...
Raven stood comfortably in her kitchen as she washed dishes in the sink. She was contently doing the chore when she heard a small knock from the door. She silently wondered if Garfield had ordered Pizza, and she rolled her eyes at the thought.
She dried her hands with a towel, before walking over and opening the door.
"Kori?!" She said in surprise, taking a step back.
As soon as her name was said, the alien bolted into her friend's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Raven..." She bawled.
"Kori, what happened?" Raven asked in concern, immediately holding her friend.
"Richard and I are done." She cried, "I found him in Gotham City. I thought we were fine. And would be together. But we're done…" She spoke, weeping into her shoulder.
Raven shut the door and slowly walked her friend to the couch, where they sat down. She was never really confident when it came to comforting a friend.
"It's okay, Kori." She said as the bathroom door opened.
"Hey Rae, who was at the door?" Garfield asked, walking into the living room, fresh out of the shower.
Raven had completely forgotten she had a roommate at the moment, and as Kori lifted up her head and saw Garfield in the doorway in only a loose towel around his hips, she couldn't help but assume the obvious.
"Oh, I am terribly sorry… I'm intruding on you… two… together." She said abruptly getting up.
"No, Kori, wait!" Raven objected as Kori backed up towards the door.
"What's going on?" Garfield asked.
"You two clearly have a... thing going on, and I do not wish to intrude on it." Kori said, putting her hand on the doorknob.
"Kori, stay." Raven insisted sternly.
Kori couldn't help but be relieved as she uncontrollably bolted forward, hugging her friend again. "Thank you." She sobbed, burying her face in her friend's embrace.
Raven slowly stroked her head, before glaring at Garfield as he continued to stand in the doorway, still in a towel. She quickly pointed her finger towards the bedroom, silently ordering him to get dressed.
…
Garfield had gotten dressed and joined Kori and Raven on the couch. Kori couldn't help but start bawling again as Raven hesitantly held her, trying her best to be comforting.
Garfield kept asking if there was anything he could do to help. He was desperate to help a distraught friend. But Raven kept telling him, "She will be okay." Reminding him, just like before, the pain she is feeling will subside and heal. It just takes time.
They spent most of the day like this until around 10:00 pm. Raven escorted Kori to her room, insisting she sleep in her bed with her.
While Garfield wanted to do anything he could to help Kori, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed he was forced to sleep on the couch, away from Raven. Sleeping together was still very new and exciting, just for it to be taken away so abruptly.
It was around midnight and Garfield was currently lying on the couch watching TV. Despite pouting about being away from Raven, he understood that Kori needed her more than he did at the moment.
He let out a long sigh as he flipped through channels, when he heard the bedroom door open. It might have been quiet, but he still heard the minuscule squeak of the door.
He sat up and glanced over with interest and watched in surprise as Raven slowly crept out of the room. He was about to ask her if everything was okay, but that all left his mind when she walked over to him and crawled onto his lap.
"What are you doing?" He asked, but she only put a finger to his lips before leaning down to kiss him.
With the sudden taste of her kiss and the feeling of her soft legs straddling him, he didn't really care about anything else. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, smiling against her lips as her fingers skimmed through his hair.
She did a small intake of breath as he picked her up, laying her down on the couch. He leaned over her, as her arms tightened around him, gently pulling him down.
Sometimes it takes seeing what others have lost to make you appreciate what you have.
…
After a few days of non-stop crying, Kori was eventually able to pull herself together enough to tell her friends everything that had happened in Gotham. And neither one of them was surprised to find out that Richard was the cause of Kori's pain.
Raven had responded by telling her that she could stay here as long as she needed, and that they were there for her.
After a week, the crying had finally stopped. But that didn't mean Kori was better. She went into a deep depression that was hard for her friends to watch.
Her once luscious hair was a tangled mess of bed head and dried tears. Her vibrant eyes were puffy and dim from crying. And her uplifting smile was nowhere to be seen.
She barely ate anything, her appetite ceasing to exist. She wasn't able to take care of herself and her friends had to step in, making sure she ate, slept, and bathed.
Garfield and Raven were at a loss of what to do. They knew they couldn't keep watching their friend widow away. They had suggested a few times that they should go out to eat or see a movie; Things they used to do in the good old days. But Kori turned them down every time.
Kori's days became routine, though disheartening. She watched Soap Operas on the couch, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and hugging a pillow.
