Never Leave

Once Starfire and Nightwing were happily married; now five years later they are divorced and living their own lives. Kory Anders gave up being a superhero, but when she decides to come back, rivals clash and sparks fly as she meets up again with her ex husband. Pure Nightwing/Starfire fluff!

Chapter One: Remembering You

"Nightwing, please do not do this to yourself!"

"What am I doing to myself Star? I'm fine, honest!"

"You are obsessing over Slade again. You have since he came back. You should not do this, you hurt yourself. And I worry about you."

"There's no need to worry Starfire," Nightwing reassured her.

"You are lying to me, Nightwing. I have a reason to worry. You do not eat, you do not sleep. You lock yourself away in the room with all the Slade pictures and brood. It is like I do not know you anymore. When I try to speak you lash out at me. I do not know if I can take it anymore."

"Is that how you really feel Starfire? Is that the truth?" Nightwing demanded angrily. "I need to stop Slade. Not just for the city, but for us. I want to make sure he can never hurt you, or Raven, or anyone else again! Can't you see that?"

"I see that, Nightwing, But you take it too far."

"I don't take it too far! You don't understand! We've been married for two years and I still don't get why you can't see that I DON'T take it too far! I'm doing what I have to do! It's a duty to the city."

"I think you do take it too far, Nightwing. I love you but if your duty to the city is more important than your duty to me I think I should not interfere with it." Starfire's voice was shaky.

"Star, what do you mean? I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"I will divorce you, and let you continue your duty to the city. Since that is what is most important to you." She kept her voice strong, but her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I am sorry. This is the only way."

"No, Star, you know that's not what I meant. I love you and you are more important to me than Slade. You know that!" He gently grabbed her arm. "Please, listen to me..."

"I am sorry, it is too late for that, I have tried and tried, but it is just not working." Starfire walked to the door of their house and put on a coat.

"Starfire, please don't go!" Nightwing's voice pleaded with her.

"I am sorry. It is too late." She shut the door behind her, leaving her husband to stare blankly at it.

Nightwing sat, staring off into the distance, not really seeing anything. It had been five years since the divorce. He didn't want to remember what had happened that horrible day when she had left. He crouched atop a tall, prominent skyscraper in Jump City. He was out on patrol again, checking for any criminals who dared to show their face. It had been a very quiet, uneventful evening. He turned, looking back on Titans Tower, or what used to be Titans Tower. It no longer served as their headquarters but was now a museum dedicated to the heroes of old, the Teen Titans.

The Teen Titans, however were disbanded in a way, Beast Boy had gone off to start a Titans branch in L.A. Cyborg had gone to Steel City to join the Titans East. Raven, well Raven had gone into seclusion; he didn't know what had become of her. He sighed. Leaping up he jumped from one rooftop to another, spotting an armored car robbery.

"Come on, John, we gotta hurry!" a teen said hastily. "Nightwing might show up!"

"Looking for me, fellas?" Nightwing asked, Bo Staff at the ready. The two teens' eyes went wide in shock. They raised their guns to fire on him, but he pulled a smoke pellet from his utility belt. They gasped and gagged as they tried to regain their focus. Before they could fire a shot, the boy named John received a powerful kick to his midsection that sent him sprawling.

"I'm afraid you guys won't be able to have your fun," Nightwing smirked. He spun kicked the other as he punched the teen in the stomach, grunting, the boy fell to the ground, unconscious. They both glared at him as he knocked them out, tying them up quickly and quietly walked away as the police came roaring to the armored car.

He used his grappling hook to latch himself onto the roof of a nearby skyscraper. He watched the scene below as two police officers got out of their cars and walked over to them.

"Well, Kory," Officer Robert Thomson said. "Looks like Nightwing's back again."

"Yes, he did this," Kory Anders frowned. "He was here."

"You know this?" Robert asked.

"Yes, I know this," Kory replied. "I know how he works."

"May I ask how?" Robert asked.

"Let's just say we have had a few run-ins now and then," Kory replied.

"I see. Well, let's get these losers back to the police station," Robert said hulling them into the car. Kory Anders looked up to the skyscraper, scanning the rooftops. She spotted him, Nightwing, and held his gaze for a moment before turning away.

It's too late for us, she thought to herself. Far too late; I have my own life now.

Letting out a small sigh, she returned to her patrol car, driving off to the station, and she climbed out of the car and walked in. The two teens were cuffed and being checked in. "So," said Police chief Nicholas Rufus Dennis, "Nightwing got them again, eh?" They nodded.

"He got them, all right," Kory said. "He was there before we arrived."

"I see. Well, give him my regards. Kory, have the report I asked you for by tomorrow morning," he said sipping his coffee. "Well, Robert, what do you think of our spandex wearing vigilante?"

"Who knows boss," Robert sighed. "He helps us that's alright with me."

"Kory, you're awfully quiet. Don't you have any opinion on this Nightwing character?"

"My opinion on the matter I shall keep to myself. Not that my opinion matters much." Kory Anders turned and left the room shutting the door behind her.

"Touché," Chief Nicholas murmured. "Hey Robert," he looked to his fellow officer who was drinking a hot cup of coffee.

"What Boss?"

"You notice when the subject of Nightwing comes up, Kory doesn't like to talk about it?"

"Yeah, it's kind of odd, really. She talks about anything and everything except him."

"Ever wonder why?"

"No, not really, now that I think about it, she seems, I don't know, different."

"What do you mean by different?" Robert asked.

"Well, I can't put my finger on it; do you know where she's from?"

"Don't know, never bothered to ask really." Robert said pondering the thought.

"Well, I better go now chief," Robert said turning to leave.

"I'm expecting that report tomorrow morning," Chief Nicholas said as he shut the door. Walking to his car, he frowned. "That Kory Anders is such a mystery. One of these days I'll get to know her better. I wonder what her problem is with Nightwing."

Climbing into his vehicle, he drove home. He put his thoughts of Kory Anders out of his mind. He had a report to file for tomorrow morning.

Kory Anders too went to her car and drove home. She tried to get her mind off Nightwing, though he was often the talk of the police station. Men were mystified by him and women were smitten with him. They would often whisper about him and wonder who or what his secret identity was. Kory couldn't say for sure either because when she was married to him he had no secret identity, not one that she knew of.

Driving home, she sighed in frustration, she didn't want to think about Nightwing, she didn't want to bring up those old wounds. She had to leave him, he had his duty to Jump City, she was in his way, it was her duty to not interfere with what he did. Ignoring her thoughts, she arrived at her apartment. She had a report to write for tomorrow morning. She sat down and began writing.

Nightwing watched the scene from high above the skyscraper. He eyed the police officers with interest. Especially the one the man had called "Kory." He thought she was familiar to him, he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. Kory reminded him of…her…

He watched her intently as she began to scan the buildings. Her eyes met his and locked with his gaze. He saw her eyes, emerald green orbs, and he realized he knew who she was.

"Starfire," he breathed her name. It was her, he knew it was her. He could tell by the way she was staring at him. He held her gaze a few seconds longer then disengaged himself from her. He vanished into the darkness, cape billowing behind him in the wind. He leapt onto his cycle and sped off into the night, leaving his past behind him.