Seized With Life

by Lord Malachite

Chapter 12-The aftermath of Raven's outburst finds Jinx ministering to Terra, but the blonde is happier in the realm of her fantasies than in that of the cold dark reality lying in wait for her. Meanwhile, Raven approaches Robin about a way to end the ongoing drama surrounding the raising of their daughter, Rain-if he can bear the cost. RobxRae eventual BBxTerra Updated 6/25/14

3. The Human Stain: When The Past Is A Pres

Chapter Three: The Human Stain, Part Two: When The Past Is A Present

It was with trepidation yet purpose that Raven followed her most recent order. A wide range of emotions carried their voices in her head and she did her best to set them aside. Emotions were already running high between Beast Boy, Terra, and Robin regarding the blonde and what her fate might me. Bringing her own into the situation could only result in chaos.

Still, Robin could be so stubborn when he decided on something. Especially when he felt that things were at stake. He still blamed himself for Terra becoming a pawn of Slade. And what was more frightening was that he didn't bother denying it. Mistakes were something that he hated. But he was far more forgiving of her and the other members of the team than he ever was of himself. Part of her understood. You can't help someone else's mistakes, and the five of them worked coherently as a team. It was rare that something negative occurred where the blame fell squarely on any of them.

But Robin carried every mistake, every failure with him as though it was a cross to bear. Herself, Raven knew the value of learning from one's mistakes. Robin took it to a new extreme. And it seemed to be compounded with Terra. Indeed, the dichotomy was a bit striking. The Terra they had originally encountered was fun loving and projected confidence even when she wasn't feeling it. She played well with the team, and that had made her easy to accept. And easy for her to betray.

This new Terra was different. She was tearful and afraid. Indeed, Raven even felt a little sorry for the girl. She had been better off in ignorance. For whatever reason, she had been given a new life. Who were they to interrupt it? Now, Raven could sense the girl's roiling emotions through her empathy. Nothing like the time they had clashed in battle, Terra was now frightened and insecure, and she was latching onto Robin in a manner that Raven wasn't sure was entirely healthy. There was not the slightest doubt in Raven's mind that joining their two psyches together would fundamentally change the Boy Wonder. And there would be no reset button. There was no greater form of unity than what the two were about to share. Physical love, sex, was a poor substitute for literally being inside of someone's consciousness, touching the private, intimate parts of one another's minds in a way that would be otherwise impossible.

It was not something Raven would normally recommend even among two people who were both physically and emotionally bonded already. To do what Robin intended now with a girl as potentially unstable as Terra was simply unthinkable. How could he be so reckless? The thought of what was about to occur caused a tightness in her chest. He was going away from them, from her…and what would he become when he came out of the bond?

Raven carried herself with renewed purpose when she entered the room where final preparations were taking place. Robin was her friend. She had to get him to listen to her. Fortunately, her eyes saw a potential ally in the debate, hovering excitedly around the throne like chair Terra was currently sitting in.

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Starfire seemed to be positively glowing, circling Terra excitedly. "You will see Friend Terra! Robin will help you bring your memories back, and we will all be proper friends again! I will be sure to make a large bowl of Pudding of Remembrance, so that we may all tell stories of the good times we shared and the ones we will soon be able to make."

Terra arched an eyebrow, looking confused, while Cyborg stayed out of Starfire's vision and made a silent gagging gesture to indicate what he thought of Starfire's cooking. The effect caused the younger girl to giggle. "I hope we have something to celebrate, Starfire."

Beast Boy squeezed her hand. "Of course we will Terra. No matter what, we won't give up on you."

"Thank you." She told him earnestly, kissing the green animorph's cheek.

"No problem!" Beast Boy blushed, looking as though he were about to melt. It was a sight that made a warm, pleasant feeling spread throughout Robin. Terra was denied that chance to be truly happy once before. If he could truly bring her back, maybe this time, that couple could finally be allowed to grow healthily.

Cyborg finished fine-tuning the mental map that had been created earlier in the day. "Okay, I think we're all set on this end. We're going to hook you up again, but this time, the machine is just going to track where you and Robin go in your mind and monitor the activity. The rest will be up to you." He explained.

"You mean this thing can't just…make me remember?" Terra asked.

"Not exactly. We might be able to help the process along if we find what we're looking for, but I don't think it's a good idea to start randomly peeling away at your mind." He smiled.

"Thanks." Terra nodded, grateful at how everyone was treating her with care.

Robin spoke up. "It's okay to be scared. But don't let it overwhelm you. Remember, I'll be with you inside every step of the way. And everyone else will be right here while it's happening. If anything looks like it's going wrong. Raven will terminate the link."

Jinx sat dejectedly in a folding chair several feet away. "I've been good and quiet." She pleaded her case. "Now can you please tell me what we're doing?"

Robin sighed, glancing at Cyborg, who shrugged as though it didn't matter to him. "We're helping an old friend." Robin told the pink haired witch.

"And where do I fit in?" she asked earnestly. "Let me do something."

"I figured you'd just be happy to get out of prison for one night." Robin admonished. "I told you earlier, I brought you as insurance. There's a few variables at work here none of us can be completely certain of. I'm hoping you'll be able to stop things at a moment's notice if we need it."

Jinx cocked half a smile. "So you'll fight bad luck with bad luck?"

"Something like that."

"At least I have something to do. I guess that means I'm on standby?"

"Right."

Jinx blew out a breath, which traveled upwards, mottling her already disheveled hairdo. "It still beats a night in jail. Just say when." She resigned herself to having a minimal role. It was so frustrating to not be taken seriously, but the Titans were her best chance at making something of herself. She had worked on honing her powers for too long to rot away doing nothing. And, she had to admit, it was something of a rush to be one of the good guys back when the Brotherhood of Evil was rising. She still wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk off of Madame Rouge's face. Sometimes, she hesitated. But maybe she really could have done a lot better as a heroine all alone.

Robin looked over to see that Starfire and Raven had stepped aside for a private conversation. Grimacing, he had a pretty good idea what it was about.

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"Starfire, talk to him. You two are close. He'll listen to you." Raven pleaded.

"I do not understand why I should dissuade Robin from helping our friend." The orange skinned Tamaranian continued to look puzzled. "Is he not doing a good thing for Terra?"

"I'm all for helping Terra." Raven explained. "But this is a very intimate thing Robin is about to do." Raven tried to explain.

"I understand. But we must let him try."

"This is someone we know, Starfire. And he's going to join with her. Would you feel the same way if Robin and I were to do the same thing."

"If it were necessary for either of you, I would understand. I trust Robin. He feels that this is what he must do. It would be wrong of me to hold him back from this. I understand that this means that Robin will become close with another girl. But I cannot believe that he would no longer desire me to be his mate because of this. The hurt it would cause to Beast Boy would be great."

"That's one of the things I'm worried about." Raven said. "This could change everything, Starfire. When a man and a woman share their bodies with each other, it creates a bond that can't ever be undone even if they later part ways. Try to imagine how much stronger that bond is when sharing mind and heart. The things you take away from each other, they can change you."

Starfire nodded, showing apprehension but refusing to back down. "I understand what you are saying. You are a good friend, Raven. To both Robin and myself. Now we both must be good friends to him…and trust him. I know that you will take care of both Robin and Terra when you aid their joining. I trust Robin. And I also trust you." The alien placed a hand on her shoulder.

Raven felt a degree of shock at what her friend had admitted so freely. Starfire was scared. But she was willing to trust.

"Raven." Robin walked over to the girl, taking her right hand in his and gently lacing fingers, the material of his gloves feeling tight and slick against her daintier skin. "I'll be okay. Trust me not to be lost…and trust yourself to pull me back."

Something inside of Raven seemed to click. His earnest plea for help, the strength and gentleness of his hand in hers, his desire to make a difference…these were the things that had caused her to confide in him when Slade's had first returned as Trigon's herald. Robin had trusted her to the end, believed in her through it all, even when she had stopped believing that she could be anything more than the embodiment of a dark prophecy. This time, it was Robin asking her for the power to help someone else. How could she go on denying him? "Don't get too comfortable with her." Raven told him sarcastically. "You'll make Beast Boy jealous." It was hard to see unless you knew what to look for, but to Robin, there was no mistaking her wry smile and sarcastic joke.

"I won't." He said, placing a hand over his heart in a kind of mock seriousness. "I'm not that kind of guy."

Starfire wrapped him in a hug, "You will be careful." Her words were posed as something halfway between a question and a command.

