Reviews for Chapter 4 (as of September 3, '07):

superheroxnerd, Akemi1582, Mama, Queen-of-the-Saps, Guardian of Azarath, serasvictoria666, MUSKRAT04, Half-elf, Twilight Dancer123, x.Babe.x, Squall Leonhart 501, Ravensfan, TitanlinZ, benlover, michele, CraneLee, Dancing through the Storm, JammyDodger217, Untainted, ScarletMoon92 , and Roth-Grayson kydd

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the support! I know this chapter is WAY over due so by deepest apologies and no, I won't make up any excuse as to why I didn't update sooner. I hope you guys don't hate me that much. Again, thanks for all the support!!

Previous Chapter:

Johnson saw that the commissioner was heading out, along with a few men who were going onto the 'secret mission'. He nudged the commissioner's door with his hip, making the door creak slightly open. Peering down the hall, he noticed the coast clear and slipped into the office. The desk light had been turned off, cloaking the room in pitch black, excluding the open window. The moon wasn't enough to light the room. Stumbling towards the desk, he bit back the coward-sense nagging at the back of his head and felt for the lamp. The dull light turned on, illuminating the desk's top contents. Two folders laid half open, some of the paper edges sticking out of the manila holders. His fingers itched to peer at the papers, for he had overheard the chief mumbling about them holding the Titans' secret identities. His hand reached out. Suddenly, a swoosh-like sound increased rapidly towards him, barely giving him time to dive for cover at the approaching missile. His body hit the ground toughly, knocking his breath out of him. A sharp thud made impact with the desk.

"What the hell?!" he whispered harshly. Peaking his head over his shoulder, he looked towards the window, the shutters moving in the slight breeze. He saw no one. Gulping, he dared himself to grasp the edges of the desk and prop himself up on his knees. His eyes widened comically as they landed on the desk, making him snap his gaze back at the window. The folders were now gone, and in their place, sliced partially into the desk's surface, was a sleek, shining, razor sharp black Bat-rang.

Chapter Five:

A dog barked in between streets, followed by the screech of an alley cat. Suddenly, shadows from the alley dragged onto a lit corner of the side of the building, lifting up and forming the elongated form of a raven. The dark shadow parted and dispersed, revealing two people: a tall lean man and a shorter woman.

"Let's go," Robin mumbled, and both began to walk to the warehouse. And just as he had said, the lone warehouse was around the corner of the police station. Their footsteps were silent, engulfed by the sounds of the stray cars that zoomed by in a hurry one could only imagine.

"Think Commissioner Gordon actually told them the Titans are in on the case?" Raven questioned, re-gripping the bag at her hand. A drunk beggar sitting near on the edge of the sidewalk reached a hand out for Raven's, calling out a cat-call, which she maneuvered around. Robin sidestepped and stood by the side near the street, switching sides with Raven, to avoid more drunks.

"Perhaps. But I think he only confided in a few. Most, I hope, are in the dark and are taking this as just another stake out."

"We can only hope."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"…There's only so much of the incantation I can support during a period of time," she murmured and side glanced at him through the sheer veil of hair framing her face. He glanced down at her.

"Are you -?"

"I'm fine. I'm only warning you not to pull a Beast Boy and freak out on me if by sheer coincidence I transform back."

"Right," he paused, "A Beast Boy?"

"Don't ask."

"Alright." Raven looked up as the lighted warehouse came into view. Robin's back straightened further and he flexed his fingers discreetly, though Raven noticed the change in his demeanor. Robin The Leader was back. She rather hoped the mental shield around his mind would have retracted, but there wasn't a chance of that happening now. They walked to the side of the warehouse, stomped up the three-step stairs and knocked onto the metallic door. Both heard movement inside pause. They met each other's eyes. Suddenly, a pair of footsteps began to walk towards the door. Robin pulled his hand behind his jacket, slipping from his sleeve the compressed Bo-staff onto his palm. Raven flexed her fingers, incasing her fingertips in black aura. The opening on top of the door shifted open and a pair of glassy eyes greeted them. They became smaller in suspicion.

