EDIT: Oh, god, I kept calling Sarah "Hannah" all through this fic... i have NO idea how that happend... thank you Azzy494 for pointing it out!

Disclaimer: not only are the Titans and Slade not mine, now even one of the OC's isn't mine! Samson belongs to Jayto who introduced him in her Term-universe based stories, a must-read if you ask me… the last one still makes me snicker… Thank you so much for letting me borrow him! I'll return him unharmed!

A/N: this won the vote and I hope you like it! Finally some more STORY added to the Term's universe, not that the little "fun and airy" drabbles aren't nice, but now you'll get some plot... ;)

Happy 18th?

Perhaps it was arrogance that did it. Perhaps they had ruled Echo City, without opposition, for so long that they had become overconfident… at least that was what Robin wondered in the dark times to come.

It had been so simple, almost cliché. A drive-by. They had been out on patrol, talking with some informers, when a car had screeched around a corner. Slade had time to knock Robin to the ground, hard enough for the teen to see stars, before the people in the car opened fire.

Robin would never forget the sight of bullets ripping through his husband's body.

It was an automatic weapon, and the range was so close that even Slade's kevlar was of little use. It was over as quickly as it started. The man and woman they had been talking to were slumped against a wall, obviously dead, but Robin didn't care about them. He pressed the alarm-button on his belt, because what good was an organization, after all, if they couldn't get backup, and kneeled at Slade's side, not even thinking about little unimportant things like getting to safety.

It took three minutes for the backup to arrive. Robin had lot of time to think during this. Like about the fact that he only had two hands and Slade had so many wounds, he couldn't possibly put pressure on them all. Other than that he only remembered bits and pieces from the rest of the night. Like Slade being moved to a stretcher. The hospital ward in their building, seldom used other than for their staff, but fully equipped. The faces of the specialists, who had, more or less, been kidnapped from their beds to help. Robin didn't have time to ask nicely. Slade didn't have time.

He remembered the first set of X-rays. He remembered watching them and thinking that Slade's spine looked strange. There was a gap. There wasn't supposed to be a gap, was there?

Red and Speedy was there, trying to keep him out of the operating room. He tried to explain that Slade didn't need surgery. He would heal. He just needed to rest. Something pinched his arm and the room started to spin. Someone said that everything was going to be okay. Robin knew that. How could it not?

He woke up in a hospital bed five hours later. At first he though he had dreamed everything, but then he turned his head and saw Slade in the bed next to him. Robin was at his side immediately.

"Slade? Slade?" The man lay so still, and he was so pale. Robin was almost afraid to feel for a pulse but he did anyway. He had to know. It was there. It was even steady.

"He's sedated." a voice said behind him, and Robin spun around, hands lifted, ready to kill. The man who had spoken, a balding little man with a rather big nose and rounded, wire-framed glasses, backed away fearfully.

"Hey, hey! Don't kill the doc, Rob!" someone yelled, and suddenly Red and Speedy appeared between him and the frightened man.

"Yeah, the doc's a good guy. No killing good guys, remember?" Red tutted.

"He's sedated? Why? WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Robin wasn't really interested in good or bad, he just wanted to hurt someone. Badly. Right now.

The man, behind his two bodyguards, felt safe enough to answer.

"Mr. Wilson's spine was severed, err… Mr. Wilson. Due to his abilities it is already healing, but it is important that he stay absolutely still for another day or so. I apologize, Mr. Wilson, that I wasn't able to explain about err.. Mr. Wilson's- "

"Oh, for god's sake, just call them Slade and Robin!" Red wailed. "You are hurting my brain!"

After a curt nod from Robin himself, the man continued.

"Err… yes… as I was saying… we had to sedate you, Robin, you were quite… uncooperative…"

"More like completely mad…" Speedy snorted.

Robin ignored them.

"You said he was healing… so he will be okay?" The teen didn't like the look the other three exchanged.

