Okay,

So last chapter I killed off the Colonel, so in this chapter we're gonna see some Starfire crying and Richard trying to console her, remember, his father has just passed away so he kinda knows what she's going through, even though he didn't like his father much. Lots of people have been asking if they're ever going to hook up. This is a RobinxStarfire fic but, like the show, it's going to come later. Wish I could put so much more fluff in here but I can't just yet. I have some other things planned first, and Speedy is not going to die. Well, for now.

On to the tenth chapter!

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Starfire had waken up bright and early, she felt good today. She remembered last night, her father had told her to do what she wanted and that's what she was going to do. Now that she had her father's approval she no longer had to take Blackfire's constant pressure into getting married. It was a foolish thing to say but she still had hope that her true love was out there, and it wasn't Speedy. She would have tear him out her heart somehow, one way or the other. But how?

Today she wore her hair down, she didn't know why but she did. So she brushed it while counting to one hundred. That's when she received a solemn knock at her door, it was Nina. Starfire welcomed her in and Nina didn't look at her eyes, she looked straight at the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Starfire asked Nina had entered but she hadn't said a word.

"Um...uuhh." Nina stuttered.

"Just tell me what you have to say." Starfire tried to make it easier for her.

"Uuhh I don't know how to say this." Nina played with her fingers.

Starfire stopped brushing her hair and walked over to nina, she picked her hands up and held them in hers, "Just say it." She smiled but by now she had figured it wasn't going to be good news.

"Okay then..." She took a deep breath "Your father..-he was sleeping."

"Yes?" She was confused of course he was asleep that's what people do at night.

"Well, he was sleeping and then he wasn't."

"What do you mean 'and then he wasn't'?"

"Well you see.." Nina was nervous, why was she so nervous? Why didn't she just tell her already! Starfire grabbed Nina by the shoulders and looked at her straight in the face.

"Nina, tell me what happend." She said firmly.

Nina looked straight at her for a second but then looked away "He died." Nina pryed out of her grip and left Starfire alone.

She was shocked, Starfire let herself fall to the floor and tears ran down her cheeks but this time her father wasn't there to catch them, which made her even sadder. Her father, the man she had been with last night, was gone. It was so unexpected it couldn't be right. She had to make sure, she lifted herself from the ground and ran out of her room clumsily.

She was making her way downstairs and as she looked around she noticed it was true. There were flowers surrounding the room, and she saw Blackfire and Xavier were standing in the middle of the room, dressed in all black, in front of a casket, a priest on the other side. She ran downstairs practically blinded by her tears.

"What happened?" She asked.

"He's dead." Was Blackfire's simple response.

"Just like that Blackfire! He's dead!" She yelled but Blackfire was so calm, was this the way she grieved? Or did she really not care.

"Just like that Starfire, we don't know how, we don't why. That's it."

Starfire couldn't believe this, maybe this is the way she grieves but still, the missing of tears, no emotion what so ever, it didn't seem right. Did she kill her father? No, Blackfire wouldn't do that. Would she?

"Starfire I'm so sorry." X came over and hugged her.

She pulled back a little she didn't want to offend X but she also didn't want to be hugged by him.

"Thank you X." Was all she could say.

The casket was closed she was glad it was although it was traditional to have the casket open for family members to see the departed for the last time she didn't want to remember her father laying still in a casket.

"When will the rosary be held?" Starfire asked.

"Right now." Blackfire answered.

"But there's no one here." She pointed out.

"Starfire no one is going to come, they left, along with our money."

"We already sent out notices if no one comes no one comes Starfire." X stated.

The truth stung, no one really was going to come. Just then there was a knock at the door. Nina answered, it was Rachel. She was wearing black, the usual attire for a funeral she walked up to Starfire and hugged her.

"Oh Star I'm so sorry." She said it with so much sincerity it made Starfire want to cry. A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Thanks for coming." She whispered to her.

"Let's get this started." Blackfire gestured to the priest they took seats in the living room as the priest began to mumble.

After about an hour five peasant men showed up to carry the casket over to the cemetary. They lifted it and walked out the door.

"Blackfire, shouldn't we wait to bury him tomorrow?" This was going too fast her father didn't deserve this kind of funeral.

