Disclaimer: Lawyers, I need lawyers, I need-wait, they cost HOW MUCH? Ok, fine… I don't own them. Happy? You better be, do you know how much those sharks cost per hour?

Ok, major commitment problems. I ain't going to apologize because the least you lot want is a sorry from some weirdo on the net, so, whatever. I will say one thing, however, and that this really, really, really late up-date wasn't because I couldn't be bothered writing. Blame my modem.

Another note: Many of you would have at least seen the beginning of Season Four. Over here in the land of rocks and dirt, Cartoon Network hasn't even shown Season Three. I will scream if I have to watch Divide and Conquer one more time. But, because of CN's complete lack of interest, some things in this story are going to be off by miles.

BumbleBee: I don't even know what this chica sounds like. I've noticed in quite a few fics that people are pairing her up with Cyborg. Lola is the closest thing you're gonna get to Bumble. I ain't going to make it that Bumble's had her name changed blah, blah, blah. Just pretend Bumble got sent back to the Bee hive or something. Lola is Lola. She has never been a giant bug, nor will she ever.

Jinx: There was something going on between her and Cy, wasn't there? Yeah. That's barely touched on. Just barely.

The whole Slade coming back for Raven thing: This is what cheeses me off the most! I want to see the scary man chase the scary girl! I want to see the time warp thing! I'm going to cry! Umm… ignore that one. Point is, for this story to work, I'm ignoring the entire forth season. I could have just scratched it all together, but I think this baby could work if you white-out a few things.

All up: The "See the Sun" refrence in the second flashback is thanks to Blackshield's "See the Sun", so bow down to her creativty!

Cookie Dough-Chapter 5: A Way to Make Her Smile

#FLASHBACK#

"It's good seeing you again, Robin"

Nightwing stiffened in shock, then turned to see Raven behind him, violet eyes grave. "Raven?" He asked, shocked, while the small palm pilot he'd been holding dropped to the ground with a muffled thump. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She looked up at the ceiling of Wayne Manor, almost as though she was rolling her eyes, then back to the tall man across from her. "I'm staying here with Mr. Wayne" She said simply, holding onto the book that she had pulled out from the library.

Nightwing almost dropped his staff. "You're staying?" He repeated stupidly. "You're staying here with Bruce?"

Giving him a funny look, Raven sat down in the giant armchair behind her. "Yes. I've been here since last month"

Dropping onto the lounge, Nightwing shook his head in disbelief. He thought that he'd never see any of the Titans again, and here was Raven, living with his adoptive father. He stared at her, wondering why she looked the same as… as that last time in the kitchen. Her hair may have been a little longer, barely brushing past her shoulders, and she may have been wearing a white cloak instead of the uniform blue of their teens, but apart from that, nothing else had changed.

"Bruce said you would be like this," She commented, opening the book and reading. "Don't worry, I'll be out of here soon enough" Her purple eyes flickered up from the page and something in them darkened momentarily. "I know how much you enjoy being alone"

Nightwing scowled at her. "There's more to that and you know it"

"So why did you leave?" Raven placed the book down and stood up, wrapping her long white cloak against her. "One night you almost seem normal, and I think that maybe the Titans can start over, and the next morning you're gone" She pursed her lips, and straightened. "For one moment, Nightwing, I thought that you might have… moved on"

Nightwing scowled, also standing up. "I have moved on!" He protested hotly.

The power flickered on and off for a moment, and Raven spat scathingly, "Then why did you leave? Why didn't you sign the Star plan?" She paused, and her eyes glittered. "Why did you run off after that night in the kitchen?"

Looking down, mouth tight, Nightwing said nothing, making Raven tut loudly. She knew it. "You haven't, and you know it, Robin. Your past is your past. If you want to keep living in it, then fine" Turning to leave, she only stopped when a rough hand caught her and pulled her back.

"What do you-" She whirled around to face him with a scowl, only to realize with a jolt that he had ripped off his mask and had flung it to the side. Nightwing's-no, Richard's- blue eyes bored down at her, and for the first time in years, Raven was afraid.