"Very." Robin smiled for her.

Cyborg wheeled a stretcher borrowed from the medical bay towards the chair Terra sat in. "Okay, Robin, you lie here and we'll strap Terra in. Then we let Raven do her thing."

Terra nervously spoke. "I'm afraid."

"I know." Robin told her gently, hopping onto the stretcher, he pulled off his gloves, grateful that Beast Boy had taken her hand and was gently rubbing it. "We're here for you. We're going to help." He laid back as the stretcher was wheeled directly next to the chair. Reluctantly, Beast Boy released her hand, and Cyborg strapped the girl's arms and wrists in place.

"We just want to make sure that you don't start going wild on this end, or fall out. If you and Robin succeed, all those memories coming back might be a little overwhelming."

"Here." Robin stated, letting his arm dangle off the stretched next to her left arm. "Take my hand. No matter what happens to either of us in your mind, don't forget that it's all in your head. I'm right here."

Terra had little room to maneuver, but she was easily able to grasp Robin's proffered hand, grateful for something to hold onto. "Thank you."

"Just relax, Terra." Robin advised her. "Raven?"

The sorceress' cloak billowed behind her as she stood at the head of the stretcher, placing her right hand on Robin's forehead, she extended her left arm and placed the other hand on Terra's head. Nevermore itself seemed to quake with a maelstrom of emotion. Stop this madness. It is dangerous. We must do our best. You know how this will end. You will lose him. Terra can't be saved. Terra will be saved. She will take him from you. She must be made whole. You must try harder. Robin is ours!

Instantly, Raven sought the void, quelling the cacophony within herself and focusing only on the feel, the essence, of Robin and Terra's souls. Carefully, she let the bridge between the two form, going through her own being without interference, like a river passing under a bridge. Her amethyst eyes widened as she felt her charges begin to merge, and then a quiet emptiness—as though Robin and Terra now existed within a bubble that she could see inside but not touch.

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"Robin?" Her voice seemed to echo, like she was in some kind of chamber, her voice reverberating off of every wall, reverberating. She squealed at the presence of a hand on her shoulder, but relaxed when she realized it was only Robin, staying with her as he had promised. "Robin! Where are we?"

"I think we're in our minds. Or, more like our mind now. Close your eyes and reach out with your thoughts."

The blonde girl nodded, doing exactly that, gasping when she felt a foreign presence that was somehow alien, and yet somehow agreeable. Gentle ripples of thought seemed to bump against her like waves in a kiddie pool, and it was as though she could inhale his scent. "Robin…"

The masked teen felt as though he were in a wave of sunlight, memories and experiences flowing into him from Terra. School friends, family…she was so normal, and happy. Or at least she had been before meeting them. Were they doing the right thing?"

Terra felt her experiences opening up to the boy, and again her breath caught at how much he was seeing….she recoiled as the unbidden memory of getting her first period in school seemed to play out in slow motion around them. She buried her face in her hands. "I feel so naked." She expressed, shrieking in horror when, as if heeding her thoughts, her clothes dissolved.

"Terra, take control!" Robin told her, doing his best to keep her in sight without directly looking. The blonde screwed her eyes shut in some kind of concentration, clinging to her familiar school memories and drawing upon them to form her school uniform around her.

"I…I'm okay…I think…"

"I'm here." Robin told her. Concentrating on his own thoughts, he reached out for the girl, gently pulling her. Robin kept his thoughts on something familiar, thinking of the common room at Titans Tower, the roaring fires on cold winter nights in Wayne Manor, warm, pleasant things that could quell the girl's nervousness. With a nearly audible pop, the two worlds seemed to become one.

Terra opened her eyes, confirming indeed she know had the familiar white dress blouse and blue checkered skirt from the private academy she attended. The schoolyard was alive with her classmates playing, and she could see her friends coming towards her. Everything was the way it was supposed to be…until that beautiful day, that horrible day, that damned first day that Beast Boy had asked her to go out with her for pizza after school. The wind rustled through the trees, and Terra looked towards her favorite oak, eyes widening as she saw that half of the oak was rooted in the ground, while the other half appeared to have been dug into marble floor. Beyond the tree were two oversized chairs, and a roaring fireplace. There was a window on the other side of the room, snow falling outside of it, in obvious contrast to the warm, sunny day that enveloped Terra in the schoolyard.

Cautiously, she stepped towards the room-that-was-not-a-room, hesitantly allowing one of her shoes to strike the marble floor, the sound of it echoing. Reassured that it was real, she stepped inside, looking up in wonder as suddenly, it was as though there was a roof above her, though behind her, she could still see clearly into schoolyard.

Robin arose from one of the chairs that was facing the fire, adding a log to it and using the poker to push it properly into the hearth without burning himself."Robin…" Terra whispered in sheer marvel, moving towards the window to see the snow piling up. "What is this?"

"Wayne Manor." Robin told her simply. "This was a place I sort of grew up in. Of all the rooms, this one was my favorite. This is where I liked to do my homework or relax. There was nothing more comfortable than sitting in front of this fireplace until bedtime on a cold winter's night. Sometimes reading, sometimes talking, sometimes, we even listened to this old-fashioned radio. There was a station that would rebroadcast radio dramas and sitcoms from the 40's, and we would just sit there, listening, sharing our enthusiasm for the stories…it was nice."

"We?" Terra asked. "With your parents, you mean?"

"I…no." Robin spoke softly, memories he didn't want to think on at the moment coming unbidden to him.

Above, Terra could hear the roar of a circus crowd, the ceiling was gone, now stretching on seemingly forever to the peak of a circus tent. On a series of trapeze swings and high wires, an acrobatic trapeze act was unfolding. Robin looked up, a scene playing out before him, and his heart ached. If only he could have…

No! Robin centered his thoughts and emotions, willing the circus act to vanish. "We're here fot you, Terra. Never mind about me."

"Robin, what happened-"

"Nothing you or anyone else can do anything about. Let me help you, please."

"Where do we go?"

"I'm going to take us to a place from my mind. If you're our Terra, it should be in yours somewhere as well. He joined hands with the blonde girl.

High upon the branch of the schoolyard tree, a black raven cawed forlornly, its red eyes watching intently.

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The ravine was a place that Robin had trouble forgetting. After all, it was the place that she had first come into their lives. Like a breath of fresh air, Terra seemed to fill in a while that he'd never really noticed was there on the team. She was fun like Beast Boy, determined like Raven, kind like Starfire...it was as though she were the answer to a prayer each of them had but none of them asked. How could something so right have gone so wrong?

Robin opened his eyes, slowly releasing his charge as he took a look at the vision around them. "We're here."

Terra looked out, seeing the rock formations stretch onward. "Robin? What is this place?"

"This is where we first met, all of us." Robin told her, listening to the wind running through the caves and tunnels, picking up dirt in places.

"I don't like it." Terra shuddered, drawing closer to her costumed friend. "Something about this place feels wrong to me. She clutched at him tightly, like a child with a teddy bear.

"Remember, it's all in our minds. You're still holding my hand out there. You won't lose me."

"Why did you bring him here?" A desperate but unmistakable voice called out, echoing among the rocks. It was enough to make poor Terra even more clingy.

"I knew this place wasn't right." She sniffed.

"You will ruin everything, everything!"

Robin stiffened, unwilling to allow this to continue. "I brought her here, Terra. It's you, isn't it?"

"Leave us be. We have paid for our sins."

"Then come back to us." Robin persisted. "We want you to come back to us."

"There is no place for us anymore. Take her back. She is happy now. She is free of me. Seek me no further."

"I seek the friend of the Teen Titans. We don't care about what's passed. We care about the future."

"We told Beast Boy no."

"You'll find me more stubborn."

"You will take her back as she is, or you will not go back."

Terra pleaded with her partner. "Robin…"

The masked boy held up his free hand to quiet her, preferring to speaking directly to the mysterious voice. "She wants to know the truth. Won't you share it with her?"

"Let us decline in peace, Robin. We have used the last of our strength to give her a life free of the burden."

"It's a life that's a lie!"

"A lie is better than the truth."

"It will destroy her." Robin said angrily. "You're killing her, even as we speak. You can't ask her to go back and live a lie."

"Beast Boy would not relent. He has poisoned us."

"Come out, Terra."

"We do not wish to return."

Robin didn't think it was possible, but an additional, much more dreadful voice added itself to the mix. " Oh, but you must, Terra."