She spent most of the day like this, while her friends tried fruitlessly to cheer her up or at least get her to eat something. Her diet contained mostly mustard, ice cream, and toast.
Sometimes Garfield would crawl on her lap as a kitten or other small animal, in an attempt to cheer her up. In the old days, all it took was for him to nuzzle his small nose against her hand and her joyful smile couldn't help but return to her.
But now she would only stroke his fur in a depressing manner.
She napped a lot throughout the day. When nighttime came, Raven would draw her a bath and help wash her long hair. When it was time for bed, Raven would tuck her in, like you would a small child.
But there had been a few times where Kori had fallen asleep on the couch and Garfield would have to carry her to the bedroom.
The recovery was slow, and hard to watch. Garfield had a hard time seeing any progress in her. But time heals all wounds. And Raven could tell she was healing, though it was at a tiresome pace.
…
One night at around 3:00 am, Kori bolted upright in bed. She put her hand over her mouth as her stomach turned. She then bolted from the bed and ran to the bathroom.
She wasn't sure what could have upset her stomach. She barely ate anything, and what she did eat shouldn't have triggered her like it did.
After she had emptied what little she had in her stomach, she sluggishly left the bathroom. She was tired and weak as she slowly walked back to the bedroom.
But she found herself stopping before she reached the door. She slowly glanced down the dimly lit hallway into the living room. Fast asleep on the couch were her two friends, snuggled up to one another.
Kori watched them as her heart lifted from its crushed state. She had been so upset with the loss of her own relationship that she hadn't even asked her friends about their new one.
Kori found herself crying at the thought. She felt like a selfish, horrible friend. Her two friends have clearly gotten together and all she could do was cry about her own relationship downfall.
But no more. Kori was going to put herself together. She was going to cheer up and move on. And most importantly, focus on her two friends and how wonderful it was that they found each other.
…
The next day, Kori was noticeably in a better mood. Her posture was upright. Her hair was clean and brushed. Her eyes were wide and bright. And there was a smile on her face. The friend they had lost was finally returning to them.
The change in mood was definitely a relief to both Raven and Garfield, who couldn't be happier to see their friend's recovery.
Kori even suggested they all eat breakfast at the table, and no one was going to oppose her sitting down for a proper meal.
Garfield was happy to make some grilled cheese sandwiches for everyone. But as they all sat down at the small round table, he and Raven couldn't help but just stare at Kori as she happily ate her sandwich.
"You're really feeling better today?" Raven observed, still in disbelief in the sudden shift in mood.
"I am doing much better." Kori said smiling.
And they couldn't help but stare at that smile. Such a little thing they didn't know they would miss so much.
"I'm glad you're doing better." Raven said, returning the smile.
"And you're eating, that's great." Garfield happily added.
Kori couldn't help but nod. "I felt it was time to stop moping around. And you two have truly been the best of friends, helping me through this."
"Of course, Kori. You know we would do anything for you." Raven told her.
"And it just warms my heart knowing that after all this time you two have found each other." She continued as she clasped her hands together.
Raven slowly choked on her morning tea at the subject.
The topic of their newfound relationship was something Raven was hoping to avoid discussing. The only benefit to Kori's breakdown was that she was too distracted to discuss the obvious relationship status.
Garfield could clearly see Raven was uncomfortable with the topic. She was never one to openly discuss such personal matters. But he also knew Raven wasn't going to turn down the subject after they waited so long for Kori to open up to them.
"So..." Kori began as she leaned on her clasped hands. "How did it happen?" She asked eagerly.
"Um... I'm going to make some more." Garfield announced as he grabbed their empty plates and went to the kitchen.
"I'm not sure what you mean?" Raven asked, awkwardly taking another sip of tea.
"Well, you're living together." Kori said, stating the obvious.
Raven looked at her curiously. "Didn't we all live together?"
"Yeah, but we didn't share a bed." Kori said pointedly. "So... you guys are obviously sleeping together."
The mug in Raven's hands abruptly exploded with energy, sending glass everywhere.
Garfield quickly took the initiative to intervene, setting down fresh sandwiches on the table. "Get it while the cheese is creamy." He said awkwardly.
Raven was happy for the distraction as she started picking up the shattered fragments of her mug. But the eerie silence from the table caused her to look back at Kori as she strangely stared at her sandwich.
Kori watched as the melted cheese slowly dripped down the bread, and despite it being the same thing she had just eaten, the sudden look of the food caused her stomach to turn.
