I am so sorry that it took so long for me to write this. Not only did I have the worse case of writer's block, but also everything in my life went haywire. My computer had a bad case Spyware and wouldn't let me do anyting, my electricity got turned off because of the stupid neighbor's tree that knocked our box down, and school started. Jeez. I thought I would pull my hair out by then. But I got over the writer's block, and here it the chapter. I don't know if it's that good, because of the WB, but it don't matter. At least I have posted something. Lol. But I hope you enjoy this. And I'm sure that all of you know that I posted the lemon separately, but incase not, reread what I just wrote. Dude, I am so tired… But this chapter is boring. I shall warn you now. So…yeah, but the most boring things usually lead to the most exciting.

This is just for those of you who love me dearly and wish to know about what went on whilst I was having these problems. () I have become totally obsessed with Fruits Basket! I have the entire anime on DVD, and ordered the mangas 1-12. I am now an obsessive, hard-core fan of Tohru/Kyo. And I must say, that if Tohru ends up with Yuki, I will forever hate Natsuki Takaya and I will cry for the rest of my days. But from what I read in spoilers, it looks good for Kyo and Tohru! Yippee! So, yeah, I have found another cartoon couple to obsess over…dude, I need a life…


Robin stared out the window, watching the rain pelt the ground as he brushed his fingers absentmindedly through the toddler's hair. It had taken him hours to calm the boy after telling him that Starfire was gone. He didn't have the heart to tell the little boy that his mother had also been taken, knowing that Starfire was gone was crushing enough against his little heart.

Christian whimpered in his sleep, his body curling into a ball. Robin had thrown a pillow across his lap and let the little boy sleep there, since he wouldn't sleep in his crib, and Robin had no intention of sleeping in Starfire's bed.

So he was sitting on the window seat, feet propped up and a dozing toddler bundled in his lap. Robin leaned his head against the wall. It was no mystery now. He was desperately in love with Starfire. Hell, he had always been in love with her, from the moment he laid eyes on her.

In a way, she had had him at hello (or 'greetings, earth human'). Her innocence had captivated him. No one on earth could compare to her smile, her beauty, her mind. She was perfect, if not a little too optimistic.

Christian's body shuddered beneath the blanket. Robin immediately laid a large hand on the boy's side, and all trembling ceased as he gave a content sigh. The poor boy. Starfire had been like a mother to him and she had been snatched away from under him.

This time, the guilt was so strong that Robin could barely breath. God, he needed her. He needed to hear her laugh again, to hear her say his name. He just wanted her. He could take her hating him as long as he could just look at her.

Wyatt's voice rang inside his head. "What I'm really trying to get out is that hurting her was pointless. It didn't help a damn thing, and instead of being there to protect her like I should have done, I let my weakness get the better of me and stayed in the background. You don't know what you have until you lose it."

God, how right he had been. Everything Wyatt had said mirrored Robin's problems. Not only had he lost Starfire, but he had hurt her for no reason. It didn't even make sense now that he thought about it. He had been afraid to get close to anyone, yes, but that never meant he had to hurt her. He could have told the truth, and they could have worked it out together. But now she was gone, and he had no idea how to get her back.

Robin jerked when his doorbell rang. Who the hell would be visiting him at this hour? Robin carefully lifted the toddler from his lap and laid him down on the couch that was only a few feet from the window seat. Thankfully, the bell didn't wake Christian.

Robin undid countless locks before he threw open the door, prepared to curse the person to oblivion. But his words died as he faced a ragged Twain. Blinking, Robin stepped aside to let the detective in.

And then it hit him. He was going to tell Robin that Starfire had been murdered. Robin felt his heart stop in his chest. Oh God. It was too late. Starfire was gone and he would never be able to tell her—

"Don't jump to conclusions, kid," Twain said quietly, his eyes adjusting to the dark room. "I just came to tell you that Darcy was murdered."

Robin snapped out of his agony quickly. "What?"

Twain sighed quietly, his eyes on Christian. "I think we need to talk in private. Is there some place that you can drop the kid off?"

It took some time for Robin to finally answer him. Why the hell did Twain want to drop Christian off? "I can always put him in his crib—"

"Is there a place you can drop the kid off?" Twain repeated slowly as if he were talking to a toddler.

Robin clenched his jaw. "Maybe Raven and—"

"No. Somewhere else."

What the hell? Why was it so important for him to drop Christian off? Robin was never one to beat around the bush, so he snapped, "Why are you so desperate to get rid of the kid?"

Twain stuffed his hands into his pockets. "We're going to the woods where Hannah was found and you can't let the kid stay here alone. I'll be damned if I have to baby-sit."

"I thought you already searched the woods," Robin remarked, but he was already lifting the toddler in his arms.

"We had to go through the judge and we couldn't get a warrant. So I'm breaking the law and going there with you."

Confused, Robin asked, "Why would you need a warrant to search through woods?"

Twain sighed deeply. "The woods belong to the mayor, and he forbid us to trespass. The judge is an old friend of the bastards, so he followed his orders. Not even threats to ruin his reputation fazed him. He said no one would believe a 'kid's' word against his. Hell, I'm thirty-two. I am not a kid. "

"But…would that mean the mayor is the White Rose Killer?"

"I don't know. It seems too damn suspicious. I have a feeling he's hiding something in those woods. So take the kid to someone and we'll check it out."

Robin quickly grabbed his keys and followed. Why wasn't the mayor allowing a search? Was he hiding something?

They took Robin's car since it had a car seat and headed for the tower. He hated to just push Christian onto Bumblebee and Cyborg, but it was all he could do. He planned on searching those woods thoroughly.

"Are you going to tell me about Darcy?" Robin asked quietly.

"Your friend found her hanging from the ceiling, stomach slit open, and a white rose in her mouth."

"Friend? Raven? Beast Boy? Who found her? Are they okay? Where are they?"

Twain chuckled lightly. "You sound like a detective, kid. But it was the dark one who found her first."

"Is she okay?" Robin's stomach clenched in worry. Was Raven alright? How did she take it? And where was Beast Boy?

"She went into shock for awhile, but they gave her a sedative to get her to sleep. The green one had Darcy thrown on him, but he took it pretty well. Guess he was too worried about the dark one."

"Jesus. Are they at a hotel or…"

"I guess. Logan didn't call and tell which one, though."

