Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Teen Titans.

Terra + Bee

Bee looked around the crowd of dancing teenagers, most of which she knew from school, others she couldn't place. Little by little, they had gathered in and around Mal Duncan's living room. She seemed to care more about finding a particular blonde friend than the loud music and incomprehensible voices that called out to her.

She traveled down the hall which led into a smaller room. By the looks of it, it appeared to be a dining room filled with more teens. It seemed like this was the only place the others had to escape the wild noise and chatter.

It was there that she found her off in the corner, sitting alone at a long table, resting her chin in her hand. She followed her occasional glances to the couple relaxing near the over-sized wooden hutch, adorned with the Duncan's finest china.

With her shoulders slumped, she could almost feel the defeat off her every time Terra would raise an ear at the sound of a laugh. She had spent the past five minutes peeking over to Gar, his back towards her as he chatted away with some brunette. Every time she heard a giggle come from the girl, she couldn't help but coil her eyes out of displeasure.

Bee shook her head, "If you keep lookin' any harder you're goin' to give 'em the evil eye," she quipped, pulling up a seat by her.

"As if that was possible," she retorted.

"Terra-" the ebony beauty called.

"He hates me, Bee."

"Girl, please," she insisted. "Gar does not hate you. How could you even think that?"

Her eyes downcast, "Because I betrayed him."

"Will you stop with all this 'I betrayed him' nonsense? You didn't betray him."

"I abandoned him when he needed me the most. If that doesn't constitute as betrayal, I don't know what does."

"That's ancient history. And Gar," she sent a look over to him, catching him in the middle of his famous monkey imitation, "well, even though the boy doesn't act like it sometimes, he's more mature than that."

"I just wish I could go back and-"

"And what?" she waited. "There was nothin' anyone could've done for him."

"I just feel so guilty. I hurt him."

"Hey, it's natural to feel that way when you-"

"Love him?"

Bee could see her blue eyes begin to gloss, threatening to betide a few tears. "I was gonna say when you're still feelin' for him."

Once again, Terra heard the sound of the girl's laughter and she turned to Bee as a way to deflect her thoughts. "Where in the hell is Kory already?" she questioned, a little too loudly out of sheer frustration.

"You know, I don't know," she turned around in her chair as if expecting the redhead to walk straight through the doorway at any moment. "She should've been here by now."

"Maybe she ran into some hot guy on her way back home," she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Leave it to Red to find Prince Charmin' on a simple drive home while I have my pick of any pigs in the barnyard," she indicated to the party.

Terra held out her phone, checking to see if the said girl had left any text messages. Bee took a drink from her cup, looking around the horde of partygoers, still failing to find any sign of red hair.

"Maybe I should call her," Terra suggested, pressing her speed dial. She couldn't help but blink back at the disapproving look Bee gave her. The blonde shrugged, "Just checking on her," she offered before standing up to head out of the room or at least anywhere that didn't lead to blaring music.

Dick + Kory

Dick tried not to react to the fact that it had been awhile since he'd last felt a sense of calmness.

When the collision wrecker had retrieved Myan's Jaguar to be taken to the shop, Kory was left without a ride back home. Of course, Dick had offered her a lift home. They traveled through the bustling metropolis, though they paid no attention to the sights or sounds but instead to each other's company.

"Kory, you are one crazy girl," he shook his head, his laughter slowly dieing away after hearing another one of her tales. "Do you know that?"

"It was a dare, Dick. You can't back down from a dare," she smiled, her pearly whites glistening from the sun's rays that had penetrated through the windshield.

Her philosophy, heck her way of being was quite interesting, he thought. "Doesn't change the fact that you're crazy."

"Yeah," she nodded with a single giggle. "Like a fox, right?" she side-glanced. Kory shifted her body in her seat for a better look at Dick. She positioned a hand on the dashboard while the other rested on the headrest.

Dick watched the road up ahead, for a moment failing to see how deeply she studied his profile. He snaked his eyes over to her, nervously. "Kory, wh-what'a you doing?"

"Just trying to figure you out," she grinned innocently.

Being the down-to-earth girl that she was, she had met countless people in her lifetime. She was usually a good judge of character when it came to people but there was just something about this guy that made her want to know more. Her curiosity struck at her like a lashing whip.

"What's there to figure out?" He smiled and laughed, but it was a visage. That much she knew. This girl must have done a real number on him.