"I left because being with the Teen Titans meant that I was still Robin" He explained in a deadly, quiet, voice. "While I was Robin, I couldn't forget her. I needed to change, and leaving was the only way any of us were going to get back on track" Something in his eyes flickered, and he let go of Raven's arm. "I didn't leave the team. And I didn't leave you"

Raven turned her head, ignoring the burning sensation in that swept through her as he said that. He was lying, of course he was. But still…

She stared into his eyes, and wondered.

#FLASHBACK ENDS#

Lola's sobbing broke Robin out of his memory, and with a lurch of his heart he remembered what had happened.

Looking around Treeflower's nursery, with it's white washed pinks and her soft toys sitting in the same spots that they had yesterday morning, he felt a lump come to his throat. This was all his fault. How could have something like this have happened? He'd been so careful. He had moved twice, given himself four different aliases, and swapped five different jobs. He'd driven a different car every year, dyed his hair red for eight mouths, and changed phone numbers more times then he'd like to count. He'd done everything and anything to make sure no one could trace Richard Grayson to the former Boy Wonder and his teammates. Everything…

Except… be there for his wife.

"The room was practically destroyed, so there were no leads" Bruce's voice made Robin jump, and he turned as Lola sniffed and held the white princess bunny of Treeflower's closer. Old face grave, Bruce continued, "Your friend Victor is trying to clean up some of the ash now, but it'll be awhile" There was a brief pause on his part, then a heavy thump as Bruce stamped his walking stick against the floor. "This is exactly what happens when you leave your home unguarded" His voice was emotionless, but Robin could see the anger in his eyes. "Criminals will not hesitate to destroy your life. They, especially ones like Slade, will make sure that you pay for every breath you've ever lived. And now that you've settled down and your wife has had a child…" He trailed off meaningfully, and Robin looked down at the floor, the guilt that he had been feeling before coming back twice as strong.

Raven… While Raven had been waiting here, alone, he'd been walking with Starfire, showing her random patterns on shells. While Raven had been walking up the dark stairs, wondering were her husband was, he'd been watching Starfire's moonlit face in wonder. And while Raven had been fighting off Slade… protecting… protecting their daughter, he'd been… kissing…

The bitterness in his throat stung. God, what had he done? Raven had cared, always, even if for half of their lives it'd only been as a friend.

#FLASHBACK#

It was raining hard. Robin stood by the large windows of the kitchen and watched the lightning flash across the sky. How long now? Two, three years? He was nineteen, too old to be apart of the Teen Titans but too young to match up to someone like Bruce.

He needed to change.

"Robin?" There was the soft sound of a cloak swishing over the ground, and then Raven's voice as she asked, "Are you alright?"

Saying nothing for a few moments, he sighed then murmured, "I'm just thinking"

Sitting down at the table, Raven watched him carefully. "You're thinking about Starfire" She said as more of a statement than a question.

Robin looked at her, only making out her outline when the lightning flashed. "I'm thinking about everything"

"Are you going to sign the Star plan?"

He shrugged, and then sat down across from her, still looking out the window. "I don't know" Glancing at her, he shrugged again. "It's just… everything…"

Raven hesitated, but then slipped her hand into his, surprising them both. While Robin glanced up at her in surprise, she said in a soft voice, "'A day of her is worth dying for'" Giving him a small, pained smile she answered, "B. Shields, 'See the Sun'". Looking across at him squarely, Raven murmured, "She meant everything, and even though she's gone, be thankful that you had the chance to know her"

Gazing out at the harbor, Robin nodded slowly. "You're right Raven, I am" The kitchen lit up as a quick bolt shot through the sky, and he looked back at her, staring silently. Turning his hand over under hers, he squeezed it. "Thank-you," He whispered. "For everything"

Raven flushed, and she made to pull her hand back, but Robin just tightened his hold, gazing at her stronger than ever. "Raven, I…"

Instantly Raven was out of her seat and by the windows, one hand going to the smooth glass. "Don't," She warned. "Whatever you were going to say, don't"

Robin stood up in his seat, but made no other move. "Raven," Why was he shaking? He hadn't felt like this since… "Raven, please, just listen"

She turned her head slightly, but otherwise Raven stayed where she was.