Robin gnawed on his lip. Damn. Too many things were happening at once. With Starfire missing he was practically wallowing in pain, but now, on top of that, he was worried about Raven and Beast Boy. He really hoped that this bloody adventure didn't drive him to insanity.

"After you dump the kid off, I wanna drop by my place, alright?"

"For what?"

"Just…stop by there."

Robin threw a wary glance at the detective before he pulled into the underground parking lot beneath the tower. After doing a DNA scan, Robin walked into the tower. A wave of homesickness washed over him. He had really missed this place.

"I thought that he was supposed to be staying with a fellow officer?" Twain stated, eyeing the inside of the large T-shaped tower.

"After Starfire's wreck, he came back home, knowing that there was nothing he could do. And anyway, he said he was going to have a nervous breakdown if he didn't leave."

Twain walked behind him, Christian cuddled in his arms. "Shouldn't you…alert them or something?"

Robin glanced behind his shoulder, fingers moving rapidly over the keyboard that would lead him to the elevator once he keyed in the code. "I'll just knock on his door when I get up there."

"Whatever." Twain's eyes narrowed against the darkness. Going to the woods would be risky, because if he were caught, he would either be arrested or fired. But now the consequences didn't matter. The mayor was hiding something and he was going to find out what it was.

"Come on, we don't have all night." Twain glanced up to see the teenaged superhero already in the large elevator. Twain glared, stepping inside with him. "You've got a real attitude, kid."

"So what?" Robin lifted his eyes to Twain before they shifted to the ground.

"It'll get you into serious trouble, you know that?"

"It's already gotten me into trouble," Robin muttered, roughly shoving his hands into his pockets. "Star's gone because of it."

"Then why don't you lose it? I promise that if you don't, you'll seriously regret it."

Robin's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you threatening me?"

"It's advice. Stop reading so deep into things, kid. I'm just saying that if you don't lose your 'I'm-better-than-everyone-around-me' act, you're going to lose a lot more than just your girlfriend."

Before Robin could snap back at Twain, the elevator doors opened. "Jesus, didn't you install light in this thing?"

Robin ignored him and stepped into the pitch-black hallway. Even without a light, he knew exactly where he was and where to go. "Follow me," Robin muttered, already marching forward.

"Can't you turn on a bloody light or something so I don't run into a wall and hurt the kid!"

Robin paused. He would have been thrilled to let Twain run headfirst into a wall, but he wasn't going to involve Christian into it.

"Give me the kid," Robin said, holding out his arms.

"No way. If I do, you won't turn on a light and I'll smack into a wall."

Robin growled deep in his throat. "The only way to turn on a light is to go back down stairs and I want to get to the woods quickly so we can get this over with and I can look for Starfire."

Twain muttered something under his breath, reaching a hand out and grabbing the back of Robin's loose shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" Robin snapped, trying to jerk from the man's grasp.

Twain snorted. "I'm going to let you lead the way so I don't run into any walls, so stop being a baby and get to walking."

Robin clenched his fist and marched forward, grounding his teeth. "Stupid, no good piece of—"

"Watch the language, buddy. I think the kid is awake."

Robin broke off. "Give me Christian."

"Why?"

"You can still hold on to the back of my shirt, but I want to see him, so hand him over."

Robin heard Twain sigh and let go of the back of his shirt. "Here." Robin held out his arms and had to feel around before he could grab Christian. Making sure he wasn't touching any part of Twain, Robin took Christian into his arms.

"Where are we?" Christian asked sleepily.

"Cyborg and Bumblebee are going to watch you tonight."

"Why?" Christian cried his voice laced with fright. It threw Robin off.

"Are you scared of Cyborg?" He asked.

"Inna stay with you!" Christian howled, burring his head against Robin's shoulder. "I don't want you to leave me alone."

Robin blinked. "I…I won't be gone long."

"Inna go with you!"

Christian wrapped his arms around Robin's neck tightly when he tried to out him down. "Christian…"

"I don't wanna be left alone!"

"But Cyborg and Bumblebee are here—"

"No! No! No! No! No! N—"

"Kid, we might find Starfire while we're gone. And if you're there we won't be able to help."

Both child and teenager froze. "You think Starfire's there?" Robin asked, surprised.

"That's why we're going, to see if my hunch is correct. But we can't do it with the kid."

Robin managed to peel the child's arms from around his neck and set him on his feet, though he took his hand. Could Twain be right? Was Starfire somewhere within the forest? Was it possible that he would get her back tonight?

He swore that of he did find her, he would literally beg for forgiveness and hope for the best. Robin stood before Cyborg's door, fist poised above the metal, when it suddenly opened, revealing one glowing red eye.

Christian screamed and Robin jerked back in surprise. Twain cursed in shocked horror, his hand automatically reaching for the gun at his hip.

"Whoa, hold it there, bud. Don't shoot." Cyborg held up a hand and flicked on the light in his room. Robin blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

"How did you know we were here?"

"Security system. It alerts me when ever someone types in the code."

At Robin's confused look, Cyborg added, "After Terra betrayed us, I installed it so I would be able to know if she was breaking in. I just never uninstalled it."

"Oh." Robin blinked, glancing down at Christian, who was clutching onto his hand as if it were his last lifeline. "Do you think you can watch Christian?"

"What's going on?" Cyborg's eyes lifted to Robin's in confusion. "Where are you going?"

Robin sighed, lifting Christian in his arms so he could hand him to Cyborg. "Where's Bumblebee?" He asked, avoiding Cyborg's question.

"She's sleeping. Now why are you coming here at three in the morning and dropping him off? Is this about Starfire?"

Robin cringed slightly, avoiding eye contact. Behind him, Twain sighed. "Remember the woods that Hannah Carson was found?"

"Yeah. I thought that you couldn't get a warrant?"

Twain eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

Cyborg's real eye widened as he stuttered, "I, uh, kinda sorta hacked into your computers…" He laughed nervously, then cleared his throat. "So you're going to trespass? That's illegal."

"We know," Robin said softly, "but if there's a chance that Starfire may be there, I'm willing to suffer the consequences."

Cyborg propped Christian on his hip as he walked out the door. Twain and Robin followed him.