"Well, for starters, why this girl of your dreams," she paused remembering that Dick never actually gave her a name, "…what's her name again?"

"Barbara," he said. "Gordon."

"Barbara," she mouthed to herself. "She sounds like a librarian."

Dick curled his lips upwards, laughing on the inside. "Well, she is smart."

"Yeah?" Kory looked over to him before grabbing her tote bag that lay on the floor of the seat. "Well, I'd have to question her intelligence if she let someone like you slip through her fingers," she pointed out, rummaging through her purse.

He was caught by surprise from her words. Did Kory know what she was talking about? She hardly knew him but- "Uh," he scratched his head, his eyes lighting up with pleasure, "...thanks."

"No prob," she waved off, pulling out a tube of gum from her purse. "Gum? It's cherry."

Dick opened his mouth to say something but stopped, raising a hand instead. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

It was only half a minute before Kory spoke again. "Barbara never gave you many compliments, did she?" she asked matter-of-factually, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"Why do you ask?"

Avoiding his gaze, she tossed her purse back on the floor. "I don't know. Curiosity maybe."

"Curiosity isn't always the best thing to have, Kory. Just ask the cat."

She pushed a red lock of hair behind her ear, "Still avoiding the question."

He shook his head a couple of times, then shrugged. "She used to. She just wasn't too generous with them."

She edged closer to him, her seat belt keeping her from getting too close. "Well, did she ever tell you what an amazing person you are?"

He felt a light warm tingle in his cheeks and he had to admit, it felt nice. "I'm amazing?" He resisted the urge to scoff. "Kory, you've only known me for a couple of hours. How do you know I'm not some homicidal jerk?"

Kory rolled her eyes at his inquisition. "Dick, I'm usually pretty spot on about people and trust me, your not a jerk, let alone homicidal."

He saw as her hand inched closer to his head and was about to wonder what she was doing until he felt her pull back at a strand of his midnight hair that had wandered onto his face. "So other than your obsession with cheap hair gel," she joked, making a face as if she had never experienced such a gooey concoction of hair product on her fingers before, "I know all I need to know about you," she finished, raising her shoulders in a carefree shrug.

He thought back to her original question, and just how affectionate Babs had been with him during their relationship. "You know," he lowered the volume on the radio, still looking ahead at the road, "there was a time when she used to tell me how great she thought I was," he softened his tone. "How I always made her feel alive. That I was the exact kind of person she needed," he swallowed hard at the memories.

Kory stopped her gum chewing just long enough to wonder, "But?"

"But I don't know, got me." She detected a battered sigh escape him. "Something happened and her feelings for me changed. After that it felt like she always had me walking on this tightrope. I must have fallen because here I am having to proposition you for help. Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"Not from my estimation. Life tricks you into believing that if you ride a love song, it's going to be a long, bumpy ride in a hot car with no air conditioning and a broken down radio. The sun..." she trailed on, seeing the crooked frown started on his lips, knowing her sententious aphorism was getting them nowhere. She silently undid her seat belt, hoping he didn't notice. In a flash, she propped her back against his chest, her head falling just under his neck, fanning herself.

Startled, Dick jumped back, "Wha-"

"Oh, Richard," she over dramatized in the same southern belle drawl as the heroine of those cheesy romance novels she tended to read. "The searing sun on your hot skin," she fanned some more, "sweat beading down your alabaster flesh-"

Dick shook his head, "Ok, I get it," his lips evolving into a grin from her teasing. "Love isn't always supposed to be such a smooth ride." When she didn't respond, he looked down to her.

"If it matters, Dick," Kory added, while placing her manicured fingers over his cheek, still resting in the same spot underneath him. "You're with me now and I'm telling you, you are an amazing person...with or without that beat-up Jaguar."

Dick tensed, feeling himself at the point of breaking into a cold sweat. He kept his face tuned ahead to the road, only using his eyes to glance downwards a beat of a second when she continued to console him. He knew she was trying to be considerate, but he was blown away by such an innocent touch. A touch that, to her, probably meant nothing more than a simple handshake.

Could she feel his heart beat faster as she pressed against him? Even worse, he couldn't understand the reason behind his weird behavior. He was speechless. He was motionless. He couldn't dare look at her even if he longed to. She's just being nice, idiot. Don't take it so seriously.

