Life's Canvas

Chapter 11: Grief Never Bound Jealousy

Richard led Kori up to her room, her cold hand in his own. He felt guilty. Really, really guilty. He should've been upset. A man had just died… a man whom Kori knew well, at that. But he wasn't that upset. He was more affected by seeing Kori so distressed. Of course, that was part of the problem. He was jealous of dead guy. And if Kori had known the exact thoughts running through his head at that moment, it was likely she would think he was the scum of the earth.

Richard sat her down on the bed gently, and he tried to carefully loosen his hand from her own. Kori would have none of it, though, and yanked him down to sit beside her. She pressed her head to his shoulder and clung to his arm like a terrified child. "Richard… what do I do now?" she asked, her voice far away. He sighed, using his free hand to stroke the back of her head.

"I don't know… I don't know," he murmured. Kori sniffed and shuddered.

"I'll kill myself if she goes after you too," Kori whispered. Richard shook his head and cupped her chin in his hand, bringing her face up to look at him.

"Don't say that," he said sternly. Kori simply closed her eyes.

"But it's true, I won't be able to live if I loose you too… oh, what if they go after Madame Logan too? Raven's been nothing but a friend to me," she shivered, fresh tears slithering down her cheeks. "And she's just been married too," Kori sighed pitifully. Richard wasn't sure what to do to help her; he was having a hard enough time keeping his envy at bay. Kori seemed like she must have loved Roy so much… he remembered she had acted a little tense at the café, but he was fairly sure she had just been unhappy with Roy's protectiveness.

"It's ok, Kori… you're not going to loose me or Raven or Gar. I promise," he said softly, pulling her into his embrace. She clung to him, burying her head against his neck, her tears running down onto the collar of his shirt. "But Kori… you should change… both of us should. Our shirts have blood on them," he muttered. Kori stifled another sob and nodded, sliding from his arms slowly. As he got up to leave, she touched his shoulder and he turned, facing her curiously. "Yes?" he inquired. Her eyes told him everything… she was frightened; she didn't want him out of her sight. "Kori, I promise you I'll be right back. Just one moment, ok?" he soothed. Kori nodded reluctantly and Richard sighed, wrapping his arms around her briefly. She settled against him, and seemed a little better as he let her free.

He gave her an encouraging smile and wiped her drying tears from her face. Richard left her, and went to his room. He changed his shirt slowly, his mind far elsewhere. He sighed and sat on his bed, tugging at the dark grey T-shirt he'd slipped on. This had to be the worst time to decide you'd fallen in love. He groaned, slamming a pillow to his face. Kori's boyfriend just died, Dick, get a hold of yourself! He proceeded to mentally brutalize himself and would've continued to do so had Kori not come to his door. She knocked lightly on his door and he came out to meet her, at which point she threw herself on him again. He noted she had on a long black peasant skirt and a thin black blouse on to mach. She had also conformed to the ways of shoes and was donned in a pair of black boots. Her hair was tied curtly up in a tight bun.

Richard frowned, running his hand along her back. She looked so different… Kori let him lead her down stairs and into the massive living room, settling her on a large leather couch. He took a seat beside her and she remained rigid, making no move to rest against him but rather staring darkly down at her hands, fidgeting with them in her lap. Richard watched her carefully.

"What can I do to see you smile again?" he asked slowly, his eyes still locked on her face.

"Bring back Roy… what I wouldn't do to feel him hold me again…" she murmured, her eyes glassing over and becoming so distant. Richard felt a slight pain in his chest. He'd hoped she would've said something else… anything else. He didn't want to talk about Roy. He wanted to forget the man had existed or played any part in Kori's life. He wanted her to forget she was sad and smile again and force him to finger paint again.

He hadn't known that just a few short hours could have him so desperate to see that smile again. Imaginably, he was considerably agitated four days later. Kori had slowly drifted away from him, refusing to seek comfort in his open arms and hardly speaking a word. He could tell, the way she looked at him, she was afraid of letting him help her. As much as she had expressed her desire to help him heal, she couldn't let him do the same for her. It was reasonable why, though. She felt like she was betraying Roy to seek comfort in another man's embrace, even if it he was her friend and nothing more… and she was afraid that the closer she allowed her heart to drift to Richard, the more likely Carmen and Terra were to try and hurt him.

So there they were, standing on the steps before Wayne Manor and waiting for Raven Gar. Kori was, unfortunately, stunning. She had left her more "free" wardrobe behind and was standing in a slim black dress that came to her knees, a short suit jacket over it, the sleeves coming to her elbows and a pair of black pumps restricting her dainty feet. Richard was in a plain black suit, standing a little ways away from Kori, the artist seemed to have a difficult time remaining anywhere near to him. That didn't keep him from watching her though. Her face was drawn tight as she suppressed streams of tears, and her eyes were closed in the effort. The funeral was likely to be unbearable to her.

