Almost every day since the Titans' visit, Kory…or Starfire had kept in touch with Raven via the Titans' communicator. She burst into tears as soon as she had called the empath for the first time, and had to convince the half-demon that she did not have to teleport there to check on her well-being. Starfire apologized over and over again for being emotionally unavailable, for missing Raven and Beast Boy's wedding, and for letting her pain get the best of her mind.

Raven, of course, told her she was being ridiculous, and although the shorter girl always did well to hide her emotions, Starfire swore she could see pricks of water in her own eyes.

That was another thing. Every since she had regained her memories, she found she could not continue to go by the name Kory. On Earth she had always been Starfire, and it felt wrong to only be called another name. Raven had convinced her to tell Roy and Jason the truth about her remembrance, and she finally agreed. Roy had readily agreed to begin calling her Starfire again-he had been calling her that for years anyway. Jason, understandably, was a little thrown off by it.

"You'll always be Kory to me," he told her in his stubborn way, but every now and then he'd mix it up and call her by her other name.

Raven had also convinced her to tell Beast Boy and Cyborg about her revelation, but Starfire had made her swear to let her tell Dick in person when she was ready. The two had a lot to talk about, after all.

Now that she thought about it, Jason and her had quite a bit to discuss as well, but she was too content with how things were right now to bring anything controversial up. She knew they did not have a relationship, at least not in the way things had been with Dick, but there was something more, something deeper than just friendship.

Occasionally, after a long mission he would come into her room and run his hands and lips along her body in the dark. Her hands would tangle in his hair, and she would become breathless. It never went further than that, and he would never stay the night. Although his motives made her curious, she was also grateful for the slow pace. Her pain and longing for Dick was still so great, that she did not wish to use her affection for Jason to ease her pain. She cared for him too much for that.

She lay next to him on the sand one day, the two of them watching as Roy tested out arrows he had modified. He took aim and struck a palm tree, before pacing forward and ripping the head out of the trunk and then starting again. Starfire smiled as the redhead occasionally sent them a suspicious look, as if he expected them to start making love in front of him, and while Jason tended to be showy, he was certainly private about some things.

"How long do you think he's gonna be at it?" Jason asked, absently sprinkling sand along her orange thigh. She watched as the tops of his shoulders became pink under the Caribbean sun.

"Until I can account for these new modifications," Roy called back, letting loose another arrow.

"Wasn't talking to you, Fuck Face."

"I love you too, Jason."

Starfire laughed at their antics. She felt Jason's hand brush the small of her exposed back before he decided against it. She smiled softly at the feeling.

Although she was having a pleasant time with the two of them, it was still very difficult dealing with her emotions. Even when she was happy she carried a pressure that felt like sorrow and defeat in her heart. It never got to the point where her mind made her chose between memory and oblivion, but there was a part of her that was afraid it would again.

She jolted when she felt the vibration of her communicator against her calf. Ever since she and Raven had reconnected, she took it with her wherever she went. Jason watched her, a frown on his face, but unlike a few weeks ago when he would have made a snarky comment, he kept his opinions to himself. She appreciated that.

"Hello, Friend Gar," Starfire said in slight surprise when she recognized the green face staring back at her. While she occasionally spoke to Cyborg and Beast Boy, it was usually Raven that called.

"Starfire," Beast Boy said, his voice coming out strained. "Vic and I need your help."

Starfire stiffened. "What is it? Is someone injured?"

"It's Raven. She's been captured."

Roy came over to sit beside Starfire and Jason, his face also etched with concern. "Do you have any leads?"

"I-I don't really know. We were out patrolling in northern California, when this…this creature came out and grabbed her." He paused, looking as if he were debating on telling them something. "It was that animal you guys fought a while back…I only caught the tail-end of the battle but..."

"Crux?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes. "How the fuck would you know about that?"

Beast Boy grimaced. "I was sort of tracking Starfire. There had been rumors she was back with a new team, and I had to find out for myself."

"Yes, I recall seeing a green falcon on that day," Starfire remarked. "So you believe Crux took Raven?"

"I'm almost positive. The freaky thing was that he went straight for her. He didn't even engage us! Why the hell would he want her?" he questioned, his voice becoming a little desperate.

"Crux is a xenophobe," Starfire explained. "His only goal is to eliminate those who were not born on this planet." She stood up from her place in the sand. "We will do anything we can to help. My team shall meet you at the place where Raven was last seen."

"Your team?" Jason asked from the ground, followed by a cry of pain as Starfire kicked him.

"Thanks Kory. I know you're probably just as scared as I am." Beast Boy swallowed. "Vic's already here with me, and Dick is on his way."

Starfire tried not to be uneasy by this news. While she was certainly mature enough not to let her emotions get in the way of finding Raven, she was not so certain about Dick and Jason. "Of course. We shall be there shortly."

After she ended the transmission, she turned to Roy. "Please do the 'firing up' of the craft Jason has 'borrowed' from the Justice League. We will need to travel to California as quickly as possible."

Roy immediately rose and started jogging back to their base. Jason stood up slower, regarding her in a way she had not seen before.

