Last chapter! Oh no! I'm sorry to say this, but there will be no sequel. I'm sorry, but I don't think that there would be enough interest for one. Besides, I've got to finish Pernicious Deception, Bitter Rose, and Where Loyalties Lie. And for Where Loyalties Lie, I've got a trilogy all planned out, so yeah.

Please understand that, please. I'll try to make this a really great chapter. Please review when done reading.

Chapter Five

As the sunlight rays beamed through the window onto my soft face, I realized that it was morning. It wasn't just any morning; it was my last morning here in Gotham. I flipped over to my other side and saw Rosemar'i sleeping right beside me. I gracefully touched her black silky hair and brushed a strand aside from blocking her sweet little face. Naturally, I was a born mother. Whenever my aunts and uncles had me and Koma do babysitting, I would do all the babysitting. I love children, and it wasn't any different when I knew about Rose. Realizing that if I stayed in bed any longer, Toni would literally come into my room and pour steaming water on me (she did that before, and trust me, it hurts!), I went out of my room and straight into the bathroom.

I put toothpaste onto my toothbrush and started my daily routine. I started to think about my life. Every little bit, even about my friends including Vic, Karen, Toni…Wait a minute! What about her story? I've read a little bit, but I didn't get to finish it. Whenever Toni didn't need to do anything, I'd always find her with pen and paper. I was going to read that story right after I was dressed. I quickly got out of my pj's and got into the shower.

After my shower, I got dressed into a simple blue tank and white capris. I didn't even bother to do my hair as it was already in a messy bun. I rushed into the kitchen, not bothering to wake Rose until later. There I saw Toni what seemed like re-reading her page. I tiptoed to her and instantly grabbed the sheet out of her hands.

"Hey Kori!" Toni pouted, but I could see a frown on her face.

I gave her a pout, "Please?" I didn't even bother to wait for a response as I already started to read the story, entitled Deadly Escape.

Deadly Escape

"Tell me why again that I even accepted this mission?" The reflection of a young woman with long luscious red hair and glowing emerald eyes just looked back with a startled expression. "Never mind, don't answer that." Carefully looking herself over, she nodded in approval of her attire. In fact it was a beautiful black silk gown which landed on the floor with red roses on the hem. Her feet were supported by red ruby high heels. She curled her long red hair, then tying it into a messy bun. She wore a rose charm necklace along with starbursts as earrings. Her makeup was quite simple; only a tint of blush, red eye shadow, black mascara and pink rosy lip gloss. No matter how much her emerald eyes sparkled in the dark and mysterious night, no one would see it as she covered it with a masquerade mask. In fact she had been invited to a Masquerade Ball on that Halloween night at the famous Redd Mansion, which was thought to be haunted by Xavier Redd's, a legendary police officer, spirit. Actually she wasn't invited but more of assigned undercover to find out the information about the deadly assassination which was rumored to be occurring at the ball.

She slowly swirled around her dress and had a fake grin plastered on her face. "Why did I ever agree to do this?" Carefully, the young woman of 23 years left her apartment building, to attend the ball which she had no interest of being 'invited'. However, little did she know that who ever she finds under that mask would change her thoughts and goals in life forever.

Slowly, the red haired goddess stepped out of her limo as she straightened her mask. Inhaling deeply, she whispered to herself, "It would be a miracle if I'd actually find a person I know here." Little did she know that her limo driver, Steve, had been hearing the whole talk to herself.

"Actually miss that would be a 67 percent chance as most of Jump City's famous millionaires are invited to this Masquerade Ball. As you're an undercover agent--" The annoyed young woman raised a hand which signaled him to stop. According to her, you couldn't get a more accurate man than Steve. Him and his statistics.

"Thank you, Steve. I'll keep that in mind," she said as she walked into the entrance of Redd Manor, which was now resided by Xavier's niece, Amethyst, who was kind enough to give the Manor away that night for the ball. All of the V.I.P.s were scheduled to arrive any time at the ball, giving any assassin many choices of who to kill and take away lives.

"Good luck Miss and please come back safely. I will be waiting for you outside when you have accomplished your task, Miss." She acknowledged him by nodding her head in approval. She turned back to where she was heading and hoped that she would get this done and over with. Many people stared at her as she stepped into the ball room. Looking around, she wanted to whistle but didn't have the guts to do so.

It was a huge hall, she had to admit but she didn't think that it would look like this. There was a huge dancing room in the middle while the exterior was surrounded by dinning tables. The walls were decorated by lights that didn't even rival the huge chandelier in the middle of the room. The guests were either sitting at the tables or dancing to the funky dances going on in the middle. Silently talking to her, she said, "Never knew seniors knew how to dance." Smiling silently, she walked over to the food bar to catch some activity from the edge of the massive room.