But Kory could feel his tension and she smiled. Not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable, she moved back into her seat, securing her belt once again. Maybe she would figure him out…maybe not. She did a mental shrug and glanced up the road to see where they were. Immediately, she caught sight of one of her favorite places to eat.

"Oooh! Oooh!" she sounded. "The Sandwich Box!" She pointed frantically to a nearby fast food joint as its neon sign came closer to view. "They have the most delicious pretzels there."

Dick gazed over to where she pointed and viewed a small but appealing restaurant.

"Ever been there?" she asked.

He shook his head no, "But there's a first time for everything." He began slowing down the vehicle. "Do you want to stop?"

But instead of answering him, she put her hands together and prayed a silent yes.

With a sharp turn, Dick pulled into the parking lot and up the drive-thru, its inviting menu sign being the first thing they came across. Rolling down his window, he took a quick glance at the selections and turned to Kory. Before he could ask her what she wanted to order, she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and crossed over to his window where she hovered over him on all fours, waiting to speak into the intercom.

He was not expecting her to zoom by him but when she did, he moved further back into his seat, allowing her some room. Kory was so close that he felt himself burning up from the forbidden sensual feeling that was making its way down south.

"What do you feel like, Dick?" she asked turning away from the menu to look at him, leaving a trail of her fruity shampoo in his senses.

"Um…no-nothing," he stuttered, feeling a flush of fervor. "I'm not really hungry." He tried looking away from the backside she had impulsively, but unintentionally, flaunted in front of him.

"You sure?" she asked, her attention on the menu again.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm sure." He exhaled a swift breath of air, feeling another wave of emotional arousal making way.

A light voice on the other side of the intercom called for their orders and Kory easily recognized the voice. "Donna? Babe, is that you?" she asked.

"Kory! It's been awhile," came the voice again. A combination of fuzzy noises in the background and a cheap speaker made her barely audible. She wondered, "Having the usual?"

"Yeah, but this time make it two, will you?" Kory answered, ignoring Dick's request.

"Got it," said Donna. "Just drive up."

Kory returned back to her seat as the SUV rolled up by the window, where a pretty woman was already waiting. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail which helped in giving her a youthful appearance. She fiddled with the wireless headset that rested just over her red cap. She greeted, "Hey, Kor." Her sky blue eyes sent Dick a surprising look, "...and someone I've never met." She jerked a head, indicating Dick, "Who's this?"

Kory moved closer within view of Donna, placing a hand on Dick's chest while the other rested on the steering wheel. "This gorgeous guy that you see before you is Dick."

"Hey Dick, nice to meet you. I'm Donna," she waved.

"Likewise," he returned, grinning back at her. There was a call behind her and she left, reappearing seconds later with two medium sized pretzels enveloped in napkins, plus several mustard condiments.

He made a move to pull out his wallet, "How much?"

Donna gazed on, not expecting him to offer to pay. "How much?" She handed Dick over the salty goodness, looking over to Kory. "Didn't you tell him?"

Even he seemed surprised as he handed Kory her snack. The redhead mischievously held a finger to her mouth, almost as if she was guilty about something. "It's food de freeness," she revealed in a whisper.

Dick eyed Donna again, "Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to get in any trouble."

"Are you kidding?" She twisted her neck in Kory's direction, "I'm always giving her free food."

"If it wasn't for Donna, I'd practically starve," kidded Kory, who had already begun taking bites into her mustard covered pretzel.

They heard Donna's name being shouted behind her and she fiddled with her headset again, "Sorry, Joe. I'm on it." She shook her head, "Well, another day, another dime." She took a final glance at Dick, weighing him in her mind. "Yep," she nodded to Kory, giving her approval. "He's a keeper," she winked before swishing the door shut.

"She seems nice." Dick said as he drove away from the window and out of the lot of the restaurant.

"She's the greatest."

Dick made sure it was clear before steering back onto the road, on route to Kory's home. "So how do you both know each other?"

She finished the last bite of her pretzel before she could talk. "My older sister."

Wanting to hear more, he finished his snack and took his napkin, wiping his mouth, nodding after the news of her sibling.

"They've been best friends since grade school." Kory was in the midst of another bite, "Well, up until my sister decided to steal her boyfriend, Terry."

"Damn," he uttered. "That sucks."

"I love them both to death but," she paused, "...let's just say that my sister has issues."

