Author's note:

The response to this is absolutely amazing. I'd like to thank all my regulars fans for stepping outside the box with me and giving this a chance. It's something Kater and I always talked about doing, idle chatter, and I finally looked at my work and decided now be a perfect time to explore it. Cause, let's face it, a lot of time BBStar are thrown together because an author wants them out of the way so they can have Robin and Raven together without the drama, but their relationship is rarey explored. They're never shown why they could work, the reader's just expected to suspend disbelief and accept it.

I even went as far as to look at the BB Star selection. Four measly pages. Most of them about friendship moments between the pair. Or crack fics. Even fewer M's...

What's a shipper to do?

Assuming they even get together. =D

Truly, you're all wonderful.

Chapter 5

"No, angle it more to the left-"

"I can do this on my own, you know."

"Yeah, but this is why I came down early. So you didn't have to. No wait! Star! Hold up!"

I stopped pushing and held onto the couch.

"We shoulda had Herald come," Gar said as he shifted his grip and jostled the couch a little in an attempt to have it fit through the guest room door better. "It would've been easier."

"I could just drop it over the side of the building," I muttered.

"It's sofa-bed," Gar scolded, frowning at me. "Chances are Raven and Dick are gonna end up on it."

"All the more reason to leave it in the alleyway, yes?" I asked, peering through the door frame to smile innocently at Gar.

"Oooh. Bitch-mode. Nice," he said, grinning at me.

"And how are you going to handle sleeping in the same room as them?" I asked.

"Don't forget Wally and Jinx'll be staying here too."

"And you honestly think neither couple is not going to try something? Especially when inebriated? Do you really want to be in that room, with your sense of smell and hearing?"

Gar paused. "Shit. Can I sleep in your room?"

I beamed at him. "There is already a mattress on the floor."

He looked relieved. "Thanks, Star, you're the best."

"Heelllllloooo?" came the call from my kitchen as the front door clicked closed.

"X'hal, is it ten already?" I muttered and checked my watch. Ten past. Oops. I turned my head. "Donna! We are here. One moment."

Donna poked her head into the hallway. "What are you trying to do?" she asked, looking at the couch stuck halfway out of the spare room.

"Square peg, meet round hole," Gar called, shifting the weight of the sofa again. "Hey Donna."

"Morning, hot stuff," she said with a wink at me, even though Gar couldn't see. "When did you get here?"

"Last night," Gar answered absently.

Donna's grin grew wider. "Last night, huh?" she asked, then mouthed 'Friends with benefits' and gave me the thumbs up.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Need a hand?"

"If Gar would just move-" I shoved, there was a small shoofing noise, then the sofa was inside the guest room and Gar was squished up against the wall. "There! Done."

Gar morphed out, shifting into a mouse to dart into the middle of the room, then shifted back. "I was trying not to damage it."

"My sofa, I can do what I like," I told him and poked out my tongue, then ducked as Gar threw one of the cushions from it at me. Giggling, I headed into the room and we both pushed the sofa against the wall (not that I needed assistance). I reminded myself I would have to come in here and open it out and make it so Raven and Dick had a place to sleep.

"What else needs to be moved?" Donna asked, looking at my now sparsely furnished living area.

"We were going to use the dining table for the food and just push the coffee table under it," Gar said as we both headed out to study what was left to move. "It's gotta go further toward the kitchen so it's out of the way more. Where's Terry?"

"Parking the car."

I nodded; parking can be hard around my apartment. "Everything else just needs to be pushed to the edge of the room," I said, gesturing the room.

"It's so bare," Donna noted. "Looks so much bigger when there's nothing in it."

"We already hid all the breakables," Gar said. "Roy has a habit of breaking things when he's drunk."

"Nice," Donna said with a roll of her eyes.

"I have already done most of the shopping," I said, gesturing the bags on the bench. Things that needed to be chopped or set up or cooked. There were balloons and streamers too, at Gar's insistence. "I borrowed a cooler from my neighbour, but we will need to get some ice when Cyborg arrives. And the 'booze'."

"We'll send Terry out for it," Donna said.

I giggled. "I am certain he would like you volunteering him."

"He loves it when I make him work. What else?"

"Streamers and balloons, which are Gar's responsibility-"

"Say what?" Gar asked, peering up at me from where he was shifting a lamp.

