A/N: -LOL!- did the first part screw with your mind or WHAT?! I'm glad I removed the part this episode starts with. It was originally in the first "chapter", but it would have made a few things clear, and confusion I craved… -grin-

I am sorry for the delay, and this is NOT the last part… I had planned to write it all, but if I had, the story wouldn't be finished for weeks, because I have nearly no time to write! So I decided to post this for now, and then I will try to get the rest finished in a few weeks…. it WILL be a while, though…

Thank you The Darkest Half for helping me with a saying I just couldn't remember!

Back Where I Belong PART 2

"Robin? Safe to come in?" Slade smirked and opened the bedroom door. He couldn't hear the shower, but since his partner had told him he was heading for one, the man glanced inside. The floor was damp. He had been here. Where had he gone, though? The gym? If he had been that angry, Slade knew he was in trouble. On the other hand, they were to send out the invitations for the wedding today, and that would get his bird back in a good mood. A drawer in the bedroom caught Slade's eye, as it was slightly open. It usually contained some of Robin's clothes and as Slade opened it, he found it startlingly empty. What was going on here? The man looked around the room again, and spotted something shiny on the bed. He turned to stone. The ring. On his side of the bed. A quick search of the room made it clear that more of Robin's things were gone. Not everything, and the pattern seemed somewhat strange, but how clearly did a pissed off teenager think, really? It slowly started to sink in. Robin had left him.

One month ago.

"It's a risk worth taking." Raven stated and met the others slightly worried looks levelly.

"I agree."

The Titans eyes swiveled to the dark figure at the end of the table. They were still a bit overwhelmed at seeing Batman face-to-face like this. The dark knight had not abandoned them when their leader did, however, but rather the opposite, taking them under his wing. He was unobtrusive and didn't meddle with the way they protected the city, but he was there. A call away, or, like now, actually in the same room.

"How do you plan to do it, Raven?" Batman continued. "You were very secretive before this meeting. I want you to remember that he is still my ward, and I don't want him hurt."

"But he is with Slade!" Starfire exclaimed. "When I did meet him, he was… he was not my Robin! I do want my Robin back!"

"Remember, I am to spend Christmas with the both of them…" Batman said, and shuddered. "I will try to give him a way out, but if he won't take it…. I thought he was lost until you called, Raven, so please… tell me."

"I'm going to alter his memories."

The room was quiet. The Titan's had already heard the plan, if not in detail, and all the eyes were on the bat.

"How?" was the only reply they got. The man's face was as unreadable as ever.

"I am going to take him from their headquarters, it's impossible to protect it against magic, and I'm going to put things back the way they were. The way they should be."

"But it's been almost two years… How will you explain that? You can't possibly make fake memories to fill such a long time." Batman seemed to frown under his cowl.

"I have an idea!" Beast Boy piped up. "How 'bout we tell him-"

"No crazy alien abduction stories BB!" Cyborg sighed.

"No, why don't we tell him he's been in a coma?"

The team stared at its youngest member.

"That's actually a good idea." Raven said, her eyebrows rising as far as they could go.

"He will have questions, though, and we have to be prepared to answer every one of them without hesitation, or he will be on to us." Batman warned. "But that's for later. First I would like to know exactly what you are going to do, and what the risks are."

"I am going to erase everything that happened after the last fight with Slade." Raven said simply.

"That won't do, man… he will just choose Slade again!" Cyborg objected.

"No. I will also change his memories and feelings regarding Slade. He won't remember anything about their… physical relationship. I will only let him keep bits and pieces of what happened after Slade caught him."

"Please make him hate Slade!" Starfire insisted.

"No." Raven said again. "Robin hating Slade would only pull him towards the man, seek him out.… I will copy his feelings for, say, Mumbo, and project them over his feelings for Slade. He will be wary of him but won't have any stronger feelings. I'll even try to remove as much memory as I can of Slade's face."

"Good." Starfire said and crossed her arms.

"Star, I… I can change his feelings for Slade, because they are connected to memory, but I can't change who he IS… he might really be gay or bi…"

"Surely that was all the doing of Slade and that terrible plant?" Starfire asked.

"Maybe, and maybe not." Batman clipped off. "I don't care if he's gay, I just want him safe and back where he belongs."

