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Nightwing years later is tasked with making a place for himself outside of his mentor's shadow. He's not spoken to the Titans for close to three years, on and off he's known they still cared.

Cyborg contacts the vigilante one evening as the man's just been enrolled in the police academy of his dreams - the same month as a reunion in Titans tower and Kori will be there! After three years of failed romances and chances at luck in love, Dick comes to the conclusioon ; he crushed Starfire's hopes at ever becoming a real couple for some ego obsessed Nightwing who's still just half of what Robin could ever be.

Will their old fires come to burn hot or cold? Will the reunion trigger painful memories of that last New Years Eve party spent with his friends? And what will Starfire say to the man who betrayed her expectations and broke her heart...

Chapter 2: Fast Forward

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~ Silver bells…~

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Ditching the busy shopping centers for as long as his legscould hold on, Dick took the path to his ex – partner's favorite spot.

Some street in Gotham where he'd not stick out like a sorethumb. Babs wouldn't be there this season. She'd called him self – obsessed. Areal…pain. And Dick had taken every word onto his shoulders as he did thesewrapped packages for his family here, in Gotham City. On Christmas Eve.

He wasn't known to be lazy as a kid, but on his own itwas…tough. He had a few jobs lined up, yeah. Bruce was still making thepayments to his college since he'd be entering the force next year. Or, well.The training for it. That was what? He had his twenty-four-year-old world bulldozed down as Al came up in the gent's British town - car. Sounding its hornwithout a movie set in the back to make the streets look as they seemed.

Picturesque.

Stuck in the good ole' days, Gotham was a fan of the noirclassics thanks to the Batman. They had calendars, didn't they? Guessing it wasspeculation on his part, Dick ignored the throb in his armpit as Al swept overto help the ridged boy wonder with his Christmas haul. He panted. Not even atussle with Bane or Blockbuster made Richard sweat this much! Capitalism wascertainly a beast he could not slay all alone.

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New Years; fast forward to the day he'd had to avoid with afervent hunger. How his last fling with Batgirl had gone south. How he was inthe manor until he got ready to trek it to Blud, vacation over by today - he'd madeit! He said he'd be leaving sooner, yet Bruce had missed the company as had theman's butler.

"You must stay for the end of the old year, MasterDick." The twenty-four-year-old mimicked his butler's accent and made a face."Oh, but what about my work Al?" He snickered and sat up, stretching as thedaylight filtered through a plain white curtain.

It was the dark hours, yet even bats needed daylight tofunction. Hopping to the bathroom in a full leap, Dick made it and dressedhimself in time. Just to see Bruce off to the office on their last day. The newyear had come, and yes, he was glad to be getting away from the reminderof his long-lost shadow.

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Bruce Wayne was down stairs with a briefcase in hand and onemean half – of - a - glass of too much bubbly to purge through the week, bytonight. Dick smiled over the railing and waved once the dazed older men sawhim, in his full attire for a casual trip to the airport and all.

"You enjoy last night as much as we did, carrying you tobed, B?"

Bruce shrugged and tossed a hand to his brow with a chuckle."Out of the kids I've had here to keep up the mantle of Robin and Wayne'sreputation for this long, I would have expected you to be the good son. Not theone saying "I told you so."

"That's good too. I don't guzzle kegs like a glutton. Youjust…had a lot to burn off, Al? Make sure Bruce has me if he needs anything. Ihave to make a quick stop before I head back to my city."

"What about your flight, Master Dick?" Al looked puzzled."You'll only have until the next…less than that, actually. In the next hour andfifteen –

"I can Wing it." Dick winked and headed down the rail'sbanister with his only pack he'd bothered to bring. That included NightWing'sgear and his suit.

"Are you going to prance around in broad daylight?" Bruce'seyes were dead set on the bag's contents being exposed. "You won't get caughtby any reporters?"

The knuckle - headed poster boy cracked a grin that couldkill, as he headed for the exit before his former mentor, the bag slung over hisshoulder and his face next to impeccable. That helped, not drinking alcohol dueto the fact it had traumatized him before. His complexion fared far better thanmost, save for what Wally West had been reduced to as a dubious slacker.

"Don't worry. I'm practically camera ready. The press lovesan encore, that way you can get some work done when night falls. All eyes onme. See ya for Easter, Al?"

