This chapter gets a bit racy. I write on the spur of the moment, and sometimes I don't even know what is going to come out until its on screen. I needed a reason that the shadowy villain wouldn't want Raven talking ever again and I think I found one.

***7***

The man wipes his face with his palm, clearly disgusted. He backhands Raven hard across the face for daring to spit on him.

The blow leaves her ear ringing but she shakes it off.

"That wasn't a very smart thing to do." Trying to scare her, he caresses her breast before sliding his hand down her bare midriff. "I could hurt you very bad right now."

Raven looks up at him without fear. He has pissed her off and she can't hold her tongue. "You might not care about your trophy wife but would you really hurt your precious boyfriend?"

He draws his hand back gasping in shock.

"It isn't just your crooked business deals I know all about. You keep your underage boy toy up in your fancy new hotel downtown. You promised him that you would never be with another...not even your wife. As long as she keeps her affairs quiet and shows up to public functions on your arm you could care less about her."

"Who told you?"

"I'm really Raven remember? And you don't guard your thoughts very well. Any low level psychic could pick up your secret."

"You just signed your death warrant...once we get what we need from you of course." He takes out his cell phone and dials a number. "Get to the holding cell. Ms. Roth just can't stop fighting the drugs. Put her in one of those medical induced comas so she can't cause any trouble until we're done with her."

A figure hides in the shadows watching the exchange between his boss and Raven. Maybe he should have just kept her secret. Toying with her would have been so much more fun than watching her waste away here. But just maybe now that he knows some real dirt on the big boss man, he can pick up the game where Nightingale left off and make even more than what he is paid for his services. He looks up as the door to the little cell opens.

"Are you certain about this? She is very weak. We might never be able to wake her again."

"She has made it very clear she doesn't intend to co-operate. I am sure it would be easier for you and your team if she is kept unconscious."

The scientist glances back toward the lab across the hall. Even strapped down to the bed she had managed to injure several of his team until she was too weak from all the blood taken from her and that doesn't include all the guards who tried to force feed her. He nods solemnly as he starts an I. V. feed in her arm. She has proven to be quite the little she-demon but he would still like to get the secret of her powers first hand.

Raven is too weak to fight off the scientist. Part of her panics at the thought of this being the last waking moments she ever has...but then if she has to die before help arrives she would rather go out oblivious to what is going on around her. She draws in a sharp breath as the scientist injects coma inducing medicines into her system. Rather than Robin her mind seizes up on another from her past. She wonders if she should have sent for him instead. Her voice is so low as she slips off that no one can make out exactly what she says "...I will always care for you-"

"-Even now after all we've been through you still can't say it."

"I can't allow myself to feel it...so how can I say it?"

"I thought your days as Raven were over."

"They are-"

"-Then why do you care what might happen if you give into your feelings?"

"I...I...I'm sorry I know what could happen and I just can't take that chance." She watches as Deathstroke gets up and crosses the room where he dresses. "Where are you going?"

"I could give up everything right now for you...just drop it all and stay with you forever. But I need all of you...mind, body, soul, and emotion..."

"You owe her one?"

"It seems like a lifetime ago now." Deathstroke looks down at the cat who purrs in his arms and scratches him behind the ears. "I would have changed for her...but she...I walked away. I'm not proud of that. Had I stayed she would still be safe."

Nitro looks up at the master mewing softly trying to convey that he shouldn't blame himself. He was only trying to make the mistress believe in herself.

Nightwing looks from the cat to Deathstroke. "Are you trying to tell me that you and Raven were lovers?"