Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, Batman or any quotes included in this fanfic.

Chapter 4

"Real love stories never have endings."

—Richard Bach

Kori looked down dubiously at the outfit that Raven had picked out for her: a short, slim-fitting black silk dress with a low neckline, with two straps that were tied at the back of her neck, flowing down in a long ribbon over her bare back. The dress flared out and ended just above her knees, and Kori wore matching black heels, with gold jewellery and a little make-up to compliment her gorgeous emerald eyes and evenly tanned skin. All in all, it was hardly the proper attire for an interview.

Absently, Kori checked her make-up in a little hand-held mirror for the third time in twenty minutes. Beside her, Raven in the driver's seat uttered a frustrated sigh. "You look just fine, Kori. Stop fussing or else you'll ruin your mascara."

She snapped shut the mirror. "Raven?"

"Uh-huh?"

Kori delicately fingered the milky-white petals of the rose she held in her hands as her thoughts wandered back to last night's events, which she had told Raven about. It had been more than just a mere dream, she knew. The rose was proof enough of that. It was also proof that Robin was back in Jump City, if he had ever left all. But Kori was perplexed: why would he come to her now, after such a long separation? Why had he left in the first place, so mysteriously and without a single word of explanation, without a farewell? Had Robin discarded his friends so easily, like pages carelessly ripped from the storybook of his life?

"Raven, do you think…?" Her unfinished sentence lingered in the air, a question mark hanging in the brief lull.

"No," Raven broke the silence. "Judging from the continuity between your 'dream' and after you woke up… you weren't dreaming. I'm no detective, but that—" Raven nodded in Kori's direction, indicating the flower, "—is a constant between your dreaming and waking moments, so it can be considered substantial evidence, if you ask me. Now, we're almost there—" Raven braked as the car in front of them halted abruptly. "Sorry," she apologised, following up with a string of incomprehensible Azarathian curses as she directed a well-aimed beep at the offending driver.

The 60-storey Wayne Enterprises Tower loomed into sight, sandwiched between the Gotham Central Bank Building and the prestigious, six-star Hotel Royale. Blinding mid-morning sunlight peeked through the spaces between buildings. Kori took a deep breath. "Thank you, Raven, for kindly taking the time to escort me here."

"You're welcome. Good luck, Kori… And don't worry, you'll be OK. I know you will." She smiled encouragingly.

Kori nodded nervously and stepped out of the car. She was on her own now.

"Kori Anders, Jump City Post," Kori told the security guard, flashing her reporter's ID. "I have an appointment with Mr Grayson at 10 o'clock," she added pointedly, glancing at the clock on the wall behind the reception desk, as if to emphasise her point. The hands pointed to 9:55.

"Well, um, Miss Anders…" As the guard looked her over, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face, Kori found herself wishing for the fifth time that morning that she had worn something less revealing. "Uh… hold on, I'll just call Mr Grayson's assistant—" he groped for the telephone.

"That will not be necessary, Jason," a cold, steely voice said, addressing the security guard who quickly saluted. Turning around, Kori saw a stern man with thinning grey hair, a hooked nose and sharp, hawk-like grey eyes emerging from a private elevator that she hadn't noticed earlier. Kori assumed the man was Richard's personal assistant and couldn't help wondering if employee resembled employer in any way.

"Miss Anders, I presume?" She nodded meekly, feeling uncomfortable under his critical glare. "I am Albert, Mr Grayson's Personal Assistant. I will show you to his office. This way, please."

Grateful to escape Jason's searching eyes, Kori followed Albert into the elevator. Jason eyed Kori's disappearing figure with approval. As soon as she was out of earshot, he let out a low whistle and remarked to his colleague, "Heck—just one day in Jump City and Mr Grayson has already hooked up the hottest chicks in the city. That Kori Anders is a real looker."

Kori found herself releasing a sigh of relief as the glass-walled, wood-panelled private elevator finally stopped at the 60th floor. She had never been claustrophobic, but today the small red digits had seemingly taken aeons—not a mere half-minute—to flicker from 'L' to ' 60'. Albert's stiff formality made Kori uneasy. He was silent, immobile, and utterly unfeeling—she might as well have been in the company of a rock.

The elevator doors slid open smoothly, opening directly into a luxuriously furbished antechamber. "Mr Grayson will be with you shortly. He has given you permission to enter the office," Albert said, sniffing rather disapprovingly. "Refreshments are available; please help yourself," he added stiffly, so that the least Kori felt like doing was helping herself to refreshments. Instead, she nodded courteously, and stepped into Richard's top-floor office, as the elevator doors closed swiftly and noiselessly behind her.

