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Estell - Everyone knows that diamonds are a girl's best friend, even if the girl is a half demon from Azarath.

Hotshot - Actually, no, I haven't even begun to touch on the end yet. I'm actually reserving that for my next story. It deserves a whole story, and I've got a few ideas. -

Time marches on, and this story finds us in the thick of "Between Life And Burning Space." As usual, I don't own the titans.
Chapter Three: Day One Hundred Sixty One

Cyborg had pulled the doctor aside into one of the many offices that lined the main laboratory in which they were working. He was pulling long hours like everyone else, and was not ashamed to be seen with his power cable sticking from his chest, especially not with whom he was talking to. The suit the doctor wore was just as unusual as the titan's form. But that wasn't important.

Cyborg closed the door as best he could, being careful of the cord that had followed him through the doorway. Through the window, he could see his black cloaked colleague still working on the device. "I'm worried about Robin."

Doctor Freeze nodded, his voice somber and metallic through the speakers in his helmet. "Yes, as am I. He has worked on this project longer than anyone else and I am certain that he is not sleeping well when he returns to the tower."

Cyborg sighed. "I'm not sure he's sleeping at all. As soon as we get home he goes to watch over Starfire. I wouldn't expect anything less from him, but he's going to fall out real soon or worse, he's going to start making mistakes."

The doctor sat down, adjusting a few of the controls on his suit and then turning his attention back out the window. "He has made no mistakes, I have been checking behind him. You are not the only one who has seen this trend. Besides, we are nearly finished with the cryogenic chamber. We will be ready to run a test by tonight."

Cyborg stretched, ignoring the creak of metal. "I know we should test this thing out, but Star only has two days left before she goes into terminal stage fire fever. We're going to be cutting it awfully close."

A new voice broke into their conversation. Robin stood in the doorway, his masked eyes narrow. "Maybe so, but we have to test it. It's my call." His tone of voice left no question that he was using his power as leader of the titans.

Cyborg disconnected his cord, a soft chime indicating he was on battery power again. "Fine."

Doctor Freeze knew a situation that needed defusing when he saw it so he stepped between the two. "Gentlemen, the remaining work is fine tuning which only I am able to perform. You two will not be needed until we are ready to test the machine in twelve hours. Go home and rest and I will see you back here at that time."

Before Robin could complain, twin sonic cannons and a freeze pistol were leveled at him. His masked eyes went wide before narrowing. "I see we're going to play like that, then. I'll go take care of Starfire." He turned and looked up at the clock as he passed by it. "I'll see you in twelve hours."

The medical lab in the tower was quiet, for once. Starfire was resting comfortably and her painful, wet coughing was absent as she slept. It was into this calm environment that Robin entered. The lights were dim, the air was cool, and Starfire lay on the bed covered with a purple blanket. By her side were two stuffed animals, a puppy that Robin had won for her at the carnival and a kitz'nic, a six legged, orange furred creature from her native Tamaran. She refused to sleep without them both by her side.

He had been completely silent as he entered, Batman would have been proud. Yet for whatever reason, Starfire knew he was there and opened her bright green eyes as he sat down next to her. She smiled as bright as the sun for him and happily squeezed his hand before coughing loudly. Robin rushed to wipe away the bright red blood with a damp cloth before settling down beside her.

The boy wonder had brought a bag with him and produced from it a bright yellow squeeze bottle. "Mustard?" He laughed as the alien girl squealed happily and took the bottle, opening it and taking a swig.

She smiled again. "Glorious! Thank you, love Robin." She took another sip. "How was your day today?"

Robin shrugged. "The chamber is complete, there's just some fine tuning that needs to be done on it and Doctor Freeze will be doing that himself so he told me to come here and get some rest."

Starfire nodded. "I cannot wait to meet this doctor. He is a very wise man to send you back to me."

He laughed at this. "What have you done all day?"

She shrugged and gestured towards the television in the corner. "I have watched the operas of soap. Why are they so much different from the opera to which we went and dressed up in our finery?"

Robin blinked and thought for a second. "Well Star, they're not really operas. And I don't know why they're called soap operas." He shrugged and yawned. "I've never really watched them."

The Tamaranian instantly looked concerned. "Love Robin, you are tired?" She set her jaw and looked him over again, speaking with more certainty this time. "Love Robin, you are tired. You spend all your time looking after me and no time looking after Robin."