"Well, who doesn't have issues," he looked to Kory, "I mean...really? Who doesn't?"

"Issues or not, I've tried to get them to mend their friendship but I guess it's a lost cause. They've gone their separate ways. Actually, Donna is planning on attending the police academy soon."

"Hey, at least," but didn't finish when it had sunken in what Kory had just mentioned. "Wait, did you say older sister?" Dick eyeballed her. From the youthful look of Donna, how much older could her sister be than Kory?

"Yeah, why?"

"Huh?" he gazed at her, letting her image sink into his mind for, what he would strongly deny if he was asked, the umpteenth time today. "Exactly how old are you?" The words left his mouth before he realized how much women tended to hate answering that dreaded question.

But Kory smiled cheerfully, "Seventeen."

It was almost automatic when he slammed on his brakes. "Seventeen!"

She had managed to hold on to the edge of the dashboard, both hands pushing against the momentum of the stopping vehicle. "Dick!" she scolded.

Realizing his mistake, he thrust his foot on the gas before any cars traveling behind him would feel the need to rearrange his fender yet again.

"I'm sorry," he composed himself, using his rear view mirror to gaze behind him. "I'm sorry about that. But...seventeen?"

"Something wrong?"

"Kory, don't you look a little..."

She tilted her head towards him, very eager for him to finish his thought.

He brought his hands up, "Oh, I don't know...mature for seventeen?"

Kory giggled at the amount of uneasiness in his voice. "Is that a problem for you, gorgeous?"

"I'm nineteen. Do you know what that means?"

"What?" She touched his arm, trying to kill away his apprehension. "That's only two years difference. It's nothing to get worked up over."

"You don't have a problem with it?"

"Of course not. Why should I? It's not like we're really together, right?"

"Well, no," he affirmed. Their age difference could hardly be considered a crime and if she had no problem with it, he thought. "I guess if you don't think it's a problem..."

Kory opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Her eyes narrowed at a print of paper that protruded out of the open top compartment in the overhead console. However, only the far corner was visible and she made a reach for it, stopping to ask Dick, "May I?"

His eyes traveled to her hand and he slowly nodded. "I forgot it was there."

Right from the touch, it was obvious it was a photo and she brought it down to view, her green eyes widening. They turned to Dick, then back to the photo.

A picture of happier times, the photo was of him donned in a custom black tuxedo. His arm was draped around a woman, another redhead to be precise. Her hair set in a French twist, though hers wasn't as intense as Kory's fiery locks. As oppose to the gentleman's broadening smile, hers seemed distant and her blue eyes, distracted.

Ah...this must be her.

This woman was what some might call, a classic beauty. Her off-the-shoulder gown seemed just as demure as the woman who wore it. Behind them the sun was setting, emphasizing the twinkling of the city lights and what seemed to be a grand fountain, encircled by a floral garden.

"She's a stunner." But he didn't respond. "And the guy's not bad, too."

To this, Dick smiled. Before she could move her jaw muscle to utter another compliment, "Yes," he said.

She looked at him. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, that's Babs."

Babs must be what he called her. It was something Kory had already guessed and she focused on the couple's image once more. "How old is she?"

"She's my age. I've known her since I first moved to Gotham. And we went to school together."

"How long were you together?"

He answered tersely, "One year."

"Dick, can I ask what happened between the two of you?"

"Well…" There was hesitance in his voice.

"I know it's none of my business but it might help if I knew what happened. I'd have a better idea on how to handle this...her," she corrected, shaking the picture.

He shook his head, "I understand. I just don't like," again he shook his head. "Never mind," he finished bitterly. "Babs thought we'd needed some time apart."

"Time apart, huh?" she mumbled, gazing back down at the ex-girlfriend's face. Not for one second did she believe that one.

"She thought we were too young to be tied down, I suppose." He thought back to their breakup, to their argument at the restaurant. "We're going to be starting different colleges soon and I know there are more interesting things out there than me."

Kory wrinkled her face, confused as to what he meant. "What are you talking abo-"

"She met someone else, Kory."

So that's how things are. "Ouch."

"Yeah, big ouch," he said with a sting.

"Unfortunately for some, they don't realize a good thing when they have it. And maybe," she paused, "...maybe she's just confused right now."

He turned to her, contemplating if what she said was just something to say to the brokenhearted or was she speaking from personal experience? Whatever the issue was, he really didn't feel like discussing his own. "Well," he thought, steering the subject away from him. "What about you? Haven't you ever been in love?"