"Where are you going?" Twain asked with his hands outstretched in the darkness to make sure he didn't have any collision with the wall.

"You are going to sit down at tell me everything, 'cause until I know exactly what you're up to, I'm not watching the kid."

"Cyborg—"

"Robin, this is important, and you are going to tell me what's going on. If this involves Starfire, I have a right to know. Not only is she a teammate, but a member of my family, blood connections be damned."

Robin sighed, knowing good and well that once Cyborg had made up his mind, there was no changing it. Once in the main room, Cyborg pressed a button, lighting up the entire room in a bright glow. Twain blinked at the sudden shift in color.

After his eyes adjusted, Twain studied the room, his eyes finally landing on the couch. "I see you fixed it."

Cyborg grinned, plopping down on the couch after sitting Christian down. "We have plenty of spares in the basement."

Confused, Twain opened his mouth to ask why, but Robin said, "We need to hurry. I want to get this done before the sun rises." Robin sat down beside Cyborg, gnawing on his lip.

Twain sat beside him, though a good distance away, as Cyborg asked, "What makes you think Star's there?"

"I'm sure you already know that the mayor owns the forest, right?" At Cyborg's nod, Twain continued. "When we tried to get a warrant to search the woods that Hannah had been found, the judge said no. The mayor forbid us to step four feet into there."

Cyborg blinked. "So…why do you think Starfire's there?"

Twain sighed. "Let me just get to the point."

Robin shifted in his seat, anxious to get to the woods where Starfire might be. "That would be nice."

Ignoring him, Twain said, "I don't…know if she's there. But I have to think that she is. Why would the mayor not allow us to search it unless he has something to hide? It would be the only reason. And now, it's our only lead. I know that you can't just sit and wait around, so I figured that you'd want to search the only place we think she might be."

Cyborg sighed, watching Christian as he scurried off to search the large room. "I don't know about this, man. I mean it's illegal, and you don't even know if she is there. What if it's a dead lead? What if you find nothing, or get caught? Did you ever think that if you are caught, you'll never be able to save her in time?"

Robin's heart clenched. Of course he had thought of that scenario. Hell, he had thought of every possible scenario. But…he was willing to risk everything, even if it was hopeless. There was a chance that there was nothing in those woods…yet there was a chance that she was there. Waiting. Hoping. Hating him for not protecting her. Yes. He was willing to risk everything.

Robin glanced away, bowing his head so that his hair shielded his eyes from Cyborg's view. "I know. But I have to try, even if it ends up going horribly wrong. I have to do something: For her. I've let her down too much, and this is the only way I can think to make it up to her."

Cyborg studied Robin's profile, his eyes dark with worry. Robin had been in a state of depression ever since he came home from the dance with his arms empty. Cyborg had said nothing when he watched Robin walked into the apartment alone, thinking, praying desperately that maybe Starfire was with Jonathan. But one look at Robin's face told him otherwise. Somehow, Starfire had slipped from the Boy Wonder's grasp and landed in the White Rose Killer's lap, and Robin was blaming himself. Cyborg didn't ask why, or how. He didn't need to know. All that matter was that she was gone. So he had herded Bumblebee away. And somehow, she had figured it out as well.

Twain watched as Christian plucked the remote off the ground and pressed the buttons. "Now that you know, we better be heading off. We're wasting valuable time talking."

Still watching the ground, Robin asked, "So will you watch him?"

"Yeah," Cyborg said. He had a feeling something was going to go wrong, but he couldn't stop his friend. No one could now. Cyborg watched the two men rise. It was strange, watching Robin now. He had…grown up in the time that he had been away from the tower. No longer was he a stubborn teenager, but a man who knew what it was like to be in the real world. Cyborg didn't know what to think of Robin anymore. He didn't know if the sudden change was good, or horrible.

"I have a few gadgets that you might want." Cyborg said softly.

"What type of gadgets?" Twain asked curiously, dark brow raised.

Cyborg smiled. "Follow me."


Ten minutes later, Twain and Robin walked out of the tower, loaded with night-ray goggles and flashlights. Twain scowled at the slim device. "Why do we have flashlights when we have night ray goggles?"

Robin shrugged. "I just took what he handed me."

Twain sighed, chunking everything in the backseat while ignoring Robin's scowl. "You could break them, you know."

"So?"

Robin bit back a sigh. "So how do you plan to see without them?"

"If they break then I'll just use yours."

Robin ground his teeth in aggravation, but chose not to say anything. "I'm going to drive," Twain said as Robin opened the driver side door. Robin glared. "Why?"

"'Cause I know where my house is and you don't."

Robin ground his teeth together. "Fine."

Silently, Robin climbed into the passenger seat, leaning his forehead against the cool window. What if Starfire wasn't there? What if she was somewhere else, and he didn't find her in time? What if…what ifs seemed to be his only thinking now that she was gone. It didn't help anything. It didn't help find Starfire, so it seemed pointless. All it did was waste his time, when he should be looking for her.

Robin slowly slid his eyes to Twain. "Can I…ask you a question?" Robin asked softly, so softly that Twain almost didn't catch it.

"Uh, I guess." Twain watched the young man from the corner of his eye, confused by the sudden soft tone.

"You're married, right?"

Lex blinked slowly, taking his eyes away from the deserted road long enough to study the teenaged hero.

"Yeah. Got one kid and two on the way."

"How…how did you know that you loved her?"

"Kid, what the hell—"

"Please," Robin said timidly, jerking his eyes to Twain's. "I just…it's just for conversation." He finally said with a sigh. "I mean, if you want to stay quiet, then that's fine with me, because I just—"

"You're blabbering, kid," Twain replied softly. Then, he sighed. "Truthfully, I hated her at first. We both hated each other. My first partner was getting old in age, but he was my best friend, so when he retired, I was a tad bit bitter. While I was still brooding, they paired me up with a woman. I did the whole a-woman-can't-do-a-man's-job. But damn, she could outshoot any man, could solve a case with minimal clues, and had the body of a runner. So of course I was jealous, though I didn't admit it. She was…perfect. She could do everything better than I could. They thought about replacing me for a while, because she was that damn good. But we were put on one of the hardest cases of all. She couldn't figure anyting out at first, because the killer never left any clues, save for the bodies.