Kori found herself in a small foyer with a polished parquet floor. Lamps set in the ceiling and walls shed bright light on the Impressionist watercolour paintings that hung on the walls as in an art gallery. She walked past a cloakroom, a leather sofa and several antique Victorian-style chairs, to reach a pair of heavy oak double-doors framed by two skilfully carved Corinthian columns that stretched up to the ceiling. A complex-looking security system protected the office. But the doors had been left ajar, and Richard Grayson himself had invited her inside. Driven by curiosity, Kori took a moment to wonder why he would invite a complete stranger inside—a reporter, of all people—before slipping into the office.

She gasped. The place was literally immersed with luxury. Kori Anders had been in many luxurious offices—and a Tamaranian palace, for that matter—but none of them could equal the splendour displayed here. Kori ventured inside timidly, carefully treading across the soft, plush red carpet, her high-heels leaving temporary, shallow dips in the thick material.

The office took up the entire top floor of Wayne Tower. On either side of Kori, two oak-panelled walls served as bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling; these were filled with various thick tomes and files. Kori judged that the place held at least several tens of thousands of books—magazines, handbooks, encyclopaedias, almanacs… maybe even novels and history or art books. Certainly, many of them priceless and rare. Several large glass-fronted, gilt-framed Baroque-style paintings hung on the wall directly behind Kori, the one which the door was cut into. She identified what looked like an early Caravaggio; she didn't doubt its authenticity. A door cut into one of the walls presumably led off to a small conference hall or documentation room. Amidst the lavish classical decor, Kori felt awkwardly out of place, like a modern smudge on a perfect Renaissance painting.

The wall facing her was a gigantic, floor-length panel of glass which gave the perfect view of Jump City's Central Business District, and through which bright morning sunlight filtered in between half-drawn heavy brocade curtains. The window briefly reminded Kori of the one in the Operations Room back in Titans Tower. Tall floor lamps were not too bright as to cause discomfort, but light enough to cast illumination into all corners of the spacious office. Unnecessary in the daytime, anyway. Pushed back against one bookshelf-wall was a large, wide, cream leather sofa—the cosy type once could lean back and sink into. A tray filled with quaint coffee mugs, teacups and other assorted refreshments lay on a low glass table before the sofa. On the opposite side of the room, a sleek black baby grand piano sat, draped with velvet cloth. A most unusual thing to find in an office, Kori observed.

At the end of the room, just in front of the wide window, a few steps led up to a raised dais, upon which was placed a large, imposing mahogany desk carved with the Wayne Enterprises "WE" emblem in gold detail. Behind the desk was a tall black leather chair, presumably Richard's. A laptop and a pile of papers were arranged neatly upon its polished surface; beside that lay a black fountain pen, a few scattered paper clips… and a simple, silver photo frame. Though she wasn't the type to pry, Kori stepped closer out of pure curiosity, and looked at the photograph.

Her heart almost skipped a beat and she lost her balance as her mind registered the image. It was a picture of her and Robin.

Kori remembered the picture well. That had been her first roller-coaster ride, at the amusement park. It had been a wildly exhilarating feeling, almost like flying… she remembered experiencing the same sensations when she had first discovered and practised the ability of flight on Tamaran as a little girl. She had performed similar stunts while flying, but that had always been controlled. And never somersaults in the air. Starfire had been relieved when the car pulled out of the dive at the last minute and soared atop the next loop. Robin had held her, tightly, the entire five minutes of the ride. When they dismounted from the ride, they were still caught in the embrace. They didn't even notice, until Cyborg snapped the photograph, and then they both blushed.

Kori almost dropped the photo frame in shock. This was more than just a mere coincidence. This was—

"I apologise for being late," an eerily familiar voice said from behind her. "I had some business to attend to. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long?"

A/N- Is it just me, or is this story turning really stereotypical? Seriously. Be honest and tell me what you really think about the story. I really don't mind criticism of my writing... unless you're flaming the couple that I'm supporting. That's just immature.

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, please review this one! I apologise in advance if anyone thought this chappie was a bit pointless (again); I went a bit over the top with the description, maybe, but it's good to practice writing skills! Anyway, I assure you, the next chapter is worth waiting for :D. In my opinion, anyway.