Chapter Eight: Falling

Robin ignored the sound of his fellow Titans at the door, telling him to be strong and come away from Raven's room for his own sake. However, part of him was willing to refuse anything for the cause he was fighting for now, even the sound of Starfire's crying and Cyborg's brotherly reason. He ignored Beast Boy's words of cool, collected humor even in the face of something like this and continued to tear through the book he was holding from the chair where he had sat, overlooking Raven, for what felt like forever.

Her chest was still moving up and down in a peaceful sleep, but other than that there was no movement from her, save on the second day of his vigual when she had looked over at him and opened her eyes. "Robin... Please, stay here..." But her voice had faded, and since then she had not made another move.

Slowly he reached over and took her hand, detaching the small jeweled clips at the end of her wrists and sliding the sleeve up to check her pulse. He couldn't help but noticing how fragile the blue veins in the back of her hand were as he pressed two of his gloved fingers into her wrists- Her heart rate was still amazingly slow and calm despite everything, and Robin wished that just once, she would look at him.

"Please, friend Robin, you must at least come out to recive food!" Starfire was yelling hysterically, beating her fists against the door with a force that might have come through any other, save that which was to Raven's room, but even Cyborg failed to knock it in this time.

"You can't help her if you don't come out here and take care of yourself, man. If nothing else, someone else can stay with Raven while you eat and sleep, even if it's only for a few hours. You've gotta stop beating yourself up." Cyborg's voice held the same edge of reason it had held every time Robin had heard them come to the door, but tonight it didn't irritate him- It penetrated his thoughts of refusal.

Although he tried to hesitate, Robin knew they were right. Everything in his chest was on fire and his eyelids were heavy- There was no way he could continue to stand at Raven's side when he himself was about to collapse and become his teams problem.

He looked one last time over at the teenage girl, who lay there on the bed looking quite helpless and fragile, as if in sleep she had become a whole another person, one who required protection and saving. "Hold on for me," he whispered, looking down at her sleeping face, and an emotion he would never be able to describe burned through him. Slowly, bending down so that his black hair fell into his face, he rested his lips there for a few seconds, kissing her. Without another word or look, lips now burning much like his heart, he headed toward the door and began to undo the many locks upon it.

His teammates were all staring at him anxiously, as if they expected him to be dead or a zombie- Starfire ran forth to grab him in a hug that, while crushing, he barely felt. He was Robin, yes, but his senses were dead, lying instead with the kiss he had just given Raven and buried under his determination to restore her to her usual self. "Can we eat now? It's okay if you don't sit with Raven, Cy."

Cyborg gave Robin a vauge smile, trying to make him feel better, and gave him a rather brotherly clap on the shoulder. "Come on, man, let's go get something to eat and then you can rest a little bit." Using his hand to guide Robin, they made their way to the steps, followed by a worn-looking Beast Boy and a very dejected, confused Starfire, who hung her head and stared after him.

"Robin..." She whispered and then leaned against Beast Boy in her fustration, who sighed and gave her a little hug before leading her down the steps, half-wishing that it wasn't just out of friendship she had leaned on him.

Robin ate without really seeing what he was eating, shoving fork-full after fork-full into his mouth without chewing, so that several times Cyborg was forced to move the plate away from him and refuse to let him eat anything more until he did so. "Come on, Cy," Robin said angerly, after being forced to swallow.

"You need to slow down, man. Next you'll be sick, and then we'll have a real mess on our hands. Besides, you still need to take a nap, so I don't understand what you're rushing for." He slid the plate back toward Robin and allowed him to resume the crazed-man way of eating with a sigh. I wish he'd slow down.

Robin finished the last three bites and prepared to go upstairs, but found Beast Boy blocking his way. "Starfire's up there with her now, dude," Beast Boy said forcefully. "You need to go lay down, take a nap or something, and then you can go back up and take care of Raven, all right?"

"You don't understand how important this is, Beast Boy!" Even though Robin knew Beast Boy's words to be truth, he was still angry at his friends. They're treating me like some stupid little kid...