"I…" Robin paused, took a breath, then started again. "I have no idea what would have happened if you hadn't of helped me. When… when Starfire… died, I thought for a while that… that I had too. But then, you came, broke down my door, locked me in my bathroom, and… and listened" He stopped to see if Raven was taking it all in, then when he saw that she had relaxed, and was focusing all her attention on him, Robin continued. "You sat there for two years, listening to me as I told you everything I knew about her, everything I wanted to tell her, just… everything. You've been the closest to me since… since she… died, and I wanted to apologize that I… gave up on everyone. I'm sorry, and I hope that all of you can forgive me"

For a moment, all Raven could do was blink. She just stared at the stranger across from her, wondering how long it'd been since he had changed. Feeling something strange build up inside her, Raven moved across the floor and to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Never apologize Robin," Eyes glimmering, Raven gave him a small smile. "I'm your friend. You don't have to apologize to a friend"

A black gloved hand covered hers, and looking up, Robin smiled. "Sorry anyway"

#FLASHBACK ENDS#

TTT

SMASH

Cyborg winced slightly. It sounded like Terra was beating the crap out of whatever it was she was doing. Although, if she felt the same way he did, he couldn't blame her.

How could this happen?

One moment Raven and Robin had things going fine; the next Dark Girl and the Princess have been hiked by Slade, and Wonder Brat's off with Star.

That's what hurt the most. The fact that it'd been Robin and Starfire. Starfire, For crying out loud! Sure, maybe he could understand that it'd been twenty years since she'd seen any of them, and granted, they had all thought she was dead, but c'mon!

Maybe Beast Boy was wrong. Maybe, when the short man had rung him last night and told him he'd seen… them together, holding hands, maybe he'd eaten too much tofu. Maybe BB hadn't seen them acting like a pair of love struck teens. Robin's ("goofy, way goofy") smiling and Starfire's blushing ("dude you could totally tell!"), maybe, maybe that meant nothing.

Crumbling the ash in his hand, Cyborg sighed. Yeah, maybe all that lovey dovey stuff meant nothing, but what about that look on Raven's face after they had all realized Robin wasn't coming? She'd been happy before-kinda awkward, but still happy.

And what about the Princess? What about Treeflower? Cyborg's stomach tightened painfully. Oh, god, what if Slade had done something to her?

"Cy"

The robotic man looked up at the doorway and frowned when he saw Robin.

"Yeah?" He answered gruffly.

If something had happened to either Treeflower or Raven, Cyborg would never, ever, forgive him.

Something crossed over Robin's blue eyes, but he just asked, "Did you finish scanning?"

"Yeah," Cyborg replied, pressing a few buttons on his palm pilot. Well, Robin thought it was a palm pilot. The darker Titan glared up at him, and he felt the sweat build up under his collar. "There was no trace of biological mass, and my scanners picked up a lot of platinum, so I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that Rae put up one hell of a fight before Slade dragged her out"

Robin nodded, and looked around the ruined bedroom.

What? Cyborg thought viciously. Worrying how much it's gonna set you back to turn this into a Bat Cave?

Aware that the bat in question was still by the door, Cyborg raised an eyebrow, waiting for whatever it was that Robin wanted.

"Have you seen Starfire?"

Looking away Cyborg shook his head, not trusting himself to talk.

It ain't Star's fault. It ain't Star's fault. It ain't Star's fault.

Robin paused, about to say something, but then just sighed and left quietly.

TTT

SMASH

Terra gritted her teeth as another paving stone slammed into the pile.

SMASH. SMASH. SMASH. SMASH-

"You're tearing up part of the patio, Tara"

In surprise, Terra dropped the plank she'd been levitating and turned to blink at Bruce, who was standing by the glass door. He watched her calmly, ignoring the ruined mess that was the driveway. "I take it that this type of encounter was one you expected to never happen again, am I right?"

