Richard flipped another page of the yearbook and sighed. He had gone through nearly all his classmates, and still didn't know which date could be his. He knew how superficial it was, flipping through pictures and trying to classify girls, but he knew that if he didn't get a date, surely he wasn't going. He was actually happy to see some familiar faces and awkward also seeing some not very good ones. For example, Madame Rouge as a past headmaster, wearing hipster glasses and a gray office suit made him fume slightly. Good thing she wasn't at school anymore. Control Freak being a janitor, didn't surprise him at all; after all, what other job could suit him as well as this one?

He closed the yearbook and let it fall to the floor with a loud thud. He threw a pillow over his face and moaned like a whale. Remembering he was home alone, and that this time Bruce might not appear with a bright idea like last time, he dragged himself out of bed and went downstairs. He made a sweet feast, with sugar cereal and coke that could probably cause a diabetic coma, but he didn't mind. He sat on the large television couch and took a swig of his drink. It wasn't long time after he did that that the house phone rang loudly. He looked across the room where the noise came and rolled his eyes.

Leaving his food aside, he literally crawled out of the couch and let himself fall to the floor like a slug. He raised his hand to take the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" He said. His voice as lazy as could be.

Gasps and silent cries were heard, before he heard Raven's panicked voice.

"Richard? Is that you?" She said almost in a whisper.

"Raven?"

"Come to Kory's house, right now!" She said silently.

"Why what happened?" Richard raised his head. Raven never sounded as nervous as now, and he was sure that the muffled cries behind her came from Kory. That's when the line broke.

"Hello?" Richard said loudly. He picked himself off the floor, the laziness drained from him.

He stared at the phone, as the long and continuous beeping noise kept sounding, then he slammed it against the counter and ran upstairs. He looked for his phone everywhere, turning his table and picking at his bed covers. Then the house bell rang, five times in a row.

"Wait a second!" Richard's voice boomed down the stairs. The bell kept on ringing. He swore under his breath and flew downstairs. He tripped once or twice but managed to get to the door. Victor had a crying Karen with him, and a worried look on his face.

"Move! We have to go!" He said dragging him by the jacket and closing his door. He pushed Richard outside.

"Wait wait, what happened?" Richard said. He looked over at Karen who tried to calm down. "What's wrong?"

"D-didn't Raven call you?" She said in between shallow breaths.

"Yes, but the line broke." He said truthfully.

"Some kind of muggers got into Kory's house. They literally have a knife over her throat." She broke apart at the last moment and started crying again.

Richard opened his eyes wide in shock, feeling anger bubble up in him. He quickly looked around, and saw Bruce's car in the garage.

"Victor, Karen, get in the car." He said whilst looking for something in his back pocket.

"Are you sure your dad won't.."

"Now." Richard said dully.

Victor grabbed Karen by her wrist and got her into the car, the he stuffed himself into the passenger seat.

Richard got the keys he was looking for, they shone in the moonlight.

"Sorry Bruce." He said silently, then ran to the car and started it up. The machinery roared to life and they sped off.

Please, please be ok

"Fuck." Victor punched a button on his phone. "Gar won't pick up. Where the hell is he?" Victor said loudly.

"I don't think that matters right now." Richard stopped the car in front of Kory's house. Every single light was off, and it was completely silent, as if they were just sleeping.

Richard got off and Karen and Victor followed him quickly to the front door. Richard tried turning the lock, but the door kept itself closed. He punched and kicked, but the rage inside him wouldn't let him perform his attacks.

"Wait, move back." Victor said. He raised a leg, and silently kicked the front door down; well, as silent as he could. They three teenagers went inside the dark house and listened carefully. Kory's cries for help boomed across the house and down the stairs. Richard ran upstairs along with Victor and Karen to the front door of her room. Karen peeked through a crack of the door at what was happening , and she gasped.

Raven lied unconscious on the floor, at least, that's what she wanted to think. Kory was in front of her crying uncontrollably while a mugger dressed completely in black held a gun over her head. The other one was searching through Kory's closet and stuffing stuff into a bag.

"Better shut up now girl, if the police gets here we know who to kill." The mugger said.

"Kill me I don't give a damn!" Kory said not taking her look away off Raven. The mugger made a rapid move and grabbed her by the neck, putting a knife just in the middle of her two collar bones, aiming for her throat. A little bit of blood started to spill.

"THAT'S IT!" Richard kicked the door down and lunged to the armed mugger sending him down. Victor went for the other one who was too busy searching for something in the closet. With a powerful punch he knocked him down and he fell to the floor. Karen stumbled across the room and helped Kory up, but she instantly fainted in her arms.

Richard pinned the mugger to the floor, stabbing his arm with the knife. His cries of pain ceased when he sent a punch to his face, and he blacked out. Panting heavily he turned around to see Victor carrying an unconscious Raven and Karen trying to make Kory wake up.

"Call an ambulance." Victor said.

Richard sat on one of the benches in the hospital halls, almost tearing his hair out. From the distance he saw Roy, Jericho, Kole and Wally running near him, but he didn't stand up.

"We heard, how are they?" Roy asked.

"I have no idea." He said darkly standing up. "The doctor haven't said anything since we came here. From what I know they don't even care!"

"Don't think like that." Said Kole. "They'll be fine."

"Yeah, Victor is trying to reach Garfield." Said Wally.

"Yo!" Victor ran to them. "I finally reached Gar, he'll be here in a sec."

"Just after his girlfriend was saved by someone else?" Roy said sarcastically. "Where was he anyway?"

"He'll tell everything once he gets here. I just hope they're.."

"Sir you can't go in with no invitation pass!" A nurse voice was heard. Victor turned around and saw Garfield skipping through wheelchairs and doctors. He almost tripped over one or two patients but after a hurried apology and a fake smile he kept on going.

