(A/N: This chapter is a little more serious than my last one. I found it hardest to stay in character for Robin and Raven. There's just so much that I want the characters to say but I'm afraid to become too ooc with them. So I apologize once again if there are moments where you think there is too much OOC-ness. Please continue to Read and Review! Enjoy!)

Thanks to lil'grass-stain07 and Star's-Fire for your super kind reviews. I'm glad you liked the story so far. I hope you like this next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen titans

Chapter 3: Big Plans and Small Failures

Cyborg spent the rest of the day making preparations for the huge party that would take place in less than four days. First, he began by installing a new disco-ball in the main room, similar to the one he had installed in the Titans East tower. Only, along with a new disco-ball came strobe lights, flashing colored lights, an upgraded sound system, upgraded security system, and basically anything else to keep the party going.

"Phase one: complete " Cyborg deadpanned then grinned broadly and flashed a victory sign into the air. "BOOYAH! Now to call Bee!" He grabbed the remote to the television and pressed a button labeled: communicator and then pressed Titans East.

"Hey Sparky! How's it goin'?" Came a sassy voice, followed by an image of an African-American girl that appeared on the screen.

"Hey Bee! Listen, we're having a New Year's Eve Party. Can y'all make it?"

"Let me check." Bumblebee's face disappeared from the screen but Cyborg could still hear her voice.

"The Titans are having a New Year's Eve party! We going?"

"Sounds cool." Speedy's voice drawled.

"As long as they don't serve fish." Aqualad commented.
"Si! Un Fiesta es muy bueno!" Mas y Menos said in their rapid Spanish. Bumblebee's face reappeared and she laughed.

"All right, looks like we're there!"

"Cool! Party's at 8 P.M. Y'all can stay over after."

"See ya, Sparky!" With that, Bumblebee ended the transmission. Cyborg stared up at the blank screen then he smiled. Note to self: No Fish, Cyborg mentally added the thought to the end of his Things To Do List. "Project Party," as Cyborg had dubbed his plans, was completely underway. . .

Robin was sitting at his desk editing the most recent details in the "Slade File" including the events that had taken place during the end of the world. Who is Slade? Robin obsessed once again. Slade. Now there was the only person who rivaled Starfire in the quest to control Robin's thoughts. If Robin wasn't thinking about his beautiful best friend, he was fixated on discovering Slade's identity. Or at least he used to be until he had journeyed with Slade down into the Earth. There, Robin had realized letting Slade control his life was pointless. Robin had his friends while Slade had no one but himself. Now, Robin was only three-quarters-obsessed with Slade. Lost in thought, the boy wonder's famous senses failed to notice a figure standing behind him.

"I called Bee. They're coming." Robin was jolted from his thought pool. He turned around and looked at the large person behind him.

"Oh hey, Cyborg. Sorry, I didn't know you were there."

"It's ok, man. You looked like you were thinking pretty hard there."

"Yeah, I guess I was." Cyborg peered over Robin's shoulder and saw the "Slade File" lying open on top of Robin's desk. The words "WHO ARE YOU?" had been underlined and circled so many times that they stood out conspicuously on the page.

"Hey man, you're not still obsessing about him are you?" There was no need to ask who "him" was. "Let it go, Robin. There are more important things. . ." Robin opened his mouth to ask what could be more important than catching a devious mastermind criminal, but Cyborg cut him off as if he already knew what his leader was going to say. "Your friends and your life. . ."

"You're right." The masked boy admitted.

"Starfire." Cyborg continued on with his list of things more important to Robin than Slade.

"What!" Robin spluttered at a loss for more intelligent words.

"Starfire," Cyborg repeated. "You know you like her. Dude, It's pretty obvious you two were meant for each other." Robin turned bright red and began hyperventilating. Cyborg secretly found it hilarious to make their leader lose his normal cool.

"SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Robin said forcefully. Inside, alarms were sounding in his head.

"Chill man, I never said she was. All I'm saying is it's obvious you really like her."

"It is not!" Robin blurted out indignantly before he could realize what a mistake he had just made. The Boy blunder had unintentionally revealed his biggest secret (apart from his secret identity) to Cyborg. Cyborg's eyes gained a knowing look.

"You do like her." Robin felt cornered. He could be very stubborn, determined some might even call it. But, even Robin was smart enough to realize when it was pointless to argue. He looked Cyborg in the eyes and sighed. The half-robot, half-human took this as confirmation. "Then do something 'bout it"

"I can't," Robin said so quietly and dejectedly that Cyborg almost didn't hear it.

"You can"

"No, I can't."

"Why not?" Cyborg almost felt like smiling. He remembered when he had fought Atlas. The roles had been reversed and Robin had been doing what Cyborg was doing now. Cyborg would have smiled too if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"Because I just can't"

"What's stopping you?"