Suddenly the blonde just dropped to the ground, her arms pulling her knees to her chest in a defensive gesture. "Slade can't leave it alone, can he?" Terra burst out, shaking her head. "He couldn't go and crawl into a retirement home, could he? No! He has to come back and ruin our lives all over again!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "A man like Slade Wilson is complicated. He doesn't do things for the sake of 'ruining' your lives. He does it because he wants it. He wanted Robin because Robin was the best. When Robin showed him that he was too strong, Slade turned to someone who wasn't as stable. To someone who was unsure of things, unsure of what she was meant to do. Then, when she became too strong, he gave up. Now he sees your families, your children, as a fresh start. You and Garfield's own children are too old; they're just the right age to be difficult. Abraham's father has grounded him with a deep sense of what's right; it'd be a waste of resources trying to turn the boy. Treeflower, on the other hand…"

"She's a baby" Terra continued softly. "She's young, too young to remember anything about being loved. She has an Empath for a mother and one of the world's greatest fighters for a father. She's a born warrior. He can raise her, bring her up as his own, fill her with his ideals. Train her. Use her. And he knows, Slade knows that we would never do anything to harm her. She's his shield. His Robin. His Terra. She's going to be everything we weren't"

There was a few moments silence, then Bruce murmured, "That's why we have to find them. We can't let him create the perfect weapon. What you and Robin-Richard-went through, that will be nothing to the suffering Treeflower is in for"

Terra nodded, and didn't say anything else. What could she say? That maniac had put her through the worst years of her life. Because of him, she'd betrayed her friends, destroyed her city…

Buried herself alive.

Shuddering, the blonde bit her lip. The stone pressing against her. Packing her in. The suffocation. The blindness.

And it'd been all because of Slade.

"We have to save her" She whispered, more to herself than Bruce. "We have to save her"

TTT

"Could any of our contacts help?"

Aqualad's face stilled, frowning. "I don't know if we have anything close enough to pull it off. There's only two that I can think of off the top of my head and that's Ken, that kid you rescued years ago, and Jinx"

Sighing, Beast Boy slouched in his chair. This was useless. They should have been out there already. What the hell could a rouge HIVE student do that they couldn't? Flicking a switch on and off on the panel, Beast Boy sighed again and glanced up at the computer screen. "See what you can do, and I'll talk to the others"

The was a sure nod from Aqualad's end, but before the transmission ended he hesitated, then commented, "We will get them back"

"Yeah" Beast Boy grinned, though it felt fake even to him. "Of course we will"

Then he turned off the screen.

Pulling his old communicator out of his shirt pocket, the green man flipped it open. "Yo, Cy, you there?"

A few swear words poured out, then Cyborg's face suddenly appeared, squashed up close to the screen. "Yeah. Did you get any where?"

"No. Aqualad reckons that we probably wouldn't have any close enough to do any real damage. The closest thing he had was Jinx and that kid Ken"

Cyborg's mouth twisted into a smile. "Old Jinx-y girl, huh? You know what, she'd probably get us what we what and more. Tell Fishman to give the girl the green light. It couldn't hurt"

You're only saying that because you almost married her, thought Beast Boy as he snapped his communicator close. But, if he wanted to live to see Hannah go to collage, then he'd keep that to himself.

"Beast Boy?"

He closed his eyes, then opened them again to find Starfire standing hesitantly by the door. "Yes Star?"

Releasing her breath, though she had not been aware that she'd been holding it, Starfire asked, "May I request your assistance in a matter of importance? I would not be asking if I did not believe it would be of help"

Beast Boy looked unsure, and her heart sank. She was well aware of the current attitudes within their group.

As last night showed, things were not in her favor.

"Star, I'm gonna be honest" Peering up into her eyes, Beast Boy idly started to flick imaginary lint off his pants. "I don't like what you're doing but you're my friend and right now another of my friends is in trouble. I know things have gotta be weird after twenty years, but I think we should all forget about that and just try to get Rae and Flower back" He gave her a smile then, small, but real. "What can I do to help?"

Knowing her eyes were shinning with tears, Starfire smiled back. "I wish to check the Centari Prison enrollments"

TTT

Raven groaned, then opened her eyes, blinking at the darkness of the room. Moving her hand and feeling the softness of the cotton sheets under her, she frowned.

What was she doing on a bed?

Sitting up Raven swallowed the vile that was rising to her throat. Did… Did Slade…

On impulse she yawned, and stretched out her arms. Today was going to be a loooong day.