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Back in Titans Tower, Cyborg examined Terra's psychograph closely. A few minutes ago, it had started to spike, but now it seemed to be increasing exponentially. Cyborg frowned at the readings. From as far as he could tell, Robin had taken the girl off the map as it were, perhaps to a place he could remember but she could not. Something seemed to be going on, but he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad. Sparing a glance at the patients, he noted that Raven seemed to be in some kind of intense concentration within her role as the conduit between the two minds, but it didn't look as though she were trying to break the bond.

Wondering if he was making a mistake but wanting a second pair of eyes that might be useful, Cyborg asked his question. "Hey, Jink!" He called across the room. "Mind taking a look at something for me?"

The pale witch looked at Starfire for assent, and then made her way across the room, swaggering her hips. "Miss me, Stone?" She asked with a tease, enjoying the uncomfortable reaction she got out of the largest Titan. "Relax, I'm just having a little fun." She smiled. "Believe me, I've got enough boy problems at the moment. So what's up?"

"I figure it's a longshot, but I was wondering if you knew anything about psychographs?"

"Not per se, but I'm not helpless around electronics. I had to get some experience under my belt—it was always way too much trouble if Gizmo was unavailable." She shook her head. "Why did I ever get stuck with such a bunch of losers?" She lamented, studying the display. Deciding she wasn't sure she wanted Cyborg to answer that, Jinx quickly shifted the discussion away from herself. "If I'm reading this right, Bird Boy and Goldilocks are off the grid."

"Which means I have no idea where in Terra's mind they are."

"They could be in his." Jinx offered. "I can tell from the psychograph that wherever they are, something's happening. I wonder if it's good or bad."

"I'm hoping good. Whatever it is, Raven isn't trying to stop it."

Jinx nodded. She couldn't help it. It was awkward helping them. It wasn't even about being good or bad anymore, these were still the same heroes she had locked horns with countless times. Standing next to Cyborg now and not trading threats, insults, and attacks felt surreal. But, it also meant that things in her life were changing. She was finally seeing the outside of her prison cell. She had been offered a real chance to prove herself. Standing against her former comrades in that gigantic free-for-all with the Brotherhood of Evil had been easy. Doing the right thing was easy when everyone else was doing it too. But when the time had come to do the right thing by herself, she had lashed out, lapsing into old habits. The worst part of it was that it hadn't even felt fun. And now she was paying the price for it. Where could you go when you alienated both the villains and the heroes.

Cyborg could sense the coquettish witch's brooding, and for some reason, felt like he should do something. "Hey," Cyborg offered. "So you screwed up once. It happens. Beating yourself up over it isn't going to change what happened. What you should focus on is what you really want to do with the rest of your life."

"It's hard, okay?" She said quietly. "Look, all I'm really good at is evil. It's what I do. I bring bad luck, I break things, I turn the tables. It's an evil power."

"No, it's not."

"Spare me the platitudes, okay? I don't need them."

"It's not your power, Jinx, it's what you do with it. You just have to give yourself the chance to be more."

"I can't just bury my past with one or two good deeds."

"No one said you could. So keep doing good things. Not for us, not for Kid Flash, but for yourself. The future's not written, you have the ability to keep changing it until the day someone throws dirt on your casket."

"Morbid much?" Jinx raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just trying to show you what you have. Look at me. My life could've been over after the accident that made me this way. Yeah, some days it's hard, and there are things I miss about being fully human, but it also means I'm unique. Long before I joined the Teen Titans, I used to be so angry all the time about what I was. Being with them helped me realize that maybe this was what I was always meant for. Maybe I had to lose all that other stuff I thought was so important to gain something else. You're not evil, and neither is your power. You just didn't give yourself the chance to be more. Start over now."

"Just like that?" She asked. "What about everything I've done?"

"What you've done isn't as important as what you do going forward. You know, almost everyone we fight has some kind of story about how they became a villain. It seems only fitting if you have a turning point story on how you became a hero. You have way too much potential to waste on getting your butt kicked."

"Why is everyone taking such an interest in my future lately?"

"Because we want you to be more. And we know you want it for yourself, too. Stop thinking about the past and start planning for the future. Maybe give Kid Flash a call? Start over? Look, I'm not defending what he did, but why not sit down and tell him how it made you feel. You know he cares. I'm willing to bet you can have him eating out of your hand. And if not, well, maybe he just needs a little bad luck to make him realize what he's missing out on."

Jinx shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this." She looked up at the taller man's smiling visage, and she couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her own face. "But I'll try."

"We've got until midnight before we have to get you back. Maybe when this is over, we could try calling Kid Flash and you two can work it out."

Jinx wasn't good at showing gratitude, but Cyborg was pretty sure she mumbled something akin to a thank you. He turned his attention back to the instrument readout. A moment later, Jinx did too. She was smiling.

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"Slade." Robin said darkly, as his most hated nemesis appeared, and Robin assumed a fighting stance. Slade spread out his hands in front of him.

"Please, Robin, let's not be so predictable. There is nothing either of us can do here of any consequence. Although the irony is not lost on me. My two apprentices, now joining together as one. An unintended consequence to be sure. May I give the bride away?"

"You're not getting your hands on her again, Slade."

"But you see, Robin. I already have. Did you think it would be so easy a second time. When you left my services, I was forced to decide on something more permanent when I recruited our dear, sweet, young Terra."

"What have you done to her?"

"I am what I've done to her. Or, rather, what Slade has done to her. Have you forgotten so easily, Robin? Slade can't really be here, this is her mind, and yours."

"Then who are you?"

"Think of me as a little part of Slade he left in Terra—something to remember him by. I've been roaming her memories and consciousness since she first started working for me. How do you like the new one, by the way? The original I can show you, but you might not like what you see."

Terra seemed to stiffen a bit. The grim visage of Slade seemed to chill her. She wanted to hide, bury her face in Robin's chest and not let go until she was safe. But this was what she wanted. She had to know the truth, no matter what it took. She promised herself she wouldn't back down.

"Show me." Robin demanded. Slade pointed to a cave above and to the side of them. "You first." The Titans' leader insisted.

"As you wish." The masked criminal took a brisk stride to the rockface, pulling himself upwards. Robin thought it seemed odd. Slade, or this version of him, did not seem to possess the same attitude or concerns or even mannerisms of the real thing. He seemed bored with the situation, resigned to a certain inevitability. Robin followed closely, helping Terra along, pulling her upwards when necessary. It was not a high climb, but still treacherous in a few places.

Slade stood to the side of the cave entrance, gesturing inside. "You shouldn't have come, Robin. You shouldn't have brought her here. I know full well the extent to what Slade has done to her."

"Since when do you care?" asked Robin.

"Her mind is my home. If it goes, I go. I have followed the parameters of my programming to preserve myself. But I prefer not to destabilize the only home I have."

"You'd betray your own master for the sake of your own survival. You really are like a part of him."

"My fate is sealed either way. I don't have the ability to betray. But I interpret my orders as I see fit."

Robin walked into the cave, stopping when he realized Terra's advance was being halted by Slade. "Let go." The girl pleaded, trying in vain to get loose.

"You should not have come. She used the last of her strength to make you. A very clever girl."

Robin shook with anger. "Slade. Let her go. We're finishing this."

Slade removed his hand from the girl's shoulder, and she quickly ran towards our hero. "Be careful you don't finish her entirely."

Robin took Terra's hand and gently led her forwards with him. Her tension seemed to feed into him in waves, and he laced his fingers with her own, trying to reassure her that he would not leave her alone in this place. The two journeyed further into the rock, and Robin wished himself a flashlight, conjuring one with his imagination. He activated the beam, and the voice seemed to come much stronger now, so close.

"You're hurting her by doing this. Let her go back!"

"It's too late for that, Robin responded, continuing to walk forward.

"Stay away, Terra! There is only pain here!"

Finally, Terra spoke, squeezing Robin's hand for support. "Life is pain. I can't live a life that isn't real."

"I gave you a life free of me. Why did you let him into it?"

"Beast Boy just felt…right, somehow."

"I got rid of him for your own good. You not only reopened the door, but you brought HIM with you. Have we not disappointed HIM enough? You will stop!"

"No." Terra spoke strongly. "I won't. If this is who I am then this is who I am. I won't try to pretend to be someone else. I won't ignore who I am. Even if there is pain…I want to be complete."

"You do not understand what you ask."

"Robin protects me."

There was a sound of a laugh, but it contained no mirth. If it were possible for a laugh to sound sorrowful, that was what the teenagers heard. "Has he told you what I did to him?"

