I am so sorry! I know it has been awhile, but with family problems, procrastination, school shopping, schedule mishaps, doctor's appointments, school starting—biggest reason— Ecoli, and Bleach, I just haven't had the time. But again, I am so sorry. Dude, I just found out why I was so sick—I was literally laid up for an entire week—I had freaking Ecoli. From stupid Jack-in-the-Box, too. I refuse to ever eat there again…nasty.

I got a flame, but to me, it's not imporant, so I won't bore you with the details. But I will bore you with the fact that I am completely obsessed with Bleach. Heck, this has caught my attention more than Naruto has, which is hard to imagine. I have fallen in love with Hitsugaya and Hinamori, as well as Rukia and Ichigo. That's not imporant, though.

Oh dear… we had to write a stupid, meaningless Essay in English III and our teacher made us turn in our introduction with our thesis. He was flipping through them while we wrote our second paragraph when he stopped and said something about finding something in papers that shows that some of his students are deep thinkers and what not, but dude, then he started to read my thesis! I thought I was going to die. Everyone knew who wrote it, and they gave me these looks like, "Yeah, we know, we know. You're a geek." Well, not really, but seriously. That was the only one he read aloud! He said he would have never thought to write a thesis with so much depth and personality. Argh…so embarrassing…but at least he liked it…

Now that all this has been said, here's the next installment of the White Rose. By the way, I think there will only be two or three chapters left. Then, I start on the sequel! Ooh, right. How many of you want a sequel? Will anyone be interested if I write one? Not many people take kindly to OC's and that is mainly what TWR: PoB will be about. But I do need to know, for if you don't want a sequel, then I need to completely change the ending I have planned. If it's not too much, do you think you could tell me in your review? I would be much obliged if you did…

By the way, this chapter was written while listening to the coolness that is Enigma and Nightwish. Also, this chapter is fifty-two pages long, so I hope that makes up for the late updating.

XxX

There were very few times in his life where he had been scared. He was taught at a young age that emotions were nothing but a hindrance to him and those he wished to save. It was drilled into his head—before the martial arts, the stealthy moves, the weaponry training—that emotions killed. It was impossible to feel anything and succeed in the real world. And being the young, hurt little boy who had just lost his entire life in one brief moment, he gobbled up the information like a starving man, just to save himself from the pain that ate away at his soul. So he lived most of his life a loner, spending all of his days and nights learning the trade of a hero, with Bruce Wayne and Alfred as his only companions. Neither one was much into talking, Bruce being a depressed billionaire who scurried around in a cave beneath his mansion in tights and thrived on the action that villains produced, and Alfred being nothing but a butler who added, "Yes, Master Robin," to everything he said.

With that being his entire childhood and half of his teen life, Robin didn't know how to express emotions normally, so being frightened was something he wasn't used to. Of course, he felt frightened when his friends were in the hands of Slade or some whacked up psychotic villain who thought that ruling the world would be easy. But even then, when he knew that his friends were in danger, he locked his emotions up so he could think logically and not like that of a man who knew he could lose his friends any second. It had just come naturally, shoving everything he felt into the back of his head. Maybe that was why it was so easy to hurt Starfire.

But as he watched Starfire fall, heard her body hit the hard ground beneath, a numbing fear took over. He couldn't get rid of it, or push it into a box and lock it away like he did with his other emotions. Instead, it clogged his throat and colored his vision a hazy gray. His hands and feet refused to move, and the only thing he could get out was a hoarse cry of, "Starfire!"

And then he was moving forward, leaping over the prone bodies of the White Rose killers to get to her. He slipped in something thick and wet, but refused to think about what it was. All he wanted was to get to her. He hit his hands and knees beside her, his hands shaking as he gently turned her onto her back. He smoothed a strand of red hair from her forehead, his heart constricting painfully at the cuts and bruises marring her features. Robin pressed two fingers against her bloodied neck, letting out a breath that he had no idea he was holding when he found her pulse. It was too slow for his liking, but it was there, and that was all that mattered.

"Oh, Starfire, I'm so sorry. So sorry." He ran his hands over her to find all and any wounds that he could when his eyes landed upon the large red stain on her abdomen. His hands hesitated briefly over it, but it didn't last long. In seconds, he had the shirt open, covering only her breasts, to provide some sort of protection.

"Dammit, Starfire," he murmured, his heart sputtering to a stop, only to resume a fierce pounding that vibrated in his ears. The wound was deep, but only about an inch or two wide. To any normal human, it seemed fatal, but he kept in mind, chanted it, that Starfire wasn't human. She was an alien, and Robin prayed to the gods above that she was made differently than everyone else.

Without thinking, Robin ripped off his sweater, tearing it into thin strips. He wrapped it around her, making sure to tighten it enough so it stopped some of the blood flow.

Robin picked her up, vaguely surprised that, even as deadweight, she was light. He finally took in the sight before him, his mouth turning down in a frown. Colt was holding a frail, thin girl in his arms, fighting back the physical and emotional pain as he smoothed back a cascade of reddish blonde hair and looking as if the world had completely shattered around him. Robin realized that the small girl he was holding was Harley, the quick-tempered girl who was quick to smile and even quicker to help out a friend. But now, she was so fragile, and from the look of it, Colt knew it as well.

Wyatt was no better. The tough-as-nails Goth that was so close to being a clone of Robin was actually tearing up as he tried to stop the blood flow that pooled around Mallory's ruined cast. He didn't sob, or whimper, but his eyes were bright, too bright, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. He picked Mallory up slowly, flinching in pain when the added weight pulled cruelly at his wound. He adjusted her to where she rested against his chest, but it did nothing to soothe the aching pain in his eyes.

Ethan's frown was fierce as he shoved the now broken body of the mayor to the ground with his foot, Hannah tucked safely in the comfort of his arms.

It took him but a moment to realize that he had not seen Beast Boy. He glanced around quickly, gold eyes scanning the cave even though the light was meager, coming to finish what the others had not done. He found him hunched over Raven, one hand holding his chest while the other tugged futilely at the chains around her ankles.

"Dammit," he snarled, giving another vicious yank at the metal, but his hands slid off and he ended up stumbling backwards. Robin frowned, carefully shifting Starfire's weight so he could help his wounded teammate. He reached for the metal cuff, his fingers brushing against it. His hand jerked back instinctively when it came away coated in a sticky substance. He stared at the dark, thick liquid, realizing that the reason Beast Boy could not get her undone was because everything, even the ground beneath her, was coated in her blood.

"I can't…" Beast Boy panted, his eyes dull with pain, "I can't get her undone." Robin knew that it wasn't just physical pain that had his eyes shifting to a dark green, and quickly reached down to help.

"I would give anything for Cyborg to be here," Beast Boy murmured, his voice bordering on pleading.

"Did someone wish for the almighty Cyborg?" Robin whirled to the booming voice, his shoulder sagging in relief.

"Cy."

"The one and only." Cyborg walked into the cave, his large size seeming to cram the small space. Behind him, over a dozen members of the SWAT swarmed in. Beast Boy and Robin stared, wide-eyed.

"How did you—I mean, when did—," Robin stuttered, and when he knew he couldn't form a coherent sentence, settled with, "Holy hell."

Cyborg grinned. The two flashlight perched upon his metal shoulders threw the cave into a yellow glow. "To make a long story short, I tracked you here, tried to take Detective Twain to the hospital, but he pulled the stubborn act when he woke up and made me take him to the Police Department, where he pulled a few strings, chewed out some ass, and then passed out happily when all was underway. He made sure to give me the say-so before he fainted, so, I, being the wonderful man I am, assembled an entire SWAT team, helicopter and all. That, and Waylin seemed to snap out of his I-don't-know-how-to-think-for-myself when Twain told him his best friend was about to rape his sixteen year old daughter. Amazing what you can accomplish in less than half an hour. And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to see in a helicopter with lightning and rain coming at you like bullets. Oh, and did you know this cave is a bitch to find from the sky? It looks like a wall of rocks and moss, but I saw the big gaping whole, and figured that it was a good place to start." Cyborg seemed to swell with pride. "And I managed it all on my own. Good thing the members of SWAT are on speed-dial and come fully packed."

"You sure have a knack for popping up when someone mentions they need someone's help," Ethan muttered dryly, his face straight when Cyborg turned to glare at him.

"This is what happens when you start the butt-kicking without me."

"How does that have anything to do with you showing up when someone even says that they need your attention?"

"Do you want to wail on me, or do you want to thank me for showing up? 'Cause I could have left your butt there in the forest and taken off myself."

Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but scowled, and said, "Thank you."

"Well, alright, then. Kinda figured you'd say that."

The rich teen opened his mouth to say a snappy retort, but it died on his tongue when Hannah was pulled out of his arms and taken away from him. "Wait—" But it was too late, for the man had already disappeared. Colt and Wyatt were treated the same way, both brooding silently as they lost sight of their loved ones once again. But all knew that it was for the best. They were taking them to treat wounds…speaking of which…

Robin opened his mouth to ask more, when Beast Boy suddenly grabbed onto his shirt, his clawed fingers piercing the cloth.

Cyborg finally took in the sight before him. His cocky air seemed to disappear immediately. "Beast Boy, are you okay?'

Beast Boy shook his head, and managed a weak, "Help Raven," before he collapsed, his body striking the hard ground beneath him. Robin tried to help him out, when his arms suddenly felt light. He glanced up, surprised to see another man holding onto Starfire. He reached for her, but Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder.

"They'll help her, Rob. You have to let her go." Cyborg leaned down to scoop Beast Boy into his arms.

"The last time I let her go, she ended up like this."

Unsure of what to say, Cyborg glanced around, cringing when he caught sight of Raven. Four black-clad men were quickly loosening her shackles. When the metal fell free from her skin, the man to her left reached to pick her up, when suddenly her body seemed to lift and hover above the blood-drenched slab. He drew back with a confused curse.

"She's healing herself," Robin murmured. The man exchanged looks with his partners before he asked, "Can I pick her up?"

"I'll do it," he said, moving past the to gather Raven into his arms. The last time Raven had healed herself, no one had touched her. Robin had no idea if touching her would keep her from healing her wounds or affect her, but he figured that if it did screw something up, it'd be easier to blame him and not a man who only planned on helping.

Said man shrugged and trudged off to help gather the mayor. At the moment, four men were trying to hoist the unconscious mayor off the ground but were having no luck, as the mayor seemed to outweigh even their group tally. It took two more to finally get him up, and by the time they managed to walk out of the cave, they were sweating and cursing.

Cyborg sighed, his human eye traveling over Robin's form. "Looks like no one made it out of this unscathed."

Robin unconsciously grabbed his upper arm. Slowly, he moved forward, towards the exit of the cave, followed closely by the rest. Stepping outside into the cold rain was like walking into a dream. The sound of the helicopter was deafening and sent dead leaves dancing in the air, but it barely registered in his head. His dark hair lashed at his face, but he didn't move it.

People scurried about as another helicopter approached. Glancing up, Robin was vaguely aware that this was the helicopter that had taken his parents away, even when they knew there was no hope in saving them. It was the helicopter that came down to help those that the Titans had failed to protect: the ones that rarely survived the trip to the hospital. It was the helicopter that was going to take Starfire away from him.

But there wasn't enough room for two of them. The SWAT copter barely fit as it was, for the clearing was no bigger than the rock that the tower was built upon. There was no way another could fit. Robin mused that this was the reason for the scurrying and yelling.

"We gotta get moving!" Robin watched as the SWAT members gathered inside.

"Come on! We need to board!" Cyborg yelled over the roar of the chopper, laying Beast Boy gently on the ground.

"What?"

"We gotta go!"