Raven frowned. That hadn't been her.

Suddenly she leapt out of bed and stretched out her whole body, flexing her fingers and wriggling her toes.

Raven stopped. That definitely hadn't been her.

Still, her body ignored her confused mind and bounded up to a mirror on the other side of the room. Staring at the dark surface for a moment the Empath wondered if Slade had planted a controlling device on her, but all suspicions vanished when her hand reached up and flicked a switch she hadn't even been aware existed.

At first Raven thought she was simply seeing her reflection. The same pale face was staring back at her. But the face was slightly more rounded, the lips a little fuller, and her eyes…

Her eyes were blue.

Feeling the curly mass that was her hair tumble down her back and into her face, Raven-or rather, Treeflower-sighed, annoyed, and tucked a few strands back with a slim hand.

Where was that new combat outfit Father had given her? She glanced behind her and rolled her eyes when she saw it was on her bed. Typical. They had over three hundred thousand Slade Bots in production, and not one of them could ever throw her things in the right place. Still, the teen reasoned. It's not like you could get good help these days anyway.

Never trust someone else when you can do it yourself.

Treeflower frowned as she strolled over to her bed and picked up the outfit. Kicking her new boots (steel capped for maxim damage) to the mirror, she tried remembering her old nanny that had spoken those immortal words. Aunty had said that she was too busy and too important to take care of a small child, and Father was never there, so she'd been handed over to the charge of a carer.

The only thing she could remember was the bright pink flame of her nanny's hair. The nanny had only been with them little less than a year; one day she had been called up to Father's office, and Treeflower had never seen her again. She had often wondered why… the nanny had been a friend.

Still, it was useless to dwell on the past. Her Father was not a man to disappoint, and if her nanny had done something to upset him, then it had been her error.

You just didn't disappoint Father.

Memo to self: Kick the Princess's royal ass.

Grinning in jest, Treeflower winked at her reflection. She was going to do more than that. She was going to annihilate every single member of the Princess's team. They had been annoying her ever since she had started in this game, but this time, she was going to win.

The soft hiss of her door opening drew her attention and Slade's cold mask soon appeared. "Are you ready?" He asked, his voice emotionless. Looking at him via the reflection of the mirror, she smiled slowly, clicking the last of the silver plating on her arms then slipping on a simple black mask. "Absolutely"

Slade smirked. "Very good, Robyn. Very good"

TTT

"The computer isn't picking up anything nearby" Joan glanced up at Abe, his blue eyes unsure. "I don't know whether we can trust it though. Not after last time" Nervously, he ran a hand through his shaggy hair, which reminded Abe of the dog form Uncle Gar always took.

Hannah just sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder and shallowly skimming her eyes around the alleyway. "I have no idea why the oldies don't just let us take down the bitch once and for all." She complained. "I mean, come on, she's always giving us the slip! I bet she's returning everything she steals back to daddy darling and getting a pat on the head for annoying us! I say we just land a nice shiny bullet right between her eyes and see how much daddy loves her then"

"Good thing you don't have a say this time then, isn't it?" Abe grinned, not tearing his eyes away from the shadows in front of them. He couldn't blame the now scowling changeling for feeling the way she did though. After that time Slade's daughter had almost drowned them, he wasn't that wild about her either.

But Slade's daughter though she was, there was something… familiar about her.

"She's not that bad," He announced suddenly, remembering the time she had pushed him out of the path of Mad Man Gizmo's mechcanical spider. Glancing behind to Hannah he shook his head. "I just think that being dragged up by Slade has f-"

WHAM!

Abe went sprawling across the ground, an angry red print forming where the steel from Robyn's boot had smacked into his face.

"There's nothing wrong with my father!" The girl spat, coming over to him and placing a foot on his chest, digging the ends in for extra effect. Suddenly, Robyn's head whipped up and she glared at the other two Titans, both of whom brought out their weapons. "Shoot," She spat, pulling out a sleek firearm her father had had specially designed for this, and aiming it at Abe's throat. "and I take your friend with me"

A green bolt was suddenly thrown at her, and instead of swearing, Robyn grinned.