"We… we don't know." The man said, nervously fingering his glasses. "Normally, he should be dead…"

"Yeah, Doctor Berg here has had to redefine his view of 'normal' a lot lately…" Red grinned. "Your resident medical staff has helped him, though…"

"I don't get it." Robin growled. "If his spine grows back, then why shouldn't he be fine?"

"He might very well be… but there is a difference between bone and nerves… the only reason the bones seems to heal is that they splintered, but the fractions almost immediately started so bond together, even the very small ones… the nerves, though… we aren't sure there are any left…"

"So… if there aren't…" Robin asked, feeling the dread rise inside him.

"He'll be paralyzed from the waist down."

The next twenty-four hours Robin spent at Slade's bedside. He told him that he'd better be fine, or else, among many other things. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were still newlyweds for god's sake! Robin would turn eighteen in two weeks, and they had so much planned… he would start taking the drug, making him a fast healer, like Slade. So they could be together. Forever. Robin sat up straighter. This didn't change that. This didn't change anything. He'd make sure of that.

The medical staff had to fight to keep Slade's body sedated, because his healing ability, which was running on maximum now, kept his energy levels so high they seemed to simply burn through the sedatives. He was also on a high nutrition drop for this very reason. Every hour on the hour new X-rays were taken to follow the process. About thirteen hours in, Red and Speedy decided that Robin needed a break.

"Come on, mum! Time to get up and move around." Speedy said, hoisting Robin to his feet by his arm.

"Yeah, I know you must have great bladder-control, but this is ridiculous…" Red agreed.

"I'm not leaving him." Robin snorted, pulling out of the hold.

"Hey, Sarah and Wintergreen are here, you know. They'll sit with him." Speedy said. "He's sleeping and you'll be back in an hour."

Robin glared at him, but his eyes found the older members of his staff, two people who cared about Slade almost as much as he did, and had been with him longer. They looked solemn and haggard, Sarah seemed to have been crying, and even Wintergreen's eyes were a bit bloodshot.

"Five minutes." Robin agreed.

"Forty-five." Speedy bartered.

It ended up being just over fifteen, but only because Robin found Dr Berg outside and had another frustrating conversation with him, where 'we don't know' seemed to be the main theme.

At last it was time for Slade to wake up. As soon as he started to move, Robin put a hand on his shoulder.

"Slade? Slade, it's very important that you stay still, okay? Stay perfectly still."

The man seemed to trust the words of his young husband, because he instantly relaxed, and after a while his visible eye opened slightly.

"What… happened?"

"You were shot, you-"

"Are you all right?" the question cut through Robin's explanation, making the teen smile.

"Yes, love, you saved my life." They seldom used endearments publicly, if at all, if they weren't teasing each other, but Robin didn't even notice he did, this time.

"Why can't I move?" Slade then asked, sounding almost curious.

"Your back was injured… it's healed now, you just must stay still to make sure." Robin told him urgently.

"No, I mean… I can't move. I can't feel my legs."

Robin had been herded out of the room while the staff did one of numerous tests they had been occupied with in the last couple of hours. The teen had gathered the managers of each department for a quick meeting. Red and Speedy, naturally, were still loitering around in the background.

"I don't care if the attack was aimed at us or the informers, and we just happened to be there." Robin said. "It was still an attack on our organization. Find them for me. I will kill them."

"Robin…" Speedy started worriedly. He was still a hero, after all, and he hated to see this side of his old friend.

"I. Will. Kill. Them." Robin growled. And that was that. His team nodded and hurried off to work.

Soon after, Robin and Slade were both staring at Doctor Berg, as he was about to tell them what the tests had shown.

"So, what's wrong?" Robin asked impatiently, as the man in front of them was, nervously, flipping through the papers on Slade's chart.

"We don't-"

"If you say you don't know one more time, I'll rip your fucking head off!" Robin snarled

"Err… we… we are… not sure?" Berg stammered, sweating quite profoundly by now.

Slade's hand closed around Robin's arm.