"May I help you?" It was the Commissioner.

"Gordon, it's us," Robin assured, pulling out his communicator with his free hand, as if were a badge, flashing it to the officer. The square peep-hole slid shut and both Titans waited for the numerous locks to be removed. Finally, it opened, revealing the Commissioner out of his uniform yet still in suit and tie. He nodded and stepped back to allow them in. They immediately felt every pair of eyes on them. Robin felt Raven's wariness of the place tremble onto his subconscious. This was nothing new to him. He managed to maintain a calm demeanor, for the both of them.

"Gentlemen," the Commissioner began, closing the heavy door behind the disguised Titans, "Here's the two men," he paused as he felt Raven's glare, "Here's the two that were recruited specially for this mission. " One of the men standing closest to them suddenly walked up to Gordon's side and lifted the visor of his helmet. He sported a uniform similar to that of a SWAT recruit would wear.

"Steve, Steve Kalan, second-in-command after the Commissioner, here in this mission. Nice to meet you two," the dirty blonde-haired man shook hands with them, each Titan nodding to him in greeting. There was a slight wary moment between the four of them as Steve re-positioned his gun, the nose of the weapon aimed to the ceiling, to rest on his shoulder. Robin's eyes set under the guard of his glasses and managed a cheerless smirk, a nice imitation of Raven's.

"Shall we get started, gentlemen?" Robin stated, rather than asked. The group of four began to walk to the rest of the able men in the warehouse.

"Everyone knows what to do?" Gordon asked for the tenth time throughout the distribution of the game plan. Every man said an audible, 'Yes sir,' or a 'Yeah,' and began to separated into their assigned teams.

"Hey Sung?" a red haired man with freckles murmured almost silently as he walked along side his comrade.

"What is it, Epps?"

"Don't you wonder who the heck these two really are? You believe they're from where they say they work for?" Sung shrugged. "I never heard from that branch of government get involved in matters as these, have you?"

"It's not for us to question, Epps. Now haul your ass in the truck," he suddenly gripped the back of Epps's uniform near the collar, "After me. I called window seat back at headquarters."

"Damn it."

A few civilian cars discretely drove out of the lifting wire thin doors out of the Eastside of the warehouse, soon followed by the heavy lifting trucks carrying the back-up out of the Westside . Raven and Robin walked along side the Commissioner up to the same door where they had entered.

"Ready to head onto the road, Boy?" the Commissioner placed a round hand onto Robin's shoulder, making Robin look back at him. Raven felt Robin's aura rile up in irritation as hers fluttered with amusement.

'Boy?' she teased, now also sporting distinguished black shades. Robin managed a strained small smile and patted awkwardly on the Commissioner's friendly hand.

"We're heading out." He quickly walked ahead, opening the door and walked out, not glancing back at Raven. Raven smirked under the veil of her hair and followed. "Good Luck!" Gordon called out after them. Closing the door behind her, she began to pull on a small black coat.

"Which vehicle is ours?" she asked as Robin headed for the parking lot's compartment of vehicles. Their footsteps echoed up the walls of the alleyway, sounding louder than the distanced highways of the city. Robin paused as a black cat ran from the end of the alley way to the next, crossing his path. He merely raised a brow and continued.

"The black one," he replied over his shoulder.

"Maybe Cyborg should model the next T-vehicle after this one. I'm actually starting to get claustrophobic because of the other one." she monotonously joked. Robin smirked. This vehicle certainly wasn't what they were accustomed to. The current Titan vehicle only came with enough room for their assigned passengers and walk-in-or-out path for emergencies, not counting the leg room wasn't the best in the world. It wasn't mean for long car rides, either. This car wasn't the latest model of automobiles out that year, according to Cyborg's monthly magazine of Autos but it wasn't an old rusted piece of metal either. Robin paused for Raven to catch up to him. He silently took her bag as she grabbed the small briefcase like Gordon had handed Robin and Cyborg's case as well. Pressing the alarm keychain, Robin popped open the trunk and settled their belongings inside, snapping it closed. Raven settled in on the passenger's seat, following Robin to his side of the car with her eyes. He opened the car and sat down inside. He instantly turned on the engine and she felt his aura radiate satisfaction of the roar of the engine. She bit back the scoff that wanted to come out of her lips.

