Author's note:

Love to read: Nope, you're quite entitled to think that way. Robin and Raven do make some people feel the same as you. Yes, Robin and Raven do have trust issues, but if they can overcome them and learn from their problems, they'll be better off. Possibly they could've been together for the thrill, but that would have worn off pretty quick and it is over two years time wise. Doesn't really fit with Raven's personality either. Certainly be a lot of angst to break Robin and Raven up now, especially with BB and Star starting a relationship. I don't think this particular story will ever go back to being canon couples, whether or not Robin and Raven stay together.

Chapter 10

I studied my new window and balcony door, pleased with the result. It looked nice and the man who installed it was most efficient. Now I could start getting my poor balcony to rights. I went through my pots, taking the burnt plants out and putting them in the garbage and sorted through which pots were broken and which ones were not and could be used again.

Dick and Raven were still talking or making up, or doing something else by how fast Gar had to 'leave'. I did hope that it was a good thing and not the 'break up sex' I had heard tell of. Although, I suspected because Gar was quite happy to leave me here and, as I glanced up, I could see him circling overhead, it was more Dick and Raven were getting a little more personal in their conversation and Gar did not want to hear it.

I would have flown with Gar except the window man had turned up at the same time and Cyborg, Sarah, Jinx and Wally had gone back to the hotel to book in for another night. None of us wanted to leave or do anything until we knew that Raven and Dick had sorted something out and it was becoming too late for them to return to Jump now. Well, not for Jinx and Wally, but Wally did not wish to leave and there was the promise of food to tempt him.

Donna and Terry were coming over later as well for Sunday night pizza. It was tradition and we had not had cause to complete it for such a long time. Let us hope we had a reason for celebration, it would be nice to have everyone together as family since my birthday celebration was cut short so spectacularly yesterday.

I found a few little ferns that had survived, although they looked very sad. I gave them a water and cleaned off the balcony as much as I could, then smiled at the little green bird who held a cherry blossom in its beak as he alighted on my balcony. He chirped at me, hopped along the balcony, then stretched out his beck toward me.

I took the blossom. "You did not need to," I said, tucking it behind my ear.

Gar looked pointedly at the massive bunch of flowers on my bench, then opened his mouth and sang for me. He made little flutters with his wings as this beautiful bird call chirped from his beak.

I beamed, clasping my hands to listen. "That was beautiful," I said when he finished.

He swept back a wing and bobbed his head, then shifted into another small bird, brown with tail feathers akin to the peacock, except they were brown and striped. He opened his mouth and to my surprise "You are so beautiful," with Joe Cocker's voice came out, complete with piano music.

I stared at him, then erupted in giggles and flushed.

Gar seemed most pleased as he shifted back to his normal self.

"How did you do that?" I asked, astounded.

"Lyrebird," he said, grinning. He swung his legs as he sat on the balcony banister. "Able to perfectly mimic anything it hears. It's why Dick's voice lock passwords don't work on me."

I smiled. "Cheeky."

"I should've been a criminal."

"I prefer you as a hero."

"Wanna come flying with me?" he asked. "Now that the window is done?"

I glanced over my shoulder. "Um..."

"They're still talking," he said and pulled a face. "I really feel voyeuristic being able to hear it. Not like the Tower where the rooms are soundproof. Stuff they're talking about is private."

"At least they are talking."

"Yeah. So. Come flying?"

I nodded. "I shall be a moment."

Gar nodded, shifted into a falcon and launched himself skyward.

I went inside and knocked on the door to my spare room.

"Yeah?" Dick called.

Opening the door a crack, I peered inside, pleased to see Dick and Raven lying side by side on the bed together as they talked.

"Hey," Dick said, smiling and looking relaxed, which I thought was a good thing. He even looked better too, Raven must have healed him.

"Greetings, my apologies for the intrusion. I am going out for," I said. "Gar is with me, Cyborg and the others went back to the hotel, I do not expect them for a while. He was bringing pizzas back. I shall be back before Donna arrives, so please just make yourselves the 'at home'."

Raven smiled. "Thanks Star."

I nodded and closed the door behind me. I grabbed my purse, keys and communicator, I never leave home without them, then I flew out the balcony door to join Gar in the sky.

