As the airliner banked to the left Gar was able to see the city below them. It was late in the afternoon and the five hour transcontinental flight was almost over. Gotham appeared to be baking in a smoggy, summer afternoon haze, and the flight attendant had just announced that Gotham City was in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures in the triple digits.

He was feeling irritated with the situation. He didn't care for commercial airline travel, what with the subsonic jets (he really missed the T-Ship) and being herded through security checkpoints like cattle. TSA treated them like ordinary people in spite of their former superhero status, and even pulled him aside to pat him down. He wondered if Raven's former reputation as the "Scary Titan" still lingered as she was waived through that part of the screening process.

The truth was that beyond that he had little to complain about. Raven booked them in first class and paid for the tickets, even though he protested. It was then that he found out that she really was a millionaire and that her small store was a veritable gold mine that cleared monthly profits as high as $200,000. She also booked them a room at the Gotham Four Seasons. He checked online on his smart phone and he discovered that rooms in that hotel started at $800 a night. Her extravagance puzzled him as in other ways she was quite frugal. For one thing, her car was a 6 year old Volkswagen hatchback. She kept it immaculate of course and it only had 27,000 miles on the odometer, but still … she could have a much cooler set of wheels if she really so desired.

She spent most of the flight meditating and she opened her eyes at that very moment and placed her hand on his own ungloved mitten, which was resting on the oversized armrest that separated their expensive first class seats. He turned to her and they made eye contact.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Refreshed, were you able to nap?"

He grinned as he replied.

"Are you kidding? I'm the king of naps! You know, my animal DNA and all that stuff."

She continued to absentmindedly caress his hand.

"Something tells me you didn't have a lot of time to nap while working in your dual degrees, Doctor."

"That's true, but it wasn't as hard as you think. There was a lot of overlap between the two programs. My PhD dissertation was about a new technique for creating vaccines that neutralize retro-viruses. It's what I used to create the vaccine for the C1H4 virus."

"Right, the dog plague. Gar, why did you remain anonymous about that? The press releases only said that the vaccine was developed at Colorado State's school of veterinary medicine. You're an anonymous hero to hundreds of millions of pet owners around the world."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess after being a Titan all those years I had my fill of being in the limelight. And people still call me Beast Boy; even though I officially changed my hero name to 'Changeling' during the team's final year ... I'm so jealous of Nightwing."

"You are? Why?"

"Aw c'mon Rave! He got way taller and buffed out, and everyone in the media accepted his new identity right away. He's also good looking and he's married to a total babe."

"You're talking about Starfire, you know."

"I know, but she is hot. So he's a winner, meanwhile I couldn't get a steady girlfriend in college to save my life. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised they still call me Beast Boy. I'm five foot nothing and I'm scrawny. I still look like a boy…"

"No, you don't." She interrupted.

"Thanks Rave, but you're not a very good liar."

"You're a man, Gar; you stopped being a boy the day you saved me from Adonis. And don't be jealous of Nightwing. Some women don't like overly muscled men and are actually attracted to a more natural, lean physique like yours."

"Really? And how do you know that?"

"I just do."

He stared blankly at her, trying to process what she had just told him. In the end he decided to take her word for it.

"Rave?"

"Yes?"

"You've also changed."

"What do you mean? How?"

He paused, weighing his words carefully.

"You're the way you used to be, before Rage got loose the day Dr. Light pushed you over the edge."

She gave him a puzzled look.

"You were softer, more mellow before that happened. Even after getting Rage back under control … well … you just weren't the same again. But now … you remind me of how you used to be."

This time it was Raven who was struggling with what she had just heard.

"I wasn't aware that I changed." She stammered.

"Well, I'm glad you changed back. After you first changed … I missed you … but I did notice that you slowly began to change back into your old self after you beat your … I mean Trigon."

"It's OK Gar; I've come to terms with the fact that he's my father."

An uncomfortable silence followed, which Gar finally took the initiative to break.

"So what's the plan for tonight? How are we gonna find the Bat? Nightwing never told us who Batman is. Heck, he never told us who he is."

"I think Batman knows we're coming Gar. He'll probably find us first."

-( scene break )-

The bellhop opened the door to the suite and gestured to the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ to enter first. Gar's jaw almost dropped when he saw the luxurious room. This definitely wasn't the La Quinta Inn. In addition to being huge the suite was exquisitely furnished. The bell hop pushed the luggage trolley through the door and set up their suitcases so they would be ready to unpack.