The whole team agreed with that one. Star, though, still looked hopeful and as Raven saw this she decided to keep an eye on the alien. The situation would be unstable enough without a lovesick warrior princess to stir things up. Besides, Raven had a feeling that she would be disappointed. The sorceress was quite surprised at Starfire's outbursts. During this whole time, even before Robin left, she had been sad but appeared quite calm. For all her empathic powers Raven would never have guessed that there was so much boiling jealosy hiding under that timid surface. She had been the one to look him up when the Titans had finally found out where he was, though. That might have been a clue. She had come back from that meeting sadder than ever, and she had been the first to agree when Raven had revealed her plan.

"Uhh... Rae?"

Purple eyes turned to the masked young man with the fiery red hair.

"Yes Speedy?"

The archer had joined the team after Robin left, first as a temporary backup, but, somehow, it had turned out permanent.

"Yeah… sorry… I feel kinda like an outsider in this, but I gotta ask… Robin's a great guy… I mean, he was, anyway, but… like…. won't this be dangerous to you too? What if it drains you? I'm not sure it's worth risking your mind too… we might end up losing the both of you!"

Beast Boy suddenly looked like he wanted to veto the whole thing. Raven stood up, cloak billowing around her and the windows were clattering from pent up magic.

"Robin fought my inner demons for me, and he literally followed me to hell to save me. Yes, this will be dangerous, and yes there are no guarantees, but this is Robin. I owe him. And so do every one of you."

Present time…

Looking down on Robin's rather confused face, Raven knew she had done the right thing. She had, over the last months since she first had the idea, asked herself why she hadn't done anything sooner. Firstly, she guessed, it had been anger and a deep feeling of betrayal that had gotten in the way. Those feelings had been pushed down, however, as she and Cyborg struggled to not just keep the team together, but also find their balance in the shared leadership. Speedy had joined them, being a great resource and a much needed positive attitude amongst the rather gloomy group, and that had meant more training to make the new team fuse together. The weeks and months had passed, but the negative feelings kept fighting for attention as soon as she let herself relax, and then, one night, all the windows in the Tower had shattered. Raven realized it then. It was time.

Getting Robin out had been a breeze once they figured out where the private rooms where. There where no walls she couldn't teleport through, and, as she could fly, getting up there was no trouble either. The hardest part had been the week they had spent in the city, trying to figure out the odd couple's routine, as much of it as there was, without being seen. She and BB had done the surveillance, however, and it had been as successful as they could hope for. The argument that Beast Boy, in spider form, had reported, had been an extra bonus, and making it look like Robin left the man in anger was the best setting ever. They had planned to make it look like Robin had left voluntarily anyway, but this way made it much more believable. Not that Slade wouldn't come after him. But they would be ready.

"Two years?" The boy in the bed exclaimed, and brought Raven back to reality.

"Yes." Raven nodded. Simple answers were the way to go, she thought. Not that she normally was really chatty.

"But… I… why… how….?" Robin started, and it was almost funny to see their leader lost for words. Almost. "Wait…" they could practically hear Robin's brain clicking into gear. "But I feel fine!" he finally said. "A bit weak and dizzy, but if I spent two years in a bed…?" There is the faintest hint of accusation in his eyes.

"Batman brought in all the specialists and the latest equipment to keep your muscle mass intact and-"

"B-Batman? Batman's here? At the hospital?" Robin looked close to panic.

"You're in the Tower, man… we built this room for you." Cy explained, "And yeah, he's here… wanna see him?"

"In… in a bit… how did you know I was going to wake up now? I mean, you haven't been just huddled around my bed all this time, right?"

Raven internally grinned. Batman had been right when he had warned about the questions. Robin had actually only been unconscious for the time it took them to get him back to Jump and for her to work on him. All in all, less then twenty-four hours. That and the mild sedative he had received would make him feel a bit weak and faint. It wouldn't do for him to wake up perfectly fine.

"We monitored your brain waves. They told us you were on the verge of waking, but… well…. they have been wrong before…"

"Oh… sorry…" Robin said, feeling a little awkward.

"Never thought I would hear you apologize for your brain, dude!" Beast Boy grinned, finally looking a bit more like himself… well, like the one Robin remembered…

"Damn, I wanted to record that!" Cyborg added, grinning as well. Robin smiled.

"I'm glad to be… back… I guess… wow… this is weird though… two years?"

"Ah, come on! You haven't missed much!" the changeling declared and plopped down on the side of his bed. "Oh, it's the 10'Th of January so I guess you missed Christmas, so that's a bummer… but don't worry, you have two years worth of presents coming! New pizza-place opened, killer pizzas, 'The Simpsons' is still running, you-know-who is still president, errr… did I tell you about the pizza place?"