"The victims had been all women. So, I guess, she was more involved because of it. She would stay up all night, just flipping through the slim file. At the time, I had loved to see her so frazzled. Well, at least I had at first. But she would obsess over it and I got kinda worried. So I asked why. She had just glared at me and walked away. I didn't ask her again. But somehow, she got a lead. I don't know how Kate did it, but she did. So when we were driving up there, she told me softly that her mother had been murdered, which was why she was so obsessed. It had been her father that had murdered her. I know, I know, it seems…stupid. I mean, how can you fall in love with a woman when she tells you that her father murdered her mother? I thought it was strange, too. I had never been in love before, so it was all strange to me."

"So you never dated before?" Robin asked, trying to add some humor into the conversation. Twain glared. "Of course I dated before. Bunches of times."

"So what were you, a man whore?" Robin had to chuckle at Twain's bright blush and angry growl. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Fine."

Twain glared. "Okay then. Uh…well, we had to stakeout outside the building we thought was the one, and, uh, we, uh…talked for the first time."

"That's not some hidden word for sex, is it?" Robin laughed when Twain flushed once again.

"Jesus, and they call me a pervert. No, it's not a hidden meaning. We never talked when we were together, only threw insults and complaints at each other. It was the first time we had said more than a dozen words to each other. And I found out a lot about her. Like her first love, and what she dreamed of, why she became a police officer, things like that. I have to say that I was…normal. I mean I didn't have any hidden secrets, or things that I kept hidden. My parents were divorced and of course I went through the whole punk act because they didn't spend much time with me. But…she had always had it hard. I mean, with her father murdering her mother, and her being shoved into an orphanage…I had to respect her."

"This is getting no where," Robin said suddenly. "I mean…why, how, how did you know? Was it just…there? Or what?"

Robin was surprised when Twain's fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. "We had found his hideout. We had gathered an entire force to take him down, but only Katelynn and I went inside. And…he shot her. Almost killed her. It was the first time I killed a man. But that didn't register until later. I, uh…literally cried when I held her. Love isn't something that just happens. It grows with time. At first, I didn't realized what was happening. I thought it was a bout of lust, desire maybe. But then…I was covered in her blood, and everything seemed to change. Don't look at me like that," Twain muttered, his cheeks flaming red. "I know it seems like something you would find in a romance novel, but it happened. I almost lost her, and I found that I couldn't handle being without her. Now, why are you asking me all this?"

Robin once again stared out the window. "It seems that everyone had loved and lost. I mean, Wyatt pushed Mallory away, and she almost died, and now you." He sighed. "Is this some sort of sign aimed at me? I…I never really let myself love anyone, not since my parents died. With my mentor…well, though I was with him for a while, we never ever became friends. And then…the titans were formed. And I met her. I had always been attracted to her. I mean, she was so innocent, so carefree. She was the only one who saw past my mask, the only one who saw me. And she loved me for it. I lead her on. I let her think that there could be something between us, then tore her down."

Robin's shoulders stiffened when Twain asked, "Kid…why are you telling me all this?" His tone was soft, but Robin felt the burning sensation of humiliation. "Never mind. It was…just forget it."

"Now hold on a sec, kid. I'm just not used to you being so willing to talk. You seem like the kind who swerves away from conversations. I was just a bit thrown off. It's not that I don't want to hear you, it's just…unusual."

Robin's jaw clenched. "I…Starfire was really the only one I would talk to, but she's…gone. And I just need to get it off my chest. I didn't realize how much I do need to talk until…but never mind. Just forget it."

"Damn, kid, look—"

"Stop calling me kid," Robin snapped, folding his arm across his chest and slouching the seat. "I'm not a kid."

"Alright, Mr. I'm-not-a-kid," Twain drawled sarcastically. "I, uh…want to hear what you have to say."

It took Robin a moment before Twain's declaration sunk in. When it did, his golden orbs widened. "Are you serious? Wait, you're being a jerk, aren't you? You're making fun of me because—"

"Jeez, you take thing way too seriously." Twain sighed, his left foot taping against the floor. "I never got to have to talks with my parents and—"

Robin cut him off. "But I thought you said that you had a happy life."

"I did…but my father was always buried beneath paperwork or dealing with meetings, while my mother was too engrossed with her new husband. And then my little brother came along, and she forgot I existed. But that's not the point. Since I didn't have any one to talk to, I got into crap and things like that, so, yeah. But I know what it's like to not be able to talk. And…I'm willing to listen, if you'll talk."

Robin studied Twain's profile. "You're being too nice. Why?"

Twain's black eyes narrowed. "Because. You…remind me of how I was when I was growing up. And that's not a good thing."

Robin bristled. "What does that mean?"

"Stupid kid. That's what you are, you know. Stupid. But before you get all pissy, let me finish. You won't let any one near you, and when someone does get close, you shove them away. Sound familiar?"

Robin slouched down further into his seat and grunted. Twain rolled his eyes. "So…really. I don't mind listening."

"I…"

Twain sighed. "Don't worry about it. If you're not ready to talk, then far be it for me to force you." Twain flipped on the windshield wipers as the rain drifted from the sky.

Robin plowed a hand through his unruly hair, but left it there, his trademark scowl slowly softening. But still, he stayed quiet, watching the landscape from the car window.

Lex bit back a yawn, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Damn, but he was exhausted. He hadn't had a decent nights sleep since the damn White Rose Killer made his appearance. Oh, how he missed the days where normal hours of sleep could not be counted on one hand.

"I love her."

Twain blinked slowly, his eyes briefly studying Robin. His eyes were unseeing as he stared out the window, arms loosely folded over his chest. "But she thinks that I don't want her. She's gone and has no idea about how I feel, and it's my entire fault. I pushed her away because…you know…I don't know why I pushed her away. At first, I thought I was protecting her from me. But that wasn't the reason. And then it was because I was afraid of letting anyone close. But…I'm worse off alone. Without her…I'm useless. Without her…damnit, why did I have to hurt her? I didn't even have a reason."

"People do stupid things when they're in love, kid." Twain said softly. "I did, you did, everyone has. You just have to know when to fix it when the time comes. I know she's gone right now, but as long as you believe that you'll find her and tell her yourself, everything will work out."

Robin cleared his throat gently. "I guess." Suddenly, he sat up in his seat and threw a smirk in Twain's direction. "Since when have you become such a advisor?"

