Notes: Please read the notes at the end if you have any concerns after reading this chapter.

Raven stood at the door, holding a metal tray. Arranged on the tray were bandages, some water, a bottle of painkiller medication, and a pair of scissors. Raven came here alone, because she was the only one available at the moment. She opened the door to the infirmary, and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, to make it easier for anyone inside to rest. There were two beds in the room, separated by a curtain. They were both currently occupied. Laying in one bed was Beast Boy, who was still sleeping. He was once again shirtless, his lower torso wrapped in bandages after the injury he had received the day before. In the other bed was Bumblebee. Bumblebee's clothes were dirty and bloody, and so she had been changed into a gown. Starfire had been busy with looking after Red Arrow, so Raven had been the one to help Bumblebee change.

Bumblebee had made a feeble attempt at resisting before passing out. She was so weak after the fight, and the trauma she had suffered. She looked a little better today. At least she was conscious, and sitting up. The blood transfusion had helped. Raven decided to go to her first. She walked over to Bumblebee, as Bumblebee looked out the large window next to her bed, out at the city in the distance. Bee glanced at Raven's approach, just for a second, before turning back to the window without saying anything. Raven pulled up a nearby stool and sat down next to her bed. Several long seconds passed in silence, as Raven held the tray in her lap, and Bumblebee stared out the window.

"Hi." Raven said quietly. Bumblebee inhaled through her nose, but said nothing. She looked tired, but also… Raven narrowed her eyes, and sensed Bumblebee's feelings. Raven had empathic albitites, which she didn't always use, but… Bumblebee's emotions were so strong, it was hard not to. Anger, fear, pain, grief, confusion. It was obvious why. Bumblebee had suffered so much loss recently. Had seen and experienced so much. And now…

"What?" Bumblebee said. Her tone was barely disguised annoyance. She looked at Raven. Raven looked down at the tray.

"I thought maybe you would like something. For the pain. Or, maybe your bandages are-"

"My bandages are f-" Bumblebee's eyes flickered to her arm. What remained of it. They had been unable to find the rest of her arm. A part of her lost now, forever. It had been severed above the elbow, leaving a stump. The end was covered in bandages. Bumblebee averted her gaze as quickly as she looked. Raven didn't blame her.

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do." Bumblebee said, closing her eyes and putting her remaining hand to her face. "But just… leave me alone. Please." She sounded tired when she said this last part, and her voice broke slightly on the "please".

Raven stood up from her stool. "I'm sorry." She said quietly as she turned around. There was nothing Raven could do for her right now. She walked away from Bumblebee, and headed over to the next bed. Where Beast Boy was.

Raven walked over to his bed, standing a few feet away. He laid there on his back, breathing steadily, eyes closed. Raven considered saying something to wake him, but decided against it. She turned around.

"Not gonna say hi?" she heard him say behind her. He was awake after all. She turned back to face him.

"Hi Beast Boy." She said in a low voice. "You look… better." She looked his injured body over. Not as many bruises as the previous time, but still obviously wounded.

"You mean better than dead?" he said. He shifted to make himself more comfortable, but ended up wincing as he did so. "I am getting a little tired of getting my butt kicked like this." He scratched at his bandages a little.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive." She said.

"Thanks. I'm glad I'm alive too." For a moment there was silence between them, as Raven stood there awkwardly holding the tray. Eventually Beast Boy pointed to the tray. "Is there anything there for me?"

"Uh… yeah." Raven said. "There's something for the pain." She picked up the bottle.

"Alcohol, I hope." He said.

"It's a painkiller." She said. "But there's some alcohol in it."

"Good enough for me." He said. She helped pour him a dose.

"I didn't know you drank." She said.

"It was a joke." He held the cup of painkiller in his hand, eyeing it. After a pause, he tilted his head a little. "Occasionally I do."

"We all have our ways of coping." Raven said. There was then another silence between them. Beast Boy began scratching at his bandages again. Raven looked down at the fresh bandages on the tray.

"Do you… need your bandages changed?" she said. She looked down at the bandage roll as she said it.

"Well, actually I…" Beast Boy started to say. There was a pause. Raven looked up. "Its fine." He said. "I'm just a little itchy."

