It's About Falling
Chapter Three: Daddy
Nightwing nearly dropped Mar'i in surprise.
"D-Daddy?" he choked. "It's not possible. Because the Kori that I knew and love would tell me about a baby," he added pointedly.
Kori burst into tears. She covered her model's face with her slender tanned hands and ran off, not even knowing where she was headed.
"But it's true," Mar'i whispered, her voice sad. "I'm twelve years old, and my mom said she'd been gone from the Tower a little under a year when I was born. When was the last time you saw her?"
"Nearly thirteen years ago," Nightwing breathed. "Wow…I never thought that we'd had a baby together."
He set Mar'i on the ground gently, as if not to jostle his precious cargo. "I don't even know your name," he admitted finally, after staring her in the eye for several minutes.
"But you definitely have my eyes." He grinned.
"Mar'i," she uttered softly. "I don't want to leave you, ever," Mar'i declared. "I'm not going home with my mom."
Richard glanced around for the others, hoping they'd help him, but they had all left, subtlety giving the Graysons some much needed but not necessarily wanted privacy.
"Mar'i," he repeated in muted tones. "You don't mean that," Nightwing said as an afterthought. "Your mother obviously loves you very much," he added kindly, glancing at Kori, who had rejoined them quietly a moment before.
"I HATE HER!" Mar'i exploded. "I HATE that she kept me from you, Daddy."
Richard grimaced; Kori's tears came too fast and hard to attempt to hide. A sob escaped her perfectly sculpted lips, announcing to Mar'i she'd been there the whole time.
"Mom," Mar'i gasped. "I didn't know you were there; I'm sorry!"
Kori shook her head. "No, Mar'i do not apologize. I am fine, truly."
She walked away, still hiding her face.
"Stay here," Nightwing told Mar'i. "I'm going after her."
TT
Kori made her way through the Tower quickly, still not knowing quiet where she was heading. Before she knew it, she was stopped in front of a door marked 'STARFIRE'.
She smiled weakly and stepped inside, the door swooshing to allow her entry.
No musty smell of dust hit her delicately sculpted nostrils and her grin became wider. They had missed her, at least enough to air out her room.
"Karen made sure it was kept how you left it," someone said gently behind her. "I mean, after I got dressed…"
Kori frowned as Richard crossed to the windows and pulled the curtains closed, blocking the bright sun. He returned to sit beside her on the still neatly made bed. The mattress creaked under his added weight.
"What happened to us Kori?" he questioned. "I thought that maybe…maybe you could have come with me…"
Kori smiled again; this time a sad one. "I do not know."
"Why did you leave?" Richard demanded.
"You were going to leave me," Kori shot back. "I didn't want to wake up and have you gone; it would have broken my heart."
"And you think it didn't break mine?" Richard seethed. "You were just…gone. It was like the night we had didn't even happen!"
Tears streamed down Kori's face. Richard pulled her close and rocked her back and forth gently.
"I'm sorry," he uttered quietly. "I didn't mean that. Do you remember what happened that night?"
"Of course I do," Kori replied, looking offended. "I couldn't forget."
Flashback
The alien princess lay sprawled across her circular bed, bored out of her mind. "Perhaps Robin would like to do the hanging out with me," she murmured to herself. She straightened up and was approaching her bedroom door when someone knocked.
"You may come in, Robin," Starfire called cheerily.
"Hey, Star," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in his signature awkward pose. "Cyborg left to go see Bumblebee."
"I believe that leaves us alone," Star said craftily.
"Ha ha," Robin muttered, sitting on her bed. "Anyway, we need to talk."
'Is he finally going to admit his feelings for me?' Starfire wondered anxiously. "Of course, friend Robin," she concurred.
"Look, Star," he began. "This is important…Um, I'm leaving."
Starfire stared at him, mouth hanging open. "W-Why?" she stammered. "Did I do something that you do not approve of?"
The expression on her face broke his heart, and he smiled sadly at her. "It's not you, Starfire. You're perfect."
Starfire blushed at his compliment. "Then why do you wish to leave me?"
"I left Gotham and Bruce because I didn't want to be part of a team anymore. I never expected to form the Titans, to have you guys as friends…"
"Then why did you stay for all this time? It's been five years, Richard," Starfire seethed.
Robin sighed and peeled off his mask. "I'm sorry, Kori," he uttered softly, pulling her close. "I'm so sorry."
Kori returned his embrace and allowed a few tears to leak from her bottle green eyes and onto his shoulder.
"Hey," he muttered, holding her at arms length from himself. "It's not like I won't see you again. I just want some…time."
"Time," Kori echoed. "Time. But you will come back, yes?"
"Not to the Titans. But to you, yes."
Robin hugged her to him once more and then stood. He was at the door when…
"Robin, wait!"
Richard turned to her again and found Kori flying at him. She knocked him down, cradling his head so he wouldn't be harmed.
"Kor-" he began but was cut off by her lips pressed against his.
"I love you Robin," Kori said fiercely. "I love you."
"I love you too," Richard returned gently. "I-"
"Shh," she chided, reaching for his shirt.
End Flashback
Kori was still gathered in his arms, head resting on his shoulder. "I knew," she mumbled finally. "I knew right after that a baby was on the way."
"It's OK, Kor. I won't let you go a second time, I promise."
"But Mar'i hates me," Kori whispered. "She hates me."
"No, she doesn't," Richard corrected her. "She does not hate you."
"Mar'i said she hates me. And it hurts so badly. Make the pain go away, Richard. The way only you can."
A slight blush crept over Richard's face as he realized what she meant. He moved in closer, about to do as she'd asked, but something stopped him.
"I…can't," Richard murmured, the lower half of his body cursing him viciously.
Kori frowned deeply. "You don't love me either," she wailed, ripping herself out of his embrace.
"It'd be taking advantage of you," Richard told her soothingly. "I couldn't do that."
Kori sniffled. "Stay with me?" she questioned. "I really want to sleep."
"I'll stay," he promised. "I won't move a muscle."
Kori lay down and Richard did the same, arms still wrapped round her tightly. He could smell the scent of her luxurious ruby tresses.
"I love you, Kor," he whispered, but she was already asleep.
Aw…
I'm surprised this got up so quickly…Spring Break does an authoress good, I guess.