"Well, you wanted them," I said.

"And he's full of hot air," Donna commented.

Gar laughed. "No man stands chance between the two of you."

I placed my hand on Gar's arm. "Do not worry, we will all do the balloons."

Donna rolled up her sleeves. "Let's get to work."

Between the three of us, and Terry when he arrived, we cleared a large space in the middle of my apartment, discovering all the bunnies of dust which lived beneath my furniture and attempted to scatter in freedom.

So I vacuumed before Silkie could gobble them down and then get sick while Donna, Terry and Gar sat on my table and pointed at sections I had missed. It was most comical to watch them swing their legs and tease me and I spent so much time giggling instead of cleaning, Donna eventually took the vacuum from me. She is somewhat of the 'neat freak', so I was unsurprised.

When that was done, we set up chairs around the room and left a well-defined dance floor. I planned to dance, a lot. I do love to dance; there is a freedom in it. It was my party after all.

While Gar and Terry 'improved' my stereo system and Donna headed to the kitchen, I flew down to Donna's car to fetch the chairs she was lending me so we had enough. When I got back, Gar had some background music playing and Donna and Terry were flirting as they chopped cheese and carrots.

"That is pretty," I said, listening to the tune as I distributed the chairs to strategic locations around the room.

Gar grinned. "Fireflies. Yeah, it's nice. Good background stuff for us today while we get ready. It'll mysteriously vanish tonight."

"Mysteriously?"

"Mysteriously on purpose," he teased. "Gonna blow with me?"

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow and he cheekily held up the bag of balloons. "The phrasing of that was most subject to double entendre."

"That was totally the point, my dirty minded girl."

Blowing up balloons can be hard, especially when there are so many, but we made the game of it. Racing each other to see who could blow up one the fastest. Gar made one sing, pulling the nozzle to make the noise higher or lower and every now and then, he released a balloon and we watched it whiz around the room.

Each balloon was tossed or kicked into the middle of the room, so we could decorate the room later and Gar made a point of always kicking his balloon in an exaggerated slow motion fashion.

It was giddying work and we had to make sure we stopped before we got too light headed and giggly.

In the kitchen, Donna giggled and I flicked my eyes to her to see Terry kissing her neck in an exaggerated fashion. His hands were on her belly and he was cuddling her from behind and they looked cute and happy.

It was not fair.

"No groping in the kitchen!" Gar said, without even turning his head.

"Not your kitchen," Donna returned. "Kory says its fine."

"I did?" I asked, accepting a balloon from Gar. "I fail to recall ever saying that."

"Best friend clause," Donna teased. "You're allowed to neck in the kitchen of your best friend's home."

Terry's chuckle was deep and throaty, almost like he was slightly embarrassed.

"I have never done it in your home."

Donna's eyes glinted and I was not sure why. "You're quite welcome to when you and your boyfriend come over."

The balloon Gar was blowing popped of his mouth and zoomed around the room as it released its air.

"What boyfriend, Donna?" I asked, wondering what she was attempting to do.

"The one you're gonna find this year. I'm making it my personal quest to get you laid before your next birthday. Gods are my witness." She even raised her fist to salute the air.

I flushed and avoided looking at Gar. "Donna, I truly do not think-"

"I have a couple of friends that I think you'd love. Or, Terry, you could hook her up, right honey?"

Terry looked skittish and hesitant as he looked between Donna, me and Gar. "Ahh... sure?"

"See!" Donna said, triumphant as she looked back at me. "We'll find you a nice guy to settled down with-"

I frowned. "I am quite capable of-"

"Or a fling!' Donna continued, seemingly really getting behind the idea of locating me a boyfriend. "Then you can discover the joys of sex!"

I was scandalised. "Donna!"

"Don't you think she needs to get laid, Gar?" Donna asked, sounding innocent, but I knew better.

Gar shot me an unreadable look. "Uhh... you haven't gotten laid? Like, ever?"

"No." I frowned. "Why? Have you?"

He stared at me. "Well... yeah..." he said, like it was obvious.

There was a stabbing pain in my chest. I... always suspected... I knew I had no hold over him, not after everything, I could not expect that he would wait for something that may never come to fruition, especially since it had been a 'what if' and a 'could we try' and not a certainty. But it still hurt to hear it. He had moved on from me.

