Here is the final Chapter of Returning! I hope you all enjoyed it! The song in here is Vindicated by: Dashboard Confessional.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans
Chapter 13: Vindicated
Hope it dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of which has caught my eye
And roped me in
So mesmerizing ,and so hypnotizing
I am captivated, I am
Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself
Robin slid out of bed and dressed himself. Was this a dream? A few seconds ago he had been on the roof with a dead Starfire in his arms, and now he was in Titans Tower?
He walked along the corridors. There was no hole, and everything was in shape unlike the tower he had gotten used to. The sliding doors to the common room opened.
" Hey man! There you are!" Cyborg called from the couch next to Beastboy. " BB stop switching the channels!"
" But there's nothing on!" Beastboy whined.
" How do you know? I can't even see what's on each channel cause your flipping so fast!" Cyborg yelled.
All of a sudden the controller with engulfed with black and floated over to the other corner of the room. Raven sat in a chair reading her book. But by her eyes you could tell she was irritated.
" Hey Rae! Give it back!" Beastboy yelled.
" No. You two idiots have been fighting over this thing all day. You fighting is pointless and it's getting on my last nerve." Raven said monotonously.
" What's going on?" Robin asked confused.
Cyborg stood up from the couch and walked of to the fridge. He opened it and looked around while saying, " Rob, you've been asleep all day. It's like 5:00pm now."
" Yeah even I don't sleep that long." Beastboy called.
" No, I haven't been sleeping! I've been fighting Slade! All us have been! And were all-older than this! And Beastboy and Raven are in love. And Cyborg is in disrepair! And Star got the diamond and then it was too late—and she…died!" Robin said in frantic.
Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck, " Dude, have you been spraying Mr. Clean in you room with the windows shut again, cause you remember what happened last time, don't ya?"
Beastboy came up next to Cyborg to confer, " Yeah last time you were so out of it that you thought the couch was a villain and you started to tear it up."
" Then we had to buy a new couch." Cyborg finished.
" No! I haven't been spraying Mr. Clean." Robin reasoned.
" Then did the punching bag come back around and hit you, again? Cause you remember what happened last time." Beastboy asked.
" Yeah, you went so hard on that thing, then I called you and you turned around. And then it came back around and BAM you were on the floor!" Cyborg recalled laughing.
" Then we had to buy a new punching bag." Beastboy said.
" No." Robin said with his eyes narrowed.
" Robin, you were just dreaming." Raven said as she walked over to them.
" But it seemed so real." Robin said.
" Yes, some dreams so. But we're all fine." Raven said reassuringly.
" Yeah! And no way would I ever love Raven!" Beastboy said laughing.
" And what's so bad about me!" Raven shot back.
" Nothing." Beastboy whimpered.
" Plus, I'm at and all time high! Look at me! Can you resist me, cause I can't resist me! And I'll never go into disrepair." Cyborg said flexing.
" Yeah…" Robin murmured. Maybe it was just a dream because now he couldn't even remember most of it, just bits and pieces.
" Good evening friends!" Starfire said cheerfully as she walked into the room.
Robin turned around and smiled. He ran to her and hugged her tightly. " Star, oh thank-god."
Starfire pulled away with a confused look on her face, " Friend Robin. Hello! I see you have awakened!"
" Starfire, you didn't disappear!" Robin exclaimed.
" Yes…why would I?" Starfire asked.
" Because today is the day Warp took you! And you went to the future and you married Akilli and had a son named Vulcan." Robin said.
Starfire shook her head, " Robin I do not know who those people are. And I would never be taken away from my friends!"
" Yeah, who's Warp?" Cyborg asked.
" He's a villain." Robin said.
" Not one that we know of." Raven said.
Robin felt a hand on his shoulder he turned to look at a smiling Starfire, " Robin, you have been having the nightmares. We are all fine, and I am not gone. I thought that you have been avoiding me, after last night in the gym. I apologize I shouldn't have stepped past "the line"."
Robin shook his head, " Never say that again." He looked at her then took her hands in his. " I push people away, it's what I do. You-you make me want to change Star. I don't want to push you away, not anymore. I'm starting got realize that I have no control over what happens in life, but I sure as hell can try to stop it. I love you! I love you Starfire! I don't know what's going to happen to me or to you ten years down the line. I don't know, but I know you love me too. I don't want to deny how I feel about you. I can't bear to lose you…ever. I can live a lifetime with out friends and without you, but without either I'm not living at all."
All was silent in the room. The other Titans looked shocked at that confession, but Robin wasn't looking at them. He kept his eyes on Starfire. She said nothing and her face was expression-less. Then slowly a smile crept on her face and she let out a laugh of joy. Tears fell down her face.