"I suppose if your family traditions involve my cooking fromscratch an entire "enchanted feast," then you'll have the honor of stepping upto bat this year." He deadpanned. "I'll even allow you the only privilegethat Master Bruce has not."

"I don't burn our meals…or didn't…" Bruce pouted immaturelyat the little fuss.

Sighing, the two others shared the joke between themselves."The youth center I volunteer for has a soup kitchen they go with and support rightin Blud." The youngest male prided. "I can cook a whole roast if you hand me thoseoven mitts. Later!"

He zipped out and got ready to change only once he wascoming back. This would be a ride first, and a…slam of the door shut. He had toget something off of his chest before he burped up last night's feast all overher laptop.

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Oracle's apartment. He'd made it. She'd already decided thatWing had his faults, and that nothing gushy should have to happen between them.Strong willed and way intelligent, they'd proposed that Babs or Oracle couldhelp him stop any leads with that massive network of hers she'd invested somuch time into. She would have gotten along famously with Jay – no wait. Jaywasn't here.

He sighed. Her bathroom mirror showed not Dick Grayson, butanother figure before its surface.

A truly ideal sort of hero. A hometown babe magnet. He checkedout his…. oh, wow. It had lost ...oh, no, wait. Dick flexed. "Stillthere!" He grinned and cocked a brow at his expensive looking derriere.

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With a zip line to the sky, he'd made it to the place hecould change just outside of the station. Clothing back to normal, he had toget through…

Security, oh ok. He texted Barb, feeling like a newb atthis. His suit was safe, low grade for this trip; but his weapons and grapplinghook?

They'd be spotted, so he had to keep them out of sight.

She texted back, a thumbs up that she had it covered. Good.He was headed home.

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"Please stand here, sir."

What next? Spy watch? A gas pellet left astray? Did Barb notbeat the system? Pump the wavelength?

"You're all clear."

He exhaled and felt that sigh as it left the man without acare. He was so going to need twelve hours to sleep off the jet lag. Thisterminal work must have been murder on these poor citizens, he decided.

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Off of the plane, gates since passing him by, Dick retrievedhis goods and headed right for the main streets. The outside smelled of fumesfrom old cars, and a few spotty stacks of smoke…. Ah. Home. He hated what itwas, so why not do this place a solid? Blud had so many small treasures andgood people lived here…just like in Gotham. Gotham…How was ole' Brucenursing that hangover?

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A week later, the sight of a letter in his mailbox had theab crunching hero jumping for pure joy. "I got in! Yes!" Police academy.He was going to finally become an officer and do things right.

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"Yeah, yeah, I can't believe it! I start next week. It's afour month…. how long? Oh, are you…how's…" Dick scratched his head, the phoneglued to his face. "Yeah, and how are the new recruits?"

~ It's going great. Since the summertime, we've had loadsof kids wanting to become honorary Titans. They saw your photo and were like,"wow!" I know that guy. Right now, BB is getting more fan letters than he canstamp with one paw. ~

Dick grinned and finished a set of bicep curls. As a teen,this had been a lot less of a –

~ And guess what? By the time you get your badge on, we'vedecided to have a reunion bash right here at the tower. ~

Dick felt his heart beat as he stumbled, letting Cy hear anoisy howl as the weight had but missed by an inch, his good foot which wasstill intact. Dick really was the ultimate ditz sometimes, Cy laughed at theidea of a bull in a china shop. Bb's jokes. Great…

Hopping and rubbing his toe, Dick still had perfectlymanaged to balance his cell by his chin while he fished for an ice pack in thefreezer. "Good! Tell everyone I'd love to join."

~Eh, but what about…. you know? ~ Shrugging, Cy wasinsinuating an old memory. One he'd almost kept locked up inside that T –shaped secondary home.

"Is….is she…" Dick gulped. The sweat this time was not justfrom his work out routine. He caught himself, not paying mind to the freezerdoor. "Oh, shit!" He hissed and ended up on his perfect rump on the kitchenfloor.

~ She's gonna be there, and you…will be alright, man? Youalways used to –

"It's…It's nothing." Dick chuckled, cross legged as herubbed his leg. "We'd be the guests of honor. Might be interesting."