"What happened… you know… after I…? Slade?" Robin asked, worriedly.

"Well, he left… didn't want a veggie as an apprentice, now, did he?" Beast Boy said happily and received a light punch in the head from Cyborg.

"You are the only veggie-brain here, dumbass."

Robin laughed. He had… missed this? He wasn't sure how he could miss something when he had been unconscious the whole time, but, somehow, he had.

"He might come back now, though… as soon as word's out that you're back…" Raven warned.

Robin shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I guess we'll deal with him then, if that happens…" he said. He wasn't really worried for some reason. Things would work out.

"I think Batman wants to see you. Come on, everyone, let's go find him." Cyborg decided.

"Later dude!" Beast Boy chirped, and jumped off the bed.

"I am so very happy that you are back." Starfire said quietly before turning on her heel and walking out of the room quickly.

Robin waved the others off and relaxed against the pillow. This was weird! This was really, really weird… It was a good weird, though, he supposed… as 'weirds' went…

Outside the room the team gathered, joined by Speedy and Batman. It had been decided that it was best if Robin only saw his friends when he first woke up.

"So?" Speedy asked, almost jumping with excitement.

"It worked." Raven sounded like she never had been worried at all.

"Great! Are you sure he won't remember? You know Slade will come sniffing as soon as he finds out that Robin is here… and he will as soon as we go on our first mission together…" the archer warned.

"Yeah, dude, like what if there's a trigger or something? There always are!" Beast Boy agreed.

"It's not very likely. However, Speedy is right. We all know Slade will be here, and he won't be happy. It's important that he won't discover what we have done… everything must point to the fact that Robin left him to rejoin us."

"Yeah, mum, we know!" Speedy yawned. "Oh, by the way, is he gay much?"

"He is certainly not!" Starfire growled.

"Well, you know… I could find out for y-" Speedy stopped talking, as it was quite hard after you had been slammed into the nearest wall by freaky glowing green alien powers. "Just… kidding…." ha managed to choke out.

"It was not of the funny sort!" Starfire snorted but let him go.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes at him.

"Settle down… we have a lot of work to do, you know… Batman? You're next."

Not that the man ever gulped, but it was damn close.

Seeing Batman was strange. Robin seemed to remember a lot of hostile feelings towards the man, but couldn't quite figure out why. After a few moments of 'sickbed-awkwardness' Bruce finally asked him how much he remembered.

"I… don't know… I remember training with Slade… " a sudden flashback of a session with a very lifelike robot made Robin shiver. "But it's like… gaps. A lot of gaps. And I remember being… angry and… in two minds about something… but I'm not sure what."

"You have been in a coma for quite a while, it's more or less expected to have memory gaps… and the times you were on the verge of waking up we registered very high brain activity, like you were having extremely powerful dreams… those might mess with your memory as well… do you remember anything that doesn't seem to fit?"

Robin let out a dry chuckle.

"Take your pick… But that explains the snowball fight…" Robin just shook his head and shrugged as Batman was on the verge of asking about it, so the man changed the question.
"How about long-term memory?"

Robin thought for a while.

"Those seem intact… I mean, I know who I am and everything… but the last thing I remember clearly is leaving for Gotham… oh… I got stung by something, right?" Robin unconsciously touched his arm.

"Yes. That's how Slade caught you. But the important thing is that it seems that only your short-term memory were affected… and those memories will probably come back in time…"

"Short term?" Robin frowned. "I… I have this feeling I spent a lot of time with Slade before the explosion…"

Bruce knew he had, naturally. Robin had been Slade's 'pupil' for quite a long time, but with the boy's memories so choppy, they had decided that it would be better if they pretended that it wasn't that long, without deciding on an exact number of days.

"Well, I bet an hour with him is an hour too much…" the man smirked a little. "The important thing is to move on, Robin. If you remember everything some day, great, but the past is in the past… you should focus on getting out of bed and whip that team of yours back in shape…"

A grin appeared on Robin's face.
"I promise I'll let them know that that was your idea…"

There was a hesitant knock on the door, and as Bruce called out it slowly opened. A very red red-head peaked inside.

"Speedy!" Robin exclaimed "What are you doing here? Is the whole Titans East here?"

"Nope. Just me." the archer said, grinning a bit uncertainly.

