Chapter 7

Panic

My fingers yank hard on the seatbelt clip as his boots slowly inch towards me with every step. As he approaches my door I quickly use my powers, sinking through my car sitting me on my knees 10 feet back from the car. I groan at the pain as bone sticks out of my right arm. My head is spinning and my vision is cloudy. I focus, forcing myself to my feet as he stands close watching me.

"Its been so long Raven." His hands are behind his back as he stares at me.

"What do you want?" I groan in pain

"Your child." He laughs. I look up to be met by emptiness. The flames still ignite the street, but the man is gone. How did he know? Why? I stand in the street holding my bleeding arm filled with anger.

"Raven!" her shriek breaks through my thoughts. I turn to see Starfire flying through. She lands next to me, worry consuming her. "Who did this to you." she looks at my arm. The others start pouring in minus Jinx and Flash. Nightwing stands the farthest away, still with his wall up. I look away from him.

"I don't know. Must have been an explosion" I focus my energy on my arm to heal it.

"Im detecting a manmade substance as the source."

"So a bomb?" Beastboy looks over the rubble.

"You didn't see anything?" Nightwing looks at me. I stop looking at his eyes. Anger is in them.

"No." I lie. Looking away I continue to heal my arm.

"You need to be checked out." Cyborg looks at the wound.

"I'm fine." I sigh looking at my car. "Just finished paying off the motherfucker."

"The motherfucker had a tracking device on it." Nightwing stands at the driver side examining the black box hidden in my wheel well. "Professional did it, no scratches when they installed it."

"So somebody is after you." Beastboy sighed. I finish healing my arm, but the pain radiates, "Rae you hear me?"

"Yeah. Its fine." I flex my fingers.

"Fine?" Nightwing turns at me angry. "Fine that someone is following you, set an explosion to kill you. This is far from fine Raven"

"Who are you to give a fuck now?" I yell.

"I do care." He clentches his teeth walking towards me. "Just because I don't pack my shit and leave without a goodbye doesn't mean I'm not upset."

"I told you I was going home" I yell as were right next to each other.

"Hard to take you serious when you hide shit from me." his voice is booming.

"Hide? I told you! I told you as soon as I had a fucking chance!"

"How long have you known, a week? Two weeks? Yet you wait until now."

"Sorry I cant just hop on the plane and go! I have my life there!"

"No but you could pick up a damn phone!" he yells "We had to send Kori to make sure you knew because you decide to not answer the phone or email."

"Because unlike you, my heart fucking hurts everytime I think of you." my anger lifts and tears slide down my face. I look around and see all of our friends staring with their mouths open, unable to understand what were talking about. I turn away beginning to walk away. When his hand sits on my shoulder.

"Rae, just because I don't cry, doesn't mean I don't hurt." He speaks softly. I stand still as I feel my stomach cramp. I look down to the light denim noticing the hint of red. Blood. "Rae?" he notices my worry. Before I have time to think he scoops me up and begins to yell. "Cyborg, hospital." He rushes to the T car. im shoved into the back seat where Nightwing quickly slams the door with Cyborg pushing on the gas. Nightwing looks over at me, worry filling his eyes.

Im weeping as I sit stunned. I stare at the blood wondering if this fight was for something I now lost. Nightwing sits silent focusing on the buildings. We don't touch. We don't talk. I just cry a we speed down the road. We get to the ER where the team lands. Nightwing cradles me again walking into the ER, past the front desk to the rooms.

Nurses notice and begin clearing the way to a specialty room set aside for Titans. They begin swarming in as im set on the bed. A doctor quickly follows. "Whats the matter?" he comes in grabbing a clip board.

"Shes bleeding." Nightwing stutters, "and p-p-preg-pregnant."

The nurses wear a shocked look but quickly begin their work. a machine is brought in, and my shirt is lifted up. They begin to rub a gel on my belly with a wand. Nightwing stays back out of the way. His wall is down, and his feelings are worry and anger. I close my eyes wishing this nightmare would go away. The nurses still rush, but the world stops when the machine starts making nose. Its the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. A heartbeat.