Months had passed, and still no sign of Raven. They had exhausted all of their resources in their effort to find her, and had found nothing, not so much as a hint to a possible location. They had thought that she would stand out wherever she went, but no one had seen anyone like her.

The remaining Titans continued their crime fighting, questioning every villain they caught. None had anything to tell them about their missing friend. Several days following Raven's departure, they had caught Delano trying to rob another bank. He had not known anything, either. The difficulty with which they defeated him, however, confirmed how much Raven had helped them when they had fought the first time.

Starfire, Terra, and Beast Boy had taken to scouring Jump City, as well as neighboring towns, almost daily. Cyborg could be found in front of the computer most hours. Robin was constantly making phone calls and meeting with contacts. Yet still, nothing.

"Guys, get in here!" Cyborg called. The excitement in his voice filled the others with hope. But they could also detect a hint of disbelief in his tone.

The girls, who were about to leave for another search, came running. Beast Boy, who had just returned from a hunt, followed just behind them. Robin hung up the phone and raced down the hall.

"What is it, Cy? Did you find her?" Robin asked immediately.

Cyborg nodded. "I think so."

"Well, where is she? Is she in the city?" Beast Boy pressed.

"No…"

"Is she nearby?" Terra questioned.

"No…"

"Where is she, then?" Beast Boy repeated, exasperated.

Cyborg paused. "Europe."

"What?" they cried simultaneously.

"I know, but…" He tapped a few keys. A female face with black hair up in a messy bun appeared. Dark brown, almost black, eyes stared dully ahead. The face was slightly thinner than they remembered, but it belonged to Raven.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire cried, ecstatic for the first time in months. She quickly sobered. "Friend Raven has lost her color."

"She died her hair, and probably got colored contacts," Cyborg explained. When Starfire looked confused, he added simply, "Her color will come back." Starfire brightened slightly. "She changed her name, too. But that's not surprising. If she'd kept it, we probably would have found her sooner."

"How'd she get to Europe? Why'd she go to Europe?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg hit a few more keys. The screen zoomed out. They now saw that the picture of Raven was part of a license. A pilot's license. Several jaws dropped.

"Um, I guess it's appropriate," Terra suggested quietly.

"How did you find her, Cy?" Robin inquired.

More typing. A newspaper appeared on the screen sporting a hazy copy of the license picture. "I had thought she might change her hair, so I kept searching just for her face. I followed any possible leads, and this one came up a couple hours ago."

"Why didn't you call us then?" Terra demanded.

"Because," Cyborg said, "I've had similar leads that ended up being dead ends. I'll admit that this was the best one I'd had. But the newspaper was also originally in French, and I had to get it translated. And I needed to get a better picture to be sure."

"What does the paper say, Cy?" Robin asked.

"It says that she was at the top of her class when she became a stewardess, but almost immediately gave up that to become a pilot. She graduated early."

"She's that good?"

Cyborg nodded. "Says she's also working on improved designs. Got contracts for projects not even half completed."

"Designs for what, exactly?"

"Everything. Inside and out."

A stunned silence followed. "Wow." The word, spoken by Terra, came out as a soft breath, expressing what all of the others thought.

"I know," Cyborg said. "I couldn't have found her otherwise."

"What?"

"If her picture hadn't been in the paper, it would not have come up as a possible match."

"But couldn't you have searched through the pilot license pictures?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have thought to."

"Well, come on! What are we waiting for? We need to get Raven back!" Terra cried.

"I don't know her flight schedule. That's classified information, apparently," Cyborg explained.

"I'll get it," Robin stated confidently. "Meet me in the living room in twenty minutes."

When they had reconvened, Robin reported his findings. "Raven's not listed to fly anywhere out of Europe within the next few weeks, which is as far as the schedule stretches."

"So, then, we must go to this 'Your-Rope' and find friend Raven," Starfire said determinedly.