'Men and their vehicles.' It wasn't his R-cycle but they would 'live'.

"Let me guess, the engine is to your liking?" He chuckled in response and shifted gears. Raven shrugged carelessly and gazed out the window. Robin pulled out of the parking lot and was soon driving into the highways. There was a comforting silence in the atmosphere of the vehicle. The lamps hovering over the edge of the lanes flashed on the black surface of the car in rapid patterns, attracting Raven's attention for a while. Robin suddenly eased one hand onto his jacket's side pocket, all the while maintaining his eyes on the road.

"Hey," he fisted something from his pocket and held out his hand, eyes still on the road. Raven took off her glasses and held out her hand under his. Feeling the heat from her skin, he opened his fingers and let it drop onto her palm. Raven felt it fall onto her hand and retracted, Robin's hand going back on the wheel, and peer at it, straightening instantly.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded, her voice barely restraining a sudden panicking sensation. He spared a glance, rather the glasses, at her and smirked.

"It's our 'wedding bands'," he explained towards the silver simple and elegant band, "I know someone who knows someone who got it sent to me via our mail machinery in the last hours before we met with Gordon. Think it would do?" Raven let the short curtain of her currently black hair shield her heating up face.

'Damn him! I never actually thought we'd have to wear wedding bands!' she tried to even out her breathing before answering him.

"Whatever," she carelessly replied, slipping it into her left hand and onto her finger. He spared a glance again, his smirk widening and reached into his hand again. He took out a thicker, more masculine silver band and slipped it into the same finger she did. Raven closed her eyes and swallowed. She could do this. She hadn't forgotten her plan. This was just a regular mission. Nothing else.

"I told him silver," he began after a while, "The bands guy, because I didn't figure you to be a gold type of girl." Raven's brows furrowed in curiosity, baring a small scowl.

"Oh?"

"You know, a woman wearing gold jewelry," he casually shrugged, slightly leaned forward as he switched lanes, and settled back into the leather seats. "Least I had to make it bearable for you."

'Just keep telling yourself that you did that for it to be bearable for her,' a voice smugly countered his reply.

"Please," she replied, rolling her eyes to look outside of the window again. She tucked the right side of her hair behind her ear and leaned further back against the seat, crossing her arms. "That still doesn't make it any more bearable to pretend to be your fiancée." She didn't even buy her reply. He smirked again, and placed his arm on the compartment dividing their seats, driving with his left.

"Come on, Rae, is it that horrible to imagine being my wife-to-be?" She smirked, hid by her hair. They had settled into playful banter. It always shifted to that at some point or other, but never in front of a crowd.

'You sound disappointed that it can't go beyond that point,' a voice countered the playfulness. Her eyes suddenly glared forward, ignoring the voice.

"Yes. I feel sorry for the poor woman that ends up with you." For some reason, she couldn't meet his eyes. She wasn't bashful, not in the least. But it didn't help that she didn't have her cloak with its hood to shield herself. She didn't know what it was but she just couldn't meet his eyes at the moment. Robin regarded her behind the shield of his dark glasses. He suddenly felt that the conversation had veered somewhere that Raven felt extremely uncomfortable with. He could feel it, and not necessarily through the Bond. She had retorted in her normal tone, but he didn't hear her usual sarcasm behind it.

'I'm over thinking things,' he nodded and switched hands. Though, the conversation with Cyborg earlier in the day began to replay in his mind. Maybe this is what Cyborg was talking about? Was Raven that uncomfortable when dealing with relationships? Well, she hasn't had the best relationship history, to his knowledge, anyway, but did any of them really have one to base it upon on? The paint job of a metallic blue car caught his attention. The car itself wasn't drawing attention rather the fact that the vehicle had maintained behind them for the past hour and a half, at a certain distance. But maybe it was a late driver…yet, he could swear it was following them.

