1A/N: And I'm sure everyone is going, why should I care. Yeah it has been awhile for this story but as I constantly say, this story has been a battle. Well at least I was still writing something so check out the other story I've been writing along with the epilogue to Afraid to Lose Again, that is if you care. If not, and still somehow manage to not want to kill me for the long delay, the enjoy the chapter. If you want to kill me, well then, bring it on. This chapter tone is a little lighter and has some interesting Rob/Rae interaction at the beginning. This chapter definitely reads a little different than the last few but that's probably because I took so long in between writing the chapters and the previous ones. Well that's it. Peace. Author notes at end.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 7

By: Finalitylife

Robin awoke for the second time in as many times of sleeping, having no idea how long he had slept for. All that really mattered in his still very tired mind was that he was incredibly comfortable in the position he was in. He felt something very soft and very warm curled up in his arms, held tightly to his chest. His incredibly weary mind was slowly starting to realize what it or who for that matter was lying so comfortably and so closely to his body. He shifted to move slightly only to brush his hand across a what he embarrassingly realized was the very perky chest of the girl who had slept in his bed, who he had held in his arms until she had cried herself to sleep, until they both had fallen asleep. She was turned facing him and his inadvertent touch elicited a soft moan from the sleeping young woman. Robin closed his eyes as she shifted against him, moving her body against the entire length of his own body, him trying to think nonsexual thoughts but unable to repress the incredible feelings her movements were giving him. His mind once again started thinking about the fantasies he had seen from Raven when they still had the bond which only fueled the complicated feelings and thoughts that were racing through out his entire body.

"Robin..." Her eyes never once opened, his name barely heard, but she had said it with such sensuality, with such raw sexuality, that he found his more basic instincts scrambling toward the surface, trying to take control of this slowly getting out of control situation. He tried to force his body to operate, tried to will his arms to move to gently shake awake the dark girl lying next to him who he was starting to realize was probably dreaming, and that dream was not entirely wholesome, he had seen them, he knew. Robin felt his eyes widen in shock as Raven's head moved forward slowly in some type of dreamlike trance and he felt his mind shut down completely as his eyes went from wide to rolling back into his head as Raven began to gently kiss, lick, and suck on the side of his neck which she somehow knew was one of his most sensitive spots. He barely stifled a groan from his own body at this action, proof that he was still in somewhat of control, and when he felt increasing pleasure as she rubbed tightly up against his body again, he knew this needed to end now before he lost control himself. He gently pushed Raven away and shook her lightly just as he had intended to do when this all started, finally gaining enough sense to stop all this. It took a few shakes before Raven's large, beautiful eyes opened. They were still slightly red from all the crying she had done before but there seemed to be a strong look of concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong Robin?" She must have been wondering why she had been awoken up so abruptly, thinking something was wrong. Robin responded with the first thing that came to mind.

"You were dreaming Raven and I had to wake you up." His words somehow came out hastily and hesitantly at exactly the same time which was no small feat, well for any verbally communicating creature, but the sensations that were still shooting through his mind and body had put Robin in a very interesting place. Raven seemed to ponder the words for a second before her eyes widened and her face flashed bright red. She starting speaking quickly, a nervousness that Robin never associated with the often composed young woman, well composed up until when he started this entire mess, or in her dreams. Robin mentally screamed at himself, telling himself to forget the damn dreams for just one damn second but that kind suggestions from himself was not easily followed as his blood had yet to return to his brain and his eyes could not seem to focus on anything but her soft lips as she spoke. He felt strange, like never before. Maybe Raven's powers had something to do with this. Maybe the feelings she was having in her dreams were finding some way to affect him, to make him feel the lust she had felt.

"I'm sorry Robin...my dreams with my powers...sometimes I lose conscious control...please tell me I didn't do what was going through my head...please tell me that I didn't do that while I was asleep." Robin tried to give her a reassuring smile but couldn't seem to give one as he looked at the slightly panicked empath.

"Well..." That was all he got out before she closed her eyes with a strange look on her face.

"I'm sorry Robin, I should have been in more control especially after what I told you last night. I shouldn't be forcing some fantasy on you even if I wasn't entirely in control and especially when you don't want me to touch you like that." Finally, Robin managed to give her a reassuring smile.

"Its okay Rae. Don't worry about it." She smiled tentatively before finally returning to a blank face.

"If everything is okay then, I think I'll go to my room. Thank you for last night, for holding me while I cried, it...it meant a lot." Robin smiled again.

"Anytime Rae." She glared for a few seconds.