"I have some things to do." Batman declared. "I'll get some things together for you. And I suppose you want a mask?"

Robin's hands flew to his face.

"Oh… I had forgotten… Slade didn't allow me to wear it… I think… why?"

"Control, Robin. Everything about that man was about controlling you and turning you into something that you're not. But don't worry. Everything will get back to normal soon."

Robin smiled faintly.

"Thanks Batman."

"Anytime, Robin…"

As Batman left, Robin turned his attention to Speedy who still looked uncomfortable, something that was so out of character for the bold young man it was rather startling.

"What's up, Speedy? Star has already promised that there is nothing wrong with my nose, so quit looking at me weirdly."

The archer threw his head back and laughed, and the ice was broken. He surprised Robin by plopping down on his bed, much like Beast Boy had done.

"Nothing wrong with your nose, man, as pretty as always."

"Shut up, bow-boy… " Robin chuckled "Now… what are you doing here? Thinking you could finally beat me at something when I was in a coma, huh?"

"Yeah, but no one can out-snore you…" Speedy grinned.

"I do not snore!" Robin huffed and folded his arms.
"Suuuuure you don't… the increase in seismic activity in Jump for the past two years is just a coincidence."

Robin's eyes narrowed.

"I could reply to that… or I could make you answer the question… I think I'll go with the later…"

Robin grinned as his fellow hero squirmed.

"Well… okay… After you… after the fight, everything was kinda crazy… Raven and Cy asked if someone from our team could come over for a while, and… well… I kinda never left…"

"Oh." Robin blinked.

My replacement. Then his mentally shook his head. No, he couldn't feel weird about this. Jump needed every resource they could have, and Speedy was probably a great addition to the team.

"So… can't wait to get back now, huh?" he asked, searching the other's masked face for a reaction. He wasn't disappointed. Really, when it came to emotions, the kid could just as well be unmasked.

"Well… I… I love them, you know but… there's always this buzz-buzz-buzz-do-that-buzz-buzz-buzz-stop-that… and the kids? Seriously, they freak me out… and fish boy? Hot as hell, but it's kinda hard to flirt with someone who prefers his finned friends…"

Robin blushed a bit at the way Speedy referred to Aqualad. He knew the red-head's preferences weren't exactly…limited, but during the years he had been asleep the teen had definitely become more outspoken. He somberly wondered what else had changed.

The teens looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"Sooo…" Speedy said slowly. "Are you kicking me out, or what?"

Robin looked serious.
"It depends… eat Starfire's cooking and let BB win at videogames for a week, and I'll consider it." He watched as Speedy's face paled in fear and couldn't hold back a big grin. "I'm kidding! Sounds stupid to say it, since you are already a member, but welcome to the team!" Robin didn't count on the hug. He was hugged regularly by Starfire, so the crushing feeling was familiar, but there was something different now… something… strange. He couldn't help but turn his head slightly and breathe in the other's scent. As soon as he realized what he was doing, however, ha started prying Speedy's arms off himself. "Hey… coma-victim here… choking… not good!" he objected, and finally Speedy let go.

"So I'm in?" the archer grinned like crazy.

"You're so in…" Robin grinned back and then promptly blushed.

What the hell is wrong with me? I don't care how many they already have done; I NEED another brain scan…

He couldn't help it, though. He noticed several things about his new team-mate that he liked… his smile, his hair, his uniform… and Robin really liked the sleeveless red shirt… he had always thought his own arms where too skinny to pull that off, but Speedy, on the other hand, looked ho- good. Yes. Good. He didn't have bulging muscles or anything, but his arms where really very…errr… very… nice.

Mind out of the strange gay gutter right NOW! Robin rebuked himself.

Speedy had been watching the play of emotions over Robin's face with amusement. He wasn't sure the team was really doing the right thing here, but he guessed this was one of these times where 'the end, justified the means'-thingy. There was a wrong side and a right side in this world, and although playing both might be fun, Robin had definitely slipped faaaaar too far over on the wrong side. Speedy didn't blame him as much as the rest of the team, though… Slade was simply too hot, and if it was him the villain had his eye on, he doubted that it would take too much persuasion on Slade's part. Well… not for the bed thing, anyway… for the crime-thing? Probably a lot more. The whole thing seemed so unlike Robin, though, and Speedy was convinced that Slade had done something to him… drugs… hypnosis… whatever… and since the man had, it was wrong, and Robin needed to be rescued… there was still a strange pang of guilt in his heart, however, but he was sure it would go away as soon as everything went back to normal again.

