The apartment was quiet; the only sound was Rachel's footsteps as she carried Dick through the hall to his room. She still had fear from the thought in Dick's head before he had lost consciousness. Rachel laid him on his bed and began to do first aid. She pulled out the knives after slowing the bleeding down by ripping off part of her cloak and wrapping it around his shoulder.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

She placed her hands on his chest, her hands glowed white and let her dark magic flow through his body healing his wounds from the fight with Slade. Rachel saw Dick's wounds from the knives clot then the wounds sealed, not even leaving a single scar. Raven heard the cracking of bone as his ribs were put back into place and healed from Slade's repeated kicks.

"Good you're unconscious or this would hurt like hell."

Rachel stripped Dick of his suit and mask. She put the blanket over him as he slept and took his suit and mask to the armory and stored it along with his escrima's. Raven walked back over to his room and saw his eyelids were fluttering.

Rapid eye movement; a sign of dreaming.

Rachel walked over and placed her hand over his forehead. Her hand glowed white again; the rapid eye movement stopped as she had placed him in a deep dreamless sleep to block out all pain and thought while her magic healed him. She placed her lips on his forehead and kissed him.

"Sleep well Boy Wonder."

Raven went to her room and looked at her cloak.

"Damn, this is my last one. Oh well, Richard's worth it."

She pulled the cloak off and laid it on the bed post. Took off her leotard, folded it and laid it on the dresser. She was always more organized and neat than Grayson who just threw clothes everywhere. Rachel crawled into bed for the night but before she fell asleep she checked the psylink for Dick's thoughts; make sure her magic spell still worked. She sensed no thoughts or saw no dreams so she decided to sleep for the night. Raven closed her eyes for the night but could not shake the thought Dick had during the fight from her mind. It was her biggest fear.

Dick woke the next morning at dawn. He never slept in this late; he could go four days without sleep but the last half year had been a living hell with all of his mistakes and the death of Blockbuster. Slade returning was the last straw for him, the man who blackmailed him into becoming his apprentice, manipulating Terra to turn on the Titans, murdering Donna Troy and finally abducting Raven. He always woke around four A.M., now it was almost seven. His wounds were fully healed and no scars showed, he was sore from the injuries but the wounds had been healed and the bones were knitted back together.

Richard kicked the blanket off and sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

How did I get back here? I remember a flash of white light and Rae standing between Slade and I, but after that nothing.

He looked at his shoulder and saw the strip of Rachel's cloak. He couldn't help from smirking as he pulled it from his shoulder. He noticed that the holes in his shoulder were gone and no scars had appeared on the skin.

Rachel's healing magic. Haven't seen her use it in years, it always took a lot of her energy and concentration to do it.

Dick stood up and walked down the hall to Rachel's room; the door was open as he peered in to see that she was still asleep. He saw the cloak with the torn off strip of cloth hung over the bed post. He was about to knock on the door when he decided to let her sleep. Dick walked to the living room and looked out the window to the street; he looked over to Little Narrows Bridge and saw the sun just beginning to rise over the 'Haven bay. It was almost too peaceful for him. Dick walked to the armory and opened the panel to the entrance. He spotted the suit Rachel hung in place for him. The holes from the throwing knives from Slade showing. He walked past the suit to a closet where he pulled out one of Raven's old cloaks. He didn't leave Titans Tower without a few souvenirs. Dick walked into Rachel's room and placed it on her bed next to her then disappeared back into the armory.

When Rachel awoke the sun was fully rose over the horizon. She rolled over to see the new cloak laying on her bed.

Where did…? Richard must have brought one with him when he left the tower. He always did prepare for everything.

Rachel dressed into regular civilian clothes that Dick had given her; they used to be Amy's so obviously she didn't need the anymore. She walked out into the hall and looked for Dick in his room but he wasn't there. Rachel then went to the living room; the T.V was on a sports channel showing the Bludhaven Brawlers losing the game. There was breakfast on the table for her but no sign of Grayson. Raven sat in the middle of the room to meditate when she sensed anger within her but Rachel was calm. She found that the anger was coming from Dick and that he was close by but not in sight. Rachel focused but then heard a faint beat coming from the hall; music. Raven walked down the hall to the point where the music was at its loudest point. She could now make out the music, the same type Dick would listen to when he was in one of his very intense workouts and wanted to forget everything outside of the room he was in.

Rachel placed her hand against the biometric scanner that opens the armory, Richard had given her access. The door slid open and the music was now louder than ever; it drowned out all her thoughts along with Dick's. That was probably the whole point. Raven stepped into the armory to see Grayson in front of her; his back facing her working on the spinning pylon in front of him dodging and striking as the opportunities appeared. She could barely hear his thoughts because the music was so loud.

"Harder, faster, stance isn't perfect. Stance has to be perfect. Can't leave an opening for an opportunity, faster, faster."

Dick was drenched in sweat from training all morning. Since he got up all he could think about was his loss to Slade. He bested him the last time they fought back when he was Robin. He couldn't believe he lost to him again. Rachel just stood and watched, Grayson was oblivious to her because how hard he was training. Raven turned the music off telepathically. Dick stopped and turned around slowly knowing Rachel would be standing there.

"Hey Rae. I see you found the clothes I left for you."

He was being his typical self; trying to avoid talking about sensitive matters or emotional stuff but Raven had too talk about what she sensed for his sake.

"That's it? Hey Rae I see you go your clothes. That's all you have to say to me after last night? No thank you, no apology just hey Rae?"

She was angry with him for locking the apartment down with her inside and for charging off after Slade without her. Beyond her anger was the fear of what she had sensed from him before he lost consciousness. Dick dropped his head and looked at his knuckles which he taped before the workout. The tape was covered in blood; he had worn the tape down along with having cut his knuckles open from the rigorous hours of training.