"That's the second time you called me Rae, do Not do it a third." She gave a small mischievous grin after a few seconds of silence and Robin felt a tiny bit relieved. A dark dimension would not be his new home today. Raven rose to her feet, looking for her cloak which someone had fallen off of her body during the night. Robin, on the other hand, did not move because, well he did not want Raven to see the visible effect her actions were still having on his body. He just continued to ly on the bed as Raven bent down right in front of him to pick up her cloak. Her firm backside quite visible since she only wore a skin tight leotard, was right there and he felt himself scream in his mind for the love of God for fate to stop taunting him with these improper thoughts about his friend Raven, well a friend who was madly in love with him and was incredibly beautiful. A final, hormonal thought managed to swell up in his mind, as he immaturely wondered how the hell she wore underwear with her particular choice of uniform. Since god was not done repaying him for his idiocy over the past two days, for his hurting two very wonderful and caring people, Raven stopped right before the door and turned her head back every so slightly.

"I don't," answering the perverted question that was in Robin's head and with that she disappeared in black energy, not even using the door. Robin smacked himself upside the head and let out a deep sigh.

"Alright, I have no idea what time it is or what the hell I'm doing or what the hell I'm going to do." Another deep breath. "Alright," He clapped his hands together. "Long, cold shower and then I'll work from there."

Robin's long, cold, shower inevitably followed with a grueling workout, to work out a combination of issues. The workout ended when he felt a presence in the room and turned around to find Starfire standing there in her uniform, watching him with soft, loving eyes. He couldn't help but bask in that look but he also found himself studying her body which was so revealed in her clothes. He quickly snapped that part of his mind closed, residual effects of his induced lust from his encounter with Raven. He couldn't look at someone as pure and innocent as Starfire like that...Robin stopped at the thought. Raven was no less pure and no less innocent as Starfire as far as he knew then why was he able to look at her differently that the alien beauty in front of him. He wasn't really sure why whatever small piece of lust that dwelled within him seemed to only emerge with Raven but he assumed it was because Starfire did not have sexuality in anyway as her naivete and complete goodness cancelled out anything like that from existing. He gave Starfire a warm smile before wiping off his face with a nearby towel.

"Hey Star, is there something I can do for you?" Once again that loving look was in her eyes and again Robin felt something shoot through his body.

"Yes Robin. I was wondering if you have talked with Raven yet? I was wondering if...if she is okay and if you think she will want to see me?" Robin carefully thought back to last night with Raven, carefully playing over everything that had passed between them, everything that she had told him. He remembered not that long ago that he though of her as the most vulnerable, the most emotionally weak but of his repression but when he thought about what she had told him, he realized that she was probably the strongest of them all. She may repress her feelings, but she seemed to understand them better than anyone. Robin chose the words to his response carefully.

"I think...," Robin paused for a second, "She will be fine and I think you should at least try and talk to her because you owe her a tremendous apology."

"I know Robin. Your words to me yesterday made me realize just how much of a glorbag I have been to my dear friend Raven. I allowed my bad emotions to get out of control and hurt her, hurt her most badly. I don't know if things will ever be the same but I can at least try." Robin smiled as he approached Starfire and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You don't seem to realize just how mature and forgiving Raven can be Star. Go try and talk to her." Starfire soon had a bubbly smile on her face as she quickly bent down slightly to give Robin a quick peck on her cheek before flying away. Robin felt his body flush at the contact but it was far different than he had felt when Raven had been touching him. After everything that had happened, after all the time he had spent contemplating his feelings, good and bad, after all the words spoken by both Raven, Starfire and even Batman and Cyborg, Robin realized one undeniable and unfalliable truth to the entire situation: He was utterly, totally, and completely screwed on what to do.

Though Starfire had quickly left the presence of Robin, her pace gradually slowed down as she neared her destination. She remembered flying hurriedly this exact path toward this exact same room to talk to the exact same person not that long ago and the outcome of that journey still echoed loudly within every location in her mind. She knew she owed Raven an apology, she knew a part of her wanted to hug the stuffings out of the purple-haired girl, and cry uncontrollably begging for forgiveness. However, the other part wasn't sure what to do. Robin said he couldn't deal with her and Raven fighting but she was positive he had meant that he couldn't deal with her fighting with Raven. Raven had made no hostile gesture, had spoken no words of malice or anger, but only spoke in defense of herself, her heart, and her right to feel. Starfire knew just how dangerous and fearful emotions were for Raven most of the time and that when she felt anything, it was a true feeling and something that Raven had felt so intensely, she could not hold it in. She remembered seeing Raven so emotional when Starfire had confronted her and knew, had she been thinking clearly then, that Raven was being completely honest and that Starfire's words had cut deeper than she should have ever allowed herself to do to her friend.

Eventually, she made it to the door to Raven's room and stared at it, feeling the desire to flee from where she was at. However, the door slid open before she even could come to a decision, Raven peering out from the darkness. Her voice was quiet and sounded exhausted.