'It's too much of a coincidence,' he concluded, his face setting.

"Raven?"

"What?"

"I think that car is following us." Raven straightened. She glanced at the side mirror and saw the headlights.

"Friends of yours?" She mumbled tensely.

"Don't have many friends," he answered, fisting both sides of the wheel. "I don't think they know we've spotted them yet."

"Have something in mind?" Raven maintained her gaze on the vehicle. They couldn't really rely on her black magic at the moment. She could only spare so much. The incantation enough was taking part of the energy.

"Lead them on for the moment. There isn't much we can do without revealing ourselves. Unfortunately for us, we don't have the T-Tank at our disposal and can't communicate with the others unless it's an emergency."

"We can't let them follow us the whole way."

"I know." He glanced at Raven and up the rearview mirror, seeing headlights. He slowed down slightly and grew tense as the car behind them too slowed. He couldn't switch back to his previous speed. They'd notice.

"I can't counter them," Raven offered, as if he had asked. "The incantation is taking up enough of my energy as it is."

"I know." He heard the squeak of Raven's fingers digging into the armrest of the passenger's seat. She wasn't nervous, but alert. As was he. He suddenly pulled out his communicator, gripping it with his right as he drove with his left, the device aligned with the wheel.

"What are you doing?" Raven questioned, daring to break the stare off she had maintained with the headlights via the mirror. Robin didn't respond but pressed the small buttons along side the communicator, making a small, thin screen slide out, with the grid of the highway appearing on the screen. She gazed at his face.

"I had to make sure our trucks were headed where they said they were heading so I placed small tracking devices under each vehicle back in the warehouse to maintain the position of all vehicles at all times."

"And where was I when all of this was happening?" she dryly asked, uncrossing her shorter legs. She managed a smirk out of him then.

"Along side me," he spared a look at her direction, "I'm just that good, you didn't notice the move." Raven discreetly rolled her eyes and glared at the headlights once more.

"And?" she questioned.

"And," he continued, "I was just making sure this car following us isn't one of the ones from the warehouse." He snapped close the slide-out screen from the side of the communicator and clipped it to his belt again. "It's definitely not one of ours." He slightly leaned forward again and glanced back at the offending vehicle through the rear view mirror and signaled a move to the left. Raven silently raised a brow in question and glanced ahead. An exit.

"What now?"

"This is where we loose them," he shifted gears and accelerated slightly. Both glanced back at the headlights, and sure enough, they had followed them out of the exit.

"Robin, do you believe they are after us because of Eric?" Raven questioned, gazing into the dark shades. Robin's back straightened in his seat. That question had nagged her since the instance Robin had pointed out the vehicle behind them.

"Possibly."

"…"

'Maybe I could spare some of my energy to prevent them from following us,' Raven let the question assimilate in her mind. Fear began to quiver in her mind. But she knew she shouldn't do it. It had taken a hard time to complete the incantation. Using some of the energy now, the incantation would break, and she wasn't sure if she could perform the same spell in a day. She glanced at Robin's alert demeanor. 'But it would probably save both of us a lot of trouble in the long run,' she countered herself. An on-edge, infuriated, or anxious Robin behind the wheel was almost as bad, at times, as a drunk driver: oblivious to everything but the feeling rushing amongst the adrenaline in their blood, driving them on. Deciding to ignore the protest of whom she thought was Intelligence in her mind, she wordlessly allowed her energy to blank her eyes of amethyst and her black energy to consume her to nothing, catching Robin's attention from the corner of his eyes.

"Raven!" Robin snapped his hand to touch her, to prevent her from leaving, but he touched only the covers of the passenger seat. "Damn it, Raven!" he cursed.