"Me?" she looked to him and he nodded. By the long gulp she took, he knew she was caught off guard.

"Actually," she thought, shaking her head. "I've haven't had the fortunate experience of being in love."

An immediate image of a young little redhead role playing in her makeshift castle, dressed in her pink princess gown, topped with her own shiny tiara, waiting for her young prince to whisk her away from the clutches of her evil stepmother, popped into his mind. Everything about Kory represented the storybook fairytale and he found it hard to believe someone like her had never been in love before. "Ever?" he pressed.

"Ever," she insisted. "Well, there was this once," her voice softened. "I thought it was love. Heck, I would've done anything he asked me to."

Dick felt something within him stir and didn't know how to respond to it. "But you two aren't together now, right?"

"It was a long time ago, Dick." She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Like I said, people have trouble realizing what is it they want. And as it turned out, he didn't feel the same way."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," she waved off. "But I promise one day, when I do find my Mr. Right," she said with a smile, "he will be so loved."

Dick leaned further back into his seat, feeling a little envious of the future contender for her heart. He wondered if maybe one day there would be someone in his life that would ever proclaim the same feelings for him.

A favorite old rock ballad came on the radio and he turned the volume slightly up. Within seconds, Kory began mouthing the lyrics, her body moving with the instrumental beat. He smiled as he knew she hadn't realized he'd been staring at her off and on.

"What?" she grinned, knowing she had been caught.

He pondered, "I don't get it. What is it about you?"

"Don't rack your brain about it, gorgeous. Women are supposed to keep a certain amount of mystery," she blew a mock kiss and smiled before staring out the window.

Babs

Babs was busy typing away at her laptop, her cordless phone just in between the crook of her neck. "I just feel so bad for him, Helena. You should have seen his face at the restaurant. It nearly killed him."

"You had to do it, Babs," came another voice in the room. Dinah, Babs's close friend and confidante sat on her bed, legs crossed and eager for her to get off the phone. She flipped carelessly through one of Babs's computer magazines, only looking up when the conversation peaked her interest. "Did you intend to keep stringing him along?"

Babs looked over her shoulder, "Well, no," she answered her. Dinah gave her a hard look, one that said, 'get off the phone'. "Helena, I'll have to call you back." It was a couple of seconds until she said, "Yes, I know. I will, bye."

"You feel guilty, Babs. It's your conscious getting to you."

"Don't you think I know that?"

Her concentration on her work was beginning to dwindle and no sooner she saved her document and closed her laptop shut. She groaned, leaning back into her computer chair. "I don't know, Dinah. Maybe I made a huge mistake."

"After everything, you're having second thoughts now? What about uh..." she snapped her fingers, her mind trying to muster her new beau's name again, "...the new guy?"

"I'm not sure about him either. Lately he seems to be, I don't know…distracted or something," she exhaled tiredly. She raised herself off her chair and walked over to her bed where Dinah still sat. "I'm confused as to what I want."

"Of course you're confused. Your both going to different colleges this fall. And Dick will be gone from Gotham most of the time. What kind of relationship would that be? Life just seems much simpler without the complications of being tied down."

"Maybe you're right."

Dinah shrugged, turning through another page. "Besides, don't worry about Dick. I'm sure he won't be lonely for too long."

Babs narrowed her eyes. "Why would you say that?" she asked, her voice suddenly taking on a more resentful tone.

"Hello," she closed the magazine, "did it escape you that he lives with Bruce Wayne? The man has women coming and going through that mansion all the time."

"Dick isn't Bruce," Babs reminded.

"No, he's not. But he is devilishly attractive and rich, like Bruce. Which let's admit, winds up these bimbos. You can practically smell them sniffing around his trust fund like a pack of wild hyenas. Naturally, he's going to have plenty of selfish women who want him."

"He still loves me, Dinah. He's not going to go off and marry the first bimbo he sees, alright?"

"Calm down, Cujo. I was only suggesting-"

"Well, don't. Our relationship is something that no one, not even you could understand."

"And yet, you listened to Helena and dumped him thinking you'd be better off alone. Why should it matter to you who he chooses to date now?"

Just then there was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said, choosing a seat beside Dinah. The door opened to reveal Bab's father.