"Excuse me." She spoke, covering her mouth before hurriedly getting up from the table and bolting to the bathroom.
Garfield and Raven watched her do so before turning back to one another and then the untouched grilled cheese.
Raven slowly got up from the table and approached the bathroom door. "Kori, are you okay?" She asked, but she was only met with the sound of vomiting.
"I'm coming in." She announced before opening the door and tending to her friend who was hunched over the toilet bowl.
Garfield stood in the kitchen, glancing over at the cheese and bread. Neither one had gone bad, and it led him to wonder why Kori had gotten sick from it.
After about 20 minutes, Raven slowly walked Kori out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She laid her down, making sure she kept a trashcan nearby.
Garfield watched as Raven quietly shut the bedroom door before approaching her. "The food wasn't spoiled." He told her.
"I'm not sure what's going on. She seemed so much better today and now she can't stop puking."
The pair walked back to the kitchen and tried to point to a cause of Kori's illness.
"Maybe she has the flu?" Garfield suggested but Raven doubted that.
"She hasn't had a full meal in so long, I wonder if her stomach is just having a rough transition from barely anything, to a whole sandwich?" Raven thought out loud, but she doubted that that was the reason.
"What if she's pregnant?" Garfield playfully suggested, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.
Raven's eyes widened at the thought, and he quickly shook his head.
"I was joking." He told her.
"But she might be." Raven commented before grabbing the car keys off of the counter. "I'm going to the store." She announced before rushing out of the apartment.
Garfield watched her leave, his expression shocked at the reality of the thought. "Shit."
…
Twenty minutes later Raven returned, a small paper sack in her hand. She found Garfield sitting outside the bathroom, leaning against the opposite wall, in case Kori needed something.
"Are you sure it's not the flu?" He asked as they heard more vomiting from the bathroom.
"We'll find out." Raven said before knocking on the door and walking inside.
Garfield got up and walked to the kitchen before leaning against the counter. He put his hands in his pockets as he anxiously waited for the news.
He had a sick feeling in his stomach over the whole Kori, Richard debacle. He felt protective over his friend, and he was already angry at Richard.
He didn't want to think about Kori going through more pain because of Richard's actions. So much has changed already, he couldn't even comprehend if Kori was actually pregnant.
It wasn't long before Raven quietly walked out of the bathroom, a concerned expression on her face.
Garfield eagerly stood up off the counter. "What's the news?" He asked as she approached him.
"She's pregnant." She told him simply.
He could only blink in response. "W-what are we going to do?"
She let out a heavy sigh. "Whatever Kori wants us to do."
They both stared at the ground, the weight of the situation weighing on them before they turned and stared at the knocking door.
Raven immediately turned to Garfield who shrugged in defense. "I didn't order anything." He said, before walking up and opening the door, just to reveal Richard.
"Garfield? What are you doing here? This is Raven's apartment." Richard asked in confusion, and Garfield responded by punching him in the face.
"Gar, No!" Raven quickly intervened, as she rushed forward and grabbed Garfield, pulling him away.
Richard was taken aback by the sudden hit as he held his jaw.
"What are you doing here, Dick?!" Garfield growled.
Richard quickly gained back his composure as he walked into the apartment. "I came to ask Raven if she knows where Kori is."
"You don't deserve to see Kori!" Garfield barked angrily.
Raven gently placed her hand on his chest. "Gar, calm down." She told him sternly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Richard asked, surprised he was getting such a hostile response.
"Everyone needs to calm down." Raven said, raising her hands and getting in between the pair.
"Raven, what's going on?" Richard demanded, knowing she would give him a clear answer.
"What's going on is Kori's pregnant!" Garfield yelled.
It was then they heard a small "Ahem." from the doorway, and they all turned to see Kori standing upright in the frame.
"Kori..." Was all Richard was able to utter as he stared at her in surprise. After the brief shock of her being there left, it was quickly replaced with the alarming news he just heard.
"Hello Richard." She addressed calmly, her tone of voice clearly distant.
Richard was normally able to adjust quickly to surprising news, but this information truly had him speechless. "Is...is it true?" He managed to ask.
Kori remained composed as she answered. "It does appear I am with child." She spoke, slowly putting her hand on her abdomen.
"Are… you sure?" He asked.
She slowly narrowed her eyes at the question. "I assure you I am." She answered coldly, crossing her arms.
Richard ran his hand through his hair, fully taking in the information he was given. He let out a long breath before turning back to Garfield and Raven.
