DISCLAIMER: I – in no way – own the Teen Titans.

CHAPTER FIVE – KNOWING YOU CARE

"You are not a lost cause, Richard," Kori tried convincing her best friend. "I really do not know how to make you see that."

"Exactly," Richard sighed. "I hope you know you're the only one who believes that I'm not a lost cause."

"Just like I'm the only one that ever calls you 'Robin'?" she wondered with a giggle.

Richard nodded, returning the smile. "Well, yeah."

Kori looked at Richard with a confused frown; why would he make a random statement like that? There was obviously something on his mind, but the question of the matter was whether or not he really wanted to talk about it in detail. She sighed to herself as she watched Richard fidget with his hands.

"What makes you think you're a lost cause?" she asked, hoping to get an answer from him. "I mean, you do not usually bring things up like that… unless there's something bothering you."

Richard looked up from his hands to Kori. "What are you talking about?" he wondered, surprised she would think that something's wrong.

"Robin, you are my very best friend," Kori reassured. "I know you pretty well by now; something seemed to be bothering you. You just need to tell me what that something is."

"Ya'know inheriting the Wayne Enterprise isn't really something I'm looking forward to," he admitted. "Earlier in class today, Mr. Wilson was having us discuss where we saw ourselves in the future. Lucky me… I was fortunate enough to be paired to Kitten Moth and her current boy toy, Xavier Redd. They had something going with their lives, or at least that's how they played it off… and there I sat, not knowing how to answer the questions on the sheet of paper. All I could answer with was pretty much 'The Wayne Enterprise' or 'taking after the old man'… and that isn't how I wanted to answer…"

Looking at Richard in wonder and awe, Kori smiled to herself. Talking about the future was something the couple was never able to do; Richard liked to focus on things past and present – never the future. The future always seemed to scare him too much; it was just the thought of the unknown. After all, at a younger age, he believed that he'd still be a part of The Flying Graysons even in the distant future, but that dream fell through the cracks the night of his parents' murder.

"Well," Kori tried, "we know what you don't want to do with your life, right? So… let's work with that. What are some other things you know that you absolutely don't want to do?"

"Acrobatics…" Richard responded instantly. "I never want to have to be in a trapeze act…"

Richard watched as Kori reacted in the most usual way possible: confused. He never explained to her what happened to his parents and he never wanted to. He was thankful that she never bothered to ask either.

"Okay," she responded with a curt nod. "Anything else you don't want to do?"

Richard looked out to the horizon; was there anything else he really didn't want to do with his life? He was enrolled in all of these leadership type organizations for a reason, right?

"I'm not so sure," he replied stolidly.

"Well," Kori went on, "is there anything you think you want to do?"

"Starfire," Richard explained, "I'm a lost cause! There's nothing I could possibly be good for-."

"I know I have probably told you this numerous times before – and I'm almost positive you've heard this from the upperclassmen in your Student Leadership course – but you're a natural born leader," Kori reminded. "Anyone with eyes could see that; everyone at school saw the way you rallied up JC High's Leaders of Tomorrow when Mr. Zanderfield was away on his honeymoon. That was during our freshman year, too! All the upperclassmen wanted to elect you as President of the entire student body after that!"

"Well-."

"You know, I could go on for hours – days even – on how amazing you truly are. And regardless of what you say," Kori stated, "Gar, Rae, Vic and I know that your determination and strength are enough to get you anywhere, Richard Grayson. Don't ever forget that…"

Letting Kori's words sink into his mind, Richard smiled. "What about you, huh?" he asked. "What about your future?"

"What about you and yours?" she giggled. "I asked you first!"

"Yea," Richard replied. "So what? You've been doing all the asking; my turn now. So spill, Anders… you and your future, right here, right now."

Kori laughed as she and Richard continued to talk about their futures. It was late in the afternoon while the two of them sat in the park across their high school. The sun was just about to set as Kori answered Richard's question.

"I told you when we first met that I was an aspiring actress, right? Well, the only reason nothing's really happened yet is because of my anxiety. I have these really bad attacks right before an audition or just when my emotions become too much to handle. Koma's always telling me that these attacks are nothing to worry about; she's always explaining to me how these things cannot kill someone… but she seems to always fail to remember that a lot of our family – including Mom and Dad – died because of these attacks…

"I hope to someday overcome my anxiety so that I may be able to pursue my dreams of becoming an actress," Kori explained. "My parents believed in me. Uncle Galfore and Ryan believe in me. I think Koma believes in me… haha… I can never be too sure with her-."

