Heloo all and welcome to the third chapter of 'A Time Again'. Hopefully this update was fast enough, and if not, at least it came. Just one little thing:

In response to a question that may have come up with some of you, Roxanne Stone is not related to Cyborg. I didn't even realize the connection until it was brought to my attention. Sorry for the confusion!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything not previously owned by me.

Note: The little 'Two days later' thing is exactly as it says. Nothing of any substance happens in those two days, unless you would like me to write some crap and stick it in here, therefore delaying the interesting stuff coming up. but the cold front is ebbing away, so tis becoming warmer, which will be of use later on. oh yesh, and remember: Six years can change people. That's why Raven's OOC, because she's had time to open up.

X some time has passed, usually hour(s) or a few days.
x I'm switching my perspective from a character's thoughts to another's. Not POV.

If that's confusing, sorry, you'll understand later on.

My Lego people are watching me. Oo

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A Time Again

Chapter Three: A Storm is Brewing

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Raven's morning was as it usually was, only worse. She thought she'd actually attempt breakfast, but succeeded in burning it and her hand. Her rugs were feeling mutinous and tripped her several times. By the time Raven got to work she was so aggravated her employees kept their distance. Fortunately nothing upsetting happened and by lunch, Raven had calmed down quite a bit and was feeling a lot better.

Raven was putting books up on the shelves when the door opened and in stepped a familiar face.

"Ugh," Shannon shivered, making her way towards Raven. "Why does it have to be so damn cold?" Raven welcomed the distraction and turned to her friend, smiling.

"It's not that cold. You're just used to the warm." She retorted, picking up the empty box and carrying it to the back room.

"So? It's still cold." Shannon muttered, following Raven. "But anyways, I actually came here for a reason." Raven stuck her head to the side of a teetering pile of boxes and raised an eyebrow.

"Really now." She commented grabbing another full box labeled 'Tea Bags' and walking around the myriad of boxes. But then she saw Shannon's smirk and frowned. "This isn't one of your stupid blind date things is it?" She asked, striding out of the back room. Shannon's mouth opened in mock offense.

"They're not stupid, you're just picky." Raven threw her a look that said get on with it. "But no, I'm setting you up on a date. They're throwing a Valentine's Day party at work the day after tomorrow, and I managed to pilfer an invite for you." Shannon explained, rummaging around in her purse and pulling out a pink envelope. Raven took the invitation and read it carefully.

"It's a black tie event?" she groaned, looking back up at Shannon. Her friend grinned broadly.

"Yep. I figured you wouldn't have anything to do so…go." She said.

"I don't have to wear pink do I?" Raven asked worriedly. Shannon shook her head.

"I expect most everybody will be wearing black or something. But there will most likely some quirk who'll wear some bright pink lacey thing." Shannon stuck her tongue out in disgust. "But it'll be the perfect chance for you to wear that dress I got you last Christmas." She added, smirking. Raven had, rather guiltily, forgotten about the dress until now; but it would work.

"So you'll go?" Shannon asked. Raven nodded. "Good. I'll pick you up at 7:15. And you have to meet my boss; he's to die for." She added smiling. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Get out of here. You're lunch was over ten minutes ago." Raven said, waving her away. Shannon's eyes widened and she gave Raven a quick bye before speeding out the door.

Raven smirked and went back to unpacking boxes. Surprisingly, Raven was looking forward to the party. After all, the galas at Wayne Enterprises were said to be the best. Shannon was secretary to the head of Weapon's Development and in the two years that she had known her, she had never once met her boss, but she had heard plenty about him. What was even weirder was that she didn't even know his name. As much as she tried not to, Raven's mind kept wandering away to what he might look like. Damn female emotions…she thought furiously, trying to switch her train of thought to something else.

X

Two days later…

Raven frantically rummaged through her closet for a suitable pair of shoes to wear. It was all her stupid clock's fault. Of course, Raven knew that was a ridiculous excuse, but it made her feel a little bit better by blaming it on an inanimate object.

Raven had come home from work early, exhausted from the previous night's ordeal and just from a general lack of sleep. So she set her alarm and took a nap, but, as usual, hit the snooze and woke up less than an hour before Shannon was coming to pick her up. Usually, Raven did quite well under pressure, but that was when fighting, or dealing with customers, not when trying to get ready for an elegant party.

Sighing, Raven pulled out a black pair of shoes with a bearable heel; she had only worn them once, and not for a very long time, but they would have to do. Quickly standing up, she pulled her dress out of the closet and laid it on the bed and placed the shoes on the floor by it. Raven checked her watch; forty minutes until Shannon was coming, just barely enough time. She quickly jumped in the shower and washed away the day's grit and grime. Armed with a blow dryer and a comb, Raven wrestled her hair until it laid flat with small wavy curls. With fifteen minutes to go, she applied a little bit of smoky eye shadow, foundation, and a light layer of salmon colored lipstick. As carefully and hastily as she could, Raven removed her dress from its plastic cover and quickly put it on. Just as she was trying to zip it up, Shannon beeped from below. Raven walked over to the door and buzzed her in, zipping up the dress as she went. She was putting on her left shoe when Shannon knocked on her door.

"It's open!" Raven shouted from her bedroom. Shannon appeared a moment later in her door way.

"Oh, the dress fits perfectly." Shannon commented. "Ready?" she asked, surveying the scene. Shoes were strewn about her floor, and several items of clothing from previous days lay scattered around also. Raven stood up and grabbed her small black purse.

"Yeah." she said breathlessly, grabbing her coat and following Shannon out the door and down to her car.

The party was clear across town, and if traffic wasn't bad, they would be right on time. Raven watched as they drove by the Wayne Enterprises building. "Hey, I thought we were going to your work." She said, looking over at her friend. Shannon shook her head and turned left.

"Nah, it's gonna be at some big-shots house. I don't know who's though." Raven nodded and the rest of the ride was silent.

They reached the party about fifteen minutes late due to a little fender bender and every idiot on the road slowing down to gawk.

"Ugh, people are so stupid." Raven muttered, walking up the steps to the manor. "Honestly, I'm surprised we've lasted this long." Shannon just rolled her eyes as they entered the vast mansion. A butler took their coats and the two strolled off. It didn't take Shannon long to find her boss, and soon Raven found herself being practically dragged along. She finally stopped in front of the cliché type of man; tall dark and handsome.

"Rae, this is my boss Richard Grayson. Richard, this is Rae." Shannon said, taking a step back to simply observe. Raven pulled the strap on her dress back over her shoulder and looked up at Richard, but stopped short. Shannon's boss looked unnervingly familiar, but Raven couldn't quite place him. She looked into his bright grey eyes and glimpsed the emotions underneath before they were whisked away. Guilt, happiness, frustration, surprise, and…recognition? But how could he recognize her? Unless… no, that couldn't be right, could it? Raven stared into Richard's eyes and examined his facial features. It could, but that would be one big coincidence. As much as she tried to convince herself that it wasn't him, she just couldn't shake the feeling that somehow it was.

When Raven emerged from her reverie, everyone was staring at her. She had paused, hand partially outstretched, and just sat there. She clasped Richard's hand and shook it, smiling softly while pulling her dress strap back over her shoulder. When she looked back into his eyes, all traces of recognition had disappeared.

X

With seemingly endless amounts of champagne and wine, the night flew by in a blur. Raven managed to break away from Shannon a few hours later, tired and her feet incredibly sore; these shoes were not meant for long-term wear.

Raven escaped to a balcony and nestled herself in a dark corner in a cushioned chair. The night was comfortably cool and a slight breeze wafted her mauve hair. A hint of spring was tangible in the air and the insinuation of an on coming storm filled the atmosphere. The waning moon and the sparkling stars were hidden from gazing eyes by the thunderclouds that had rolled in over time.

Raven sighed and sank back in the comfy chair. This was the type of weather she loved; the tension from an approaching gale played with her senses and the dark ominous clouds served as a blanket for the stars. Surprisingly, she wasn't cold, even though the temperature drop from inside to out was incredibly obvious.

So deep was she in her musings, Raven failed to notice at first another person step outside for a breath of fresh air. When she finally came to her senses, she was surprised at who it was.

He stood with his back partially turned to her, and whether he had noticed her or not, she could not know. His sleek black hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and even from the back, Raven could tell there was a lot on his mind. Raven closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, understanding the need for peace to mull over ones thoughts.

"The clouds are coming in; it looks like it's going to rain." He said aloud, still looking towards the hidden heavens. Raven opened her eyes and stared at the sky, a little startled by his random comment.

"A storm is brewing." She answered, closing her eyes once more as the silence fell between them like delicate snowflakes.

He stole a glance at her out of the corner of his eye and his face lit up a little. She was even more beautiful now than she had been then. With the wind fanning her silky amethyst hair and stirring the edges of her dress, she looked more like a peaceful goddess heard of in fantasy tales. In the shadow, it seemed that she melted into it; her dress slowly faded to black from a rich and vibrant purple. He smiled to himself after he caught sight of the black shoes tossed to the side of the chaise lounge; they looked painful to wear.

Lightening streaked across the sky, illuminating the shadows and revealing the grey cloud cover above. Thunder followed shortly after, rolling across the landscape and jerking Raven out of her restful state.

"Indeed it is." He said smiling as more thunder rumbled above them. Raven sighed and sat up, still staring at the veiled heavens, a cool breeze tickling her skin and lifting her hair.

He smiled and stared at her; she looked so much like a carefree and innocent child. But he knew she was anything but; Raven had seen and done things that few people have ever had to experience, let alone as a teenager, but she had survived it all, and went on to become the beautiful woman before him. Raven had transformed completely; no longer was she the shy, quiet, mysterious and emotion-deprived girl of yonder years, but now she had found happiness and he could tell the defeat of her father had opened more doors than anyone could have imagined.

He turned away from the heavenly sight, content to leave Raven to her thoughts, and began heading back inside. About halfway there, something small dropped on his head and began to trickle down and into his ear. He lifted his hand to his ear as the water dripped onto his fingertips. His brain locked onto the explanation a moment too late; more thunder growled just as the downpour began.

x

Raven noticed him stop out of the corner of her eye, but she was confused to why he even did. But then she knew. Raven groaned as the rain came down in frigid torrents from the dark sky.

"Great." She muttered, making no move for the door. He noted her lack of movement and darted over, grabbing her hand and heaving her to her feet.

"Come on." He nearly shouted, dragging her from her cold and wet perch and indoors. Raven hurried along as fast as she could, but dresses weren't made for a wide range of movement. Once she was out of the rain he quickly rushed back out in the rain, snatched up her discarded shoes and ran them back to her. Raven pushed her dripping purple hair out of her face and took the shoes with a breathless thank you.

Almost with a magnetic force, Raven felt her gaze being pulled up to his face and then into his eyes. The same power drew her in, captivated her, and everything disappeared except her and him. Images started to form in her mind, foreign ones that she had never seen before, and yet, she felt a sense of familiarity.

Gasping slightly, Raven tore her eyes from his and looked down at her bare feet. Her mind had a tendency to enter other's without her submission, but luckily, this time, she realized what was happening before it was too late. Raven didn't know if he had sensed her presence in his mind, since it had been such a short period of time, but she didn't trust herself to look back into his face again. But not like she had much choice.

Gently, he reached out and slipped her stubborn dress strap back over her shoulder. Electric tingles spread throughout her body, giving her slight goosebumps and making the heat rise in her face again.

"I'll go get your coat." He whispered, his hand lingering on her shoulder as he walked away. Raven's heart pumped loudly in her ears and the spot where he touched her still radiated with intense heat.

He returned not two minutes later and gently draped her black coat over her shoulders. Again, the same magnetic force pulled Raven's gaze upward and their eyes locked. Everything around them disappeared, and the air buzzed with a heated tension that was not unwelcome. The logical side of Raven was protesting greatly against such a close perimeter, saying that she didn't even know this man. But logic and reason was pushed aside when the same safe and comfortable feeling overcame her and she felt herself sinking into a golden haze of sensual bliss.

Only vaguely could Raven hear the chatter of the people around them; it was almost as if she was underwater and distantly hearing a conversation just out of her reach. But the noise grew louder, as one person struggled to get Raven's attention.

"Hello? Raven. Earth to Raven." Shannon said frustrated, shaking Raven's shoulder gently.

The spell was broken, the moment lost. Raven scowled to herself and glanced over at him, who just smiled slightly and winked playfully. She then turned to Shannon, trying to keep the disappointment from showing on her face.

"Man, you're soaked!" Shannon commented, eyes wide, while looking at Raven from head to toe. "We'd better leave before you get sick or something." Raven nodded, not really listening to what her friend said.

Until now, Raven had not realized how exhausted she was, even though it was only nearing eleven. I'm getting old, she though wryly, hugging her coat closer to her shivering torso. Her feet hurt worse than they had with the shoes on, now that she was standing on cold hard marble, and them being wet did not help things.

She dimly heard Shannon say something that was of no interest of her and then say good bye to her boss. Just as they were leaving, Raven peered over her shoulder and back at him, a small smile playing on her lips. If her suspicions were correct, this could prove to be very interesting, if not fully entertaining.

X

Once Shannon dropped her off at her apartment and Raven convinced her she would be fine, Raven immediately dashed to her computer to access the internet. Going to google, Raven typed in 'Richard Grayson' and scrolled through the various articles linking themselves to the keywords. Most of them were about Richard's accomplishments at Wayne Enterprises and his friendship with Bruce Wayne, head of the company. Not willing to give up hope, Raven searched a few more pages, looking for anything that might be odd against the other articles, something that would prove her suspicions.

The fifth page held her victory and relinquish of search. The article gave a brief insight to a family that performed in a circus, so Raven clicked on the link which brought up even more information and several pictures.

Her excitement beginning to grow, Raven scrolled down quickly, trying to find anything worthwhile. About a third ways down the page, there was a paragraph that went into more depth of each of the family members and told Raven exactly what she wanted to know. As Raven read, her heart began to race faster until finally her face broke into a large mischievous grin. This was it, she had found him. Though it wasn't like he had tried to hide himself, and if he was, his ability in the area was horrible. Still smiling, Raven shut off her computer and climbed into bed.

Hello Robin…

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And so concludes chapter three. I really hope you knew who it was before I even had to say it was Robin. I thought it would've been quite obvious that she run into him…but alas, I know the plot, and you do not, so therefore I am subject to knowing more things than you. So please be so kind as to review, and I might think about updating. Mmkay? sweet...