Robin spoke up. "It doesn't matter. What about what you did for us?"

"Don't give me credit for fixing the mess I created in the first place." She hissed.

Terra ran forward, unwilling to wait any longer. "Show yourself to me!" She called, her voice reverberating off the walls. "I'm not running away! Make us whole!"

Robin ran after her, nearly bumping into Terra when the girl stopped in a narrow passage that opened into a slightly wider room. The girl stared inward with her eyes widened in shock, and she dropped to her knees at the sorrow that overcame her. Robin looked beyond her, letting his eyes fall upon what had had such an effect on her. Within the chamber, on a makeshift stone slab, lay Terra, the original Terra that had brought such wonder and horror to the Teen Titans. Her body looked broken, her back arched at a wrong angle, her apprentice uniform cracked and torn away, holes appearing in places they shouldn't. Unable to do anything else, Robin moved past the Terra on her knees, and to the broken girl from the past. "Let us help you, Terra."

The wretched girl coughed. "You can't just forget the things that I've done."

"But we can forgive. All of us forgive, Terra. We won't leave you here like this. I failed to help you once. I won't abandon you a second time. Come back with us."

"Everything that is good about me you have in her. Travel light. Leave the mistake behind. She'll never hurt anyone again. All the power is held within me."

"Beast Boy needs you." Robin pleaded. "Don't push him away. I won't pretend it's easy, won't tell you it'll just be okay. But we will take every step with you. Try just one more time."

"I will kill her."

Slowly, the other Terra got off her knees, staggering towards her remnant in disbelief. "I will heal you. Neither of us is real without the other."

"You'll be lost. I cannot go on without my goodness."

"I cannot have a future without my past. I trust them." Terra wiped a tear from her eyes, rising to hold tightly to Robin. "I love him."

"Terra…" Robin tried to take a step backwards, but the girl refused, pulling him closer towards her.

"You said to be myself no matter what. She cares for Beast Boy. And I care for you. "

"I would be so lucky…" Robin told her, looking into her beautiful doe eyes. He stroked her hair gently, wanting so badly to say yes, knowing in his heart that even if he did, it could only end in sorrow. Unbidden, he heard a flock of bats take flight in the cave behind him, drawing him back to reality, and the lone caw of a raven, seeking out another.

Terra raised herself up onto her toes, tilting her head forward, her breath soft and hot against his cheek. "Just once." She asked, her voice barely even a whisper. "Let me give this to her."

"I-" Whatever protest Robin had been about to make was drowned out by her kiss. He wanted to pull away, he wanted to do what he knew was proper. The knight in shining armor was never supposed to take the princess. But in that moment he couldn't do anything. Not joined with her mind, not when he could feel every emotion she had buffeting him so gently, gently, and she was soft, so soft, so delicate and full of need, needing to be cared for. She was like blown glass, so fragile, so beautiful, so perfect…he would have given her anything in that instant, and he felt his heart crash in his chest. She needed him. But he couldn't be this for her. In that moment, he wanted to, but he knew it had to be different.

It was a moment that lasted forever. It was a moment that ended quicker than it began. Her lips were so feather soft, never demanding he give her more, never betraying her affection for wanton lust or desire. She pulled away with such innocence and grace, resting her head against his chest. "Don't tell Beast Boy." She whispered, clutching at his uniform. "Just this once, I needed to know, she needs to know that you forgive her, Robin. Just let me give this to her, help me let her know love."

Robin nodded, realizing that he was crying. He could always be stoic, always be detached, just like Raven. On his own, he would have been fine—but this girl's plight, her pain and suffering, her losses reminded him so much of his own. Raven had been right. He could get lost inside of her. In the end, she was too much like himself. He had just been the fortunate one—there had been someone to pull him back and help him focus his anger on something productive. "I'm so sorry." He told her, feeling like a lost child, her own fear and loss pummeling him.

"Don't be sorry for me. I'm going home. Just help us, Robin. When we're whole…"

"All of us will be there. I won't forget you. Or ignore her."

"Just tell Beast Boy to give me some time." Terra sniffed. "He means well, I just…"

"You need time before you can-"

"—Be what he needs." Terra smiled. Absently, she tugged at the collar of his uniform, where the armored material became more pliant. "Speaking of needs, you should not dismiss what you feel for your fellow bird." She smiled.

"I don't-"

"Robin, I've been in your heart now. Don't deny it to me. You only get one chance at something like this." She told him earnestly. "Give her time, but…don't let her run away either. If you miss out on her, you'll miss out on an adventure that will never come again."

"But…I don't know if Raven…"

Terra smiled warmly for him. "She will never speak of it openly. I guess that means you'll have to. You know her, Robin. So very well. And she knows you. Just go with it, a little more each day."

Terra kissed his cheek, then turned around to look at her past, the broken girl who looked up at her pitifully. She bent down next to the form of the apprentice, sensing how much pain and anger and hurt and sorrow and rage and loss burned inside of her. Could she really do this? Could she really merge with all this? "Robin…this is really going to hurt, isn't it?"

Robin shut his eyes, seeing the horrible way Terra had looked at him that day she tried to crush him with rocks as he tried in vain to reach her. But it was too little too late, then. "Yeah." Robin told her. "It is. Are you sure, Terra? None of us want to force you."

"It's what I want." She whispered, explaining herself. "As badly as you wanted to save Raven from her destiny…I want this. Because of you, I understand something now."

"What's that?"

Terra wiped a tear from her eye. "I need my pain." She wept again, wishing she could simply bury the hurt in him, let him rescue her as she knew he wanted. But she would not go backwards. "Robin?"

"Terra…"

"In another time…"

Robin saw the look in her eyes, asking for help she knew he could not give. It took so much willpower not to go to her, not to sweep her away to a happily ever after, promise her things he could never own up to but spend his life trying. She would not speak it to him, and he would not answer. "Another place…" he said, his voice quavering very uncharacteristically. He was succumbing to the spell of her emotions, and it was his own mind, his own reassurances, that kept him from being swept away. She never said the words, but Robin heard them reverberating through his mind over and over again, her last gift. "I would have been yours." Robin knew he never should have let it get this far, and he had to restrain himself from reaching out towards her. Wasn't this what he'd wanted? Why did it now seem so hard to let go.

"Thank you for everything. I love you, Robin." She turned her head towards her destiny, embracing the battered and scarred self left behind. "And I love you."

"Don't…" The apprentice Terra begged as the purer one stroked her other self's cheek.

"It's done."

Her eyes flashed yellow, beginning to sync into rhythm with her other's. With a flash of light, the Terra that Robin had come with glowed and vanished, becoming one with her counterpart, the mechanical suit beginning to repair itself as though it had never been damaged..

The cave walls began to shake with the form of a violent earthquake, and the restored Terra got to her feet shakily, assessing the teenage hero with a mixture of hatred and pity. She looked as though she could punch him, she could hug him, and any one of those things could have easily happened, had there not been a cave-in imminent. Terra stretched out her arms and concentrated in an effort to hold the walls up. "Go!" She barked, and though Robin greatly hesitated to leave her behind, images flashing before his eyes of her last desperate bid beneath Titans Tower all that time ago, he forced himself to remember that none of this was real.

Robin began a break for the surface, but instantly crashed into a metallic wall going by the name of Slade. "I never thought you would be successful. I'm afraid this means my time here will soon beat an end."

"Good. She deserves to be free of you."

"For now, perhaps." Slade told him. "But I'm sure that he's already begun another game, Robin. Be sure you're watching the chessboard." He turned his attention to the girl. "Terra! I have one last gift for you, my apprentice."

"She's had quite enough from you!" Robin threatened, moving to stand between Slade's form and the girl he had just come so far to unite.

Slade pushed the boy aside as though he were nothing, and through some trick Robin couldn't understand, ws able to keep the masked hero from even reaching her again. Robin watched in horror as Slade came up behind Terra as she focused on keeping the cavern intact. "I give you your life, Terra. May you relive it over and over again." With one fluid movement, he pulled his mask off, placing it onto the girl's face and pressing.

"No!" Robin screamed, but a shockwave that seemed to radiate outwards from the blonde girl and her assailant practically pushed him out of the enclosed space, and Robin felt himself running towards the surface. He exited into the sunlight, jumping off the Cliffside, tucking his legs for a roll when he hit the ground. Giving himself a once over to ensure that he wasn't too hurt, he quickly looked around, feeling the ground shake. How did he get out of here? As if in answer to his prayer, a lone black raven flew overhead, perching on a cliff in front of him momentarily before taking flight again. Raven. She was leading him out.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

"I'm not sure this is good…" Cyborg said worriedly, watching the psychograph beginning to chart off the scale. Something's happening. Something big!"

