DISCLAIMER: This text uses characters owned by DC Comics and Marvel Comics Group. This text does not challenge their ownership to their characters. WARNING: Explicit language, non-explicit nudity. CONTINUITY: After TITANS #4. AUTHOR: Samy Merchi TIMESTAMP: Posted 23 March 2002. *** WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE... STARRING Dick "NIGHTWING" Grayson Koriand'r "STARFIRE" of Tamaran Roy "ARSENAL" Harper Donna "TROIA" Troy *** "Do you still love him?" "Yes", Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran nodded without hesitation as water cascaded down onto her, the shower massaging her tense back muscles and matting her bushy brown hair flat against her head and back, making it stretch all the way down to the backs of her knees as the weight of the wet hair straightened it out from its curls. "But you're not going to do anything about it", Donna Troy stood underneath a shower as well and stared silently at her fellow Titan, a dear friend with whom she had gone thru more trials and tribulations in the past decade than most people did in their entire lifetimes. "No", Kory gave a minute shrug as she bent her neck forward and pulled the focused totality of her wet hair over her shoulder so it'd dangle over her front, to expose her neck and let the water from the shower head stimulate the tense nerve endings. "Because..." Now, Donna hesitated a bit, less sure of her words than in her previous sentence. "You want to give him time? Want it to be his choice? Don't want to presume anything? Are afraid of asking?" Koriand'r sighed and closed her big green eyes, kneading at her shoulders with a brief pained expression going over her face before it passed. Maybe she hit a sore muscle. "Maybe some of the above. Maybe all. Maybe none. I..." She frowned, and opened her eyes, looking up at Donna. "He said he wanted to be just friends. If that's what he wants, I have to accept that." "Honey, Dick doesn't *know* what he wants", Donna said, turning her shower off and heading for the door leading to the sauna. Opening the door, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, waiting for Kory. "He's great at figuring out other people", she said with a sympathetic expression. "Figuring himself out? Not so great at." "Maybe partially", Kory acquiesced with a sigh as she turned her shower off as well and followed Donna to the sauna, stroking her fingers thru her hair a few times and giving it a brief annoyed glare as they tangled in it. Clearing up the tangle, she sat down beside Donna and leaned her head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "It's not completely true though. He can figure himself out if he wants to. It's just that most of the time he doesn't want to, or he's too scared to." "No kidding", Donna nodded with a sigh as she leaned forward a bit and then arched her back with a soft pop. "Part and parcel of having gotten raised by the Batman, I guess." Kory stared thoughtfully at the back of Donna's head for a few moments before continuing. "On Tamaran we're --" She paused, and she winced inwardly as she recalled her homeworld's destruction. "We *were* free with our emotions...for better or for worse, we acted as we felt. But Dick --" "Has too many morals", Donna nodded in understanding. "So many preconceptions, so rigid conceptions of what's wrong and what's right." She smiled a bit sadly. "I actually used to wonder, way back when, how you two could ever fit together... I mean, with your warrior instincts clashing so much with Dick's credo not to kill...and then, your...the..." "The emotional freedom of Tamaraneans, you mean", Kory gave a slightly amused expression. Donna grinned a bit. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose." She tilted her head a bit and smiled. "I think humans could do with a good dose of that. I mean, even when I was married to Terry -- I --" Her face took on a hesitant frown as she searched for the right words. "Felt towards other people", Kory again helped her out, receiving a nod from Donna. "I don't think our species are that different from each other, Donna", Kory smiled. "Not deep inside. We both feel the same things, the same way. It's just that your culture *re*presses it, while ours *ex*presses it. And is that such a bad thing in the end?" "No", Donna shook her head. "I've always wished I could be more like you..." She grinned with faint embarrassment -- but only faint. She felt safe with Kory. "So open, so free, so honest with everything. It must be a wonderful way to live." "Dick doesn't agree", Kory shrugged. "Dick hasn't tried", Donna replied. "And I don't intend to make him." With a sigh, Kory rested her forehead in her palms. "I love him, and that means I will honor his wishes when he says he wants to be just friends. It...isn't easy, but it's what I'll do. If he changes his mind, he'll know where to find me." "And if someone else snags him in the meantime?" Donna quirked an eyebrow. Kory's eyes widened as she glanced into Donna's, and swallowed slightly. *** "You know, we've got to stop meeting like this", Nightwing said, holding his bleeding nose. "*You* have to stop sneaking up on me!" Barbara Gordon snapped as she uncurled her fist and turned her wheelchair from the computers to face her unannounced visitor instead. "Even terriers learn faster than you do from a few whaps to the nose." "Bruce always gets away with sneaking up on everyone", Nightwing commented, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting go with the other hand, staring at the bloodied glove for a moment. "*You're* not *Bruce*", Barbara snorted disapprovingly, and then her face muscles tightened to restrain a grin. "And he doesn't." She rolled her wheelchair out thru the doorway and towards the kitchen. "Come on, I'll get you some ice." "Thanks", Nightwing smiled as he followed her to the kitchen and accepted the ice pack, pressing it against his nose. "So why are you here anyway?" Barbara asked as she headed back to her computers and typed a few lines to finish the email she had been working on, then sent it, before glancing over her shoulder at Nightwing standing at the doorway watching her. "Do I have to have a reason?" he shrugged. "Not really", she tapped a key, activating the screen blanker, and then turned fully towards him. "But you always do. At least when you're dressed like that." "Touche'", he grinned as he walked over to the computer table and pulled a floppy disk from his glove with the hand that wasn't holding the icepack, and handed it over. "I've got a list of cities and dates