DISCLAMIER: Well as you probably know by now I don't own Teen Titans or Batman but other characters and plot are mine.

Wow long time since I last updated... Now I could bore you with the many excuses (for lack of a better word) I have for not working on the story but as I said before you guys just wouldn't care. Anyways what really motivated me to get writing is were finally doing real english this year and we started doing figures of speech and had to write stupid sentences about simlies and metaphores and such and my teacher's all like "Oh it looks like Ashley will be a good writer!" No shit... whatever I found myself enjoying writing during class so I would come home ditch english homework and work on my stories instead. Yay for slacking! Eh grade 8 sucks anyways, I could probably just skip the grade and go straight to grade 9 so I've decided that I'm going to start working on my writing now. I'm really doing to make a crazy promise and try to update a chapter once a week (starting next Monday).

Anyways enjoy these long overdue 5 1/2 pages, enjoy,

CHAPTER 8
Return to the Bat-Cave

"Don't worry you'll do fine"

"Huh? Oh…" Raven sighed. She fidgeted with the end of the black turtle neck she was wearing despite the fact that it was mid-summer. Robin placed his hand on top of Raven's and smiled warmly, "Come on, stop worrying it's not a like a test or something,"

"You know I'm not a people person,"

"Once again I repeat: stop worrying!" Raven sighed and turned on the radio, an acoustic song played from the speakers as Raven turned her attention to the window watching how the buildings of Gotham got smaller and the area less populated. Finally they had passed through crowded downtown Gotham and the less crowded (but still hell to pass through) dinkier part of town located near the outside of the town. But now lush green fields and gently rolling hills greeted her.

"Almost there," Robin mumbled and Raven barely took notice. Transfixed into the environment surrounding her she opened the window and took in the sweet smell of grass and flowers of the clear blue day. She smiled to herself thinking of how she wanted to own a manor out in the country side some day. Around ten minutes later the road began to curve around a rocky hill and as they came around the bend the grand Wayne Manor came into view. The road curved again and passed between the gates of the magnificent manor. The fence was quite tall, Raven guessed about 10 feet high, black metal spikes glistened at the top almost like they were taunting trespassers to just try to climb over. The gate was also black metal and on the sides of the gate were red brick pillars with bats on top, frozen in mid-take off.

"That doesn't give him a way at all…" Raven grumbled and Robin glanced over to Raven's darkened mood. But Robin just looked back to the road which was now heading up the slight incline to the Wayne Manor on top of the small hill. They had reached the top and the drive way wound a small circle around a fountain.

Robin stopped the car and unbuckled his seat belt, looking upon the large Victorian building with mixed emotions. He opened the door and stepped out taking in the full view of the building: It was huge, almost fortress-like with two large circular towers in the front and the back. Ivy climbed the building almost covering the whole lower half of the structure. There were dozens of old church-looking pointed windows covering the towers and the base building. Old stone steps led to the set of dark wood double doors. Black metal handrails, like the fencing, were on each side of the mini stair case. The yard was manicured to perfection and the rocky hill sat to the right side of the house and off to the distance: Gotham River.

Robin looked to the distance seeing outlines of the tall buildings of downtown Gotham but his eyes then traveled back to the rocky hill, or otherwise known to a few select people: an extension of the bat cave. This place was surrounded with memories of his old days, fighting crime with Batman in Gotham City.

He looked over to Raven who was also staring upon the Wayne Manor with awe. Robin smiled and called over the car top to her, "Ready to meet him?" Raven looked over to Robin and nodded. Together they climbed the stairs and rang the door bell. A tall stuffy looking man opened the door, "Greetings Master Grayson, Mr. Wayne is in the study,"

"Alright, thanks, Alfred." Alfred moved to the side letting the couple into the room. A set of tall dark wood stairs were stationed in the middle of the entry hallway. Dark wooden doors surrounded them leading off into different room of the huge manor. A tall blonde woman descended the stairs, her short dress revealing long slender legs that were deeply tanned. She had blue sparkling eyes and her hair was smooth and straight, only slightly wavy around her shoulders.