Jinx studied the map intently. "Where are they?" She asked frantically, not wanting to be useless when someone actually needed her.

The mystery was interrupted by a distinct and eerie scream coming from the chair. Reacting immediately, Starfire flew across the room, deeply concerned for her friends. Terra convulsed within her restraints, legs flailing, arms trying to rip free. Her grip on Robin's hand tightened with alarming, almost superhuman strength. Her scream echoed through the chamber as Robin came out of the trance, the world around him collapsing like a dream. He felt his wrist snap from Terra's raw turmoil, crying out himself as he now struggled to get his hand free before it was completely maimed.

Robin spared a glance at Raven, who seemed to still be working her way out of the bond, trying not to terminate it too quickly. Robin smiled. The goth had thrown him clear when she realized he was in danger—although having the connection to Terra yanked away so suddenly had left something akin to an echo in his mind. While no longer directly linked, it was as though all the things he had absorbed from her were manifesting themselves at once.

Beast Boy helped Robin get his hand free from Terra, replacing it with hers. "Dudes! What's wrong with her? Terra!" He cried, wanting to make it right. None of them were even sure what was happening to the girl, her eyes were wide and blank, a new scream starting every few seconds.

"What the hell's going on?" Robin asked, using his good hand to vault off the stretcher. He would have to tend to the crippled one soon.

Cyborg continued to frantically scan the readout with Jinx. "Wish I could tell you, Robin!" He called out. "Her brain activity is through the roof. What the hell happened in there? Did you succeed?"

"Yes, but I think Slade may have as well. Where is she?"

Jinx motioned for Robin to look at the mental map. "It changes several times a second, like she's everywhere in her head, or nowhere!"

"Great." Robin threw up his arms, wincing immediately at the intense pain from his broken wrist. "Looks like we may need some bad luck after all. I'm glad you're here."

"You mean as opposed to all the good luck you're having? Wait, did you just say that you're glad to have me here?" asked Jinx.

"I don't know, I've been so busy coming up with a plan I hadn't noticed." Robin smirked. If the situation weren't so dire, he might've laughed at how positively his comment had affected the young witch.

Unfortunately, all it took to drive him out of his reverie was the renewed anguish of Terra. "No….NO….OH PLEASE GOD NOOOOOOOO!" She screamed, the sounds emanating from her throat were absolutely horrific. No one in the room could look away—it was as though she were being simultaneously raped and murdered. She kicked with abandon, and Starfire struggled to subdue the poor girl, her arm and wrist muscles flexing, straining to break free of their restraints. Robin forced himself not to look away as Terra lost complete control of her body, unaware of her surroundings entirely as she lost all control of her bowels, messing herself, her horrid scream stopping only long enough for to vomit. Her head being attached to the machine, she was making a mess of herself, tears cascading down her face in rivers. Robin couldn't bear to see it. It was all his doing.

"For God's sake, Cyborg, let's get her a sedative before she kills herself!" Robin cried out.

"I'm on it!" Cyborg tore out of the room, heading for the medical bay.

Jinx stared wide-eyed in shock. She had never seen anything like this before, never made even the most obnoxious of heroes that had fallen into her clutches to know this kind of suffering. It was inhuman, and she truly felt sorry for this mystery girl. "I wouldn't even have wished this on Madame Rouge." She breathed.

"NO!" Terra continued to scream, her voice broken only by the coughing up of whatever remained in her stomach. "IT ISN'T REAL! YOU'RE ALL OKAY! DON'T LEAVE ME!" She shuddered and convulsed, and Beast Boy struggled to provide some measure of comfort, knowing in his heart that Terra wasn't really with them at the moment.

"Terra, we're here. We're okay." He pleaded with her, but the blonde girl could not hear him.

"I am needing more assistance!" Starfire called tentatively, losing the fight to keep poor Terra restrained

Raven opened her eyes with a start, coming out of her trance. She immediately recoiled, falling to her knees.

"Raven!" Robin called, willing Cyborg to return with something to quell Terra.

The hybrid looked up at him in a measure of desperation. Nevermore was shaking at its core from the unrelenting onslaught of Terra's emotions, every voice screaming to join in, the poor blonde girl's reverberating screams of anguish and horror acting as a battering ram to Raven's psychic control, slamming against her weakening defenses over and over and over again. Her empathy could only take so much. "Robin…"

"Hold on, Raven, I'm working on it."

"I'LL GET A DOCTOR!" Terra continued to wail, the tower itself beginning to rumble and shake. Robin was instantly glad for his decision to do this as far away from the ground as possible. "I'LL GET A DOCTOR…HE'LL FIX YOU…IT WAS AN ACCIDENT…DON'T STOP BEING MY PARENTS!" The helmet that attached to her head seemed to scream, and the psychograph itself bent off the charts, snapping.

"Jinx!" Robin yelled. "Hex the whole thing!"

The pink-haired girl didn't need to be told to make herself useful more than once. She threw a simple curse on the wiring that connected to the chair first, and unleashed one of her favorite hexes on the instrument panel in front of her, feeling quite proud of herself when it immediately sparked and shorted out, the entire front of the machine giving way, its innards spilling out onto the floor. Satisfied with her work, she moved over to the others. "I can take care of the helmet too." She offered.

"Thanks." Robin said, but first we need.

"Cyborg!" Beast Boy called as the burly man returned with a large medical kit.

"That's right. Now let's just hold the girl steady and we can let her down easy." Cyborg winced at how loud Terra had become.

Raven finally sank to the floor, crying out. This had to end now or there would be two troubled members of the team. Robin grabbed the sedative syringe from the medical kit, instructing Cyborg and Starfire to hold Terra still. "Beast Boy, swab her arm!" He called, and the changeling used and antiseptic wipe.

"I'm sorry, Terra." The green boy said softly. "It'll be okay, I promise."

The blonde still struggled to break free, but it was as though she had no idea of her surroundings, lost in a seemingly endless torrent of horrible memories. "Robin!" He heard Raven scream in the background. She was reaching her limit—it was now or never.

"Terra." Robin whispered. "You'll be okay…" He couldn't help staring into her vacant eyes as he stuck her arm with the injection.

"Why did you have to die?" She asked, her body beginning to go limp. "I didn't mean to hurt you Mom…Dad…it was an accident." She breathed, and her head lolled forwards, her body coming to rest at last.

Robin's own emotional bond to Terra, still very strong from their so recent bonding, caused him to stagger backwards. He felt as though he had just been hit by a freight train. He needed a break from all of it. Without waiting to be asked, Jinx shot a bolt from her fingertips at the helmet on the unconscious blonde girl's head, and a second at the restraints on the chair, freeing Terra, who collapsed into the waiting arms of Starfire and Cyborg. "Starfire." Robin croaked, hardly able to speak. He felt nauseous and beaten. "Take her to the medical bay. Can you clean her up, get her out of those dirty clothes?"

The Tamaranian's heart went out to her leader, but she was perceptive enough to know that there was no comfort she could offer him at this moment but to do as he asked. "I will take her right away." Starfire told him honestly, Cyborg helping to carry Terra.

Robin collapsed onto the floor, hardly able to think straight any longer. Jinx approached him hesitantly, feeling as though she were the only one who wasn't being bombarded with emotional distress. Raven was clearly in need of some recovery and peace now that Terra's emotional distress had finally stopped assaulting her. Beast Boy had very obvious feelings for the wretched blonde girl, clearly he was desperate to go to her, but the look Cyborg had given him caused the changeling to stay behind. And Robin was clearly feeling all sorts of anguish, due to his recent bond with the girl and seeing what effect it was ultimately having. Tentatively, Jinx reached out to him, offering her hand to help him stand. She knew the importance of good leadership from her time in the H.I.V.E. Five. "Hey, you okay?" She asked.

The leader of the Titans did not take her hand, but rather tore his own uniform, letting out a primal cry of rage and frustration. Never before had he ever let his team see him like this, but there were so many complex and powerful emotions running through his head and heart—half of them his, half of them Terra's, all of them real and intense and more than he could possibly bear at the moment.

"Not helping." Raven croaked, massaging her temples furiously. Forget meditation, she was looking at getting a sensory deprivation chamber to help rebalance herself when this was over.