"I'm here, where are they?" He said visibly worried.

"Calm down Gar they're fine.."

"How can I? Kory almost died and I wasn't for her! Why do I have to be such a jerk with people I truly care about?" Garfield said loudly. Silence fell over the teens. Jericho signaled Kole and Roy to the cafeteria to avoid any awkwardness and they left. Wally moved with them silently.

Garfield collapsed on one of the chairs crying freely.

"I'll go talk to the doctors." Victor said.

Richard looked down to him.

He.. he truly cares about her…

Beastboy truly cares…

Richard sat down beside him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, not sure of what to say. He noticed how Gar fell silent for a moment, and wondered if he had done something wrong, maybe he should just walk away.

But instead of being pushed out of his chair, Gar put up his head and looked at him. His eyes, even though he just started crying some minutes ago, were red and his cheeks had a scarlet tint on them. Tear streams damped his face, then he looked away.

"Is she.." He said silently.

Richard furrowed his brows, as he felt Garfield shivering under his hand.

"No." He said. "No, no, no. Don't ever think like that."

Garfield turned his eyes to look at him once more, a little bit of hope in them.

"Kory just fainted because of everything and Raven was unconscious when we got there. They'll be fine man, don't worry." He smiled innocently at him. Garfield sighed and let his head lean on the wall, looking at the ceiling, and he opened his mouth to say something.

"Do their parents know?" He said closing his eyes, ready to receive the worst answer.

Richard bit his lower lip. "Kory's parents are alerted, but they won't be here until tomorrow, they couldn't find any more early flights here."

"What about her brother? Isn't Ryan in the city." Garfield played with his fingers.

"Yes, he knows. He just told us he'd be here, but I'm not sure when." Richard said.

After the attack Victor and him took the task of telling Kory's parents, who were all the way in France with her sister, and her brother Ryan about what had just happened.

"What about Raven's?" Garfield asked.

"Arella should be here any moment." Richard said.

"Her parents are going to kill me, dude!" Garfield said. He covered his eyes with his hand and moaned.

"I don't think they could." Richard said with a laugh. "I think what they really care about is who are the ones who went into the house."

"Hey Richard?" Garfield said. He seemed to change from personalities by minute, not to mention, conversation topics as well.

"Yes?" Richard said.

"Thank you for saving them." He said putting out his fist. "Well, you, Victor and Karen."

Richard smiled and bumped his fist with Garfield's "No biggie man."

A doctor reached the seat where the two teenager sat and he looked at his clipboard concentrated.

"Mr uh.." He pushed his glasses further up his nose bridge. "Grayson."

Garfield and him stood up immediately to him.

"Yes it's me, how are they?"

"They are both good and responding to medication as planned."

Garfield gave a relieved sigh and smiled.

"However…" The doctor kept reading his notes.

Garfield's smile dropped and he looked at the doctor.

"Miss Kory might have to sleep in this night. Some tests need to be ran over how her throat might be damaged or not. The attackers used an advanced technique with the weapon."

"But they'll be okay, right?" Richard said when he felt Garfield tense beside him.

The doctor looked him in the eye. "Oh yes, they will. We just want to make sure they'll be no permanent damage in the girls throat. After tomorrow she'll be good to go home."

"Can we see them?" Garfield's voice came out faster than what he expected it to come.

"Only two visitors at a time for an hour. Rom 692, down the hall to the right." The doctor moved from the teenagers way and showed them where they had to go. Garfield gave the doctor a tap on the back and ruffled his head. The doctor scoffed surprised at his behavior and adjusted his glasses.

Richard and Garfield quickened their pace until they got to the room Even with the door closed they heard the beeping noises of the machines connected to them. And then, Raven's soft laugh.

They pushed the door open and smiled relieved.

Raven and Kory were sitting on their beds. Raven had a blood pressure monitor beside her bed and a syringe into her wrist. Kory had her throat covered with bandages, and the occasional syringe in her wrist as well.

Kory turned around to see both of them looking.

"Hey." Raven commented.

"You're okay!" Garfield got to Kory's hospital bed as quick as he could and hugged her softly, trying not to cause her any pain. Garfield grabbed her face and stared into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. Please forgive me." He pleaded. Kory chuckled silently and nodded. Garfield planted a kiss on her lips.

"So how's everyone holding up?" Raven asked Richard.

"Better than you two, that's for sure." He said humorously.

Raven shot him a look. "Ha. Ha. What did the doctor tell you?"

Richard made himself comfortable in one of the free seats. "That you could go out tonight, but Kory needed to sleep in."

Kory turned around at the mentioning of her name.

"Sleep in? Why?" She said.

"They want to run some other tests on your throat to see if there's any damage." Garfield said sitting on her bed.

"Darn it." She said under her breath.

"Now I'll have to wait for my mom to get here and watch her fight until they let her in the room." Raven said.

"At least your mom's in town." Kory commented. "Wait does Ryan know?"

"He should be in here by now." said Garfield.

"Well I think it's better if we leave, since there is someone who wants to see Raven." Richard raised an eyebrow at her.

"Watch it Grayson." She said.

Garfield stood up from the bed and gave Kory a last hug.

"Bye then." He said and left the room with Richard.

As they walked back to the cafeteria, where the others awaited, Garfield and Richard were both happy by their own reasons. Garfield was thankful that Kory was alright, that was for sure. But Richard, he was just happy that at least of someone else got to love Kory, it would be someone whose heart was true, and that was Garfield. And if Kory was happy, he was happy.

I wrote this at 2 a.m. It just popped into my head and I decided to put it into the other chapters I've written, and I made it just so that it wouldn't ruin the storyline

Hope you liked it.

Please R&R

Daniela