Raven set the tray down and walked over. She reached for Beast Boy's bandages.

"I said its fine, Raven." He said. "I… appreciate the medicine. And the healing. And you coming to see me. But Cyborg can help with the other stuff, later on. So, its fine." Beast Boy laid back in bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"…Okay." Raven said. "I'll just leave the tray here so you can do it yourself, if you want." She turned around. She took a step towards the door, before Beast Boy spoke again.

"Raven… thanks for checking on me. I do appreciate it." He said. Raven paused and took a deep breath, without turning around.

"I hope you feel better, Beast Boy." She said. She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Raven walked down the corridor, away from the infirmary. She walked aimlessly, her mind distracted. Talking to Bumblebee and Beast Boy had been uncomfortable, albeit for different reasons. In Bumblebee's case, she was hurt and possibly traumatized over what had happened. Which is natural. It would've been strange if Bumblebee wasn't affected by it. Naturally, she wasn't in the mood to talk. And if she was going to talk, it probably wouldn't be with Raven.

Raven and Bumblebee had never been close. In truth, Raven felt like they were closer to acquaintances rather than friends. Not because Raven didn't like her. She barely knew her. Which was the problem. Maybe they were just too different. With Beast Boy on the other hand, it was a different problem.

Raven was friends with Beast Boy. Was… but it was unclear if they still were. Raven wasn't really sure what they were now. She didn't hate him or anything, but she felt… weird around him. Not without reason. After the Teen Titans broke up, and Robin/Nightwing went back to Gotham City, things changed between Raven and Beast Boy. In ways she didn't expect. In ways she regretted. She closed her eyes and shook her head, attempting to clear the thoughts from her mind. It was still something she preferred not to think about.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself outside Cyborg's room. She hadn't exactly planned on coming here. Or maybe subconsciously she had? Either way, as long as she was there, she decided she might as well pay him a visit. She knocked on his door.

"Cyborg, its me." She said.

After a few seconds, she heard, "Come on in." She entered his room. Stepping inside, she found Cyborg sitting on a bench. He now had two arms again, but was holding a piece of a leg. The leg was only partially repaired. Cyborg was tightening something with a wrench, but looked up at Raven.

"Hey, Raven." He said.

"Hello, Cyborg." She said. "You…" she was about to say, "You look better", but remembered she had said that to Beast Boy, and also remembered his response.

"I what?" Cyborg said.

"You made a lot of progress." Raven said instead. "On the repairs, I mean. I'm impressed."

Cyborg shrugged. "Yeah well, it helps that I have spares. Its not the first time this happened."

Raven nodded. "Speaking of repairs…" Cyborg stopped what he was doing and looked at her, waiting for her to finish.

"I know this is a sensitive subject, but… Bumblebee's arm..."

"I know." Cyborg said, his tone a touch darker.

"Have you spoken to her?" she said.

"Not yet. But I will. I just wanted to finish my repairs. I figure I can get more done when I'm in one piece. I should be done soon. Well, I might need a few days to get back in fighting condition, but I should at least be able to walk around and stuff."

By this point, Cyborg had put the parts down, and was sitting with his arms resting on his legs. Raven took a step closer. Cyborg patted the seat next to him. Raven sat down beside him.

"You can help her, right?" Raven said quietly. "Give her a new arm, I mean."

Cyborg sighed. "I can, sure. I don't know how she'll react, though. Losing a part of yourself is… painful. I don't just mean physically."

Raven nodded, but didn't say anything. Raven had been through a lot in her life, but had never experienced the specific kind of loss Cyborg was talking about. She could sympathize, but not empathize.

"I wish there was some way I could help her." Raven eventually said. "I tried talking to her, but… that didn't go well."

Cyborg rubbed his chin. "Hmm, maybe you could use your empathy magic to make her feel a little better?"

Raven shifted. "If she's resistant to that, I don't think it would be a good idea. It could just make things worse."

"Well, it was just a thought."

"I think she'll be more receptive to you. You've always been closer to her than anyone else on this team."

"She's a friend, but I've never been that close to her." Cyborg looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know about the rest of the old Titans East, but in my experience she tended to keep people at arm's length."

"I know the feeling." Raven said. "But I think she'd be more likely to listen to you than anyone else."