'What the hell were you thinking!?' he breathed out through his nose and swallowed the sudden feeling of concern he had for her. She knew what she was doing. You could say she was a professional at this. He had to trust her sudden decision. He glanced back down into the rear view mirror besides him. He caught the shadow of their vehicle elongate on the concrete, then in the sudden darkness of having just passed a headlight lamp, it detached from the car and headed for the approaching threat. Just before reaching the headlights reflected on the passing concrete, the shadow separated and floated along the sides of the moving car. Sudden movement dragged his attention from Raven to the rest of the vehicle. His eyes widened under his shades.

"Shit!" he cursed and sped up, as all but the driver's windows rolled down and out peered the shadows of men, large machine guns in their arms. He snapped his eyes back on to the road and shifted gears, digging his foot into the pedal, feeling the tires suddenly squeal at the increase of speed. Bullets began to rain down on their vehicle, Robin expertly averting most. He shifted gears again and fisted the wheel harder.

'When I find you Eric,' he vowed, 'You'd wished you had never appeared in my life ever again!' Raven heard the bullets being fired and did not hesitate anymore, diving into the vehicle and snatching up the first man in her path, the man behind the driver, and swallowing up into her black abyss. He later appeared a yard where the opposing vehicle had been not but a second ago, unconscious yet in a cold sweat, mouth agape.

"Fuck, what was that?" The man in the opposing vehicle yelled, when the man besides him had suddenly disappeared. The driver spared a glance back at him.

"What the hell happened?!" he demanded, "Where the hell is-" Suddenly, the passenger too disappeared, making him and the remaining guy glance back and watch as out of nowhere, the second man bounce onto the concrete, not moving. "Oh shit! What's going on?!" He suddenly found himself alone as the third man too disappeared. He cursed himself red and took out his hand gun, aiming at the vehicle in front of him. He was a better aim than the other three, that was for sure. Robin suddenly swerved as the back window was crushed and a bullet pierced the front of the window, leaving a hole and a spider crack in its wake. He swallowed as he let the guard down on his mind and suddenly felt a small urge to communicate with Raven. He was met by silence.

'Damn it! Raven!' He cursed. Suddenly, the car behind him screeched, swerved and ended up going over the bridge, breaking the side rail, maintaining airborne for a few seconds before falling into the blackness of the water under the highway at the moment. Sound suddenly seemed to return inside the vehicle as he heard a gasp behind him. He pressed onto the brakes suddenly and the tires began to burn at the sudden friction. He snapped his seat belt off and practically kicked the door open. He pulled open the back seat and warily stared at Raven. Her breath was coming with difficulty, her eye lids shaking. Her body was lying down on the back seat, a small sheet of cold sweat covering her face, the pieces of glass sprayed round her. He kneel over her, a knee along either side of her toned thighs and grasped her face in his hands.

"Raven!" he yelled. She grunted, but he wasn't sure it was a response. "Damn it, Raven! Answer me!" He knew that when her life or energy was in a precautious point, endangered, her Azerethian aspect would rush to maintain her alive. But she could loose herself, even for a moment, in the darkness of her mixed blood. And it had been his job for the years along side her as the Titans to maintain her on the good side. "Raven!" She suddenly jerked and her eyes squeezed, afterwards slowly peering open. Her racing heart and rising-falling chest slowed down as she made contact with Robin's shades. She felt his hands on her face and her black energy flew to destroy the car underwater. Neither paid attention at the sudden explosion in the water below. "Damn it Rae," he scolded softer, "Could have lost you there." He inwardly nagged at the greedy feeling of relief at seeing her light ashen skin and dark purple tresses instead of the disguise. Raven suddenly swallowed and pushed Robin to gently back off up until he was standing besides the open back door, not far from her feet.