here -- I need a list of any possible robberies worth over $10,000 in those cities on those dates. Can you do that?" "Of course I can", Barbara mumbled as she grabbed the disk and shoved it into the drive with a resounding clatch. "What're you looking for? Or rather, should I ask who you're after?" "A pair of acrobats", Nightwing answered, turning his attention to the monitor as Barbara loaded up the list and started reformatting it. "Gave me some trouble last week in Bludhaven, stealing a lot of money from Blockbuster's and other crimelords' little projects." "You say that like it's a bad thing", she gave a crooked smile. Nightwing grinned for a moment. "The ends aren't bad." Then, it faded and he shrugged. "But the means they use to accomplish them aren't the best in the world. Besides, they're only out for themselves. They're not altruists and deserve to be taught a little lesson." "Oh?" Barbara quirked an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?" "Besides you?" Nightwing smiled as he left the bloodied icepack onto the table and hopped up to the windowsill of an open window. "You'll see. Can you get the list to me by tomorrow morning?" "Sure, no problem", she answered, not looking towards him. Only the wind answered her, and after a few moments, she sighed and shook her head, then moved over to close the window, then picked up the icepack and headed back towards the kitchen to dispose of it. "Wham, bam, thank you ma'am..." she mumbled. *** Koriand'r sat atop one of the boulders at the edge of Titans Island, the water crashing against the base of the large rock in repeated hypnotic liplapping waves as she stared at the night sky, her eyes focused on the red light of the Vega star Tamaran used to orbit. It gave her a sad sense of amusement to realize that what she was seeing now was the Vega of years ago as light took time to travel across the light years of space. With a powerful enough telescope, one on Earth could even see Tamaran now even though it no longer existed. In a way, it still existed. And would continue to do so -- forever, maybe? -- as the light reflected from it would travel forever thru space, telling the tale of their once proud world. "Starfire?" "Oh", Kory brushed the back of her hand across her eyes briefly before turning towards the bright voice and giving a smile. "Argent. How are you?" "I'm okay", the silver-skinned girl smiled a bit sheepishly, and climbed onto the boulder, giving Kory a hesitant smile. "You don't mind if I come sit with you, do you?" "Not at all", Kory shook her head before tilting it, a bit curious now. She chose not to ask, though. "It isn't too cold tonight", she said, watching Argent for a few moments before letting her eyes drift onto the ever-shifting surface of the dark waters separating Titans Island from Manhattan. Argent's expression turned into a grin and she gave a little chuckle. "What?" Kory smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "Nothing, I just --" Argent shrugged with a smile. "I was going to say something like 'I can see that' or something..." she said, motioning briefly at Kory's metal 'bikini' costume. "I don't suppose you ever get cold..." Kory grinned and lay on her back on the stone, crossing her arms under her head as she stared at the sky. "The solar energy stored in my cells usually keeps me comfortable", she mused. "I figured it was something like that", Argent nodded thoughtfully, staring at Kory's body for a few moments. "I saw you once when I was younger..." she murmured. "You did?" Kory smiled curiously. "Where?" "It was at a mall", Argent grinned, starting to get thrilled by her memories. "Robin was in charge, and you were fighting the Fearsome Five--" "I remember that", Kory chuckled. "What did you think about it?" "I thought you had the most awesome costume I'd ever seen!" Argent smiled. "It was so cool, I loved it. I always wanted to wear one just like that." She lay down beside Kory and stared up at the sky as well. "I thought Changeling was kind of cute, too." "He is, isn't he?" Kory giggled. "You want me to fix you up on a date with him?" "No!" Argent's silver cheeks darkened slightly in embarrassment before she giggled too and bit her bottom lip. "Actually, I came here to ask some advice...I know you've modeled some stuff, and I was gonna ask if you could help me pick --" "Hey, ladies." "Arsenal!" Argent gasped, glancing over her shoulder at the man walking towards them across the grounds. "It's usually 'Roy' when I'm in the civvies, kid", Arsenal smirked, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he arrived at the boulder. "But you can call me anything you want." He glanced over to Starfire. "Hi, Kory. What's up?" "Nothing much, Roy", Kory sat up, putting her hands on the smooth stone underneath her and leaning backwards on her arms. "Just thinking about some things. How about you?" "About to make your day", Roy grinned, and whipped out a pair of tickets from his jeans pocket. "I'm here to rescue you from your dreary 'things' and take you out for an exclusive preview showing of Arnold Schwarzenburger's latest flick, and some dancing later. Go get dressed, we're leaving in half an hour." "Oh?" Kory snickered. "What makes you so sure I want to go?" "Well, it's either my company or Argent's, and you can get sex out of me", Roy smiled. Kory giggled slightly, either not noticing as Argent turned an interesting shade of silver, or just ignoring it. "But would it be *better* sex?" she smiled teasingly. "I'll have you know I have the speediest mouth on the planet", he grinned lopsidedly. "And I have the Starfirest mouth on the planet", Kory smiled. "What's your point?" "Well, see, I'm not so sure about that, you'd better let me sample it just to make sure", Roy offered his hand to help Kory down from atop the boulder. "Shall we?" "Do you mind, Toni?" Kory glanced over to Argent. "Me?" Argent blinked wide-eyed, surprised at being consulted. "Uh, no, not at all", she said in momentary confusion, and after getting over it, gave a hesitant smile at the two other -- SENIOR, to her -- Titans. "Have fun." "The only way I could possibly have more fun", Roy grinned at Argent, "is if they changed the rules of the Olympics." "Oh?" Argent blinked, again confused. "How's that?" "That way I could get gold and silver at the same time..." Roy grinned as he walked off with Kory's golden-hued arm thru his, leaving Argent's face again that interesting darker shade of silver. *** Nightwing fell from the sky without a sound like an eclipse, falling into a crouch on the