"So, boy wonder… ready for some action?" Speedy asked, delighting in the deeper shade of red that grazed his friend's face. "Or maybe I should say, ready to hobble to the kitchen?"

"No, he's not." a stern voice said from the door.

"Awww... mum!" Speedy sighed and got his ear flicked by a tendril of black energy. "Ow!"

"I have warned you not to call me that." Raven said coldly, but a small smirk was hiding in a corner of her mouth. "Robin is to rest at least until tomorrow, and then we shall see if- Robin! Get back into the bed!"

Robin, dressed in a hospital gown, was looking down on his knees that were shaking slightly, but he was actually surprised that he wasn't sprawled out on the floor.

"I'm fine Rae, and… well I really need to… use the bathroom."

"Need any help?" Speedy offered.

"NO!" Robin looked appalled.

"I meant to get to the bathroom…" the archer chuckled. "Really, Robin I like the way you think… is that new?"

"Shut up, or I'll snap your bow again…" Robin growled, his face now easily matching Speedy's outfit.

"Ow, that hurt. Come on, weakling…" Speedy promptly pulled one of Robin's arms around his shoulders and proceeded to half walking half carrying the Titan's former leader to the bathroom. He left him outside and blatantly enjoyed the view as Robin took the last steps by himself an entered the room. The Titan hadn't realized that the gown he was wearing was the open back kind…

"Stop that." Raven whispered in Speedy's ear, making him jump.

"Hey, I was just lo-"

"No. And back there, you were flirting. Stop it."

"Why?" the archer crossed his arms.

"Star-"
"Come on! Don't give me the "he's spoken for" crap!" Speedy hissed. "If he goes for Star, then I'll back off… but for now…I say he's up for grabs." the boy stalked away.

Raven sighed and shook her head. The next couple of weeks were going to be turbulent enough without a tug-of-war… she was just going to have to keep an eye on everything… again…

"Mum…." she muttered to herself, and as she heard the shower being turned on in the bathroom she withdrew to the end of the hall to meditate. She knew she would need it.

Robin was having a rather interesting time looking at his own body. The narcissistic thought made him grin, but the truth was; he was in awe… He had expected to find it frail and feeble, but, if he could say so himself, he looked better than ever. He frowned and scratched a barely healed scar behind his ear. Fleetingly he wondered where he got it, but with all the tubes that had been connected to him with various needles, he soon forgot about it.

Bruce must have brought in the cavalry for this… It looks like I have GAINED muscle mass, not lost it… how is that even possible? I mean, keeping the muscles active, sure, but it looks like I spent the last years working out!

After taking care of his bladder, he really wanted a shower too. He didn't want to reflect upon how these things had been taken care off for the last two years. He found himself thinking that if BB and Cy ever mentioned anything about sponge-baths, there would be trouble.

As he came back to the room he had woken up in, Robin found some clothes on the bed and put them on. The effort of taking a shower and dressing left him drained and he sat down on the bed for a few moments to rest. Something didn't feel right. He had no idea what it was, but, as it were, his spidy-senses were tingling.

Making his way down the hall, he found himself looking for doors that weren't there, expecting to see colors that had never decorated the halls of the Tower, and the whole thing really freaked him out until he found the kitchen. Thank god, it looked the same.

"Robin!"

"Hey man!"

"I was getting worried."

"Dude!"

"See? The idiot just doesn't know how to behave like a coma-victim, does he?"

The last remark came from Speedy, who, however, was grinning broadly.

"You could probably do it better, at least your brain patterns match…" Robin smirked back.

They all came up to him and Robin found himself searching for signs that two years had passed.

If BB is taller than me now, I'm gonna go back to being comatose… Robin promised himself. Fortunately that was not the case. The green kid had grown and filled out, but so, it turned out, had Robin. He was still no match for Cyborg when it came to height, but he was definitely taller than Starfire now, something that did wonders for his ego. Speedy was taller though, but, Robin comforted himself, only by an inch or so.

Other than that there were very few signs… if Robin looked closely he could see signs of maturity in his friend's eyes and behavior, but there were nothing that made them seem really different… still, though…

"Hungry?" someone asked.

Robin found himself nodding. He wasn't exactly starving, strangely enough, but he could do with something to settle his stomach… and something to drink! His throat still felt like he had crawled through a desert.