Cyborg ran his hand along his head. "Like I said, I'll try. Just let me finish working on this leg. She probably needs some time alone right now anyway."

"I won't distract you then." Raven said. She stood up.

"Hey, Raven." Cyborg said. She turned.

"It was nice talking to you. I mean that. If you ever need to talk about something, I'm here."

Raven nodded. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." She turned and headed for the door. She stepped outside, leaving Cyborg to his repairs. She looked at the floor for a second, and sighed lightly. She then started walking forward, only lifting her head after a second. She was taken off guard when she bumped into someone else.

"Raven." Starfire said.

"Starfire." Raven blinked, and looked up at her old friend. "I…" Before Raven could say anything else, Starfire wrapped her arms around Raven.

"Raven, my friend, it is good to see you again." Starfire said. Raven would have reciprocated, but Starfire was hugging a little too tightly.

"Starfire, too hard." Raven said, her voice strained. Starfire released her.

"I apologize. I have been on Tamaran a long time, and am used to people who are…"

"Stronger?" Raven said.

"Differently built." Starfire said.

Raven stretched her muscles a little after the hug. She looked Starfire over. "Anyway, it's good to see you too. You look good." Raven hadn't gotten a chance to get a close look at Starfire the day before. Looking at her now, up close, Raven noted how much Starfire had changed, but while still being the same Starfire. She had grown a few inches taller. Starfire had always been noticeably taller than Raven, but now towered over her. She was about the same height as Nightwing, maybe even slightly taller. At this point the only person not taller than Raven was Beast Boy.

Starfire's hair style was similar to before, except a little longer in the front. Her shoulders were a little more broad, but she still had a decidedly feminine physique. Starfire had always been rather thin, maybe even skinny, when Raven knew her. That hadn't really changed. She was tall and lanky, which belied her true strength. This contrasted with Raven, who was shorter but more filled out. As for Starfire's outfit, it was not that different from what she had worn in the past. Same color, same style. The main difference was that her boots were shorter, ankle length rather than thigh high. And she also wore fingerless purple gloves now. Her silver collar appeared to have some markings on it that Raven didn't understand. It wasn't exactly an outfit Raven would wear, but she understood it was considered normal on Starfire's planet. Besides, Raven's own fashion sense would be considered strange or provocative by many.

"Do you like my clothes?" Starfire said. She must have noticed Raven looking.

"Yeah. You… really pull it off." Raven said.

"Thank you. And your outfit is…" Starfire looked Raven up and down, appearing uncertain.

"I know, it's the same." Raven said. "Maybe its time to go clothes shopping." Raven liked her outfit. But she had kept the same look for years, apart from her hair. Maybe it was time for a change.

"Ah… Yes, but your hair. I love it."

Raven shrugged. "I just grew it out. Anyway, after all this time you don't just want to talk about clothes and hair, right?"

Starfire had an ambiguous expression. Pensive? Hesitant? Worried? Starfire was keeping her surface feelings close to the chest at the moment. Raven could use her empathy to dig a little deeper, but didn't want to do that to a friend without permission. "I would like to talk about many things with you. But you have always been so private…" Starfire said.

"We're old friends. We can talk."

"And if I am being honest, I have… become more private myself, in some ways." Raven didn't need empathy to see the discomfort on Starfire's face as she averted her gaze.

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I can't blame you for that." There was a moment of silence between them. "Can I at least ask how Tamaran is doing? Generally speaking."

Starfire still looked off to the side. Her expression seemed a sad one, and Raven wondered if even this broad question was too much. But then Starfire spoke.

"It is better in some ways. We have made extensive efforts on repairs, and rebuilding infrastructure. And we have reached out to the various cities on the planet, trying to coordinate efforts at reconstruction. But Tamaranians are not always cooperative."

"Something you have in common with humans." Said Raven.

Starfire sighed. "Things have gotten better, but it is still so hard. And lonely. Ever since Blackfire…" Starfire trailed off. A shadow seemed to pass over Starfire's face. Just for a moment. "I would really prefer not to dwell on those things. I want to look forward, to happier times." Starfire smiled. Raven couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, but she wanted to believe it was.

"Anyway, do you know where Nightwing is?" Raven said, changing the subject for both their sakes.