grass. Without having to think about it, he glanced around and made sure everything was quiet and in order. Then he stood up, and walked thru the rest of the park towards the pier holding the automated raft transport across the waters from Manhattan to Titans Island. ZOOOOMMMM "What --?" Nightwing gasped as he was yanked off his feet and carried across the waters towards Titans Island in a streak of red and gold. "Wally?" "Not quite", Jesse Quick smiled as she took off the ground as soon as they had crossed the waters, and flew over the hologram of Titans Tower dominating the island before landing on the other side of the island. "I like catching you off-guard", she added as the balls of her feet touched down on level ground, and she let go of Nightwing. "Not too many people I've seen do that." "Not too many people that can do it", Nightwing replied, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde first, and then starting to turn around to face her. "You know I couldn't have reacted fast enough even if I had been on guard." There was an unsettling smile on his lips that made Jesse suspicious. FWASHHHH! "I can't see!" Jesse raised a hand reflexively in front of her eyes, a blur of motion too fast for the eye to detect -- and too slow to prevent the bright flash from blowing out her retinae. "Magnesium flare", Nightwing explained, fingertip touching Jesse's nose, "You're dead", and then he walked away. "Fast as you are, you're not faster than light. Pay attention to what your opponent's hands are doing. Prevent their actions, rather than counting on your speed letting you avoid them." "Grr", Jesse hissed, stumbling around for a moment with strobe-like motion blurs before she could find a tree to lean against. "I got you first! That counts for something!" she called out into the whiteness that was the only thing she could see. Nightwing smiled and was gone. *** ((He is going to think I'm such a *slut*)), she grimaced as she meticulously painted her face, darkening her lips and eyelashes. The image in the mirror made her flinch. It didn't feel like her -- and yet...it felt like some secret yearning she wanted to fulfill. Maybe it wasn't her -- maybe it was what she wanted to be? No...no...surely not? She glanced over her shoulder at the fishnets and the push-ups waiting on the bed. ((I can't do this -- what if someone sees me --?)) *** "Kory has really big boobies!" "Yes, yes she does honey", Roy answered patiently as he carried his daughter into the bathroom and held her up in front of the sink. "Show me the fastest toothbrush in the west." Lian grabbed the toothbrush from her father and stuck it into her mouth, brushing it around frantically for several moments. Then, she spat out, and gulped from the mug of water Roy held out for her, then spat out again. "8.4 seconds. That barely qualifies you for bronze, kid", Roy shook his head in mock disapproval. "We'll have to work on this", he commented as he set her back down on the floor and patted her on the head. "Now go to bed." "Is that why you're going out with her?" Lian asked as she pattered from the bathroom thru towards the bedroom in her Hawkeye PJs. "Yes", Roy answered from the bathroom, running a comb thru his hair a couple of times and checking in the mirror that he was his usual suave, unshaven, rugged self. "Okay!" Lian called back thru the rooms as she clambered into bed and started tugging the sheets over herself. "You're disgusting", noted the dark-complexioned girl called Chandra waiting outside the bathroom with a roll of her eyes as Roy exited. "Yeah. It's my most charming personality trait", Roy smiled without so much as a blink. He dug out his wallet and slipped the girl some cash. "We shouldn't be more than...3-4 hours or so", he told her with a serious expression, before slipping back into a grin. "Unless I get really lucky." Chandra rolled her eyes again, but chose not to comment. Instead, she changed the subject. "Anyway, she'll be sleeping by the time you get back." "She'd better be", Roy nodded. "Read her some of SOLO AVENGERS. For some reason she really loves that tripe." He nodded towards the television. "If you get bored while she's sleeping, we have the Playboy channel..." With a heavy sigh, Chandra buried her face in her hand. *** Nightwing tried to not look at her. He could feel her presence just a few feet to his left anyway. The familiar comforts that were for so long as integral a part of him as his arms and legs. She was a part of him and he, a part of her. Was. Past tense. Things were different now. They weren't teens anymore. The world was so much more complicated. It was such a Pandora's Box he was afraid of opening it. It would be so easy to go back in time... "Are you okay, Dick?" her voice asked the familiar words, and they sounded exactly the same they had years ago. Full of concern. Caring. So loving. And he knew that didn't necessarily mean anything. She was the most affectionate person he had ever met, and not always in a good way. "Fine, Kory", he nodded, and looked at her over his shoulder. Those solid green eyes, always so big and wide, inviting you to drown in them. That golden skin tone, he could still remember what it looked like in darkness. And felt like... "Call me Nightwing", he tried to derail his train of thought. "Oh", she answered, and nodded after a moment. "Sorry." "It's okay -- I mean --" He shrugged, and glanced towards the door into the kitchen. "One of the rookies could walk in on us and hear it..." He hoped that didn't sound as much as an excuse to her ears as it did to his. "Right", she nodded again. "I should've known better." She looked down, and he felt a twinge of guilt tugging at his heart. He hadn't meant to make her feel uncomfortable, or hurt her... She was still a friend. A friend... "It's all right, Kory. It's only natural we'd use each others' real names, after --" He finished with a shrug. It was obvious enough that it didn't need to be said, did it? "I know", she nodded, and noticed she was nodding a whole lot. She hoped it didn't give him the impression she didn't care, or wasn't paying attention. She stayed quiet a long time, and then the corners of her mouth were tugged at a little. It grew into a faint smile. Then, she couldn't help but let out a very brief chuckle. He blinked and looked up into those big green eyes. She was smiling. He was confused. "What --?" She grinned at him. "Exploding priests..." He stared with a blank expression for a good many heartbeats. Then, they both started laughing madly, collapsing onto the floor with