"But Starfire—"

"Needs serious medical attention! You'd get in the way!" Cyborg seemed to flinch when he said this, but Robin didn't notice. He knew Cyborg was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this might be the last time he ever saw Starfire, and it scared him.

Robin didn't object when Cyborg forcefully hauled him over his shoulder and handed him off to those in the helicopter. Headphones were placed over his ear to help dull the sound, and he was buckled into a spare seat. A few men stayed behind to guard the injured, and Robin was dimly aware that he was the only one who boarded. Wyatt, Colt, and Ethan were sitting down beside their loved ones, seemingly in pain.

Robin gazed out the window as the helicopter raised from the ground. Cyborg laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, providing comfort even if he never spoke. Robin managed to give his friend a small smile before he turned away to watch the forest disappear beneath him.

XxX

Robin was immediately taken to Jump City Hospital, where his arm was cleaned and bandaged. When he refused to speak of any other potential wounds, he was carted off to get X-rays. When all seemed fine, they moved him to his own room, doing their best to dodge the questions thrown at them.

"Where's Starfire? Is she okay? Dammit, tell me!" The poor nurse he had snapped at burst into tears and fled the room. Robin cursed, whirling around to scream at another innocent bystander, but quieted instantly when he saw Cyborg.

"They're here."

Robin made a beeline for the door, but Cyborg blocked him. Robin scowled and tried futilely to pry his arm from the doorway.

"Robin—"

"Damn it all to hell, Cyborg. Move your damn arm!"

"They're not doing too good, Robin."

Robin's entire body seemed to stiffen, before his arms fell back to his side.

"You might want to sit down."

"No."

Cyborg opened his mouth to object, but closed it, knowing that Robin was stubborn as hell.

He rubbed a metal hand over his forehead. "Robin…Raven's okay now. She healed herself on the way here, or so the doctor said, so now all we can do is wait until she's awake. But…Robin, Starfire lost a lot of blood, and although they went through with a blood transfusion, they don't know if her body will accept it. If it doesn't…there's not much they can do. They're trying their best…and her wounds…it would have killed any other human. That's all I could get from the doctor."

Robin closed his eyes, numbly walking to the chair beside his bed and sinking down in it. "And Beast Boy?"

Robin glanced up when Cyborg said nothing, and felt his heart drop into his stomach. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Cyborg shook his head slowly. "Not yet." He glanced away, staring at the pale blue walls. "He…he almost didn't make it here, Robin. He flat lined just as they were landing, and it took an entire minute to get his heart beating. His wounds…he was shot in the chest, Robin. More than once, and I figure he shifted with the bullet in him, because the nurse said that his muscles were ripped. They're…they're doing their best, but don't know if he'll make it through the surgery."

Robin felt his heart constrict when Cyborg lifted a hand to scrub at his human eye. Robin stood up slowly, moving away so Cyborg could sit down. He did, keeping his hand ever his eye. Robin perched on the edge of his bed, gazing out the window. The storm still lashed violently outside, the rain pelting the windows.

"I shouldn't have been so mean to him," Cyborg choked out, his hands fisting. "I shouldn't have made fun of him so many times. He…he couldn't help the fact that he was green, or liked tofu. I should have…"

Robin turned his head away when Cyborg wept.

XxX

Two weeks had passed since Robin had first walked into the hospital. Marty, Lance, and the mayor had been taken into custody, and were being charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, fraud (at least on the mayor's part), over a dozen counts of rape, and five counts of attempted rape. Their trial was to be held if and when all five girls were able to testify against them. In the mean time, they were being held in the Gothem penitentiary, where villains like Joker and Slade—if he was ever caught—were held.

Rebecca and Jonathan had managed to get away. Although there were search parties in three counties, no one seemed to be able to find them.

But things had not gone well for the victims. Only Wyatt and Robin were well enough to leave after the second or third day. Colt was pretty bad off, but was wide-awake and cursing the doctors for not letting him see Harley. He had begged them not to let Waylin anywhere near her, for it was partly his fault for her injuries. If it had not been for his fear of going against the mayor, his daughter would not be in intensive care. The only one really allowed to see her was her mother and siblings, for which Colt was grateful. Harley's mother even dropped by to tell him of her progress and would come in to fluff his pillow or bring him takeout when his own mother had to work. She seemed to fret over him when he moved wrong and ended up sending waves of pain through his neck and chest. Thankfully, Colt's collarbone had not been too badly broken, and all that had needed to be done was to secure his left arm to his side so it could heal properly. It was safe to say that he was kept on pain pills that left him a bit loopy.

Ethan could move around now, though he had to be put into a wheelchair so his leg could heal. It wasn't easy, especially since his shoulder was wounded as well, and it was Wyatt who usually pushed him around, much to their displeasure. It was then, with Wyatt pushing him that an officer had come to him, and told him that Hannah's mother had committed suicide after finding that her husband had been carted of to jail. She had left everything of hers to the mayor, but he received nothing since he was a convict now. And so Ethan inherited everything, from the mansion, to the money, for he was the mayor's last relative.

Mallory had gone through two surgeries to fix her leg, and was told that she would end up walking with a limp the rest of her life. Although they managed to fix most of the damage, she would be left with a long scar that would never heal. Wyatt stayed with her every day, only leaving to get her food, to go home and change, and to wheel Ethan around. Bumblebee brought Christian to her almost every day, and almost every day, Mallory cried when he left. She would not be able to leave for another two weeks, but would still have to make monthly appointments to they could check on the progress of her leg.

Hannah's knee had been successfully fixed, and her only surgery was her shoulder, which the doctor told her would be simple. The cuts along her torso had taken over two hundred stitches and would leave a scar, though it would not be too noticeable. She had not handled the news of her mother well. Even Ethan, who had ordered his bed to be placed near hers, could not tame her tears. Instead, he climbed into her bed and held her until she fell asleep.

Harley had heard of her father's betrayal and refused to take his calls, at least until she got out of the hospital. She couldn't handle the emotional pain on top of the physical, so all talk of her father was forbidden. Harley had gone through one surgery so far, and would have to have more during her life, for the knife wound had ripped numerous muscles. She would not be able to walk normally on the leg again, so until they could fix it, she was either to be put in a wheel chair or use crutches. She chose crutches. It took four stitches to close up her lip, and she was forbidden from any sexual oral activities—to which she had groaned in mortification and refused to look Colt in the eye for two days— and could only have something that could be taken with a straw.

Twain had been in bad shape when he was rushed to the hospital, and it had taken three surgeries to successfully remove the bullets and to mend the muscles torn. He had slipped into a coma for an entire week, but had awakened with an attitude from hell. Waylin had tried to visit him, but Twain had turned from him. Katelynn had handled his injuries surprisingly well, and only smacked him over the head once when he finally opened his eyes. But news of his heroic act had spread to Gotham, and the police force there had been so impressed with his work that they somehow managed to boot out the Chief and replace him with Twain. At first, Twain had been weary of the task, for he had lost all respect for the JCPD, but when he found that he would be the one to command everything, he gladly took the job.

Raven had slipped into a coma for three days to completely heal herself, and when she finally awoke, no trace of her wound remained. The doctor had wanted to run test to make sure everything was in working order, and when the results came back, Raven was completely healthy.

But for the rest of the Titans, things had not gone well. Starfire had been immediately taken to surgery, but because she was alien, a Tameranian specialist was called—Robin had taken the T-ship, along with Cyborg, and brought Galfore to Earth—and the earth doctors were shoved out of the room. Galfore and his team of Tameranian doctors had successfully removed one of her five stomachs and since the human blood was immediately destroyed by her Tameranian blood, Galfore volunteered to give his own. When they had done all they could do, they returned to their home planet, but Galfore had stayed. He waited with bated breath for her to wake up, before finally giving up after a week and returned as well. Robin refused to leave her side, and only left for a few minutes to visit Beast Boy. He never stayed long, for Raven was always with him.

Beast Boy barely managed to make it through the surgery. Raven had saved his life when she healed him in the hotel, but because Beast Boy shifted in his injured state, he reopened the wound in his back and ended up losing enough blood to kill a normal human. Thankfully, his animalistic traits kicked in and had managed to fuel his body with enough blood to keep him alive. All bullets had been successfully removed, and doctors did what they could to mend the muscles that had been damaged. But it hadn't been enough. Raven had tried to heal him, but she had already been too weak. Healing herself had taken almost all the energy she had and she couldn't seem to dig up enough to cure him. So she sat by his bed, her small hand in his, while she stared at the whitewashed walls.

It was how Robin found her now, curled in a chair beside his bed with her hand tucked in his. But Beast Boy's fingers were lifeless and straight against the bed sheets, and only moved when Raven would gently squeeze his hand. Robin leaned a broad shoulder against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest.

"You need rest, Rae."

Her eyes slowly moved in his direction, before returning to Beast Boy's face. "No."

"He doesn't even know you're there, Rae."

"Starfire does not know when you are there, either."

Robin frowned. "You should get cleaned up. It's nearly six, and you've barely had any sleep since…I'll stay with him."

Robin watched as her small fingers stroked the back of Beast Boy's hand, but Raven seemed to be unaware of the fact, for her eye had returned to stare at the wall.

"Shouldn't you be with Starfire?"

"Mallory's with her. They finally allowed her to move around, and the first thing she wanted was to see Star."

When Raven made no moved to reply, Robin sighed. "You're hurting yourself, Raven. Beast Boy wouldn't want that. He'd want you to get on—"

"Stop talking about him as if he's gone," Raven ground out, her eyes snapping to him. Robin ignored the lamp that shattered beside her, concentrating solely on Raven.

"You can cry, Raven. No one will care."

"It's none of your business."

"You're hurting."

"Of course I am."

"The let it out."

She turned dull eyes back to Beast Boy's lifeless figure. Her fingers were still against Beast Boy hands.

"Cyborg came in yesterday," she said after what seemed like hours. Robin was slightly taken aback by the change of subject, but kept quiet and waited for her to continue.

"He cried. It wasn't just silent tears, but these deep, wracking sobs that he made no move to hide, even though I was in the room. He begged Beast Boy to wake up, pleaded with him. He even said he'd become a vegetarian if he'd only show some sign of hearing him. And when nothing happened, Cyborg wiped his eyes, and left, but not before saying that he would never forgive him if he died. And you know what? I couldn't cry. I just sat there, watching, listening, and not once did a tear even escape. Cyborg cried, and I couldn't even manage one tear. Even now, as I sit here, I can't cry…"

Her fingers resumed their trek across the back of Beast Boy hand, but this time, she watched. "You know me better than any one…almost more so than Beast Boy…so tell me…why can't I cry? I'm not afraid of my powers anymore…so I should be more than able to, but why? Am I that heartless? He's so still…his breathing sometimes becomes ragged and there are times when his heart just seems to stop beating…even then, I can't cry. I just…don't understand…"

Robin moved from his position in the doorway to move to the window, where the storm still lashed out against the world. It had yet to cease since that night in the woods, where everything seemed to change. Robin parted the blinds unconsciously with his index finger and middle finger, gazing out at the flood.

"If you cry, you'll know it's over. Simple as that. The moment you cry is the moment that Beast Boy is gone. It's why I refuse to cry over Starfire. I haven't given up on her yet."

Robin moved back from the window, his eyes roaming over her back. "You really need to rest, Rae."

Raven said nothing; her body completely still except for her fingers, which had moved to caress the long length of his index finger. Knowing that he would have no impact, Robin moved toward the door. But he stopped when Raven's soft voice said, "I'm scared, Robin."

"I know," he replied just as quietly as she had. "I'm scared, too."

"What if he doesn't wake up?"

"Then we'll worry about it when it happens. For now, just be with him."

The corners of her mouth turned down. "I though you wanted me to get some rest."