"I'm fine," she avoided looking at his face. Her vision was a bit blurry around the edges but she would live. It wasn't something drastic, she had done far worse before, but it still left her slightly drained. She cringed at the concern radiating off of Robin's aura and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Raven flinched as her palm was cut with a piece of glass. "Way to go, you destroyed the car," she commented dryly, finally sitting out of the back seat to stand not far from him. Robin hesitated but ignored the reply. As far as this was concerned, it never happened. Raven always said it never happened. These instances of her struggle between her mixed blood was one of the few secrets they shared away from the Team, and as long as she wanted, he would keep it.

"Are you sure you're-?" his question was cut off by her icy glare. He nodded, straightening and moving to the driver's seat. Raven followed suit and sat into the passenger's seat. Soon, the car was moving on again, a silence drifting into the interior of the car.

"I think it's pretty much safe to say that Eric wants you dead," Raven retorted after a while. Robin flinched, his face growing grave.

"I was aware of that since years ago," he replied.

"Had he attempted something like this?"

"Not like this, but," he hesitated, "You could say he did."

"But you were just a child," Raven replied, a tone of slight protest in her voice.

"That didn't stop him," he countered. Both knew, from experiences in their childhoods and from those around them, that injustice did not heed because you were a child. A small tense but bearable silence appeared between them.

"Robin," she began after a while, swallowing another dizzy spell that swam in her mind, "You said 'the rest was for a later time' ," her tone serious, "I believe now is the only true privacy we will have the rest of the week." Robin swallowed, his jaw set again. He could feel the muscles constrict to the harsh treatment.

"I did," he stopped. He clenched the wheel harshly, the leather cover squeaking. "Was it Eric who broke into the company? Back at Jump?"

"Yes." Now that she wasn't under the incantation, Raven could now comprehend his aura a bit better. Yet she hesitated calming his mind like she had done earlier. He wasn't going to budge any more on the matter, 'as of the moment.' After having been attacked, both confirmed that Eric knew that they were heading to the city, rather, has suspected Robin to, but now they knew he had come with company. They had to be on alert. They couldn't communicate with the Commissioner, less they blow the whole team's cover. They were on their own.

The red car slowed down as it saw the lump in the road ahead. The headlights were just out of reach to illuminate what it was. The driver stood out and walked towards it. He knelt and turned the lump around. It was still breathing. He exhaled out his nose. Pulling out a cell phone, he speed dialed a number that immediately picked up.

"What happened?"

"He knows we're after him." He was met by silence from the other end.

"Excellent," the other man said after a while. The line clicked and the man placed the phone in his pocket again. He looked ahead on the road. There were more bodies on the road, all in the same condition. What had he done to them? They looked…brain dead.

"What are you up to, Richard?" he questioned, smirking. He pulled out a gun, shooting each man in the forehead, blowing the smoke from the gun afterwards.

"Raven?" Robin spoke after a while. She hadn't moved from the same position for at least ten minutes. Her head was leaned away from him, arms crossed under her chest, which being a gentleman, he simply skimmed over, and was low on the seat, slightly curved into a ball. She rather looked…cute.

'Cute!? What the hell is the matter with you!?' he scolded himself. He was not showing good Leadership, viewing his teammate the way he currently was.

"Raven?" he tried again, cursing under his breath when his voice had slightly shaken. Her shoulder shifted, but got no other reaction. Was she really asleep? Well, the incantation and the sudden attack had drained a lot out of her. He shifted, maneuvering around his arms from keeping his hands on the wheel, and shrugged off his jacket. He rose a brow when she gripped the edge of the jacket, snuggling closer. The sight of a foreign object in the pocket of his jacket caught his attention.

'What the-' Gently, as to not disturb her, he pulled out the object and recognized it to be Beast Boy's 'present' he threw his way before he and Raven had left the Tower. Glancing at the road ahead, he looked down and with his thumb, removed the lid. His eyes widened comically and he lost grip of the wheel, coincidently, their car swerving widely. He cursed and let the object drop, maneuvering the wheel again. He heard a groan to his right, making him shift his legs so that the object would fall onto the floor beneath the seat. 'I am going to kill a certain Changeling whenever I see him again!! And I won't think twice about it either!'

