Chapter 7

Beast Boy was taking his turn holding Liand'r. The nursing staff was amusingly baffled at the fact that none of them could hold their newest charge without her roaring crying, yet the moment she was placed into the arms of one of the Titans, or Blackfire, she quieted down almost instantly. The one most pleasantly surprised at this turn of events was Cyborg. With his being half metal, he was afraid the babe might reject him.

"You seem to be in a better mood than yesterday," Raven said to Blackfire, "and don't try telling me it's just because you and Robin did some sparring or talking last night."

Blackfire looked over and saw that her sister was busily talking to Cyborg, and keeping an eye on Liand'r. "That was all we did, Raven," she said. "It was right after you left that he did something else for me that was very helpful."

"I knew there was something bothering you," Raven said after Blackfire told her of her conversation with Robin and Kor'mel. "I just didn't want to pry."

"I just wish my sister would lighten up on Robin."

Raven glanced over at Starfire, and shook her head sadly. "Even if Robin were able to talk to her himself, I don't think it would help."

"But you still want him to try, right?"

"What I and the others want is irrelevant. He's made up his mind, and isn't likely to change it."

Everyone turned as the door opened, their jaws dropping in shock at seeing who was in the doorway. Everyone but Blackfire, that is. The black-haired Tamaranean had a knowing smirk on her face, which faded as she saw the angry look on her sister's face.

"What are you doing here?" Starfire asked. "I thought I had made it clear enough that I did not want you here."

"Unless I could explain my reasons," Robin said. "I didn't want to do it this way, but you leave me no choice. I claim Rok'oh du Jerandeva."

Starfire's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what would you know of that, ruthasha?"

Robin met her gaze as he replied. "Literally translated, it means Right of Speech," he said. "A more proper translation would be Right of Statement. It's used between two warriors who have a disagreement that doesn't rate a shavek hifa. It gives the warrior claiming it the uninterrupted opportunity to state his side of things."

"It means, little sister, that you have to lay there, shut up, and listen to him."

"I am aware of my role in this, sister," Starfire said then fixed Robin with a cool gaze. "You may begin."

Robin swallowed nervously. This type of conversation was something he never thought he'd have to have with Starfire. "Kori, do you doubt my love for you, or my love for any child we may have?"

Starfire stared at him for a moment before her gaze softened slightly. "Your love for me I do not doubt," she said. "If nothing else, the bond we share through the crystal is proof of that. It is your feelings for our daughter that I am having difficulty with." She stared intently at him for a moment. "If you were faced with the same situation again, how would you choose?"

"Star, that's not fair," Cyborg protested.

"Why is it not?" Starfire asked. "He has made this decision once, and seen the consequences. I want to know how he will react if it happens again."

"It's alright, Cyborg," Robin said. "Remember, Kori, I'm still under the terms of the Right," he added. "In all honesty, I'd choose myself as the one to die, saving the two of you. However, as that wouldn't be one of the choices, I'd choose the same again. As I explained to Galfore, Kim'r, Nie'l, and Blackfire when you were in surgery; It's not because I love either of you less than the other, but that as Vern'a told me once, we're young and can have other children. Kori, I thought I lost you once before. I'm not sure I could go through that again. Besides, I made that choice for doctor Benson, not doctor McDonnough."

"That is dividing the hairs, Robin. How can I be certain that you will not abandon our daughter in order to save my life?"

"Starfire, you know that I would fight to save either or both of you. Just as I'm going to fight to keep seeing Leeann. As I said before, she's my daughter; whether you like it or not, you cannot keep me from her."

"I will do what ever I feel is necessary to protect my child," Starfire said, raising her voice slightly. "You say that we can have other children, and I tell you now that any children you may have in the future will be with someone else," she added, then said something in Tamaranean which cause him to gasp in shock and back up a step.

"Kori, you can't mean that," he said.

"What did she say?" Cyborg asked. "The only word I caught was Teranc'r. I didn't have my translator on."

"Goktana," Starfire practically shouted, then rattled off another batch of her native language.

The others saw Robin's face pale, and thought he was going to get physically ill when he suddenly turned and ran from the room.

"That is right, leave and do not return," Starfire yelled after him.

"You guys stay here and calm her down," Blackfire said, still looking at her sister in astonishment."

"Where are you going?" Raven asked.

"To find Robin and talk to him."