"Who are you two?" She asked when she reached the bottom, she placed a manicured hand on her hip. Her black dress left little to the imagination as the v-neck swooped low. Robin lifted his eyes to her the lady's face knowing that she was probably just another on of Bruce's lady friends, "Richard and Raven. We're friends of Bruce,"

"Oh," She simply said. Obviously she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. She eyed the mask still covering Robin's face but then placed her big blue eyes on Raven noting the covering turtle neck and long jeans and just nodded, "I see…" She turned away from the pair and walked down the hall and into a room which Robin remember was the TV room. He held Raven's hand in his own and he led Raven to the study.

For a minute Raven thought the study was empty for there was so much stuff, not that it was messy, just it took a while to suck in all in. Book shelves covered the walls except for a few windows on some of the walls. Nicknacks where placed on some shelves in the corner, next to it, positioned on a dark wood end table was a Shakespeare bust statue with Will staring her down. Bruce Wayne was working at his desk, piles of papers from Wayne Enterprise cluttered it. The desk almost camouflaged it's self with the dark wood matching the rest of the room. Bruce looked up from the papers and that was the first time Raven got a good look at the Dark Knight without his suit on. The first obvious thing was his firm cut jaw that was seen so many times from under his hood, next was his innocent blue eyes. He wore a dark grey suit with a blue silk shirt under the blazer, fit only for this playboy millionaire, entrepreneur and philanthropist. His black hair was combed back with gel. Raven then silently wondered if Robin got his gel obsession from this guy.

He rose from his seat and Raven was once again noted on his size. About 6 foot with broad shoulders and probably around 200 pounds of pure muscles walked towards them with such grace and ease. He shook Robin's hand firmly and Robin nodded slightly. "Couldn't have been more obvious if you taped a sign to your chest saying 'I'm Robin',"

"Huh?" Robin asked a bit taken back, "Your mask."

"Oh," Robin said still studying Bruce's face, "It stays," Bruce broke the hand shake and walked back to his desk, dropped some papers into a file and then placed the file in his desk, locking the drawer. "Shall we?" Bruce asked holding his left arm out to a door inside the study. Robin took large bold steps to the door and held it open for Raven. She could tell that Robin desperately wanted to impress Bruce. Raven glanced behind her shoulder and saw Bruce close the double doors to the hallway. Inside the inner study was a plush room. Red walls with wooden paneling around the bottom half of the wallpaper. There was a grand fireplace with a over stuffed love seat placed in front of the hearth with a black leather arm chair looking across the area between the love seat and fireplace. Bruce took the arm chair while Raven and Robin sat down on the love seat. He was a man of no small chat-no nonsense as he cut to the chase, "So Dick told me about you're marriage, but I'm interested in afterwards." Raven and Robin looked at each other not quite sure what exactly Bruce was talking about.

"You guys will probably want some alone time and move out of the Tower to start your family. As you can probably guessed you can't play super-hero forever." Robin glanced at Raven but turned back to Bruce, "We were thinking of moving out of the Tower... and uh..." Robin glanced at Raven again, "quitting the Titans." Bruce leaned back in the cozy leather chair and examined the couple's faces. He noted how Raven sat their uncomfortably fiddling with her fingers while Robin keep glancing back to her. "Yeah," Raven said with little to almost no emotion in her voice, "To the outskirts of Gotham or something," Bruce nodded again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bathroom's on the left, right?" Raven asked. The three of them had moved to the dinning room and had eaten a rather large meal prepared by Alfred. Bruce was now in his 'play-boy millionaire' state now that his girlfriend had joined them for dinner. He was enjoying his wine while shamelessly flirting with the plastic woman with that pompous stuck up attitude he faked quite good. Raven and Robin stood up preparing to leave for the hotel room that they would be staying in. Bruce of course told them that could stay at the Wayne Manor but they said that they already paid for the room and such and where ready to leave.