" I thought you'd never say it." She whispered smiling. Robin then laughed and picked her up in his arms. Then he kissed her passionately.
When they broke away he looked at her and said, " Do you want to go get some pizza?"
She nodded happily, " Sounds wonderful." They took each other's hands and walked out the door as Robin called out, " Be back later."
The other Titans stared blankly at the door for a few minutes in silence. Then Cyborg said, " Wait…what happened in the gym last night?"
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10 Years Later…………
So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intention
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye
And rendered me
So isolated, and so motivated
I am certain now that I am
" You're going to be late I just know it."
" I'm not going to be late."
" You always say that, but it's never true." Victor Stone said. He was a tall African- American man who had made billions by inventing a faster brand of car. He called his multi-billion dollar company Cyborg Inc. After all Victor Stone used to be a Cyborg himself until he invented artificial life- like body parts to replace to ones he had lost. "It doesn't matter what invention I come up with, cause no matter how fast it goes it will never get you any where on time."
" It's true. Vic and I even have a poll saying you will not make it there on time." Garfield Logan said smiling. He was a famous comedian, known for his movies and his shows at the Apollo. He was married to a woman named Raven Logan a novelist. But used to be known as Beastboy. His skin was now white due to an invention of Victor's that made him look like a normal person.
" Shut-up Gar." Richard said. The 26 year-old business tycoon sat across from his two friends. He has shoulder length jet black hair and a pair of sunglasses on. He sat in his business suit at the small diner. He had been working for Bruce for about 7 years now ever since the Titans disbanded, a mutual decision.
" Richard you were late for your first day of work." Victor remembered.
" Yeah Bruce was about to have a heart attack." Garfield laughed.
" There was a car accident on Main Street, blocking traffic." Richard said defensively.
" And the fact you stayed up all the night before going out clubbing and doing it, has nothing to do with it what-so ever." Victor said looking at Richard.
Richard's eyes narrowed, " Please next subject!"
" Hey when are the movers coming?" Asked Garfield changing the subject.
" Today." Richard.
" I can't believe your moving out of the apartment! We've been there for 7 years." Victor said.
" Well it's time for me to go. Plus, Vic, now you get the place all to yourself." Richard pointed out.
Victor thought about it for a minute, " Good point."
Richard stirred his straw in his soda. He couldn't focus on anything today.
" Your nervous." Garfield pointed out.
Richard shook his head, " I'm not nervous."
" I was too, don't worry. You can admit it. Don't worry it's like getting a promotion at work." Garfield said.
" I'm not." Richard said calmly.
" Well Gar and I better get going. We have things to do." Victor said standing. Garfield did the same. Just as they did a beeper went off.
Richard looked down at his belt then back to them, " Trouble."
Victor shook his head in disbelief, " Man, not today. You've got to be kidding me!"
Richard stood, " I kid you not. I've got to go, this is what I do." He got up and ran towards the door.
" Don't be late!" Garfield called after him then he was gone.
" He's going to be late." Victor said before they left also.
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"Somebody help me!" A woman screamed. A man violently grabbed her and pushed her up against a brick wall.
" Hello pretty lady." He said starting to life up her shirt. She screamed louder. Then the man felt a tap on his shoulder and was met by a fist in the face that slammed in backwards.
"Run." A masked man said to the woman. Then she fearfully nodded and ran from the alley.
The man got up from his spot on the ground and looked wide-eyed at the figure before him." N-Nightwing?"
" Ye-ye- Yeah." Nightwing copied the man." You know you should never lay hands on a woman like that!" The man shrank back and ran down the other end of the alley. Nightwing rolled his eyes behind his mask, " I hate it when they run!" Then he used his bird-o-ring and pulled himself rooftop.
He jumped from roof to roof chasing the man when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller id it read, Kori.
He answered it, " Hey hon."
" Hey. Are you getting ready?" Kori asked sweetly.
"How would you like me to answer that?" Richard asked sweetly.
On the other end Kori's eyes narrowed, " Richard Grayson! Do not tell me you are on some rooftop somewhere!"
" Okay then I won't say it." Richard said meekly. On the other end he heard Kori moan.
" Your going to be late, aren't you?" Kori asked.
" No, no I won't be late. I promise." Richard swore.
" Alright, just start getting ready soon." Kori said.
" Honey, I know how important this is for you." Richard said dropping down in front on the running man and freezing him with a weapon. The man turned to ice quickly, frozen in place. He then kicked the block of ice and the man fell to the ground. He then raised the man be his neck ad pushed him up against the wall. " I will be there on time. How's it there in Gotham today?"