"No time like the present." Blackfire was slowly following the casket, Red X followed and Rachel pulled Starfire by the arm to make her follow. As they walked down the streets and towards the cemetary no one was on the streets they were barren. People had cooped themselves inside their homes, as an excuse for them not attending the funeral. People they had known that were on the streets didn't even look up to see them in the face.

When they got to the cemetary two more people joined them, Richard and Gar. Richard walked up to Starfire and timidly hugged her, he didn't know if she were going to reject him and he also didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. But she had barely even noticed him hugging her. She was too concerned on how fast everything was going, how cold Blackfire was being.

Gar's eyes lit up when he saw Rachel but they lost their shine when he remembered the circumstance they were in. She saw him and remembered the other night she lightly blushed, very lightly.

The clouds thundered and it began raining, at first lightly then it started to pour. The lowering of the casket into the ground was cut short, the priest was old and he could easily get sick was Blackfire's excuse.

One by one everyone left, the priest, Blackfire, X, Rachel had to leave because Michael was waiting for her, Richard and Gar were then left alone with Starfire as Rachel made her way to her carriage.

"Wait for me in the carriage Gar." Richard told Gar.

Gar did as he was told but this gave him a chance to catch up with Rachel. He had overheard Starfire say her name and he fell in love with it.

"Hey there." He said.

She didn't answer.

"Sssoooo I found out your name was Rachel."

She still didn't answer.

"It's a pretty name." He kept going.

She stopped and turned to him. "Listen I don't want anything with you-"

"Why not?" He cut her off and grabbed her hand. "You don't even know me." He kissed her hand.

She pulled it away and acted like she didn't like it then she answered bluntly. "I'm married." She turned away walking as fast as she could so he wouldn't follow.

Gar stood there in shock. Had she really meant that? Or did she just say it to get away from him? In either case he would investigate, he walked over to the carriage and petted the black horses that pulled the carriage waiting for Richard.

Richard and Starfire were left alone, the rain still pouring, he approached her cautiously. Taking a closer look at her he noticed she was crying, her head bent down and her body shaking from the cold rain.

"Starfire." He started.

She didn't answer but was listening.

He kept going, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happend to your dad."

She kept crying, Richard didn't now what to do so he kept talking. "I recently lost my dad too."

This caught her attention. Why was he telling her this? Does he know she's listening?

Richard noticed she had stopped crying so he cleared his throat and said "I just want you to know...that I'll always be here for you."

She looked up to him and stared him in the face, he was sincere. She could tell, it was in his eyes.

He turned to her and smiled warmly, he looked at her beautiful face it was soaked from the rain and her own tears. He placed his hand and felt how cold she was.

Starfire let him place his hand over her cheek, he was so warm. Then she felt him wrap his soft cozy arms around her and she actually wanted him to do that she felt like no one could harm her, not even Blackfire.

"Starfire." He whispered. "I want you to be my wife."

She was taken aback. Sure he seemed like a nice guy but to marry him? That was a whole different story. That meant she would have to spend the rest of her life by his side but subconsciously she felt she didn't mind. But her opinion also didn't really count.

"Ask Blackfire, no one ever listens to me." She said sadly and turned away from him.

He grabbed her chin and said "I'm listening to you."

She looked him in the eyes. His hair was flopping down from the rain she could only imagine how bad she looked right now.

"Okay." She whispered. This was what her sister wanted and she herself had no idea what she wanted. It always seemed like the people who around her knew what she should do.

"Okay!" He said he said half questioning half excited.

She smiled sadly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I mean yes."

She said yes! He was so excited he picked her up into the air from her waist. Then she smiled a real wide smile showing her teeth and giggling. When his arms lowered to bring her down there was a moment where they were face to face and Richard's arms stopped right there. He wanted to kiss her but thought that he shouldn't not after the other night so he just set her on the ground softly.

She had wondered why he hadn't done anything, it's not like she wanted him to do anything but still she wondered.

"I guess we better be on our way then." Richard said.

"Yes maybe we should." She said back. She had remembered the death of her father and felt a little indignant. She had been mourning for her father one minute and the next she was smiling and being happy. No, her father didn't deserve this.

From up above her father watched his youngest daughter feel guilty. He wished he were there to comfort her but the young man next to her was there and that only made him feel a little better. He looked into their future, it was filled with happiness but with many complications. There are times of happiness and joy but many others of shame, fear, hate and longing. The beginning of the end was near.

