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The accident had been big news the next day. The acclaimed Richard Grayson had been involved in a horrific crash when his car careened off the road. Apparently, he hadn't been paying attention, but Mari was convinced it had been a suiucide attempt.

He was currently unconscious in Jump City's Red Star hospital, and no one expected him to ever wake up. Rachel had heard about it first. She had come to tell Mari, making sure Kori was nowhere nearby. Mari's mother was currently weeping in her room.

"I don't know if this would mean anything to you, Mari, but your father is back in the city."

Mari looked away. "I know. I talked to him yesterday."

The surprise was evident on Rachel's face, even for Mari, who saw it out of the corner of her eye. Rachel's expression quickly dissloved into the deceptive calmness she always seemed to be in whenever she was upset. "He was in a crash, Mari. They think...the doctor said he'll die."

Mari cried so much, there was actually a little puddle on her kitchen table. She had barely known him, but he was her father and she already loved him. Now he was leaving her. Again. For good.

When Kori came out of her room to try (and fail) to force herself to eat, Mari told her the news. She was alarmed at her mother's reaction. Kori's eyes unfocused and she started to sway. Mari had steadied her.

"I can't take much more of this," Kori had whispered. "I need to see him."

They went to the hospital with Rachel, Gar, Dylan, and Vic. Mari began noticing things she hadn't before. Gar had always been green to her, and would always stay green. That's just who he was. But it wasn't the mark of a strange disease, as he had told her. And Vic's arms and legs almost seemed to flicker. Holograms. Those rings he never took off? Yeah, that's what hid him. And her own mother. Green where the whites of her eyes were supposed to be, orange skin, tiny eyebrows. It had all made her look so beautiful, but she was otherworldly. What would that make Mari?

Dylan hugged her in the waiting room, and she didn't protest. "I'm so sorry, Mar. I could've helped..."

Mari shook her head. "There's nothing anyone could've done, Dylan. But thanks."

The doctor came into the waiting room, suddenly alarmed at seeing six people bombard him with questions at once. He held up his hands. "I'm sorry, but no one is allowed in Mr. Grayson's room. He is in critical condition--"

"We're family!" burst out Mari. Everyone looked at her. "We're family."

"All of you?" asked the doctor incredulously.

"Well, we aren't, but we still want to see him. We're his best friends. Kori and Mari are his daughter and wif--they're family, though." Vic immediately shut up after he made this statement. Kori looked as if she would pass out again. The doctor sighed.

"Very well, come in. I'm trusting you to avoid touching him at all costs. I have to check on another patient, but I'll be back in ten minutes, by which time I expect you to be gone." Everyone nodded earnestly.

The whole group escorted themselves into the room. Mari suddenly couldn't look. What would she find? Would he still look like the man she met two days ago? Apparently, Kori was having the same problem.

Dylan, still holding her in his embrace, nudged her. "It's okay, look."

Mari looked. Richard was lying on a pristine white hospital bed, but there were dots of blood every now and then. Richard himself was covered in scratches, bruises, and cuts, and Mari assumed something must be broken. His eyes were closed, and he looked completely at peace. Unlike some of the people in the room.

"Wake up, Richard," whispered Kori. When he didn't respond, tears spilled out of her eyes. Her voice rose. "I said wake up! Why won't he wake up? Richard! Say something, please!" She ran over to the bed and was about to shake him awake when Vic caught her around the arms. She struggled, but it seemed as if all the fight was gone out of her.

"It's no good, Kori. You'll only make it worse," he said. Kori stood, limp. Mari turned to Rachel, who looked about to cry herself.

"Why are you just standing there? You can heal him!" she yelled at her. Rachel looked startled.

"What?"

"Don't! I know who you are! Who ALL of you are! He told me! Why are you just standing around when you could be saving his life?" she screeched. Rachel walked over to touch her arm.

"Mari, it doesn't work that way."

"Then how does it work? I know you can, Rachel. I looked up everything I could on the Teen Titans yesterday and it said you could heal. I can't believe none of you ever told me. You probably didn't even tell your own son!"

Dylan looked sheepishly at the ground, but for Mari, that was all she needed. She wormed out of his grasp. "You knew. You knew and you never told me."