Kori slid her arm trough a sleeve while holding the phone with her neck. " Nothing here today. You do know you have an hours drive home, right?"
" Yes." Richard said finishing tying up the man and then started to carry the man like a suit case. " I have to go, hon. I'll see you later.?"
" Yes. I love you." Kori said.
" Love you too." Richard said then he hung up.
Two police man stood at a street corner giving a man a ticket fro speeding. When they turned around they found a tied up man on their car.
" What the hell?" One of them said. The other picked up a note and handed it to him.
He's all yours boys,
Nightwing
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" Don't be worried everything will be fine."
" How can you be so calm about everything? I wish I were more like that, you don't worry." Starfire said to the woman sitting across from her. Starfire had grown into a woman with longer hair, and curves in all the right places. She had become a successful dance teacher at a local Gotham dance theater.
" I'm not calm all the time. In fact I'm worried out of my mind about this." Raven Logan pointed to her stomach, which was now growing. She had become a writer and was now going to become a mother. The thought made her feel sick, god she hoped it wasn't the morning sickness coming back.
" Don't worry you'll be a great mother, I'm sure." Kori reassured her friend.
" He won't be late." Raven said taking a sip of her coffee.
" Hopefully." Kori said taking a sip of hers.
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" Oh God Damn it!" Richard honked his horn. The 59 freeway was all backed up. It started at 7:00pm , it was 6:30.
His car pulled up next to the accident then he was able to get through to normal traffic. He hated how when there was an accident, it wasn't the accident that slowed traffic it was all the damn cars going slower to look at it!
He pushed his speed up to 80 miles per hour and headed faster towards Gotham.
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" Is he here?" Kori asked anxiously..
" Almost, just got a call from him. He's right down the street." Victor said.
She nodded. She wasn't nervous about this, she was sure about this. It had been 10 years of dating and breaking up between Richard and her. When he had become Nightwing, was the hardest. Bruce felt that he shouldn't be Robin anymore. Starfire had helped him through that time and helped him become Nightwing and make peace with Bruce. After the Titans had split up they continued to be superheroes, on their own. Starfire remained herself and had lived in Jump City, protecting its citizens while Richard, being Nightwing, had relocated to Gotham. They had hard times when their normal lives, and their crime fighting ones, clashed. But they worked through it and made it here. It was time to start their future, together.
It was time to start and Garfield had already been standing at his spot, while Victor waited for Richard outside the church.
Richard's car pulled up and he jumped out. He ran towards Victor who greeted him with hug.
" Hey man, you're late." Victor said smiling.
Richard chuckled and pointed to his watch, " I still have two minutes, my friend."
They entered the church and Victor said hurriedly, " Dude the mask! Take off the mask!" Richard quickly and pulled the cloth from his eyes and tightened his bow tie.
They ran to the front of the altar where Garfield stood, " About time." He murmured.
Bruce, Alfred, Bee( Victor's girlfriend), and the other former Titans East sat in the pews. The music started to play.
First came Raven wearing a pink, yes pink, dress that covered her big belly well. She walked down the aisle smiling and blew a kiss the Gar, who blew one back. She reached the altar and stood opposite from the men. Then the wedding anthem started to play.
Starfire appeared in the door way, wearing a long white dress with corset. Her hair was up in a loose bun, with flowers in it. She smiled brightly, and Richard lost his breath.
She reached the altar and looked at him and said happily, " I see you weren't late."
He smiled back, " Never would I be." He took her hands in his and had her stand next to him.
As the minister spoke Richard whispered, " You ready?"
She looked into his eyes and whispered, " Yes."
Then they heard the minister speak the last words of his sentence, " … with love you shall receive redemption. Vindicated from all you sins."
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So turn
Up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment, fall forever
Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I'll be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
Hope
dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption...
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Okay: The End! I hoped all of you enjoyed the story! I thank all my reviewers for reviewing! You guys are great and I love you all! I also apologize if this last chapter sucked
The End is nigh! Saturday night is the premiere of The End at 8:00pm on Cartoon Network. Should be pretty good. I went on a website: http/ there they have description ,reviews, ratings, and dates and times for all the shows.
I know it's sad to see this story end. But I have started another one: Faint Secret, which should be up today or tomorrow.
Here's the description: An ancient book, a mysterious voice, and the same recurring dreams. Starfire is confused by all these things happening to her but keeps them from the other titans. But as a new villain comes to town Starfire finds that her dreams and everything else happening might be real. She digs closer to find the truth, but what is to come is bigger than her or any other Titan has ever expected. " There is a woman's voice in my dreams...I think she is trying to tell me something."
It's been cool. Thank-you so much! All of you have supported me so much!
Hailey