I am at home in the air, as is Gar. Although I can do more than he can and he is more subject to the mood of the wind, he can still be quite acrobatic. He flew a loop around me as I rose up to meet him, squawking at me.

I beamed. "Catch me if you can," I said and dove.

I have to modify my flight to play the game of chasey with him. No sharp corners or sudden drops or lifts, I need to follow the current of wind, the path it cuts through the air. I cannot dip to close to buildings or fly so low I can touch the surface of the water out by the bay because Gar cannot follow me there. But we raced through the buildings of Jade City, darting down alleyways and skipping over rooftops.

We rose high in the air where he could soar and I was the one who flew loops around him. We dove at great speed, playing the 'chicken' with the water in the bay, but neither of us could win at that. I can stop with a thought and he simply became a seafaring bird and splashed into the water. Then switched to a dolphin to splash at me.

It was a little flirty this time too. Gar landed on my back a couple of times. Or allowed the feathers of his tail to brush against me. Or the very tips of his wings. He had opened up so much and it was just over a little kiss.

I wished we could be left alone though, to make our own discoveries. It seemed everyone was privy to our budding relationship. I would have liked to have kissed him without people walking in and interrupting us constantly.

I alighted on the lookout cliffs above the bay beside Jade City and rested my arms on the barrier which prevented people from going over the edge. I did so love this spot, I would come here often to say goodbye to the day, watching the sun set into the water was such a delight. It was not close to the sunset yet, but it was still a picturesque place to look at.

Gar wheeled above my head, riding the currents and enjoying himself.

"Hey baby."

I groaned and covered my face with my hand. "Control Freak. Do you not ever take a week off?"

"Nope. Especially not when my favourite girl has a birthday."

I wrinkled my nose.

"I knew you'd show up here eventually. You just can't stay away from me."

I turned to look at him. "Did you do the staking out of this place the entire weekend?"

"Yup," he said, looking pleased. Behind him, I could see an old VW bug, complete with the number plate "H3RBIE", filled to the brim with pizza boxes and leftover MacDonald containers.

"And you do not think there is something completely insane with doing that?"

"Ahh. Nope."

I heaved in a sigh. "What do you want?"

Control Freak lifted his hands and made a 'wait there' gesture. He scrambled back to the car and began to toss empty pizza boxes out of it. "It's here somewhere."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So, in addition to stalking, I can have you arrested for littering. Glorious."

Gar landed on the roof of the bug and ruffled his feathers.

Control Freak jerked out of the car. "Shoo!" he said, waving his arms at Gar. "You'll scratch the paintwork."

"On that?" I asked.

"It's a collector's item! One of the original Herbies used in the-"

"And you are leaving a slice of cheese pizza on the dashboard?"

Control Freak peered inside. "So that's where it went," he said as he peeled it off and ate it.

"Oh, that is disgusting, even for you," I said as Gar made gagging noises.

"What?" Control Freak asked. "Perfectly good pizza."

Gar waddled to the edge of the roof and peered over and into the door. He sneezed, wobbled, and pretended to pass out on the roof from the smell. I giggled as he even added the cartoony foot twitch for emphasis.

Control Freak made a grab at him, but Gar shifted into a snake and slithered down the windscreen and across the bonnet. "Get back here!"

"Not on your life, dude. That's just gross," Gar said as he changed from to human and bounded from the bonnet.

"Watch the shoes! If you dent my car-"

"You'll what? Dude, you're such a poster boy for the uncool." He shook his head at me. "We've wasted enough time here, babe. He's not worthy of it anyway."

I nodded.

"You're not allowed to call her 'babe'," Control Freak said, extracting his remote from his jacket pocket.

He immediately got a starbolt to the face and another to the remote, causing it to flip away. "He is the only one allowed to call me 'babe'," I snapped.

The remote control hit the ground and went off. The silver beam of light hit Control Freak's car. There was a loud zap and a hiss.

Then everything went mad.

The car became alive, it even got two cartoony eyes on its windscreen, evil and red and flashing with hatred. The bonnet at the front lifted up to become this gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, the doors opened and the pizza boxes poured forth, flying through the air, the lids flapping like wings.