"Just tell us what you found out. I'll hold him back." The man promised.

"You… you have no feeling or movement below your waist-" the physician started.

"We already know that!" Robin growled.

"Yes, yes, but… but we don't know- I mean… you should." Dr. Berg hurriedly tried to explain.

"Well, yes. He should. He normally does." Robin muttered darkly.

"No, you misunderstand… as far as we can see, he is completely healed, bones and nerves…We've simulated signals in the form of faint electrical currents, and it works, but… the nerve system is a very complicated thing, we still have no complete understanding off it, and in a meta-human… we are quite lost. You should be able to walk out of here, you're just… not."

"Maybe… maybe it just needs more time… I mean to kinda regroup?" Robin asked, and he was so tired by now that his voice and face gave away more fear then he intended.

"Quite possibly." The doctor nodded, making his status rise a few notches in Robin's eyes. "We are going to start the physical therapy immediately, to try to stimulate the body further…"

"Mum is very good at stimulating dad's body…" Red X, who was just about to sneak in with Speedy, snickered.

"Shut up, Red." Slade and Robin said simultaneously.

"See? He's okay…" Red grinned at Speedy. "We were worried there for a while, big guy… say, if you die… do we inherit Robin?"

"Believe me, you are not in my will…" Slade muttered, but looked slightly amused.

"Oh, but we would take so good care of him! He'll never be horny again!" Speedy promised.

"Of course I wouldn't. I'd be around you…" Robin snorted.

"Ow! That hurt!" The thief groaned.

The doctor cleared his throat.

"If we could get back to the matter at hand…" he suggested, even though he looked like he'd rather not. "I have prepared a list over the most qualified physical therapists, and one of your security people are running background checks on them… I also suggest a team of personal assistants, to help-"

"If Slade needs any help, I'll do it!" Robin snorted.

"I beg your pardon, but you can't possibly lift him or help him shower on your own." Berg said.

The room turned quiet. For the first time it really dawned on them all that Slade was disabled.

"We'll… manage…" Robin said weakly.

"No, Robin, don't be daft." Slade huffed. "We'll find help."

"But-!" Robin started, and Slade pulled him down on the bed with him. There was nothing wrong with the strength in his arms.

"Of course I would prefer it if only you can help me, but it's true: you can't lift me if needed, and we have an organization to run, you can't stay with me around the clock."

"But-"

"Robin…" Slade said with a warning in his voice even the upset teen couldn't miss. He then turned to Dr. Berg. "If I am supposed to be healthy, can I leave the hospital-ward?" he asked dryly.

"I… I don't see why not… I'll arrange for a wheelchair." the doctor said and hurried outside.

"Never seen a doc so relived to get rid of a patient before…" Speedy grinned.

"It's not the patient, it's the spouse…" Red smirked at Robin.

"It's not my fault he's incompetent…" Robin muttered from where his face was buried in Slade's chest.

They recruited the help of Samson, from the weapons-department, as Slade's first personal assistant. The man was big and strong, although he had a prosthetic leg himself, but Robin felt that might make him even better suited for the job, and more in tune with Slade's needs.

That evening found Robin and Slade in their own bed; Robin snuggled up close to the man.

"It will all be okay, you know…" the teen mumbled. "I bet it will all be fine in the morning…"

But it wasn't. And not the morning after that, either. Soon more than a week had gone by with no change. Robin got the medical staff as well as the technicians together for a meeting, one afternoon. They were sitting in one of the biggest conference-rooms and Robin couldn't help but squeeze Slade's hand under the table for a moment. Slade arched an eyebrow at him as in asking what the heck he thought he was doing, but Robin only smiled back innocently before he addressed the table.

"So… no change… this is not acceptable. I want to hear suggestions and I want to hear them now."

Slade smirked a bit to himself. Robin had turned quite bossy lately, but the man thought that was a good thing. Robin was a natural leader, and now he had an opportunity to shoulder more responsibility. They were supposed to be equal partners after all…

"We… could perhaps build a metal frame to hold your body up and move it… like… robotic legs?" an engineer suggested to Slade.