"The bar has been restocked." The bellhop announced, gesturing at the fully stocked bar in the suite as he gave them a quick tour of the room. Starting with the living room area, where a cellophane basket of fruit, cheese and three bottles of wine was prominently displayed he explained how to connect to the hotel's Wi-Fi network. He then showed them the bedroom, which had two king sized beds. Without entering the bath he explained that the bathroom was fully supplied with toiletries and had a marble tub, shower, two separate toilets and a bidet, which the changeling glanced at with an odd look on his face. He then explained that room service was available 24/7 and reminded them to call the front desk if they needed anything. Gar tipped the bellhop generously, and the young man thanked the former Titan before leaving.

Raven gazed out the 32nd floor window in the living room. The sun had finally set and she knew he was out there somewhere, waiting for them. This was his city, some people believed that nothing happened without him knowing and their arrival had hardly been secret by nature. Batman certainly knew they were here in Gotham. He probably knew where they were staying and when they arrived. It was then we she suddenly realized just how much she missed being in the super hero business. As she continued to stare out the window she wondered how long they would have to wait for him to show up.

"Rave, we have company."

That answered her question.

Raven turned around and saw him. She had of course seen photos of Batman before, but they didn't do him justice. The Dark Knight towered over Gar. His musculature was rippling and was even more pronounced than Nightwing's physique, to the point where she found it to be grotesque and unnatural looking. He was a dark and imposing figure while his body language was both stiff and menacing.

"Greetings Dr. Roth, and you too Dr. Logan."

"I see you have saved us the trouble of finding you Batman. I presume that you know why we are here." She replied.

Batman stood motionless as he replied.

"Officially you came to examine some Babylonian artifacts at the Gotham Museum. But the real reason is that you came to find Nightwing and Starfire."

"Do you know where they are?" Gar asked.

"They went off on a mission three weeks ago. Nightwing wouldn't tell me what it was."

"What about their daughter?" Raven asked.

"Nightstar was left in my care, with the understanding that they would return within a few days. I'm glad that you came, as I have a favor to ask."

"We're ready to help you find them Batman, just say the word. We brought our costumes with us, just give us a minute to change and we'll be ready to go." Gar replied as he puffed his chest out.

Batman paused before replying.

"With all due respect, you are both retired superheroes. You're in no shape to jump into this."

"And with all due respect, I disagree." Raven replied. "We still have our powers and we are still perfectly fit. Gar is stronger and sharper than when he was a Teen and my powers have increased since then as well."

"Yeah, it's like riding a bike; you never forget how to be a super hero."

Raven noticed that Batman did a great job of shrouding his emotions, but she sensed a hint of impatience leaking from his mind.

"What is this favor you want from us?" She asked.

"I would like you and Dr. Logan to take Nightstar with you back to Jump City."

"Why us? The child doesn't even know us. As far as she is concerned we're complete strangers."

"She will be safer with you in Jump. It will also allow me greater flexibility to enhance my search."

"Do you have any leads yet?"

"None. I combed through their home and found nothing."

"Maybe you should let us take a look. We lived with them for 6 years; we might notice something you overlooked." Gar replied.

"I seriously doubt that, Dr. Logan, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. Go ahead and change into your costumes, I know you can't morph without destroying your regular clothes Dr. Logan."

The two ex-Titans nodded their agreement and walked into the bedroom, leaving Batman in the living room.

"Is there anything he doesn't know?" Gar whispered to her.

"Yes, he doesn't know what happened to them. Their disappearance has got to be tied to Victor's absence." Raven replied as she rummaged through her suit case, from where she extracted her Titan's costume, which she held up in the air. "When we were Titans I didn't even think of this as a costume, it was just my clothes, I even used to sleep in my leotard."

Raven stepped into the spacious bathroom to change. When she emerged a minute later Gar was almost done changing himself, and was reaching for his shirt. He had his back to her and she saw that he had several scars on his back, mementos from their years as Titans. She also noticed that his lean muscles rippled as he stretched and pulled the black and purple Doom Patrol shirt over his head. For a brief moment she thought she could hear Lust laughing in the back of her mind. She bit her lip as she looked away from him.

Get a grip on yourself; you're thinking like a horny schoolgirl. She mentally chided herself.

"Rave, are we gonna take Nightstar home with us?" He asked as he turned around.

"I don't want to do that, if that's what you're asking. I know you're good with kids, but in case you've forgotten you have a full time job waiting for you back home."

"I understand, I just don't like the idea of a kid being babysat by Batman. She's what, six years old now?"

"I'm sure he has someone else actually doing the babysitting, probably an ordinary person (little does Raven know that there is nothing ordinary about Alfred Pennyworth). But I think he has a point, between the two us of we should be able to keep Nightstar safe."