Robin sighed. "Her schedule is really busy within the next few days. She's given leeway because of her designing, so her agenda is almost unpredictable. Our best chance is to meet her before she flies out of London in three days."

Everyone looked dejected, but the hope of finally recovering their friend postponed any arguments about waiting another few days.

"Let's get some rest. We'll leave in about forty-eight hours," Robin ordered. "It won't be a short flight."

They retired to their rooms, both anxious and content.

Less than three days later, the Titans were at the London airport Raven was expected to depart from.

Robin caught the arm of the first stewardess he saw. "We're looking for Alaina Aure," Robin stated, using the name Raven had adopted. "She's a pilot."

The woman blinked at them. "Miss Aure?" She spoke with a French accent.

"Yes, we're friends of hers. We were told she'd be flying out of this airport today. Do you know her? Can you take us to her?"

"Yes, I know her. I've flown with her before."

"Great! Take us to her, then!" Terra exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Miss Aure isn't flying today. She finished her latest plane design and resigned only yesterday. Please, excuse me. I must be going. Au revoir."

Amidst the turmoil of the terminal, the Titans stood in sullen, shocked silence. They had been so close, but they had missed their chance. Starfire began to cry, and Terra, comforting the Tamaranian, leaked a few tears as well.

Crestfallen, they made their way back to their jet. After the many hours required to return to the Tower, their despair had hardened into resolve to find Raven.

Defafaeth Mechqua: I'm glad you think so.

Sparrowing: I'm glad everything makes sense now. Thank you for reviewing! Happy '05 to you, too!

nevermoretheraven: I'm glad you liked the last one, but what about this one? Yes, this is not an evil Terra fiction. Thanks for the reviews!

DelofDani: Thank you and congratulations, you're the only one who caught that typo. Which I have edited, by the way. As for your other news, I feel your pain. I can't believe their getting rid of Raven. It's… there isn't a word to describe how evil and wrong that is. Thank you for telling me. And thanks for your reviews!

Poopy Penguin: Thank you. I'm less certain about how well this chapter went. What do you think?

DarkAngel2004: I'll probably heed that advice. In all likelihood, there will be no official pairings, so you have nothing to worry about. I'm glad you like the story. I hope you feel the same about this chapter.

Pikachu: This one took a bit longer to get out. I'm glad you like the story. What do you think of this chapter? Thanks for reviewing!

Raven of the night 676: I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. What do you think? I'm glad you've been enjoying my fiction. Thank you for the review!

BlackShield: Yes, they are indeed feeling the full effects of the Oops Syndrome. Was London far enough? I'm so uncertain about where Jump City is 'located' that I decided to have her leave the country altogether. I look forward to your opinion on this chapter. Thank you so much for all of your reviews!

samuraiduck27: Thanks very much! I'm glad it makes sense now and that you enjoy the story. I hope this update was relatively fast enough for you, and that the chapter met with your expectations.

VashTheStampede7123: Thank you, I'm glad you think everything is just right. I hope this chapter allows you to continue to think so. However, I doubt Terra will die in this fiction. But, I'll consider it. Thanks again!

Tigerfly57: Not a problem. I'm glad you like my fiction. Thank you for the review!

'hey': I hope I updated fast enough for you. As far as I know, the place where authors answer reviews does not have an official name. Some authors do not acknowledge reviewers at all. But I've always thought that, if someone takes the time to send a review, especially a nice one, the least I could do is take the time to answer back. So, thank you!

Sarah1281: Thanks. I suppose the timing was a bit phenomenal, or perhaps coincidental. But…it's a fiction. And who really knows how our minds work, anyway? lol

Skye: Thank you. I hope you like this chapter, as well. Are you a Starfire fan?

StonySilence: Well, I'm glad you liked it. And I hope your alter ego wasn't hurt too badly. Thanks for the review!

disappearer/Syani: Perhaps. And I understand what you mean about Cy and Rae. Thank you! I'm glad you like my fiction!

dancingirl3: Thanks very much! I hope this was updated at a reasonable pace for you.