"Trust me, Robin, I know how it is to want to help someone you're close to, but you've gotta take it easy." He folded his arms stubbornly. "Now go lay down on the couch or something."

Seeing that he wasn't going to get his own way, Robin made his way to the corner of the couch and assumed a position he had rarely slept in- He brought his legs close to his chest so that he was in almost a ball, and layed there, determined to do just that for a few hours. I'll just lay here, and then I'll go straight back upstairs...

I hate this. For some reason, the thought came out of nowhere, and it was true. He hated his current situation, hated being helpless and hated being forced to just lay there while Raven suffered upstairs. "Raven..."

No sooner had the word left his lips, however, than his eyes became heavy and he began to drift off to sleep. His dreams were strange, full of screaming that he could never fully understand and words that echoed in his head like secrets. And in each, Past, Present, and Future were taking Raven away from him, killing her...

He awoke with a start on the couch, clutching his hand over his heart with a sigh as he looked around the living room. Starfire and Beast Boy were quietly talking about something while Cyborg worked on something on a nearby computer, scowling. "...Does not appear to like me anymore. I believe he and friend Raven are more than friends, and I fear that I am replaced."

"Even if that does happen, Starfire, it wouldn't be the end of the world. If Robin and Raven get together, I'm sure there's someone else for you..." Beast Boy had just taken her hand, and for some reason Robin felt his ears burn- If she was going to break up with him, couldn't she just tell it to his face rather than sneaking around with Beast Boy?

Robin sat up and let out a loud cough to make his presense known. "Friend Robin, I am sorry that you had to overhear us, but I..." Starfire tossed her amber hair as if debating on what to say next, but no words would come to her lips, and the next few moments were uncomfortably silent.

Robin wanted no further explaination. Instead, he turned on his metal-studded heel and made his way toward the steps. This time, no one bothered to stop him- Raven was his main concern right now, and no one could have stood in the way of that. Not Cyborg, not Beast Boy...

And not Beast Boy and Starfire. The thought did not bother him, simply shocked him. I just can't believe she'd get over us so easily and go on like it never happened... But it doesn't matter right now.

He made his way over the threshold of her room and made his way straight to her bedside, tears running down his cheeks for reasons even he didn't understand. The books felt heavy in his hands and he discared them one by one with a quick scan through each, the meanings jumbled, but none of them what he needed to bring Raven back to himself. Every time he looked up at her, though, he would turn back to the bookshelves willing to try again, despite the fact that they were closer to empty than ever.

There's got to be a way... Raven has got to live... There's got to be a way for us to...

A groan startled him and he wheeled around to face the bed. Although Raven's eyes were not open, it was clearly her. "Robin... Save me... I love you... Robin, please... I'm falling, catch me... Robin..." Her voice trailed off and Robin ran to her side, checking her pulse with one hand and wiping the sweat from some unknown nightmare from her forehead, although her breathing was still normal.

Robin reached for her hand, wishing he could phycially hold her. "Raven, I'm sorry. I messed up- Really messed up. I'll save you... Raven, I really do love you... I'm sorry..." He kept his hand on hers,wishing she'd speak, refusing to let go of everything they had shared.

That was when the alarm went off. Cursing whatever forces might have the nerve to call him away from her, he held onto her a second longer and quickly kissed her forehead. "I'll be back, Raven. I'll be back for you."

Once downstairs, Robin was quickly informed of their situation. "Past, Present, and Future again, man." Cyborg was looking over yet another police report, his face grim, concentration written there. "We can go after them or let them slide, but this is another trap."

"What do you think, Robin?" Beast Boy asked, trying to act as friendly and normal toward him as possible.

Raven... They hurt Raven. I have to set things right, even if it means putting us in danger... Even if it means fighting with one less team member...

We have to do this.

"One last battle, Titans. And this one's for Raven."

Raventhedarkgoddess: Sorry this is so short, but it was a random idea that therefore ended up in my notebook. It'll be updated sometime, I promise. R+R, please.