"I believe in you too, Star," Richard blurted out.

"What?"

"I believe in your dreams just as much as the rest of your family does," Richard reinstated. "Koma included. I support you."

"That's another thing," Kori said with a dreamy smile.

"What is?" Richard asked, ignoring the vibrations coming from his phone. If anything it was probably just Bruce texting to see where he was or what he wanted to eat later.

"I want to see you in my future," Kori responded happily as she rested her head on Richard's shoulder. "I know that high school relationships aren't really meant to be taken seriously, but I don't know so much about that saying anymore… Promise me that even if we're not dating after high school… promise me that you'll still be around."

"Kori," Richard said, smiling, "I-"

Just then, Richard's phone went off. "Hello? Oh… yeah. Sorry about that, Bruce. I just assumed you were asking what I wanted for dinner."

Kori watched as Richard walked over to the park's welcome sign. She did not want to pry into a private conversation between Richard and his adoptive father. After all, whatever it was they were talking about, it sure seemed to be important.

"Look, Kori," Richard sighed sadly, "I have to go. Bruce really needs my help with something in the… office right now."

"Wait!" Kori called out as Richard jumped onto his motorcycle. "What about my question?"

"I'm not so sure," Richard responded to the lady on the other line. "I should be able to drop by a little before 4:30 later this afternoon. My name? Dick Grayson… yes, ma'am. Of course… yeah, that's me. Oh… uh-huh. Yes, ma'am; they're for her… thank you so much for your help and your time."

Richard had just ordered eleven yellow roses for the girl of his dreams. However, he knew deep in his heart that no amount of flowers could fix the damage he had done. Yet, at the same time, Richard knew that all Kori would truly care about was the fact that someone cared.

"I'm leaving tomorrow night," Kori whispered. "This is my one-way ticket to freedom, Richard! I have to leave you… I'm sorry."

Richard swiftly looked away from Kori as her manicured hands took hold of his fidgeting ones; she wasn't actually going to get up and leave Jump City, right? He took a glance at the hands interlaced with his; already his freshman year had taken a turn for the terrible and, by the looks of it, things were about to get even worse.

"Where the hell do you intend on going?" Richard remarked. "You just moved to the States a couple of years ago; you know nothing about the world outside of Jump City! If anything, you know the stories I tell you about Gotham City, but that's all the way on the East Coast! So, tell me, Kori Anders, where the hell do you expect to go?"

"Wherever my feet – and that train – decide to take me," Kori replied, still holding Richard's cold hands. The date was May 14, 2001 – Richard Grayson and Kori Anders's one year anniversary as a couple. The two were originally supposed to have a picnic together by the beach, but instead, Kori was now breaking the news of her departure to her best friend/boyfriend. "What's wrong, Robin?"

"It's nothing," lied Richard. "I'm just... I have to sit through a meeting with Bruce and some hotshots from the Wayne Enterprise. Then, I have a Geometry test and an English final the morning after… I don't know, Kori. I'm just worried."

"I worry about you all the time," Kori confessed, "but you usually come through in the end."

"I'm not so much worried about myself than I for someone else," Richard said, eying Kori.

"Look, if this is about Victor's depression," Kori stated, "just give him some time. I'm sure he'll get over what happened to his car. He should just be thankful that he and Karen were safe. After all, they came out of that accident without a scratch."

"It's not Vic," Richard sighed. "At least not mostly, it isn't."

"If this is about Rae and Gar's relationship," Kori suggested, "don't you worry your pretty little head about that one. Terra is just a bump in the road for their friendship. If anything at all, she might even be that stepping stone that brings those two closer together romantically."

"Kori!" Richard shouted, letting go of his girlfriend's hands. "I'm worried about you! I care too much about you to let you get up and go like that! You can't just run away from your home life… Kori, if you want, I can even arrange something with Bruce so that you can stay in the guest house… please… just don't go."

Kori smiled faintly to herself as she quickly embraced Richard. Though the two of them had never exchanged the infamous "I love you" lines in their crazy friendship-turned-relationship, just knowing that Richard cared about her was basically enough.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: One more chapter to go before moving right along with this story. Excited? I know I am! Lemme know what you guys think of the updates and revisions, si? Anyhow, this chapter was rewritten and republished on August 7, 2012.

Thanks again for reading! Review, review, review!

~ May Vulcan