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Robin remembered little of his retreat to the roof of the hospital. Now he stood, clutching the rail, looking over the city, his chest heaving both from his run and the emotions running riot inside him. His first indication that he wasn't alone was the touch of a hand on his shoulder. Reactions pounded into him by Batman jumped into play, and he spun, swatting the hand away and pulling back his right fist in preparation of a counter blow. Fortunately for Blackfire, one of the other lessons Bruce drummed into him was to be certain of your target before striking.

"Easy, Robin, she didn't mean it."

"I wish I could believe you, Blackfire, I really do." He shook his head still trying to clear it of the images he was getting from Starfire. "How could she, Koma?" he asked. "I don't know which hurt more, her saying that I would have to have children with someone else, or her saying that she thought I would do to our daughter what Teranc'r was doing to Sher'l and threatened to do to Nie'l. She honestly thinks that I would abuse Leeann like that."

"Robin, she knows better; she's just not thinking straight. For Tamaranean mothers, it's normal," Blackfire said, then went on to explain, again, about what Starfire was going through; then, she gave him a wry grin. "As for you having children with someone else, I know of several Salvainian and Tamaranean women who. . ." she cut off as Robin's hand shot out and grabbed her throat.

"Don't even think it," he snapped.

Blackfire was surprised, first at how quickly he moved to grab her, then at how quickly he let her go. "Robin, its. . ." she began seeing the guilt wash over his face.

"Pe aparo, Komand'r," he said. "I shouldn't be lashing out at you."

"I accept your apology, Robin," Blackfire said. "I should have known better than to tease you in that area anyway." She watched as Robin went back to the rail.

"Koma, what am I going to do? If she keeps up like this, she may convince herself that I really am a danger to Leeann."

Blackfire raised an eyebrow at this, the second time Robin called her by her shortened Tamaranean name, then gave him the best answer she could. "You just have to have faith in her, prevono, and in your love for each other." She walked over to him and put one hand on his shoulder while she held his hand with the other and led him away from the railing. "Come on, you need to sit down for a while."

Robin nodded and let her lead him back inside. A few minutes later, they were sitting in the hospital's cafeteria. She was sipping at a hot chocolate, while Robin had coffee.

"I understand that Star's being released tomorrow," Robin said. "So I guess you'll be moving out of her room."

"Only if you don't want me to stay at the Tower," Blackfire said. "Starfire has instructed the captain of the TOMOR'O to prepare quarters for herself and Liand'r."

"I see," Robin said, then hung his head. "Maybe it's for the best."

"As you figured out last night, I don't agree with your not fighting harder for her, but after before, I've decided to keep my nose out of it. I'll give you advice if you want it, but I won't force it on you. Sometimes the waiting game is the best play to make."

"True, but a good warrior knows that the fight must be worth the prize. If I had done this and convinced Kori of my reasons, it would have been well worth the cost." He saw the puzzled look on Blackfire's face as his own expression grew grim. "I will fight for her again, Koma, but not today or tomorrow. I'll wait until this imbalance is supposed to be over, then try again. If she does not agree to let me see our daughter, then I will appeal to the Ca'ri."

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Later that evening, Robin was surprised to hear the doors to the common room of the Tower hiss open. He looked up from the half-eaten TV dinner he had been toying with for the last half hour. Despite it being his favorite, he had very little appetite.

"Dude, are you alright?" Beast Boy asked as he and Raven walked in. "I mean with Star blowing up at you like that. . ."

"I won't say I'm alright, Beast Boy, but I'm dealing with it," he said, then saw the intense look Raven gave him for a moment.

"For once, you actually are," she said. "You've got a plan and you're simply waiting for the right time to act on it."

Robin looked down at his plate. "How are they?"

"Well, Star's doing alright," Beast Boy said, then smiled broadly. "She even let me feed Leeann. Dude, she's the coolest! The only ones who can handle her without her crying are us Titans," he gushed, then saw the look on Robin's face. "Right, shutting up now."

Robin pushed his plate away. "It's okay, Garfield. I did ask."

Beast Boy nodded. "We're just letting you know that we're going to be out for a while."

"Beast Boy, she's your girlfriend, you don't need to ask me."

"Actually, I'm not. I'm just letting you know that we won't be here for a while."

Robin smiled slightly as he watched the couple walk back out. 'Normally, Beast Boy would have been more timid about telling me that,' he thought.