"What do you want me to say Raven? I was overwhelmed with rage. I ran off without thinking."

Dick pulled off his shirt and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Rachel felt her cheeks get red and turned around to hide her blushing. Dick picked up his water bottle and drank the entire bottle as Rachel watched.

"We have to talk Dick. No brushing me away."

"About what Rachel? I got my ass kicked by Slade, he got in my head and I lost. That's it."

"That's it? You don't remember what you were thinking before you lost consciousness!"

The outburst of anger caused the radio to fly off the shelf hitting the floor between them. Dick stepped back and dropped his head avoiding Raven's gaze. He looked regretful.

"You sensed that? Damn it! I thought I buried that thought deep enough to hide."

He stared at the floor not even making eye contact with Rachel; she could sense what he was thinking. His anger started to rise again; this time directed at her.

"You know I don't like it when you read my mind."

"If I didn't read your mind you may not be sitting here. Dick I can't keep from doing it, the psylink is permanent."

Dick didn't answer just kept staring at the floor and running his fingers over his cut knuckles. He didn't want to answer or talk about this but he knew what was coming.

"Dick… You wanted it to be over. You wanted to die. It all makes sense to me now, I thought you were driving yourself so hard and burning yourself out because of Blockbuster's murder. You felt regret and had to make a difference but now I realize you've been trying to kill yourself over the last six months; hoping some punk with a gun gets lucky."

Richard hung his head more knowing Rachel was right, there was no reason to argue with her. He didn't even have a counter argument. Rachel walked over, kneeled in front of him and held his hands in hers. Dick just kept staring while Raven waited for a response.

"You don't understand Rae."

"Then make me understand."

Dick stood up and walked around Rachel, he leaned against the far wall; every sensitive conversation he was in he had to be away from everyone. Another way he was so much alike Batman.

"Batman has Joker, Superman has Lex. But neither of them have lost their heads and killed. I have. Bruce always said killing is what separated us from them; right now I'm no different. The Joker has killed hundreds, but Bruce has never crossed that line. Hell, he crippled Babs, tortured and killed Jason and all Bruce did was put him in a body cast for six months. Blockbuster killed Amy, my partner and more… He killed friends I had on the force, killed people I passed on the street just to make my life a living hell. For one night I just wanted it to stop. I went against everything I have stood for my whole life. I feel lost."

Dick moved to the center of the room and put an open hand against the punching bag. He could feel the rough surface under his palm. Raven just stood there trying to find something to say. She never expected the former Boy Wonder to feel this way; he was always the most level headed of the Titans.

"Every time I see or hear Slade or hear about him all I see are the faces of people he has killed; civilian's people stuck in his crossfire or collateral damage. Friends…"

His anger rose again.

"People he used like Terra; turned her against us because of me. He killed Donna because she went after Terra when we split up to look for her on my orders. He kidnapped you, under my nose. Tortured you because of your damn demon blood…"

Dick punched the bag so hard that his fist went through it spilling sand and cutting his knuckles more. The bag came completely off the hook.

"Everything he did centered on my actions, my failures. He reminded me of my failure with Blockbuster and Amy's death. Then killing Damian… I couldn't let it slide. And when he said how I doubted myself he was right, but I hoped defeating him would prove I was ready for the solo thing and some amount of revenge for the people he's killed. When I couldn't it was like I failed Bruce and Donna all over again. I can't handle that again."

Rachel wasn't expecting that answer. She was expecting him to say something but not quite that answer. She walked over to comfort him, wrapped her arms around him and didn't let him go.

"Dick, I'm here. You never have to face things alone. I'm never leaving."

Rachel pulled Dick close he tried to resist but gave up after a few seconds. Dick gave in to the emotions he had blocked out for so many years. He held her. Rachel placed her ear against his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heart beat. He was trembling; she knew he was nervous and afraid to open up. Rachel looked up and saw him watching her. Rachel did the first thing that came to mind, and it scared her that's what she thought of. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. For three seconds everything in the world stopped. There was no such thing as Joker, or Slade Wilson. No evil or vigilantes; just Dick and Rae standing in the armory. Grayson put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away.

"Rae, we can't do this."

"Why not Dick? I know how I feel and I know you feel the same way. I feel your thoughts, and your heart rate increased. You trained me enough to know what that means. Why won't you let me in Richard?"

"You're gonna make me say it aren't you?"

Dick sighed and stepped backwards then picked his head up looking Rachel in the eyes.

"Because Rae, people who get close to me end up dead."

Richard turned around and walked out of the armory without saying a word. He sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V. Rachel began to make herbal tea for the two of them. Dick pulled out his computer and checked for updates from the department or Bruce. Rachel sat down next to Dick and looked at the computer screen and watched for a reaction in Dick's eyes.

"No plans today? Any midnight crusades?"

"No plans today, even I get a day off. Tonight however, we are going to visit Roman Sionis and get his drugs off the streets. Remember that sniper I picked up? He cracked. Dudley Soames interrogated him, he's more corrupt than Bullock but he has his moments. The sniper told us where his HQ is set up. The same place the drugs are made."

Raven noticed how he said we; almost like he enjoyed saying it. Raven enjoyed hearing him say it. She was staring and smiling at him.

"Something wrong Rae?"

He had caught her staring. Raven almost blushed the way he looked at her."

"You said we."

Dick gave his famous smirk which only made Rachel blush more.

"Well yeah. There's no way in hell you are going to let me out there by myself again."

Rachel smiled.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again. So what are we doing until tonight?"

Rachel said we the same way Grayson did.

Dick smirked.

"Up for a run like we used to do?"