"Nothing."

"Then why can't you?"

"Because I don't want Starfire to get hurt."

"That's it, man!" Cyborg gave a short laugh and Robin glared furiously at him. "No offense, Robin. But, Starfire isn't helpless."

"I know that!"

"Do you?" Robin was silent. "It's okay."

"What is?"

"It's okay for you to like Starfire and do something about it man."

"I told you, Cyborg, I CAN'T!" Cyborg gave his leader a sad look.

"Then give up. Be weak and give up. Sooner or later, someone is going to like Starfire too, Robin. You can't protect her forever. Either do something. . . or be a quitter and give up." Cyborg was completely serious now. He gave Robin one last inscrutable look then turned and walked out of the room hoping his last words would affect his friend. Cyborg knew Robin unconsciously hated being weak. It was partially why the Boy Wonder trained so hard. A lack of powers seemed like a weakness and drove Robin to extremes. Days in and days out, Cyborg had seen Robin train like a madman, especially back when Slade had mattered so much. It seemed like weakness equaled failure to Robin, when in fact the rest of the Titans knew that weaknesses could lead to strength. Cyborg sighed, returned to work on the party, and hoped his last subtle insult would prod Robin into action. . .

Robin watched as the door closed behind Cyborg and seethed with fury. Some anger was directed at Cyborg for realizing Robin's secret. But most of the anger was for him. Robin was furious with himself because a large part of him knew Cyborg was right. Robin was being a coward by not confessing his feelings to Starfire. Would it matter if his enemies knew his true feelings? After all, most of his enemies were Starfire's enemies too. I've never looked at it that way. . . Robin thought. It seemed his confrontation with Cyborg had forced Robin to look at all the angles rather than the one that prevented any action.

"Sooner or later, someone is going to like Starfire too. . ." Cyborg's brief comment rang in Robin's ears. Taunting him, goading him, prodding him into action. Crud. . . he's right. Robin hated to admit it but if he didn't do something soon, there would be no guarantee that Starfire would wait around for him. Panicked by this thought, Robin snatched up a spare pen and a piece of paper and began to plan just how he'd tell Starfire he liked her. . .

Five hours later, Robin still had not come up with any decent ideas. However, Robin's trashcan was overflowing with crumpled pieces of rejected plans. Chocolates and flowers? Too plain. . . Love letter? Too sappy. . . Just tell her? Too blunt. . . Love song? Too bold. . . Proclaim my undying affection by the light of the Sunrise? WAY TOO MUSHY. . . AHH! Why is this so hard! Robin mentally kicked himself. I'm the BOY WONDER! I should be able to do this! He cursed inwardly. I need to clear my head. Robin thought for a minute then stood up and stretched. He hadn't realized how stiff he had become until he cracked his neck. Deciding he needed a workout, Robin left his room and headed towards the gym. . .

Starfire was worried. She hadn't seen Robin since breakfast, which had been 12 hours ago. Her best friend had skipped lunch and dinner and had not talked to any of the Titan's except for Cyborg, whom he had talked to seven hours ago. It was now 8 P.M and Starfire was getting really anxious. Quickly, She ran to find Cyborg in the main room. "Friend! Have you seen Robin?" Starfire inquired politely as she burst through the door.

Cyborg had been testing the disco ball for the party when Starfire ran into the room. "Nope. Sorry Star. Haven't seen him."

"Oh. . . Then perhaps you know where he is located?"

"Last I checked, he was in his room."

"Thank you." Starfire said brightly as she exited the room.

"No problem." Cyborg said dismissively. He was so intent on making the party perfect that he had failed to notice his alien friend had left.

Starfire flew as fast as she could down the hallway to Robin's room. "Robin! Thank X'hal, I have found you!" She cried out joyously as she burst into his room too. She stopped suddenly and stared. Strange, Robin was not in his room. Wasting no time, the Tameranian princess turned on her heel and fled towards Raven room. She was about to barge in when she remembered Raven didn't appreciate people bursting into her room or even just plain coming into her room. Starfire checked herself just in time. Sliding to a halt before Raven's door, the redheaded girl lifted a hand to knock when she heard a strangely familiar voice come from inside the empath's room.

"But Raven, why not?" came the voice. Strangely, whoever it was, was speaking in serious, low, urgent tones.

"Beast boy, I told you, I can't." Starfire heard Raven say. Beast boy! So that's who it was. Starfire couldn't understand why Beast boy was in Raven's room though.

"That's a lie and you know it!" Starfire had never heard Beast boy speak so fiercely. "You're just afraid of what might happen. Admit it."

"Don't push it, Beast boy."