Robin gave her an empty grin. "You and I both know you can't get any rest when he's like this."

She gave a tiny nod as she pulled her fingers away from Beast Boy. She watched him silently, hoping for any sign of movement. When he remained still, she moved toward the bathroom. Robin gave her a reassuring smile before heading towards the door once again.

He blinked and glanced back when Raven's small fingers grasped his shirt. "Could you…" She trailed off, her teeth tugging gently on the scab that covered her lip.

Robin shook his head in mild amusement. "Fine, I'll stay with him until you get out of the shower."

Raven gave him a small smile before slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door. The sound of the shower running filled the small ICU room moments later, blending in peacefully with the rain that pelted the windows. Robin sighed softly as he settled into the chair that Raven had previously occupied.

His eyes studied Beast Boy features before a frown settled upon his mouth. It was so weird that the happy-go-lucky prankster that had been his friend for years was so dull and lifeless. His skin had reverted to its old, comforting green, but it was pale and sickly, clashing horribly with the white bandages that covered his entire torso. Beast Boy just didn't fit. When he had been in the tower infirmary, he had always raised a ruckus, screaming at people to bring him tofu when Robin had unconsciously told him to stay in bed. He would groan and moan until Raven or Cyborg slapped him over the head, or would play a handheld that he would scream and yell over. He had never been quiet, even when he slept. But there was nothing now but the incessant heart monitor measuring his heart beat.

Robin leaned back against the chair, still warm from Raven's body heat.

"Looks like we got into one helluva mess, huh, Beast Boy?"

He wondered vaguely if the myth was true about comatose people being able to hear before he ventured on. "It's amazing how much really has changed. Before this, you still acted as if you were four, instead of eighteen, and I acted as if nothing mattered but my emotions and myself. Raven was still a tightwad, and Starfire…Starfire was still innocent and carefree. Now, you've matured well beyond any of us, and now we have the high risk of losing you. Raven can't seem to function properly without you being here, with us, and Starfire finally realized how cruel this world is. I…well, I lost everything that ever really mattered. I lost Starfire, my pride, my dignity. I might be losing my best friend. I don't think I really ever mentioned how much you truly mean to me, Beast Boy. At the hotel, you mentioned things that ripped me apart.

"You were right when you said that I did not trust you when you turned into a beast. The first thing I thought was getting rid of you because you could be a threat. I didn't believe in you, or you abilities, and I never apologized. I never told you that your presence can tame a heated atmosphere, or that you really are one of the best Titans on our team. I can't count how many times you've saved all of our asses, and no one ever told you that we appreciated you. Cyborg picked on your color and love for tofu, Raven insulted you, and I just ignored you. I always looked right through you. Until now, I never realized how selfish I really was. You were a teammate, yet I treated you as if you were beneath me because you tried to bring light into our dark world. And you let me. You'd just shrug it off and keep trying. It's not fair. It not fair how any of us treated you. You never deserved our anger or our disapproval. I hated myself so much that I figured I'd drag you and our team down. I've hurt so many people, Beast Boy, but you…you give them hope. Look at Raven. No one could have done what you did. Not me, not Cy, not Star. Only you have the power to make even the most reserved feel as if they are the most important in the world. I know that if you could actually hear me, you'd say I was getting all soft and weird, but, to tell the truth, these are things that I have always thought. Without you, we aren't the Teen Titans. We could never be a team without you.

"I would get on my hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness, but it wouldn't help matters any. That, and it would be sort of pointless, considering you probably can't even understand a word that I'm saying. You probably don't even know I'm here. But I do want you to know that you are one of my best friends, even if you can get a tad bit annoying. We can't survive without you, Beast Boy. You can't give up on us now, not when we need you most."

Robin leaned back slightly, watching Beast Boy expression. There was nothing, not even the flicker of his eyes beneath his eyelids. "Dammit, Beast Boy," Robin murmured softly. "Why do you always have to be so damn stubborn?"

"It's just who he is."

Robin glanced up to see Raven standing beside his chair, the soft scent of her soap filling his senses.

"How long were you there?"

"Long enough to hear you say that none of us treated him right."

"Oh."

"You were right, of course," she said, moving over to the bed and sitting beside Beast Boy's legs. "We all treated him as if he were nothing. Except Starfire, but she never knew how to drag someone down." Raven pulled her knees to her chin. "I'd give my soul to have him look at me again, even just for a brief moment."

"I know."

Raven reached out slowly to lay her hand across Beast Boy's bandaged chest. "I'm healing him tomorrow."

Robin's eyes widened. "Raven, are you completely—?"

"It doesn't matter. I won't let him suffer like this anymore."

"But what if—?"

"Dying doesn't scare me, Robin. It's losing Beast Boy that does." Raven turned her amethyst eyes to his gold one.

"If you had the chance to save Starfire, but knew you would die in the process, would you still do it?"

Robin never though of his answer before he replied, "In a heartbeat."

Raven smiled at him softly, and he knew he could say nothing to dissuade her. He returned her own smile with one of his own, and for the first time since he lost Starfire, it was genuine.

"I better go to Star."

Raven nodded.

And Robin did something he had never done in his entire life. He leaned down and brushed a tender brotherly kiss against her forehead. Raven's eyes went wide before she smiled.

"Goodnight, Robin."

"He won't give up now that he knows you're here for him."

It was strange, but somehow right to see the tears gathered in her eyes. She seemed so fragile, so human, and so normal. Robin turned to walk out the door, turning slightly to glance back at his teammates. Raven had carefully crawled beside Beast Boy, and was already spooned against his side; head nestled against his uninjured shoulder. She reached across to intertwine her fingers with his before she drifted off to sleep.

With a soft shake of his head, Robin flicked off the light.

The halls were silent as he headed back to Starfire. A young blonde nurse smiled sweetly at him as he passed the nurses station before burying her head in a large file. He blinked once when he noticed her face was flushed and felt a flash of admiration for himself when nothing happen. No tug of arousal or wave of smugness passed through his heart. There was absolutely nothing.

Just as he was about to round the corner to Starfire's hall, he heard Starfire nurse cry out his name. Feeling as if his entire soul had been ripped from his body, Robin took off at record speed, only to barrel headlong into Cyborg. He was knocked back a good foot, and for a moment, he laid there, dazed and confused. When the little versions of Cyborg seemed to stop dancing before his eyes, Robin blinked and tried to get up.

But he stopped when Cyborg's grinning face appeared before him. It took him but a brief second to digest that smile before his entire body seemed to melt in relief.

"The first thing she asked was for you."

He couldn't move the relief was so great. All the worry, the pain, the aching fear seemed to vanish, but left behind a weakness so strong that he found it difficult to even breath.

"Hey man, are you going to lay there in the floor like a big ol' puddle of hair gel or are you going to tell her all the things I know you want to?"

Cyborg leaped back when Robin launched to his feet and darted past him like the devil was nipping at his heels. Then again, Robin had nearly ripped himself to pieces when Starfire had been in a coma, so maybe the devil had come to wrangle in his soul now that Starfire was up and about.

He blinked, poking his head in briefly. But it wasn't what he expected. Robin was standing in the middle of the room, looking as if he were made of stone. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Confused, Cyborg allowed his eyes to drift to Starfire. Her head was turned away from Robin, but there was no mistaking the tears lighting her eyes. Oh. Robin was torn between comforting her and running. The poor boy had no idea what to do.

Cyborg pulled back and shut the door softly. The nurse who had been waiting beside him with a box of tissue frowned.

"That's it? He just stands there? Teenagers," she muttered before turning back to her desk. "And here I thought he would give this gorgeous speech that would have me in tears."

Cyborg felt his nonexistent eyebrows rise. "Uh, you wouldn't have been able to hear it even if he did…"

"Ever heard of spying? Jeez, you kids are so slow these days."

Choosing to ignore that, Cyborg gave one final glance at the door before he sighed, and wondered off back home to his fiancé.

XxX

She looked away from him. Everything he had planned to say, all the apologies and words of love died in his throat when she turned from him. And so he stopped in the middle of the room, hands by his side as he tried to figure out his next move.

The absolute happiness at seeing her raged a dangerous war with the pain clogging his heart at her blatant rejection. She hated him, and was not afraid to show it. His mind screamed at him to run, to let her be alone to deal with all the hurt he had shoved on her, but his heart whispered for him to tell her everything, to try to make things right again. At the moment, neither side was wining.

He was a coward, but he couldn't walk away. He didn't want her to hurt, but he was selfish, and wanted to explain his wrongs. Every option his mind came up with seemed to shatter within his mind. All he could see was the pain in her eyes, the pale tint of her skin, the distinct wounds and bruises marring her once flawless body.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." It didn't even sound like his voice. The sound that came out of his mouth was weak, and coated thickly with a pain he had no right to feel, not when she had gone through so much hardship.

"Nothing you say or do can hurt me more than you already have." It killed him, ripped his heart and soul to shreds to hear that monotonous voice that was deep with unshed tears.

He wanted to run, wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, wanted to erase all the wrong he had done, but all he could do was stand there, immobile.

"You never deserved this."

The tears in her eyes finally slipped down her bruised cheeks, and he broke, shoulder's sagging. He legs seemed to give from beneath him, and he hit his knees, body bending forward until it he was in a begging position.

"Sorry won't help the pain, or take away what I did."

He didn't have to look up to know the tears were coming faster, harder, that she was doing everything in her power to stop them.

"I hate myself."

He was ripping her apart again, but this time, it was worse. He was tearing down her barrier that she had been forced to build to keep the pain away. He was tearing, ripping, shredding everything she had worked so hard to build for his own selfish reasons, and he loathed himself, what he was, what he had become, but he couldn't stop.

"I lost you, and I couldn't survive. I couldn't work, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't breath. You weren't there and I collapsed. I shoved you away, ripped you apart until you were bare and bleeding, and still have the gall to love you."

He could hear the muffled sobs, the soft pleas, begging him to stop, to stop hurting her, to stop messing with her head, but he ignored her, as he always did.

" I have no right to sit here and beg for you to take me back. It's so wrong that I'm sitting here, hurting you again, even though I don't mean to. But I'm selfish. And greedy. I won't stop until I have you again. I'm only thinking of myself, but I can't fathom living without you. I can't imagine anyone else touching you but me, anyone else marrying you and dying with you but me. You were nearly killed because I was so God damn selfish, but I still want you with me. Always."

He was crying without knowing; voice cracking and hoarse, pain and tears burning his throat until he choked. But he didn't stop, even when she begged him to stop, to rest, to sit down and drink something, anything. She understood. She knew. Stop hurting yourself. Please.

"I hate what I am without you. I hate what I do, what I've become. I don't deserve what you gave me, what you've given me, but I've taken it selfishly. I destroyed everything, and nothing can fix it. I could tell you everyday how sorry I am that I hurt you. I could tell you that I hurt you because I was scared. That I was afraid of losing you like I did my parents. I could tell you that I wanted you to have better than a bird with broken wings and no real future. I could tell you that when I saw you hurt and broken that I wanted to scream and cry and beg God to take me, hurt me and not you. I could tell you that I love you more than I love my own life, but it won't change everything. You'll always hurt, and bear scars that no one should have. You'll still cry at night because I was selfish and cruel, and destroyed that innocence that made you who you are. I want to take it back, but I can't. I want to erase the darkness in you heart that I caused, but I can't. I can't, and that kills me."

And then she was in front of him, taking him into her arms, wounds still raw and bleeding. She was in pain again because of him, bending at the waist to press her forehead against his shoulder and murmur words of love and forgiveness that he didn't deserve.

He didn't deserve it, it was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, but he couldn't stop it, refused to stop it, and his soul was crying, bleeding aching, all for her, all for her. She was hurting for him, taking herself apart again to make him feel better, and he hated it. Hated himself. Hated her kindness. Her love. Hated life, hated his heart, hated everything.