"Why not a robotic spine when you're at it?" Slade muttered.

"That's not a bad idea!" Robin said. "Why not explore what technology could do? What about nano-technology for starters?"

"You have researched the concept?" Doctor Berg asked carefully, and most of the table gave him amused looks. They had heard the story, after all.

"I've been known to… dabble…" Slade admitted with a smirk towards Robin.

"I wouldn't advice anything invasive." The doctor shook his head. "Firstly you might actually do more damage than good, permanently this time for certain, and foreign objects, however small, inside a body of a person with advanced healing abilities…? I'm not sure, I think the body might even reject them or try to merge with them in a way which, a normal, human body wouldn't."

"So you are saying we can't help him?" Robin growled.

"I'm suggesting you be careful… and that I'm not prepared to put my neck on the line if it doesn't work." The man folded his arms. He got looks again, but this time they weren't amused, but disgusted. Most people around the table were more than willing to put their necks on the line for Slade. They did it every day. The doctor, though, was an outsider, and he felt it now more than ever. "It won't help him get his feeling back, anyway." He defended himself.

"I think you should look into it nonetheless, don't you, Slade?" Robin asked, looking a bit deflated. He had thought they had come up with a perfectly good solution.

"We will." A medical technician nodded. "I've heard there were some good news too?" he said, turning to Vivian McFarland, head of what was called the tracker-department, the group who made sure that people who the organization wanted to be found, was. The woman smiled.

"We have. We've found them. They are part of the Scorpion-gang, a small band of thugs with big plans."

"Not any longer. They all die tonight." Robin growled and went to stand up.

"No."

Robin hesitated and looked down at Slade. God, he hated looking down on him!

"What?" he asked.

"Save them. For me. Gives me something to look forward too…" the man smirked.

"But-"

"No arguing with the disabled man!" Slade demanded, making those, who dared, around the table, snicker.

"Okay…" Robin smiled thinly and sat back down. He had been waiting to do this. "But I'll get to help."

"Naturally."

"Good."

Days came and went. The situation clearly grated on even Slade's patience, and the physical therapists started to look scared. The man had resumed working immediately, although only in front of a computer, and Robin was still more or less glued to his side, unless the man sent him out on missions. The tension, worry and irritation were starting to show in their relationship occasionally, and, one night, the night before Robin's 18th birthday, Slade thought he had figured out why. They were kissing, making up after yet another little spat, when it dawned on him.

"I can't satisfy you anymore." he said.

"What?" Robin blinked down on him, completely confused.

"I can't fuck you."

"Maybe not, but you still have hands and tongue… didn't you prove that just the other night?" Robin grinned.

"It's not the same."

Robin looked a bit hurt.

"I'm sorry, Slade, I know you can't take pleasure from it now… have I been selfish?"

"This isn't about me!" The man snorted, "It's about you! It's about what you want… what you need!"

"Simple then. I want you. And I need whatever you can give me." Robin shrugged.

"It might be enough for now, but what about in a month? In a year?" Slade asked.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Robin growled.

"No… I'm trying to say that I have assistants… maybe you should too."

"WHAT?!" Robin sat up straight in bed, eyes blazing. "Are you saying I should… I should hire someone to fuck me?!"

"If you are more comfortable with Speedy, for example-" Slade clearly didn't know when to stop adding nails to his own coffin.

"I. Don't. Believe. You." Robin got up from the bed completely now and started pacing the room. "We're married! Do you really think I'm such a slut I crave cock? You're my husband and I don't care if one part of your anatomy can't be pushed up a part of mine! What the hell does that have to do with me loving you?!""

"Robin, I-" Slade started.

"Oh shut up! I'm going out! I can't even look at you right now!" Robin yanked his clothes off a chair and slammed the bedroom door. He dressed outside, only then realizing that he had only grabbed jeans and a t-shirt. Without socks or a long-sleeved shirt it would be a bit chilly outside, but that was what he needed: to cool off.