Starfire's expression changed again. For a second, she looked like the younger Starfire from years earlier. "I saw him earlier at the hospital, briefly. He is taking Red Arrow out of town, to a safer location. He said that he has 'connections' that can keep Red Arrow safe."

"Oh." Said Raven. "Did he say how long he would be gone?"

"He said he should be back sometime this evening, barring any unforeseen events."

Raven nodded. "Okay. Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course. Now, I would like to visit Cyborg, as well as our friends who have been badly hurt."

"Cyborg's in his room, fixing himself. Beast Boy and Bumblebee are both in the infirmary."

Starfire nodded, and turned towards Cyborg's door. Raven started to turn and leave, until Starfire called her name. Raven turned.

"It is very nice to see you again, Raven."

"Likewise." Raven said earnestly. Starfire knocked on Cyborg's door. Raven went in the other direction and headed for her own room.

Raven was back in her room again. It was slightly more furnished then when they first returned to the tower. Still not what it was before though. They probably weren't going to stay long enough for that to matter. Raven walked over to her bed and sat down. She took off her cloak and stretched her arms, still feeling Starfire's hug. She looked at a small wooden clock she had bought. It was only late morning. Nightwing wouldn't be back for a while.

Raven thought about what she had wanted to tell him. Her feelings for him. Did that matter right now? In the long run it mattered, sure. But with everything going on right now… Several members of their team were hurt, or maimed. Starfire only just came back. And Nightwing was pretty single-minded about things, especially with Slade around. It seemed like it really was just a bad time to talk about love. That's why Raven didn't blame Nightwing for not keeping his promise. She couldn't hold him to that after everything that's happened. It would be selfish of her to expect it, wouldn't it? Raven sighed. Her feelings would have to wait, she decided. She had held onto these feelings for years. What was a few more days, or weeks? She would have her chance to tell him. Wouldn't she?

Raven decided to focus on something else. She needed to help get the team back into fighting shape. She couldn't overdo her healing magic, but it could help a little. And there were probably other ways to help. And now they knew who the enemy was. Ravager. Ravagers. Slade's… what? Apprentices? Guns for hire? They look like him. But they are teenagers. Raven didn't get a close look at them, but from what the others said they seem like they might be about the same age as the Titans were, when they first found each other. But who knew what they look like under those masks?

They also now know that Chang is involved, and has probably been suppling them with the robots, and maybe weapons too. Chang probably wasn't at the observatory anymore. If they went back there tomorrow, it would probably be abandoned. If they only knew where to find them…

Raven rubbed her temple. We'll figure it out, as a team, she thought. Between the five of us… six counting Bumblebee, we'll come up with something." Raven briefly wondered if they would ever be rid of Slade, and his destructive influence. But decided not to dwell on that. With nothing else to do at the moment, Raven decided to read a book to distract herself. She picked out a gothic horror romance novel, and opened it. She read for over an hour, getting engrossed, and then started meditating. After a while, Raven fell asleep.

Raven opened her eyes. She sat up and checked the time. A couple hours had passed. She hadn't even intended to fall asleep, let alone for so long. Guess I must have been more tired than I thought, she thought to herself. She yawned, and got out of bed, feeling slightly unsteady after just waking. "I need some tea." She said. She could have coffee, but coffee tended to make her irritable. Tea would wake her up with the caffeine, but while also relaxing her.

She walked over to her mirror and fixed her hair, mostly. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She then put her cloak back on, and exited her room. She spent the next few minutes splashing cold water on her face and then getting tea. Having done that, she then went back to the infirmary to check on the others. When she got there, she found that Cyborg was already there, having fixed his leg. Since she wasn't needed there, she left.

Raven didn't know where Starfire was at the moment. And Nightwing still wasn't back. Probably wouldn't be for a while. She stood there in the hallway thinking on what to do. She had already read, and didn't feel like it anymore. She wasn't in the mood for a movie. There was no need to go shopping right that moment. Raven shrugged, and started walking. After a minute, she found herself heading up to the roof. Not for any particular reason, just because.