"You said that last time. But now it's different! You're different!" He insisted. Curious though she was, Starfire didn't feel right listening to this conversation. Quickly, she quietly tapped on Raven's door. There was silence for a couple seconds, then the door opened to reveal an expressionless Raven and a frustrated looking Beast boy standing behind her.

"Hey Star." Beast boy said quietly.

"Friends! I cannot find Robin! I fear something terrible has happened to him!" Starfire cried out in a panicked voice.

"Relax, he's in the gym. I can sense his thoughts."

"Glorious! Thank you, Raven!" Starfire hurriedly thanked the empath and flew off towards the gym. . .

Right. Left. Right. Left. Robin screamed in his mind as he furiously beat the stuffing out of the punching bag. Why . . . Kick. Is. . . Punch. This. . . Kick. So. . . Punch. Hard. . .With one last roundhouse kick, Robin sent the punching bag flying into the wall. Sighing, he reached for water and a towel, then walked over to retrieve the fallen bag. Placing it back onto the hook on the ceiling, Robin walked over to the yoga mats Raven had bought a while back for her meditation. Suddenly, Robin felt as if he had been hit by a shooting star, literally. He found himself thrown onto the mats and looked down to find Starfire's arms wrapped tightly aroundhis stomach.

"Robin! You are unharmed!" She buried her face into his chest and held on tighter as is fearing the Titans leader would disappear the moment she let go.

"Starfire, what's going on?" Robin asked with a bemused expression on his face.

"I have not seen you all day! I feared something terrible had happened to you!" She hugged Robin harder. Robin didn't say anything and Starfire continued. "Oh! I have missed you so!" She paused then looked at Robin. "Robin, Why do you not say anything?"

"Starfire. . . choking . . . need. . . Air!" Robin said in forced breaths.

"Oh! Forgive me, Robin!" Starfire let go of Robin immediately and blushed. Embarrassed, Starfire muttered a hasty apology and scurried out of the room leaving Robin gasping for air. As she left, she passed Cyborg who had been standing in the doorway watching the whole exchange.

"Don't say anything." Robin growled after he had taken many deep breaths.

"Wasn't gonna." Cyborg held up his hands as ifto say:Wasn't even thinking about it. "Anyway, I came down here to tell you everything's ready for the party."

"Party?" Robin was confused.

"New Year's Eve, remember?" Cyborg reminded him.

"Oh, right." Somehow in the excitement of finding the perfect plan, Robin had completely forgotten about Cyborg's major party.

"Fridge's stocked. Drinks bought. Music's all lined up."

"Great. Who's coming?"

"Oh the usual, Titans East and a few others. Y'know, Hotspot, Wildebeest, Jinx and her friends, and so on"

"Jinx! Cyborg! You invited the Hive Five!"

"Well, yeah! Jinx made me. She promised they'd be good."

"I know you used to have a crush on her but I had no idea you guys were friends."

"Hey man, she's not so bad once you get to know her." Robin was suddenly suspicious.

"You don't still like her. . .do you?" he asked seriously.

"No way, man! She's just a good friend!" Robin was still wary. How did Cyborg even become friends with that pink-haired witch. He gave Cyborg and scrutinizing stare. "Look dude, She promised to keep them under control. They're just coming for the party."

"I don't know. It seems pretty risky."

"First sign of trouble and they're gone."

"Well. . ."

"I promise." Robin studied Cyborg for a minute and decided to trust Jinx for once.

"Fine."

"For real, man!" Cyborg couldn't believe it! Robin was actually agreeing.

"Yeah."

"BOOYAH!" Cyborg pumped his fist in the air and Robin laughed. "I can't wait until New Year's Eve!" Cyborg exclaimed. Before running out of the gym, Cyborg tossed Robin a crumpled piece of paper. "Thanks Robin!" he yelled as he sprinted out into the hallway. Robin chuckled quietly then opened the piece of paper Cyborg had tossed him. Inside, written in Cyborg's neat writing were the words: Midnight Kiss? PERFECT! Robin blushed furiously andmade a mental note to buy a lock for his room and to hit Cyborg the next time he saw the half-robot teen. He looked at the writing one more time and reluctantly realized Cyborg had a point. Kissing Starfire at midnight on New Year's Eve was perfect. It was romantic enough for any girl, but not too romantic, honest but not blunt, and heck, it beat a sappy love letter any day. Robin was all for the idea. A brilliant plan was already beginning to unfold in his mind. . .

(A/N: Well there it is! I really hope you all liked the chapter. Any reviews would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and if anyone could give me some helpful information on Speedy's character in Teen Titans, that would be great. I really want to make sure I get him semi-right and don't end up with him outrageously OOC. Thanks again!)