"Not only are you danger-prone on The Death Trap you call a motorcycle, but on this thing too?" Raven's sleep-filled voice growled, her eyes barely peeking over the jacket.

"Sorry, I lost myself in my train of thought," he lied.

"Hmm," she stretched under the jacket and straightened, surprising him how quick she looked fresh, ready for anything.

"How's your hand?" he asked, for he had seen her cut herself on the glass. Not answering, she lifted her hand, palm facing him, showing no blood or cut. Oh right. Demons healed faster than the average human.

"Where are we?" she asked instead, her shortly cut purple hair sheltering the right side of her face.

"About an hour from Trinity Conqueror," he supplied, glancing back the rear view mirror. He couldn't be too careful now. Raven suddenly paused and glanced down to the small floor space where her feet resided. A small hiss caught Robin's attention as well. "What is it?" he asked, facing the road again. Raven lifted the small brief case Cyborg had supplied them with, sporting two bullet holes, the small hissing being the devices inside melting from the piercing they had received.

"How the hell did this managed to get shot?" Raven snapped at no one in particular.

"I don't know. Luckily, it wasn't one of us." Excluding their communicators, they had no other way to contact the Tower now. Her rare tresses caught his attention again. "What are we going to do about your image now?" Raven's eyes connected with his and both shared a shiver up their spine at the proximity of their Bond near each other. It was then that Raven noticed the barrier in Robin's mind was down.

"One of Starfire's scarf's I managed 'to-borrow-without-permission' ," Robin raised a brow at this, "Should suffice for my hair. Shades I have and as for my skin," she regarded him again, "We could just say I don't get out much."

"Which you don't," he reminded, smirking. Raven looked crossly at him and looked out the window. Lit windows were spread out, signaling houses and proximity to the city. Far up ahead, they could begin to make out the outline of the city buildings. Raven paused and side glanced at Robin. He seemed…flushed about something.

"Something wrong?" she asked, "Besides the obvious?" Robin swallowed.

"No," he lied. She let her breath leave her lips and looked down as something fell from her shoulders. She now noticed Robin missing his jacket.

"Did I steal this from you or something?" Robin stole a glance at her from the road then faced forward again, the lamp lights still creating a pattern of illuminating the trunk of the car every now and then. "How did I end up with your jacket?" He cleared his throat discreetly and signaled an exit off of the highway. The topic of the jacket was forgotten as the grand looking hotel at the end of the road came into view. They couldn't help but take in the neighborhoods surrounding the 'splendor' of the hotel, trash littering its corners and some in pitch darkness. "I presume Eric is in the best of circles?" It was more of a matter of pointing out the obvious than a question. Robin's hands gripped the wheel tighter, if that were possible, and seethed.

"By back stabbing and weaseling his way up to the top," he snapped, not really directing his building anxiousness and rage in his chest at her. He shifted gears again and stopped at a street light before they reached the hotel. Raven closed her eyes and placed a cool, smaller hand on top of his, his still on the shifting gear. A calming sensation raced up both of their arms, sending tingling, soothing waves down the Bond and into Robin's subconscious.

"Breath. Relax," she spoke out loud, her voice an octave lower, the same she used when previously chanting her mantra. The muscles of his hand flexed under hers, tensing, then reluctantly relaxing. She slowly let her thumb caress the skin over his folded fingers, as if a afterthought of concern, before removing her hand completely. Something in her head snapped at her for such a move.

"Better get out the scarf," he stated, his voice baritone. The light changed and the car smoothly moved forward. They pulled into the arc entrance, the road leading them up directly up into the grand entrance doors, lights out lining the double entrances, fountains adding to its splendor. The hotel was practically a sky scrapper, the lighted windows allowing its viewers to instantly get a dizzy spell from staring up to it for too long. Both tensed when a man neared their windows.

"May I take your car, sir?" The valet parking man offered, a practiced tone and smile greeting them.

"That you may," Robin offered, surprising Raven with a sudden southern accent, with if she hadn't known him as far as she had, she would've been fooled it was his real accent.