A few minutes later, Raven was on the roof of Titan Tower. It was midafternoon, so the sun was past its high point and sitting lower in the sky, casting its orange rays onto the tower. Raven stepped further out onto the roof, feeling the warmth of the sun, and looked at it head on. It was big, but not so bright that she couldn't look at it. Possibly because of the pollution from the city. Regardless, she found a spot where she could easily look out at the scene down below, and sat down. The city somehow seemed so big, and yet so small at the same time. So many buildings, and cars, and people. Thousands, if not millions of them. But she could still see the edges of the city in the distance. The rivers, the bridges, the transitions to suburbs beyond. Raven wondered how many of those people down there need help right now, and no hero is there to save them. She knew that wasn't a healthy line of thinking. There was no way they could save everyone. Dwelling on that wouldn't help anyone, and would only make their job harder.

Raven turned her head, and saw the place where they had encountered the so called Ravagers, and that giant worm robot. She could see the devastation from where she was, even if only vaguely. She felt they did some good there, even if they failed to catch the criminals. But she also knew that Nightwing probably doesn't see it that way. Another thing she probably shouldn't think about too much. Nor should he. She turned her head again, trying to find more pleasant sights. She saw a train going by. Children at a playground. And birds flying about, some big, and some smaller. She saw pigeons, and seagulls, and a few bluejays. She wondered to herself if she could become lame enough to take up bird watching as a hobby. Then, she saw something a little different. Still a bird, but noticeably different from the others. An all-black bird. A raven.

Raven watched her namesake fly through the sky, and then get closer to the building. To her surprise, it actually landed on the roof. Not right next to her, a little further away. At first it didn't seem to notice her. But then it turned its head towards her, and looked right at her. She looked back at it. A few seconds passed, and then it flew away, quickly disappearing from sight. Weird, she thought. She didn't usually see ravens in the city, but there was a forest not far away. Raven remembered that ravens are sometimes seen as bad omens. Which she could write off as superstition. Except she was a half-demon sorceress who was created to bring about the destruction of the world. A walking bad omen. But the bird was probably a coincidence.

Raven finally stood up, and as she did so she saw something below. It was Nightwing, riding up to the tower on his motorcycle. He must have finished with Red Arrow. He was back a little earlier than she was told, but she didn't mind. She wanted to talk to him, if only to tell him she was fine with waiting to have their big talk. If she hurried, she might be able to meet him in the garage below. She went off to meet him just as Nightwing was pulling up to the building.

Shortly, Raven had made her way down to the garage. It was a little messy. Cyborg currently had his car parked there. But there were also a few piles of boxes stacked high. A lot of it was equipment for Cyborg to use. Additionally, there were some boxes of clothes and small weapons too. As Raven entered the room, she saw that Nightwing had just parked his bike, and was getting up. He stood there and looked down at his bike, perhaps thinking about something. Raven could only guess what he was thinking. But she felt she should tell him what she had decided, just so there was no misunderstanding. She took a step forward, but at the other end of the room she saw someone else. Nightwing noticed too, and lifted his head.

"Robin!" Starfire said. She approached him. Neither of them seemed to have noticed Raven, who stepped behind the boxes. She immediately wondered if that was the best thing to do, or if she should just announce herself. Before she could decide, Starfire and Nightwing began talking.

"I'm glad you are back Robin. I have been looking forward to speaking with you all day." Starfire said.

"Thanks." He said. "But I go by Nightwing now."

Starfire smiled, a little sheepishly. "Yes, I have heard. It is strange to think of you as Nightwing, when I have always known you as Robin."

"Things change." Nightwing said.

"Yes, they do." Starfire said quietly. Raven considered using this moment to tell them she was there, although it would be a little awkward. But once again, Starfire spoke up just before Raven could.

"Tell me, is a 'Nightwing' an adult version of a Robin?" Starfire asked. Once again, she sounded like the old Starfire Raven knew. Nightwing smiled.

"No. There's no bird called a nightwing. I just thought it sounded cool."

Starfire nodded. "Ah, yes. It is important to be cool." Coming from anyone else, this statement probably would have been sarcastic. But Raven knew Starfire was being sincere. She also knew that it was too late for her to come out now. They might actually get mad at her at this point. Well, Nightwing might be annoyed at her.

"Anyway…" Nightwing said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "You look good." Starfire smiled.