their arms around each others' shoulders, wiping tears from their eyes. "Ahem." They looked up to see Roy at the doorway, leaning one shoulder to the doorframe. "We still on for that date, Kory?" Dick blinked, and all mirth faded from his face, as did all blood, leaving him looking very pale. Kory glanced between the two men, and looked uncomfortable. "I --" "I can take a hike if you want, no problemo", Roy shrugged. Slowly pushing herself back up onto her feet, Kory grimaced. She looked questioningly over to Dick. "It's a free country", Dick averted his eyes, shrugging and getting up as well. "I don't want you to feel hurt, Dick", Kory said softly, reaching a hand for his arm. He didn't flinch away, but didn't react either, like he was ignoring the hand. "It's all right. Go ahead", Nightwing said very levelly. Neither his voice nor his face carried emotion at first. Then he gave a relaxed smile. "Have fun." He thought about Bruce. ((You're so full of shit)), Roy thought. "Dick..." Kory looked hesitant. "It's okay, Kory. Go ahead, wait for me outside", Roy moved out of the doorway and into the kitchen. "I'll be right there." "No! I will not go outside!" Kory slammed a fist against the fridge. "Why do you have to act like this?? Why can't you understand?? I don't want to hurt anyone, I don't want to hurt *you*, Dick! Why can't --" "Nightwing", Nightwing admonished sternly. "Someone's going to hear your raised voice. And I'm not hurt --" "Don't give me that", Kory wrinkled her nose. "I know you better than that!" "We can talk about this another time", Nightwing said, pointedly not setting a precise date. "Go out. Have fun." "Are you *sure*?" Kory asked suspiciously, but relenting a little. Things wouldn't be different for her in the morning. It was easy for her to think he could live the same way. "I'm sure. Later." Kory pursed her lips, and ruminated a while or two. Then, she nodded, and turned towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nightwing", she set a precise date. Roy started turning to go after Kory, but felt iron fingers grabbing his shoulder. He smiled a little, not bothering to look back as he waited for Kory to disappear down a corridor. "Is this where you threaten to cut off my equipment?" he then asked. "You did this on purpose", Dick glared. "You're damn right I did", Roy answered, turning to face Dick. "Have you seen what size bra she wears?" A rhetorical question if there ever was one. "Don't touch her", Dick hissed. "Why don't you let *her* decide for herself", Roy narrowed his eyes. "What are you, her dad?" "You know damn well what I am to her." "Bull*shit*. *You* don't know what you are to her. All we know is what you *were*. Last I heard, that didn't hold true anymore. Did I hear wrong?" Dick's teeth gritted together so hard Roy could hear it. "Don't use her. She's not a toy. She deserves --" "-- someone better than a bum like me, right?" Roy wrinkled his nose. "-- respect, I was going to say", Dick finished angrily. "Sure you were." "She's not a bimbo", Dick clenched his fists. "Don't treat her like one." "When have I?" Dick turned away. "You must have known what this would do to me", he spat out. "Get over yourself", Roy snorted, and turned to leave. "Take a look at what *you're* doing to *her*." Dick remained alone in the kitchen, silent. Then he punched the wall, really hard, and collapsed onto his knees, clenching his fists in impotent frustration. Teeth gritting together, Dick felt like crying. The Batman's words rang thru his thoughts. "Take action, Dick. Make sure you're always on top of things. If you're not, change things so that you are." "Go to hell, Bruce", Dick's voice strained a mumble under his breath. "I can't -- you know I can't --" "You love her", the voice continued, in his mind. It still sounded like Bruce, but it felt like his own heart. "Go. Take what's yours. Take back what already *was* yours." "She's not a possession!" Dick suddenly cried out, hammering his fist against the floor once, a teardrop coming from his eye. "It's -- her choice", his shoulders shook, teeth gritted together. "And she made it." "Because you were being a stubborn, walled-up idiot who wouldn't give her an opening, wouldn't let her in. You turned away the happiness you once had." "Shut up! Shut up!" Dick forced himself back onto his feet with wet eyes, decrying the disembodied voice inside his head as if he really had a physical opponent present. "I had to! I *had* to!" "Why?" Dick's shoulders slumped, and he had no answer to give that instant. "I... she... we can't go back... things are... different. Now. And Barbara --" "Do you love her?" "I...*yes* -- I don't know --" Dick sighed with a shake of his head, slumping to a kitchen chair and somewhere in the back of his head realizing that the conversation had degenerated to a psychic one, in his thoughts. "I'm confused." "First time you've given a correct answer today", the voice murmured in the back of his head. "Come on. Tell me why Barbara is a problem. We both know she is." "*She's* not the problem", Dick buried his face in his hands. "She's perfect..." "Then who is?" "I don't know! I don't know why it's like this!" "You want her, don't you? You want Barbara Gordon. Just like you want Koriand'r. And that landlady of yours, Clancy. The Huntress. The list goes on and on. Even --" "Shut up!" Dick hissed again, angrily, and wished he had someone to glare at. "You know what? You're *right*!" he spat out in his mind. "Yes, I want them. I want them all! But I am *not* like that! I'm *not* like --" "Roy?" "..." "Kory?" Dick recoiled from the memory of Koriand'r having been with others. The arranged marriages from Tamaran. The way she seemed to give in to them so easily. Like he hadn't mattered to her in that context. He felt his heart twisting inside and new tears came out. "Shut the hell up", he gasped out, breathless. "That's it, isn't it? You don't want to open yourself up to the possibility of *that* pain ever again, do you?" "That's *not* it!" Dick slammed a fist onto the kitchen table. "I would go through *hell* for Kory! I'd suffer *anything* for her! I would *die* for her! I would do *anything* for her!" "Except get off your ass and go after her." *** It wasn't often that Princess Koriand'r of the late planet Tamaran felt a chill. Usually, her alien physiology would allow her to wear the skimpiest clothing in the coldest place and not so much as get goosebumps because of the churning solar energy stored within her cells. But as she stood on what was familiar ground -- the grass and dirt