Well, hello there. Sora here! I'm finally back among the living. I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I had an Australian student in my home for about two weeks and I've been busy with end of the semester jargon as well. However, I'm here with the latest chapter of Returning and an update of Love and Family isn't far behind. Since I'm sure you don't want to read me yammering on, let's get to the important basics.

Since it's been awhile, let's review my policies. I'm really open to anything, constructive criticism, compliments, complaints and flames, just so long as they aren't pairing flames. I've seen some really good Robin/Raven writers being driven off lately and I'm most distressed to see them go. These people put their heart and soul into this work and they're being attacked for their beliefs. This is not only cruel and oppressive, it's immoral and juvenile and I hope to see it stop in the near future.

Anyway, this is a Rae/Rob story, and it won't change, I'm afraid. Also, I don't own the Teen Titans. If I did, I would have coerced C-Toon Network into accepting the sixth season. Anyway, on with the story! Here we go.


The two days Raven spent on a Tamaranian ship hurtling toward Earth were the second longest she had ever endured. She had planned on spending the trip in meditative silence, but that plan hadn't panned out. Terra, who was still somewhat miffed about Raven's Princess of the Mole People bit, had decided to spend her time energetically testing the boundaries of her dark friend's patience. It had earned her a couple goes as Raven's personal ping pong, but Terra didn't really seem phased by it.

Starfire also partook in the loud actions and rapid-fire questioning of Raven. However, she did it out of excitement. As a result, Raven was much gentler with her and only stuck her in a bubble trailing the spaceship for awhile.

His night in the wall was still fresh in Garth's mind. As such, he spent most of the trip seeking safety in the cockpit. He loved his wife dearly and would do nearly anything for her, including giving his own life. However, he drew the line at facing Raven's ire; such was indeed a fate far worse than death.

Eventually Raven sought out peace in solitude in the baggage hull. She was hardly comfortable, but she took solace in the fact that it was empty of people and silent. Unfortunately, not even this solitude lasted long. Eventually, Starfire's gentle voice broke into her meditation.

"Raven?"

"Yes?" Raven answered as she began to crawl toward the entrance hatch.

"Our kind captain says we have arrived at the coordinates you gave him. I must inquire, though, why have you brought us to such a large house?" Raven gave a small smile. The Wayne Manor did have a tendency to be intimidating, not unlike its inhabitants.

"It's where we need to be," Raven answered simply as she finished crawling out and joined Starfire in the hallway.

Once the two women joined the rest of the group at the viewing window, Garth turned to face them. "I think I already know the answer, but Raven, who exactly is your friend?" he asked hesitantly.

"Batman, of course," Raven answered with a wicked smile on her face. Everyone else settled for looking flat out stunned.

"You have connections with The Bat?" Terra demanded.

"Yes. I lived with him and his…well, you'll see. Well, are you coming?" Words again failed all of them so they simply followed her from the ship and up the long driveway to the looming manor.

"Raven, darrrling," Selena Kyle purred when she opened the main door. "It has been awhile since you've grrraced us with your presence." Terra leaned over to Starfire.

"Is she being sarcastic, or are they friends?" she asked. Starfire gave a small half shrug.

"I have always found it difficult to tell when it comes to Raven."

"I am being quite genuine," Selena clarified. "Now, Raven, what has kept you so long?"

"I've been busy," Raven answered evasively. "Has he returned?" she asked, changing the subject. A shadow crossed Selena's face.

"There has been no sign, and not a single word. What makes you think that would change in the weeks you were gone if it hasn't changed in four years?"

"Futile hope," Raven shrugged out. "Bruce, how is he doing? He's been worried, in that irritable, intimidating way of his."

"Worried about what?" a gruff voice asked from behind them. Raven turned.

"The same as always, Bruce."

"The boy?" he asked. Selena nodded simply. Bruce looked grim. "He will return when it suits him. He's always been stubborn." He fixed Raven with an appraising look. "Have you been eating?" he asked suddenly. "You're thinner again." Raven threw her hands up.

"It's a bloody theme!"

"Maybe with good reason?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Careful, you're beginning to sound like a mother hen." Bruce snorted at the remark.

"Do you need to rest? Now that he's pointed it out, you do look a little off."

"You worry too much. I'm just fine."