'Great, now he's a good actor,' a chipper voice in her head sighed, followed by an inner glare to said voice. The man opened Raven's door, while another headed for the back of the vehicle. Neither Titan noticed the men's wary gazes at the few bullet holes and missing back window of the car. The valet parking man handed Raven a ticket, signaling the car's parking spot and moved towards Robin's side of the car. Robin rounded around, stopping besides the man at the trunk. "Thank you sir. We'll take our bags ourselves," the man nodded and looked slightly relieved. Not that a bullet-holed car was that uncommon in this city. Robin slammed the trunk shut, their bags at hand, and walked to Raven's side. He nodded to the man now in the driver's seat and said man took off, the car behind them taking its place near the grand doors. Raven's whole demeanor suddenly stiffened as Robin's large arm placed itself at her waist, his hand at her hip.

"Let that hand get any lower, so help me Gods of Azarath-" she was cut off by the chuckle under his breath, his arm pushing her slightly forward, both making their way into the building. Could he really blame her for the hostile threat he had received? It was basically a reflex when it came to her by now. With his back straight, an air of importance around him, he lead them towards the reception desk. They paid little attention to the impeccable cleanness and brilliance of the entrance hall, having annoyed them with the mal-use of the city's money for the hotels instead of the needy streets with its doorway.

The auburn haired woman looked up. Before her stood a rather handsome man with a cool looking woman at his side, both stiff from uneasiness.

"May I help you?"

"Reservations for a Mr. Kreftan, Ben Kreftan," the woman's stare was interrupted from the man's impossible clear blue eyes by the woman at his side. The female guest seemed to be embarrassed by him stating the name, her eyebrow now twitching. She nodded, clearing her throat, barely registering the woman's abnormal eye color, and typed away at the computer screen. The name appeared.

"Mr. Kreftan, your reservation for a suite with the marital bed is accounted for-" a suddenly vase from the lobby exploded, followed by the flicker of lights, jerking the hotel's residents at the suddenness of it. The woman at the man's side gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles practically white. Mr. Kreftan cleared his throat and checked his watch. He rose a brow at the receptionist, making her suddenly stumble for the key. She now presumed the woman to be Mrs. Kreftan as for the way he suddenly placed a hand at her shoulder, caressing the top of her arm. Her lips thinned into a line but she none the less looked calmer. The lights stop flickering, making every one glance side to side, as if the explanation would appear before them for interrupting their evening. "H-Here you are Mr. Kreftan. Enjoy your stay-" she suddenly paused, "Oh, I almost forgot. Your father-" both guest made eye contact with her so firmly that it sent a chill down her spine, "-left a message here at the reception desk." She placed the envelope on the desk before her and the woman snapped it up. She noticed the small detail that she had not met her 'husband's' face since they had walked in.

"Thank you," the woman spoke for the first time, a foreign accent underlining her cool tone. Maybe it was oriental? Seeing as her eyes had a slight tilt and shape she quite couldn't place. The man tugged at his 'wife's' waist and he shot a friendly 'good evening' back at to her before both made their way to the elevators. It could have been the trick of the lights but she swore the wife elbowed him in the ribs, followed by a smile from the man. Why were all the good looking men always taken up first?

A/N: okay! There it is! A bit longer than a usual chapter. I stopped placing the summaries in the beginning cause...well, I think you guys got annoyed by those, right? Anywhoo, um, I hope it wasn't too much of a disappointment and hopefully you'd like there to be a ch. 6? The plot line has certaintly taken a twist...well, in my plans. You don't see it yet. :D

Hehehe, I loved the guesses you guys had on Beast Boy and Starfire's presents for the 'Birds'. I know I mentione BB's present yet I didn't say what it was. I think you can draw a conclusion on what it is and if not, maybe I'll say it plain out on sight next chapter, k? Raven's present isn't mentioned yet but yeah. It will come. (rubs hands evilly)

Until Next Time Folks!

- Mayachan -