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"You don't have to do this, Garfield," Raven protested as they entered the cafe. She saw that it was the place she went to quite frequently, and had even brought Blackfire here. She knew what Beast Boy was trying to do, and was touched that he was bringing her here despite his jokes about the depressing atmosphere.

"Face it Rae, we both need to get away from the Tower at least for a little while. Even I'm getting depressed."

Raven grudgingly agreed with Beast Boy's statement. The tension between Starfire and Robin had been effecting the rest of the team. "Oh great," she muttered when she remembered that she avoided this place on Thursdays, because it was karaoke night. The only reason she continued to follow Beast Boy to a table is that she knew the owner of the place, and he actually held auditions before he let anyone on stage.

They took their seats, not far from the stage, and ordered drinks from the waitress.

"I'll be right back," Beast Boy said, then got up and headed toward the back of the cafe.

Raven sighed softly into her tea cup, then sipped the hot brew. She looked up when the lights dimmed and the lights on the stage came up.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to our karaoke night," the owner of the cafe said. "Our first performer you'll all recognize, and needs no introduction."

The man left the mike, and Raven nearly choked on her tea when she saw who walked up to it. 'What in Azar's name is he up to?' she wondered as Beast Boy took the mike from the stand as the opening strains of the song he was going to sing played.

"Raven, this is for you." a voice said from behind her.

Raven gave the waitress a puzzled look as she took the envelope from her. She gasped softly when she saw the hand drawn card. The first thing that struck her was that Beast Boy was a very good artist, the second thing was that he remembered the anniversary of when she finally gave in and started their relationship. Unfortunately, what he had in drawing ability, he lacked in writing prose. She groaned softly as she read the card.

Roses are red

Your favorite color is blue.

I'm very lucky

to be going steady with you.

In spite of herself, she chuckled softly at the attempt. It was then that she noticed a folded piece of paper.

Raven,

I know you hate surprises like this, but I wanted to do something special to show you that I still know how lucky I am to still be going out with you. That day, when I helped to calm you down after Star got hurt, I remembered parts of this song. I didn't know all of it, but I remembered enough to find the lyrics on the internet. When I read them, I realized that they expressed how I feel about you better then I ever could. Just remember, I'll always be here for you.

Love

Garfield

PS Here are the lyrics so you can follow along.

Bridge over Troubled Waters, by Simon and Garfunkel

When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I'm on your side

When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I'll take your part
Oh, when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Raven just finished scanning over the lyrics when the song's intro ended, and Beast Boy began singing. She was surprised at how well he sounded. Agreed, he was no Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel, but he wasn't half bad. She also noticed that as he sang, he wasn't staring right at her, but had his eyes closed, and she gasped as she suddenly felt the sincerity and his feelings as he put his heart into the song.

When the song ended, Beast Boy stood there for a moment, his head bowed as he sighed deeply. The cafe was silent. Raven wouldn't have been surprised to actually hear a pin drop. The silence last only a moment then the people broke out into thunderous applause.

"Thank you, folks," Beast Boy said as he replaced the microphone, then walked off stage. He saw Raven look at him as he walked back to their table, and he was slightly nervous as he found that she was blocking him from picking up her feelings. He knew this usually meant that he had gotten her either angry or annoyed with him. He swallowed nervously, expecting her welcome of his returning to the table to be cool at best. "Rae, I didn't mean to up. . ." he began, but was cut off by Raven standing and wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Garfield," she whispered into his ear. "I'll try very hard to remember that you're always here for me."

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That had been almost three weeks ago. Robin stopped his R-cycle in front of a house on a side street on the outskirts of the city. He switched off the bike and took off his helmet, placing it between the handlebars. He looked at the house he had stopped in front of, and sighed softly. Only a few months ago, he had purchased it for himself and Starfire to move into after their daughter's birth. He never thought Starfire would use it as a refuge from him.

He smiled sadly as he walked up the sidewalk, his mind going back to a day when he and Starfire had taken refuge in a barn at Gotham's Central Park. They had just finished riding horses when a sudden downpour caught them by surprise. He had been surprised when Starfire asked him plainly if he wanted to go for a roll in the hay. His surprise deepened as she happily flopped down in a mound of hay and rolled from side to side. He remembered her annoyed glare as he laughed, then her embarrassment as he explained what the phrase meant, and how the movie "Young Frankenstein" was a satirical comedy.