James Gordon, or Jim as he had been known all around the precinct, had long been Gotham City's outstanding police commissioner. The aging detective wore his badge well, half the time bringing much of his work home with him. With the class of criminals that occupied Gotham, Babs remembered countless nights when her mother would sit by the phone, dreading the one call that would tell her she no longer had a husband. Now with her mother gone, that job fell upon Babs.

The balding, gray-haired gentleman stepped through the threshold, prompting the ladies' attention. "Is anything the matter? I thought I heard arguing."

"Oh, no. Everything is fine, Dad."

"Hi, Mr. Gordon," Dinah greeted with a wave.

"Hello, Dinah. It's nice seeing you again," he nodded in her direction. "How's it been?"

"Oh, pretty much the same, Mr. Gordon. How about you? Still keeping this town safe for the rest of us?"

He chuckled a humorless laugh. "Trying is more like it. In a city like Gotham, that's almost an impossible feat." He turned back to his daughter, "Dear," he called, bringing out a small white envelope from the breast pocket of his gray trench coat. "I wanted to let you know that we received our invitation to the charity dinner Bruce is funding this weekend."

Dick had informed of her of Bruce's newest fundraiser but couldn't remember when or where it was to be held. "Is it this weekend?"

"Oh, this should prove interesting," Dinah muttered with some wonder at the thought of the old lovers reunited under the same roof. She felt a dull jab come from Babs, who felt her cheeks flush.

James ignored them and continued, "Dinah, can I please speak to Barbara alone for a minute?"

"Oh, sure thing." She rose off the bed and hurried to Babs's dresser, retrieving her belongings. "I'm late for a meeting anyways." She reached the bedroom door, "I'll call you later," and slipped out.

Babs waited until she heard her footsteps trotting down the stairs before asking, "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about this charity dinner. I know you and Dick had a bit of a falling out but Mr. Wayne has invited us nonetheless." He stressed, "Barbara, I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Dad," she mumbled, her expression becoming annoyed. "I'll be fine."

James stared at her, wondering if she was being truthful or tolerant for his sake. "Now I know you're both adults and your separation was a mutual decision..."

Babs nodded though in the back of her mind, she hated lying to her father. James had enough problems dealing with murderers, thieves, mobsters and about every other assailant under the sun on a daily basis. Did he really have to be burdened with the news of the bust that was his daughter's personal life, too? She felt it was best to leave out all the intricate details of their breakup.

He handed over her invitation and she skimmed through it. "It says we're allowed one guest," she stated, looking up at her father.

"Yes, I believe so," he shrugged, not truly remembering. "Why? Are you bringing someone along?"

"Do you think it would be fine if I did?"

"I don't see why not."

"You don't think it would be in bad taste, do you?"

"Barbara, he's an understanding guy." He, being Dick. "He'll respect any decision you make. There won't be any hard feelings."

"Alright," she read the invitation again. "Then I'll go."

"Good. Now that that's settled," he reached her door, "Just be sure you and your date are ready promptly at seven," he instructed. "It's being held at the Argus McKinley Hotel and I don't want to waste any time. I promised Bruce I'd be there to show my support."

"Am I not always on time?"

He grinned and stepped out the door.

Babs gazed once more at the invitation, still firmly in her hand and flopped onto her bed. She sighed, "I wonder if he'll even want to see me?" With the tips of her fingers, she ran a couple over the thick sheet, feeling the words, embossed in gold. "Oh, Dick what have we done?"

Jinn

She hated to think it but Jinn could see how some might choose to speak about Tristram Roth in the manner they did. He made it no secret that he hated company. He barely minded Rachel's friends over, not that they chose to visit other than Dick. The Roth household was usually pretty empty except for the maid service that came weekly to tidy up the place. But he let no help live there.

Jinn found this odd but never mentioned it on behalf of the fact that Tristram was quite intimidating and the less you spoke about him, the better. Some would say Rachel inherited some of his obscure traits. She wasn't a social butterfly and as Jinn came to realize, very reserved.

Jinn leaned forward from her position on the sofa, flipping through the channels of the plasma television for the past ten minutes. She could hear Rachel's voice echoing behind her, still on the phone with her father.

She looked back to the television, "There's nothing worth watching anymore," she gritted through clenched teeth as another crappy reality show began to air.

She raised the remote to switch to yet another channel when the doorbell chimed. It was evident that Rachel either didn't care enough to answer or hadn't heard. Either way, after the second chime, Jinn got up to get the door.