But she was his, no matter how much it killed her, no matter how much it destroyed her.

But he didn't want that. He didn't want her to hurt for him, didn't want her to bleed and cry and scream for him. He wanted her happy, smiling, loving, wanted her innocence to shine through the shadows that coated everything. It was all he wanted. He wanted her, but could not have her, no, it caused her pain, so much pain, so much agony, and that was wrong, so wrong.

Be happy. Please. Just smile, and I can survive. I can live, breath, I can be if I just know you're happy.

"You are my happiness."

She had pulled him to her chest, hands tangling in his hair as her tears caressed his skin. Crying again, why was she always crying when he was near her, his fault, all his fault.

"Please, Robin, please stop. Stop hurting yourself."

But he deserved it, deserved the fire of hell, deserved to be ripped apart and left to die. He deserved pain and hate, but she would not allow it, never allowed, always protected him, never let him fall, and it hurt, it hurt so bad. Why couldn't he protect her, why couldn't he save her, why? Why? WHY? Why was life like this, why was he like this, why couldn't he just love her without hurting her?

Why?

"You did protect me, Robin. You were—are—everything I am. Without you, I am nothing. You deserve no pain, so please. I know, I forgive you, I always have. Please. Do not do this to me. When you hurt, I hurt, so please, stop."

Her mouth was on his now, hands weak and shaking as they clutched onto his shoulders. She was trying desperately to drag him back from the void that robbed him of light, robbed him of her. But it was so hard to drag himself back to her, to pick his broken body up and reach for her. So hard.

He was limp in her arms now, forehead against her collarbone while reality set in and the emotions returned to his eyes. His hands were completely still against her thighs, back aching and knees raw from hitting the ground.

Her hands were moving against his face, his jaw, his chest, anywhere, everywhere, and she was crying again, weak again, but she was whispering her love for him.

He wanted to tell her to stop, that he didn't deserve her love, but he couldn't. He could barely blink without collapsing. And she was hurting; he could feel it, in her touch, her heart, in her mind. She was in pain, but this time, it was physical.

"I love you." Was that him? Was that his voice or was his mind playing tricks on him?

"I know."

"Always have." It was him, but it was weak, so weak that he himself could barely hear it.

"I know."

"Don't leave me."

"Never."

And he collapsed.

Behind the shut door, four nurses passed around a nearly empty box of Kleenex to stop the flood of tears.

XxX

Cyborg had been the first person she had seen. The utter happiness on his face had warmed her heart and made her feel so loved, so important.

And the only thing she had said to him was, "Where is Robin?"

There were no soft smiles of gratitude, or thanks that he was there. Only questions of Robin. But she knew he had understood. She knew that he knew she loved Robin with everything she had, and it only added to the horrible guilt. He was her friend, her teammate, her brother, and all she could do was ask for Robin.

What did that make her? Was she selfish? Cruel? What? Why did she feel as if she were pathetic?

They were still sitting there, on the floor, his body cradled against hers. Her body ached in ways she never thought possible, but she didn't have the energy to move. She didn't have the energy to pull him up when he collapsed against her lap, so she sat there, wounds bleeding again and pain resurfacing.

He shouldn't have that power over her. One breakdown and she was putty in his hands once again.

She should have been ashamed at herself, but she could not work up enough strength to feel it. She should have been able to tell him that he had hurt her, and the she should never forgive him, but the pain in his voice destroyed all thoughts of causing him pain. She should have told him he didn't deserve her love when he told her that he loved her, but all she could think about was that he wanted, needed her, and that was all that mattered.

Weakness was an emotion she had no time for before, but now, she felt swamped with it, felt as if she were drowning.

But she didn't care.

Robin loved her, had admitted it, and that was all she could seem to focus on. He had hurt her, but he was sorry. He was scared and hurt and lonely and she wanted to be there for him, no matter what the consequences were.

That made her weak.

But it made her strong as well.

Cyborg had walked in the next morning to find her weakly caressing his hair, staring down at him with eyes that reflected everything she felt. He had said nothing, just stood there for a brief moment before he walked forward and picked Robin up, setting him gently on the empty bed beside hers. And then he was lifting her up, setting her down on her bed and pulling the covers over her cold body. She heard him call for a nurse to ask if they wanted to put the IV back in her arm that she had ripped out the night before. The nurse hurriedly went to work, leaving briefly to fetch a syringe to give her morphine to stop the pain.

The medication took effect almost immediately, numbing her body and her mind, forcing her eyes to drift close.

"Thank you, Cyborg."

She was floating now, moving away from reality and pain to drift into a dream world that she knew would hold no sorrow for her.

Cyborg smiled softly, laying a gentle hand on her forehead. "Anytime, Starfire."

And she was gone again, slipping away into nothingness.

Robin chose that time to stir and groan, reaching behind his back to rub at impossibly sore muscles.

"How'd it go?" He asked softly when the younger boy sat up completely with a grimace.

"I'm pathetic."

It hadn't been the answer he expected, but then again, Robin always did manage to throw him for a loop.

There were so many things he could say, but he settled with a bland, "No one's perfect."

"I hurt her again." Robin turned slightly to glance outside. The world was still gray and bleak, but the rain had yet to come. But Robin knew, that before his conversation with Cyborg was over, it would rain. "It's all I seem to know how to do."

Cyborg had always been a man of very few words when it came to serious conversations. He could spend hours and hours talking about technical details on his car or his newest weaponry system. But when it came to this, to actual feelings, he was at a loss.

"But you make her happy as well."

"It's not enough."

For some unknown reason, Cyborg felt a surprising amount of anger toward his teammate.

"There are times when you sicken me, Robin."

He kept his eye locked with Robin's, even when he lifted wounded gold eyes to his, searching for something, anything, to explain Cyborg's comment.

"Why can't you just be happy with the fact that Starfire is happy when she with you? Why do you always dwell on everything that went wrong? I used to peg you as one of those people who hurt others because they don't know how to make them happy, and I found that to be true. You are the only one who makes Starfire really smile, and yet all you think you do is hurt her. It a sick logic that only ends up hurting everyone around them. Tell me, how many times has Starfire come to you for a problem? How many times has she smiled at you when you did something sweet or kind to others? How many times has she brightened when you walked into a room? Now compare that to all the times she cried over something stupid you've done. It doesn't compare does it? You might have hurt her these past few weeks, but it's really been the only times you've done it. But it's all you pay attention to. While I was gone, count how many times she was happy with you, during this whole White Rose thing. It was quite a few, wasn't it? More times than when she cried. But you don't seem to realize that. That's the only reason you're hurting Starfire so much. Because you refuse to see the joy in what you have together."

"I know."

Cyborg blinked. Robin hadn't even thought of his reply before he answered. Confused, again, Cyborg walked to the bed and plopped down beside him, clasping his hands between his knees.

"Explain."

"It was how I was raised."

"Ah. Batman."

"Yeah. He taught me to see the worst in everything. Nothing is ever good and well. Never believe in happy endings. They don't happen unless you fight for it and see all the wrong in between. Trust no one but yourself, and you will survive in this world. I was young, and hurt, and I just wanted to the pain to go away."

Cyborg felt an intense dislike for Robin's guardian then. Twisting a young boy's mind to the point where he trusted no one was a sick way to survive. And Cyborg finally understood Robin. The man beside him had been shown the hero's way of life, and not the human. He didn't know how to love and trust at the same time. But he was trying, and Cyborg felt a whole new respect for the Boy Wonder.

"All you have to do is love her, Robin. Believe in her and in yourself, and you'll be surprised how easy it really is. Relationships are hard, but if you really want to be with her, you'll find a way to make it work."

Robin nodded. "You make it sound so easy."

Cyborg rolled his one human eye. "Let me put it this way: It'll be the same as it's been for years, but this time, you'll add a bit more physical action to the mix and a lot more gooey words."

Robin gave a lopsided grin. "Thank, Cyborg."

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, Bumblebee has tricked me into seeing if I'm able to have kids or not."

Robin grimaced. "Good luck with that."

His answer was a snort and wave of a metal hand. Feeling a hell of a lot better save for the tender muscles in his back, Robin pushed himself off the bed and plopped down beside Starfire, stretching out his long legs before pulling them back in and resting his elbows on his knees.

He was quite for a moment, chin resting on his fist, before he said softly, "I'm ready to trust in myself if you're ready to trust in me."

XxX

She knew her powers weren't ready for this, but she had to try. She had to do something. She couldn't allow this any longer.

Her emotions agreed readily with her. Even Rage, though a bit reluctantly, was ready to join together and bring Beast Boy back to them. And so she had spent three hours mediating, gathering what little power she had left.

Thankfully, Raven needed no books or scrolls to help with this. All she needed was her mind and her heart. Pushing down the sadness that seemed to overwhelm her entire being, Raven turned to Beast Boy, laying both of her small hands on his chest. It didn't surprise her to find them shaking. Outside, the rain started to pour, drenching the already soaked earth.

Raven glanced down at her clothes, trying to calm her racing heart. She had decided to dress nicely for him. She had even raided Starfire's closet for a long white peasant skirt and lacey tank top with a chest length denim jacket, just so Beast Boy could wake up to see her dressed for him. Only him. Her fingers moved gently over the bullet wound in his chest, her long hair falling over her shoulder and curling beneath her breast.

It had occurred to her to cut it; long hair had never been her thing, because long hair was what her father had preferred. It had been easier to grab it in his hand and yank. So she had always kept it just beneath her chin, short enough to be comfortable, but long enough to tuck behind her ears. But Beast Boy had said he had loved it long, as he gently held a strand in his hands and let it caress his skin. He said it was different, and made her face so much more noticeable. So she would keep it long from now on, until change beckoned. Raven had to admit that she did like the heavy weight of it against her back, but Beast Boy was still the main reason she would always keep her hair long.

Raven was aware that she might not make it through healing him. The energy it would take would drain her completely, and could eventually kill her. But it didn't matter. She wanted him to wake up so badly that she was willing to kill herself to bring him back. As long as she knew he was okay, she could leave happily.

Raven smiled softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from his forehead, fingers lingering on his skin. And then she pulled back, blocking away everything as she laid both hands against his chest once again. His heart beat slowly, but steadily beneath her fingers. It was enough to tell her mind that she was ready.

She leaned down to brush her lips against his. It was hard to keep the tears from falling when he didn't kiss her back, but she told herself over and over that she would bring him back, no matter the cost.

She rolled her neck and shoulders before willing her entire body to relax completely. Her eyes fluttered shut, lips slightly parted. She could do this. She knew she could.

She decided that it would be his heartbeat that she concentrated on, and nothing more. So she listened, felt the steady beat beneath his skin. She had no need to murmur her incantation, for this was coming from the heart, not the mind.

Warmth sparked in her fingertips as she let her energy flow into his body. She started slowly, to allow herself to get used to it, before she let it hit her full force. Her head fell back as the pain ripped through her. It was too soon for this. She wasn't ready. But she couldn't stop now.

Her fingers unconsciously curled as she healed him completely. She opened her eyes slowly, vaguely surprised that the entire room was black, save for her and Beast Boy. The energy surrounding him, soaking into his wounded body was solid white, and Raven had to snap her eyes shut against the blinding light.

From somewhere in the distance, she heard his door open, and Cyborg's frightened voice drifted to her exhausted mind.

"RAVEN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF!"

Don't you think I know that?

Beneath her fingers, Beast Boy heart picked up the pace, now beating normally. But she could feel her own slowly down to a dangerous speed, could feel the utter exhaustion of her emotions. And then she could handle no more. The light bled away, sinking back into her.