Raven and Gar pulled up in their silver SUV and Richard and Kori got in wordlessly. Raven was driving with Gar sitting beside her and tightly holding her hand so Kori and Dick were confined to the back seat. The ride to the cemetery was oppressive, the depression hanging over them like a dark cloud. Finally, Raven spoke. Her voice was strained with the effort to remain composed.

"They did and autopsy…" Raven mumbled. Kori gave a small whimper from her seat and Richard looked to see the first tears slither down her cheeks. "So… we're just burying his ashes, I- there wasn't much other choice, Kori. After the autopsy it was just best he be cremated… I mean, I don't even know that they would've let us bury his body… the way they…" Raven shook her head and went on driving in silence. Gar squeezed her hand. Kori cried softly all the way there, but once they were actually at the grave site, she stood rigid and dry-eyed. Wisps of auburn hair pulled free in the slight breeze and glittered in the sunlight. Kori frowned but did no more.

Richard hesitated and came to stand at Kori's side, his eyes briefly landing on Raven and a slight jolt of surprise rippling through him… why hadn't he noticed before? It was fairly obvious, but he'd have to talk to her later…

The service was beautiful, the inscription on the tomb stone a poem written by Raven. When the priest left them, they just stood for a while. The others that had come; some of his police friends and Roy's parents, left slowly until it was just the four of them. They watched Kori and waited for her to say she was ready to go, but it seemed she was quite content to simply stand and stare ashen faced at the tomb stone. Finally, she turned and nodded, a slow and weary nod and they all walked back to the SUV, Gar talking to Raven in hushed tones.

Kori trudged slowly behind the others, Richard glancing back now and then. Unfortunately, this meant it was Richard who saw the young woman walk up to Roy's grave and lay flowers by the stone, balancing a small child in her other arm. He fell behind so he was walking by Kori, still sending glances back at the woman. "Kori… who's that?" he asked quietly. Kori turned and tilted her head to the side.

"I-I don't know. Perhaps a friend… I saw her once, maybe, leaving Roy's house. At least- at least I think I saw her. R-Roy said she was a friend," she mumbled. Richard stared at the woman carefully, and found himself thinking quite differently. He knew all too well about cheating… Raven and Gar had turned now, and were equally surprised to see the lady and her child at the grave, and quickly followed Richard back over to her. Kori trailed after them, not particularly eager to talk with anyone at the moment.

"Hello?" Richard said. The woman looked up, quickly trying to wipe away her running mascara.

"Hi…" she said, sniffing. Short, curly blonde hair ruffled about her heart-shaped face, big brown eyes looking at Richard in bafflement. "D-do I know you or something?" she asked, obviously intent on having some privacy with Roy's grave.

"Not exactly… but, you were one of Roy's friends right?" he said, somewhat stiffly. He had a feeling Kori wasn't going to enjoy hearing what the woman said next. Raven, on the other hand, was looking suspiciously at the child in his arms. A sweet heart-shaped face and big eyes like his mother, but a little mess of red-orange hair peeked out from under his baby cap.

"I'm Jenna Nichols… would've been Jenna H-Harper. I was his fiancé…" she whispered, holding up her left hand, the diamond on her finger glittering.

"And the child?" Raven asked coldly. Jenna didn't seem to notice Raven's tone but rather looked down at her baby lovingly, her eyes still glittering with tears.

"Roy's. His name is Roy Jr. actually," she smiled softly. Richard's eyes narrowed, yet again hidden under his dark sunglasses.

"Oh, well… we just wanted to offer out condolences in this time for you… from Mr. Wayne," Richard coughed, and offered an 'apologetic' nod before quickly ushering Kori and Raven away, Gar walking stiffly next to them.

"Wait, you're Richard Grayson… right?" Jenna called. Richard turned to look at her and hesitantly nodded, quickly returning to the task of getting Kori back into the car before she broke down. "Nice to meet you, then," Jenna yelled after them. She bit her lip and shrugged softly. "I'm sorry Roy…" she said quietly, turning back to the grave and continuing her one-sided conversation with her deceased fiancé.

Once in the car, Richard looked at Kori, trying to see what she was doing. But Kori was simply staring straight ahead, her eyes incredibly wide and perilously shiny. Raven, on the other hand, was having no problem converting grief into rage and was spouting off curses and oaths left and right, some more creative than others. Kori was something of a little sister to Raven, and she'd be damned if she saw the red-head get her heart shredded any more.