Carefully she grabbed a crystal clear cup and filled it up with punch from the diamond punch bowl. She took a sip and cautiously skimmed the crowd. From where she sat, she saw a familiar figure which she couldn't recall as they had their face covered. All she could see was bits of black spiked hair sticking out behind the face mask. She then let her eyes wander after him as he looked around to see if anyone was seeing him, then escaped through the back doors.

She set her drink down and followed the familiar masked man, but without getting suspicions from any of her fellow invited peers. Walking in a fast pace through the crowds, she narrowed her eyes laying them on her destination. No matter what the outcome was, she wasn't going to go home without accomplishing the task. The only reason why she did ever choose to be a spy was because her own parents were killed by assassination. As one of Gotham City's millionaires and keepers of limitless fortune, it was a mistake to let someone like those people go. What the assassins didn't know that they had a daughter, one who had agility and skill to bring them to justice. Just because of her parents, she became an undercover agent. Also, because of them, she will keep trying until her task is accomplished. After she had reached behind the doors, she picked up her pace until she saw him enter a maze in Redd's back grounds. The maze was dark and unlit, one of his short-sightedness. She heard the heavy panting that not only belonged to her masked man. She was sinking into the shadows, lost in the maze, thankful for the temporary sanctuary that it provided. The 4 meter high walls of your maze made it nearly impossible to find him now.

She heard loud shouting, a woman's scream and a gunshot. Silence.

CRACK. Running towards the source she stopped as gasped as she found the woman who had been shot. She was laid face down and was covered with blood. Her hair was tangled and her cat costume ripped where the blade was stabbed. She went to check for a pulse. None. Sighing, the young spy looked around for any clues that the assassin might have unexpectedly left. On the blade that seemed to be used, the young spy found a message. "You better want to run faster than that if you want to catch me, princess. Your friend, Red Robin."

I looked up at my best friend in shock. "Red Robin?" I asked Toni who just shuffled her feet. I continued on reading.

The 23 year old woman grasped the message into her hands with a tight grip. "If you wanted to know what I can do, you better be ready for it." Just as she said it, she heard a snap. She turned around and saw the source of the sound. Right behind her was the masked man with a gun in his hands aiming for her direction. Paralyzed for the moment, she had no idea of what to do. However as 'Red Robin' approached her, she took immediate action. She dodged the bullet he shot and kicked the gun out of his hands. As he was defenseless, she approached forward and tore of his mask. What she saw behind those masked eyes was something she thought she would never see. Icy sapphire eyes. Beautiful sapphire eyes.

"R..i..c..h..a..r..d..??" She gasped as he widened his eyes as if he was responding to the call of his name.

He then snarled, "My my you're feisty and smart too. Who are you? A cop? A spy? And how did you ---" He was cut short when the young woman took off her own mask. Widening his eyes, her went to touch her cheek.

"Kori?" It hurt Kori to see him betrayed like this. All in all she was also betrayed, not only by him not telling her who he really was, but by almost killing her. As he looked into her eyes, she remembered the time he always 'vanished' without a trace.

Immediately, I looked up at Toni in shock. She was writing about Richard and I? "Toni…"

She, in turn, shoved the paper in my face and told me to continue to read.

"Kor, you got to stop ranting like that," her male friend slightly chuckled as he watched as the red haired goddess beside him went around in circles.

"So that's what happened today! Can you believe it? I mean here I am fully dressed for the modeling rehearsal that Miss Angela gave me, but she then decides to give it to someone else!" Kori turned around and saw no one there. She swore Dick was right there with her when they came out of the model agency.

"Dick?"

"Kori, I can explain!"

"NO! How could you do this to me?" Kori's eyes were full of tears as Dick removed his hands from her face. Making her cry made him feel ever so guilty, "How could you not tell me that you were an assassin? I'm your best friend!"

"Kori, please let me explain. I couldn't--"

"NO! YOU LIED TO ME AND YOU WILL GET THE PRICE FOR WHAT YOU DO! KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE AND BETRAYING ME..." Kori picked up the gun from the floor and aimed it this time to his direction. However she felt as if she needed to tell him before he had to leave the world, "I love you Richard John Grayson and nothing will change that."

BANG. It echoes across the room and everything is quiet.

He fell to the floor with a thump and saw Kori kneel down beside him. "I'm so sorry, Dick. I love you. I can't believe I killed you!"