"I knew you would show up eventually Star. You can come in if you want." Starfire could only stare for a few seconds before following in the sorceress into the dark. Starfire did not need to see the room because she could feel that the hole was still in the wall by the gentle breezing coming into the room, the hole that was the result of Raven's emotional outburst to defend herself against her own friend's words. Starfire's eyes slowly adjusted to the room and she could see Raven floating in the air in the lotus position with her eyes closed, silently mediating.

"If you wish to speak Star, go ahead but I need to meditate right now or something else may get damaged."

"Yes...I am most sorry about the wall Raven."

"Yes but then I wouldn't have such a nice, relaxing breath in my room to meditate with." The slight truth mixed with the sarcasm went completely over Starfire's head.

"Raven...friend Raven..." The words were spoken with total uncertainty. "I have so much to apologize for, so much that I did and said were wrong, so very wrong to do to my friend...so very wrong to do to anyone."

"Its okay Starfire. I'm used to people turning on me, it's a normal part of being me." Starfire cringed slightly at the overwhelming bitterness that flowed from Raven's words. She did not need Raven's empathic abilities to know that.

"No it is not okay Raven!" Starfire's words came out stronger than she had anticipated, causing Raven to open one eye as she floated there.

"I was horrible Raven. I said terrible things all because of bad feelings and jealous and I should have not under any circumstances called you ugly or a witch. You are a wonderful, caring, beautiful person and I do not deserve you as a friend anymore." Starfire felt some tears starting to form in her eyes and she made no effort to stop them. She stared at the ground as she began to cry as Raven floated down to the ground, her feet silently touching the ground as she watched Starfire. She could feel the emotions coming from her and knew she was being genuine with her apology.

"Starfire." Starfire sniffed loudly and looked up tentatively. "I accept your apology under two conditions." Starfire eagerly nodded her head.

"Anything Raven."

"One: you will help me fix this hole in my room." Again Starfire agreed hastily.

"The second one is that you have to understand something. Robin...Robin is dear to me as he is to you but what you have to realize the decision always has and always will be his. I think we are both guilty of pushing the issue of these emotions on to him and I don't think...well I know he didn't know how to handle it. It will take time for us to truly be friends as we once were but that can't happen if you can't accept my feelings for Robin. If you can't, then this conversation is over." Starfire quietly contemplated the words.

"To be friends with you Raven, I will do anything." Normally, Starfire would have engulfed the smaller girl in a strong hug but she knew it would be awhile before she was willing to accept that type of contact from her again.

"Alright Star. Now I don't need to sound rude but I need to meditate. Could you please leave?" Her tone was stern but not harsh.

"I understand Raven. I shall see you of later." Raven was already back in her floating lotus position with her eyes closed. Starfire left the room with a small smile on her face, knowing at least things were getting a little better between her and her once best friend. Raven remained in her room meditating, knowing rebuilding the friendship would be just as hard for her as it would be for Starfire. She knew it would take Starfire time to deal with the reality of her feelings toward Robin and for Raven, it was hard for her knowing that more of Robin's heart lied with the bubbly, alien princess, and that would be just as hard to endure through no matter how strong she tried to be.

spiderbob: Sorry for the long delay but computer broke for awhile, then couldn't decide what I wanted to do with the story, and then got hooked writing my other story. With that said, hope you enjoyed the Rob/Rae interaction.

evilsangle: I know the drill Brit. You know which pair I usually go with though I won't promise anything because ya never know what might pop into my head at a random moment. Sorry for the delay on this story but at least you had the other one to enjoy and I don't think this story will make you cry too much.

mysti-eyed: It's a distinct difference between the two but Raven is the more mature, down the earth of the two so thats probably how it would be. Sorry for the long delay because it was unfair of me.

Cherry Jade: Yeah I think Robin trying to explain his reasoning to Raven would have ended with a slap from beyond by Raven. I tried to make Starfire more understandable because there is always a reason behind extreme behavior. I want her to be more likeable because she is a pretty likeable character. Decisions are never made easy because all sides always have such strong benefits.

ravenwithemotion: Wow. About two hundred thousand words of writing in about 4 stories and you are the first person to actually yell about the pairings. That is amazing. You are entitled to your opinion as almost all pairings have validation in some way or another. I'm not exactly sure how you feel about the story at this point but if you don't like it thats cool, if you do, cool as well.

MsLessa: Yeah, sometimes I don't get everything right because I rush to get chapters out but I guess I don't have that excuse for this chapter. Hopefully the flow goes well here like chapter 6 did. Sorry for the delay but I hope Rob/Rae stuff made up for it.

xcloudx: Sorry for the delay and hope the chapter goes well.