Suddenly, Gar and I were forced to take Control Freak more seriously.

"Get the control," I told Gar as I dodged the first wave of pepperoni bullets and cheese webbing that was shot at me. I released my starbolts, burning the pizza boxes while I twisted in the air to dodge the rest.

"Fly, my pretties," Control Freak laughed, raising his arms slowly over his head. "Fly!"

The car reversed, angling toward Control Freak. The bonnet reared back and a life sized cardboard cut-out of... me... was spat from it.

"Dude!" Gar exclaimed.

The cardboard cut-out of... The evil cardboard clone... the... it... the thing wrapped its evil arms of cardboard around Control Freak and kissed him. Or head-butted... or something, I do not care. Its face, Control Freak's face, they connected. And it was horribly disturbing. And disgusting.

I blinked and stared and was suddenly enveloped in the cheese webbing fired from the flying pizzas. It was gross and sticky and stunk and I was so surprised I dropped to the ground. More cheese webbing surrounded me, before the pizzas began to drag me along the ground.

"Man, that's just nasty," Gar said from somewhere amid the pizza boxes.

I struggled with the cheese webbing, my hands and eyes firing and the smell of burnt cheese filled the air, making me gag.

The pizza boxes were dragging me toward the car and it's snapping bonnet jaws. Which was not good? I used my eyebeams to hit as slice pizza boxes as I could while simultaneously flying away from the car.

The car decided to come to me.

While Control Freak was busy doing... something... that I do not wish to think about and Gar was ducking and dodging through flying pepperoni and projections of cheese webbings, the insane H3RBIE chomped my leg. I felt its sharp teeth pierce my skin and I cried out.

Everything paused for a moment, the flapping lids of the pizza boxes, the whirr of the car's engine, Control Freak's kissy noises. I lifted my other leg and slammed my heel against the bonnet. It crumpled beneath my boot, as I knew it would, the whole thing turned in on itself. Inside out car, it whined and opened its mouth to release my leg.

There was a terrible roar and then a T-Rex rose above the car and chomped on the roof, tearing the whole passenger cab from the wheels.

"My car!" Control Freak shrieked.

Gar tossed his head and threw the passenger cab away and proceeded to tear the wheels apart. I shot my starbolts at the remaining pizza boxes as I lay in the ground and made sure to melt his cardboard abomination.

"My mint condition, one of a kind, special ordered Starfire!"

"You soiled it by slobbering all over it," I muttered. "Truly, that is new low."

There was a crunch as Gar found the remote and stood on it. The remaining pizza boxes thumped to the ground. Gar twisted and lowered his head until it was level with Control Freak, then snorted in a menacing manner.

Control Freak just looked at us. "I'm... gonna run now."

I fired a starbolt at the back of his head and he face planted the ground with a rather satisfying thud.

"Star!" Gar cried as he shifted back to normal and rushed over to me. "Are you okay?"

One shoe missing, my shredded jeans hid most of the damage to my leg and even though I knew he could smell the blood, I still nodded and offered him a shaky smile. "I am fine."

"Liar," he said, kneeling down beside me. He was gentle as he gripped my ankle and tore my jeans straight up the leg to my knee. "Shit."

"Gar-"

He rocked back and tore his shirt open, several of the buttons popped off in the progress. He shrugged out of the shirt, leaving him in just a white beater, and then used the shirt as a makeshift bandage to wrap around my leg. I winced and struggled not to let him show how much that was hurting, distracting myself by doing the 'checking out'.

He cast me a worried look as he worked, then smiled and rolled his eyes.

Turning away, I pulled out my communicator and contacted my police liaison within the Jade City police department to inform him through gritted teeth of Control Freak's location.

"Can you fly?" Gar asked when he was done.

"Of course."

"I can carry you-"

"Oh, the indignity," I teased, trying to get him to smile. "I can fly."

"Well, your sense of humour is intact," he said, smiling. "Stupid shark toothed car. C'mon, let's get you back to Raven."

I sighed. "Do we have to interrupt-"

"Don't you dare be a martyr about this," he scolded. "She'd want to know."