Robin made to calm her down but before he could, she was scooting over in the bed and gathering up her plush stuffed animals. She lifted the blanket and patted the empty space beside her. Robin sighed. "Star, I promise I'll get some rest once we get you all better and get back from Tamaran."

Starfire, however, put on her most innocent expression and looked shyly into Robin's masked eyes. "Love Robin, I am having trouble sleeping. Please, it would help me to have you by my side." At the first sign of his objection, the redhead pouted and drew up a few tears to seal the deal. The boy wonder didn't stand a chance.

Robin sighed and carefully slid into the bed with her. Instantly, she wrapped herself around him and found the most comfortable position nestled in his arms. His head was resting on the soft pillow and he had his love in his arms. Robin's eyes began to grow heavy. "You play me like a fiddle, Star."

She simply sighed and hugged him tighter. As sleep finally claimed him, Robin could hear her whisper. "I know, my love."

A green bottle fly flitted into the medical lab and surveyed the scene before flitting back out into the hallway and transforming into the green Beast Boy. He walked into the common room where the other nine titans waited. He nodded. "Robin is asleep, finally."

Aqualad looked up from the table by the window. "It's about time. He's been awake for almost a week straight. No one go anywhere near there."

Cyborg glanced up from the GameStation and nodded. "I've got a link to the monitoring devices on Star's bed so we'll know if anything happens to her. There really isn't any reason to disturb him for the next few hours." He paused thoughtfully before he sighed and leaned back, pausing the game. "He wants to test the cryogenic chamber himself."

Speedy stepped out from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Jinx and sat down beside her. "I think he has the right to decide to do that. I think if any one of us were in the position he's in, we'd want to test it out ourselves first."

Cyborg regarded Bumblebee for a moment before leaning forward, causing the couch to creak under him. "I won't argue that, but we don't have much time. Starfire is going to go into terminal phase tomorrow and then the day after that, well, you know." He couldn't say it. No one had been able to say it.

Aqualad stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "We can't stop him, we shouldn't stop him. He has the most at stake of all of us. Even though Starfire is our friend, she is Robin's girlfriend. He has to be sure of this." He turned his attention to the changeling and the geomancer at his side. "Beast Boy, Terra, you're sure about the procession of the bar and'r'y?"

Beast Boy and Terra both nodded. The blonde spoke up. "Seven days, seven days, and twenty four hours. Every medical record I've seen has said you could set a watch to it."

The Atlantian nodded. "Then it's settled."

Robin stirred in bed. Starfire had fallen asleep on top of him again. He opened his eyes slowly and slowly moved Tamaranian arm and leg until he was able to slip out of bed. Starfire began to make noises of protest at his absence, so he replaced the empty space on the bed with her stuffed animals. She sighed happily and hugged them tight in a bone crushing hug. She never knew the difference.

He quietly slipped out of the medical lab and into the darkened hall beyond. In the muted light, he could see a single glowing red light. Cyborg was waiting for him. "What took you so long?"

Robin tensed up and prepared himself for verbal warfare. "Have you come to talk me out of it?"

The larger man sighed and shook his head. "Look, if I were in your position, if it was Bee sick in there, I would probably be doing the same thing you're about to. So no, I won't talk you out of it." He leveled his eyes at Robin, and the boy wonder could feel the cybernetic eye analyzing him. "But you are crazy, that's for sure. Come on, the T-car is waiting."

Jump City traffic was mild on their way to the laboratory where the cryogenic chamber waited. Cyborg and Robin didn't say a word for the entire trip, both were lost in their own thoughts and it came as a surprise when they reached the lab so quickly. Doctor Freeze was waiting for them as they entered the room where they had assembled the device.

The doctor looked sternly at Robin and when he didn't flinch, the doctor smiled. "You know, I did the exact same thing before I put my wife into her chamber. I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

He extended his hand and the boy wonder shook it. They then walked to the glass lidded case and Robin climbed in. Cyborg stood at the head of the chamber. "We're setting it for twenty four hours. One day should be enough."

Robin nodded. The doctor returned to them and looked down into the box. "You will feel a momentary discomfort as the cycle begins." He closed the glass lid, the seals automatically engaging as the lid locked into place.

It was silent, and then it was cold, and then it all stopped.