Happy 4th of July for those American readers! Happy Birthday USA!

Anywho... I appreciate all the wonderful comments! This one of my most rapidly commented-on works, next to Sacrifice. I've thought about doing another fanfic of when someone dies, but it would be too alike to Sacrifice.

For now, I'll focus on Restless Nights.

Enjoy the angst!

Starfire was weeping in her room, her hand still clutching her right cheek, when she heard a knock at the door.

"W-Who is it?"

"It's me," Raven replied, "Can we talk?"

"Yes.."

Raven walked into Starfire's bedroom and sat on the bed next to her Tamaranean friend.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked, concerned.

"I feel...bad. It was as if he didn't even hear or see me..."

"If I know Robin as well as I think I do, he tends to keep his feelings bottled up until the bottle explodes. If you get what I mean.."

"I would NEVER wish Robin to explode! Even if he did... hit me.."

Raven smacked her forehead.

"Robin is NOT going to explode... Let's put it this way, he doesn't like to share his feelings."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's afraid of being rejected. He might think we'll reject him if we find out the truth."

"I don't understand. Robin's always been so kind to me... Why...Why would he hit me?"

"He might not've realized you were there."

"Could he have thought I was someone else?"

"It's possible."

"What is it?"

"Could he have thought I was...Slade?"

Robin stood in the gym alone, mentally kicking himself. How could I have done such a thing? I could never hurt Star!...This has gone too far...But what can I do about it? It's not as if I can forget it. Slade..he...God! I can't think of anything I would like more than to kill Slade with my own two hands!

Robin then thought of something Slade had said to him.

"Maybe we're more alike than you think, Robin..."

Robin's eyes popped open wide as he fell to his knees on the floor. The Boy Wonder then started to pound the floor with punches. He kept pounding and pounding until his knuckles were streaming with blood. Robin looked at his blood-stained hands. What have I become?

As Robin re-lived his memories via his nightmares, Robin could still feel Slade entering him again and again. The pain he felt was all too real for him. He could feel his hair being pulled back, thus forcing Robin to see his assailant. It felt like an eternity. The pain in his backside, the tearing of his scalp as Slade kept pulling his hair, the gleam in Slade's eye, the grunts and groans seemed to forever replay themselves in his mind.

"Did you like it?" Slade said with a sly undertone as he let go of Robin, letting him fall to the floor.

Robin could only stare at the floor, sweat dripping down his face, panting.

"I thought so." Slade said as he got up and zipped his fly. "You were a very good apprentice."

Slade grabbed a tuft of Robin's hair and wrenched it back, forcing the Boy Wonder to look at him.

"I hope you have the peace of mind that your friends are now safe for the night..."

Robin could only glare at his enemy.

"Let's do this again sometime, shall we?" Slade said as he let go of Robin's hair and walked calmly out of the room.

Robin lay face-down on the floor, numb to the world. He could feel the cuts and bruises from the scuffle before the act, and blood running down between his legs. He then looked over at the telescreens. He looked carefully at each of them... Beast Boy...Cyborg...Raven...and last, but definately not least, Starfire. He envisioned Starfire's smiling face. Her red hair blowing in the wind, her strange taste in food. This last thought made him make a hint of a smile. I hope you never have to learn of this, Starfire. I can't lose you...I can't. He thought as he, almost purposefully, lost consciousness. He just felt numb, unable to ever know any other feeling other than the emptiness that he currently felt. He just blocked every thought from his mind as he closed his eyes.

Robin bolted upright, cold sweat running down his face. Robin felt the numbness again. He didn't want to remember, but he couldn't forget either. He could still hear Slade's cocky voice in his ears as he clapped his hands over them. If only he could block it all out, if only he could crawl in to a little ball and disappear. He wrenched his eyes closed, still clutching his ears, and he curled up into a ball on his bed. Then he just let the tears come. Robin sobbed his poor little heart out, letting all the weight on his shoulders fall free.

Starfire was walking past his room when she heard his sobs. She opened the door without even asking and flung herself on top of Robin. She just held him the best she could and cried with him.

As soon as Robin had sobbed his fill, he only then noticed that Star was holding him.

"Starfire?"

Starfire looked up at him, tears in her eyes, with the bruise on her right cheek. She didn't say a word.

"...thanks," Robin whispered as they both fell asleep, with both of their arms entwined in sleep.

End Chapter 3.

This story is turning out shorter than I expected. I don't want to drag it out either. It would just make it boring, and not pleasant to read. Don't worry! There's still one more chapter to this story, so as the Scots say, "dinna fash." Heh heh. I've been reading too many books by Diana Gabaldon...