Here came Princess.

"Heartsfire!" Hannah cried while Joan started cursing. Abe would have yelled at the girl to get back home, but right then he was trying not to choke on his own teeth. "Heartsfire, get the hell out of here!"

The girl Hannah was shouting at ignored her, glaring at Robyn with burning green eyes.

"I'm going to ask you once," With a soft voice, Heartsfire let her power build up at her fingertips. "Back away from Abe"

There was a click as Robyn turned the gauge, finger hovering over the trigger and a leer lurking over her mouth.

Heartsfire raised an eyebrow, her dark hair flying into her eyes. "I'll take that as a no"

"Heart!" Practically screaming Hannah stomped her foot. "Go back home! You're too young for this!"

Not looking away from Robyn, the girl just murmured, "I'm nine years younger than you and I can take all of you down"

Hannah shut up, while Joan just shook his head. "Uncle Richard is so going to kill us"

This was ridiculous. "How old are you, Princess?" Noting that Abe wasn't groaning as much, Robyn dug her boot in a little harder.

Raising her chin proudly, Heartsfire answered, "Fourteen"

Robyn cocked an eyebrow, ignoring the way the other two idiots had tensed.

So, Fourteen? She was only two years younger than herself. Perhaps I should just let the little princess go home to her parents. Where's the fun in stealing candy from a baby?

But then again, where was the fun in letting the brat have it?

Tired of just standing there, Hannah swooped in to cheetah form and started towards her friend and his captor.

Sighing like it was boring her, Robyn lifted the gun, aimed, and shot.

"HANNAH!"

Stunned, Heartsfire just watched as the green woman fell, her blood quickly forming a puddle underneath her.

"HANNAH!"

Robyn really wished that blue eyed boy would stop screaming. It was going to give her a headache.

"HANNAH!" Tears rolling down his face, Joan fumbled with his firearm. When she realized what he was intending to do, Robyn rolled her eyes, aiming.

And fired again.

Heartsfire flinched violently as Joan gave a pained yell and dropped to the ground. Closing her eyes, she wished the sound of Abraham's whimpering would stop.

"I guess this means you're next, Princess"

Opening her eyes, Heartsfire watched as Robyn cocked the gun, grinning. She watched as Robyn lifted it. She watched as Robyn aimed it.

"Darling, you have to be careful. Robyn isn't who you think she is" Her father's voice resounding in her head, Heartsfire blinked, closing her eyes.

Opening them again, she sighed, murmuring, "I'm sorry it had to be like this"

Then she watched as Robyn shot it.

"She's your sister"

TTT

Raven's eyes shot open.

That couldn't have happened. That wouldn't have happened. That couldn't of. Her daughter, her baby, she couldn't have grown into that horrible creature. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

Feeling steel underneath her fingers, Raven gave a shaky breath and sat up. The room was dark, the only light being the one that was blaring down on her now.

Where was Treeflower?

Fear gripped her; if Slade had touched one hair on her head, she would rip him to pieces. She would drown him in darkness. She would-

"I see that you are awake, Mrs. Grayson"

Raven's head snapped to the right, where Slade's shadow grew closer. "Where is Treeflower?" She hissed.

It was almost as though he was amused, the steel of his mask giving only a slight smile. "She is being prepared for her operation. The Doctors I have… employed have been ready to go since the day before. Things are never as simple as we would like them to be, Mrs. Grayson"

"Shut up" Raven whispered. Narrowing her eyes she glared up at him, her fists tightening. "I want my daughter now, Slade. She's not going to grow up to be your apprentice"

He smirked underneath his mask. "You're right. She won't. She'll grow up as my daughter"

Suddenly a wind ripped through the cell, and Raven's eyes blazed white, while the light bulb above her smashed, sending them both into darkness.