It was hard to keep on her feet now, and it took all her power to keep her body from crumbling to the floor.

"Raven?"

Her eyes snapped open, immediately glancing back at Beast Boy. He was watching her, dark eyes searching hers worriedly.

It took every ounce of strength she had to smile gently at him. "Glad to see you're awake."

And then her body gave out completely, legs collapsing beneath her. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

Cyborg jumped for her, but he was too late. Beast Boy jerked out of bed, highly aware that there was no degree of pain in his body once so ever, and knelt beside her.

"Stubborn little witch," Cyborg muttered, smoothing away her hair from her sweaty forehead. "Damn girl never listens to anything anyone says."

"What's wrong with her?"

Cyborg scowled, calling for the nurse that had screamed and run out of the room while Raven had healed Beast Boy.

"She healed you completely, I guess."

Beast Boy frowned, gently moving her hand so it rested against her hip instead of being twisted behind her. "She's never passed out before."

"It's because she didn't have enough strength to do it. She used all her power to heal herself, and I guess it takes her awhile to regroup when she uses too much energy. But she was stubborn and healed you anyway. Dammit, Raven, I swear on your life that if you die, I will personally see to it that you're buried and not cremated like you wanted. I'll even bury you with that damn Malchoir book just to piss you off."

But Beast Boy's mind had frozen at the word 'die'. "Wait, she can die from this?"

"Yeah. If she uses too much energy, there's nothing to sustain her. She needs her energy to stay alive because she a half demon. It's all too confusing, even for me. I only know because I snuck in and stole a book out of her room that explained all the chakra and stuff she talks about."

Beast Boy was nearly in panic mode. "What do we do?"

"Hope to hell she didn't use too much."

It was then that Cyborg took full notice that he was having a conversation with Beast Boy. His hand froze on Raven's forehead.

"Dude, you okay? You look as if you saw a oofh—!" Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy in one of the tightest bear hugs known to man. Poor Beast Boy could barely breath.

"Cy," he gasped, pushing futilely at Cyborg's metal shoulder. "Dude, you're killing me."

Cyborg dropped him immediately and slapped him over the head. That was quite painful, considering Cy's hand was metal.

"Dude…ouch." Beast Boy used on hand to rub the side of his head while the other clutched his mistreated ribs.

"You damn idiot, how could you do that to us?"

"Do what? Jeez, you act like I just woke from a coma or…oh." At the sight of Cyborg's pain-filled human eye, Beast Boy trailed off. "How long was I out?"

"Two weeks. Doctor's said you wouldn't make it through the surgery. Said the only thing that was keeping you alive was sheer willpower."

"Oh…sheer willpower, huh?" Beast Boy sat back on his heels, eyes watching the rise and fall of Raven's chest as she breathed. "Didn't know I had that."

"You're an idiot, Beast Boy."

"So I've been told."

Beast Boy glanced up when silence settled over the room. He jerked back in horror when tears started to flow down Cyborg's face. "Dude! What the hell did I say?" Beast Boy panicked, hands flailing wildly. "Stop! Dude, I'm sorry! Seriously, whatever I said I didn't mean it."

Cyborg hastily wiped a hand over his eye. "I need to find someone."

Beast Boy watched, wide-eyed, as Cyborg walked out of the room. Confusing was too small a word at what Beast Boy was feeling. Beast Boy had never seen Cyborg cry before, and the fact that he was crying over something Beast Boy had stupidly said…it was disconcerting…in the worst way possible, actually.

Beast Boy probably would have sat there, brooding, if a doctor and two nurses had not of walked in.

"Oh dear," the old man murmured, kneeling beside Raven. But his eyes were on Beast Boy. They were wide behind large, thick bifocals that look as if they belonged in the eighteenth century.

"How are you awake? I never thought, I mean this is…"

"Raven healed me."

"Raven…oh. Oh! Dear, I am so sorry. Here you are laying here on a dirty floor and I'm prattling on about nothing."

Beast Boy made a move to lift Raven in his arms when the doctor held out a hand and practically yelled, "No! You'll rip your wounds, my dear boy!"

Beast Boy blinked slowly. "Raven healed me." He repeated as if the doctor were a mere toddler.

The doctor shook his fluffy white head. "But you should still have wounds, right?"

Beats Boy sighed, lifting Raven effortlessly in his arms and setting her down on his bed. He adjusted her until he was positive she would be comfortable before he turned and started to unwrap the bandages covering his torso. He was thankful that they allowed him to wear his boxers instead of a hospital gown, so it was easier to move about.

The two young nurses looked as if they were in heaven as Beast Boy revealed a lean, muscled chest, voided of all wounds. But the doctor was a different matter. He looked as if Beast Boy had sprouted an extra head and told him he was transsexual.

"This is absolutely amazing," the doctor murmured, popping up behind Beast Boy to run a gnarled finger against the spot where the exit wound used to reside on the Titan. "Absolutely amazing."

"That's Raven for you," he said with a smile, watching the doctor as he walked in a complete circle to view Beast Boy's uninjured body. "Everything she does is amazing."

The nurses pouted at the obvious love in the teen's voice, but figured that this would be their only chance to touch the almighty Titan without a shirt on. So they sidled up to him, each running a finger against his shoulder, where the bullet wound used to be.

"It's so cool that she healed him," the brunette muttered, throwing a jealous glance at the unconscious Raven.

"Yeah, but it sucks that she has Beast Boy," the other said, not even bothering to whisper it. Beast Boy stared at her in shocked embarrassment. She caught his gaze and shrugged.

"What? You're hot and we wanted you, but she got you first. No big deal."

Both nurses pulled back at the doctor's stern glare. Beast Boy's brain was on overdrive. First, he finds out he's been in a coma for two weeks and should have died, Cyborg cries, Raven nearly kills herself trying to heal him, and then he gets hit on by two nurses. Hell, this was too much for his poor little brain.

"Spectacular," the doctor added before standing in front of him. The doctor's head barely reached his chest. "But enough of this. Ladies, we have a new Titan to deal with."

"I'll sign a release form so you can go home, but I want you back to run some tests. I can't allow this phenomenon to pass without checking it out. Now, go take a shower and get dressed then come back. We'll take care of Raven," he added on a side note, using his hand to dismiss him. Beast Boy blinked. "What about my clothes?"

"What clothes? The ones you were brought in were ruined, and no one figured you'd live, so…here." Beast Boy watched in mild amusement as the old doctor took off his coat and handed it to him. "Wear this home, but bring it back. Your shoes are by the door. Now shoo so I can work."

Beast Boy stared at the white lab coat in his hands before he grimaced, and shrugged it on. Both of the nurses were grinning in his direction as he stared down at himself. The end of the coat barely hit his knees, and the sleeves ended at his forearms, pulling tightly against his skin.

"Dude, this is totally humiliating and I don't even have my shoes on." The nurses were giggling.

"You're still adorable, if that helps any," the brunette suggested, handing him his shoes.

"Shit, not after people see me like this."

The redhead sniggered. "At least the press gave up on you waking up a week ago. They're more interested in Alexander Twain."

"Twain? How is he?" Beast Boy had forgotten all about the detective.

"That's right. You were in a coma when all that went on. You know he quit his job, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the Gotham police force heard of what he did, pulled a few strings, and now he's head of the Jump City police department."

"Seriously? They can do that?"

"Yep. Detective Twain is now Chief. Of course, he has to heal first. He was almost as bad off as you, but he woke up after a week and was as crabby as ever. Why are all the hot guys so mean? And let me tell you, that man is absolutely handsome." The redhead sighed in longing.

"He's taken also," the brunette chirped. "Has the most adorable little boy."

"Alright, Beast Boy we need to…talk about your fashion sense, for starters." Cyborg was standing in the hallway with an amused Robin behind him.

Beast Boy grumbled, attempting to cross his arms over his chest, but the coat was too small for the action.

Robin chuckled. "I take it you have no clothes?"

Beast Boy shook his head with a scowl. "Seems like I wasn't supposed to live through this, so no."

The amusement fled from Robin's face and Beast Boy could not stop the curse that slipped from his mouth. "Alright, people, what is your problem? Every time I talk about my injuries or dieing, you become all weird. Stop it."

Robin was the first to force a smile, followed by Cyborg, though he seemed more hesitant. "Tell you what. I have a bag of clothes in Starfire's room. You can borrow those until we get back to the Tower."

Beast Boy visibly relaxed at the word of home and nodded. "Okay. Sounds a lot better than this," he added, referring to the small coat.

"I'll go get that now." Robin turned to leave, eyes on Raven's still form before disappearing.

Beast Boy watched Cyborg's expression carefully. "Why did you bring Robin?"

"Because we need to discuss a few things on the way home."

Both eyebrows disappeared beneath his hairline at Cyborg's stern gaze. "Dude, what'd I do now?"

"It's not what you did, but what we did." And Cyborg walked out, baffling Beast Boy more than he ever thought possible.

Realizing that standing there wouldn't help him understand Cyborg's weird attitude, Beast Boy walked over to the empty seat beside Raven and sat down as the doctor checked her blood pressure.

"Do you know what's wrong, exactly?"

"Exhaustion. Overworking. Things like that. She rests for a few days and she'll be fine."

Beast Boy nodded. "When you check out of here, do not forget to come back so I can run a few tests, alright?"

"I'll be back, if only to see Raven and Starfire. You can find me then." The old man frowned before shrugging. "Drop my coat off at the front desk." Beast Boy watched him and the nurses walked out, the last two giggling.

Not moments before the doctor walked out, Robin walked out with a fresh change of clothes in his hand. He tossed them to Beast Boy. "Put those on for now and you can change when we get to the tower."

Beast Boy nodded, standing to go change in the bathroom. But Robin had walked out and shut the door behind him. Beast Boy glanced at Raven's still form, thinking it stupid to change in the bathroom when he had perfectly good privacy right here. Anyway, Raven wouldn't mind in the least, considering she had already seen and touched every inch of him. Beast Boy pulled on the simple jeans and pullover with flushed cheeks, plopping down to pull his shoes ever his feet.

But he didn't move when he was completely dressed. Instead, he leaned forward in his chair to watch Raven sleep. He smiled softly.

"It was stupid to heal me like that, Raven. I know you knew that it would be dangerous for you, but you did it anyway. You always were freakishly stubborn when it came to healing a teammate."

A soft knock on the door broke his one-sided conversation with Raven. Robin poked his head in. "Ready? Cyborg has the T-car warming up out front."

"Yeah, I'm ready." Beast Boy stood up, unconsciously rubbing his palms against his jeans. He glanced at Robin swiftly, and the Boy Wonder understood the hidden message, for he winked and shut the door.

Grinning, Beast Boy turned back to Raven, leaning down to kiss her softly. He pulled back to find her watching him, eyes still dark with fatigue.

"Go back to sleep, Rae. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I did it."

Beast Boy pulled back slightly before understanding dawned. He smiled down at her, running his thumb against her busted bottom lip. "Yeah, you did."

Beast Boy kept himself completely still as tears flooded her eyes, and she sat up, wrapping him tightly in her arms. It took him a minute to take actions, for having Raven hold him willingly was a miracle.

"I thought I lost you," she whispered against his neck, before pulling back and kissing him in a way that neither knew she was capable of. The kiss was simple, but far from innocent. It was he who pulled back first, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sleep, Raven."

"But—"

"I'll be here when you wake up."

Her eyes searched his before her mouth pulled in a small smile. "You know I love you, right?"

Hearing her say it was unlike anything he had ever imagined. She had said it in his head, sure, but hearing her say it, right before his eyes, made his heart pound in his chest and his hands become clammy.

"I know. The feelings mutual, Rae."

"How romantic," she said weakly, rolling her eyes and allowing her body to fall back against the pillows.