"Maybe you two should go without me," he suggested.

She raised her eyebrows. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"I know you care about your friend. It'll just be easier if I'm not there to cause problems."

Starfire smiled affectionately. "While I appreciate your concern, you are also my friend Jason, as well as an exceptional teammate. It would not be right if you were not by my side."

Jason let out a sigh. "Alright Kory, don't say I didn't warn you though."

"I shall not."

~0~0~0~

As soon as Cyborg had given them the coordinates, the Outlaws took to the skies until they touched down in a clearing in northern California. Starfire flew out at once, followed by Arsenal and Red Hood. She quickly discovered they were the last party to arrive, and she made every effort not to stare at Nightwing for too long. She noticed that as everyone gathered in to be briefed by Beast Boy and Cyborg, Red Hood stood off to the side, clearly feeling out of place.

"We were patrolling along this outer stretch here," Beast Boy explained, "and then he literally swooped out of nowhere. He said something along the lines of 'demon scum,' and then just grabbed her with his talons." Beast Boy's eyes furrowed. "I tried to stop him but he knocked me into the ground and…the details became kind of fuzzy."

Starfire watched as his hands shook in worry and anger. She knew the feeling. She was also terrified for her friend.

"Gar says you've faced this guy before," Cyborg mentioned, glancing at Starfire, Arsenal and then Red Hood. "Any chance you still have a bit of his DNA from when you last engaged him? It would make tracking him less complicated."

Starfire shook her head miserably. "It was so long ago, I am sure we do not have any."

"We'll have to do things the old fashioned way then," Nightwing said, and then cast a sideway glance at Red Hood. "Maybe we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Sounds good to me," Arsenal added.

"Alright," Cyborg said, stepping forward, "Let's fan out and then regroup in two hours. Arsenal, you go west with Red Hood. BB and I will continue North and…ah, shit…"

Everyone seemed to tense as they realized whom the final pairing would contain. Starfire felt her heart beat pick up, and although Nightwing always did well in hiding his true feelings, he was starting to look like he might be sick.

"Uh…maybe I could go with Dick, or Star maybe you could go with Roy or-"

"It is alright, Victor," Starfire spoke up, surprising them all. "Finding Raven is of the utmost priority. I will not let anything else distract me." She caught Red Hood's mask lifting up in a questioning way, and she gave him a nod of reassurance, which he returned.

"You heard the woman, let's stop standing around with our dicks out and get this piece of shit," Red Hood spoke for the first time since they had landed. As he passed Starfire, he gripped her shoulder briefly before he and Arsenal began to head West. She smiled at him appreciatively, grateful that he was respecting her request and not making a scene.

Beast Boy and Cyborg left soon after them, both men casting uncertain glances at their former teammates before disappearing into the thicket. With a deep breath, Starfire turned to Nightwing.

"I shall take to the air, while you scour the ground?" she suggested.

Nightwing seemed mildly surprised that she had spoken to him directly. "Sure," he said nodding, and she took to the skies.

This wasn't so difficult. At least this way they could focus on finding Raven without any drama. They traveled East in silence for what felt like a long time, when he suddenly called up to her.

"Star," he said, "come look at this."

Starfire landed on the forest floor and approached him, albeit a little cautiously. Her gaze fell to his hand where he held a piece of dark blue cloth.

"Raven's cloak," she whispered, coming to stand by him to get a better look.

"We must be on the right path," Nightwing reaffirmed. "I'll call the others." He took out his own Titans' communicator and sent a signal to Cyborg and Arsenal. "They should all meet us back here shortly."

"Yes," Starfire said, nodding, and then the two lapsed into an awkward silence.

Just when Starfire thought she could take it no more, Nightwing spoke up. "How is Galfore?"

Starfire smiled a little. "He is wonderful. Tamaran is lucky to have him as Grand Ruler."

Nightwing nodded absently. "Yeah, he's always been intimidating, that's for sure."

"The best warriors are," Starfire agreed.

"Are you…enjoying yourself on Earth?"

X'Hal, I know I must tell him. It is not right to keep him 'in the dark.'

"Yes," she said hesitantly, "almost as much as the first time I was here."

Nightwing gave her a bewildered look and she nodded to confirm his suspicions.

"How-" he began to ask.

"When you mentioned the pool a couple of weeks ago," she explained, "it…some things became startlingly clear."

"…Oh."

Starfire stared at her feet, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She felt ashamed that even after two years it felt as if he had told her he didn't love her only yesterday.

"I…said a lot of things I shouldn't have back then," he said suddenly, "and I didn't do a lot of things I should have."

"Yes," she replied bluntly, "but that is in the past."

"Is there any way we could…talk about some things…?"

"Not while Raven is still missing," she said evenly, slightly annoyed that he was still pushing the conversation.

"You're right, sorry."

She wasn't sure if he meant sorry for now, or for two years ago. Luckily she didn't have to answer because the others arrived soon after to study what Nightwing had found. As soon as her team had rejoined her, she moved away from Nightwing and went to stand by them.