~ An' I hope you are gonna be up for having alittle fun this time, Mr. Serious. ~ Cy chided. ~ Every time I'd try to makeyou two lighten up; you'd end up pushing me AND her, away. We can talk aboutthat later, but Kori…she's got a new job. She's a top model in New York City.Way outta your league, "boy – who – stumbles." ~

Dick's mouth gaped open a little, not caring about the nickname as much. " Really? When did that become a big headliner? I'm notshocked. She can really strut if she wants to. She was…always firmly able to lookon the bright side of any situation." He sighed, earning Cy's attention. ~ Earthto lover – boy? Hey! She's just as excited to be at the tower, but it's been threeyears. Raven's stayed in touch but Star only has her line once a damn month.That girl was always crabby, but pop – princess has Raven standing in line. Wehave no idea what's happening. ~

"Like me, you mean?" Smirked the boy blunder in his favoritesweats, speaking more on the crabbiness the two birds had shared in theirgreatest dilemma. Facing Trigon was no easy street, nope.

~ Like you, ass – mazin' hero. ~

"Hey! You know I can rock the suit better than "Robin" evercould." He tossed his ear length black locks to the side, a dazzling cacade ofsweat upon his purely pristine face.

They left it at that. Dick's ass however later, had left thechat room.

He had some more packing to do…once even more trials had ended,but…when would they even get to see each other without remembering how things hadended?

Dick felt his chest ache, not from the usual muscle strainor the man's choice of a pepperoni pizza supreme at "Nicks" down the block. Stuffedcrusts did not do for colon – chan.

But a burning desire, to say something very stupid to thegirl he'd lost before. When they'd been just as dumb to think that two and twoequaled "fish."

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It was the night that Kori got intoxicated on that appleflavored wine. The night that Dick swore off of all manner of drinking for therest of his career, and the night…that she looked him in the eyes with orbs sowide it made HIM cry!

She slipped past the doorframe, sober and her head lessbuzzed, but still a bit fuzzy. His bed was a mess, yet there was no vomit. Justthe shame that any of this had come to pass. That he'd let a few heroespush his buttons…

"You…would have been crowned the victor, I believe."

Star looked down at him from his bed as NightWing'scivilian soul was forced to look up into her light eyes, still swaying. "Howlong do you propose…we stay like this?"

He sat up groggily onto his knees with and asked with agroan, "Star...what are –

"I do not wish for you to think of me as someone…. rutha.You…you are best for this team, and to leave us would be..." She leaned intohim. Her hair so red and still as in their youth. She was practically agelessto him as he hesitated to grab her and take the woman close.

"Why must these "rekmas" be so painful…" She sniffled ina small voice into his chest, his jacket still in place, arms to his sides. "Ineeded to find…more. I had the chance to be a part of something amazing." Hehelped her to look up, looking past her tear-stricken features. "I had the Titans;I had my family…I just…feel like something else –

"It is as Cyborg said when aiding the Titans East, is itnot?" She pulled off of him slowly and crossed her arms. "Becoming a man, as hehad said would be best. You also think that this challengewill determine your worth as a warrior." She turned for the doorway, noseupturned, yet her voice no more a whisper than his was. "I will not stop you,yet you were never any less of a hero to me, Robin. I've always believed uscapable of more than what was truly, thought possible…. yet, if you must go…Iwill not tell you to stay. For...I, cannot…"

"Starfire! Wait!"

She shut the door.

He ran to go to her, to dig through the darkness and seewhat an idiot…

He stood with his breathing rapid. His hands empty. Eyesdry and wide. On his knees.

She'd left. He saw it. Her room was empty. As if she'd vanishedinto the confines of the milky way galaxy.

Starfire, had leftthem…

Gar sniffed thetower over to come up only as empty handed as the night of the woman'sdisappearance. Cy tried every channel, and even Raven pitched in out of herdeepest concern, giving Dick a glare every time he asked about…them.

Then, weeks later, the letter came; saying that she'dgone to visit Galfore, back on her home, Tameran.

That as a Titan,some things perhaps, did change.

In other words, his leaving them had broken her fragileheart. He'd done the most possible thing of all.

That he'd told her she didn't mean anything to him at allanymore.

NightWing had killed her hope.

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