Chapter 5

"Hey, Raven," Robin said as he walked up to her outside Starfire's room. "Where are the others?"

"In the gift shop getting something to give Starfire."

"And we're back," Cyborg announced as he and Beast Boy walked up.

Robin smiled when he saw that he was carrying a pair of large mylar balloons. One had printed on it "Get well soon" and the other said "Congratulations, new mother" in large pink letters. Beast Boy was carrying a couple of potted plants that had a small sign with each one that copied Cyborgs balloons.

"I see you brought the little one back," Cyborg commented, then leaned over to look down into the layette that Robin had been pushing.

"Yeah, now that Star's awake, they want Li to spend as much time in the room with her as possible," Robin said.

"Dude, she's so small."

"She'll grow out of that, Beast Boy," Robin said with a chuckle. "Her birth weight was seven pounds five ounces. Normal enough." He gave his sleeping daughter a warm look, then looked up at his friends. "Listen, I want to thank you for calling Blackfire. It never crossed my mind to ask her to donate some blood."

"No problem, Rob, you had too many other things on your mind at the time," Cyborg said. "I'm just glad it helped and that we knew the right frequency to transmit on."

"Thanks, Raven," Robin said as she held the door open for him. "Hey, Star," he said as he wheeled the layette into the room. He smiled warmly at the happiness that was clearly evident on Starfire's face.

"Greetings," Starfire said. "I see that you have brought our kinecha."

Robin nodded, lifted Liand'r from the layette, and placed her in the crook of Starfire's good arm. The infant gave a huge yawn and snuggled in. "Both Doctor Benson and Doctor Beckthold have given her a clean bill of health, and Vern'a says that the medical scans she was sent seem normal. Nie'l and the others will be here in two weeks with the BRIND'R. Vern'a will be here in a few days on the TOMOR'O."

Starfire nodded, and her smile broadened as Cyborg and Beast Boy came over to her.

"Yo, girl, you don't give us a scare like that again, hear?" Cyborg said, then smiled broadly as he tickled under Liand'r's chin. "Anyway, congratulations, Star."

"Thank you," she said as she managed to grab onto the balloon strings with her left hand.

"Not to sound like an echo, but congrats, Starfire," Beast Boy said as he placed his potted plants on the stand beside her bed.

"And I give you my thanks as well." Starfire looked over at Raven who seemed to be hanging back. There would have been a time when the redhead would have believed that Raven was simply avoiding the group hug feeling. Maybe before, but not now. Starfire could see the discomfort on her friend's face, and recognized it for what it was. "To you, Raven, I give my deepest apologies. I know it was my own actions that caused my injuries. I should have listened to you, and not fired that star bolt to push you clear."

Robin gave a lopsided grin when he and the others noticed that Raven was blushing before she pulled her hood up, hiding her face.

"It's alright, Starfire," the dark Titan said. "The doctors say that you're going to be fine now."

"Which means that Robin was worrying over nothing concerning that decision he had to make," Jennifer said as she entered the room to take Starfire's vitals.

"Decision? What decision is this?" Starfire asked. "Robin?"

Robin sighed heavily. "When you were taken to the operating room, Doctor Benson made me make a decision as to which of the two of you to save if she had to make a choice between you and Liand'r," he explained.

"And what was your choice?"

"It doesn't matter, Starfire," Raven said. "You're both fine."

"What was your choice, my husband?"

"I told her that if she had no other choice that she should save you." Robin knew that Blackfire had been right when he saw Starfire's eyes narrow and glow green with anger.

"You told her to abandon our child and let her die?" she asked her voice rising. "Get out."

"Star, I can explain my reasons," Robin said, hoping to reason with her.

"I said, get out. I will not let you have another opportunity to harm my daughter."

"Robin, maybe it's better if you leave and let her calm down," Raven suggested.

"Just remember, Starfire, she's my daughter too. You have no right to keep me from seeing her."

"I have the right to do what ever I find necessary to ensure the safety of my child. You will not see her again."

Robin realized that his anger was getting the better of him, so he followed Raven's advice and left.

"Robin?" Blackfire asked as he walked past her in the hall outside Starfire's room. Seeing his determined stride, she quickly figured out what had happened. "Well done, little sister," she said as she entered the room. "I see you're planning on raising Liand'r without her father."

"I am planning on raising her in a manner that will ensure that she will live."