"Mari--"

"Everyone quiet," said Rachel in a deathly calm voice. All arguments stopped at once. A black aura encased a chair at the other end of the room, and it zoomed over to Kori, who right at that moment dropped. She stared at Richard, oblivious to the outside world.

"Mari, if he wanted to go, there's nothing I can do to stop it. If he wants to die, I'll let him."

Mari was speechless. What kind of a friend had Rachel been, to know she could save his life but choose not to do it? So what if he had tried to commit suicide? He was heartbroken! What did Rachel expect? Didn't it matter what she knew was best for her father?

"But he didn't!" she said. She remembered his last words to her. "I just want you to know, I love both of you. I'm so sorry I never could have been your father, because I know I would have wanted to, and I still want to, but you're all grown up." They did sound like last words. Mari turned to Rachel with pleading eyes.

"Please, Rachel. Do it for me. I just got my dad back and now you won't even save his life for me!"

Tht statement had a big effect on Rachel. Mari supposed the words "my dad" had a part to play. Rachel sighed. "Mari, this takes a lot of energy. He's almost dead. If he's just going to go and try to kill himself again..."

"He won't! I promise," said Mari, having absolutely no idea how she would keep that promise. Rachel nodded.

"Stand back." She already sounded tired. She put her hands on Richard's head. Kori looked up, bringing her head out of the clouds, but said nothing. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." Rachel repeated the mantra over and over, and Mari saw black energy envelop her father. For almost thirty seconds, they heard nothing else. Rachel suddenly fell to the floor, exhausted. The cover of black disappeared, and Richard emerged, still sleeping, but looking as good as new.

Gar caught Rachel before she hit the floor, and she made no attempt to get up. Vic got her another chair and Gar set her on it. Mari looked at Richard expectantly, but he was still every bit as unconscious as before. Kori stared at him, still somehwere in her own world.

Rachel took a deep breath and startd to talk. "Wow. It's been ages since...it'll take a while, Mari. Don't expect him to jump up right now. He's been through a lot. Forget the crash, do you know how much he's been drinking?"

Kori jerked out of her trance. "Robin does not approve of consuming alcoholic beverages," she said. Mari glanced at her mother worriedly. She had never talked like that around her before. And what was with calling Richard by his superhero name?

Rachel attempted to smile at her. "Yeah. When he wakes up, you tell him that. I think it's time to go home."

Everyone that was in their right mind agreed. Kori made no move to get up. She looked like a rg doll, and Vic hoisted her up to get her out of the room. He carried her all the way to the car, but she didn't seem to notice. She didn't even wince when Vic accidentally banged her head on the car rooftop trying to get her in. Her eyes never moved, save for blinking.

Mari didn't think she would be able to drive home, but Dylan had already solved that problem for her. He climbed into the driver's seat. Mari sat on his right, unable to talk. As they were driving, Dylan broke the silence. "Mari, I'm sorry I never told you. Mom told me not to, and I always thought she had some sort of good reason for it. I guess she didn't want you to think that even superheroes aren't all good." He laughed bitterly. "You used to love them."

Mari knew what he was saying. She used to watch superhero shows all the time on T.V, and would play with Dylan's action figuresmore than Dylan himself. It must have broken her mother's heart to pieces, but she had been young and blissfully ignorant. What would she have thought if she had known her role models had the nerve to just leave their loved ones without a second thought? If she had never met Richard, she never would have known he only meant well for her mother. She would have blamed him almost as bad as Rachel used to, possibly more.

Kori had started to hum some sort of strange tune in the back. Mari turned to look at her, but Kori seemed just as vacant as when they had left the hospital. It occured to her then, with a huge impact, that she could, quite possibly, lose two parents. One might die, and if that happened, one would lose her sanity.

Dylan noticed as well. "I'll tell you what. You and your mom come over to my house for a night or two, alright? It'll be best." He stared at Kori through the rearview mirror. She had started to tug at her hair in beat with her tune. "For the both of you."

Mari accepted. He was right. And she was thankful.

Hmmm...so sad. I hope I didn't forget anything...LOL I'm really good at that. Review please!