A/N This chapter is a lot longer...over 2000 words, actually. So, like mentioned last time, something big did happen with Robin (well, two things really)... Hope you enjoy

Disclaimer It's only a matter of time before I own Teen Titans...I'm sure of it...(yeah, right.)

-Aiva

Gentle sunlight streamed in through the window. Starfire slowly stirred, sitting up, opening her eyes blearily. She had fallen asleep in Robin's room again, dozing off in the chair next to his bed. Her green eyes focused, and she sat up with a start. Where was Robin? His bed was empty, blankets seemingly tossed aside. "Robin?" she asked, beginning to panic. Glancing around, she immediately calmed. There he was, standing by the window…wait. Robin was standing by the window?

Starfire stood, rushing over to him, eyes shining with hope. Please, please…Robin turned around, offering her a weak smile. "Morning, Starfire," he greeted in a raspy voice. It was obviously a bit rusty from an overall lack of use, however, he was speaking! Starfire wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "Oh, Robin! You are better!" she exclaimed. He winced, and she immediately loosened her grip. "Sorry," she apologized, eyes wide. Robin gave her another small smile that made her heart soar. "It's fine," he managed to get out, voice still weak. "Just a bit sore still."

"But you are better!" Starfire wanted to shout, but she kept her voice lowered, wanting to keep this moment between just them for a minute longer. Robin gave a small shrug, hiding a grimace as he did so. "Well, I woke up, and I noticed the sunrise. I've always loved this time of day; the promise of new beginnings." Starfire gave him a small glance, a bit of curiosity rising within her; what had happened? Robin gave a small sigh, reading the subtle gesture correctly. "You probably want to know what happened while I was gone," he muttered, lowering his gaze, mood growing a lot more solemn. "The thing is…I don't really know. I can remember a few images, and…I don't want to talk about those." He gave a small shiver, and once again, Starfire felt her heart break.

She gently embraced him again. "You are okay now," she murmured gently. "I promise." Robin glanced back up at her. "Yeah, I know," he said softly.

"He's WHAT?" Beast Boy shouted happily, leaping up. Starfire grinned. "He is awake," she responded cheerfully. "And he is Robin." Everyone displayed varying levels of excitement. Raven was smiling, which was weird, but under the circumstances, accepted, Cyborg was punching his fist into the air and yelling his familiar cry; "Boo-yah!", and Beast Boy was grinning and laughing. "Let's go see him!" Beast Boy said, practically vibrating with excitement. Starfire nodded. "Try to be quieter, though," she said. "He is still recovering." Starfire hovered, leading the way, feet barely skimming the ground.

Starfire opened the door. Robin had sat back down on the bed, but was still alert and active. "Hey guys," he greeted with the same small smile. Starfire, however, noticed he glanced mainly at her again, and she had to fight the urge to blush. Beast Boy rushed over, followed closely by Cyborg, basically racing each other before leaping on the bed, Cyborg slightly ahead of Beast Boy. "Ha, beat you again, BB!" he said. Beast Boy shot him a small look before his attention was once again directed at Robin.

"So how are you?" Beast Boy asked. "What happened?"

"BB!" Cyborg scolded.

"What? I just want to know!"

"Its fine, Cyborg," Robin assured. "But…I don't remember," he admitted.

"Oh," Beast Boy said, ears drooping, obviously hoping for some exciting, adrenaline-filled story. Then obviously remembering the condition Robin had been in for the past few months, he perked up again. "Hey, uh, I made some tofu eggs, if you want some," he offered.

"He just woke up; don't start trying to poison him," Cyborg responded immediately. Trying to change the subject before this turned into another heated debate, Robin interrupted. "So how long was I out?" he asked. They all hesitated, knowing he would hate the answer. It was Raven who finally answered, stepping forward, face shadowed by her dark blue hood. "Just the time you've been here? Around two months. Then if you add the few weeks you disappeared…you were probably out of it for three months. Maybe more." Robin's eyes widened.

"Three MONTHS?" he practically shouted. "No. No way was I out that long." He took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself. Starfire took a step forward. "Robin…" she said hesitantly. He looked up, breathing out heavily. "Sorry," he said, managing a weak grin. "Just…hard to accept. I'll get over it. So, how was the, uh, crime while I was out? Not too bad?" Robin immediately asked, trying awkwardly to change the subject.

"We handled it," Cyborg responded, recognizing his attempt and going along with it. "But we're glad to have you back on the team," Beast Boy added. "We need you." Robin nodded, standing. "Let's get down to the training room, then," he said, the familiar expression of determination appearing on Robin's face.

Things weren't exactly going well. They could be going a lot worse, perhaps, but still. After being almost comatose for around two months, and MIA and enduring who knows what for another few weeks, Robin was a bit rusty. That, on top of the fact that he was still a bit sore – though he didn't want to admit it – led to multiple fails, and a very grumpy Robin. He wasn't exactly failing, per say, but he wasn't as good as he had been.

Scowling, Robin leaned against the wall, taking a brief break. Starfire was immediately by his side. "Robin…" she began hesitantly, softly.

"Don't say anything," he muttered. "I've lost my touch."

"You have been…you have been…" Starfire struggled to find the right words. "You have been…broken for months. You are just…out of practice. You will be back to normal in no time, I am sure," Starfire finished, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Robin slowly nodded, though he still seemed rather down. "Maybe the eating of pizza will cheer you up?" she suggested. Robin smiled at her, though it seemed slightly forced. "Let's go," he said simply, just wanting to leave.

"We're not getting meat!" Beast Boy insisted. "How many times do I have to say it? DUDE, I'VE BEEN MOST OF THOSE ANIMALS!"

"But we're not eating you!" Cyborg argued.