"Leave her alone 'Lena. If she collapses, we'll drag her in then."

"Not that method again," Selena groaned.

"Quit talking about me like I'm not here. Really. I. Am. Just. Fine."

"Should we consider this normal?" Garth hissed to Terra. An errant tendril smacked him I the forehead. "Ow…comment withdrawn," he mumbled. Bruce and Selena ignored the display.

"So," Bruce said, refocusing on Raven, "you've come back with a purpose. What is it?"

"I just need to do a public forum search on your computer," Raven answered.

"Devious," Bruce murmured thoughtfully.

"I am a half demon."

"You're setting bait?" Selena asked curiously.

"In a manner of speaking."

"You are nothing if not persistent," Bruce commented.

"This coming from the master of all hardheads," Raven shot back. "Now, if you need me, I'll be in the Bat Cave."

"What about them?" Bruce asked.

"They are former Titans, dear, not security risks," Selena said soothingly. "Come on, we'll order up some dinner and wait for them in the dining room." She led him away, successfully evading further interrogation. Raven turned to the others.

"Well, come on then."

As they made their way down the tunnel to the main room of the Bat Cave, Garth drew level with Raven. "You didn't tell them," he said to her flatly.

"You're powers of observation astound me."

"That's not going to deter me, Raven."

"You're too stubborn. One day you must tell me how you wooed Starfire with such a personality."

"Eventually," Garth said dismissively. "Now, why didn't you tell them?"

"They've done enough for me, and Bruce has enough on his plate. I'm not going to add to any of that by telling them I've gone off on a half-baked scheme to take down a deadly opponent."

"You've gone soft," Garth said in amusement.

"I didn't know you were looking for another round in the wall," Raven said warningly.

"Right. Not soft. Got it," Garth said nervously before sliding into silence.

After a few moments, his nervous silence joined the others in awed silence. "Gracious, such a large and dark place," Starfire said finally.

"Welcome to the Bat Cave. Dark, wet and full of bats. Such lovely ambiance, really," Raven remarked dryly. "Come on. What we need is on the far wall." She gestured to a rater large computer which, in fact, took up the entire east wall.

"Whoa," Terra remarked, "what are we going to do with that? DNA tracking?" Her question was meant to be sarcastic, but Raven disregarded it.

"No, I don't have their DNA on me at the moment. I figured we'd use a somewhat different method of locating our targets."

"Really? What kind of method?" Starfire asked.

"The internet," Raven said simply. Everyone stopped and stared at her.

"That's it?" Garth asked incredulously. "We're in the infamous Bat Cave to use the internet? We could have done that on a computer upstairs."

"And then you would have fussed at me for denying you the chance of seeing the Bat Cave," Raven answered wryly as she fired up the computer. "At any rate, I do need to use it for another purpose." Garth was silent for a moment as he digested her answer.

"Bait. That woman…"

"Selena Kyle, formerly known as Catwoman and currently Bruce's live in love," Raven corrected automatically.

"Errr, right. Selena said something about bait." He paused. "Bait for who?"

"Robin," Raven replied. She glanced around, but Terra and Starfire were investigating other areas of the cave.

"I don't understand."

"Do you honestly believe Robin has simply dropped off the face of the Earth?" Raven asked as she flicked her way through search engines for the one she wanted.

"No, I suppose not."

"If that boy is alive, two to one says he's still tracking activities of those he knows. Let's say he picks up some strange information from Batman's computer. He doesn't know it's us, but maybe it's enough to stir him from his place of solitude and hiding."

"You're clever," Garth remarked. Raven made a negative sound in the back of her throat.

"No, I'm desperate. I need all the help I can get." She entered a few more words and hit enter. Almost immediately they struck pay dirt.

"BOO-YAH!" Terra and Starfire looked up suddenly.

"Cyborg?" Starfire asked curiously.

"What the hell was that?" Terra asked.

"That," Raven said flatly, gesturing at the computer screen where a loud, colorful commercial was playing, "is what I would like to know."

"Boo-yah Mechanics?" Starfire read slowly.

"I'd like to know what the hell he was on when he came up with that," Terra remarked.

"You and me both," Raven supplied.

"Sounds like something you'd come up with while you're drunk," Garth mused. Raven smirked.