"I know, right?" He chuckled softly, eyes smiling down at her.

Her smiled faded slowly, but the light in her eyes remained. "It's good to hear you laugh again, Beast Boy."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"I never thought I would tell you that I loved you, either."

"Point taken. Now, you really need rest. That little stunt you pulled drained you completely." He tried to make his voice stern, but he knew it had little effect on her.

"Alright, mother." But her eyes were already slipping closed; one hand resting against her stomach while the other was curled beside her cheek. He leaned down to brush his lips against her forehead, couldn't help it, and moved back toward the door.

He smiled one last time before shutting off the lights and joining Robin outside the door.

Said man grinned. "I take it Raven's doing better?"

"I guess. She still weak after healing me, but other than that, yeah, she's fine."

"Good. She was a complete wreck while you were in that coma."

Beast Boy looked shocked. "Really? She was worried?"

Robin slid him an aggravated glance. "Beast Boy, we were all worried. Raven wasn't the only one torn into pieces because you were so hurt."

"Starfire?"

This time, Robin's glare was lethal. "No. Cyborg and I were, dolt."

"Look, it's nice of you to try and make me feel better, but you don't have to lie."

Robin looked like he was ready to slap him, so he prepared for the stinging hit. But it didn't come. Instead, Robin stopped in the middle of the hall, hands fisted at his side. Beast Boy stopped as well, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, dude, you okay?"

Robin's visible eyes were narrowed, as if he were contemplating a new tactic against a villain. It was quite weird, considering the White Rose Killers were being beaten to a bloody pulp in jail, hopefully.

Beast Boy couldn't help but flinch when Robin lifted those unique gold eyes to his own forest green ones, seemingly picking him apart, like he would do to a villain. Beast Boy suddenly knew how it felt to be one to wrong end of Robin. Not cool.

"I did something wrong again, didn't I?" Beast Boy leaned back slightly to think back to a mistake he could have made. It had to be the only reason Robin looked like that.

"You're an idiot, Beast Boy," Robin said softly, and before Beast Boy could even blink, Robin hugged him.

It was brief, but had an impact greater than any words could possibly hold. Robin pulled back, looking highly uncomfortable and lifting a hand to the back of his hand. "Never happened?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Beast Boy agreed readily, nodding his head and glancing around the hospital. "But before we start pretending…why?"

Robin shrugged sheepishly. "Seemed right?"

Beast Boy shook his head and faced Robin fully. "Explain."

Robin scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "Why can't you just leave it be?"

"Because that was…not a Robin thing to do. You're more likely to slap me upside the head, not hug me." Beast Boy blinked. "Dude that even sounded weird."

"You need to sign out."

"And you need to explain."

Robin's trademark scowl held little heat as he snapped, "Not until Cyborg has a chance to add his say."

Robin walked away and Beast Boy finally realized that Robin was holding on to his upper arm. But he was too damn confused to say anything about it.

"Dude," he nearly wailed, "What does Cyborg have to do with you hugging me? Why is everything in riddles? Have I walked into a world where everyone says something that belongs on a fortune cookie?"

But Robin ignored him, which sent Beast Boy off in one of his fits. Beast Boy opened his mouth to yell, but snapped it shut, instead stomping to the front desk and grumbling about moody birds and mechanical brains, which, to the poor nurse handing him to form, made no sense whatsoever.

After signing what seemed like millions of papers, Beast Boy walked outside into the freezing storm. He would have turned and dived back into the heated waiting room in the hospital had he not spotted the T-car, parked only a few feet ahead. Both Robin and Cyborg were leaning against it, one on each side and looking as if they both had a stick shoved up their butts. Beast Boy felt his shoulders slouch. He was in no mood for another drawn out speech, and for the life of him, couldn't seem to figure out what he had done to deserve the Beast-Boy-we-need-to-talk look. Even Cyborg, who usually hightailed it when it came to speeches, looked ready to babble on about whatever he had done wrong. Steeling his spine, Beast Boy decided then and there that he would not allow them to give him a lecture. He was eighteen, for crying out loud, and Robin only had a few months on him. Cyborg had no right, either, to think he was higher than him, because he was still a kid a heart. And besides that, he didn't do anything wrong this time.

Right?

"Are you going to stand there and freeze or get in?"

Come on, Logan, you can do this. Tell 'em you won't take any of their crap this time.

"Not if I'm getting a lecture for something I didn't do."

Beast Boy felt a headache pound behind his temple as Cyborg and Robin exchanged confused glances.

"Lecture?" They asked simultaneously and Beast Boy fisted his hands at his side to keep from rubbing his forehead.

"You both have that let's-make-sure-we-put-Beast-Boy-in-his-place look. You know, the 'You've screwed up again' look? The one you give me every day of the year?" Beast Boy prompted with his hands, which, he realized now, were frozen. He frowned at them before stuffing them in Robin's hoodie.

Beast Boy burrowed into the red cloth, shuffling to the car. At Robin's raised brow, he poked his head out of his coat far enough to say, "Cold," and dived into the back seat. Robin grinned at Cyborg over the car, who was shaking his head in amusement.

"Good to have him back, huh?"

Cyborg smiled, eyes briefly flickering to Beast Boy, who was scrunched up in the middle of the backseat, trying to make sure the heater was on full blast. His grin instantly faded when Beast Boy began to push random buttons.

"Hey, fuzz ball, don't touch that! That is not a toy!"

"It's flipping cold, you big tube of metal!"

"First off, that insult sucked, Tofu Freak, and second, I'm cold, too!"

"Then get inside this thing you call a car and lets get moving! You've got both the freaking doors opened, and you stupid heater ain't worth a damn."

"Are you insulting my car? 'Cause it sounds like you are, and if you are, I'll toss your scrawny ass out of here so fast Raven'll need to heal you again."

"I'd like to see you try, Cyborg."

"Oh really? Come here you little freak of nature!"

Beast Boy's eyes widened when Cyborg made a grab for him, but he leaped from the car, nearly barreling over Robin in his haste to get away from the metal teen.

Robin stood back from the car as the chase began, watching with a soft smile. It was amazing how much he had truly missed all the bickering between the two. Now, as Beast Boy easily evaded Cyborg grasp, Robin finally realized what he had pushed away for so long.

"Dude, you've gotten slow," Beast Boy chided with a chuckle, effortlessly leaping over Cyborg's shoulder and skidding to a halt beside Robin. "Guess all that time with Bumblebee made you a drag a bit, huh, Cy?"

"Why you little—!" And the chase was on again, Beast Boy goading and Cyborg sputtering at the insults.

"Hey, now, remember, Beast Boy's still healing."

Beast Boy slowed down to a jog before completely stopping, bending at the waist with his hand on his knees and grimacing, trying to catch his breath. But he smiled at Cyborg when his heart rate slowed to semi-normal.

"Looks like you need some more training, Cy."

Huffing out a breath, Cyborg managed, "Same to you, short stuff."

Beast Boy straightened slowly, cringing at the soreness in his side. "Yeah, guess I have slowed a bit."

Finally, seriousness began to bloom in Cyborg's human eye. "Beast Boy," he started slowly. "We need to talk."

Beast Boy frowned deeply before he stood up completely and sighed. "Figures."

"We're not mad, Beast Boy."

At the look of confusion on the green shape-shifter's face, Cyborg added, "This is about what Robin and I have done wrong."

Eyebrows drawn together and hands on hips, Beast Boy opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but decided against it. They would tell him in the car…the warm car…with a heater…

Once again, Beast Boy dived onto the backseat, buckling his seatbelt and scooting to the edge of the seat in hopes of warming his frozen body. Robin and Beast Boy followed suit, both climbing into the front seat and securing their seatbelts.

Beast Boy had thought that the talking would begin immediately when the car started to move, but silence permeated the air like a choking fog. From his perch in the backseat, Beast Boy studied their profiles. Robin seemed more interested in the world that sped by the windows while Cyborg concentrated almost too hard on the road.

Frowning at the unusual tension, Beast Boy leaned back against the seat and allowed his eyes to close. All that horse playing with Cy had drained him. Raven might have healed his internal wounds, but his mind was still trying to catch up to the sudden recovery. In fact, Beast Boy felt more tired that he ever had in his entire life.

Cyborg's eyes flickered to Beast Boy in the rearview mirror. He figured now was the perfect time to tell Beast Boy how they really felt. If they waited any longer, Beast Boy would be out like a light.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg said softly, watching as his eyes fluttered open and he seemed to force himself to attention.

Robin jerked his eyes away from the scenery, moving upwards in his seat so his back was ramrod straight.

"Hmm?" Beast Boy scrubbed at his eyes with his first, blinking rapidly to help keep himself awake.

"Ready for that talk? We have a ways to go before we get home."

Beast Boy shrugged. "I guess."

He watched as Robin and Cyborg seemed to have a silent conversation and sighed. He hated when they talked with their eyes. He never understood how people could interpret emotions from eyes, and this was one of the times where he wished he had to ability to read people.

"Dudes," Beast Boy finally said after minutes dragged on slowly and no one spoke. "Get to talking or I get to sleeping."

Cyborg frowned and thumbed Robin's thigh. Robin hissed in pain, rubbing the bruised spot with an icy glare.

"Cyborg and I wanted to say that we were sorry," he snapped, eyes flaming in Cyborg's direction.

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"We're sorry," Robin repeated, but this time, his voice had lost the cold tone that had been directed a Cyborg.

"I thought that's what you said the first time, but I had to make sure. Now, why are you sorry? There's nothing to apologize for, unless Cyborg did something mean and cruel to my tofu, which still better be where I left it."

Despite the serious conversation, Cyborg grinned. "I threw all that crap out when you left."

Beast Boy had a retort ready on the tip of tongue when Cyborg's smile fled, and he said softly, "But when you were in that coma, I went on a tofu-only diet."

Beast Boy couldn't have said anything if he tried. That one statement had him speechless.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Beast Boy managed a crude, "Bullshit." Wide-awake now, Beast Boy scooted farther up so he was practically between the front two seats. "You wouldn't touch tofu with a ten foot pole even if you were paid to do it."

"Things change when you think your best friend is dying."

Beast Boy stared at Cyborg, forest green eyes wide and lips parted in shock. That was the first time Cyborg had ever said that Beast Boy was his best friend. Usually, he didn't even mention that they were friends. He was usually classified as Cyborg's teammate, but for him to say it out loud…

"Dude, I have to be dreaming," he mumbled in bewilderment. "Next you'll tell me that you actually cried…holy hell." When Cyborg turned to face him, face totally serious, Beast Boy was at a loss for words.

"I can't…I don't…this doesn't…why would you care so much? I mean, I'm annoying, and loud, and useless, and I can't ever seem to do anything right. I act stupid all the time and pick fights about meat, of all things. I would think that you would be happy that I was gone—"

"Dammit, Beast Boy, we love you." Cyborg snapped, slamming both hands against the steering wheel. "And don't you dare make light of this by saying some stupid joke."

Beast Boy stared at both of them in silent bewilderment, eyes wide. "You…"

"We treat you like crap, but that doesn't change the fact that your like my brother. We're family, Beast Boy, and without you, we're nothing. We found that out when we thought we were going to lose you," Robin summarized, since Cyborg seemed like he was about to crush anything that looked at him wrong.

"That's what we wanted to tell you. You think that your useless, and we let you believe that. You'll never understand how much you mean to this team. I know we sound corny and cliché, but you are more important to us that you realize."

Cyborg's grip seemed to lessen slightly as Robin continued on. "Beast Boy, I don't do well with apologies and such, but I wanted you to know that you're not weak, or hopeless, and that most of the time, it's you who keeps this team together."