"Enough!" Jinx yelled, grabbing Robin's shoulders and shaking him. "Come on, your team needs you, hero!" She slapped his face with the palm of her hand, not very hard, but enough to get his attention.

"Thanks." Robin coughed, pulling himself together. He accepted Jinx's hand this time, grasping it with his good one, allowing the girl to pull him up.

Jinx shrugged. "Just trying to be useful."

"You were Robin smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. Thank you."

She blushed a bit, turning away. Aside from Kid Flash, no one had ever thanked her for anything before. She decided that it was an agreeable sensation. "Yeah, well, you would've done the same."

Dusting himself off, Robin left the young witch's side and turned to Raven, paying Jinx's favor forward by helping his teammate up. Raven accepted his help, and as he pulled her to his feet, their eyes met. He could see the words in her eyes that she didn't speak for his sake, and felt ashamed. I warned you. Instead, she placed her hand on his shoulder hesitantly, and when he met her eyes again, something different was conveyed there, something neither of them could put into words. "I know." She said simply, but somehow, it was enough. She understood how much he was suffering. It was what she had tried to spare him from, after all.

Robin ignored it for now. "You going to make it?"

"Don't mind me if I meditate for most of tomorrow." She said, holding a hand up to her head. "We need to get your wrist looked at."

Robin looked down at his wounded hand. Terra had done a number on it. Fortunately, Raven could heal a lot of the damage…but first he had to endure having his wrist set in its proper place. Funny, compared to what he was feeling inside, the broken bones felt like a dull ache at best. "In a minute. Let's let Starfire get Terra cleaned up."

Lastly, Robin gathered his courage to face the person he found it hardest to look in the eye—Beast Boy. The team's diminutive jester brooded by himself in the corner. The words Terra had been speaking when Robin sedated her were still haunting Robin, he couldn't imagine what it was doing to Beast Boy, who adored the girl so openly. "Beast Boy." Robin kneeled down beside his friend and teammate. "I…Terra. She really needs a friend right now."

Beast Boy looked miserable, as though it was what he wanted more than anything in the world. "I'm not sure how." He sniffed. "I knew she had some trouble, some problems, but…"

"We'll talk in private." Robin told him. "Why don't you just go down to the medical bay and be there for her for now. She'll probably be asleep for quite some time. Maybe you could be a friend to her right now just by being there, show her that you're still her friend no matter what."

Beast Boy stood up to go, but stopped, turning back towards Robin. "How do I protect her from this?" He asked, begging Robin for an answer.

"We can't." The masked leader responded. "But all of us can show her that she's not going to go through this alone."

"I'll always stand by Terra." Beast Boy said, feeling some of the confidence he had back when he first learned the girl was still alive. "Thanks dude."

"Go on." Robin told him, encouraging him to be there for the girl he cared for above all others. Beast Boy didn't need to be told twice, and this time, he took off at a run, heading out the door and down the stairs.

Raven interrupted Robin's reverie as the changeling ran off. "Robin, your hand."

"Yeah, I suppose I do need it." The boy nodded. "Let's go down."

Jinx spoke up. "Um, I do need to get back to prison by midnight." She sighed. "Not that I want to, but the last thing I want is more time added to my sentence."

"Don't worry. I'll have Cyborg take you." Robin moved towards the door with Raven in tow, then stopped. "How's the food in prison?"

"A lot worse than the food at H.I.V.E. Academy was."

"Order yourself a pizza. Speed dial number one from the main phone in the common room. You remember how to get there?"

"Do I!" The girl practically tore out of the room, running past the remaining Titans like they were a speedbump.

Raven fixed her leader with a glare. "Feeling generous, I see."

"I got good faith out of her. I'm willing to give a little back. Maybe a lot." He suddenly grinned. "She did do us a favor."

"What are you planning?" Raven asked, putting a hand on Robin's shoulder to march him out the door.

"I'm thinking of calling in a favor from an old friend."

"You're like a kid taking in stray dogs."

"Maybe. But I also feel responsible. I think she's a good kid."

"Uh-huh." Raven deadpanned. "And I think you've done enough of the whole knight in shining armor bit for one night."

Robin's face darkened as he walked with his friend. "About that…can we talk in a little bit? There's something I need to say."

"Like that conversation we had back in my room?" Raven cocked an eyebrow.

Robin stiffened at her obvious meaning. "I-"

"Two o'clock alright? I'm guessing you won't be sleeping much tonight."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Half an hour later, Robin had just gotten off the phone with his mentor. His wrist still hurt, but Raven had helped him get it into a restraint to hold it in place. She couldn't repair the break itself, but she was able to heal the bruising. With that done, it didn't hurt so much anymore as long as he treated it very gingerly. He might be out of the action for awhile, but it was nothing that wouldn't heal if he was patient. Patience wasn't always one of his strong suits when it came to these sorts of things, but he would do his best. Tired but knowing the day wasn't yet over, Robin entered the alcove where Terra was stabilizing. She was still unconscious, and Robin was inclined to keep her that way for some time. Her poor mind had been through so much, not only the reintroduction of so many painful memories and experiences, but the difficulty of being bonded to his own and then ripped apart suddenly. Terra seemed to sleep fitfully, but true to his word, Beast Boy was at her side, holding onto her hand, trying to provide some measure of comfort. "Beast Boy." Robin acknowledged, glad to see him there. Robin's heart still went out to the fragile blonde girl. "How is she?"

"The same." His friend responded. "At least she's finally quieted down."

Instantly, the memory of how much Terra has suffered when Robin helped restore her memory came back to him. It made him want to be sick. "I'm sorry this happened." Robin told the green boy. "I didn't think it would all be perfect, but I never expected anything this bad."

"It's not your fault." Beast Boy nodded, and Robin knew from his tone that his friend would blame him if he could, perhaps even wished he could blame him. Robin understood that sentiment—it was always so much easier when there was someone or something you can blame. It seemed so unfair when there was nothing you could directly fault. Truthfully, Robin blamed himself, but that was a conversation that, hopefully, he could have with Terra herself when her mind was calm.

Robin collapsed into a chair, rubbing at his face with his good hand. He hated this. "I'm going to tick you off, Beast Boy. But I just want you to listen to me before you get mad."

The changeling blew a breath out from his mouth in exasperation. "Go ahead." He waved with his free hand.

Robin leaned forward, looking intently at his teammate. "Give her time. She's going through so much right now. She may be…apprehensive about you. About all of us. Don't take it personal. Give her space. Give her time. Most of all just be her friend, even when that means things not being how you'd like them to. In time, she'll come around."

There was silence for a long moment. Robin didn't know what else to say, and it was as though Beast Boy had no idea how to respond. Finally the changeling responded, speaking as though he were baring his soul.

"It's so hard." His words were quiet, as though he were afraid saying them aloud would make them more real. "Even now. She's lying right here and I miss her so much. I just…I just want to hold onto her and tell her…"

"…that you'll never let go, that she'll never have to be lonely again." Robin finished for him in a whisper.

Beast Boy blinked, turning away from Terra to look at Robin. "Dude?"

Robin held up an arm. "We were one, Beast Boy. And all I wanted to do was protect her. When we were bonded, I was able to realize how much she…" His voice trailed off, as Terra's humble plea came back to him as though he were still standing next to her, holding her, breathing her.

"Don't tell Beast Boy…"

Somehow, Robin found his center, releasing a breath he wasn't even aware he had begun holding. She was still so close in his mind, but looking at the girl lying on the bed, he couldn't have felt farther away from her in that moment if he tried. "…how much she needs our help." Robin said at length. "She cares for you." Robin explained. "Just…don't push. Let her set the pace."

Beast Boy nodded earnestly, understanding his meaning. "Thanks for helping her Robin. You didn't give up."

"No. I didn't." Robin stood up. Terra had been right. It was just like with Raven—he wouldn't quit even after she had. Why should this time have been any different? "You'll keep watch over her tonight?"

"I'll keep watch over her every night." Beast Boy said, and Robin nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think she would like that. Let me know if you need anything. I'll stay with her when you can't." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving what he hoped could eventually become a happy young couple to themselves. Again, Robin was feeling emotionally overwhelmed, a side-effect he knew too well from the bonding that would dissipate in time…but for now it was as though all things Terra invoked his instincts to protect the girl, and to cry for her plight. He steeled himself to do neither—she had a protector now, and he couldn't allow himself to break down until reaching the safety of his room. Breathing in and out several times to compose himself, Robin decided to head down to the common room. There was still more to be done.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Robin entered the common area to find Cyborg, Jinx, and Starfire sharing two pizzas. Jinx and Cyborg seemed to be working on a bottle of root beer between the two of them, while Starfire was washing her starch down with a medium-seized bottle of mustard. Aside from the guest in their midst, it looked like an ordinary night at home. It was almost easy to forget the drama and horror that had unfolded upstairs. Though he wasn't very hungry, Robin knew he should eat something, so he reached for a piece of sausage and mushroom pizza and poured a cup of root beer for himself.

