"It must be absolutely amazing, being a superhero," Rebecca gushed, hooking her arm through Robin's as she pulled him through the midway gates.
"Uh... yeah. It's pretty cool," Robin responded awkwardly, cheeks turning a slight pink as he gazed down at Rebecca.
"But you can still have fun, right?" she grinned, looking out at the Ferris wheel and the game booths.
"Of course," he answered absently, turning around slightly to glance behind him. No sign of the other Titans and Starfire. Rebecca had pulled him to the fair without waiting for the rest of the group.
"Come on, let's go!" she said excitedly. She began to pull him further into the midway.
"Shouldn't we wait for the others? My friends-"
"They'll catch up Robin, don't worry. They can fly, remember?" She dragged him towards the Ferris wheel. "You'll take me on, won't you?" she said, smiling sweetly at him.
Robin raised his eyebrows and tugged at his collar. This Ferris wheel had a sort of special meaning to him...
"Robin, please? I'd really like to go, but it's no fun going on rides by yourself."
"I know, but Rebecca-"
"If we aren't going to do anything fun, you might as well just take me back home to daddy. He won't be very happy though..." She looked at the ground.
Robin sighed. "Okay, okay. One ride," he caved.
"Oh, thank you Robin!" Rebecca squealed, throwing her arms around him briefly, then grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the waiting line.
As Rebecca babbled on about random topics, Robin nodded and offered automatic and generic responses, leaning back comfortably in the Ferris wheel seat. He glanced up at the sky and wished the girl in the seat next to him was Starfire. Rebecca was nice enough, but she was just too... school girlish. Of course Starfire had her girlish side to her too, but in battle she was anything but cute and ditzy. And even when she was being girly Robin still found himself attracted to her. She always had an excited sparkle in her eyes, and a pretty smile on her face. Rebecca just didn't have the same kind of energy that Starfire had.
"Don't you think so, Robin?" she asked, scooting closer until her shoulder rubbed against his arm. He pulled away slightly, and quickly said "Uh, yeah! Yeah." He had completely missed what she said.
"Wonderful. I think we would make a great couple too," she cooed and rested her head against his shoulder.
Robin straightened up with shock and then grabbed her shoulders, holding her away from him slightly.
"Listen Rebecca, I'm sorry. I can't do that. I already have a girlfriend."
Rebecca pouted slightly. "It's not that alien girl, is it? She's so... weird."
Robin's mouth dropped open. "She's not weird, Rebecca," he said coldly.
"I'm sorry Robin. You're right, I shouldn't make judgments of other people when I don't know them personally," she said, trying to make amends. "It's just that I've heard she does strange things..."
"Because she's from another planet. You would do strange things to them too if you went to their planet. You wouldn't know any better."
"True," she admitted.
"And Starfire's getting better. She's understanding our culture a little more, and learning to speak our lingo a little better too."
"It's amazing you'd even want to bother teaching her everything. It must have been tedious and frustrating."
Robin shook his head. "It wasn't at all. I liked spending time with her and explaining things. It gave us an infinite amount of subjects to talk about, and it brought us really close together."
Rebecca nodded wordlessly and sat back in the seat.
After a moment of silence, she then said, "But, you're having fun with me, right?"
"Oh yeah, yeah. Of course. It's nice to meet new people. I don't really get a chance to talk to normal people often," he said with a laugh in his voice.
Rebecca smiled. "We should do this again sometime then."
Robin sobered. "Maybe..."
"Daddy would love it. He's always wanted to get to know you better. You know, it's hard to sponsor someone when you don't know them very well."
'Damn...' Robin thought. 'She plays the mayor's game even better than he does. Now what do I do?'
"Well... um... sure. Maybe sometime."
"Wonderful!" Rebecca clapped her hands. Robin nodded with a grimace and then noticed a bright green streak of light flash across the bay towards Titan's Tower. He knitted his eyebrows. 'Was that Starfire?'
…
"You are going out?"
Robin flinched slightly as he was about to leave the Titans' living quarters and step into the elevator.
"Starfire," he sighed.
"With that girl again, correct?" Her bright green eyes stared intensely at Robin, who was beginning to perspire and tug at his collar.
"Star... you know I have to, but I don't want-"
"I understand," Starfire said, raising a hand to cut him off as she closed her eyes, and calmly turned and walked away.
"Star..." Robin called, but she showed no reaction and walked out the sliding doors to the hallway. Robin sighed, shook his head and then stepped into the elevator.
…
"Robin... can I... talk to you for a minute?"
The boy in question looked up with surprise at Raven.
"Uh, yeah sure," he replied, setting down the newspaper he had been perusing.
Can we go to someplace a little more private?" Raven requested.
Robin raised his eyebrows. "Okay... we can go to my room, if you want." Raven nodded. Robin was well aware that no one goes into Raven's room except Raven, or unless she invites one. Currently no one had ever been invited into Raven's room. Robin was pretty sure she wouldn't start now.
"So, what's this all about?" Robin asked, once they were settled. He sat on his bed, and Raven stood near the door.