"Kori… please, are you ok?" Richard asked quietly. Kori nodded blankly and Richard sighed. She wanted to be alone, it seemed. So now he looked up at Raven, cutting into her verbal abusive of Roy and all his relatives. "So, Rae… when are you due? And why didn't you tell us?" Richard asked. Raven stopped abruptly, her cheeks reddening very slightly. Kori looked up, her interest briefly captivated.

"I was going to tell you some time after the funeral. It didn't seem appropriate. But, I'm due in five months… I'm not that obvious yet, am I?" she asked. Richard shook his head, and he actually smiled.

"Congrats," he said. Raven nodded.

"Thanks," she said. "Um, I think it might be best we skip the lunch and just take Kori home…" she added quietly, glancing back at the emerald-eyed girl. Kori seemed to have lost interest or not heard the whole of it because she was simply staring at the back of the seat in front of her again. They fell into a somewhat awkward silence until they were rounding the driveway of Wayne manor. Kori spoke suddenly.

"Boy or girl?" she asked. Raven was startled but recovered quickly.

"Uh, not sure… but I have a feeling it's a boy," she stuttered. Kori nodded.

"What will you name him?" she asked. Raven paused.

"It depends… but if it is a boy, we're naming him Griffin. If it's a girl, we're naming her Jade," she said. Kori nodded.

"Congratulations," the young artist said as they pulled up in front of the manor.

"Thanks," Raven said again. Kori attempted a smile and somewhat succeeded as she got out of the car. Richard sent the couple up front an apologetic glance as he left and they nodded in understanding before driving off.

"Kori…" Richard said, turning to find she'd sunk down onto the steps and her body was shaking with sobs.

"Oh Richard, how could he do this to me? I-I thought he'd always be be-beside me and now he's… he's gone and he even ha-ad a b-baby with some woman I-I don't even… know…" Kori cried. Richard kneeled down beside her and took her up into his arms where she hung limp. "There's no one left, Richard… to-to stay with me… why'd he have to…" she couldn't finish and continued to weep in despair.

Richard brought her face up to look at him, his sunglasses off so azure met emerald. "I'm here… and I'm staying at your side. I promise that…" he sucked in a deep breath… now here it came, the one thing he couldn't stand and swore he had an allergy to… "I will never leave you," commitment.

"You're lying," she said, suddenly very blunt. Richard didn't respond but rather planted a gentle kiss to her lips. When he parted, her eyes were still closed. "But I… I'll just pray I'm wrong…" she breathed. Richard kissed her again and helped her to her feet.

"Everyone needs a second chance…" he said. Kori shivered and nodded and wrapped her arms around him.

Author's Note: Well, here's your daily update from Princess... lol. Ok, I'm adding a new section under my A/Ns called Titan's News and that'll be where I'll post any of my questions and replies to your questions about the titans and what not... oh, and for people kind enough to answer my questions I offer Robin Brownies XD... if you don't know what I'm talking about go read Cherry Blossoms in Winter... so yeah... Oh, and if you didn't get it, Kori's very aware of Richard's past with girls so just because they're "togeather" don't mean she fully trusts him... and she has good reason not to... ((pokes previous sentences... hmm, I'd call that a hint...)) Oh, and I'm not going to camp yet I've got a few weeks before then to finish this story... unless you all want me to leave... lol. Reviews are appreciated and, although I know it's silly, it'd be fun to see if I could reach 200 on this story. I've already hit 157 which is anew record for myself... yay!

Love, Princess Starfire of Tamaran

Titan's News: First, a Stranded update. Yes, the screen shots are on and you can download it on the r/s shrine for all you unfortunate people like me stuck on the USA's schedule. However, if you wanna be good and wait for the premeire, it's on Jume 11 at 8:00 pm. Prophecy will be airing on June 4 at 8:00 pm. So, it's been confirmed that Titans Movie is well underway, but does anyone know when it'll hit Blockbuster? Of course this is one movie I most deffinately will be buying! Oh, and in slightly unrelated Titans News... I shall be trying to get up a one shot this afternoon called Ending With Honor... so keep an eye out for that too. Anymore Questions? Any more Answers? Oh, and I know a respectable amount about the plots and such in the old comics if anyone is interested... although I must diclaim any of the information about Robin's past before he became a titan that I've used in stories because that was all just my hypothesizing and imagining.

Chapter 11'sTitans "Fun" Fact:

In the old comic series, Koriand'r obtained the ability to speak english via kissing Richard Grayson. When later asked about it, she said she chose to kiss Robin because he wasn't afraid to show his legs. This was, of course, during the time Robin sported a more speedo-style uniform...

((If anyone would like to place a fact for me to post in your review, please feel free! They are much appreciated...))