At first, Twain was thrown off by the teen's sudden change in attitude. But he quickly adjusted. "Yeah, don't get used to it. I don't normally do it."

"That's a good thing," Robin joked with a small laugh. "But thank you." He added softly, once again staring out the window.

"No problem, kid."

Not long after their conversation, Twain pulled into a long, paved driveway. Robin blinked at the large, two story house with small flowerbed beneath the windows. "It's…not like you at all," Robin finally admitted, cocking his head as he climbed out of his car.

Twain snorted. "Its Kate's doing. I would have never thought that a tomboy such as her would love flowers and things so much."

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and a pretty, very pregnant, blonde, stormed out. "Alexander Twain, where the hell have you been? You don't just waltz out of this house without…oh…" her voice trailed off when she spotted Robin. She blinked, her eyes on Twain. "Who is he?"

Twain sighed. "Kate, you need to be in bed."

She glared at him. "No. I couldn't sleep so get over it." She slowly waddled down the stairs, clad in large, bright pink pajamas, and stood in front of Robin. She was only of medium height, with big green eyes and a small scar across her bottom lip. She suddenly grinned, holding out a small hand. "I'm Katelynn, Lex's wife. And you are…?"

Robin hesitantly took her hand. "I'm Robin. I, uh, am—"

"Part of the Titans. You much more handsome than I thought." Robin blushed, but Kate only laughed. "Why don't you come inside? You're friends are still sleeping upstairs—"

"Kate, we need to go," Twain said softly, stepping forward to press a hand against her back. She glared, but it held less heat than before.

"Go where? You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

Lex rubbed the back of his head, avoiding his wife's eyes. "Look, we just need to get a few things and head—"

"Guns, flashlights, and dark clothes are on the table." Both men blinked.

"Guns?" Robin repeated slowly.

"Huh?" Twain was completely lost at his wife's proclamation.

Kate just sighed, folding her arms against her chest. "Stupid…Lex, you made a to-do list and left it on the table. It wasn't hard to figure out what you planned on doing. So, I waited up for you in hopes that you would come back." Her dark green eyes softened. "Alexander…you could lose your job if you're caught trespassing."

He shrugged, eyes downcast. "I know."

"Yet you want this?"

Robin blushed and turned away quickly when Twain leaned down to kiss his wife softly. That was not something that he needed to see. When he thought it was safe, Robin slowly turned back around. Twain rested his forehead against his wife's, his arms around her.

Robin cocked his head away from them, not wanting to interfere with their…snuggling.

"Will you still be here if I do lose my job?" He heard Twain asked softly and Robin suppressed a groan. He really shouldn't be here, with them having a tender moment. It was just…not right. But then again, the two lovebirds didn't seem to mind that he was there anyway…

"Idiot," she chided softly. "I'm carrying your children. Of course I'll still be here." Robin heard a sniff and had to wonder if it was Twain's wife or Twain…it had to be the wife. There was no way that Lex Twain would cry, especially with Robin standing not six feet away.

Robin dug the toe of his shoes into the ground, fighting the urge to rock back and forth. Truthfully, he shouldn't be embarrassed. It was a normal, every day thing to be in love and show it in public. I never showed Starfire any signs of love.

Before Robin could sink into depression at his thought, Twain grabbed the back of his jacket and literally pulled him into the front hallway. "God, you're slower than I am."

"There's no need to insult me," Robin snapped, digging his heels into the ground so he could jerk out of Twain's grasp.

Twain cursed and grabbed the back of his shirt even tighter. "Are you trying to wake everyone up?"

Lex's wife chuckled softly. "Uh, the two kids are probably already up. They're in the guest room playing tonsil hokey."

Twain froze. "Are you trying to tell me that they're having underage sex and you're allowing it?"

Kate only laughed harder. "Pervert. No, they're not having sex, just kissing. That's all that they've done. Relax, old man. You're old ears won't be bothered tonight."

"Why are they even in the same room?"

"Because, I think they need to be."

Twain had the insane urge to slam his forehead against the wall. "Katelynn…did you ever think that they just might let things get out of hand?"

Kate waved her hand like it was not an important matter. "Don't worry. Everything's under control. I talked to them before I let them in the same room. And anyway, the door is wide open and I told them that Connor is in the room next to them and if they do anything that might disturb them, I would arrest them both for underage sex. Connor will tell me if he hears any strange noises."

Twain tripped, but easily regained his balance. "Are you daft, woman? You left my child next to romping teenagers?"

"They're not romping, and don't call me daft, jackass."

"I wouldn't if you weren't so stupid. God, I can't believe you—"

"Alexander," Kate said slowly, the threat hanging in the air though it was never said. "Get your things, change, and leave."

Robin wondered what Twain looked like about now, seeing as he couldn't see the older man's face. Robin was suddenly jerked to his feet and standing next to Twain, who, miraculously, looked frightened. Oh, the power of women.

"Now," Twain's wife continued, "I laid everything out here on the table, so all you have to do is change."

Robin walked to the large, mahogany dining table, quickly studying the accessories. His gold eyes studied the black guns with apprehension. "Why do you have guns laid out like this?"

Kate blinked. "Oh, well, incase you run into something. It's always good to be armed when going into unknown territory."

"Do you think that we'll actually need them?" Robin grimaced. He hated guns. Loathed them with a deadly passion. He always had, since he had been but a mere child. There was no reason behind his hate; save that it was the only real weapon in this day in time that could kill. Yes, there were thousands of weapons like that, but a gun was the most common used. And he had dealt with being held at gunpoint more times then he liked to admit. It came with the territory of being a Teen Titan.

"I don't know, but I would sleep better knowing that both of you were protected."

Robin watched at Twain picked up the weapon with skilled ease. The gun seemed to fit perfectly into the detective's hand.

"You've killed people with that thing, haven't you?" Robin asked quietly. Both Twain and his wife stiffened and Robin flinched. He suddenly remembered what Twain had told him earlier. Twain had killed the man who injured his wife.

Twain said nothing as he laid the firearm down on the table and picked up the folded clothes. He chunked them at Robin, who caught it with ease. "Get changed and hurry up. We only have a couple of hours before sunup."

"Follow me," Kate ordered quietly, her back ramrod straight. Robin gnawed on his lower lip as he followed the pregnant woman. It was fine if he made Twain uncomfortable, but his wife was a different story.