She walked in a little closer.
"It's about Starfire."
Robin pursed his lips and nodded slowly.
"She's not been herself lately, and I have to say neither have you."
"I can't help it-"
"Yes you can. You have to tell that girl that you can't keep doing this."
"Raven, it's not that simple."
"Do you care about Starfire?"
"Of course I do! She means everything in the world to me!"
"Right now she feels like she's at the bottom of your list."
"She's not..."
"Your relationship is crumbling, Robin."
"God..." Robin muttered, rubbing his forehead from the stress.
"You know Starfire. She's... extremely emotional. She expresses sadness at just about the same level as happiness. And right now she's walking around with a storm cloud over her head. She's depressed and angry at the same time, and she's going to do something drastic if you don't shape up soon."
"Like what?" Robin asked worriedly.
"She could break it off with you, for starters."
"I don't want that to happen," he said flatly.
"Then quit seeing that girl. No one likes a two-timer, and basically you're cheating on Starfire."
"I want to stop seeing Rebecca! She's nice, but she's no Starfire. If I don't hang out with her, she'll tell the mayor to quit backing up the costs from all the destruction we cause when we fight."
"Is that what this is all about?" Raven asked.
"We'd have a real mess on our hands if we had to pay for all the damage. This is our home. We protect it, and in return the city picks up the tab for all the stuff we destroy in the process. Some even wonder if we cause more damage than the monsters... I can't let this matter go. If the mayor kicks us out, we have no place to go, do you understand?"
"What about Titans' East?"
"That's their city. Besides, I never liked Steel City."
Raven was silent for a second. "Well. What about Starfire then?"
"Our anniversary is tomorrow night. I plan on doing something really special for her."
"I think it's going to take a lot more than just some fancy restaurant, Robin."
"I know, I know."
"I'm sorry. I was just bringing this to your attention, though I'm sure you already knew. She's in her room, if you want to go talk to her."
Raven turned and began to walk out the door.
"Raven?"
She stopped and turned her head slightly.
"Thanks."
Raven gave a slight nod and then exited.
Robin sighed and flopped back onto his bed.
…
"Robin, why?"
Robin looked into Starfire's bright green eyes lined with tears. The hurt in her quiet and wavery spoken words sent a stab of guilt through his chest.
"Star..."
She sucked in a few shaky breaths. "I do not understand why you would go out with her again after we just had a glorious anniversary..."
"I have to, otherwise the mayor said that he can't pay for the damage we cause when we fight. That's all it is."
"But-"
"No other girl could ever take your place, Starfire," Robin whispered, coming close and giving her a hug. Starfire weakly returned it.
"Could we not do the custom of 'double dating?' This way I might be involved too."
"I already tried asking her that one. She didn't want to, and the mayor called me up and yelled at me."
"I do not understand why it should be her choice. I do not like this girl," Starfire said.
"I don't really like her all that much either, Star. I'd much rather be out with you. Anyway," Robin finished, glancing at his watch. "I've got to get going or I'll be late, and then she'll complain the entire night. Bye Star," he said, kissing her on the cheek and sweeping out the door.
Starfire stood with her arms crossed and a frown on her pretty features. "Perhaps I should follow him. No, no, I must trust him..." she began to pace around. "But what if he really is 'cheating' on me like friend Raven says? I would not tolerate it. Humans do not seem to possess the same quality of loyalty that Tamaranians do... But would I also not be loyal if I do not trust him? I do not know what to do..."
Finally Starfire floated up into the air and over to the window. Robin was jet skiing across the bay towards the city.
"I do not care whether it is loyal or not. I am going to find out what he does on these dates."
Robin was already across the bay and making his way into the city when Starfire had finally made her way outside and was zooming across the water herself.
"I must not lose him, or I shall not see what happens."
Starfire reached the docks and flew up to scan the streets to see if she could find Robin. She began to panic slightly when he was nowhere to be found, though his jet ski was tied up at a pier, bobbing in the waves. Starfire sighed. She decided to make an all over search of the city.
…
"Robin! Oh I'm so glad you could make it!" Rebecca smiled as Robin jumped up onto the pier and slipped out of his wetsuit.
"Yeah," he said absently, bending down to toss the wetsuit in a compartment in the jet ski.
"Hurry up, Rob, I've got a fun night planned," Rebecca said excitedly, leaning out the black limousine window.
"I'm coming," Robin sighed as he got into the back seat.
About an hour and a half later, after pizza and arcade games, Rebecca had requested that they watch the sun set and then go to a late showing of a movie. Robin agreed, and secretly wished he was back in the tower with Starfire. As they sat on the sand watching the setting sun's glow cast pink and orange streaks across the sky, Rebecca leaned over and rested her head on Robin's shoulder. Robin tried to pull away a little, but didn't want to be rude, and then closed his eyes and squinted when Rebecca grabbed his hand.
"You know, Robin? I've never felt this way about anyone. You're the most amazing person I have ever met. I wish I could get to know you more. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Um... Rebecca..."
