Chapter Seven: Gotham

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or Batman.

Author's Notes: Hello! First, thank you all for reading "Soothe". This is just to give the readers some idea of where the story is going.

This next chapter "Gotham" will spotlight Raven and Robin in a very loving manner, and have a small segment on the Titans' reactions. Chapter Eight "Blackfire" is the return of Starfire's sister trying to help the depressed princess and make amends. Later on, there will be breaking up, making up, and a special guest star.

Thanks for your encouragement, please keep it up! And remember, if you don't like characters or the pairing, know one's forcing you to read this and I couldn't care less if you think it should be 'Robin and Star 4ever!111". Please don't flame.

Peace & Love,

Luna Boulevardes

Raven was so exhausted she didn't question the strange things going on around her. First, Robin used some name she had never heard, credit cards she didn't know existed, and suddenly she being put on a first class flight from Jump City to Gotham. They would arrive in Gotham at nine-ish Eastern Standard time.

Raven curled up by Robin's side, and they held each other. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. He smelled like soap; she liked that in a man. She enjoyed being held by him, it was so comfortable and warm. She slept in his arms.

Robin enjoyed holding her, her tiny frame fit much better. Although he had never admitted it aloud, Robin had always resented Starfire's taller frame and felt awkward holding her. He gently kissed the top of Raven's head, and she smiled in her sleep.

Robin was eager to get back to Gotham. After his parents had been killed, it had become his home. Living in the Wayne mansion had been no easy task, but being Batman's assistant had given him a lot to think about and helped him become who he was today.

Of course, he wasn't sure what the reaction would be when he said. "Oh, yeah, I was supposed to get married today but I ran out on my bride with her best friend who I realized I was madly in love with two months ago, ok?"

That would go over nicely.

He pulled Raven closed to him, and buried his nose in her silky hair. She smelled like lavender. It was kind of nice and familiar, as opposed to Starfire's spicy, exotic scent of Tamaranian things he didn't know about. Raven's cool skin felt good, and he slowly allowed himself to sleep. When he did, he slept more peacefully than he had since the death of his parents.

At the airport, Robin hailed a taxi and Raven looked around the city with wide-eyed wonder. Robin had forgotten that she wasn't familiar with big cities. Look at everything! The sights, the sounds, the different smells. She felt a million different thoughts flying around loosely, and people were shouting this way and that on invisible cell phones.

"It's big," she commented as Robin half-dragged her out to the curb so the taxi would see them.

"That's what makes it wonderful," he said, looking at the big city lights with pride. He wrapped his arm around Raven's waist, and she leaned sleepily against his side. She still wasn't quite awake, and expected at any minute Beast Boy would be telling her to wake up because she was about to miss Robin and Starfire exchange marriage vows

This was highly preferable.

As a taxi pulled up, Raven realized it was actually a limo. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out and instead numbly followed Robin into the car. No way this was happening! It was too good, too wonderful to possibly be true.

The girl glued herself to the window, and watched everything. This glowed and shined and it was spectacular. There was the theater, places that didn't play movies; they played films, an opera house, ballet, art museums, just everything!

Robin watched her in merriment. Raven's reaction to the city was that of a child in a candy shop. He hadn't expected her to be this excited. He watched her wide-eyed wonder, and decided that he'd have to take her out while they were there. Raven had everything right to be astonished; after all, Gotham had everything.

As they drove into the country-side, towards where the Wayne mansion was at, Raven saw the starred sky and began to roll off constellations. Orion! Sirius! The Big Dipper! She jabbered on and on, and pointed them out to Robin through the sun roof. He smiled. He had made the right decision.

At the Wayne mansion, Robin tipped the driver handsomely and Raven looked at the building with mixed intimidation and awe. Robin laughed and pulled her along side him, and he rang the doorbell.

"Can I-Master Dick?" Alfred said, staring at Robin as though he'd just had a heart attack. "What are you doing here? And who is your lovely young friend?" he asked, trying to make sense of it.

Raven hid herself behind Robin a bit, suddenly feeling incredibly shy. Her face was hot, and she didn't feel like looking this man in the eye. Everything was so big and rich and opulent here, and she felt extremely out of place. Why was Robin bringing her here?

"Hi, Alfred, it's a long story as to why I'm here, but this is Raven and we could use somewhere to stay for a while," he told the elderly butler. Alfred nodded.

"I shall have two bedrooms prepared right away, sir, and then perhaps you would like something to eat?"

"That would be very nice, and really only need one bedroom," Robin said to him. Alfred raised his eyebrows but nothing. As he went to get their things ready, Robin led Raven into the grand house.

"Why did he call you Dick?" Raven asked, looking at Robin. He blushed, and she suppressed a giggle. He was so cute when he was embarrassed.

"It's my real name. Richard Grayson," he said. Raven nodded. "What's yours?"

"Don't have one. It's always just been Raven," she said honestly. He laughed.

"Tricky."

"You're telling me."

The two stopped talking as Bruce Wayne himself entered the room. Robin's eyes widened beneath his mask, and Raven felt a knot twist in her stomach.

