Cyborg stood at Raven's door, a sigh escaping him as he tapped his knuckles lightly. No one had seen her since the meeting and Cy had begun to become worried. A slight sniffle was heard from behind the door and it slid open.
"Cyborg?" Raven asked, wiping a stray tear.
He nodded and she stepped aside to let him in. Her room was a total wreck from her wayward emotions. Books were thrown on the ground, chairs cracked in two. Cyborg sat down on one of the remaining pieces of furniture, looking up at Rae.
She sighed, her arms crossed softly. "So..."
"I came here for a talk that's seriously needed." Cyborg began. "Raven...Why didn't you just tell us what happened, we would've understood."
Raven looked to the floor, "I know...I was just...afraid. So I turned to Robin for help and it did some good for a while...until Starfire found out..."
Cyborg's hand clenched into a fist. "I swear...I have no idea why Robin is keeping her on the team..."
"I don't know...I think he's too forgiving sometimes." She muttered.
The robotic teen shook his head and stood up, placing a hand on Raven's shoulder. "But seriously Rae, B and I are happy to help. I just wish you would've told us sooner..."
Raven was slightly surprised when Cyborg pulled her into a gentle hug. She gave a slight smile and hugged him back.
"Thanks Cy..." She said, stepping back.
"Anytime..." With a small grin he left the room.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Starfire walked along the same path that she had the previous night, her heart pounding in her head. She entered the warehouse she had seen Slade come out of and lit a starbolt in her hand as lighting. Suddenly, she felt something cold rest against the back of her head.
She registered it as a gun and froze slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh! Slade! Hello!" She turned around, a large grin upon her face.
Slade's eye narrowed and blinked a few times. He growled and put the gun inbetween her eyes, shoving her against the wall. The smile faded. Finally.
"Y-You're hurting me..." She squeaked out innocently.
"Hurting you? I'm going to crack your skull if you don't get out here before I count to ten." She heard the gun click, prepared to deliver a shot.
"Now leave before I shoot you to bits." He added ferociously.
"You will not kill me." She stated simply, staring up at him.
"Oh? Why not? I've killed plenty of people in my time. Especially those who choose to mock me."
"You did not hurt me yesterday, so you will not today."
"What? Just because I didn't kill you for intruding here yesterday makes me some sort of lost soul, floating inbetween good and evil, needing someone like you to guide me?" He gave a sarcastic chuckle.
"Please, all I wish is to begin a friendship between us." She offered a happy grin.
Seeing she wouldn't leave anytime soon, Slade lowered his gun, a slight growl leaving him. Perhaps if he let her speak she would leave him alone finally. He had left her alive for so long, it would be a bit wrong to kill her now... She kept the grin on her face and her posture went from scared to friendly.
"So what now, don't you have some huge speech prepared on how I should convert myself?" He said boredly.
"Umm...Actually, no. I was just hoping to see where things went..."
Silence. It filled the room for a couple seconds before Starfire decided to speak.
"You surprised me you know..." She began, looking at him.
"With what? Me not killing you?" He had actually surprised himself with that one...
She shook her head. "No, with raping Raven...I did not know you were into women..."
Star haden't seen Slade look so dumbfounded since Robin had tricked his way out of being his apprentice.
"What?" He asked, his mouth hanging open under his mask.
"Well...You were always after Robin...so I assumed..."
"I'm NOT gay!" He said, his single eye nearly popping out of his head.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Robin walked into the main room. He noted that everyone was awake bright and early, already lined up for breakfast. His masked eyes scanned the room. Beast Boy was arguing with Cyborg over tofu and Raven was reading. But...Where was Starfire?
"Morning Guys...Anyone see Starfire?" He asked, grabbing his paper.
Cyborg shrugged. "Probably in her room or something." His tone was flat and unconcerned.
Furrowing his masked eyebrows, Robin finnished off his mug of coffee. It was unusual for Starfire to be sleeping in so late. He shook his head, she was probably just sleeping in. Nothing to worry about...right?