His memories shifted as he reached the door to the house and he heard Liand'r crying. The first was of a rare day when the Titans had gone to the park a few months after he and Starfire had returned from Gotham and their honeymoon. Even Raven had been coerced into joining in the football game, as referee. Robin had completed a pass to Starfire in the end zone, scoring the winning touchdown, and they all laughed as she spiked the ball and did a little victory dance. They laughed, that is, until she suddenly collapsed. The next memory was from about an hour later. He recalled Starfire's shy, almost embarrassed smile as she and doctor Benson came into the waiting room and passed on the news that Starfire was pregnant.

Realizing that Liand'r had stopped crying, Robin shook off those memories and gathered his determination. It had been three weeks, and he had reached the end of his patience, even with Starfire. Whether Starfire liked it or not, Liand'r was his daughter, and she had no right to keep him from seeing her.

"One moment, please." he heard her call out in reply to his knocking on the door. A couple of heartbeats later he heard the doorknob rattle and the door opened. He was surprised at how much it hurt when the smile on her face vanished when she saw him. "What do you want?"

Robin ignored the hostility in her voice and kept his voice level. "The same thing I've wanted for the last three weeks, Star. Only this time, I'm not taking no for an answer. Like it or not, Liand'r is my daughter, and you have no right to keep me from her."

Starfire didn't move from blocking the doorway, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She also changed subjects. "I see that you did not keep your word and have used your crystal to find me," she said coolly. "Or did Chr's and Shel'b advise you of my being here?"

"No, we kept our words to you," he replied. "Until an hour ago, I thought you were still aboard the TOMOR'O. It was Blackfire that told me you were here," he said, then got back to the main reason he was here. "Now, are you going to let me see her, or do I have to take this to the Ca'ri?"

"You would not dare!" she practically shouted, and Liand'r started crying again. "You would need at least two Tamaraneans to sponsor you, and I know you would not wish to make this personal matter that public."

Robin sighed softly realizing that she wasn't about to change her mind. "Star, I've got several Tamaraneans who will back me, and they already know the situation. You're right. I'd much rather keep this between us, but you're forcing my hand, Kori." He didn't like the fact that he had to raise his voice, but Liand'r's crying had made it necessary. He was just about to tell Starfire to go to her, when she suddenly stopped. Not by quieting down first, but instantly, as if a switch had been thrown. "That's not right," he said, trying to peer around the door frame in the direction he had heard the crying coming from.

"That is not right," Starfire said at the same time as she looked back over her shoulder. She turned and went over to the crib, Robin right behind her. "Liana, what is the matter, kinecha?"

Robin knew the answer to that almost as soon as he looked into the crib. He reached past Starfire and gently placed his hand on his daughter's chest.

"What are you doing?" Starfire demanded as Robin gently but insistently shouldered her aside and lifted Liand'r from the crib. "I will not allow you to take her."

"Star, she's stopped breathing," he replied. "Call Cyborg. He should be on his way here anyway." As he spoke he quickly cradled Liand'r in one arm and started performing mouth to mouth on the infant. He was only half aware that Starfire had taken out her communicator.

"Hey there, Star, how's it goin'?" Cyborg's cheery voice said in reply to her call.

"Please tell me that you are on your way here, and that you are nearby."

Hearing the panicked tone of Starfire's voice, the titanium Titan became all business. "Star, calm down, and tell me what's happened."

Starfire tore her gaze away from watching Robin, and clamped down on her emotions. "Robin came to the door and demanded to see Liana," she related. "We were arguing and Li started crying, then suddenly stopped. When we got to the crib, Robin saw that she was not breathing. He told me to call you and he is now breathing for her. Please hurry!"

"Hang on, Star," Cyborg soothed. "We just turned onto your street and will be there in less than a minute."

"Thank you, friend. I await your arrival most anxiously," Starfire said, then closed the communicator. She then grabbed a large pink diaper bag from under the crib and placed some bottles of water and a can of powdered formula into it. "They are here," she told Robin when she saw the T-car through the window come to a skidding halt.

"Good," Robin said then blew another puff of air into his daughter's lungs. "Let's go."

Robin was pleased to note that Cyborg sped away from the house just as soon as he and Starfire were seated in the back seat with Raven.