Raven asked where the bathroom was and Bruce replied with "Yes," in his cocky voice. Raven nodded and exited the room and headed down the hallway. It's the third one right? She asked herself looking around. All the doors looked the same to Raven so she opened it. The room was pitch black and the light from the dim hallway barely lit the room so she reached blindly on the wall feeling her hand for some sort of switch. She felt something sticking out of the wall so she pulled it down and instantly florescent lights lit up the rather big room. Raven looked around the room. This was definitely not the bathroom.

A huge white room loomed over Raven, counter tops upon counters tops filled the room. Objects cluttered the room but was obviously placed on the counter tops in order and care. Raven blinked a few times before realizing what room she was standing in. It was Batman's evidence room. Raven turned to switch the twitch again but something red flashed in the corner of her eye. Raven turned around and saw it. A beautiful ruby red necklace outlined in white gold with a delicate white-gold chain. She smiled and advanced it.

"So it's true diamonds are a girl's best friend." Raven's head shot up and she looked over her shoulder. Bruce's large frame filled the doorway. "Quite a beauty isn't it?" He asked as he advanced and picked the delicate chain with steady hands. Raven wasn't quite sure what was going through his mind as his face was deadpanned. But suddenly he thrust it to Raven, "Here... think of as an early wedding present," Raven shook her head, "I-I.. I can't take it, it's worth too much. And besides isn't this your evidence room?"

"It's a fraud."

"What?"

"I was involved in a darker case a few years back. There was this underground cult that were stealing artifacts that they believed held some sort of religious powers. This such object was recovered from one of their camps."

"So you're saying it's magical?" Raven asked not touching the jewelry. Bruce shook his head smiling, "Of course not. This piece had tests ran on it and nothing could be found. It's just white gold and a ruby inlay. The lab traced the piece back to a underground museum of oddities but not enough customers and not to mention stolen property," He said holding the necklace up, "Put them out of business, and the necklace has just been sitting in this room for some time." Raven nodded along.

"Why didn't you give it to one of your lady friends?" Bruce grinned sheepishly and shrugged, "There not exactly the most caring folk. And besides who would be better to give it to then my future daughter-in-law?" The corners of Raven's mouth raised as she looked down. Bruce reached forward and put the necklace around Raven's neck. She barely felt it's presence for it was surprisingly light and weightless. Bruce put an arm around Raven and directed her out of the room making sure to switch the room to normal.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ok there we go. As always:

Muffin time:

Tecna- Well I'd tell you but...yeah major plot shift that will shape bascailly the rest of the main plot.Anyways thanks for thereview!
Ceannasai Dar Tine- Hehe poor Catgirl. So self-obessed but yet we love her for her kittiness!
kitsaru- Mmmm nails. Well I'm glad to get over it and I'm just roaring to write the next chapter of AWH soo much lovin' is going to happen! I'm so excited again for the later chapters.
EveningCatMoon- Gaah school sucks. To wash away the school blues here's the next chapter! Yay (You expected me to say something clever/rhything but no... laziness abounds)
CuTtEr.WiTh.A.cAuSe- Um... ew? Poor little birds... thanks for the review I look foreward to your input!
ChErRyBlOsSoMs-FlOwErOfDeAtH- WooHoo! Yay cheers. The story is now going back to the dark side, no little bubbly girls. I want to tell you more but I don't want to give most of the plot away. Oh woe is me!
viperdarkness- Thanks!
Starfiire- Hehe here you go!

Hmm something seems to have happened to my editor, I really hope she is okay and wasn't hit by the storm in New Orleans. So I'm looking for yet another editor until I hear from her again... well I liked the double editor thing because I always got a copy in a day or so. So stratch that, anyone with a grade 9-10 or higher ability of grammer-ness(?) is welcomed to send me a email saying you're intrested.
Thanks all!

-SNOWBALLHEAT-