"I'm sorry about asking that. I didn't mean any harm. Twain told me what happened, and I was stupid and…I'm sorry."

Tension slowly eased from her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

Robin stared at the floor. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories, Mrs. Twain. I usually speak without thinking."

She sighed. "Really, don't worry about it. It's just that Lex is sensitive about that. He knows he had to, but it's painful, knowing you took another's life. But lets no worry about that now."

Now uncomfortable around the woman, Robin kept his eyes on the floor, never even lifting them when Mrs. Twain said, "You can change in here. Since you're taller than Lex, the pants might be a tad bit short, but it'll be dark and you won't be able to notice."

Robin walked into the small bathroom, plopping down on the toilet and jerked off his shoes. Why did he even have to open his big mouth in the first place? It hadn't even been any of his business. Twain had already told him that it had been the first time he killed a man, yet Robin had to be an idiot and ask 'you've killed people with this thing, haven't you'? Stupid.

Robin sighed as he worked the tight black sweater over his head. He noticed quickly that he was wider in the shoulder area, for the shirt stretched tightly over his chest, almost to where it was uncomfortable. Robin regarded the pants with a scowl, deciding that he would keep his dark jeans on. It was close enough to black.

Robin jerked his shoes back on and walked out of the room, only to have something slapped on his head. His eyes momentarily crossed as he stared at the bill of a cap, but he pushed it up quickly to see Twain leaning against the wall.

"What's this for?" Robin asked, taking the hat off to study it. It was a simple black, with an Orange County Chopper logo across the front.

"It's raining, not snowing, and it'll be easier to see with that covering your eyes from the rain. Although the ground is covered in snow…damn…maybe it won't matter."

"Oh," Robin said simply, smoothing back his unruly hair so he could slap the hat on. "You ready?"

Twain nodded, grabbing his cap and sliding it on. "Yeah. We need to load up on the weapons, though."

Robin remembered the guns and cringed. "I don't have to carry one, do I?"

Twain rolled his eyes. "Awh, is the little Boy Wonder scared of an itty-bitty gun?"

Robin bit back a cruel retort, instead lowering his head so that the baseball cap hid his flaming eyes. "I don't use guns."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Unless you want a kitchen knife, you're stuck with the gun. That is, unless you want to go defenseless."

"I can take care of myself. I can use martial art better than most humans. I've trained with the best."

"Alright, Mr. Macho, whatever you say. Now lets get everything together an head to the forest."

Robin scowled but it died when Mrs. Twain came into view. "Oh, you both look so darned handsome!" Kate squealed, laughing gleefully. "My, my, if I weren't married and if it wasn't illegal, I'd be all over you, Robin."

Robin blushed heavily while Twain growled. "We're leaving, Katelynn." Twain muttered, sulking and turning on his heel.

Kate laughed. "And they say that pregnant women are easily offended."

Twain ignored her, slipping his gun into his shoulder holster. He eyed the other firearm blandly. "You sure you don't want it, just in case?"

"No. Anyway, I don't have a license to carry one, and if we were caught, I'd be thrown in jail."

"Whatever." Twain's mood seemed to plummet when he realized the kid was right. What was wrong with him? Why the hell had he not thought of that? And he was supposed to be one of the best. Lex sighed, snatching the flashlight off the table.

"Let's go. We don't have much more time before the sun rises." Robin grudgingly followed the older man out of the house, but paused when Kate darted past him. He blinked rapidly. Damn, for a pregnant woman, she sure was fast. Kate called out Twain's name, and before he could turn around, his wife was throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Robin glanced away, but without a blush. Instead, the corners of his mouth lifted. What would it feel like to have someone love you so dearly…damn. He had known what it had felt like, but he had ignored it. And now, he couldn't remember how it had felt when Starfire had shown her love to him so clearly. She had shown him love, but he ignored it. Robin felt the despair wash over him, but refused to succumb to it. Becoming depressed would not help matters any. He could hate himself later, but now, he had to find Starfire.

When he glanced back up, Robin found Twain grinning down at his wife. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Kate laughed and swatted her husband's shoulder. When she pulled away, Twain called out, "Let's go. I want to get this over with so I can sleep. Oh, and Kate, you better check on those two kids."

Kate rolled her eyes as she walked back into the house, shutting the door behind her.

Robin heard a door slammed and turned to see Twain already in the car, eyes narrowed impatiently. Wishing there was time to be a smartass, Robin climbed into the vehicle.

It took twenty minutes to get to their destination. The rain was pouring down in sheets, soaking them the minutes they stepped foot onto the mud covered ground.

Slipping on the Night-ray goggles and adjusting them, the two men grabbed the flashlights and ventured into the thick woods. Twain kept his eyes in front of him while Robin searched the ground in search of…anything.

After two grueling hours, Twain and Robin paused, leaning against the trunk of the trees. "Damnit, I can't find anything incriminating."

"All I see is leaves and dirt. This better not have been a bloody wild goose chase, Twain. I am freezing my ass off, and Starfire's not here, so there's no point in staying." Robin sighed, turning so that his back was pressed against the wood and let the back of his head hit the trunk. "She's not here and we're just wasting valuable time." Robin pulled the bill of his cap over his eyes, his body shaking with cold.

"Let's just look a bit longer, alright?"

Robin let his eyes flutter shut. He was exhausted, cold, irritable, and scared half to death. Starfire was not here, so what was the point off—

"What is that?"

Robin's eyes snapped open as he jerked his gaze to Twain, who was peering into the black depths of the wet forest.

"What's what?" Robin asked hopefully, thinking that maybe he had seen some sign that Starfire might be there, but smothered it, figuring the loony detective saw a bird or something.

"Is that a cave?" Twain leaned in further, eyebrows drawn together as he studied the yawning hole in the suffocating darkness. His shoulder's stiffened when he saw something dart out of the hole. Without thinking, Twain grabbed Robin's collar and threw him to the ground, both hitting their stomach.

"What the—"

Twain slapped a hand over the boy's mouth, eyes narrowed as a voice drifted towards him.