Back down on earth at the graveyard the two were still standing, Starfire with her new found grief again and Richard happy but sad at the sight of her.

"Come on Starfire." He held his hand out to her. "Let's go, you can't be here all day, you'll get sick."

Even though she knew he was right leaving her father's side was like stabbing her own heart a thousand times in a row. But she left with Richard's hand in her own hand. He helped her into his carriage and gave her a ride home.

When they got to her house he helped her out. "I'll be by tomorrow." Was the last thing he told her. When he got back in and it was just him and Gar. Gar asked "What was that about?"

"She said yes." Richard smiled.

"No." Gar said wide eyed and not believing him.

"Yep" Richard said satisfied. "I'm going to visit tomorrow and set a date with Blackfire."

"Well at least one of us will be happy." Gar said sadly.

"What do you mean? Don't you like Starfire's best friend?"

"Yeah I do but she doesn't like me." Gar said feeling hopeless.

"Can't say I don't blame her." Richard joked in which Gar responded by punching him in the arm. "I'm just kidding!" He yelled laughing.

"I know." He sighed. "But you won't even believe the dumb excuse she came up with."

"What." Richard wanted to know.

"She told me she was married."

Richard bursted out laughing. Gar got defensive and took every chance to punch Richard anywhere.

"It's not funny!" He yelled over and over.

"Yes it is! Oh man she must really not like you." He said practically crying.

"Shut up Richard!" Gar yelled. The rest of the carriage ride was spent like this.

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With Speedy...

Speedy opened his eyes to see nothing but haze. His head was pounding and his mouth tasted like vomit. Where was he now?

"Oh good you're awake." He heard another voice but where was it coming from?

"Who...-who's there?" He tried to speak as best as he could, his mouth was so dry.

From his left he saw a pale hand emerge from the shadows to offer a dirty bowl of water. "Here, drink this." It said again, it was a man.

"What is it?" He asked but he didn't get the answer because as soon as he took the bowl he gulped it down, he was that thirsty.

The voice chuckled and said. "Water."

"Where am I." Was the next thing Speedy wanted to know.

"You're in The Valley's prison cell." He said, "Don't tell me you didn't know."

"Well I didn't." He said back in defense.

"Is your leg alright?" The voice asked.

"My leg?" He looked down frantically but he couldn't see anything, it was so dark. But he let his hands wander and he felt the hot pulsating leg that was still attached to him. He wondered why it didn't hurt.

"You've been here a couple of days. I put some herbs on it."

"Where'd you get herbs from?" Speedy asked.

"I payed the guards."

"You can do that?"

"If you have the money you can."

"Are you some sort of doctor?"

"Not really I used to live with my grandpa, he was healer. So I know alot about herbs."

"Oh."

"Your leg should be healed in a couple of weeks, good thing those idiots didn't know what they were doing."

Couple of weeks? He said to himself. That's too long I have to leave as soon as possible, "How'd you know what they did to me?"

"Word gets around, the guards are really loud about their 'private' affairs."

"Is there some way we can speed up my leg healing?"

"Nope, we just have to give time some time." Was the guy's response.

"What's your name?" Speedy asked.

He heard a rustle like the guy was getting up.

From out of the shadows came a man about Speedy's age. Long midnight black hair, pale white skin, dark brown eyes and a sort of five o' clock shadow. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a while Speedy lifted his arm and felt his face he hadn't shaved in a while either. He wondered what he looked like right now.

"My name's Kip." He said warmly.

"I'm Speedy." He said not really paying much attention to him he was already thinking of a plan to escape from this place.

A few minutes later Kip had gone back to his shadow. "Hey Kip." Speedy said out of no where.

"Yeah?" He said back.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Kip said yes and together they formed an even better plot than Speedy had had before to escape from jail together. Kip knew where almost everything was and Speedy was going to need help walking so it was perfect. In a couple of weeks Speedy would be back with Starfire.

After everything was planned Speedy laid back and slept some more he was still very tired.

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I didn't know what to name Aqualad! His real name is Garth but I thought that confuse everyone because Beast Boy's name is Gar and it's just too similar. Star is so in denial and you people are so impatient! lol I get lots of reviews saying when they are gonna get together, be patient they will soon I'm going to start speeding this up so I can finish this fic already and move on to my others. So just hang in there it's coming.

Review! Review! Review!

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