"I'd rather die than see my daughter in your hands"

Not at all fazed, Slade just stood there as shards of glass and a few bolts flew around the room. "That, my dear, can be arranged" He paused, then continued. "It seems that your generation was built for disappointment. My last two apprentices were failures, and it was only until recently that I have understood why. Teenagers are funny things, Mrs. Grayson. As I'm sure you remember, it is not easy being one let alone a superhero. As an adolescent, you are forming your own opinions, you are rebelling. You are on the verge of adulthood. Children, on the other hand, have no such ideals. They are young and open to anything. They can be taught to obey. Taught to enjoy the same things their parents do. Molded. My last two apprentices failed simply because they were too old. They could not see what I was offering through their morals. I will see to it that your daughter does not end up going in the same direction"

It was as if Raven's old emotions were spilling out and running around her in a miryad of colours. She felt like breaking down and never getting up, crying about Treeflower, crying about her future. Crying about Robin's betrayal. Then she felt like screaming, letting Rage out, destroying everything and anyone in her way with a blaze of red.

But those days were gone now. Her emotions didn't control her. It just felt like they still did.

Raven's powers flared up one more time, illuminating them both, then died out completely, leaving everything to the shadows. "She will never be yours"

There was the heavy sound of Slade's boots as he made his way to the door. "I've been racing through all sorts of names for the child" He said causally, as though talking about the weather. "After all, Treeflower hardly seems fitting for our young fighter, does it?" Raven could feel him grin, and she stiffened. "No, Treeflower would never do. She needs something more… substantial. How does Robyn grab you?"

The dark woman gave a pained gasp, and slid onto the cold ground. "No" She whispered. "No"

Really, Slade thought as he stepped out of the holding cell. This was too easy.

#FLASHBACK#

"What do you want to name her?"

Looking down at the little face of her daughter, Raven gave a small smile, thinking of the perfect name.

Starfire had been a big lover of fairytales. But, when she hadn't been making the rest of the team suffer with Disney classics, the alien princess had told her own stories, ones that she had grown up with. There had been one in particular that Raven remembered clearly, one that her happy friend had loved the most…

"Once a upon a Glanknort," Starfire whispered, her eyes sparkling, "There lived a mellandeck princess by the name of Melande'dar. So fair and globan was she of the flowers, that even her planet's enemies loved her, so in a jealous rage the Gordanian Queen imprisoned her in the beautiful Ganderin tree, hoping to stop the people from loving her more than she. At first, the kingdom was grief-stricken at the loss of their beloved princess, but one day, while tending to the Fan-fan flocks, a young, handsome Mandor came across the Ganderin tree, and lay underneath it's shady and cooling branches. While he rested, the princess spoke to him, asking him to help set her free and release her from her pretty prison" Starfire giggled then, distracted by Beast Boy choking on his tofu, but carried on. "The Mandor alerted the others of his nock, and they all sat by the Ganderin, listening to the soft words of the princess. Renaming her Melande'der, meaning Flower of the Tree, the Mandor soon discovered how to free her, and gave the Ganderin tree an ammiane, breaking the power of the Gordanian Queen and releasing her. Melande'der over powered the evil Gordanian Queen, and resumed the throne, marrying the Mandor and living happily, ever, anha…"

"Raven," Robin's soft voice brought her back from her memory, and she glanced up at him, blushing at the look of undividing love in his blue eyes. One hand curled with hers, and the other holding the tiny fingers of his daughter, he asked again, "Raven, what do you want to name her?"

Thinking back to the tale Starfire had told of the alien princess who defeated evil with the boy she loved, and back to all the happy times that their own alien princess had given them, Raven said softly, "Treeflower. Let's call her Treeflower"

#FLASHBACK ENDS#

TTT

"This is unfortunate. I was hoping that my guards had been wrong, but now I see that there is no mistake"

Beast Boy shook his head, and glanced up at Starfire, whose worried green eyes reflected ten times as huge in the screen light. "Are you sure Star?"

She turned her unhappy gaze to him. "Almost certain. There had been word she had been transferred back after our last visit, but at the time affairs on my planet were reaching a worrisome high. My sister was the last thing on my mind"

The green man frowned, his fingers already tapping at the keyboard. "Maybe we should try-"

"Garfield" Beast Boy turned to see Terra standing by the door, her face blank. "I'm going to go pick up the kids. Tell Lola not to worry about tea, I'll grab some pizza"

Reaching down into his pants pocket, he took out his wallet and threw it at her. "See if you can pick up the kids a bunch of movies. We're gonna need them out of the way for this one"

Terra nodded, throwing Starfire an unsure look, breaking her mask. "Did you… did you want to come?"