"Damn idiot. Can't do anything right." The figure started to curse before it disappeared back into the cavern. Robin's entire body was stiff, as was Twain's. What the hell was going on? Could it be…could they have found the White Rose Killer's hideout? But Twain couldn't jump to conclusions. First, he had to—

"We have to go in there," Robin said quietly, his finger's digging into the wet ground. He knew it could just be a teenager walking, but all of this was too suspicious.

"We can't just go barge in there like idiots, Robin. We need a plan, and backup maybe—"

"But Starfire could be in there." Robin flinched at how pathetic he sounded, but Twain just sighed. "We don't know if she is there, kid. For all we know, that was just a wanderer—"

"Don't move." Twain felt his heart stop when he heard the cocking of a gun. Damn it. "Hands above your heads, now."

Robin's eyes were bright in the gloom as he glanced at Twain. Slowly, hesitantly, Robin placed his palms behind his head, Twain following suit. Robin bit back lewd curses as his arms were jerked behind his back and cold metal handcuffs were secured around his wrists. Damnit all to hell! Of all the times to get caught, it was now. And who the hell would be out here at four in the morning? Had someone known? Followed them? Or was the man they saw a guardian of the woods? Someone that the lowlife mayor had paid to watch his land, to make sure whatever secret he had was not found out, maybe?

Before Robin could finish his thoughts, he was jerked to his feet, his chest being slammed against a tree. His forehead hit the tree hard, tearing the skin, but he was too damn angry to care. Twain was receiving similar attention.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" The man holding Robin snarled, shoving something hard between Robin's shoulders. Robin couldn't help but role his eyes. Here he was, handcuffed and practically vulnerable, and a man was holding him a gunpoint. Was the man weak or something?

"I could ask you the same question," Twain snapped, gnashing his teeth when something hard struck the back of his head. He bit back a curse. The blow had hurt like hell, but it hadn't been hard enough to knock him out.

"Lex?" He heard someone say, and Robin felt the color drain from his face. He knew that voice. It couldn't…but why would he be here?

"What he hell are you doing here, Waylin?" Lex asked, his voice hard. "Are you…why…were you following us?"

"No, no," Waylin said quickly, releasing Twain. "We…damnit, Lex, what are you doing here?"

Twain turned to face his partner, gently rolling his stiff neck. It pounded painfully and Twain felt a hot trail of blood run down his spine. Damn, what had Waylin hit him with? "I'm trying to save children from the White Rose." Twain said calmly, though his mind was a whirlwind of questions. Why was he here? Was he protecting the mayor, watching the forest? Had he followed him here? But…why?

"Twain…we're going to have to take you downtown," Waylin said softly. "We were ordered to arrest anyone who trespasses—"

"So you are helping him," Twain murmured, his heart clenching. Waylin had always been a good friend to him, but…was he betraying him? No, he wasn't. Waylin was just going his job, nothing more, nothing less. But…it still hurt, knowing that Waylin was protecting a man that might be responsible for almost raping and murdering his daughter.

"Shit, man, you can quite slamming my head against the damn tree!" Robin snapped, jerking his head back so his crown connected with the other man's chin. The man yelped in pain, stumbling backwards. Robin groaned as he head pounded.

"What the hell do you think—?"

"I'm sorry, Twain, but we're have to take you in." Twain said nothing as Waylin lead Robin and him to the police car and herded them into the backseat. Twain let a grim smile rest against his mouth. The last time he had been the one in the backseat was when he was only fourteen, and being herded to Juvenile for the first time. Twain pushed the unhappy thought from his mind and glanced at Robin. The kid's jaw was clenched as he stared out the window. A tiny trickle of blood ran down the middle of his forehead, sliding across the bridge of his nose and drifting to the side. Robin cursed, using his shoulder to wipe off what he could.

"I swear to God I will kill the man who did that."

Twain watched as Waylin climbed into the drivers seat. It might be true that Waylin was protecting the mayor's forest, but it could also be that Waylin had not put everything together. Maybe he didn't think that these woods had anyting to do with the White Rose Killer. That could be it. Waylin had not always been the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to putting two and two together. He was more of a shoot first ask later type of guy.

Robin's eyes narrowed when Waylin's accomplice slithered in. The man was a tall and lanky, with a cocky smile and smug eyes. Just by looking at him, Twain found the officer unbearable.

"Why you cocky little bastard! What right to you have slamming defensive peoples' heads against the wall like that?" Robin roared the minute the man's butt touched the seat. But the man only laughed.

"It's how criminals should be treated." Waylin winced and Twain's eyes narrowed. "You'll get fired mighty fast with an outlook like that."

"And who asked you, old man?" Twain would have loved to reach over and slap the kid until he apologized for calling him old, but he merely sighed. Robin slouched down in his seat, eyes immediately going to the road. What was it with the kid and looking out windows?

Twain knew that Waylin was constantly watching him in the review mirror, but he ignored him. It was…just unnerving, even if Waylin didn't know what he was working for. Hell, not even Twain knew what was going on, but now, blaming the mayor seemed pretty good. The mayor might or might not be the WRK, but it made no difference. It was all to damn suspicious for Twain's taste.

When his office building came into view, Twain smothered a groan. It seemed that in just a few seconds, he future would probably change drastically.


Where could she be? Raven sighed, scooting her body closer to Beast Boy's. She had seen what Starfire had, but nothing registered. A cave, maybe, but where were caves located in Jump City? Was it even a cave? Shit.

She bit her lip, resting her curled fist beneath her chin while she watched Beast Boy sleep. It was…strange, knowing that she and Beast Boy were now lovers. She felt different, of course, but in more than just body. She felt…happy. Raven tilted her head to the side at her internal proclamation. And having sex for the first time was not what made her happy. It was the fact that Beast Boy was hers. In body, mind, heart…she knew Beast Boy loved her. He didn't have to tell her. He showed her. Her protected her, sheltered her, made her feel human. No one had ever done that to her. No one had ever made her fell like she could be something.

Raven sat up slowly, curling her legs beneath her as she watched his chest rise and fall. It was amazing how one person could change something so quickly. Raven had always believed that she was worthless, an evil half-breed being controlled by another. But now, she felt clean. Pure. Her heart and blood felt less tainted, more human. Raven sighed, reaching out to trace Beast Boy's cheekbone with her knuckles. His skin was warm and soft beneath her fingers.