Dick slightly smiled as he went to caress her cheek, "Don't worry Kor. You did what you had to. And before I leave, I have to say. I love you."

Kori's eyes widened as his body fell cold onto her lap and as he said his last words. I love you...

She shakily switched her ear piece on and talked to her driver and partner in disguise, "Steve, Nightstar talking. Mission accomplished and bodies are ready for pick up. I'll be with you shortly. Star over and out." However she did go back but not the way you think she did. She did not move on with her life, and become a success and millionaire. She did not move on and love someone else. Instead she went back as a corpse, a dead body along with her love and the victim of her love's deadly doings. She had taken her life just to be with her loved one forever.

This shows you that love will always succeed in all, in life and death, the good times and bad. All we now could say is that Kori Anders' Halloween was changed forever...

When I had finished reading, I had never thought that Toni would write such a thing. Is this what Toni really thought of my relationship with Richard? That I would just die along with him?

"Toni…why…"

She raised her hand and motioned me to stop. "Please don't start. The only reason why I wrote this was because I wanted to tell the world of how love works. I didn't put your name and Richard without a reason. I wanted to tell that true love is eternal even in death. I just wanted you to realize that too. But please, don't ever do the thing I indicated in here. I don't know what I would do without you." She finished, grabbed her paper, and rushed out the door, heading in my room where Rose was crying. I didn't even know what to do, except think. And I thought for a long time.

It was time to leave and Tim had paid a visit. I was just saying goodbye when he asked me, "Who's Rose's father?" I looked at him in shock. I mean, who was he to ask about my daughter's father?

"Me. I'm her mother and father. No one else," I replied simply before carrying my suitcase to the front.

"I know it's Richard, Kor." I turned around instantaneously and gaped at him. How did he…

"Excuse me? How do you know…"

He raised his eyebrow at me, "I know because I'm Richard."

I was going to faint. He was Richard! But…why didn't he tell me earlier?

"If you're Rick, who died with Rachel?"

"Malchior." When I looked at him in surprise, he continued, "He escaped Raven's book and shape shifted into me. Raven knew about him when they were going to die. She phoned me just before the plane was gonna crash. And I stayed in hiding as Tim because I didn't want to surprise the public too soon."

I looked at him in disgust. I knew there was something rotten about him, "Why did you ask me out?"

He looked at me skeptically, "What do you think? I love you, Kori. I always did and never stopped."

I replied, "Then why did you marry Raven!"

"Because she was pleading to be loved. When Gar and Terr were together, she couldn't handle any more pain. Then I married her because I pitied her."

I refused to believe his words. "Then did you actually expect me to go out with you! I'm not that shallow!"

"I know that, but I thought you'd give me a chance as Tim. But if you don't want me as Tim or Rick, then do it for our daughter, Kor. For Rosemar'i. For our beautiful Nightstar."

I remembered when he said that when we did it. He was drunk at the time, and I knew he didn't mean it, but I wanted to believe it. Without me even knowing, I was in an embrace with Richard, my long lost love. We stayed that way until our lips brushed each other's. We stayed that way even when Toni came barging into the room saying, "Kori! Guess what! I've got a date with Roy. Uh…I think I'll leave."

Afterwards, when we broke apart, I knew that we would stay together for a long time. And I was right.

"How is he doing?" Richard Grayson asked me, his fiancée, when he gazed upon the infant inside my arms.

I looked up and beamed at my partner, "Just fine. I can't believe that he's already born."

"I know what you mean, and this time we will raise him together." Richard placed a peck on my cheek and looked at our son.

Before the moment between us had lasted, one toddler with Toni and Roy stormed into the room with stuffed toys and goodies.

"Kor, here's some things for him that we bought," Toni stated as she started to decorate the room with the stuffed toys.

Roy rolled his eyes and remarked, "I think, Toni that you should leave it to Mar'i, honey."

"Uh, I think you're right. Here, Mar'i, why don't you give this to your baby bro.?" Toni handed a stuffed bear to Mar'i and went to stand by her husband, Roy in one corner of the room. Mar'i was hesitant but gave it to her baby brother and smiled when he smiled back at her.

"He likes me!" Rosemar'i giggled at us.

"Reid, welcome to the family," I said to my son into my arms.

Richard squeezed my shoulder and replied, "We are going to do just fine."

Voila! All done! Like it? Please say you did. I am gonna start on Bitter Rose's chapter soon and hope you guys will review this.

Until next time…

Forgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.

-Rosefire

P.S. The story that Toni 'wrote' was a one shot that I wrote called Deadly Escape. Please review it as well!