"Kory, you're such a stick in the mud," Donna said, pouting.

There were so many things I could have said right then, about how Tamaranians were not like humans, how there had to be an emotional connection before I could even think about a physical one and most Earthen guys seemed to wish to have a physical one first, but anything I was going to say was interrupted by the arrival of Cyborg and Sarah.

"What's up y'all?" Cyborg bellowed, his arms spread wide as my apartment door slammed behind him. His presence filled the room and lightened my mood. "Where's the birthday girl?"

I smiled broadly, lifting out of my seat and flew into Cyborg's arms. "Cy! It is glorious to see you!"

He spun me in a circle then hugged me tightly. "Happy birthday Star!" he said as he plunked me back on the floor.

"Thank you!" I turned my eyes to the petite blonde beside him. We had met several times at the Tower and I did so like her. She was most good for Cyborg and she was funny and beautiful and accepting of those who were different. "Sarah!" I exclaimed and hugged her too. "Welcome to my home. I am so happy you could visit."

"Thanks for inviting me," she said, stepping back and Cyborg wound his arm around her waist. "Happy birthday."

"Sarah, these are my friends Donna and Terry," I said, introducing her to them.

"Hi," Donna said, smiling brightly.

"Nice to meet you," Terry said, nodding. "Hey, Vic, how's it going?"

"Awesome, man, nice to see you again. Hey Donna."

"Hi Vic."

"Grass stain," Cyborg said, getting the bag off his shoulder. "You left this-"

I took the bag before he could throw it at Gar. "I shall take that. Gar is staying in my room."

Cyborg looked at me and grinned, waggling his eyebrow. "Oh he is, is he?"

"On the floor," I told him, heading down my hallway. "Since the spare room will have Dick and Raven and Wally and Jinx. And would have had you as well."

"Well, lucky we're not stayin'," Cyborg called. "All that testosterone. Ick."

I opened my door carefully so Silkie could not escape, so many people tonight he was sure to get squished so I had locked him away already. Since he was fast asleep on my bed, I did not bother closing the door behind me.

I placed Gar's bag in the corner by the mattress on the floor and sighed. I truly wished Donna had not decided she was going to tease me over my love life or lack of it. Nor that I had made any other discoveries.

My eyes drifted to the picture I had on my dresser. It was one of Gar and myself, taken by Cyborg before I had left Jump. We were sharing a sundae and smiling at Cyborg. I picked it up and ran my fingers over Gar's face. It seemed like such a long time ago. Perhaps if I had said yes back then, perhaps if I knew then what I know now, things would be different.

I had changed since then and I felt those changes were for the better. I knew who I was on my own. I was happy with my life. I was no longer the naive alien girl but I was apparently just as silly about who I gave my heart too.

With a sigh, I put the photograph back on the dresser and turned to look directly in Gar's green eyes.

I was startled, I had not expected him to follow me.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, concerned.

I nodded. "I am sorry about Donna and her teasing."

"Not your fault, I know how she can be," he said, dismissive, then hesitated. "...but... never?"

I shook my head.

He looked as though he could not believe that. "But..."

"You must have realised that. In all the times you have just happened to visit, there has never been any scent of a man on me or in my apartment."

"I..." He frowned. "You said you were going to try," he said, sounding a little accusatory. "That was our deal. I show you how to date and you try."

"You said I had to see potential for more. I have yet to meet anyone in Jade that fits any potential. And I did try. I have been on a few first dates, but they all wanted the physical side. They did not care about me."

"How many first dates?"

I shuffled and dropped my eyes. "Maybe... one..."

Gar frowned at me. "Star, that's not-"

"I said I was going to remember myself. And I have. I am most comfortable with who I am and I am happy. I have moved beyond what I felt for him. Just because I have not had sex does not mean I have not moved on."

"But not completely. Not if you haven't tried to find someone-"

"Gar-"

"You deserved to be loved. You must be so lonely-"

"I am loved. I have Donna. I have Cyborg and Raven. I have you, Gar. I do not need anyone else."

Gar's eyes widened and his ears went back in surprise.

Cyborg poked his head around the corner of my door. "Star, where's that cooler at?"

Ahh, Cyborg. Perfect timing as usual. But I could not find fault, not today. It was my birthday after all. I smiled at him. "I shall show you."