Raven let her fingers slid down his jaw, pausing to run her nail across his full bottom lip, and tap it against his fang lightly. He stirred, but stayed asleep. She sighed, letting her eyes travel to the alarm clock. It wasn't even six o'clock yet. She was exhausted from Beast Boy's constant attention, but she couldn't sleep, not now, when she could maybe contact Starfire.

She brushed her lips across Beast Boy's before she climbed out of the bed, completely nude and cold as hell. She grabbed Beast Boy discarded shirt and slipped it on, along with his boxers. Raven walked to the fireplace, where she sat down, Indian style, and glanced behind her to make sure he was still sleeping. He was sprawled out like a child, snuggling with a pillow. Raven rolled her eyes before slipping them shut.

With a deep sigh, Raven willed her body to relax. She had only done this once before in her life, when she had seen through Robin's eyes when he had been the only one to see Slade. Now it was Star's turn.

Raven rolled her neck and shoulders, her mind reaching out to Star's. Starfire? Can you hear me?

Please tell me I am not losing my mind and hearing voices, came Starfire's voice, drifting through her mind and seeming to wrap around her heart. Raven let out a sigh, her lips curving in mild amusement.

You're not losing your mind, Star. It's me, Raven. I want to see through your eyes. Maybe I can figure out where you are.

Starfire snorted, I cannot move. I am paralyzed, though I can feel everything. I just can't move my arms, or head, only my mouth and eyes. But I have yet to figure out where I am by studying the ceiling. But Raven, I think he is targeting Hannah and Harley next. I overheard them speaking earlier. But even so, I heard them say that they would not touch Mallory or me until they had captured each one of us.

Them? You mean there is more than one of them? Damn. But Harley and Hannah will be safe. Hannah and Ethan are staying with Twain and Harley and Colt have a hotel. They will both be fine. Now, let me just—

Raven, Starfire asked quietly. How…how is Robin? I mean…how is he taking my being kidnapped?

…Not good, Star. He's taking this really hard. I've never seen him so depressed or hurt or angry with himself. He hates himself. I think he loves you, Starfire.

She was quiet for so long, Raven wondered if her connection had broken, but she suddenly said, I will have to hear that for myself. Now, let us get this over with so you can find me and bring me home so I might kick Robin's butt.

Raven's mouth twitched in amusement as she readied herself. Alright, are you ready?

Yes, I am.

Raven said her mantra slowly, her eyes turning a solid black while her sprit was transported to Starfire's body. Immediately, she was inside her best friend's head, seeing what she saw, feeling what she felt. At first, the pain in her head and hand made her dizzy, but she quickly got over it.

Her body was paralyzed and she was unable to turn her head. With an aggravated sigh, Raven studied the ceiling. Rocks. It had to be a cave of some sort. But where would a cave be located? A beach? A forest? A…hold on a second…Hannah had been found near a forest. Maybe…hot damn! That's where she was! It had to be there, in the forest Hannah had escaped from.

Raven slowly drifted back to her own body, her heart pounding in anticipation. Starfire, tell me, have you heard any noises, like maybe an owl hooting, or crickets, anything like that?

Umm…now that you mention it, I have heard the hooting of owls and chirping of crickets. Why do you ask?

Perfect. I have a feeling I know where you are…I think. I will have to do research, but I think you are in a forest somewhere. Maybe even the forest that Hannah escaped from. I'll get Robin and Beast Boy to help me look there tomorrow—

Raven? Starfire's voice was inquiring, making Raven wary instantly. It was the tone that had her on edge, for this was too curious, not the happy curios. What the hell was she interested about?

When…you saw through my eyes…I could have sworn I witnessed some of your memories. Did you and Beast Boy—

I'm exhausted, so I best lay down so I can find you tomorrow, Raven stuttered, trying to shift the conversation from the area.

Ah ha! You have mated with Beast Boy! I knew it! Oh, how glorious for you! This is wonderful. I shall sing you the song of love!

No! I mean, I really am tired, Starfire. I'll get a search going tomorrow, alright? But now I gotta get some rest.

Alright. You do not need to be in a rush, though, for we will be untouched until they have you and the rest under their control. Please rest, then come and get me. I would not be pleased if you searched for me somnolent. Raven's eyes opened slowly, zoning in on the dwindling fire. She really was tired.

Raven uncrossed her legs, letting her feet touch the floor before she turned around. Beast Boy was sitting up in bed, head cocked while he watched her. The coverlet concealed his lap, but his chest was visible in the orange glow of light.

"What were you doing, Rae?" He asked softly, his green eyes heavy with sleep. Heat pooled in her stomach, and all he had done was speak.

She blushed, but was too tired to lie. "I was contacting Starfire," she yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think I know where she is."

"What? Really?" Beast Boy was instantly awake and was jumping out of the bed, wrapping the white sheet around his waist before he walked over to her. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling. She had seen every inch of him, yet he was covering up. But she found his modesty adorable.

He stood before her, towering over her by almost a foot, and rested his hands against her sagging shoulders. "You're exhausted, Rae. I know you want to find her, but you have to sleep before we can look for her. I won't have you passing out on me."

Raven nodded, allowing him to lead her to the bed. But she tugged her hand from his when they approached the bed. His eyes lifted to hers in perplexity, at first not understanding what she was doing until she jerked his shirt over her head. He blinked rapidly as she finished undressing and climbed beneath the covers. He followed suit, a bit surprised at her sudden openness.

She waited until he was completely submerged under the covers before she made her move. In no time flat, she was straddling his waist, eyes tired, yet alight with rare mischievous. She watched his gorgeous green orbs cloud with desire and let the corners of her mouth lift in a smile.

"I think that there's in only one way that I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Slowly, she leaned down to kiss him.


Yippee for me! Zee chapter had been finished! I would have written more, but I decided to cut it off there, because what I have planned next is worth a chapter by itself. Well, guys, I hate to say this, but the White Rose is getting close to the end. There aren't many chapters left to go. I shall be sad when I finish it. But I won't get all sentimental until I post the last chapter. Oh, yeah, have to say this. When I found out that I had 1001 reviews, I flipped. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I truly never thought that it would get to that many…wow…but I shall dedicate this chapter to everyone who ever reviewed for The White Rose. Until next time!

Oh, yes, I am sorry for this mistakes, but I just had to get this posted as soon as I could.