A/N: I really don't want to write Kori's labor scene. Sorry guys. You should know by now what that looks like. If not, use your imagination if you truly want to... O_o

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Chapter 9

"Marvelous!" Ryand'r exclaimed as he carried his sister's premature child over to a strange Tamaranian wash-basin. The young Grayson child was waving his small fists and kicking his feet high and low, side to side. His skin was bright pink and covered in blood. There was a tuft of bright red hair ontop of his head. When Kori heard his wailing, she instinctively reached out her hands to soothe him but she could not.

"I don't understand," moaned an exhausted Kori from the hospital-like bed. "You have what you so desired, why not do the getting on with it?"

The Tamaranian woman had spent about ten hours in labor.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Responded Ryan as he cleaned the child carefully, "Patience, my dear sister. I did not realize you wanted your son gone so quickly."

"I don't, but I had no other choice. If I didn't do that, then you would have gone after the rest of my family."

Ryan stopped all action for a moment, "Ah, yes, but now that you've put it in my mind... I will need an heir one day."

Kori's eyes widened, "What are you insinuating?"

Ryan had finished cleaning his nephew of blood and lifted the child in front of his face. A smile formed on the tyrant's tan face, "I'm sure your sister would make a beautiful bride one day, don't you agree my young nephew? Oh, but you will never know what that would be like, would yo-"

Kori, hand outstretched in a fist, gasped as a green orb hit her brother square in the stomach. He fell back, leaving the infant in mid-air, falling briskly to the stone floor.

A sleepy Richard Grayson entered his home for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours. He was absolutely worn out, but he would only be allowed a few hours of rest. He would have to return to the office in less than two hours, which meant he only had an hour to sleep.

The light in the hallway flickered on before he had a chance to close the front door entirely.

"Richard?" Came his wife's frazzled voice.

Richard groaned in frustration. He should have known that she would get up at this point to feed Mari, who did not sleep well through the night. "Hey honey."

Kori folded her arms in a strict manner, "You were supposed to be home by midnight."

Richard attempted to make an excuse but realized it would come to no avail, "I know. I'm sorry, my love."

"Come in here," Kori said as she went into Mari's room to breast-feed. Richard followed, begrudgingly. He found his wife already situated with his daughter in the rocking chair. "What time do you have to be at work?"

"Less than two hours, now." Richard grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Kori grinded her teeth together in annoyance, "You aren't going."

"Kori, I can't just-"

"Richard, you've been working for an entire day! I think your employees will understand if you would like a morning off." Kori retorted, rubbing her small daughter's back. She sighed, "Richard, I don't want to be the bad guy, but you promised when you accepted this job that you would leave time for family."

"It wasn't just work, Kori, it was also crime-fighting; there was an alert at around eight which caused the rest of my work to shift back a few hours." Richard interjected weakly.

"Richard, you and I both know that the agreement included crime-fighting." Kori closed her eyes for a moment, trying to relax. "I can't hold down the fort by myself. I know, I know you work extensively day in and day out for all three of your jobs, but sometimes I need a little less money and a little more of you."

"It's not that easy, Kori. We do need the money, and evil hasn't stopped existing just because we decided to have a family."

"I didn't say that, Richard." Kori's eyes opened to observe her husband. He looked like he had more than a rough night and she was sorry for that, but this needed to get across to him. "You know that if I could I'd be out fighting alongside you. My point is that I never see you anymore, and it's exhausting taking care of a child on my own."

Richard reached for her free hand and gave it a light squeeze, "Then, we'll figure something out, I promise."

"And you promise to take tomorrow off?"

"Sure."

"That's weird," commented Raven from her pod. "Ryand'r clearly has an army at his hands, but none of them are on the defensive. What's going on?"

"Keep your eyes open," Nightwing responded irritably. Yet, to their amazement, no attempt was made to thwart the T-Ship.

The Titans arrived in front of the palace door. A guard walked up to them, "You're here for Princess Koriand'r, correct?"

"Yes." Nightwing answered for them, still not completely trusting the alien.

"Thank X'hal!"

"Pardon?"

"I shall lead the way to our princess. Please, we've been waiting for this day for many of your Earth years." The Titans all exchanged glances, but followed the strange Tamaranian across the threshold and down the long corridor.

"Through those doors," the guard stopped walking and pointed at another pair of brass doors. "I can't continue with you any longer. Please rescue the princess and her son."

"Thank you," said Raven as Nightwing rushed to open the doors.

His masked eyes widened at what he saw; Starfire with her arm outstretched on a bed, Ryand'r flying backward from impact, and his son falling to the ground. Automatically, Nightwing rolled on the ground to where his son would have fallen. He caught the newborn just in time.

Ryand'r pulled himself back up at this point, "Ah, I should have known the Titans would not be far behind my sister. Regardless, I will get as I wish." Without another warning, he threw a red starbolt where Nightwing and child were at.

Raven wasted no time; a black shield engulfed Nightwing and his son. "Titans, go!"

While the Titans surrounded Starfire's brother and began fighting him, Nightwing hurried to his wife. She wasn't sure whether or not to greet him with a smile or a frown, or at all. She was still burned out from giving birth and she wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or angry that Nightwing came to her rescue once again. "You found me," she decided to say instead, a weak smile forming on her lips.

"Always, my love."

A/N: Alright, so a few more chapters left! I haven't decided just how many yet, but it's coming up! :O This feels so weird! Haha. But I hope y'all will read my next fanfiction once I'm done with this! Please review :)

God bless,
Rose