of Titans Island that she had trod upon hundreds of times -- and in front of what had been, was home -- the T-shaped Titans Tower -- she shuddered, and hugged herself. Her lips were pursed and her eyes studied the ground, as if she was ashamed, hurt, or something in-between. Roy Harper came out of the tower and walked over to Kory. "Did you fight?" Kory asked, back to Roy, not needing to turn around and see him in order to know it wasn't Dick. If it was...she'd have known. She'd have felt it. "If we had, you'd see bruises", Roy answered. Kory finally turned her head, looking over her shoulder at Roy. Seeing no bruises, she felt a little relief, and that allowed her to half- joke. "I didn't think your ego would let you admit that." "On my knuckles", Roy added with a deadpan face. Kory couldn't help but smile a little. After a while, she said, "Let's go." *** Nightwing brooded in front of a monitor that showed him a trail of flame, shooting up from the surface of Titans Island to the sky over New York. The trail of flame was carrying Nightwing's old friend, Roy Harper. "Friend", he snorted in his thoughts, shoulders hmphing up and down. Silently, a black-gloved hand rose up, fingertips lightly brushing over the monitor screen. "You need to forget, Dick." He flinched in surprise, whirling towards the sound, and his jaw dropped. If the figure in the doorway was someone different, he would've made a joke. Maybe something like 'Where's the top hat?'. But no, the dark-haired woman wearing black lace underwear, fishnets and flimsy see-thru material over the ensemble was like a sister to Dick. It was Donna Troy. (Well, that was the short form of her name.) She stepped forward from the opening, closing the door behind her, and locking it with a click. "Come here", she whispered with an uncharacteristically sultry and seductive voice, drawing Dick's attention to her lips and making it impossible for him not to notice the dark color applied to them. "Donna", he murmured, but it came out more a croak. He just stared at her with really big eyes for a *really* long time. Definitely long enough to make Donna nervous inside, and she tried her damndest to prevent it from rising to the surface. She needed to look confident, she needed to look -- look -- *good*... He made no motion, and Donna decided it was up to her. She walked over to a counter beside the monitors, with a slow, deliberate step, the high heels accenting her stature, her hips swaying softly from side to side in a manner which she felt was clumsy -- which made her feel *stupid* -- but she gritted teeth in her heart and forged on. Stopping at the counter, she sat up on it, back to the monitors, facing Dick. Her thighs parted a little. Dick found it impossible to take his eyes away from Donna. The two were like brother and sister at heart, but, in the end, that was not enough to stop him. He was a man, and she was a very beautiful woman, dressed in a most provocative manner. "What are you doing?" he managed to gasp out, slowly turning to keep his eyes on her as she walked and then settled on the counter. "Helping you", Donna said, trying to make her voice breathy, and for what it was worth to Dick, succeeding tremendously. She shrugged her shoulders a little, and the flimsy see-thru material enveloping her torso slipped off her shoulders and streamed down her curves to become a near-invisible pool around her on the counter. "Let me", she whispered, reaching out a hand for his cheek. The nails were dark red. He felt the urge of a reaction to recoil -- more from surprise than dislike -- but somehow his body refused to move. Her hand was warm against his cheek. He drew a shuddery breath, and closed his eyes briefly. "Donna, you -- you -- shouldn't do this --" he gasped. "Why not?" she asked, trailing her fingers from his cheek to caress the edge of his ear, stroking it, trickling slowly down to his jawline. She felt amazement within her at how natural it felt to touch him in this manner. But she still feared that he would be offended -- that he would not want her... She was nervous, but she concealed it well, allowing herself to plummet into the sensual pleasure of the feel of his body. "We...we never...were like this..." Dick murmured, slowly opening his eyes and looking into Donna's. His dark eyes were full of pleading -- but also other things. Desperation, definitely. Sadness. Reluctance, combined with that incredible strength of character she knew he possessed. But somewhere -- *somewhere* in that maelstrom of emotion she hoped she could understand from his eyes...*somewhere*, she thought she could see the twinkling beginning of lust. "First time for everything", Donna whispered, and punctuated the words with a quick flick of her tongue -- slow enough to be noticed, too quick to react to -- which left her dark lips glimmering with moisture for him in the dim light of the monitor room. "I know you're hurting, Dick", those glistening lips parted to speak quietly. Almost simultaneously, they were followed by her thighs parting a little further, as if to invite him to stand closer. "You know I love you. Let me take the pain away." She felt her heart wrenching because the words were very difficult to say. Not because they weren't true -- they were, mostly -- but because she knew she would have to be responsible for bringing great pain upon a man she loved, to help him. "Let me", she repeated, fighting back tears and instead trying to focus on pressing her breasts together a little, to emphasize them for him. It was so hard -- she just wanted to take him into her arms, and hold him. And she felt a little ashamed, at this wanton behavior. To almost anyone else, she would not dare show this. But to Dick --? His breath caught in his throat at her brazen display of her breasts, and he let out a shuddering breath. "Donna..." he shook his head in something -- amazement? Disbelief? Disapproval, even? Had she completely misjudged him? A little tremble of nervousness shook Donna. He was still fighting her. She wasn't surprised. He was so strong. Always the heart of the Titans. Always. He was there to always show what was right and what was wrong. Suddenly, she felt very stupid. How could she have the arrogance to think that she could be the one to break thru that resoluteness he had, that conviction in his heart that had saved the Titans over and over again? How could she have thought she could break him, when no one else ever did? She only knew one more card to play. And she was going to play it. This moment would never come again. She