Gar scratched his chin.

"We should contact the honorary Titans; they can help us watch her while do our own investigating."

Raven mulled over his idea for a moment before agreeing.

"I guess he's waiting for us." Gar announced. "Let's do this."

-( scene break )-

The two Jump City heroes sat quietly in the Batmobile, which darted around the nearly empty streets in Bludhaven. At first Gar didn't think it was possible for anyplace to be more depressing than Gotham, but Bludhaven was even worse. He still couldn't believe that Nightwing disbanded the Titans to bring his then pregnant wife to live in this lugubrious crime ridden city. Was he on crack? What was wrong with him? They were perfectly happy living together in the Tower. He recalled that Nightwing gave a long winded speech about how they had become stagnant in their personal growth and that a few years apart would do them all some good, after which the team could be resurrected. After a mere year it became obvious to him that the separation was going to be permanent. He finished his undergrad degree in biology in just 3 years. At the time Bumblebee invited him to join Titans East, but he turned down her offer and instead decided to work on his PhD and DVM.

His train of thought was interrupted when the Batmobile pulled into an alley and stopped.

"Raven, would you mind forming one of your flying black disks? I don't want to drive any closer than this." Batman asked her in his monotone. "Nightwing and Starfire live on the top floor of a partially abandoned apartment building. I'll show you the way."

The view of Bludhaven from Raven's flying "taxi" provided an even grimmer view of the city. She could actually see crimes being committed on the streets below. Just like Gar, her mind boggled at Nightwing's and Starfire's choice of community. There were also fires visible, as a few cars were burning on the streets, set ablaze by vandals. The sound of sirens, both police and fire engines, echoed throughout the city, their collective whine sounding like an acknowledgement of their futility in making a difference in a city that was the poster child for the condition of human despair.

She wondered how the princess was able to cope with living in this soul crushing community and was beginning to ponder if perhaps Nightwing had lost his mind. Towards the end of their tenure as Jump City's guardians he still kept his true identity a secret from them and only revealed it to Starfire on their wedding night. Six months later, with no warning, he disbanded the team.

Raven recalled that day well. While she didn't exteriorize it she was in a full blown panic. The Titans were the only friends she ever had and she came within a cat's whisker of following Gar to CSU. Cyborg eventually talked her out of it, saying that "the green bean needs to grow, and he won't do that if any of us are around."

So she stayed in Jump City and completed her undergrad and graduate degrees in record time. She also opened Azarathia when she received her Bachelor's degree. Between work and school the years slipped by and eventually she found herself with nothing to do but run the store. Even though she had been an outstanding scholar she learned that there were no openings for professors of ancient history, even if Indiana Jones made it look easy in the movies.

It suddenly dawned on Raven that she was expecting, or more correctly, she was hoping that Gar would stay with her for the rest of their lives. This realization troubled her, as it was plainly obvious that he wanted a mate, a spouse to share his life with.

Could she be that person for him? And furthermore, could he be that person for her? Her trip to Nevermore more than confirmed that she would take him in a heartbeat. Cyborg had been right all along. Gar had grown and become a wonderful man, one she would be willing to share herself with, in both body and soul.

But did he feel that way? Could he ever see her as more than a friend?

Raven guided the disk towards the roof of a tall, dilapidated building. The lower levels were occupied by squatters. Batman told them that Nightwing and Starfire had removed a few levels of stairs and plugged up the non functional elevator shafts. The building was 20 stories tall and without elevators the squatters remained on the lower 5 floors and no one ever came to visit the Graysons.

Raven shook her head, still unable to believe that Starfire would agree to live in such a place. Raven was no stranger to squatting, as that was how she lived when she first met the others, but this arrangement would have been unacceptable to her even in her darkest moments. The Tamaranian visited her twice in Jump City, both times when Nightstar was a toddler. She never said anything about their living arrangements. Raven could only conclude that the Tamaranian was truly in love with her mate to follow him into this hell hole.

The disk vanished as they landed on the building's rooftop. There was nothing there that even hinted that it was the residence of two superheroes.

"Follow me." Batman curtly commanded them. "And don't touch anything until we are inside, there are booby traps everywhere."

-( scene break )-

What will they find in the apartment? And now it's mailbag time!

Radmila Raznatov - "CLIFFIE! NO! NOW I WON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL YOU UPDATE! I never read the first one, but I might if it's still up. Awesome story! And I like where it's going."

The original story was deleted.

