Two Birds With One Stone

Disclaimer: No, I do not own the Teen Titans. No matter how well I write them. Or whatever. The term "Sister-in-God" does not belong to me. Tad Williams used it first.

I was dreaming when I wrote this/ So sue me if I go too fast

Dedicated to:

sekai no yakusoku ,Arein ,Chica de Los Ojos Café ,The Komodo Dragon Phoenix , and castle in the air, all great writers and faithful reviewers.

And

Emily Karnes - Who will probably never read this.

Epilogue (Part One): "I Still Had Hope" or "I'm in Love With a Stubborn Bird"

It was his eighteenth birthday. And he'd just survived the End of the world. You'd think he'd have something to celebrate.

But Richard Grayson just sat there, in the armchair by the window. The same place where he'd been sitting when Raven first appeared to him. He wanted to be alone today. For days after the End, they'd searched for her. It was hopeless. She was truly gone. And he no longer had his bond with her... she'd used it to return and save them.

His friends had been worried. Knowing him, they assumed he would sink into the depths of despair. Or become so bent on finding her that he would injure himself. Slade had vanished as well, and Cyborg, Starfire, and Beastboy agreed that it would only be a matter of days before the Boy Wonder insisted they go in search of him.

But Robin didn't seem depressed at all. But he wasn't happy, either.

"In the end..." he murmured to himself, fingering the black feather – it remained intact, miraculously – "I still have hope..." a small smile lighted on his lips. And he tucked the feather into the pocket of his shirt, sinking back into the cushions with the comforting thought that she had at least told him she loved him before she left. It was his only comfort.

The day before, Starfire had pulled him aside and asked him to marry her. Robin was surprised, and he'd spent a full minute gazing into her eyes, hoping against hope that Raven was there again. But it wasn't. He politely refused.

"I'm sorry, Star," he'd said. "But I can never love you... I love Raven."

"Robin..." she insisted softly, dropping the endearment, "Raven is gone. I know she lives in your heart, and as your wife I will always respect that."

"I wouldn't be a good husband to you, Star. General Phy'zzon would be able to give you and Tamaran much more than I can." He leaned over to her, still hoping to smell the familiar scent of vanilla. But it was only the faint citrus spray that filled his senses. He kissed her on the cheek and went to his room.

Batman had returned. Somehow, Raven's greatest power was her healing, and all those who had died at the hands of Trigon returned. All but Raven.

Richard Grayson looked out the window. He could see the city, hear the faint sounds of cars.

"I still have hope..." he murmured.

"I'm in love with a stubborn bird, aren't I?" came an amused voice.

Robin turned away from the window.

She was standing exactly where she had been the day he'd first seen her. She was wearing the same white dress and cloak, though tattered at the hem and ripped up the side. Her hair was as long as it had been the day she'd defeated her father, tied back messily.

"Raven?"

She took one great, stumbling step forward and fell into his arms.

"I knew you'd come back to me," he said into her hair, taking in her scent.

With a seemingly great effort, she pushed him back onto the sofa where they'd shared their first kiss and twined her fingers in his hair, pulling him toward her.

"Raven..."

She said something in French and kissed him again. He broke it and looked her in the eye for a long moment.

"Marry me?" he said finally.

Smiling, she gently knocked her forehead against his.

"Yes."

The next hour was one of the most beautiful moments of his life, Robin later recalled. He was wrapped in Raven's scent, in her arms. He lost count of the kisses, the moans. His fingertips found the curve of her waist, the sensitive length of her inner thigh, the small of her back, and the curve just below her breast.

At some point, he had to stop himself. Because he wanted to respect her. Because she was arousing him to the point where he might lose control. And because he needed to ask something else.

"Where were you?"

She smiled and leaned against him. "It's a long story, Boy Wonder..."

Writer's note: As always, thanks to all those who read, reviewed, and are now waiting most anxiously for the next chapter. I would also like to thank the people who liked this story enough to make it part of a C2.

Indeed, where has Raven been? We'll soon find out. The next part will be the last, dear readers. I put the last chapter up around 12am ish this morning, and when I got onto my computer at 11:45 this morning, my inbox was flooded with reviews. I was surprised and pleased. Thank you all so much.

There were even a number of suggestions for names. Most everyone seemed to agree that "SonGrayEyes" was perfect for Robin. However, I had some difficulty in finding a name for Raven. I think anything with "demon" in it would be a dead giveaway. No offense meant. So I have decided to give her the name "MerleLiterari", a blend of the names submitted by sekai no yakusoku and Arein.

Go review already.

Signed,

The writer, you fools