Raven took her seat next to Robin. "Hey, where were you last night? I thought you'd come to check up on me, but you didn't..."
He sighed. "I couldn't sleep, and I thought you might want some space. How are you holding up?"
She groaned and clutched her stomach. "I can't keep anything down...and I feel really miserable..."
Robin put a comforting arm around her, offering a genuine smile. "Well, hope you aren't feeling too down because...We're going shopping!" He declared.
Raven looked up at him, he had sounded like a teenage girl estatic to get to the mall. "Shopping for what?"
He put a hand over her stomach. "Well, we're going to have to set up a nursery, aren't we?"
Cyborg turned around at their conversation, "Oooh, can I come with? I wanna help pick out some stuff for the room. Besides, I'm here to help build!"
Beast Boy grinned, a mouth full of tofu bacon. "Yeah Man! A trip out as a team sounds good!"
Raven sighed and gave a weak smile. "Fine." She couldn't help but comply with their requests, they all seemed so damned happy to go along.
Later in the day, the titans gathered in the living room, decked out in their normal attire. Raven gave a slight sigh as Beast Boy and Cyborg entered the room.
"Hey Rae...Where's Robin?" Beast Boy asked, taking a seat. Raven noted with a slight eye roll that he was wearing a shirt that said "Tofu Dude".
"He's going to see if Starfire wants to come along. He should be out in a second..."
As if on que, Robin entered the room. He was decked out in usual street clothes, but he held his communicator tightly.
"Guys, I can't find Star anywhere...I'm starting to get worried." He said, walking towards them.
Cyborg sighed annoyedly. "She's probably out shopping or something, why does it matter?"
"Cyborg! Just because you're mad at her doesn't mean that you can just forget about her. She could be kidnapped for all we know!"
Beast Boy snatched the communicator from Robin's hand. "Did you even try calling her yet?"
He tapped Star's number into the communicator and everyone went silent, listening to it ring. It wouldn't stop ringing though as no one picked up. Everyone began to get a bit worried at that. No matter where Starfire was, she'd never let it ring like that.
"Okay...Looks like we're going to have to delay the trip to the mall then.." Cyborg said grimly.
Robin didn't say a word. He ran over to the computer and began to type in key words, glaring at the screen.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Starfire looked around, smiling lightly to herself. "Why do live in such a gloomy place?"
He turned his back on her, begining to work on a random device. "Because I like it..."
"I do not believe you." She stated simply, floating over to see what he was doing.
Slade looked at her, peering at her. "Right. You're the expert here afterall. Forget the fact that I know more about what goes on in my head than you ever will."
"But even the worst beings on Earth wish for something...better. I have yet to meet an earthling who is insensitive to the better things in life..."
"Hookers and Beer?" He said, walking further into the darkness.
Starfire followed, a smirk on her face. "Well, you are quite the comedian I see."
"Hmm yes. I'm hilarious." He said, turning around to face her again. "Shouldn't you be getting back to the tower, they've probably started a world wide search for you by now. Or was that your plan all along? Lower my guard so they can find me?"
She shook her head. "After all this time you are still skepitcal of me. But you are right, I should be going. I promise you, I shall tell no one on the team of my whereabouts these past few hours."
Star made her way towards the door, smiling at him. "I shall be back tomorrow with the Tameranean Milkshake of peace!"
With that, she was gone. Leaving Slade confused, angry and...intrigued.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Starfire floated back into the tower, grinning to herself. Her persistance with Slade was paying off nicely. When she entered the main room, all was silent. The entire team was gone. Her face dropped as she looked around.
"Hello? Friends?" She called out.
Raven appeared in the room. "Starfire. Damn, the guys are out looking everywhere for you."
"Oh, I am quite sorry for my absence. I was out with a friend longer than expected." Starfire's smile became larger at the word friend.