"Could you guys maybe give us some privacy?" He asked.
Garfield's eyes widened at the audacity. "Are you kidding me?!" He yelled and everyone turned to him, shocked by the outburst.
"Excuse me?" Richard said, surprised by his tone.
"You expect us to just leave you here. With her. Alone. And trust you not to hurt her more then you already have?!" He yelled.
"Gar." Raven spoke up, but he was too angry to listen.
"No! You can only break someone so many times, Dick! And I still don't get how you could do this to Kori, our friend. She was the nicest person you could ever meet. And you broke her… Twice! And you know who put her back together… us… We did! We gave her tissues when she wouldn't stop crying. We made her eat when she refused to. We held her when she needed a hug. We were there! And where were you?… In Gotham, because Batman told you to." He yelled, mocking Batman's name.
"Gar, you need to calm down." Raven told him sternly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"No! He can't just get away with doing this to her." He argued, gesturing to Richard. "Leaving her. Like he left us!"
"What are you talking about?" Richard asked, furrowing his brow.
Garfield loudly scuffed at his lack of understanding. "You just left us. Like we weren't anything. Like those years we spent as a team meant nothing. Like we weren't friends! You broke up our team, our Family! Things changed, and because You left, we disbanded, and the Titans became no more!"
Richard was speechless. The full outcome of his actions came crashing down on him. He hadn't expected his departure to impact his friends so strongly.
He knew it was foolish to expect things to stay the same after he left. But he honestly didn't expect the team to completely break up.
"I... I'm sorry..." He spoke. The gilt of his actions caused him to feel nothing but grief. "I didn't know me leaving would impact you all so much."
Garfield narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Well, that was careless on your part."
Raven gently grabbed Garfield's arm. "Gar, come on. We need to go." She told him sternly.
She had let him say his piece, and get what he needed off his chest. But now it was time to give Richard and Kori some privacy.
Garfield huffed loudly, giving one final scowl at Richard before letting Raven walk him out of the apartment.
Richard couldn't help but sigh as he ran his hand through his hair again. "I've ruined everything, haven't I?"
Kori crossed her arms. "You can say that again." She spoke calmly, causing him to look back at her.
He had planned so many things to say to her once he found her. But now as he stared at her stone-cold expression, he found himself at a loss of what to say.
He wasn't used to this Kori. The distant, detached girl before him wasn't the Kori he knew. But that just showed how much his action impacted her.
"What are you doing here, Richard?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence in the room.
"I needed to see you." He told her.
"Why?"
"I… I didn't like where we left off…"
"Where you told me to leave, and never come back?" She asked harshly.
He couldn't help but sigh at the reminder of what happened that night. "Yeah, about that…" He spoke hesitantly. "Kori... I left Bruce."
He paused for her reaction. But if she was at all surprised, she didn't show it.
"I know the way I treated you was horrible." He continued. "And I can never make it up to you. But I want you to know that the day I left the tower, the day I left you… it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Bruce, he got in my head, and I found myself going back to my old habits. I did what he said without question, like a puppet." He said harshly, spitting out the word.
"But no more. I'm not with him. The whole point of me transitioning to Nightwing was to be done with Batman and Robin. And it's officially over, Batman got a new Robin and I'm no longer associated with him."
He looked at her, foolishly hoping she would happily jump into his arms. But her expression remained the same.
"What now?" She asked, and her tone of voice was still harsh and distant. "You think I'm just going to run back into your arms like nothing happened? Richard, you hurt me. And I refuse to be hurt by you ever again." She told him sternly.
Richard glanced downward as he sighed heavily.
"I cannot take back what I've done to you and the others. You will just have to take my word for it when I say if you take me back, I will Never Hurt You Again." He said earnestly, looking at her sternly. And he hoped she could hear the honesty in his voice.
"And what if your words aren't enough." She told him.
"Then I hope this is." He said reaching into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Marry me, Kori, and we can be a family, you me and this baby!" He said getting down on one knee.
Kori stared at his gesture, her eyes wide in surprise as she slowly took a step back. She looked at Richard's pleading expression. His soft blue eyes. His warm smile.
She would be lying if she said she didn't want to run into his arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace as he happily kissed her. She wanted to put that ring on her finger, knowing they would be together forever.
But then she put her hand on her stomach protectively. She was no longer just thinking for herself. She looked at Richard and her face slowly faltered as she let out a long sigh.
"I can't."
…