Uumm...Haven't really planned the story out past this point, but this is by no means the end.

I've also never wrote an emotional scene like this, and once I did, I couldn't bring myself to change anything, so I hope I got it right.

(I will admit to getting a little teary myself as I wrote it, so I'm taking that as a good sign)

Raven leaned back on her bed, stretching her arms before wrapping them back around her lover. Raven giggled, leaning down to kiss Starfire's shoulder, which was covered in cuts from the same claws that now caressed Starfire's midsection. She stole a glance at the door, and the blood that ran underneath it from the hallway outside.

They just wouldn't leave us alone…

She squeezed Starfire to her chest, pushing a stray lock of hair away that had fallen over blank, lifeless eyes.

But we're all alone now…Starfire… Starfire…
"STARFIRE!" Raven snapped awake, flailing at the air and gasping for breath. Where?

"Raven! Please! It is all right! You are home, safe!"

Warm arms had wrapped around her, holding her still. Raven turned her head to see Starfire's eyes looking into hers, bright and very much alive.

"Starfire…" Raven shook as the memories of the previous night came flooding back, mixing with the nightmare that was still fresh in her mind. In response, Starfire sat on the bed next to her at wrapped her in a proper hug.

"I am alright, friend Raven. Do not be worried."

She's alright…Raven could feel her warmth, her breath on her neck. She allowed herself to relax, to sink into the embrace. The vision of her lying in bed, next to Starfire's cold corpse, returned in sharp focus. I can't…I want it to stay like this…but I can't…

Slowly, sadly, Raven pulled herself from the embrace and looked over at Starfire. Other than some white patches, some small bandages and an ugly bruise or two, she looked alright, and was looking at Raven with undisguised concern.

No…damn…stop doing that…Though she knew she didn't mean it.

"Starfire…You're…really ok?"

"Yes friend. The others arrived just after you fainted and brought us home for treatment. Cyborg says I will be fine with rest…" Starfire's voice trailed off suddenly.

"What is it?"

Wordlessly, Starfire stood and reached over to a table at her side. Lifting a small mirror, she handed it to Raven, who took it as she looked at the nervous expression that had suddenly appeared on Starfire's face. She looked down at her reflection, and screamed, dropping the mirror to shatter on the floor.

Four red eyes had looked back at her.

"St-Starfire…what? How?" Starfire sat back on the bed and held Raven's hands with her own.

"When you had been brought back, you were covered in a chemical Adonis had been carrying with him. Cyborg tells me that it was designed to stop cells from being altered in any way. Adonis had apparently planned to expose Beast Boy to it when we had responded to the attack on the club, to keep him from shifting his shape. But he did not count on us being there."

"I remember…my last attack. I felt something douse me."

"Cyborg also said that because your cells had already…changed, the chemical instead locked you into this state."

Locked in? I'm going to stay like this? Looking like THIS?

Raven wrenched herself away, turning to keep Starfire from looking at her face.

"Raven?" Starfire began to edge around the bed. Raven shifted to keep her back to her.

"Starfire…please."

"You know your appearance does not matter to me. You are still my dear friend Raven."

"Please…just…I need to be alone."

Starfire stomped around the bed and grabbed raven by the shoulders, forcing her to turn and look directly at her. Raven tried to look away, but found a warm hand on her cheek, guiding her back to that look of care and concern.

"Haven't you been alone long enough?"

Four red eyes stared into green, wavered, and broke. Raven fell forwards and wrapped her arms around Starfire, burying her face into her chest. Starfire reached out to hold Raven still as she began to shake, hearing quiet sobs escape the pale girl. She continued to hold on as the sobs slowed, then stopped. Starfire gently lifted Raven's face just enough to see that she had fallen asleep. Carefully, she lifted Raven up and tried to place her back in her bed, but even asleep, she refused to let go. Not wanting to disturb her, Starfire pulled a sheet away with a free hand, lowering herself into bed with Raven still attached. Looking down at Raven, her head resting on Starfire's chest, she reached down and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, tucking it back behind an ear.

"Why, Raven?" She whispered, stroking her hair softly. "Why did you insist on thinking you were alone? Why then? And why now?

She pulled the sheet back over them both, and put her arm back around Raven. A look of pain flashed behind her closed eyes, and Starfire gave her a gentle squeeze, watching the look fade away before closing her own eyes and drifting to sleep.