He ran a few blocks before catching sight of a familiar couple. Not knowing if he wanted to talk, Robin stopped, but then he was spotted.

"Mum!" Red cried out, and soon they were both standing in front of him.

"You are out on your own? Willingly?" Speedy asked.

"Did you and dad have a fight?" Red looked worried.

"Your father is an idiot." Robin growled.

"Oh yes, but we love him anyway… don't we?" Speedy tried to make sure.

"I'm thinking about it…" Robin muttered.

"What has he done now?" Speedy sighed.

"Well, he wanted me to sleep with you, for example!" Robin snarled.

"He did?" Speedy sounded surprised but not completely averse to the idea.

"What about me?" Red pouted.

"He has lost his mind, not his taste." Robin smirked despite the situation.

"Hey, that was insulting to me!" the other red-head claimed.

"Oh, sorry, Roy…" Robin shrugged with another small smirk.

"Sooo…" the archer said, staring up in the sky, thinking. "He wants you to be happy, and he thinks he needs to provide something he can't, for you to be that… so he is prepared to sacrifice his 'reservations' for you, sort of speak... and he normally glares at us just for joking about that…"

"Stop, you are making him out to be the good guy!" Robin objected.

"Nah, I was rather heading for brain-damaged…" Speedy said. "Are they sure there are no bullets in his head?"

"I think I'll have them take another look…" Robin muttered, leaning against a chimney.

"Sooo…" Red said. "Slade made this huge gesture and you told him to go to hell?"

"Of course I did!" Robin barked.

"Yes, and you wouldn't let him explain, did you?" Speedy butted in.

"He would just have said other idiotic stuff!" Robin muttered, shivering a bit in the night air.

"Possibly. Or he would have said he was sorry." Speedy suggested.

Robin and Red gave him similar looks.

"Honey, what planet are you from again?" Red asked kindly. "Slade? Apologize?"

"He does to Robin, I've heard him!" Speedy claimed.

"He has?" Robin asked, not remembering any such time at the moment.

"Yes! It was when…" Speedy hesitated. "Okay, so he didn't as much apologize as smack you on the ass, but you know what he meant!"

Robin blushed and grinned, before nodding.

Red gave Robin an almost disgusted look.

"Oh, God, you really do love him, don't you? Like puppy-dog-love… It's so sweet I'm getting a sugar-rush here…"

"Yeah, so stop drooling over him, Red, and settle for me already!" Speedy sniffed and crossed his arms.

Red slapped his ass.

Speedy blushed and grinned.

Robin chuckled and shook his head.

"I guess I have to forgive him… again…" he sighed.

"Yeah, you do!" Speedy told him and checked the time. "Hey! It's over midnight! Happy birthday, mum!"

"Yaaaay! Our mum is legal!" Red squealed and hugged the former Titan.

"Hey, Rob, I know you said you didn't want a party, but-"

Robin raised a hand.

"I still don't. We're having the birthday dinner, and cake for everybody, but that's it… no binging, no strip-clubs… I just want to be home with my husband…"

"You went straight to forty, didn't you?" Red snorted before being elbowed by Speedy.

"We'll get it… but once Slade is recovered?"

Robin smiled. Not many even brought up that possibility anymore… it was like that in only two weeks, they had all lost hope.

"Sure. Once he's okay you'll get me for a whole night… and anything goes. Well-" he added as the redheads gave each other rather exited grins, "almost anything."

"Deal." The couple smirked.

Robin returned to their skyscraper half an hour later, shivering rather badly by now. He entered the bedroom quietly, but of course Slade was still awake.

"Robin-"

"Shhh…." Robin hushed. "I was told you were actually making a gesture. If you know that it was the most idiotic one in the history of gestures, just nod, and we don't have to talk."

Slade nodded.