would never again have the courage to do this for him. So she bit her lip, and earnestly looked into his eyes. "Dick?" "What?" he pried his eyes upwards from her breasts. Donna gave a faint, weak smile. "We know what we mean to each other", she said affectionately, placing a hand over his heart. "We've loved others, but we were always best friends. We were always there for each other. I love you. You're a part of me, you'll always be a part of me. So be honest with me, Dick", she said, and stared into his eyes, "do you want me?" He grimaced and looked away, dashing her hopes. "That's not a fair question, Donna." His further words, on the other hand, brought her hopes back up again. "You know the answer. You know why I can't answer." "Rhea, Dick!" she squealed out in terrible frustration. Suddenly, her hand lashed out, grabbing him by the front of his costume and yanking him right in front of her. "STOP PLAYING THESE GAMES", she yelled at him. Then, she sobbed once, and shook her head. "You're killing yourself", she said with an agonized face. "I can't help it!" Dick grimaced, pulling himself free and stumbling back a few steps away from Donna. He sighed, burying his face in his hands, and sobbed once, weakly falling to his knees. Finally, he sobbed one more time, and looked up from his hands -- up to Donna. "I can't do it." "Dick", her mouth opened in a desperate need and want to help him, wishing she could find the right words. She slid off the counter, and came to kneel in front of him. Taking his hands in hers, she tried to lock his eyes with his, but his gaze kept evading, like it was ashamed. "Let her go", she murmured tenderly, lips leaning close to his. "Let her go", she repeated, barely audible, and lovingly touched his lips with hers. He didn't fight back, or pull away. But he didn't respond either. Donna's eyes grew a little moist, and she tried to muster her willpower to fight it away. "Fight, Dick! Please fight!" she desperately chanted in her heart, as she deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth and wrapping her arms around him, to cradle him against her. A tear rolled down Dick's cheek as he melted against Donna. *** FOUR HOURS LATER Starfire painted a trail of flame in the sky as she flew down from Manhattan to Titans Island, landing with the smooth grace she always had right in front of Titans Tower. "Here we go", she smiled, letting Roy Harper back down from her arms. "Not gonna carry me across the threshold, huh?" Roy grinned as he got back onto his feet. "And here I thought you girls wanted all of that gender equality stuff." "I'm not marrying you, Roy", Kory chuckled as the pair made their way from the surface down to the underground complex the Titans used as a base. "Yet", Roy added with his trademark boyish grin. "But I don't think you'd want to have an illegitimate kid." "Lian isn't enough for you, Roy?" Kory smiled as they proceeded down a hallway towards their living quarters. Then, a little more seriously, she added, quirking an eyebrow at Roy. "I'm not planning on any children anytime soon." After a heavy silence she added, "I'm not sure I could." "Why? Because you're the last of your kind?" Roy replied equally seriously. "Don't you read comics? That never stopped Vision and Scarlet Witch." "We don't exactly live in a comic, Roy", Kory gave a half-depressed, half-exasperated chuckle. "Coulda fooled me", Roy shrugged. "You never met the Mad Mod, did you?" "You're impossible, you know that?" Kory grinned, and then stopped, in front of the door to her quarters. "Impossibly cute, at least", Roy nodded, and stopped as well, next to Kory. She didn't go inside yet. Slowly, he smiled, and gave those 'come-hither' bedroom eyes, figuring they'd do the trick best without any extraneous words to butt in. Kory grinned again, a little, amused at Roy's behavior, and at his arrogance. The two gradually leaned closer. Then, Kory gave a quick kiss to Roy's cheek and giggled a little at the surprise on his face. "Oh come on", Roy groaned with a smile. "You can do better than that." Kory's giggle and smile gradually faded away. She looked into his eyes, and wondered just how hard he'd press. She wasn't even sure how much she'd resist. Her lips parted, and she almost murmured a four-letter explanation, but his name caught in her throat. "This was a nice night, Roy", she tried to express her gratitude for having made her laugh, made her enjoy herself -- made her...forget. Him. "It could be even nicer", he noted with a raised eyebrow, studying her defenses for the right moment to pounce. "Lian?" Kory asked hesitantly. "Chandra's looking after her." Koriand'r turned her eyes away from Roy, half to give herself time to think -- think about...what this meant. What it could mean. What it could cause. Earth people had such volatile reactions to the simplest things -- compared to...her people. One thing she didn't have to wonder about was how this would affect Him. It would hurt him. If he found out. But then, didn't he always find everything out? She tried to distract one of the two people in the corridor. "You're more Tamaranean", she chuckled weakly. "Because I can separate sex and love?" Roy asked point blank. Kory slowly looked back up to Roy's eyes. Not answering verbally, she instead nodded. That wasn't exactly it, but it was close enough for her purposes. "You were enjoying yourself earlier", Roy took a step closer, pinning Kory between his body and the door. He leaned forward a little, resting a hand on the door beside her head. "Let me help you enjoy the rest of the night, too. I like it when you smile." Hesitantly, Kory's lips curled into a cautious, but nonetheless so very heartwarmingly *Kory* smile. "I like to smile", she said, blinking her big eyelashes a few times. Roy let his hand slide from the door to Kory's cheek, and she didn't flinch away. That only encouraged him further. His lips went to hers, tasting her soft mouth tenderly. She tasted...odd. Almost a little citric. Unlike any girl he'd ever kissed, and he briefly wondered just how different her physiology might be. She still did not resist as he cupped the back of her head and slid his tongue into her mouth, but she did not respond either. Finally, Roy broke the one-sided kiss. "You didn't like it?" "I liked it", Kory answered. Encouraged by the reply, Roy pressed to another kiss, this one more heated, his arms wrapping around the alien's soft, divinely curvaceous body. This time, she responded a little, a little whimper escaping from her mouth as she hesitantly kissed back. One of her hands went to the door, opening it, and she took a few steps back, exiting from the corridor to the room with Roy. She didn't really think of it as an invitation like he did -- she was more intent on getting out of the corridor where...