"But-"

"So not the drama, Star," he said. "She's had enough attention. Your turn." He shifted into a pterodactyl before I could protest more, then wrapped one claw around my torso, the other carefully around my thighs. Two flaps of his large, leathery wings and he lifted us into the air.

"I can fly," I protested, gripping his ankle.

Gar poked his tongue at me, then dipped his beak to bop my nose.

It is most interesting to be flown by Gar. It is not at all smooth like I fly, he dips and dives with every stroke of his wings, up and down, up and down, it is only smooth when he soars. He must work very hard to fly, it is no wonder he is so fit. Not Dick fit in the sense that he is muscular, but Gar's stamina is amazing.

He alighted on my balcony with amazing care, releasing me so slowly to ensure I could stand on my own. He shifted back and still scooped me up to carry me.

"Gar!" I protested. "I can float!"

"You know, it's okay to get looked after once in a while." He raised his voice. "Raven!" he bellowed as he walked toward the table and placed me on it, which was forward thinking of him, I did not wish for blood on my sofa. "Raven!" he bellowed again and darted to my kitchen to wash his hands of blood and retrieve my first aid kit.

"What?" she called.

"Star got bit by a rabid bug," Gar said as he dumped the first aid kit on the table.

"A bug?" Dick questioned as he and Raven came down the hallway. "Gar, that's..." His eyes swept me, noting the bloodstained shirt on my leg. "Star?"

I offered him a timid smile. "It is nothing."

"A VW Bug," Gar explained, taking my hand. "Control Freak's car."

"Control Freak did this?" Dick asked, disbelieving. "But he's a minor nuisance."

"To be fair, we were distracted with him making out with a cardboard cut-out of Star," Gar said, disgruntled.

I pulled a face. "It was most disturbing."

"Oh, gross," Raven said, wrinkling her nose.

"Very," Dick agreed.

"Is that your shirt, Gar?" Raven asked as she carefully undid Gar's makeshift bandage.

"Well, yeah."

"Any excuse to whip it off," Raven said.

"She was bleeding," Gar snapped.

"Ooooh," Dick breathed with a wince as Raven finished unwrapping my leg.

Raven studied the wound carefully, then waved her fingers over it like she was sprinkling something on it. I winced and turned my face away as she pulled several of the car's teeth from my leg.

"Dick, some water please," Raven said. "And a cloth."

"Right," he said, heading to the kitchen.

"It's not too bad," Raven said and placed her hand over my leg. "It just looks bad. Deep breaths Star."

I concentrated on the feel of Gar's hand on my shoulder and his hand gripping mine and breathed through the pain. Raven cut off as much as she could, but it is still a painful experience and I was already in a great deal of pain.

Still, I am a warrior, I am no 'damsel in distress'. I do not, I will not succumb to weakness. If I bleed, I do so with honour and pride and Tamaranian strength.

It was a relief when Raven lifted her hand from me and accepted the cloth from Dick to wipe off the blood.

"Can you wriggle your toes?" Raven asked.

I did as she requested.

"Good. Okay. I'll bind it again, keep it elevated tonight, let Gar wait on you."

"Just volunteer him," Dick said, grinning at Gar.

"I don't mind," he said.

"Take some painkillers and you'll be fine," Raven finished and reached for cloth bandage. When she had finished binding my leg again, Gar carried me over to the sofa, much to my chagrin, and then propped my leg up with a pillow.

"Where's the disinfectant?" Dick asked. "I'll wipe the table down."

"Pantry," Gar and I answered at the same time.

Dick laughed and it was good to hear him do so. "You spend way too much time here, Gar."

Gar smiled at me. "I have a good reason too," he said as he headed off to my bedroom.

"He's such a sap," Raven said and held out some tablets to me and a glass of water.

"I thank you," I said and took them from her and glanced between her and Dick.

"We are... sorting things out," she said and refused to say anything else.

Gar wandered back, carting my pillows.

"Gar, I do not-"

"Just sit back and relax," he said, lifting me up a little to shove the pillows behind my back.

"You do not need-"

He fluffed the pillows, fussing, his face set and determined.

I grabbed his elbow. "Stop. I am fine."