Shaking her head, the alien princess indicated to the screen. "I can not, though thank you for asking" She bit her tongue, wishing that she could have gone and retrieved some of her tangy covering.

"I'll get you a container of Mustard, if you want"

"Oh," Surprised, Starfire just blinked at Terra. "I would like that. Thank you"

Terra nodded, then looked away. "No problem"

TTT

#FLASHBACK#

Pausing at the top of the stairs, Robin waited.

Starfire had been upset all day since some little punk ("Robin, the child was only four"), scared by her big green eyes had called her ugly.

Starfire wasn't ugly.

She was beautiful, friendly, wonderful, amazing-

Robin's thoughts broke off suddenly as he blushed. She was just his friend.

And now she needed him.

"Star, are you ok?"

Quieting her sniffing, the alien girl waited then called out, "I am fine, friend Robin. I just wish to be left alone"

"Star" Even through doors she could hear his concern.

"Star, you aren't ugly"

This made her eyes well up. She had not meant to frighten the child. Was her appearance so displeasing that now she was only seen as some uncommon monster?

"Star, that kid was a punk. You aren't ugly. Not to me. Not to the others. You're beautiful, Star. You're friendly, and kind, and forgiving. No one on earth could match up to someone like you. You're amazing"

Hearing the conviction in her boy's voice made tears well in her eyes all over again, but for another reason.

"Thank-you" She whispered. But she did not believe he heard.

#FLASHBACK ENDS#

Bruce Wayne

requests the pleasure of your presence at the marriage of his son,

Richard Grayson

to

Raven of Azarath

Saturday, 2 o'clock in the evening, Titans Tower

Robin had never thought he would marry. After Starfire had "died", the future didn't exist.

But then along came Raven.

Dark Raven. Mysterious Raven. They had been friends for years. Then Starfire died, and Robin forgot his friends.

He couldn't remember when it started. When he really started noticing Raven. Maybe it had been that night before he left the Titans, when she had been standing there, outlined by lightening and covered in shadows. Whatever happened, it drew them closer together. So close, that one day it all ended with Robin down on one knee, pouring out his heart and soul to her and a little pearl ring.

And she had said yes.

Opening the box on his car seat, Robin placed the invitation gently inside.

When was he happier? The day she said yes or the night she said I do?

No one could ever take your place.

Hadn't Robin promised Starfire that? He had basically given her his heart there and then. What had happened?

What about Treeflower?

He remembered the months during Raven's pregnancy. Every day he came home he would place a single daisy in the kitchen vase, joke about naming the baby Bat Jr., and laugh when Raven would sourly tell him there would be no way in hell that she would name her daughter Bruce.

Where had those days gone? Those days when it was just Richard and Raven living the Picket Fence dream?

Would they ever come back? Did he want them to?

Starfire's face kept floating through his mind and Robin wondered if maybe…

#FLASHBACK#

Robin blinked in surprise, backing up the few steps to the main room doorway. Why was Raven poking her forehead?

"Is something wrong?" He asked, hoping that the Empath wouldn't take this as an invasion of privacy and retreat to her room.

Raven scowled as she looked up at him. "I have a blemish and it's annoying me almost as much as Beast Boy at dinner time"

Grinning, Robin crossed over and sat down on the couch next to her. So was that it, huh? He never took Raven to be the vain type. "Think of it like this," He reasoned. "At least it isn't making jokes. One comedic pimple on the team is more than enough"

At first Robin thought that maybe he had over stepped the line. Raven's face remained blank, but after a short silence her mouth twitched and soon she started to laugh. The Boy Wonder grinned again. Maybe Beast Boy was good for something after all.

#FLASHBACK ENDS#

T
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AN: Hmmm…. A bit choppy, and it didn't really go anywhere, but it's all important for building up the next chapters. Hmmm…

Next time, on Cookie Dough:

It's the party of a century! And who is Slade's stunning new hostess? Can it be…? Titans X, GO!