"I mean, I've met so many guys at parties that daddy throws, and they're always so shallow and so stuck up, and full of themselves. But not you, Robin. You're so interesting, and there's so much depth to you... You don't sit around and talk about how much money your father makes, the new car you got last weekend or the trip you took to Honolulu... You're so full of stories about real people, and real crime and the city's underworld that I never get to see. I think you're... wonderful."
"Um... thanks. But it's not all that cool and exciting, Rebecca. People get hurt, and their lives are ruined every day. Crime isn't something that can be taken lightly... there's a lot of it and it's hard to stop. Every day my team and I put our lives in danger."
"How exciting," Rebecca said, eyes shining.
Robin fought the urge to slap his forehead. He forgot how much he hated the big city brats. Back in the day he had dealt with plenty of them when he lived with Bruce. Robin slipped off into some old memories of how hard he had tried to avoid them all.
"Robin?"
Robin was lost in his thoughts for a moment, and didn't hear her call his name or realize that she had scooted to sit in front of him.
"Robin, I've never felt like this before... I think... I think..."
And before he knew what was happening, she leaned in and kissed him full on the lips. Robin's eyebrows just about lifted off his head and his eyes popped open.
He quickly pushed Rebecca away by her shoulders. "Rebecca-"
"Robin!"
He cringed, and turned around to stare a little ways up the beach. There was Starfire, arms crossed, hands and eyes glowing bright green and looking more furious than he had ever seen her.
…
Author's Notes: Hello hello, I'm back. Sorry about the wait, but I've been super busy, of course. I finally had time today however to update the next chapter. I'm a picky author, I'll admit, and I generally have to proofread and go over my chapters several times to make sure everything is how I want it… and it bugs the hell out of me when I find something I missed after I post it.
Anyway, I know I said I'd be able to post at least once a week, but possibly with my work and school schedule that might not happen. It's just the way it goes, sorry. I hope you all understand, and I promise not to abandon the story. I have it all written, it's just getting all the chapters ready and finding the time to post them. The episode "Stranded" kind of threw off part of my story, so I had to fix that, and I keep finding parts that could be written better. Some of you have rather strong reviews requesting that I update faster, but life is kind of busy. I'll try my best.
I know also that people have been thrown off by the random paragraphs and the skipping timeline. I promise that there are only two or three chapters like that, and the story is straightened out from here. The whole point though is to keep you in suspense, and questioning which part is which. It'll all come together, I promise.
And by the way:Somehow something gets screwed up in the process, but all the apostrophes in the italicized sentences are backwards when I transfer my text. I'm not quite sure why it does this, and believe me it annoys me to no end. There's just no way I can go through and fix all of them, so I guess we'll just have to deal with them. Grrr..
Review Responses:
crazy frog - I'm updating, I'm updating!
Nightfire22 - Um… wow… okay. I'm assuming the use of such strong language means you're rather upset that I haven't updated in awhile? I'm trying my best! I have a boyfriend who is rather important, and so is college. Does not leave much time for fan fiction.
Tristanskye - Oh you clever person you. To be honest, you're not completely right, but have got the right idea. Glad to see I've got you thinking! Hope you like this next chapter.
Sanima - Glad you really like it! I believe the Robin and Rebecca chapter is coming up, and everything will be explained. I hope you like how they decide how to resolve their problems too…
Karsin - Yes, confusing. But if you keep reading, it will all be explained.
xox.AnniePotter.xox - I am most pleased that you like my story and left a review. You're not an idiot, come on now. You actually left a very nice review! I hope you come back for the third chapter.
Rsfan716 - Glad to see you back! I'm happy you liked the second chapter, and here's hoping you like the third, too.
SuperrachiE - It gives me such a nice feeling inside when people like my stuff… thank you for leaving a review!
Rurouni Tyriel - Awww, hey there pal. I feel so bad for not emailing you, but I feel as though I have no time to do anything! I already have to get ready for work as soon as I post this… Possibly when school starts I won't be attached at the hip to anyone all the time and I'll get some time in between classes to drop a line. Yeah, I did have Robin and Starfire involved in a pretty nasty fight, but if you think about their characters, when pushed I think they could get pretty brutal. Starfire, when we see the kind of comments she makes in "Date with Destiny" and just her actions show that she has some pretty extreme jealous tendencies! And Robin is as stubborn as a mule when it comes to being right, so he probably wouldn't back down either. I might have exaggerated a little, but it could happen. Adds a little drama, you know. Can't wait to see Kitten's return in season five, and I also heard rumors about a Rob/Star kiss! Know anything about it?
Clueless90 - Well I'm glad that it wasn't too out there that you couldn't make any sense of it. I hope you like it enough to keep coming back, because your reviews really do mean a lot. I like to hear feedback on my stories. Thanks for taking the time to drop a line!
Bree-2006 - Aw, thank you for coming back! Yes, Robin definitely acts like a royal zarbnarf in my story… Though he'll definitely get straightened out in the end. Hope you like it enough to come back for a third helping…?
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, obviously.