:Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. The two week old chicken in my fridge is starting to scare me. Over ten inches of snow is a good reason to go outside for once. Don't look into the sun- it burns. It's not good to get only three hours of sleep... Math hurts my brain. Spring is just around the corner, or somewhere along the block. Windows aren't good things to jump out of, though a bad relationship is something that's one you should.
:Author's Notes: Second to last chapter- scary, ain't it? Well, I hope you've enojoyed this!
:T:
Ever Forward: Not Just Sleeping
:T:
Don't you ever wonder what would happen if we just disappeared? Like in 'Left Behind'- people just 'poof'. Would we be missed? What would the people who didn't vanish remember of us?
All I know is that I don't want to do nothing with my life. I want to make the lives of others better, in any way I can. I want to heal the hurts of the world while I'm still here, so that if I ever leave, they might just miss me.
And by now I know you're laughing at me. This is all the thanks I ever get, isn't it?
But hey! You're smiling.
-Kevin Carson, in a letter to Jacob Marls
:T:
The knives flashed in the twilight dimness as grunts and curses flew every which way, quickly followed by the thugs who had foolishly chosen to attack Tim. He whirled, a blur as the shadowed figures fell to the unforgiving concrete. When the last of them crumpled, the black haired man straightened from his crouch and began a count.
"Nine… ten…" Puzzlement. "I could had sworn there were twelve of th-" The blade stabbed into his back cut off the final words as Tim jerked, spinning to break the man's arm with a kick. His other companion yelled and brought his own switchblade down, slicing through the thick layers of clothing on Tim's body and leaving multiple cuts as the man swore and slashed again.
"Damn you thugs-" Erics knocked him out, stopping to catch his breath. A cough- and the man stared at the blood on his glove. "Damn." Stumbling, he dragged himself further along the row of high fences before finally collapsing, eyes becoming unfocused as the world blurred.
His one regret would probably be that he hadn't gotten to apologize to Rose…
Red hair fell gently over his face, like a faintly perfumed curtain blocking the rest of the world…
God, his hallucinations were getting worse…
A hand touched his face and warm breath misted across it…
"Tim…"
So it was true that you heard angels when you were dying…
"What the hell have you done?"
A lot of bad things, Rose…
A lot… of… bad… things…
:T:
Ice blue eyes opened to focus slowly on a white ceiling as he blinked, wondering why there wasn't some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. Then, shifting, the man became aware of the warm linen sheets covering his otherwise prone body.
Instantly he was up and out, scanning the area and assessing whatever danger might lurk as he sank into a defensive crouch.
"Ouch!" A sharp stab from his ribs reminded him that he was injured- which meant he was dead… right? Quick fingers probed the carefully wrapped bandages underneath his street clothes as his eyes narrowed.
"Where I am?" The question had to be rhetorical, because there was no one there to answer it besides the searching man.
"No bars on the windows… breakable objects… a phone?" Utterly confused, Tim finally turned to the door and opened it slowly.
An imperturbable, solemn face was the first thing he saw; cautiously, the younger man pulled the white door open all the way.
"Am I being held prisoner?" No answer as the butler swept his ancient gaze up and down Tim, then about-faced and walked downstairs. Slightly miffed, the other man came out into the hall and cracked open another door. Towel closet. Expensive towels…
Four doors later, Tim was about ready to stop and ask himself exactly why he was doing this. Then confident, sure footsteps reached his ever alert ears and the man quickly slipped into the closest room, shutting the door quickly.
"So you're awake." He turned, mouth opening at the sound of Rose's voice- and then snapped it shut as she watched. A soapy hand lifted to wave at his wide eyed expression as Rose threw back her head and laughed, the bubbles that hid most of her flashing rainbows.
"Quite a way to say hello, barging into a lady's bath." His mouth suddenly worked again and he tried to say something, unable to get more than a strangled utterance through. Her green eyes were filled with quiet humor as he blushed and fumbled for the doorknob.
"Ma'am, should I remove the intruder?" A bodyguard? He blanched as Rose smiled with genuine amusement.
"No- let him stay for a few more days. Then you can throw him out." She gestured with a hand, already going back to washing her hair. He took the moment to slip out, past the towering man glaring at him, and back into the (what he assumed was) guest room.
:T: