Disclaimer TEEN TITANS and all other related characters and material are the property of DC comics and Cartoon Network, I claim no ownership.

Chapter 23: These Words Don't Come Easy

By: Ansa

Cyborg took a deep breath as he approached the main gate of the medium security prison, two large guards signaling to slow to a stop, stepping out of their guard posts on either side of the gate. He would really rather not be here even if he had been here enough times to not be nervous about it, he still hated have to come. The reason for this wasn't the drive, and it didn't have to deal with the guards that only seemed to resent him and his profession, but rather, he hated the fact that she was here in the first place.

When he got home from the reunion everything was just as he had left it, except for one thing. That one thing that was missing was Jynx. Pulling into their usual meeting place under the streetlight, and waiting for an hour with no one showing told him everything he needed to know. That and an old newspaper left sitting on the tower's coffee table. Apparently the day after he had called her, the day after his words were interrupted by a drunken comrade, she was arrested in a downtown grocery store. She wasn't shoplifting, no stolen goods were found on her at all, surprisingly. She was simply recognized by someone, and arrested on the spot. Cyborg could only assume she had forgotten to wear her hood and glasses, which was what usually got her recognized those many times before.

Regardless the reason, she was in jail, and he hated her for it. She may not have been arrested in the middle of a crime, but the simple fact was she had committed enough crimes in the past to get her arrested on sight. Why couldn't she just live a normal life? But then, who's to say he had much of a normal life? He would be the last to admit to such a thing, but at least he didn't steal. He sighed, now he was just looking for reasons to be mad at her. She may be a thief, she may have been slightly evil in her days, but that still didn't me he didn't…

"Well look who it is? Haven't seen you in a while now." The guard to the left broke into his thoughts, leaning into the open drivers window while the other waited patiently by the control pad for the gate, waiting for his clearance.

"Yeah, I'm here for a prisoner escort back to Gotham."

"Really now? I do hope you have the proper papers to prove as such, because you know we don't take walk-ins." Cyborg cringed slightly at the guard's sarcastic tone and passed him a slip of paper, a forgery, but a rather good one.

"Hmmm, well, seems to be in order. Just make sure you give this to the warden on your way in." The guard quirked one side of his mouth, not really enjoying some super hero taking the jobs of his fellow guardsmen, and handed him back the paperwork before waving him on past the now open gate.

"Jynx huh? Why does Gotham want her?" The warden walked with Cyborg down to the prisoner transfer gate, looking of the paperwork that was handed to him. They had just gotten this prisoner a few days ago, and now there was a transfer? Something about it didn't sit too well with him, but he wasn't going to waste the time checking into it when the paperwork was right in front of him.

"Nightwing used to be the leader of the old Titans, and apparently he needs some information on her old teacher, one Brother Blood." Cyborg's lie flowed quite smoothly past his lips without a single fault. He planned out what would be said before hand, and practiced saying it on the drive over here. Lying to get her out of jail was probably the only thing he hated more than her being there in the first place, but it had to be done, besides, he had already promised his friends they would meet her.

"Ah, well, why doesn't he just come over here?"

"Things in the hero biz aren't as straightforward as they seem. Saturday morning cartoons got it all wrong. You see, the bad guys don't show up one at a time, sometimes we'll have three or four pulling jobs at the same time. He's got other things to worry about so he doesn't really have the time." That was improvised, a rather decent one if he said so himself. The Warden must be feeling extra curious today, normally he was too lazy to even try to question whatever story was fed to him.

"I see…well, I suppose if Gotham wants her, they can have her. This town has had just about as much as we can stand of her."

"I know what you mean." The both of them turned their attention to the solid steel door ahead of them, behind which they could see Jynx through the small reinforced window before it opened. Accompanied by three guards, and donning a bright orange jumpsuit was Jynx, a rather sour look planted on her face while she struggled with the full hand cuffs that fit quite snuggly.

Cyborg tried not to look into her eyes but he couldn't help it. They seemed to be yearning for him, almost begging for the contact. When he did, he caught a distinct glimpse of something he hadn't seen before in her…shame. Her face never moved from his gaze, her eyes never flinching. She had been arrested many times before, but somehow, for her this time was different. This time, he wasn't there, this time, when she ran, she was actually afraid of being caught. Not so much out of knowing that she would be sent to jail, but rather, in thinking that he would not believe her when she said she did not break her promise.

For a moment, nothing was said, this gaze between them continued unfaltering even in front of the warden and guards. With a simple questionable look from the warden, Cyborg instantly remembered where he was and what was happened. And as much as he hated to look away from her, he quickly spouted out those meaningless words he had practiced so many times on his way here.

"I have to admit, orange really does seem to be your color." He crossed his arms in front of him, pasted on a fake smile and waited for her response. Which was also, quite rehearsed.

"What are you doing here?"

"We're going on a little ride, need to take you to Gotham for a prison transfer."

"Ugh…a four-hour drive with you? Please tell me I'll be sedated for this."

"Now, now, let's be nice now." Cyborg smiled, this time for real. He had to admit, she was quite good at this. But then again, she'd had plenty of practice. Unfolding his arms and taking her personal possessions from on of the guards next to him, Cyborg looked at the Warden and nodded as they started heading outside. "Thanks for the help, I'll let you know how things went as soon as I get there."

"I hope she doesn't give you much trouble."

Cyborg couldn't help but smile, tilting his head slightly to glance back at her.

"I don't think she will."

Cyborg switched back and forth from the road ahead of him and the prison gate slowly sinking into the distance behind him. The time between having her loaded inside and passing through the gate was the most nerve racking for him. All he could picture was the warden running out, just then realizing the paperwork was a forgery. He would then have to run, there was nothing much else he could do should that happen. What was he going to say? He didn't know they were fakes? No, he would be caught and that would be it. No more being considered a hero, no more pretending…it would all be over.

So each time he sat in his car, driving off as quickly as he could within reasonable limits, keeping an eye on the rearview mirror until the prison sank out of site. This time was no different, except for one thing, it was much quieter than usual. All the other times Jynx would have been released from the handcuffs and maneuvered her way up front by now, going on and on about how much she hated the food or whatever. This time…she sat quietly, her eyes lowered into her lap where her hands lay encased in the cuffs.

Cyborg hit a button on his wrist and with a slight hiss the cuffs opened up, freeing her hands from their suffocating prison just as the last watchtower fell off out of sight behind them. Jynx showed little to know reaction, not even lifting her hands up and out of the open cuffs. In all reality, she had only slightly noticed that they were even released, her mind quite consumed with a many number of thoughts and emotions, with one taking over all others.

"Hey…you alright back there?" No answer, Cyborg began to worry. This was totally unlike the girl he knew. He tried again, praying for an answer, any answer. "Hey…babe, you ok?"

"Huh? What?" Jynx's eyes shot open, although still retaining their glazed over appearance, her hands finally realizing their own freedom and giving themselves a good stretch.

"I said are you ok?"

"Oh…yeah, just tired I suppose. I didn't get much sleep there." Cyborg looked back at her gently through the mirror, his eyes providing her with an endless compassion he never thought he could give anyone. In seeing this Jynx scrambled with her words, blushing, not wanting him to know what she had actually gone through. "Um…well, you know those prison beds, hard as a rock. The least they could do was give me an egg crate."

Jynx shifted slightly in her spot, hoping he wouldn't call her bluff. It was true, she hadn't gotten much sleep at all since being thrown in but the reason wasn't lack of cushioning. The entire time she lay awake in bed, absolutely terrified that he would not come. She was afraid…afraid that she might have lost him.

"Ah." That was all he said, not giving her any kind of clue as to whether he believed her or not, which of course he didn't. Still, she decided to continue hiding her shame, and her fear, and proceeded to climb up front.

"So, where are we really going?"

"Gotham."

"What? So this really is a prison transfer?"

"No, just…well…" He hesitated, he wasn't sure he wanted to tell her yet. Although he didn't know why, he was almost afraid to tell her that she would be attending the wedding…as his girlfriend. "Um…where's your apartment?"

"My apartment? Why do you want to go to my apartment?"

"Well, you need to pack some things. We're going to be gone for a couple of days."

Jynx looked at him curiously, not sure what to think. It was obvious he was hiding something, and this almost relieved her. Somehow she felt better knowing she wasn't the only one who was holding back, of course, that didn't mean she wasn't curious.

"North Street, third building on the right…now why are we going to Gotham again?"

"Well…uh…" Again, Cyborg struggled for words. Why was this so hard for him? After all, it would make her quite happy to know such a thing. But still, he was nervous about the whole ordeal, and the words would not come to him.

"Hello, 'Uh' is nowhere I've ever heard of."

"We're just going for a little vacation ok?"

"Vacation hmmmm…" Jynx smiled, her first since he picked her up and leaned in, using her finger to poke the tip of his nose gently. "I don't think so, there's something else isn't there?"

"N-no, of course not."

"There is. I can tell." She smiled wider, watching as Cyborg's face started to glow a rosy tint. His eyes started to drift from the road in front of him to the girl next to him, even though she had been in prison for the past few days, he could still smell a hint of perfume wafting his way. "So what is it? Hmmmm?"

"W-well…"

"Yeeeeessss?" She leaned closer, teasing him by breathing slightly on his neck, her finger moving along his jaw bone slowly. The car swerved slightly, Cyborg desperately trying to focus on driving, but she was doing a good job as being a distraction. Meanwhile the grip he had on keeping the secret seemed to be slipping.

"You…I mean…we…"

"Go on, you're almost there."

"W-we're going…"

"Where, we're going where?"

"My…friends' wedding." He let out a sigh, a slight chill running down his back as he felt her breath against his neck. It was annoying, how easily she could get things out of him. At some points, it actually scared him. What if she ever asked him about that night when his words were interrupted by a drunken Nightwing? Answering her would be ten times harder with that, than this was.

"Oh...is that it?"

"Y-yeah." He was surprised at her reaction; she didn't seem too phased by it at all.

"Why were you trying to keep that from me? I don't mind staying in a motel for a few days while you're off with your friends, as long as I'm out of jail." Jynx slunk back into her chair, reclining back with her hands behind her head finally taking the time to enjoy having her hands free.

"You mean…you not nervous about…us…finally coming out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not leaving you in a hotel…you're coming too. I told them…that I'd bring my girlfriend with me." For a moment there was silence, no, not silence. A complete void of sound, even that outside of the car appeared as Jynx's eyes shot wide open.

"Ehhhh? Come again?"

"I told them I'd bring you with me."

"You…did?"

"…yeah."

Jynx let her arms fall to her sides and stared straight forward.

"Well, now I'm nervous…"

"Dick are you insane?" Batgirl was the only at this moment that stood between a very disgruntled Nightwing and Wayne Manor. She didn't even pretend to know what was running through his head, nor did she care to know. All she knew was that for some reason, he felt compelled to make his way back into the Batcave.

"What? If you believe this is just a simple misunderstanding, then why not just let me in?"

"Because, this is crazy! There is no way I'm letting you get in."

Nightwing scowled, not at all wanting to start a fight with her, his grudge was with Bruce, and she was just keeping her loyalties…as insane as he might think them.

"Barbra, I have to know what he has done. I have to make sure everything is how he claims it is. Trust me…I don't want to be right on this, but if I am….I just want to be on top of things."

"What makes you so sure that he's up to something?"

"I just do, ok. Something is not right about this whole thing. I mean, why would he give an employee a free trip to Ireland?"

"Because he stopped that break in attempt, didn't you hear about that?"

Nightwing looked at her for a moment, his brain searching for the possible information he might have forgotten. The past week had been a blur to him, even after sobering up, so any chance of even remotely remembering it was close to nill.

"What break in?"

"It was the day before you started taking the Smirnoff diet, a couple of thugs tried to break in through the garage basement. You're green friend there was working late and caught them."

"Wait a minute…they were trying to break in through the basement? The garage basement…where Beast Boy was working overtime?"

"Oh please god no…"

"Oh come on Barb, don't you see that even the slightest bit suspicious?"

"Now you're just looking for things that aren't there Dick, you're not thinking!"

"Aren't I?"

"No you're not! You're so blinded by this damn irrational hatred all you see is some conspiracy!" Batgirl lunged towards him, thrusting her pointed finger into his chest. She had had just about enough of this charade and she was going to do her damndest to end it here and now. "I'm sick of this, so goddamn SICK!"

"Ok…just calm down Barbra."

"No Dick, I'm not calming down, not until I've talked some sense into you."

"It's not going to work Barbra, I am getting in there and you can't stop me."

Batgirl frowned harshly, her angry mind struggling for words that would not come to her. She felt like swearing, not curse, not cuss, but swear full blown, filthy, sailor-mouth swearing.

"You…you…"

"What?" Nightwing smiled and crossed his arms in front of his chest, quite amused for the moment.

"You're such a dick sometimes, you know that?"

"My, my, my, did Miss Princess just swear?"

"Don't push me Dick, I may not have trained as long as you have, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

"Oh really?" Again, Nightwing smiled, taking a fighting stance more humoringly than seriously. "Bring it on girl."

Barbra was quite ready to lung and kick his head clean off when a slight click sounded from behind them, somewhere in the vicinity of the gate followed by low, familiar voice.

"Excuse me, but if you two plan on talking about me behind my back, you might not want to do so near the loudspeaker."

Well, seems like Dick is getting quite obsessed no? Hehe, not much to say after this one I guess. Hope you enjoyed it. Later Days!

ANSA