"How are you feeling?" Starfire asked, placing her half-eaten slice of pizza onto a napkin, she looked at the Titan leader with great concern.

"I'm holding up." Robin said quietly. "I'll be okay, Starfire. It'll just take some adjusting."

Cyborg slid his chair back. "It's after eleven, Jinx. I almost hate to do it, but we'd better get you back."

Jinx drained her soda and put down the pizza crust she was gnawing on. "Yeah, well, I guess it couldn't last forever." She stood up. "Sorry if I was a pain earlier."

"You were most useful when we needed you." Starfire told the pink-haired girl. "We are most grateful for your assistance. If you would not mind it, I will be visiting you in your prison, Friend Jinx." Starfire embraced the pale girl, and Cyborg worried that her small frame would be crushed like a steamroller.

Jinx coughed when she was released, catching her breath from the alien's show of friendship. "You can visit if you promise not to hug me like that again." She stated, and the two shared a laugh as Starfire blushed at her strength.

"I don't know." Robin rubbed his chin, taking another bite of his pizza slice. "Something tells me you two might get used to each other."

"At least I'll finally have something to look forward to each week."

"I guess you will." Robin said coyly, finishing his slice just as the sound of the door chime went off. "Now I wonder who that could be?" Robin opened the door to find one of Jump City's finest and an Officer of the Court. Bruce had come through for him.

Robin used his good hand to greet each of the arrivals, taking a proffered clipboard from the Officer of the Court which contained several documents for him to sign.

The policeman, Officer Parker, spoke up. "Are you prepared to take charge of the prisoner?"

"I am." Robin stated, signing his hero name to the paperwork. He could see from the forms that Bruce had already co-signed for him, since the legal system couldn't release a prisoner into an unidentifiable person's care. The process took a few minutes, but finally, the paperwork was completed.

"Then by the power invested in the state of California, Prisoner UB-9383, commonly known as Jinx, is hereby released into your custody for the remainder of her sentence."

"No way." The young with breathed in disbelief, shaking her head to make certain that she wasn't having some kind of dream.

The clerk placed the paperwork into his briefcase. "Whoever that girl is, she certainly has some friends in high places."

"She's got friends here too, if she wants them." Robin smiled, escorting the guests out with a courteous shake from his good hand.

Jinx literally vaulted over the table, running up to Robin. "You're serious. This isn't a joke?"

"It means we're now legally responsible for you until your sentence is up, so no more going backwards. Guess that means you'll have to stay here for awhile. Think you and Starfire can bunk until we find you a better place? I'd put you with Raven, but we both know that wouldn't end well." Robin smirked.

"I would be most pleased to share my space with our new friend!" Starfire beamed, becoming excited. "Perhaps this means that I may also make Pudding Of Togetherness to celebrate her new home?"

The trepidation of all other parties in the room was palpable. Cyborg finally said what he knew had to be said. "Star, the girl's just got out of prison. She deserves some real food."

The green-eyed girl appeared confused at the metallic man's comment, but then realization seemed to dawn on her. "You are right! We must first have a proper feast! Pudding of Togetherness should only be shared at the end of a thirteen course krolnik!"

Jinx blinked several times in confusion. "Is this girl speaking English?" She asked Robin under her breath.

"After a fashion." Robin told her. Starfire continued to make long and detailed plans involving food, much to Cyborg's horror.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me, Robin."

"Just goes to show that maybe you've been on the wrong side for entirely too long." Robin explained.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked. "I mean, I'm not complaining, I couldn't be happier, but-"

Robin sighed, glad that this day was nearly over. "After being in Terra's head, I saw how badly she needed a leg up. Starfire once said that Terra was 'punished entirely too much for doing entirely too little.' When I saw how genuinely helpful you were being, I just couldn't get that phrase out of my head. I figured I would give you a reason to do the right thing from now on."

"Are you kidding? I'm not going back to those losers! They never even appreciated all I did for them."

"That's the thing around here. We appreciate each other." Robin smiled. "We all kind of balance each other out. And I thought that maybe some good luck in your life would make a difference."

Jinx nodded, looking a little sheepish. "I'm not really good at gratitude, but…thank you for taking a chance on me. I just…"

"You're ready to be more?"

Jinx seemed to brighten considerably that someone actually understood her motives. "Yes!"

"Then start tonight." Robin told her warmly, calling her new roommate over. "Hey Starfire! Why don't you help Lucky Girl here get acquainted with her new place."

If Jinx had seemed happier before, she was even moreso now. Not only was she free of the prison cell, legally, but no more having to room with a bunch of stupid, unappreciative boys who acted as though she were their mother. Cyborg and Robin watched the two girls flurry off together. Shaking his head, Robin briefly wondered what he was getting himself into

"You do know they outnumber us now, right?" Cyborg asked him, helping himself to several more pieces of pizza.

Robin moved over to the kitchen table, putting his head down in a vain attempt to relax. "What's the worst that could happen?

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

"Robin…Robin…Robin…wake up." There was a voice, somewhat pleasant, talking into his ear, neither loud nor soft. His mind was almost too hazy to make it out, but he could feel the ache in his neck that indicated he had fallen asleep in the wrong position. When was the last time that had happened. Gingerly, he allowed himself to be shaken awake, opening his eyes to peer into amethyst orbs that stared back at him.

"Raven." He croaked, feeling completely groggy and out-of-sorts.

"Nothing gets by you." She said flatly, moving to the stove to tend to a boiling teakettle. She placed two empty mugs on the table. "You've been rummaging through my stash of tea."

Robin lifted his head, feeling the crick in his neck ache in response. "Terra and I had some earlier, before the bonding. I was hoping to put her at ease."

"Try chamomile next time." Raven suggested, deciding to give him that very kind of tea right now. "I'm impressed, you managed to find some sleep."

"I think I'm just mentally and emotionally exhausted." Robin revealed, stretching his arms out. "It's been a long night."

"How are you doing? With the bond, I mean?"

"It's not as intense anymore." Robin explained. "But I still see her every time I shut my eyes. That will go away, right?"

He did not receive a response.

"Raven!"

She looked at him, a hard stare. It was not cruel or even penetrating, but Robin completely understood that she was not speaking lightly. "Perhaps. I can't tell you such things with any certainty. I did try to warn you, Robin. I bonded the two of you because you ordered me. I don't know what all of the side effects will be. I can tell you that the intensity of the emotional connection will subside with time. But you can't just expect everything to go back to normal."

"I know that."

"Do you really? You charged in like Sir Galahad from King Arthur's court, rushing to save your damsel in distress. Just like you did for me. It may be flattering, but it was also selfish and irresponsible on your part." Raven poured the hot water into the two mugs, sitting down beside him now to continue the conversation properly.

"Selfish?" I put everything on the line to rescue you because I believed in you, Raven. Even after you stopped believing in yourself.

"And everyone else was left behind to fight Trigon." Raven reminded him.

"This isn't about you, Raven, it's about Terra."

"Indeed. And she's now suffering."

"Don't you think I know that. But I had to help her make herself whole again. It was what she wanted."

"What she wanted, yes. But was it what she needed."

"Who are we to deny her what she wants?"

"Who are we to destroy the first real happiness she had?" Raven responded, and it felt to Robin as though she had smacked him across the face. What made it sting all the more was the realization that she was right."

Robin slumped in his chair, taking a sip from his mug, wincing as he realized it was straight and reaching for the sugar pot on the table. "This is my doing, my arrogance. I was so certain I could fix it all. That I could give her a second chance."

"That you could finally quiet your conscience." Raven finished for him.

Robin looked down into his cup of tea. "Yes."

"Sometimes, it just isn't that simple, Robin. Even when we want it to be…it just isn't. You can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong."

"I was responsible for her, Raven."

"Yet she made her own choices. You cannot use the excuse of what Terra wanted now if you'll throw away the fact that she also chose to betray us."

"She betrayed us because she thought she had to. She thought that Slade was the only one who could help her! You don't understand Slade like I do!" He banged the table with his good fist, a little surprised at how high he had raised his voice. "No one does. No one can."