Beast Boy stared out the window, his fist pressed lightly against his mouth. It was all too sudden. He had loved, lost, and loved again, found out the true fear of knowing he was dying, and found that Cyborg and Robin thought of him as family. Too much too soon. His mind refused to grasp all the information, but his heart soaked in the words like a sponge does water.

"I made a pact with you while you were in a coma," Cyborg spoke up for the first time since Robin had given his heart wrenching speech. "I promised that I would eat tofu forever if you just woke up. But as I left, I found that that wasn't good enough. So I stocked up on tofu, cooked it up, and ate it. It was worse than I imagined, but I didn't stop eating it, because if I did, I felt like I was betraying you. I gave up meat because I made a promise to you, Beast Boy. Next time you tell yourself you don't matter to us, remember that."

The tower loomed in the distance, waves crashing angrily against the small island on which it was built upon.

"Robin's said it before, but I'm going to say it again, just to get it through your thick skull. You're our family Beast Boy. Our brother. And no stupid jokes, or fights will change that."

Something burned painfully in the back of his throat, and Beast Boy realized that it was tears. But he didn't cry. His eyes remained dry, even when Cyborg swept a hand across his human eye and Robin's jaw clenched tightly.

Cyborg pulled into the underground passage to park the car beneath the tower. It was silent, save for the pitter-patter of the rain against the steel tower. Cyborg shut off the engine, but no one made a move to get out. The silence was deafening in the small space and no one tried to stop it.

Beast Boy shifted slightly in the backseat, allowing his eyes to study is two teamma—no, to study his family.

Robin was gnawing steadily on his lips while Cyborg gazed off into the distance, metal fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh.

"Thank you." Beast Boy voice was loud in the silence, making both Cyborg and Robin start.

"You don't know how much it meant to hear you say that."

And like a needle to a balloon, the tension deflated quickly. Tensed shoulders relaxed and mouths eased around the corners. "Can someone open a door? I think my frostbite's getting frostbite."

Robin rolled his eyes at the typical Beast Boy comment, unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing from the T-car. Beast Boy followed him eagerly, stopping and raising his arms above his head with a loud, content groan. "It's nice to be able to move again."

"Hell, it's good to be home again," Robin added, glancing around the dark garage.

"I know that's right." Cyborg scurried off to the far wall to flip on the light. Beast Boy sighed, dropping his hands to his side.

"I wonder if I even left any clothes here," Beast Boy mused softly, turning on his heel and marching up the metal staircase. "I mean, everything, even my bed, is at that rotten condo. But I'm sure I can find something…right? I mean, this is me we're talking about. I was bound to have left something imporant."

"If not, your uniform is still here," Cyborg offered, biting back a grin at the picture of a six foot two Beast Boy trying to fit into a five foot five leotard. That would be a sight, for sure.

"Not funny, tin man. You know good and well that my thigh would barely fit into that thing, much less the rest of me."

Cyborg chuckled. "I know."

"Not a pretty picture," Robin grimaced, trying to dispel the image that popped into his head.

"Thanks," Beast Boy said dryly.

"No problem," Robin grinned, following Beast Boy as he stomped up the stairs. Cyborg followed behind, heart pounding at the thought that Bumblebee was just a few floors away from where he was.

When they finally made it to the floor in which the rooms were built, all three split, heading to their respected room. Beast Boy's groan was heard throughout the tower when he walked into an empty room, save for a few loose socks and discarded boxes.

"This sucks!"

Cyborg chuckled as he reached for the button to open his door. He yelped when it opened a blur of black and yellow launched itself into his arms.

"You're back! Screws and all!"

Beast Boy rounded the corner just in time to see Bumblebee plant a kiss on the shocked Cyborg's mouth, and felt his face distort into a look of disgust. "Dude, not in public!"

Bumblebee did a double take when she spotted Beast Boy. She let her body slid down Cyborg's until her feet touched the floor, eyes wide. "I thought you were…"

"In a coma? Nope, Raven made sure of that."

"But…shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

"Naw, Raven healed me. Everything's fine and dandy with me." Beast Boy gave a lazy shrug.

She combed a hand through her short hair in confusion before coping him and shrugging. "Whatever. Where's Robin?"

"Here." He popped up beside Beast Boy, eyes scanning the hallway. "Where's the munchkin?"

"Playing."

That sparked Cyborg's attention immediately. "Where?"

"You're room."

All three younger teens grinned at the look of horror on Cyborg's face. "Don't worry, Sparky," she assured him, patting his chest plate, "I didn't give him anything that would cause him any bodily damage."

"How comforting," Cyborg murmured before poking his head into his room. Christian was sitting on the floor, holding up a square piece of metal to his face, and seeming to study it. He poked and prodded it, then, much to Cyborg's horror slammed it down against the floor. When nothing exciting happened, he grunted and tossed it harmlessly to the side.

Cyborg tried to dive for it, but Bumblebee grabbed his arm. "Do you even know what that is?"

"No, but if it was in my room, it had to be important."

She rolled her eyes. Turning, she walked into the room and scooped the curious toddler into her arms. "Robin's here."

Christian perked up immediately, gray eyes scanning the group of people loitering in the halls. When his eyes landed on the tall, raven-haired man, he reached out tiny arms, silently asking him to hold him. Robin smiled and took the child into his arms.

Beast Boy watched the exchanged before saying, "I need a serious shower. I smell like hospital and antiseptic, and that ain't gonna work for me. But first, I need to dig out some clothes." Beast Boy turned on his heel, disappearing around the corner and leaving the rest to watch his departure.

"Where's Starfire?" The toddler asked, innocently looking around for his favorite redhead.

Robin smothered a frown. "She's not here."

"Momma said she was hurt bad and was sleeping for a long time."

"She's right."

"I can't go see her because Momma says that I'll hurt."

Robin had been away from the child for so long that he forgot how freakishly smart he was. He should have been used to the adult-like conversations that the toddler and he seemed to always share.

"Again, your mother is right."

"Have you seen her?"

Robin frowned. "Yes."

"Did you hurt?"

Robin hesitated. "Yes."

"Oh…" Christian glanced around the hallway. "Can I go play now?"

Robin was more than happy to oblige the child as he gently lowered him to the ground. The kid always had an uncanny knack for making Robin feel even worse about his relationship with Starfire…or lack thereof.

He watched silently as Christian scampered off before turning on his heel and heading back to his nearly empty room. The air was cold as the door slid open, the simple overhead light bathing him in a crude yellow. The smell was the same, but a bit stale as he stepped into his room completely. Robin walked in cautiously, eyes locked on the collage littering his wall. Memories flooded his mind, drenching his mind in past pain. He could remember the constant fear, the anger, and the obsession that had pulled him away from his friends. From Starfire.

Robin ran a finger against the broken mask, a frown setting camp on his mouth. No more. He would no longer allow himself to dwell in the past. Robin stood back slowly, eyes scanning the newspaper clippings and gadgets that he had managed to snatch during the constant fight between him and Slade.

Suddenly, he smiled softly. "It's over."

Robin reached up and ripped the pinned paper from the wall, shredding it until the floor was covered in tiny shards of paper. When his wall was completely voided of all things Slade, Robin realized he had released himself from his own chains.

And damn did it feel good.

XxX

The pain seemed to have lessened. Starfire sighed in annoyance as she tried to sit up, only to fall back against the pillow when the movement sent dull knives of pain through her stomach. It annoyed her to no end that she couldn't even do that one simple action, but she reminded herself that at least the pain was minimal and only an aching tug pulled at her abdomen.

"You can do this," she encouraged herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "You are just sitting up. You do it everyday. One little wound shouldn't keep you from it."

She tried again, closing one eye at the sudden pang of pain. But she managed to make it into a sitting position, and let a happy grin settle over her features at the accomplished feat.

"Knew I could do it."

Starfire threw back the covers and had almost swung her feet over the side when she noticed Robin leaning against the doorjamb. The grin disappeared, only to be replaced by an unsettling frown. It had been three days since Robin had confessed his supposeded love for her, and not once had he come to see her. Starfire had long ago given up hope that he would come, and seeing him now sent a sliver of pain through her healing heart.

She watched him, hands clutching the side of the bed. Her eyes narrowed slightly. There was something different about him. His eyes were lighter, brighter, and the usual stiffness of his shoulders seemed to have disappeared. And he was smiling. Something had definitely transpired while he had been away from her.

"Good morning, Star."

Her frown deepened. Even his voice was different. What had happened to him to make him so…content? It had nothing to do with her, that was for sure, and she couldn't help but feel a tad bit hurt over the fact.

Robin fingered something in his pocket before moving closer to her. Starfire couldn't help the way her body immediately stiffened, and if Robin noticed, he showed no sign.

She expected him to sit down in the chair beside her bed, but, much to her surprise, he stepped in front of her. She kept her eyes straight ahead, but that really did not help matters any, for she was now staring at his chest.

"Starfire, we need to talk."

Now she did look up at him, and felt her heart stutter in her chest at the soft look in those golden eyes.

"You have said all you needed to," she mumbled, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"I don't think I have."

She frowned.

Robin sighed, raising his hand and letting his fingers drift over her jaw. Starfire tried to jerk from his touch, but he held her chin between his thumb and index finger, preventing her from moving. And the jackass actually looked amused, which had her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I was absolutely pathetic yesterday. I shouldn't have broken down like that, but I won't apologize."

She dropped her gaze from his, and concentrated on the lump in his left jean pocket. She blinked, squinting slightly. What was that…?

"I wasn't lying when I said I was in love with you."

She scowled when her traitorous heart picked up speed and pounded against her ribs.

"And I was dead serious when I said that no man would marry you but me."

She ground her teeth together when that stupid organ in her chest came to a halt at the word marry. Did her damn emotions have no pride?

But her eyes widened when Robin reached into his left pocket and brought forth a small, white box. She had seen those before in movies, where the hero proposed to the heroine. He wasn't…he couldn't be…was he?

He sighed again. "Look, Starfire, I know that it's too soon and that you are between hating and loving me right now, but I want you to know that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He opened the lid and pulled forth one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. "You might not be aware of the significance of this ring," he explained, lifting her left hand and sliding it onto her third finger, "but this means that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marriage, which is what I'm asking of you, is nothing but a legal contract that shows we are together, but what I want is to be able to wake up next to you every morning, and I want us to have kids—though maybe not right off the bat—and I want to grow old with you. This sounds like something you would find in a corny romance novel that Raven hides under her bed, but I mean it."

He stared at the hand he was holding, running his index finger against the ring. "I'll understand completely if you tell me no. I deserve it. But before you do, I want you to know that I've started over. I…no more obsessing over Slade. He's done with. He won't haunt my nightmares anymore. And I won't push you away anymore. I know what it's like to lose you, and I can't do it. So this time, if anyone is going to do the pushing away, it's you."

Starfire opened her mouth, but shut it immediately, tear-filled eyes still on the ring.

"This is sudden, I know, and you're probably still trying to digest the fact that I do love you, but I bought this to show you that I'm not lying. This isn't like before, when I would show you some sign of loving you, and then hurt you. This is real, and right, and this time, you hold all the strings."

He lifted her chin once again, rubbing his thumb over her cheek when the tears spilled over.

"Starfire," he asked softly, "would you mind if I kissed you?"

She must have nodded, or shown some sing of acceptance, for his mouth lowered to hers seconds later. Robin had kissed her like this before, but this time, it felt so different, as if all those other times had been a prequel to this. This kiss was nothing but mouth against mouth, but it had her heart pounding in her ears and a sob catching in her throat.

He pulled back, his forehead resting against hers. "You don't have to tell me anything yet. I can wait." He gave a soft, empty laugh. "I can wait forever."

Her hands curled into a fist, pulling back from his hold. Robin stayed still for but a brief moment before be moved away. He turned his back and rubbed his hands over his face when she slowly pulled the ring from her finger.