"He say anything to you?" Red Hood whispered to her as she floated beside him.

"Nothing I could not handle."

"Ooo, we've got a badass on our hands," he muttered teasingly, and her lips quirked into a small smile. As she flew forward to get Cyborg's opinion on the trace of Raven, she tried to ignore Nightwing's annoyed glance that was cast in their general direction.

Cyborg furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he scanned Raven's cloak.

"What's it saying? Is she close?" Beast Boy asked, understandably on edge.

"It's hard to say. We're definitely heading in the right direction, but I don't know how much further we should go."

"I may have an idea," Starfire said suddenly, charging up her fists and letting lose a massive green flare far above the group. The sky, which by now was almost completely dark, lit up in a brilliant display of neon greens.

"Good idea, Star," Nightwing said. "If Raven's nearby she'll send us a sign."

He looked at her appreciatively, and Starfire stared at the ground. She was thankful for the cover of darkness for she was mortified to discover she was blushing. X'Hal, had nothing changed?

"As for right now, all we can do is wait. Set up camp maybe," Cyborg inferred.

"Are you insane? We have to keep looking!" Beast Boy chimed in angrily.

"As much as I hate to stop searching while Raven's still out there, Cy has a point Gar," Nightwing said, trying to reason with the changeling. "It's already almost pitch black. We won't be able to cover much ground without daylight."

"You guys set up camp then, I'm going to keep searching," the changeling responded tersely. Then, before anyone could reason with him, Beast Boy morphed into a wolf and disappeared into the thicket once more.

Cyborg sighed. "Can't say I blame him. Well, if anyone can search effectively in this darkness it's gonna be him."

"You're right," Nightwing muttered in agreement.

"So, what's this about a camp being set up?" Arsenal inquired.

Cyborg puffed out his chest. "Leave that to me." He removed a small box from his torso and placed it on the ground. At once it expanded to cover the small clearing the group was in, folding upwards into an overhang and providing a makeshift shelter equipped with about ten mattresses.

"Seems a little overkill," Arsenal said, surveying the shelter.

"Won't hear you complaining later tonight when you got a roof over your head," Cyborg quipped back.

As Nightwing, Arsenal and Cyborg became involved in mild conversation, mostly about different methods to look for Raven, Starfire looked around for Red Hood but found he was not in the shelter. She stepped out from under it and discovered he was by the edge of the clearing. He sat on the ground, his back leaning against a tree and his mask removed. She watched as his head fell back tiredly against the trunk.

Drifting so she sat next to him, she cocked her head to the side. "Why are you not in the shelter?"

He opened his eyes to glance at her. "When do you think the last time Dick and I slept under the same roof was?"

Starfire shook her head. "Oh, Jason."

"I don't think this is gonna work, Kor."

She frowned. "You wish to return to base? I would appreciate it if you stayed and assisted in finding Raven-"

"No, not that. You and me."

Starfire fell silent. She really didn't know what to say to that, so she waited for him to continue.

"Not that there really was a you and me…but I guess for a time there was anyway."

"There still could be," she said softly.

He smiled bitterly. "Nah. Not with him in the picture. And he's always gonna be in the picture."

"Jason, we talked about this. It is not-"

"It's not a competition, I know. But it feels like I've already lost anyway." He looked away from her, his foot kicking out against the dirt half-heartedly.

"I have told you, I can have feelings for more than one person. I…I do have the feelings for you."

"But you'll always have them for him too, right?"

She paused. "Yes."

He sighed. "Well I guess that makes me a selfish bastard, 'cuz I don't think I can have you, knowing that somewhere in that head of yours, there's a part of you that wants to be with…him."

"It…is not selfish," Starfire said after a moment. "It is human." She leaned her head on his shoulder. While she was not in love with Jason, she knew she cared for him greatly, but her love for Dick outweighed this. It was true; he was right, and this was probably why he had never initiated anything further, emotionally or physically. He knew the truth, probably knew it the moment she saw Dick again, and she could not blame him for not being able to swallow the truth. Knowing she could learn to love him while still always loving his brother.

"Friends then?" she asked softly, a bittersweet feeling in her chest.

He stared at her for a moment, before placing his hand at the back of her head and leaning in to kiss her. Her hand came up to rest on his chest while his arms moved around her torso, holding her firmly. He made a noise, deep in the back of his throat that made her skin crackle with energy. Their tongues moved together briefly, too briefly, before he pulled away, probably for the final time.

"Sure," he replied, grinning wolfishly at her.

She shook her head again, but this time a small smile adorned her face. "And here I thought I had met every kind of Earth man there was." She stood up. "Will you really not join us in the shelter?"

"I'll be fine here. I'll scream if a bear tries to maul me."

Her smile grew. "Good night, Jason."

"Good night."

Author's Note:

Yeah…so not gonna lie, I'm having a lot of fun with the whole Jason/Kory dynamic, but logistically speaking it wouldn't work out for the reason I wrote above. I'm not sure if I fooled you all into thinking this was a Jason/Kory story, but if I did, psych!

I left their relationship open on purpose. Don't worry, all will become clear VERY soon.