She raised a brow after seeing who was on the other side. "Hey, Wally," she greeted with little enthusiasm.

"Hey, Jinn. Is Mr. Roth here?" he asked in a hushed whisper, taking a peek over her shoulder before entering.

"No. You're safe," she answered, striding back the couch, leaving him to close the door behind him.

"So where's he this time?" He shut the door behind him.

"Now, let's see. What did Rachel say? Switzer- no. Sweden? I don't know. It sounded with a swi-" she shrugged as she sat back down on the couch.

"And where's Rae?" he asked taking the seat beside her.

"Don't let her hear you calling her that or she'll make you regret it," she warned.

"Call me what?" Rachel asked, joining them in the living room to put the phone back in its base.

"Nothing," he sweat dropped. "Nothing at all." They knew Rachel's temper was not one to be tested.

Jinn seemed to be fighting a smile at Wally's tremble, "So what'd he want this time?" she questioned Rachel, referring to the call she had received.

"What else? Making sure I wasn't out whoring myself to all the available sailors in downtown Gotham."

Jinn sunk back further into the sofa. "Cute, Rachel." She held her sarcastic smile firmly in place.

Rachel had shot Wally a questioning look, wondering why'd he shown up unexpectedly. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"Can't I visit a friend, jeez?"

"You can, Wally. It's just the simple fact that you almost never do."

"At least, not without a bodyguard present," Jinn chuckled, referring back to his fear of Mr. Roth.

He pointed a finger at her, "I'm in a good mood so I'll that one slide." He directed his attention to Rachel, "I went by Dick's but he's been gone for over an hour."

"Maybe that's because he's off to to find that proxy girlfriend of his."

"Oh, yeah," Wally nodded. "The plan..." he said, drawing out the the sound.

Jinn looked to him. "What plan?"

"Wally, it's ridiculous," Rachel ignored her. "It'll never work."

"Hello?" she called out, desperate for someone to fill her in on the news. "What plan?"

"Hey, it's gonna work."

"What Plan!"

Both bickering friends looked to Jinn, surprised when she stood with her arms crossed.

"Remember when I told you Richard was depressed because of his breakup with Babs?" Jinn nodded. "Well, thanks to the advice of two nitwits," she tilted her heard in Wally's direction, "he's off to find some woman to pose as his girlfriend, thinking that's going to somehow bring her back."

Jinn shook her head, "I don't follow."

Rachel brought her hands up, "Exactly. It doesn't make any sense."

"No. I mean, Dick should've been back by now, don't you think? Surely it shouldn't take too long for him to find another Barbie 2.0."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest but her phone had rung again, interrupting her. "What now," she gritted, reaching for the cordless phone and removed it off its base. She had managed to get a single word out until she became suddenly hushed. It was quite clear that she preferred to take the call in private and disappeared out of the room before anyone could ask questions.

Jinn coiled her eyes, mouthing angrily, "Malachi...jerk." It was obvious who was on the other line and it angered her to see Rachel falling into the same old pattern with him. She side glanced to see Wally gazing at her. "So Dick isn't home, huh?"

"No."

"And you're trying to stall here at Rachel's until he gets home?" she said with a devilish smile.

He crossed his arms behind his back, growing nervous. "No," he stated, "well maybe."

Jinn smirked. "Wally, what's the real reason you're here?"

"What? I told you why," and he looked up once Rachel appeared back into the room.

"Hey, whatever. I'm gonna go raid the fridge," he grumbled, breezing by Jinn's implications. He left the girls to converse with themselves, mostly because he was uncomfortable if the discussion moved towards frivolous girl stuff. They sat back down on the couch and Jinn moved her head off to the side to see if he was out of sight.

"What?" Rachel asked when she saw the relentless look of mischief on her friend's face.

"You do know Wally likes you, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said he likes you," she whispered.

"Has everyone around me lost their minds?"

"Don't get angry, Rachel. It's obvious with the way he looks at you."

She huffed, "Jinn, for the last time," she rose off the couch, standing just in front of her. "Wally doesn't have those kinds of feelings for me. Trust me on this."

"Keep talking until you're blue in the face all you want. I know what I'm talking about. Don't you see how he's always trying to make you laugh?" Jinn added.