"Good. Don't ever do it again." Robin sighed. He undressed, completely as he always did, and crawled under the covers. As usual, he snuggled up to his husband.

"Damn! I hate you cold feet!" Slade exclaimed and jerked his leg away.

Complete silence.

"You… you moved your…?" Robin started, looking at Slade. Slade's eye was as wide as his own.

"I… did… didn't I?" Slade sounded unsure.

"Do it again!" Robin yelled and pulled the covers off. "Come on! Do it again!"

Slade focused. For a moment there was nothing, and then his foot twitched a little.

"Yes! Yes-yes-yes!" Robin yelled and pressed this inter-com. "Sarah! Wintergreen! Samson! Get your asses in here!"

Even though it was after midnight it took the three only a minute or so to arrive, in robes and barefoot.

"What happened?" Samson burst in first, since he was always on call.

"Slade can move! He can move! Show them!" Robin told his husband again. Once more Slade's right leg moved minutely, to the cheers of everyone.

"This is wonderful!" Sarah had tears in her eyes again, bust so did they all. Robin wouldn't even bet on that Slade's eye was completely dry. "I'll put together a little night celebration snack… and Robin, honey… your tush is very cute, but put some clothes on?"

When the snack was ready, Robin had almost stopped blushing, especially since he was too fascinated with watching Slade's toes wriggle. He touched them gingerly.

"Can you feel this?" he asked.

"Yes… a bit… it's a bit numb, though."

"You'll get better! Look, you can wriggle you left toes now!"

"Seems like it will be a happy birthday, after all, won't it Robin?" Sarah smiled, giving Robin a large helping of ice-cream.

"That's right, happy birthday, sir!" Samson grinned, and Wintergreen joined in the congratulations.

"Yeah…" Robin smiled at them and then at Slade. "It couldn't be better…"

The birthday dinner, which had been supposed to be a modest and elegant affair, turned into a whole-house celebration. By then Slade could walk a few steps, although he still complained about numbness. Dr. Berg told him that was to be expected, and that it would fade.

Robin was in the hacker-department the next day, talking to Art about a new project.

"Sooo… when will you go after the Scorpions?" the hacker asked carefully. "It's not that I'm bloodthirsty or anything, but… you know… I'd want to see pictures…"

Robin chuckled.

"Slade still felt a bit numb this morning, so… but soon I guess… but we have decided not to kill them after all."

"No?" the blond sounded a bit disappointed.

"Nah. We'll disable them" Robin smiled coldly.

Just then, the PA system came to life, and Slade's voice boomed out of it. Robin realized the he had left his phone somewhere, and hoped the man wasn't irritated.

"Robin! I don't know what you are doing, and I don't care. Get your ass to the bedroom right now."

Robin dropped the files he was holding and headed for the elevator.

"Sir? Slade is feeling better then?" Art asked.

"Seems so." Robin grinned widely and entered the lift.

"We won't see you again today, will we?" Terry, another of the hackers, smirked.

"Not likely." Robin grinned wider as the doors closed.

"Today?" Donna chuckled. "We won't see any of them for a week… if that…"

Two hours later, Robin was bathing in sweat and Slade was ready for another round.

"You are unbelievable… have you saved up, or what?" Robin moaned.

"Apparently." Slade smirked. "Need a rest?"

"No… only new lungs and vocal cords…" Robin chuckled.

"Nothing else's sore, then?" Slade smirked.

"I won't walk tomorrow if that's what you're asking…" Robin snorted.

"Good… because I wasn't planning on letting you leave the bed." the man told him.

"Sounds perfect." Robin purred. Then his face fell. "Oh, damn… err… Slade? You didn't tell anyone else you were ok, right?"

"Just Red and Speedy. Had to send them home. They actually went willingly… said they had something special to plan."

"Oh nooooo…." Robin groaned. "Slade, do you have any idea what you've done?"

Robin explained and his husband looked genuinely worried.

"We've better start the injections right away…" the man said. "Or you might not survive this…"

Robin could only agree.

The End