"So do you." She took a step closer. "You look bigger, and more mature."

"Thanks." He said. "You've gotten… taller. Very statuesque."

Starfire nodded again. She took another step closer. "Nightwing. We haven't spoken to each other in such a long time."

"I know."

"I have missed you."

"We've missed you too."

Starfire looked at the floor for a second. Then she lifted her head again, and moved even closer, standing right in front of him. "I have missed all my old friends. Beast Boy, and Cyborg, and Raven. You were all like a second family to me. But you especially. Nightwing." She touched his hands with her own. "Ever since we… broke up, years ago; I have missed you. I have felt lonely without you."

Nearby, Raven blinked at hearing this. She felt her heartbeat quicken. Don't overreact. She's just happy to see him. That's all. She watched from behind the boxes, and felt a little relief when Nightwing gently but firmly pulled away.

"You broke up with me." He said.

"I am aware, but I did not have a choice." Starfire said. Her eyes reflected sadness, and a tension crept into her voice. "My world was devastated. And my family was gone. The people of Tamaran needed someone to lead them. I was the only choice. How could I go? You… could have stayed."

Nightwing slowly shook his head. "I couldn't leave my world either. I would have had to give up everything I know, everything I am. How could I have stayed?"

"Things can be different now." Starfire said.

Nightwing looked at her, standing just above his eye level. "Are you saying… you want us to get back together?" he asked.

"I… have thought about it." She replied, her eyes locking with his. Raven's eyes widened.

Nightwing turned to the side. He ran a hand through his hair. "You know Starfire, when we broke up, it hurt. I know you had a damn good reason, I know that. But still… It took me a long time to get over you."

"I never got over you." Starfire said. Nightwing turned to look at her.

"What's changed since then?" he asked.

"I feel I have changed in some ways." She said. "And Tamaran is changing, for the better. We are repairing, and rebuilding. And we are working on building a new leadership so that maybe soon, I will be more free to…" She touched his face.

"I've missed you." She said, barely above a whisper. "Tell me you've missed me."

Nightwing looked at her, and blinked. "Starfire, I…" Before he could finish, Starfire leaned in, closer to him. Her face close to his face. Raven was watching, and she realized that Starfire was about to kiss him. Raven couldn't help but gasp.

The two of them paused and turned their heads. They heard her. Raven quickly ducked behind the boxes. "Who's there?" Nightwing said. Without thinking, Raven used her magic to teleport herself out of there. In just a couple seconds, Raven was gone.

Raven was suddenly back in her own room. She had teleported to the first place that came to mind. The place she felt safest. Her heart was pounding. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and then numbly walked over to her bed.

Raven sat down on the mattress. She put her hands on her knees, and gazed into nothing in particular. She tried to process what just happened. Starfire leaning in close to Nightwing. Touching his hands. Telling him she still loves him. And he… What was he going to say? Starfire, I…

This whole thing was so complicated. She was trying to make sense of it in her mind. Nightwing and Starfire had a history with each other, going back years. They were in a relationship. And they were in love. It seemed like it took them forever to admit it to each other. Raven already had feelings for him back then. But she didn't dare say anything. They were her friends. She couldn't come between them. "Not that I could have." She whispered to herself.

Raven sat on her bed, and thought back to that day. Their last day on Tamaran. After the conflict was over. After there had been so much death and destruction. Starfire now had the responsibility of ruling over her people. She said she had to stay. Nightwing, Robin at the time, tried to convince her to leave. But it was, frankly, a feeble attempt. This wasn't like the previous time Starfire was going to stay on Tamaran. This time, it wasn't a romantic rival or scheming enemy keeping Starfire there. What compelled Starfire to stay was something much bigger than that. And Robin knew it. Raven remembered Starfire being so resolute, so determined. She wouldn't budge. Wouldn't even consider leaving. She wouldn't even look at Robin as she insisted she was staying. Raven and the others stood there watching them. Starfire looked out over a balcony at the devastation below. Robin followed her gaze, hunched up his shoulders, and nodded. He turned and walked away. The last thing Starfire said was, "Goodbye, Robin. And all of you." Starfire still looked out at the destruction as she spoke.