Glacier - "I don't recall if I read this the first time around, but considering this seems familiar, I might've. You've got a good point, what I recall as the second half was a bit below your normal quality. Still a good story, though."

You remember correctly.

lunastorm13 - "It's really good, I thought the scene were they went back home was quite touching. I can't wait to read more."

The trip back to the Tower was one of my favorite passages when I wrote this story.

JOHNXgambit - "I am now convinced u and lamont crawford (shades of green and gray) are the top BBXRAE writers out there which is why I feel u could save The Dark Titans written by AnimeMaster24 its a TTXJLU crossover a subject u excel at (birds of a feather) its a great read and I'd hate to see it fade out without an ending"

Thanks, I appreciate your kind words and I'm sure Lamont does as well. But I disagree. There are better BBRae writers out there than yours truly. Sir Alwick and BeautifulPurpleFlame are but two that come to mind.

bluedog197 - "awesome story funny part with ravens emotions this is a great story cant wait to see more"

Thanks, since the first 20 chapters are already written I will update quickly at first. After that it will slow down

DeeThom - "I feel like as these chapters post, I'll gradually begin to remember the story. I really am excited to read this again. The updates can't come fast enough! I don't, however, remember Cyborg being engaged in the older story. There must be massive changes in the future."

He was engaged in the original story.

The-Alpha-She-Wolf - "I didn't read the original, but from the reviews that I've read, it was an amazing story. This is an awesome start, and I hope I get to experience the awe that others felt when they read this the first time around! To tell you the truth, I'm jittering with impatience as I wait for the next chapter. I'd wish you good luck, but from the looks of this story so far, you really don't need it."

Thanks, but I did ruin the original story will a horrible and boring second half, which is why I yanked it. So I will gladly accept your good luck wishes.

Anoymous136 - "I loved the first one but then again I love everything you write. It will be intetesting to see how this turns out."

Thanks, I hope I won't disappoint this time.

RavenOfObsidian - "Promising start. But since you mentioned it, are you thinking of re writing carved in stone too? I've been reading it and I find it exceptional."

To be honest, I'm dissatisfied with Carved. I tried venturing out of my comfort zone with it and have had mixed results. Yes, it has been very popular and has already received over 900 reviews, but it is not even close to being my best work, it could have been much better. Will I rewrite it? Probably not, though I might delete it after I finish it.

krostovikraven1 - "Yes! exactly like Indiana Jones. Dr Logan sounds really sexy. anyway. the visit to their old home must have been overwhelming. But why would they be in any danger and where are Star and Nightwing . and that mystery girl Victor is engaged to? has to be really good to manipulate him into not even contacting his friends. and him just going with it. really great so far. update soon."

You'll soon find out why Vic has been silent.

Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "Well Dick and Starfire would probably with The Outsiders on the side on this fan fic,I mean after the Titans disbanded, it's easy to say in that time span, Dick got approached by Roy to form the Outsiders."

While I'd love to, I won't use the Outsiders for the same reason I won't bring in the second generation of Teen Titans (like I did in the original version of this story). Few readers are familiar with them and it ends up confusing having so many characters.

BritishWaffleSyrup - "Awesome! :D Hope you continue, I never read the first story cause' I didn't know about the Teen Titans TV show! So, in turn, didn't know about the FF section. Don't worry- I already kicked myself! But anyway, this is a unique story. I love it! :D"

I will continue, the first 20 chapters are already written and only require some tweaking.

TheThoughtsofKarasu - "I really like this, it's moving at a good pace, and I like the clear chemistry between Gar and Raven. Yay for Nightwing and Star being together, what can I say? I'm a Robstar shipper. Do you have an estimate on how long this will be?"

Well, the first 20 chapters are already written. There will be more. How many? At this point I really don't know.

Dragonkyng - "I was so sad you erased this story and I'm so happy you are continuing it. Can't wait to re-read it"

Thanks!

titanfan45 - "I liked this chapter very much. I don't remember Raven making the comment about this is how it feels to be in the friend box the first time around. If it is new, it was a great addition. The scene with Raven and Beast Boy returning to the tower was just as good as I remember it to be."

Yes, that was an addition to the original chapter.

Shadico - "Yea, i'll get to enjoy it like it's my first time reading it, but the entire time i'll have that nagging feeling in the back of my head screaming that i'm forgetting/not remembering something, haha. Not much to say about this chapter since it's setting up the events that will come to pass, but i'm ecstatic at the prospect of Rae already wanting to be with Gar. Hopefully their relationship evolves into much more soon. I'm a sucker for fluff hah."

Well, this story will be much fluffier than say "Carved in Stone".