"How nice of you to come by, Dick." Bruce said smoothly. Raven backed up a bit. Black telekinesis played on her finger tips, ready to be used if necessary. Bruce looked at Raven as though noticing her for the first time. He smiled, and she stared. "Who is your friend?"

"Ah, Raven, this is Bruce, Bruce, this is Raven," Robin introduced the two. Raven just stared dumbly as he kissed her hand.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Bruce said to her.

"I'm sure," Raven responded in her usual emotionless tone. She pulled her hand back, and watched him with a suspicious eye. Robin was on edge. If they didn't like each other, things couldn't possibly go over well.

"Ah, I'm sure you have a lot of work to do, why don't you go ahead and Raven and I can take care of ourselves," Robin reassured the older man. Bruce paused at looked at Robin, but then nodded and left. Robin heard Raven breathe a sigh of relief. "He doesn't bite, ya know," Robin said laughingly. Raven blushed.

"I just didn't feel comfortable," she said honestly. She shrugged her bony shoulders, and Robin took her in his arms. He kissed her long and hard, running his fingers through her hair and over her arms.

"Ahem," the two pulled away as they saw Alfred standing there after clearing his throat. "You room is ready, it's number twenty-one. Would you still like something to eat or would you rather go to bed?" Alfred asked, watching them closely. Their faces were branded with embarrassment.

"Ah, bed…?" he asked looking at Raven. She nodded. Head down, she followed him up the marble stairs. Robin flew past the doors, and finally arrived at the one meant for them. He opened the door, and Raven followed.

The room had a large bed taking up most of it, done with blue bedding. There was a sun room off it, closed off with large French doors. The walls were painted green, and roman columns were in each corner. To the left there was an arch way, and in the room off it was a lovely fountain and three doors. Two led to huge walk-in closets and one went to an ornate bathroom. But they didn't explore it, and instead got into the bed.

The first thing they did was to kiss. Her slender arms were wrapped around his neck, clinging to him. Eventually his tongue entered her mouth, and it became more intense. She undid the button on his shirt, and spread her hands over his chest, tracing the lines of muscle on his stomach again. As before, he groaned into her mouth, making her dizzy with passion.

He began to unzip the back of her dress. She stiffened for a minute, but then relaxed. This was going very far very fast, but she didn't care. She loved him. She loved him. She loved him.

His hot hands felt refreshing over her stomach and chest, and took his affection willingly. As the hours passed, more and more layers fell off until finally they were naked and well into the throes of passion love making. And neither of them thought of the others, or the others' reactions. They had each other, and at the time it seemed to be all they needed to survive.

"What do you make of her?" Alfred asked his wealthy employer. Bruce frowned.

"Naïve," he said. Alfred gave him a funny look, and motioned for him to continue with an explanation. Bruce sighed, but then continued. "She seems to like him a lot," Bruce said, gesturing towards the upstairs. "But she doesn't know what she's getting into. She just ran off with a guy at his wedding. I doubt it was a very thought through plan." Bruce said. "She might find it harder to have a relationship with him beyond something physical, which they'll need to make it last."

Alfred nodded, and said nothing. He pitied the girl. It seemed that neither knew exactly what they were doing or what was going on, at that could only lead to chaos. It was not that he disliked his employer's young charge, but it seemed to him that much more thought needed to go into this relationship. But he wasn't going to be the one to talk them. This was their problem, let the cards fall where they may.

In Titans' Tower, everything was quiet and somber. Starfire was in her bed, too numb to cry anymore. Hours of searching, and a witness account that "the groom dude was making out in the bathroom with a girl who looked like Audrey Hepburn with purple hair" had confirmed what Starfire had said to Terra earlier; Robin was gone and he wasn't coming back for Starfire.

"Dude, I can't believe Robin just walked out on his own wedding like that," Beast Boy said in the main room, where he sat with Terra and Cyborg. They nodded.

"And with Raven. Her two best friends." Terra said sadly. She sighed, and stared down at her coffee cup. Starfire had been so upset. At first she just cried and cried, but then she just. . . stopped. It was as though someone had turned off a switch in her. Now the alien princess was just lying in her bed, and try as they might to help Starfire made it clear that she had no plans of getting out ever again.

"How could they do this?" Terra questioned to no avail. Cyborg gritted his teeth. He saw this coming. He should've done something. He could've done something. Instead, he allowed it to go on behind Starfire's back and now Robin and Raven were off in god knows where. He got up, and went to Starfire's room.

The pink room was dark and dreary with her grief filling it. The Evanescence song "Hello" was playing on her CD player, and as Cyborg walked in it hit it's climax "Suddenly I know that I'm not sleeping. . . !"

"Aw, Star, I'm so sorry," he said, putting his hand over hers. Starfire looked up at him, her normally bright eyes dead and listless.

"Stay," she begged him, the one word the only one able to pass her lips. He nodded, and she smiled weakly. He brushed her hair off her face, and put a metal hand on her shoulder. She shut her eyes, and in time she slept.

Cyborg knew, he stayed up to watch over her.

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