"I'm not becoming a cannibal!" Beast Boy cried, turning into a cow as if to prove his point. Beast Boy shot him a death glare; it was scarily effective as a cow.

"I suggest a pizza with whipped cream, mustard, and the nuts of dough," Starfire announced, interrupting the heated argument. Everyone stared at her with wide eyes, and slight expressions of horror. Robin leaned in, gesturing at the menu. "Starfire, it's, uh, this side that has the pizza toppings."

"Are we not allowed to mingle the two?" Starfire asked, sounding a bit disappointed. Robin opened his mouth, probably to break the news that no, you couldn't mingle the two, but suddenly froze, body rigid. He then squeezed his eyes shut tightly, as if struggling to fight off some horrible flash back. Which he probably was. Starfire reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. It didn't work.

Robin, rather than being comforted, jerked away from her touch as if it burned. His eyes shot open, and he glanced around wildly, as if he didn't know where he was. "Robin?" Starfire asked in a small voice, hoping that he would come to his senses. He stared at her, and Starfire's heart sank. There was no trace of recognition in Robin's gaze.

With a small, animal cry, Robin stood, whipping out his metal stick, backing up against a wall, trembling. Trembling…he was scared. Wherever Robin was, it wasn't here. Breathing hard, he placed a hand on his belt, most likely reaching for a weapon. His chest heaved with his rapid breathing; he was definitely scared. Whatever had happened to him had left a lingering impression. Robin, though healing on the surface, was still broken.

"Robin, you are safe," Starfire murmured as she slowly approached him. She reached out a gentle hand, noticing that she was shaking as well. She tried to appear as comforting and non-threatening as possible as she moved closer, struggling to calm him. "Please, you must relax. Everything will be fine." Robin's metal stick lowered somewhat, though he still remained tense and wary. Starfire took another step forward, green eyes full of concern.

Robin let out a small sound, then stiffed again, metal stick dropping. It fell, clattering as it hit the ground. Then Robin collapsed as well. Starfire rushed forward, catching him in her arms. Holding him close, she noticed how thin he was, how deep these scars ran. Starfire trembled; those scars scared her.

Robin stirred some time later. Starfire jerked upright as a small moan escaped his lips. "Robin," she called out gently, hoping that he would be more like himself upon awakening. Robin's eyes slid open; so far, so good. At least there was recognition on his face. He jerked upright suddenly, panting. For a moment he reached for his belt, then a quick glance at Starfire seemed to reassure him, his hand dropping limply back on to the bed.

Concern lined Starfire's face. "Are you okay?" she asked. "What happened? Did you experience the nightmares?" Robin stayed silent for a moment, looking a bit paler than usual. "I remember more of it now," he admitted quietly, an edge to his voice that Starfire didn't like. "Would you like to do the talking it out?" she asked softly, gently picking up his hand and holding it in hers. He flinched at her first touch before relaxing somewhat. Robin shook his head, expression distant, haunted. He rubbed his arms, though, where faint lines of scar tissue still remained. Starfire felt her heart break for what had to have been the hundredth time; would Robin ever fully recover after whatever he had experienced? For the sake of the team – and Robin's sake – she hoped so.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Starfire asked, worry clear in her green eyes. Though he quite obviously wasn't, Robin refused to admit that. "I'm fine," he said shortly. He would've insisted he was fine if he had a bullet in his chest too, though, so Starfire wasn't exactly convinced. She raised one eyebrow questioningly, as if challenging his statement. Robin scowled, apparently aggravated by her reaction. "I'm fine!" he repeated, a bit more force behind the words this time. Starfire still didn't look convinced, but she decided not to push it; Robin would most likely never admit to anything else.

"How long was I out this time?" Robin asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"Through most of the day," Starfire responded, gesturing towards the window. The darkened sky outside promised night time; the sky was actually darker than normal though. Starfire narrowed her eyes as she studied the sky. Quick flashes of lightning proved her suspicions; a storm was brewing. And it looked as if it was going to be a bad one.

A deep rumble of thunder ripped through the air, causing Robin to jump like a startled animal. Starfire placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering comfort once again. "It is just a storm, Robin," Starfire murmured. Robin nodded, though he still looked on edge. "Thanks, Starfire," he muttered.

"For what?"

"For…being there. The others gave up on me, didn't they?" Starfire hesitated before answering that blunt question; yes, they had, but telling him that may not be the smartest idea. Robin, seeing the answer on her face, shrugged. "It's ok. I'm back now…thanks to you."

"Me?" Starfire asked. Robin nodded, offering her a small smile. "Yeah…I heard you, you know. Every word you said to me." Starfire's eyes widened in a mixture of apprehension, awkwardness, and hope. She had said quite a few things while he was asleep. Robin awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, pulling Starfire into his embrace. Though hugs didn't seem to come naturally to him, Starfire couldn't help but notice how much she was enjoying this. Starfire relaxed against him. "I feel the same way," Robin whispered into her ear, his voice so soft she wondered if she had heard him. A quick glance at his face, and Starfire knew that she had.

A flash of lightning made Robin stiffen, pulling away from her somewhat. Starfire tightened her hold, determined not to let him go again. "You are safe," Starfire said, for what must have been the hundredth time. "I am here." Robin relaxed fractionally.

"I know," he replied softly.

A/N Somewhat mushy ending, but I really like Robin/Starfire...so, yeah. For those of you who don't like it as much, hopefully there was enough Robin-torture to make up for it...;) I'm never able to just fix him, am I? Anyways, please tell me what you think! Just click below and review!

Oh, and as a small side note, I've been horrible about responding to you guys' reviews...so sorry about that. I promise, though, I'll respond to everyone's reviews for this chapter!