"Have you had experience with that?" she asked wickedly. Starfire started to speak up, but Garth swiftly placed a hand over her mouth and looked nervous and embarrassed.

"Eh, let's not talk about that right now…don't we need to be finding our missing friends?" he asked quickly. Terra took up Raven's wicked grin as well.

"I won't argue with that," she said in a dangerously sweet tone, "but, Starfire…"

"Yes?"

"Remind me that we need to have some really good girl time sometime in the near future."

"Most glorious. I eagerly await it!" Garth groaned miserably.

"I'm doomed," he muttered.

"Baby," Raven sniped.

"So, have we found our friend Cyborg?" Starfire asked.

"I think so. His headquarters are in Steele City. I suppose that's where he must be as well."

"Wonderful," Starfire cheered before throwing her arms around her husband, who grinned back.

"What about Beastboy?" Terra demanded. Her excitement made her somewhat impatient.

"Simmer down before you give yourself a coronary," Raven replied. "I'm not exactly magic you know." The irony of that statement was lost on no one. She continued typing. "Heh, well what do you know," Raven murmured in amusement.

"What?" three voices demanded of her.

"Garfield "Gar" Logan, was originally of the famed Teen Titans of Jump City. After the team disbanded, Gar Logan sought his fame on Broadway. After a few misses, the green actor is starring in a lead role in a Broadway favorite, "Beauty and the Beast". It's his biography, we've found him," Raven breathed out slowly. There was some more celebrating behind her as Terra gave a whoop and was then engulfed by Starfire to join Garth in a massive hug. Raven grinned briefly before tapping one more thing into the machine, entering it and turning the computer off.

"Well, we've found them. Now we have some decisions to make."

"Such as?" Terra asked.

"Who wants to go find who?"

"Please explain," Starfire asked. Raven sighed and tried to clarify her thoughts.

"Who wants to go find Cyborg and who wants to go find Beastboy?" There was silence as everyone considered their options.

Terra was the first to break the silence. "Would anyone be surprised if I said I'd like to go find Beastboy?" Even Starfire gave her the "duh" look. "Right then, how about you Star?"

"I am most fascinated with the Broadway. I shall accompany you. So long as you come, dearest love," she said to Garth.

"Of course I'm going with you. I wouldn't go anywhere without you."

"It's so cute!" Terra gushed.

"Yes, indeed." Raven took a breath. "Well then, if you go upstairs and talk to Selena and Bruce, they'll arrange your trip."

"What about you?" Starfire asked.

"I'm taking a slightly different mode of transportation," Raven answered.

"You're soul self, I suppose," Terra supplied.

"Sure, we'll go with that. Now, it's time to go." Raven ushered the three toward the door. She was surprisingly strong despite her small frame.

Once she was sure they were gone, she walked over to another area in the cave and pressed a button. Like a garage door, the rock formation before her slid up to reveal a multitude of vehicles. There was the Batmobile, of course. There was also a cycle for the current Robin, Tim Drake, cycles for the former Robins, The R-Cycle which was formerly housed at Titans Tower, the Cat Copter (at insistence from Selena) and a few more aerial and submarine vehicles. Stored among them was Raven's little pet. It was a small, two seat custom job, painted dark blue and able to handle up to 250 miles per hour. It was perhaps her favorite "gadget" she had encountered in the Wayne Manor. Raven recalled when Selena eventually coerced Bruce into giving it to her, and Raven never stopped thanking her for it.

"Well, you're as good of an excuse as any to get into a mechanics garage," she murmured as she snagged her keys and prepared to leave.

Upstairs, Selena was finalizing the travel plans for Starfire, Garth and Terra when they all heard a spectacular roar. "What in hell was that?" Terra demanded.

"Oh, one of the birds is loose," Selena answered dismissively. Garth gave her a strange look.

"What kind of birds do you keep here?" he asked slowly and hesitantly. Selena laughed.

"Only the most interesting kinds, my dear."

Meanwhile, some hundred miles away, a young man was gazing at his own computer and frowning. "Hnnn, what exactly is going on over there?" he wondered to himself before reaching out and grabbing his cape.


Well, that's the end of chapter nine. I hope you have all enjoyed it. I apologize for the lateness once again. However, to make it up, I will have an update posted sooner than this last time. I thank all of you who have stuck with me. Until next time! Sora out.