Raven rolled her eyes slightly and brought out her communicator, dialing up Robin.
"Yeah...She's right here. All in one piece. See ya soon." She snapped the communicator shut, glaring up at Starfire.
The tameranean shifted uncomfortably, feeling the harsh glare she was getting from Raven right down to the bone.
"Raven I'm..." She began, reaching a hand out.
The dark titan growled and avoided the urge to bite Starfire's hand off. "Save it. We're going to the mall and Robin will probably want you to come with. Just come along so he doesn't nag my ear off on how I should forgive or atleast forget."
Starfire's face flatlined and she stepped back, taking a seat at the kitchen. Just then, the boys entered the room, relieved to see Starfire swinging her feet on the stool. They haden't changed out of their street clothes, and were still ready to go.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
The titans walked around the mall and went into random clothing shops. Raven was pulled into every conceivable baby shop that the mall had to offer, which was a grand total of twenty some stores. Raven muttered under her breath, wishing that Hot Topic had a baby store.
Starfire held up a pair of eye hurting pink baby shoes. "Ooh! These are most adorable!" She squeaked.
Raven bowed her head. "Look. I'm not seeing anything that I like so can we just g-" Her words were cut short by Robin pointing to a classic crib.
Something about it caught Raven's breath in her throat. It was painted a dark green and if you looked closely enough, there were light green speckles in the paint. She smoothed her hand across the surface, smiling slightly.
"Yeah...This'll do..." She muttered.
Later in the day, the boys went off to go shopping at the men's department, leaving Starfire and Raven in the middle of the mall. Raven wasn't at all happy with this, to say the least.
"So...Raven..." Starfire began.
Raven glared at her. "Look Star. I'll be quite blunt about this. I don't want to talk to you ever again. You hurt me and Robin really badly and I have no idea why he even lets you stay with us!"
Starfire's expression became so pained, it looked as if she had been stabbed in the stomach. "Raven...Words can not express my regret for what I have done...but please, allow me to attempt make things right again by buying your new child something..."
"No. Nothing can fix what you've done. You...You raped my boyfriend, betrayed me in the process and then you go and get everyone all worried because you were out clubbing with friends all night!"
"Raven! I was not clubbing! I was..." Starfire bit her lip. "I cannot tell you what I was doing. But please, there is no need for yelling."
Raven's eyes became tinged with Red as rage consumed her. She shook her head, avoiding slamming the alien girl into the nearest fountian.
"Raven...I was out trying to protect the baby from Slade..." Star muttered. "He wants to take it when it is born...but..I am trying to distract him so he will leave you alone..."
Raven blinked a couple of times, registering what had just been told to her. "You...You were with Slade?"
Starfire nodded.
"But...he could kill you!" Raven said, a tinge of concern filling her heart.
Sure, Starfire had done some horrible things and Raven was pretty pissed...but...never enough to wish death on the Alien.
"Starfire I...Ooohh..." Raven's eyes clamped shut and she clutched her stomach.
"Raven! Are you alright?" Starfire asked, floating foward.
A slight groan escaped Raven. "Gah...it feels like someone is squeezing my stomach too hard...I...Oh no..."
Starfire gasped loudly. "Raven! We must get the boys quickly!"
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx A/N: Oooh, I'm a bitch aren't I? I left with a cliffie. XDD! Anyways, this started out as a pretty meaningless chapter but it developed into a lot more. -grins- I had to put in Starfire calling Slade gay, it was too priceless to leave out. Sooo, read and review duckies!
Oh. One more thing. One of my reviewers said something like "If Slade's a skeleton...Doesn't he lack what it takes to make children?" I was like "Oooh...Shit." Umm...my explination for that is...umm...errr...
PLOT HOLES! EEEE HHEEEE! o I'm not insane! Nope, Nope. Just plot holes. Lots and lots of holes...tehehe...I'll take my white padded room now, thanks.
Love,
Emmery.