He ate carefully, getting a slight headache from all the voices around him.

Guess I'm used to more peace and quiet…he thought wryly.

Batman was still present, a quiet looming shadow, but bid goodbye after dinner.

"I'll be back to check on you soon. Don't hesitate to call, and let your team know if you are feeling strange. And take it easy for at least a week... no missions!"

Robin grinned and shook his head.

"Man, you are really worried, aren't you? You babble like-" Robin didn't get any further before he was engulfed in the second strong embrace of the day.

"I'm just so glad you're back." Robin heard his mentor whisper.

"Glad to be back." Robin laughed, thinking it was a slightly strange expression, but really, he was back, in a way… well, his mind was, anyway.

"Here, I fetched one for you." Batman said and pressed something into his hand.

Robin looked down. One of his masks.

"Oh, thanks." Robin really expected to feel a lot more comfortable as soon as he put it on. He didn't expect the overwhelming feeling of being trapped. It was so sudden, that he had to take a few deep breaths just to calm down. He didn't think anyone noticed, though.

He saw Batman off and then returned to his team, smiling faintly.

"Guys… sorry but I'm a bit tir-"

A chorus of understanding voices cut him off, and he was again, almost carried on a wave of helpfulness towards a well-known corridor.

"We kept your room just as it was!" BB said.

"I would have been insulted if you turned it into a playroom…" Robin chuckled.

"Well, Starfire did want a place for her scrapboo- ouch!" Beast Boy replied, rubbing his butt where a small starbolt had singed him.

After saying his goodnights and assuring each of them that he would be okay on his own, Robin closed his door and drew a deep breath of relief. He didn't know why, but he guessed everything had just been a bit too overwhelming. He just hoped this feeling would go away soon.

Three days later Robin still wished it would go away. So many strange things were happening. He found himself promptly waking up on one side of the bed instead of sprawled out in the middle like he always slept. Entering the bathroom in the middle of the night, he sluggishly reached for the light switch, only to find that it was on the other side of the door. His mask still didn't feel quite right; it chafed and limited his vision. He kept dreaming of a white-haired man that he definitely recognized but couldn't quite place. Exercising helped, though, but there, too, strange things happened. Firstly he felt stronger than ever, and he could do moves he had no idea where he picked up. He talked to Raven, who comforted him, saying that he had probably learned them from Slade, he just couldn't remember when.

Robin didn't like that. He didn't want his body to remember stuff he didn't, and definitely not anything he had learned from Slade. The thought of the man made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. How could someone like that villain ever pose a threat to him and his team? Robin knew to be careful around the man, but it wasn't like Slade was his nemesis or anything!

All-in-all training made him happy, though, and he was already planning a team practice, since watching them all training this morning. He had to alter the strategies to include Speedy, or rather, he figured, to include himself. Cyborg and Raven had done a good job on the strategies, but Robin had already spotted a few flaws.

"You need more practice with close combat. Hand-to-hand." he said to them, and got the strangest feeling of déjà-vu.

"Great! Up for some judo, coma-boy?" Speedy wanted to know.

"Anytime, Speedo…" Robin smirked.

"Ah, hush! I just got BB to stop calling me that!" the red head wailed.

"What is this ju-do?" the group's original redhead asked.

After a demonstration in the gym, Starfire was not very impressed, however.

"It is just hugging and throwing, is it not?"

The boys looked at each other and burst out laughing. Sure, for an alien with her strength, being able to throw someone over your shoulder didn't look that impressive.

"It's okay, Star. Leave it to the lowly earthlings…" Speedy grinned.

Starfire sniffed disapprovingly. Speedy was a little too close to Robin for her taste, but she knew they had to practice.

"I will go start the dinner meal." she declared and stalked away.

"Great! Gonna be pizza-night!" Speedy cheered, as soon as the door closed.

"Probably." Robin agreed.

"Soo… how's… things…?" Speedy asked. Robin was a bit tired of his friends asking him this or watching him warily for signs of weariness or whatever.

"You mean has my brain accessed the backup? Nope… just more strange memories… or dreams…"

"Oh? Like what?"

Robin blushed, making Speedy's grin grow until his face was about to split.

"Ooohhh… good ones, eh?"

"Yeah, well… just dreams, you know."

Suddenly the archer was a bit too close.

"Anything you want to come true?"

That comment took Speedy further than he had intended. Further across the room, that is. As he picked himself up from the floor he looked over towards an innocent looking Robin.