"Ahh, young love, so cute," Dick teased from the kitchen. "Let him go, Star, we all get panicky when someone's hurt."

I sighed, then smiled at Gar and patted my chest. He popped into kitty form and leapt onto my chest and started purring. I scratched his ears and kissed his furry head. "Silly Gar," I said as he smooched my face.

He purred madly and flopped, presenting me with his stomach, which I was quite happy to rub for him. He closed his eyes in kitty pleasure and gave me the love bite as his legs hugged my hand.

Raven and Dick were talking quietly in the kitchen as they made a cup of tea together, Dick appeared to whisper something to Raven, who stared at him before laughing and Gar got this indignant look on his face.

He jumped off me and onto the floor. "That's not how it works!" he said as he shifted back to normal.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Well-" Dick started, grinning.

"Don't you tell her!" Gar protested.

"You like your belly rubs a little too much," Raven said, shaking her head.

"What?" I asked again.

"He is male," Dick teased.

Gar flushed red and his ears went all droopy. "Honest, Star, it doesn't work like that."

I was going to completely pretend I had not made that connection and tease Dick. "I do not understand, do you not like having your belly rubbed?" I asked Dick.

Dick's eyes went wide. "Um..."

"I don't think there is a guy alive that doesn't like having their belly rubbed," Raven said.

"Oh, then it is perhaps that Dick likes to watch Gar get belly rubbed," I said. "He was watching most closely to see where my hand was if he was going to equate it with something else."

Gar burst into laughter, Raven snorted and looked like she was struggling not to laugh and Dick went red.

"I do so like to rub his belly," I continued. "He makes the cutest little noises and is all purry."

"Okay, too much information," Dick said, hiding his face. He tugged Raven's arm. "Come on. Let's leave them to their public displays."

"Knock, knock," Donna called as she banged on the door.

Dick answered, opening the door wide.

"Hey Dick," she said, tentative when she saw him. Her eyes swept the room, widening at the flowers, then even further at Raven in the kitchen. "Is this a bad time?"

"No-" Dick began.

"Pizza!" Cyborg bellowed, shouldering his way past Donna and Terry, carrying an armful of pizza boxes. Wally marched through next with another armload, with Jinx and Sarah coming through with a bag full of sodas each.

Cyborg looked most pleased to see Raven and Dick out of the spare room looking relaxed, but he did not say anything. Jinx went to Raven and have her a meaningful look and a hug before she put her bag of drinks on the bench. Then she and Raven began to talk quietly.

"Star? Are you okay?" Sarah asked as she looked at me lying on the couch. Cyborg paused and looked over at me, concern flashing across his face. Donna's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'm fine."

"A rabid bug bit her," Gar said, grinning.

"A car," Dick corrected, rolling his eyes. "We need to pay Control Freak a little visit before we leave."

Cyborg's expression darkened. "I think so."

"I can take care of myself," I complained.

"And the guys in your life get to fuss," Cyborg told me.

"See?" Gar said, triumphant. "Proof."

I adjusted my head on my pillow and smiled at him. "I can see I am not going to get out of this."

"Nope. Deal," he said and pecked me on the lips. "I'll get you pizza."

"Thank you," I said.

Donna pounced on me. "I saw that, right? I saw it. You can't lie to me. He just kissed you."

"Did he?" I asked, teasing. "I did not notice."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Not amused."

I heaved in a sigh. "Yes. We may go on the double date."

"Spill!" she said, kneeling down beside me so I did not have to look up. "How'd he do it?"

"Gar's not man enough to kiss her," Wally joked. "She snatched his cradle."

"Aww, c'mon," Gar complained. "I totally had plan, but she ruined it."

"You did not seem to mind," I told him.

"Nope. You can do that again anytime."

"You kissed him? Go Kory!" Donna said, victorious. "Thatta girl."

I beamed.

Author's Note:

The lyrebird is an Australian bird that has no call of its own. Instead it mimics the sounds it hears, perfectly. Car alarms, phones, camera shutters, other birds, chainsaws. Anything. It's a really incredible bird and just beautiful. Walking through the bush and hearing a bird wolf whistle you, best thing ever.

Next chapter contains the hammer. Just warning you.