"Star, you don't really think he doesn't love either of you, do you?"

"Beast Boy, he made a choice, one that shows me that he does not want Liand'r as much as I had thought."

Cyborg opened his mouth to say something, but caught the look from Raven, telling him to drop the subject, at least for the moment.

Blackfire, however, ignored that look. "I'm glad I warned him about the Lunecha du Shamanaveko."

"Madness of Motherhood? That is just a myth, Sister."

"Then how can you think that Robin doesn't want his daughter? I'm willing to bet that he said something about your not being able to keep him from her before he left. I can also tell you he wasn't happy about leaving either." She paused for a moment. "You're acting like a royal. . ."

"Blackfire!" the Titans chorused.

"What? That was all I was going to say. From what Galfore and Kim'r told me our mother was absolutely impossible to be around after she gave birth."

"Star, you've seen how he's been when little kids have been attacked, like that time with Kardiak," Cyborg said. "Do you really think he would want any harm to come to his own daughter?"

"I truly wish that I could say no; however, this decision he made has proven otherwise."

"I hate to break this up, but it's time for Liand'r's next feeding," Jennifer said as the baby started fussing. She sighed softly when the others nodded and left the room.

"Thanks for trying, Blackfire," Cyborg said as they walked down the hall. "So how long does this Lunecha du Shamanaveko last?"

"Well, I've done some research and found that it should only last about a month. As I told Robin, it's caused by what you would call hormone changes brought on by her giving birth. I hope when Vern'a arrives that she'll be able to help ease things."

"But until then, things between her and Robin are going to be rough," Raven said. "He's not going to like not seeing either Starfire or Liand'r."

Blackfire smiled softly. "Oh, I think he'll find a way."

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It was several hours later, almost midnight, when a nurse making her rounds came across a person walking down the hall. "We have doctor's orders not to stop you, Robin," she said softly. "We know you won't hurt either of them, but we've been told to pass on that you must leave if she wakes up and still doesn't want you there."

Robin nodded his understanding. "Thanks," he said as he slowly pushed the door open and stepped into Starfire's room. He stood there, not taking the chance that sitting in a chair might cause it to creak and wake her. He smiled softly when he reached the foot of her bed. Both mother and child were sleeping. Starfire's left arm was still in it's sling, and her shoulder and upper arm were bathed in the soft glow from a healing lamp. Her right arm was extended so that her hand was draped over the side of Liand'r's layette. 'She looks so peaceful,' he thought as he looked at Starfire's face, relaxed in slumber.

'Just what do you think you're doing?' Raven's voice asked in his head. 'Do you have any idea what time it is?'

'I'm seeing my wife and daughter the only way I can at the moment, and it's almost midnight,' Robin thought back. 'Since when did you become the mother hen and keep track of where I am?"

'Since you walked out of the hospital without a backward glance at Starfire. Robin, you have to keep trying. Keep trying to talk some sense into her.'

'No, I don't, and I don't want the rest of you to press the issue either. She'll come around in her own time.'

'Speaking of coming around, she's waking up.'

'Right,' Robin sighed softly then quickly left the room. He almost stopped and went back in when Liand'r started crying, but realized it was probably her time for feeding.

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Robin stopped just inside the doorway to the common room of the tower. It was well after sunrise, and he knew the rest of the team would be up. He just didn't expect any of them to be waiting for him. "Great," he muttered under his breath as he realized that his plans of grabbing a quick bite then heading to his room to get some sleep wasn't going to work.

"About time you got here," Raven said as she faced him from over by the stove. "They crashed about an hour ago," she said, motioning to the couch where Cyborg and Beast Boy were snoring away. "Listen, I understand your needing to get away from everything and think things through, but you could have let us know where you went."

"I didn't think you cared that much, Raven." Robin regretted his comment when he saw Raven's eyes narrow and her fists clench as she fought to keep her anger under control.

"You know better than that, Robin," she hissed. "You know, just as well as Starfire does, just how few people I actually count as being my friends. Where did you get the brilliant idea of not only disabling your locater, but blocking your bond with me? Slade might be in prison, but Johnny Rancid or Kitten, not to mention a few of your old friends from Gotham, wouldn't mind getting their hands on you."

"Alright, you've made your point," Robin said as he took out a bowl and poured some cereal, speaking between mouthfuls as he ate. "But you're right; I needed some time to work things out in my mind. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some breakfast then get some sleep."