"Robin?" The girl asked at length, allowing him to calm down.

"I had to go after you, Raven. The idea that you had given up, that you didn't keep fighting to the end, that you would just give in…"

"I was trying to protect you, all over you. I knew that I couldn't escape the prophecy that controlled me. But none of you were a part of it. It was my last, great hope that you all would find a way to defeat Trigon."

"I wasn't willing to do it without you."

"I am appreciative." She told him. "But it was very selfish of you. Why would you do that for me?"

Robin clenched his fist. "Because I didn't want to live in a world without my best friend. You were the one who confided in me about your birthday. I wasn't just going to give up. I wasn't going to let go of you. No more than I could let go of Terra." Robin shut his eyes, remembering Terra's words during their bond. "She will not speak of it openly…"

"What?" Raven asked.

"It's nothing." He said at length. "Forget it."

"Robin…"

"You were in trouble. I wasn't going to leave you in limbo. I wasn't going to leave you alone. Terra wanted to know who she was. Maybe she was happy without us. But Beast Boy did a pretty good job of ruining that for her. I don't blame him, he couldn't have known what he was doing. I did what I thought was right, Raven. Maybe it wasn't perfect, maybe it wasn't the best solution. But I won't judge her any longer."

"Robin…have you reflected on the knowledge that for a leader who usually does things very balanced, who makes sound, rational decisions…that twice now you've made major decisions based on emotion?"

"Are you saying I'm wrong?"

"No. But I'm not saying you're right either. What's important is that you be aware of the reasons for your decisions."

"And if I had chosen differently, would we even be having this discussion right now?"

"Probably not. Maybe that's my point."

"What is your point?"

"What's yours?" She asked pointedly

Robin said nothing, tensing up.

"Okay, you need to let these emotions out, Robin. You bottle them up for what you feel is the greater good. Forget Terra. Forget me. When do you just do something for yourself."

"I'm not forgetting either of you. Don't you get it, Raven. The choices I make—whether they're smart or not, they still make me who I am. They're what I choose to do, how I'm true to myself. Maybe they were reckless. Maybe they were hard. Maybe everything could have gone wrong. But they're what I am."

Raven started, still not accustomed to such an emotional response out of her leader. "Our choices are what imprint the human stain upon our lives." She said quietly.

"The human stain?" Robin asked, confused at the terminology.

"Humanity is the only indigenous race to earth that has the ability to make choices, that operates on more than just instinct. As you pointed out, they are what make us who we are."

"And what choices do you make, Raven?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. Robin blinked, not sure what she was getting at. "I choose to be sitting up in the middle of the night, trying to help my best friend put his life back together when he didn't listen to me in the first place." She took a sip of her tea, her eyes looking over the rim of the mug.

Robin smirked. "And you wonder why I went back for you when you were so certain your role in life was over." He told her.

"Presumably for the same reason I'm sitting here with you."

"And that is?"

Now it was Raven's turn to smile. Or at least, what she would allow him to see of one. It didn't bother him—he was always willing to take what he could get when it came to the brooding goth girl. "We're both suckers for lost causes."

Robin chuckled, unable to disagree with her logic. "Here's to lost causes." He proclaimed, taking a healthy sip of his tea. He shook his head, thinking back over this entire night and where it had taken him. "Raven, I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you earlier, in your room."

"I'm sorry that I didn't plead my case better."

"Regardless, I shouldn't have ordered you to do something you didn't want to do."

"You did what you thought was right. You always do. Even when you're wrong."

"I'll listen to you next time."

"Next time?"

"The next time we disagree on something. I'll pay more attention. I think I'm going to start paying a lot more attention to you from now on." He nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Good. I always wanted my own personal stalker." She chided.

"That's not what I meant, Raven."

"But it is what you said."

"We should do more. This whole situation with Terra has made me realize the importance of friends."

"This is starting to sound like an Afterschool Special." Raven rolled her eyes.

"Come on, I'm serious. Hang out with me. We can go to your favorite bookstore. I like to read, you like to read…"

"You're really serious about this, aren't you."

"Friends do things they can share together. Beating on villains isn't exactly a friendship activity."

"It seems to be where we're concerned." She told him, somewhat surprised by how serious he still looked. "Fine. The bookstore. It should be…"

"Fun?" Robin queried.

"I was going to say interesting." She told him.

Robin shut his eyes, still seeing Terra, the feel of her lips against his, the warmth of her form. It spread through him now in a different fashion, filling him with hope. "She will never speak of it openly. I guess that means you'll have to." He whispered to himself, noting her ears pricking in interest. "How about in a few days? After we're both a little less drained?"

"Acceptable." Raven nodded.

"Great. It's a date then." Robin rose from his chair, stretching. "I'm going to try to get some more sleep. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow night when you can take a break from meditating?"

For some reason, the paler girl looked unsure of herself, as though she were shrinking into her cloak. But the words she wanted to say finally came, albeit with much concentration and self-doubt. "It's a date."

Robin smiled for her before draining the rest of his tea, placing the mug in the sink and heading for the stairs. "Goodnight, Raven."

"Good luck." She responded. "With your dreams, I mean."

"Don't I know it." Robin nodded, ascending the staircase and leaving his friend behind. After all, with so many different emotions and sensations assaulting him tonight, who knew who else might be in them?

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Raven opened her eyes, coming out of her memories. How long had she been lost in remembrance? She stood by the window, pulling out her communicator. She was being unusually hard on Robin as of late, and he was putting up with her, like always, She loved him, she knew that. For all the complications it had wrought in her life, if given the chance, she wouldn't change things between them. He was good to her, and more importantly, to their daughter. None of her own difficulties could be blamed on Terra. Sighing, Raven activated her communicator, signaling to Robin. He appeared moments later with a smile on his face. It was not the smile of a salesman. It was the smile of the boy…the young man, with whom she had twined her life.

"Raven? What's happening?"

"Nothing." She said simply, looking at his image and tracing his face with her fingertips. "I only wanted to hear the sound of you voice…"

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Author's Notes

My goodness, I can't possibly believe it, but it's here, it's done. It's complete. This thing has been literally bleeding out of me for days and days. There was always something new to discover, and so I just ran with it. This is the longest chapter of anything I have ever written. Congratulations for getting this far. I could have broken this up into more chapters, but this really is a story centered more on Robin and Raven. It's just that Terra has such a specific role in this that I had to completely flesh her out, as well as explain the Robin/Terra relationship, or it would just become too confusing.

Every step of the way, I wanted to show you what happened instead of just telling you. So I did. It was hard to write in places, and I became very emotionally drained from the sheer heaviness of all this. It wasn't easy, and there were times when I did wonder if I could finish this. There was just so much sadness, so much raw emotion tearing away at me. This is by far the hardest thing that I've ever written, but a feel such a sense of sheer accomplishment for completing this chapter. My fond hope is that it will all be easier from here.

It totally goes without saying if you've read all this, but long update is LONG. Even moreso than last time. I know it's long, and I know that some readers just might not have had the patience. Unfortunately, I can't apologize for the length, as I am dedicated to making the characters stand out as three-dimensional. I went them to be alive on the page. If I'm not emotionally invested in their trials, travails, and tribulations as the author, I can hardly expect anyone reading this story to be invested either. So for those of you who are actually reading and enjoying this, I thank you for your patience and understanding. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is by far the least popular fanfic I have ever published. Ironically, I also feel that it is the most important. Years ago, the tepid response I've gotten would've bothered me, perhaps even discouraged me. But I find today that it doesn't matter. This story is for me. Parts of my life are now in it, I've bled for it, lost sleep and sanity over it, and I couldn't be happier for it. Still, I won't lie. It is great when you let the author know how he's doing. Hate it? Love it? Meh? I'm a firm believer that honest, constructive criticism, both good and bad, can have a very positive impact on the author.

All that said, I desperately need to go to bed, I just can't see straight anymore, and I've dumped yet another all-nighter into this story. Expect Chapter Four to swing back to the main storyline and focus a bit more on Raven's relationships. I also plan to show some interaction with Rain there for those of you who have taken an interest in the child. Hope to see you here when it's ready—I think I can safely say the next chapter will not be nearly so long!

Lastly, if you know me, you know the drill. Send your questions, comments, compliments, complaints, love letters, death threats, marriage proposals, and ransom demands to:

Lord Malachite

8/24/11

6:56AM, EST

E-mail: ranger(underscore)writer(at)yahoo(dot)com

AIM: Asukaphile26