"What was that about?" Speedy asked. He had been charming, damnit!

"Training. That's what we are here for, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Well, then… You need to keep your shoulders in another angle when you do the throw, it will give you more momentum. Like this."

An hour later and they were both drenched in sweat, but, Speedy thought grumpily, not for any fun reasons. He had improved, though, he had to admit that. Robin seemed uneasy about where he had picked up the technique, but it had to be from Slade, where else? The boy's actions had also made it clear that he didn't want any flirting, but there Speedy completely disagreed. Sure, he accepted it when it came to training and missions, he could be every bit as serious as Robin when it came to those things, but life without flirting? At all? Noooo… couldn't be done. The archer knew very well how serious life could get, but that, in his opinion, was nothing to brood over, quite the opposite. And right now, he had to admit, Robin fascinated him. Maybe it was just the 'forbidden fruit'-thingy, maybe just the overwhelming curiosity regarding Robin's true orientation… maybe it was just a challenge…

Well… let the best red-head win, Speedy chuckled.

Almost two weeks passed until Robin was allowed to join the team on a mission, and before that he was talked to in length about not taking any risks. The Titan's had quickly slipped back into their roles with Robin as leader, even though the teen himself had not voiced any wish for this. Secretly Robin felt both honored and troubled. He was glad his friends still trusted him, but he could do without the extra weight on his shoulders… he would actually have preferred to follow orders or at least share the responsibility, but those suggestions was quickly waved away. Robin almost wanted to scream sometimes.

Being the leader did not mean he got away from being lectured, though, especially not now. Raven had pulled him aside for another private conversation. Robin felt like he spent more time with Raven these days, than with anyone. Not that he minded, he liked her, but it was the way she seemed to be watching him all the time that was a bit unnerving.

"We didn't let anyone know about the coma, Robin." Raven explained to him as it was decided that he was healthy enough for a first mission. "We were afraid that it would cause a crime wave, and there was always a risk someone might attack the Tower to get to you, because you were helpless… we simply pretended that you left us temporarily to work with the JL and Batman… we couldn't stop the rumors, though, and I'm sure that you are going to hear some crazy ones… just ignore them."

"Crazy, how?"

"Like… you going bad… joining Slade..." Raven said, looking uncomfortable.

Robin burst out laughing.

"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen!"

"Well, just… don't mind them…" Raven shrugged. "And… you know… if Slade comes back…"

"I'll stay back and alert you, I got it…" Robin muttered. "I don't see what's so special about him, though…"

"It's just that he's crazy, Robin. He thought he owned you… crazy people to crazy things…"

"Maybe you should work on his brain?" Robin grinned, but blinked as Raven flinched and paled at his words.
"What?" he asked.

"N-nothing. Just… bad feeling…"

"Oh? About wh-" Suddenly the alarm blared through the building. Robin shot Raven a curious glance. "Damn, you have gotten better, haven't you?"

Raven smiled weakly back before they ran to the main room to see what all the fuss was about.

The first couple of days, Slade really expected his lover and partner to come back at any time, just as soon as he had blown off some steam. Then he started searching the city. It unnerved him that he had misread Robin like that. He had thought he was annoyed, but had been looking forward to the makeup sex as soon as the elevator doors closed in front of the teenager's scowling face. How could he have been so wrong? After a few days, Slade came to the conclusion that it was pride that held the boy back; he simply refused to come crawling home… that's when he started searching. Even pulling all resources, though, there was no reported or recorded sighting of the boy since they returned home.

Slade finally remembered the electronic tracking devices that he and Robin both had implanted under their skin behind their ears. They could only be used by themselves (and by Alfred, since Robin's unusual Christmas present to the old man), and only in an emergency, but this definitely was one, at least Slade thought so. It was so simple, so perfect… and it didn't work. Slade stared at the black screen where Robin's coordinates should have appeared. The chip was offline. It could mean that Robin was dead, if he had been killed in such a way that the chip had been destroyed… or… Slade didn't really want to think the thought… or it could mean that Robin had really left him.

To be continued…

A/N: I'm curious about what you think of the Titans now… good/bad? As I said in the top A/N, I'll try to write the rest as soon as I can, but it might be a few weeks… I have had some trouble with my back and have started training more intensely, and that just sucks up all the free time right now…. but it's important for my future health, so I hope you understand….

All the best!

/Wynja