signs. He cleared his throat softly and said, "I know," his voice cracking slightly. Starfire then decided to push it a bit. She brushed her long auburn hair off her left shoulder relieving her long and graceful neck. She then played with a strand of hair. "Just the thought of death has really shaken me up, Robin. You know... how do you say it... it has confused my mind... and heart..."

Robin watched Starfire's delicate fingers play with the strand of smooth hair. It made him want to reach out a stroke Starfire's soft hair and smell the wonderful shampoo she used. Robin locked eyes with her, and melted on the inside. His eyes then traveled slowly down to her lip and imagined kissing them again. Just to see if it was still the same taste of fruit and flowers. Robin was about to until a voice screamed inside his head. WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU DON'T LIKE STARFIRE ANYMORE! YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH RAVEN AND LOVE HER DEARLY. DON'T GET MESSED UP WITH STARFIRE AGAIN!

Robin closed his eyes from behind his mask and listened to the voice. "This funeral and rough patch with Raven really has me confused on the inside also," He said hinting that he cared about Raven didn't want to go messing with that. Starfire narrowed her eyes slightly taking notice about Robin's tone but decided to push it, double or nothing... she thought to herself. Starfire spoke in a soft and raspy tone, "Robin don't forget, even through everything," Starfire inched closer to Robin then placed a soft hand on Robin's cheek and smiled at him softly with her hypnotizing emerald eyes, "I'm always here for you," Starfire wrapped her other arm around Robin and leaned in for a kiss. There lips almost touched but then Starfire was pushed back. "What are you doing Star?" Robin said in a loud whisper looking around to see if anyone saw them. "But Robin!" Starfire said still holding on to Robin's arm, "I love you!" She said going closer to him, but this time Robin wasn't buying any of her flirting. He pushed her so she was completely off him. She fell backwards and lay on the couch, "I don't feel that way about you, Starfire," Robin said and stalked out of the room.

"Robin! Where are you going? Robin? Don't leave me Robin!" She called after him, but he was gone. Starfire sat up and swore loudly in her Tamaranian tongue.

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Raven walked out of her room, only dressed in a short white bathrobe. She walked down the hall planning to go to the master bathroom and take a long relaxing bubble bath in one of the large jet massage bathtubs. Hopefully it'll help take my mind off of Sarah or at least relax me...

That's when she saw Robin walking towards her. She smiled slightly as he stopped in front of her. He grabbed her and held her in a tight embrace until her chest hurt and felt like she was going to explode. She untangled herself from his tight bear hug and rapped her arms around his neck while he placed his arms around her thin waist. "So..." she said.

"Look I know things have been rough the past few days but I just want you to know that I care about you a lot and I hope nothing has changed us or how we care about each other," He looked into her violet eyes and watched her face sparkle, "Okay?" he asked. Raven nodded. Robin then swooped into a quick and light kiss. They then released each other. Robin walked away with a light bounce in his step.

Raven wandered away, slightly in a daze. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Robin walking away. She studied his firm figure for a few seconds then continued to the bathroom.

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Raven undid her bathrobe and stepped into the massive tub. She settled herself in the foamy water and sighed contently. The jets in the bath were wonderful to her stressed shoulders and back. She inhaled the perfumes of the scented candles around and slid down until only her eyes were above the water.

Raven rose from lying down and settled herself in the corner of the tub with two jets shooting out water on either side of her. Her mind was at rest and began to drift wondrously. First she thought about Robin and thier little kiss in the hallway. She grinned foolishly to herself and giggled softly. It seemed like Robin had dropped a burden of some sort and he was returning to his old relaxed self with Raven. These also made Raven think about their fight a couple of days ago about Catgirl. He had called her a bitch. Raven didn't really blame him because she had to desensitize herself so she wouldn't lose control of her powers. But, we really should be nervous about Catgirl. Raven thought. We really don't know a lot about her and this could turn into the whole Terra thing again. Raven sighed quietly. But I guess none of that can be helped. I'll just have to monitor her brainwaves now and then and if I get any visions about her I'm defiantly not ignoring them.

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Nine Months Later

Keara wrapped her newborn child in a black blanket. Her blue hair was still sweaty and was sticking to her face and she could still feel the pain of childbirth but she didn't care. "Meus suavis Ignigena," Keara whispered in Latin, which meant 'My sweet Ignigena,'

"Nina," She dubbed her child's human name, "I fear my time of earth is short but you must stay strong and pure to the power. Power corrupts all, remember that suavis Nina."

The baby girl stared at her mother with large black eyes as if she understood everything her mother was staying. Keara ruffled her fingers through the baby's hair, which was only a little bit of white fuss at the top of her head.

Keara heard the thundering footsteps of Trigon echoing in the gloomy caves. She quickly hid the child behind a boulder and stood up and turned around. Trigon's huge figure came into view and he loomed over her, "WENCH!" He roared, his voice echoing, sounding like there was ten of him screaming at her, "WHERE IS IGNIGENA!"

Keara scowled, "You can't have Nina, I shall raise her. She won't be part of your evil schemes!" Keara stood fierce. Her attitude towards the occult and darkness had changed a lot since she was raped by Trigon and was forced to spend nine long months locked away in a gloomy cave. "FOOLISH WENCH!" He roared. He sent thousands of black ravens at her. She was pecked to death as each bird slowly devoured her. Her screams sounded gruesome as they echoed through out the whole cave system.

But then they were gone and Keara was dead and gone also. The sounds of a baby crying alerted Trigon and he looked behind the boulder that she hid behind.

Trigon held her up high and yelled out, "The flower has bloomed and now wilted. Now you child will gain the power and together we will bring demons back to earth!"

oOoOoOoOo

So well if any of you remember the beginning of the story which Michael had a vision with a 'flower' giving birth and the baby girl and stuff... well now you know what adventures will be poping up in the future. It gonna be one interesting family reunion smies evilly

MUFFIN TIME:
beautifully-evil
kitsaru
NevermoretheRaven
and ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH

You guys get my last batch of muffins until I can bake some more and hand them out with da FIRSTEST chapter of: The Shifting Winds of Change, so enjoy!

ONE LAST NOTE BEFORE I GO!

Okay I've been thinking about it and I've decided I'm over due for a one shot so I've been planning a one shot with some BBTerra action and (even though I feel a little uncomfortable with it) a wee bit of BBRae action. Not alot I promise you more like good friends action.

Anyways peace to all and I'll see y'all on da flip side (lol I felt like saying that)

SNOWBALLHEAT-