"Are you sure it's me he's always trying to make laugh?" She gave her a more attentive look before she headed to the kitchen to join Wally, leaving Jinn with an confused expression on her face.

What the hell did she mean by that?

Kory

Dick was quiet as she continued to reveal, well...pretty much her whole existence up until now. Not only was she very enlightening, he thought, but the way she spoke about her family made him wonder if this was how a family was supposed to feel about one another.

"Ok, where was I?" she thought out loud. "My father is a corporate lawyer, working for Bryan & Marks. My mother just got back into interior designing. My brother Ryan is in college on a football scholarship now."

"You have a brother?" He seemed surprised.

"Yeah. The only boy, too. So you know he's spoiled rotten. And there's Koma, my older sister."

Dick raised a brow at the unusual name and she knew he was pressing for an explanation.

"She's named after my great grandmother," she answered. "She's not too crazy about her name, either. Right now, she's attending that school of the fine arts in downtown Gotham, on Connolly Blvd."

Dick nodded, familiar with the location.

Unlike Kory, he didn't have much to say about himself. What else was there other than he, Bruce and Alfred? As much as he cared for them, and were the only family he had, they weren't that interesting a topic. His childhood wasn't something he wanted to have to explain, so he chose not to speak much about his life, which was perfect as Kory didn't stress him for much information.

He was now down her street and he slowed down his vehicle, taking in the scenic and quiet neighborhood. He viewed the houses to his left and right, many styled in courtyard designs with manicured landscaping, and most seemed built for larger families. It was like something you'd see out of one of those shiny, happy people commercials.

In his mind, he counted the numbers on the homes, looking for hers. 4989...4995...5010

"Ooh, right here," she pointed and he stopped at the curb of a red brick, two-story home accentuated with a vibrant green, well-kept yard. He saw a red Mustang just outside the two car garage and wondered if anyone was home. Kory reached for her tote bag and slung it around her shoulder, readying to leave. She sent Dick a soft gaze as she held the door open. "Well, thanks again for the carriage ride."

"No problem. Thanks for agreeing to help me."

He saw as Kory began digging into her purse and came out with a purple marker. She used her mouth to remove its cap and held it in place. "Ok, here's my number." She then reached for the palm of his hand and began jotting down some numbers. "You can reach me here anytime. So whenever your ready to tango with your dream girl, you just call me," she instructed with a warm smile.

He gaped at his palm, almost immediately memorizing her number. "Anytime?" he asked, wanting to be sure.

"Morning, noon or night," she winked as she hopped off his SUV, closing shut the passenger door. Before stepping inside her home, she waved goodbye to him. Though she couldn't tell, she thought she saw a hint of a smile before he took off.

As she entered the living area, she tossed her purse onto their beige sofa, finally able to consume the quietness of an empty house.

No parties, no loud crashes. Nothing but...peace.

Soft footsteps emanated from upstairs and she quickly looked up at the sound of a female voice. "Kory? Where have you been?" The unexpected presence of her sister, Koma, stunned her into complete silence. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Now Kory loved her sister but as everyone who ever got to know Koma, would soon realize, is that she did have her days. "Hello," she called again. "Did you forget how to use your vocal cords?" And judging from the look of aggravation on her face at the moment, she was guessing today was one of those days.

Oh, crap!

"Didn't Mom and Dad fly to Aspen?" Koma quizzed, crossing her arms as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Kory gasped. "When did you get here? I didn't see your car outside."

"I parked it in the garage."

It all made sense now. Her sister had obviously seen the Jaguar was gone. If she found out about the mutilation of their father's prized car, Koma would hold it over her head until the day she died.

What the heck am I going to do now?

Hey guys, here's another chapter for you all. My bones ache but I still managed to get on with this story, just cause I have the best reviewers around. Well I don't know about everyone else but I decided to make Kory a little 'touchy-feely' mainly because emotion is something I think Dick needs. And I liked making her a little spunky with some passion to her. So much more still needs to happen, but I'll get there soon enough. It's just kinda hard grasping all the character's story into this. That's a good question, would you all rather I focus solely on Dick+Kory or do you enjoy the addition of the other character's story into this?

Now is the time where I thank my lovable loyal and new reviewers who so effortlessly write a little encouragement for me, thanks! And here are my new readers: Skoellya, BlondeEarthGoddess183, ComixFan1224, MissCooties, BonitaChickia…props to everyone. Until next chapter…