When they got back to earth, Robin was torn up over what happened. He clearly blamed himself. Raven tried to comfort him, telling him it wasn't his fault. They all did. But he wouldn't listen. He felt he couldn't be a leader anymore. So, he left. Raven hated seeing him go, but knew she couldn't stop him. She had grown to love him, but also knew that, for many reasons, they could not be together. So, Raven went off on her own, and tried to forget she ever had these feelings. And for a while, she almost did. But then, years later the murder brought them back together. Despite the morbid circumstances, seeing him again reignited those feelings in her. Even more than last time, in fact. They were both older, more mature. He and Starfire had broken up years earlier. Raven didn't believe Starfire would ever leave Tamaran again. But she did. Starfire came back. Raven was happy to see Starfire. They were old friends. But then…

Raven had resolved to wait to confess her feelings. After this dark business was all over. But it seemed that Starfire didn't feel the need to wait. The image of Starfire pressing against him, saying she wanted to be with him, flashed in Raven's mind. Raven's chest felt tight. I shouldn't feel this way, she thought to herself. She loved him first. Raven started to feel foolish for thinking she could be with him. Starfire was a beautiful princess. And Raven… What was she? A strange looking half demon. Creepy, and dark, and weird.

Raven felt a tear on her cheek. She shook her head. I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. I should feel happy for my friends. I want my friends to be happy. Isn't this… what they want? Raven didn't know for sure that Nightwing still loved her. But it wouldn't be surprising. She didn't want to come between them. Nor could she. So, she'll be happy for them instead. But there was a smaller part of her that said, What about me? Don't I deserve to be happy? What she felt for him wasn't just a crush. She had felt this way too long for it to be just that. She had wanted to tell him that she loved him, and why. Even if he rejected her, she still wanted to try. But now…

As Raven felt her throat tighten, she put a hand to her head. "Azarath… Metrion, Zinthos." The chant calmed her, but her mood did not improve. She decided to lie down. She would try to go back to sleep, although she was sure she wouldn't be able to. Tomorrow, she would pretend her love for Nightwing was all just a dream. And when this was all over, Raven would go out into the world again, somewhere far away, on her own. All alone. Always, the solitary Raven.

End Notes: I imagine some people might have some concerns after reading this chapter. I don't like posting spoilers generally, but in this note section I will talk about some mildly spoilerish stuff, just to address potential concerns. If you are fine with the way the story is playing out, and/or you want to be completely unspoiled, then you can stop reading here, and just wait for the next chapter.

For anyone else, I want to make something clear right here and now: Starfire and Nightwing are not going to get together again as a couple in this story, not even briefly. If that was going to happen, then I would have tagged the story that way. It is also not my intention for this to be a love triangle, even though it may appear that way. Starfire and Nightwing/Robin have a history with each other. And I felt that that history should be addressed, not ignored. I understand that some people might prefer that the stuff between these two characters be left entirely in the past, to focus on the Nightwing/Raven relationship. But I wanted this story to feel true to the characters, and how they might feel in this scenario.

This story takes place a few years after the show, but the characters are still young here, and are still figuring out how they feel, and what they want. The coming chapters will explore that. If this were a tv series or professionally published novel, then I might just leave people in the dark as to how things might develop. But I know that fanfiction readers like to know what to expect, so I'm laying it out here. At least, this one specific aspect of the story.

On a lighter note, Starfire's appearance. Starfire in the cartoon always looked different from the comic version in some ways. Different hairstyle, different skin tone, different eyes. And of course, cartoon Starfire is not as tall (or well endowed) as her comic book counterpart. For this story, I wanted to bring Starfire a little closer to how she looks in the comics, but while still staying true to her cartoon design. Here, she is taller, but not a giant. A little under six feet, which is still tall for a girl. Her outfit is slightly more revealing, but not to the point where she's just wearing a bikini. I still kept Starfire's build as skinny, rather than making her muscular or voluptuous like the comics.

Finally, I want to let readers know that I will be taking another short break after this chapter. While I haven't gotten the recent chapters out as quickly as I would like, I have been working on them much of the time. But I have other things going on too. This story is basically divided into two parts, and this can be considered the end of part 1. A good place to take a break. Part 2 will probably not be as long, but I can't promise that. Thanks for reading so far.