"Azar knows you need both," she muttered. "Robin, we're your friends. We'll help you through this."

Robin looked over at her, a soft smile on his lips. "I know, Rae. Much as I would like to do this on my own, I know I can't, but I meant what I said before. I don't want you, or the others, pressuring Star into letting me see either her or Liand'r," he said, then yawned hugely. "Now, if you're through interrogating me, I'm going to bed."

Raven glanced at the half eaten bowl of food and realized that, in his current state, he wouldn't eat any more until he got some sleep. As he walked away, she could feel his body shutting down, responding to the fact that he hadn't slept in the three days since Starfire was hurt.

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"Hello, Starfire," Blackfire said as she entered her sister's hospital room. "Have you come to your senses after a good night's sleep?"

"Greetings, sister. I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about."

"So you'll allow Robin to see Liand'r?"

Starfire set down her now empty cup of tea on her breakfast tray. "Not until I am convinced that he will not present a danger to her."

Blackfire looked at her sister in amazement. "You still think that because he made that one decision that he doesn't love either your or Liand'r?"

"That one decision, sister, told a healer to abandon attempts to save Liand'r's life in order to save my own."

"Only if she was left with no other choice. Starfire, this shouldn't be difficult for you to understand. Use your bond and see for yourself."

Starfire saw her sister's eyebrow raise as her own expression showed her sadness. "I tried to do that last night and found that Robin was blocking me. I checked with Raven and found that he was also blocking her and had turned off his locater beacon. I can understand that he wanted some time to himself, but to block his bond with me. . ." Starfire shook her head sadly.

"And you've never done the same?" Blackfire asked.

"The only time I blocked him was during the peace negotiations with Kor'mel," Starfire replied. "Robin understood that I needed to focus on ending the war with the Salvainians."

"Okay, that may be the only time you blocked him, but I know of two separate times that you removed your crystal, which is actually worse. If you had tried hard enough, you could have gotten past his blocking you, while you didn't give him that chance. Kori, I can understand why you took it off while you were trying to figure things out when you were affected by that radiation, but why did you remove it when you talked to Kalvane'r? Don't tell me you still have feelings for him."

"No, I do not have the feelings for him," Starfire said, and Blackfire was surprised to see her look away. "Although I can not say I was certain of that at that time. Do not give me that look, sister. For several years he was my closest friend, even more so after the Okarran Trials. That was one reason why I refused his bid for marriage. He was more like a brother to me than one I would take as husband. I did not suspect that Komane'r would be so. . .forceful in his insistence. I removed my crystal because I did not wish for Robin to mistake those feelings for something else"

"He had hopes of winning the throne by joining our house with his by your marriage," Blackfire said. "If he had gone to Myrand'r directly he might have succeeded in that, but with his attacking you, Myrand'r never would have agreed."

"I see that you still have not gotten past your anger at our father. Even to the point of not calling him that, but by name."

"Kori, you know what it was like for me then. Not just at the palace, but everywhere on Tamaran. That was not simply because I failed the Trials, but by his decree."

"I see," Starfire said. "So does that also mean that you have not gotten past your resentment of me?"

"Starfire, I. . ." she began, but Starfire cut her off.

"So, you do still resent the fact that I was granted the honor of being the Crown Princess, and I believe that you also would be envious of the fact that Liand'r is the heir to the throne, while any child you may have with Kor'mel would be an heir to the Salvainian Empire, not Tamaran. From now on you will not be allowed to visit me without and escort, preferably Raven."

Blackfire sighed heavily. "I knew this would be your reaction," she said, then, to Starfire's surprise, bowed. "I will do as you command, Empress." When she straightened back up, she fixed her younger sister with a decidedly cool gaze. "Am I permitted to finish this visit, my Lady, or must I leave now?" she asked in Tamaranean.

"I do not mean to offend you, sister. This is not personal; I am only ensuring the safety of my daughter. You may remain if you wish."

"I guess I should consider myself lucky," Blackfire said as she sat down in the chair in the room. "I may need an escort, but at least I'm able to visit."

"As I stated before, if Robin is able to convince me that he presents no threat to Liand'r, I will allow him to be here as well."

"He shouldn't have to do that, Kori. Like it or not, Robin is Liand'r's father. Eventually, you'll have to let him see her."