It was amazing how much that one action hurt. But he had expected this. He knew she would reject him, but it didn't stop his heart from shattering in his chest or ice to freeze his veins.

He refused to look at her when he said, "You can just leave it beside the bed. I'll have Cyborg or someone come and get it later." The emptiness in his own voice shocked him, but he was too busy trying to figure a way to pick up the broken pieces of himself to really care.

There was nothing more for him here. He had finally and officially lost Starfire, so staying was pointless. "I think it'll be best if I just don't come back for awhile. At least until you're released. It'll be easier on both of us, I think, if I just stay away for a few days."

Or years, but he refused to say that out loud. It would be petty and stupid to bring her down more than he already had. Besides, this was for the best. At least now there was no chance of him hurting her again.

"Yes."

To think that that one simple word could rip what was left of his heart…Emotions worked in weird ways.

"Right." Robin turned away, heading for the door. "Goodbye, Starfire."

He had barely made it to the door when he swore he heard her say, "Don't leave."

Robin paused, turning back slightly. He knew his mind was playing tricks on him when he saw her standing, holding the ring in her palm as she stared down it. Starfire hadn't called him. There was no reason for her to.

Robin's eyes lowered to the ground as the pain set in once again. "I really am sorry, Star." Ah. Now the emotions decided to surface in his voice. He knew, the second he walked out of this room, it would be all over. All he would have left was broken memories of a love that never had a chance to really bloom. And it was his fault.

"Robin."

Wait. He had actually seen her mouth move that time…right? Seriously, it had moved… Dammit all to hell and back.

"Starfire, please, just tell me to leave."

Her eyes lifted to his, and he had to turn away from the tears that fell from those beautiful green eyes.

"I did not say yes to you leaving."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Starfire held this slim ring in her hand, running her fingernail over the diamond. "You love me, correct?"

Robin hesitated in answering. What was she getting at? "More than anything."

"You have given up on the pursuit of Slade, correct?"

He turned his body so he was facing her completely. "Starfire, where are you going with this?"

She lifted her chin. "Answer my question, Robin."

"Yes."

"And you wish to spend every waking moment with me, answer all the questions I have, and create the babies together?"

He couldn't help but give a crooked smile at the last question. "Yeah."

Robin watched with aching relief as she slid the ring back on her finger. "And I will be the only woman you ever think of?"

"You always were." At her stern glare, Robin added a swift, "You have my word."

"No more Rebecca incidents?"

"Never again."

She gazed down at her hand, rubbing the sides of the ring with her middle and pinky finger. "And you will not hurt me?"

Robin moved towards her slowly, giving her plenty of time to move away from him. He waited before reaching out and running the back of his fingers against her bruised cheek. "I'd rather die than purposely hurt you. I might be a jackass now and then, but I will never hurt you like I did before."

She nodded slowly, allowing her eyes to meet his. "I will be difficult."

He smiled. "So will I."

"And I wish to have children as soon as we can."

Robin opened his mouth, before closing it. "You know what that requires, right?"

The corners of her mouth twitched, and for the first time in a long time, her eyes were bright with the innocence he feared she had lost forever. "I am sure you can teach me."

His cheeks flushed, and her small smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "Alright."

"And this…marriage thing…how soon can it be done?"

"Depend on if you want traditional or a quickie."

She stepped closer to him, tilting her head back farther to watch him. "I wish to be properly married on my planet as well. And I want a true Earth wedding. But soon."

"Married on two planets, huh?" Robin gently moved a strand of hair over her shoulder, letting his fingers linger against her skin.

"Galfore would be most displeased if we did not have a traditional Tameranian wedding."

Robin pondered over this before asking, "I won't have to wear anything weird, right?"

She smiled. "You shall see."

Robin chuckled slightly before leaning down and brushing his mouth against hers. "I guess I can suffer through anything you have to deal, so long as you marry me."

Grinning against his mouth, Starfire murmured, "Anything, you say?"

XxX

By the time she finally opened her eyes, four days had past. Beast Boy had nearly driven himself and his teammates made with his incessant worrying, and Robin—now the happiest he had ever been—finally managed to knock some sense into him… literally.

So when Raven finally came to, Beast Boy was sitting in the chair beside her bed, rubbing the tender knot on the side of his head.

She said nothing, just watched him curse incoherently. She felt a smile tug at her mouth when he finally glanced in her direction. His entire body seemed to freeze, and his eyes widened. Raven noticed that he had somehow dyed his hair back to its normal green, and he at last looked like the Beast Boy she had fallen in love with so long ago.

"Raven," he breathed in shock, before his entire face seemed to light up. "'Bout damn time."

She rolled her eyes. "Such a romantic."

She barely had time to gasp before he stood up and kissed her, hard. Raven blinked slowly when he pulled back, and managed to say, "That's better."

"You scared the hell out of us, Rae."

She shifted until she was propped up against the pillows, hands immediately lifting to smooth out her hair. The one downside to having long hair was the bloody tangles…

"When you didn't wake up after the second day, I started to panic."

Raven raised and eyebrow. "Now you know how I felt." But she blinked. "How long was I out?"

"Four days, two hours, twelve minutes, and around thirty-seven seconds."

Both eyebrows rose at that. "You kept track?"

"It was either that or bug Robin and Cyborg until they hit me, and with both of them in pandemonium at planning a wedding—"

"Wedding?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, Robin asked Starfire to marry him, she said yes, and now he's trying to figure out a way to plan an earth wedding and a Tameranian wedding."

"Married? They're only eighteen."

"So? When you're in love, age doesn't matter. It's what adults don't seem to realize."

Raven nodded. "Wait, Starfire's awake?"

"Oh yeah, you conked out before Starfire woke up." Beast Boy plopped down at the end of her bed, sitting Indian style and facing her. "Yep, she up and awake. She had to stay for a while longer, though, because the doctors want to make sure the surgery went through smoothly. And she has to get the stitches out soon, so they figured they'd just keep her."

"I take it a lot had changed while I was out."

Beast Boy nodded. "Yep. I even thought about asking you to marry me while you were out, but figured that it would seem like I was copying Robin…now that I think about it, Ethan asked Hannah, when she turns eighteen, and Colt gave Harley a promise ring, that, well, promises he'll marry her when they are both old enough, and you already know that Wyatt and Mallory are getting hitched after she goes to college…dude, I'm the only one who hasn't asked my girl to be with me forever. Well, that just sucks…but you probably wouldn't even be ready, and—"

"Did you actually buy a ring?"

"Ah…well, sorta…yeah, I guess I did."

"How do you 'sorta' buy a ring?"

"Well, I didn't buy it exactly. It was my mothers, and I just remembered I had it, and thought about giving it to you, but, well, like I said before…"

"So technically, you just asked me to marry you…"

Beast Boy suddenly seemed uncomfortable, a bright red creeping along his nose and cheeks. "W-well, that all depends. If you say yes, then I did ask you, but if you say no, then I was just pointing out the fact that I wanted to ask you, but didn't." He cleared his throat, casually rubbing the back of his neck.

"You have the ring?" She asked offhandedly, peering out at the storm.

"Uh…" Beast Boy blinked before he leaped up and started to dig through a duffle bag that had been tossed carelessly onto a chair beside the window. He gave a soft, "Ah-ha," before hoping back onto the bed.

"She gave it to me in her will," he said, holding up the gold ring with one of the brightest, largest diamonds Raven had ever seen. "Said that it had been in the family for, like, ever, and that I was supposed to give it to the woman who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

"And you want to give it to me." Raven stated monotonously.

Beast Boy looked confused. "Yeah."

He blinked rapidly when Raven stood up, albeit slowly, and walked to the bathroom. She paused and turned around. "Stay there," she ordered, before disappearing into the bathroom. She poked her head out of the door a few seconds later.

"What's in the bag?"

"What? Oh, just some clothes for both of us, toothpaste, your toothbrush, soap, ya know, junk like that."

She nodded slowly before walking out completely and grabbing the bag from the seat. She stopped beside him. "Four days, you say?"

"Uh, yeah, four days," he said slowly, confused.

She nodded again before shutting herself off in the bathroom. A few seconds later, he heard the shower start.

Okay.

He just practically proposed to her, and she goes to take a shower? There was something seriously wrong with that picture. Beast Boy frowned deeply, folding his arms over his chest and brooding.

He should be insulted, shouldn't he? He pretty much bears his soul to her, and she goes and takes a freaking shower…great. This was worst than when he made love to Terra for the first time, and she ended up laughing because he had had no idea what he was doing. He had been insulted then, and he was insulted now.

Beast Boy was in the same position thirty minutes later, when Raven walked out of the bathroom smelling of his soap and looking utterly delectable. But he was insulted and refused to think of her as attractive at the moment…even though that shirt flattered her curves very nicely…and those pants, even though they were about two sizes too big, hugged her hips just right…

No! He was insulted. She had taken a shower after he proposed…ah, now she didn't look too appealing.

"Alright, Beast Boy, get on one knee."

It took him an entire minute to process her order. "Huh?"

"Get down on one knee. If I'm going to marry you, you're going to propose to me the right way. I'm not too happy with the place, and being in my pajamas doesn't help, but refuse to tell my children that you proposed to me because everyone else did it. Now, down, and be romantic, too."

He stared at her in bewilderment. "You…will you say yes?"

Raven rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her slim hips and tossing her wet mane of hair behind her back. "Beast Boy, I did not just take a long shower and brush my teeth until they shined just to say no to you."

He blinked rapidly. "You took a shower so I could propose to you right?"

"No, I took a shower because I find it unbecoming to make love with you dirty. Now, are you going to get down and propose or look at me like I've grown another head?"

"Wait…you want to…here? In a hospital?"

"Won't be romantic, but it'll do. Unless you have something against it…"

"No! Hospital's fine!" He said quickly, leaping to his feet and sliding down onto his knees before her. He made a big show of taking deep breaths before his turned serious.

"You know I don't know how to be romantic without being corny, right?" He thought it only fair to warn her before he spouted off his love for her.

"Beast Boy, tell me what you feel and stop stalling," she warned, but her eyes were soft and there was no scorn in her voice.

Beast Boy grinned and nodded before taking her hand and slipping on the ring. "I love you. I have for a long time, and I know, without a doubt, that you are the only woman who I want to insult me, and bicker with, and love with all my heart. Terra was nothing compared to you, and I want nothing more than to have you by my side until I'm old and wrinkly and need a cane to keep from falling flat on my face."

Raven rolled her eye at his lame attempt at a joke, but her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"Raven, will you do the honor of dealing with my horrible jokes, and marrying me? Raven Logan does have a nice ring to it," he prompted with a smile, his fingers rubbing gently circles against the back of her hand. "Do you love me enough to want to spend an eternity with me?"

Raven blinked, and an entire waterfall of tears started to fall. Damn Beast Boy and his heart-warming proposal.

She opened her mouth to give him a sarcastic comment, but she couldn't do it. This was too imporant to ruin with her loud mouth.

"Yes, I think I do." The grin Best Boy gave her was so happy that she couldn't help but smile back. He stood up and lifted her clean off her feet before lowering her enough to kiss her softly.

As Beast Boy gently lowered her down on the bed, she tapped her finger against her mouth. "You know, Raven Logan does have a nice ring to it."

XxX

Alrighty folks, that was the last real chapter of The White Rose. Next will be the Epilogue, and then it's done. This was the longest chapter I have ever written, and I want to apologize if anything seemed rushed or seemed to drag on. I tried to make sure everything went smoothly, and I, personally, think I did a pretty good job of it. And the Robin thing, well, sorry if it go repetitive. Believe me, it was a lot worse than what it is now, so that's a plus.