*someone* could chance upon them. Roy pushed the door shut behind them. Kory didn't turn on the lights. It had been so long... She cried, not because of herself, and hoped he couldn't notice her tears in the dark. *** From: Oracle To: Nightwing Subject: That list you wanted... <> When are you planning on getting these girls? -- "Who delivers ten times out of ten?" oracle@oracle.net *** Teeth gritted. Hands clenched. *** KNOCK KNOCK It was a good minute before there was rattling on the other side of the door, and then, soundlessly, it swung open. Koriand'r was dressed in a bathrobe, her hair messed up, and she swallowed as she opened the door and saw who it was. She tried to keep the door as little open as she could manage. "Dick?" "I...need to talk to you", Nightwing said tensely, not looking Kory in the eyes, gaze straying anywhere at all except her. She noticed his hands were in fists. That wasn't usual for him. He was angry, and he was angrier than usual. Did he know? She bit her bottom lip nervously. "I was just about to go to the shower..." Kory said. She intended it as an explanation for why she was dressed like she was, but too late she realized it came off as if she was trying to get rid of him. "The hell you were", Dick's eyes rose finally to look at Kory with a betrayed expression. "Even with all the things you did before -- at least you didn't *lie* to me then", he grimaced with an expression like a knife was being twisted in his heart. "Get out, Roy, or I swear I'll do something I'll regret." Roy showed up behind Kory in the doorway, a towel around his waist. Kory's shoulders fell as he did so. "Free country, amigo", the redhead replied, casually, and placed a hand onto Koriand'r's shoulder, as if to reassure her. "Why don't you come back in the morning. I'm sure your business can wait until then." "I'm going to *kill* you", Dick hissed, pushing forward to face Roy off a bare couple of inches apart. "The hell you will", Roy snorted, waving the comment off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We all know you won't kill -- Kory most of all. What you mean is that you're going to try to beat the shit out of me, but that just doesn't make for as good a sound bite." "Fuck you", Dick growled, causing Kory to blink in surprise at the uncharacteristic language. "I warned you not to do this", he glared furiously at Roy. "Back off, padre", Roy glared right back. "We're consenting adults. This is none of your business. You have any idea how long I've waited for this goddess to become single? She *is*. You fucked up the best thing you ever had. Live with it. A real man doesn't keep crying over spilled milk. Get on with it. Get lost. Go chase that little blonde piece, she's all over you." "This is your last warning, Roy. Get out", Dick tried his damndest not to do anything rash, but he was physically trembling with the exertion. "Blow me", Roy answered. "Oh wait, no need for that anymore." The next thing Roy knew was a really hard impact. Kory let out a squeal that sounded like a squeal of surprise, but she wasn't really surprised. It was more startlement at the macho boasting finally bursting into physical conflict. She wanted to separate them -- she certainly had the power -- but...instead, she collapsed onto her knees with a soft whimper of tremendous guilt and shame. "X'hal, Dick, I'm sorry --" she started to weep. The sound of Kory's crying was enough to distract Dick for a fraction of a second -- enough for Roy to land a solid kick to his stomach, and send Dick crashing to the corridor outside. The redhead followed up with a leap onto Dick, leaving the pair struggling on the floor of the corridor. Dick managed to score a few good retaliatory hits, a knee to Roy's gut first, and then a vicious head butt that sounded like it cracked something in Roy's nose. In such close quarters, pressed against each other, finesse was right out the window, and fury took its place, overrunning gentlemanly rules such as 'no biting', 'no clawing', and perhaps most importantly, 'no blows below the belt'. The latter was how Roy bought a few seconds to put some distance between himself and Dick, knowing that Dick outclassed him at such close range. What he needed was some space between the two. As soon as he was up, and a good dozen feet away, he flicked the towel from around his waist, whirling it with artistic flair, and sent it spinning thru the air to wrap and tangle around Dick's head. That bought him a few more moments, but also left him totally naked, to the pleasure of the androsexuals among the readers. Dick managed to get the towel from around his head, just in time to duck underneath a fire extinguisher that sailed thru the air and would've clocked him solidly on the side of his head. He bared his teeth, and flicked a pair of bird-shaped throwing weapons from his glove. In a blink of an eye, they were cutting thru the air towards Roy. With a loud crashing noise, Roy kicked open the door to the cleaning closet, yanked out a broom and whirled it, catching the throwing wings on the shaft, and then with a backhanded throw, sending the broom flying, top-first, towards Nightwing. It never made it that far, as a red and gold blur caught it midway across. "What the HELL are you two doing?" Wally West demanded, as he let the broom fall to the floor with a clatter, stopping between his two teammates. Neither of them replied, just glared at each other past the superspeedster. "It's my fault, Wally", Kory showed up in the doorway to her room, still in her bathrobe, cheeks wet, hugging herself. "I'm so sorry..." Wally's eyes went wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped. He looked between Kory and the naked Roy a few times, then to Dick, then between Kory and Roy again. "Oh, fuck, Roy. Oh, *no*", Wally buried his face in his hands. "How fucking stupid *are* you?!" he demanded. "Oh *man*..." With a blurry zoom, he went over to Roy, and poked him in the chest with a finger. "This. Is. The. Number. *One*. *DUMBEST THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE*!" he yelled in the other redhead's face. "Jesus Christ, how *could* you?!" "Back off, twinkle-toes", Roy wrinkled his nose. "She was single." "You should've -- you *do* know better than that --" Wally shook his head, still in disbelief. "Even *you're* not that stupid --" "Dick...?" Kory asked Nightwing with a tentative, anguished, pleading face. Dick sighed, and his shoulders slumped. But he went to Kory, the two of them retreating to her room, closing and locking the door behind them. "Aw great", Roy sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "My clothes are in there. How am I going to explain to Chandra why I'm coming home without clothes?" After a while, he shrugged. "Oh well, maybe she'll dig it." "You could tell her the mass of your stupidity grew so great it formed a black hole and sucked up your clothes", Wally suggested. Then he just shook his head one more time, and punched Roy on the mouth, before walking away. "Asshole." *** Kory sat quietly, feeling like she was on trial. She was uncomfortable, fidgety. She couldn't look to Dick, who was pacing back and forth, shaking his head. "I can't believe..." he mumbled with a sigh, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and a few tears trickling out. He shook his head as if trying to shake off the tears. "With *him*?!" Finally, he looked to Kory, with a completely flabbergasted expression. "*Him*, of all people?!" He shook his head again and again. "*Him*?!" "He asked", Kory answered, even getting in a slightly defensive huff. She crossed her arms over her chest, but still couldn't look at him. "You...you..." She paused, and sighed. "I was *lonely*, Dick! *He* wanted to be with me!" "Gratuitious sex does not cure loneliness!" Dick accused. "Maybe not for you!" Kory spat back. Dick went quiet, and his shoulders slumped. "Did you want me to wait forever?" Kory asked, finally daring to look at him, cautiously, feeling as if she for an instant had some kind of an advantage. Dick remained silent, answerless. Kory sighed, and her posture slumped too. After a while, she asked, "Who did you kiss?" Flinching in surprise as if struck, Dick took an instinctive step away from Kory. "How -- what --?" he blinked several times, and his hand drifted to his lips. "It's -- blood..." Were she vindictive, Kory could easily have accused Dick of lying as he did her, earlier. But she just shook her head. "It was there when you got here", she just said, a little sadly. Dick grimaced, and turned his back to Kory, resting his forehead and a hand against a wall as he closed his eyes. Stupid. Stupid! Kory waited. "Donna", Dick finally answered, turning back towards the golden-skinned girl with an apologetic expression. "Oh", Kory nodded, not looking terribly surprised. "That was all", Dick assured with a voice of conviction, taking a step closer to Kory and now it was his turn to look anguished. "I... I just... couldn't --" "Dick", Kory stood up with a sigh, eyes downcast. Slowly, she walked up to him, and gently put her hands onto his cheeks. "I wonder if we were ever as deeply in love as I thought, if you know me this poorly. I'm *glad*", she smiled sadly, and placed a hand over Dick's heart. "You and Donna have so much love for each other. She would do anything for you. And you, for her." Dick turned his eyes away from Kory's deep green eyes, so pure, so absolutely loving. The way her heart worked wrenched his. He could never be like her. Part of him was glad he had the conviction. Part of him mourned the loss of freedom. "I love a lot of women, Kory", he murmured. "But it's you I was *in love* with." The past tense did not escape Kory, who let her hands fall away from him. "I always respected your convictions, Dick. I never tried to break them down. Sometimes, I fought them, but I always let you be who you are. The man I love-d." The past tense added as an afterthought -- to mimic his past tense. If that's how he wanted things to be... "But I swear to X'hal -- I will never ever *understand* your convictions." "I don't always understand them myself, Kory", Dick sighed. "Dick?" Kory approached him again a little, trying to look into his eyes, but he was avoiding her gaze. "I need you to tell me if I'm free or not. I can't live like this. In this -- halfway state. Thinking I'm free only to be yanked back whenever you decide. I can't handle this, Dick. I need you to decide." "I don't know if I can", he grimaced. "You will", Kory said steadily, placing a hand onto Dick's shoulder and gently pushing him against a wall. "I'm not letting you out of this room until you have made a decision, Dick. I can't take a day more of this. Yes or no, Dick. Am I free or not?" Dick shook his head, slowly eyeing Kory with slight disbelief. "You're so beautiful. Just like back then", he chewed his bottom lip with a tense face. "If you want me, Dick", Kory placed both her hands on his shoulders lightly, "I will never betray you. I will never marry anyone else ever again. I will live by your moral code. But you will *need* to say *yes*", she emphasized. Tenderly, one of her hands rose to caress his cheek. "Tell me why it is so hard? I've always listened to you, Dick." "I...I'm afraid, Kory", Dick lowered his eyes, feeling unmanly. There were not many people he could admit that to. Kory was one of them. "You have no idea how much it *hurt*...to know you were with others... And then...with the wedding...and it all went to..." He grimaced and shook his head. "I put so much effort into things -- and it *still* didn't work out. What if it doesn't work out this time either?" "Try", Kory said, nuzzling her nose against his. "Dick, we won't know until we try. I think we can make it. I know I love you. And I know we'll have much more fun trying than playing this game of being miserable all the time. If we're going to be miserable in the end anyway, why not go for the option that lets us be happy before it?" "You're so optimistic", Dick couldn't help but smile weakly, memories brought back of just how full of hope and joie de vivre Kory was. Then, his crest fell once more as more obstacles crowded his mind. "There's something else, too", he closed his eyes. "Someone else." "I don't mind", Kory shrugged. "I do", Dick opened his eyes again, sighing. "Don't you understand, Kory? We're not like you. *I* mind, even if you don't. *She* would, too. We can't be like you." "Is it Donna?" Kory tilted her head, curiously. "If it is --" "No", Dick shook his head. "It's not Donna." Kory nodded slowly, and took a step back. "Then I guess you have to decide, Dick. Between her and me." "You're both perfect", Dick looked to Kory. Kory smiled a little, and moved closer again, gently putting her arms around Dick and hugging him. "Dick, I love you. I want you to be happy. If you like her better, choose her." Dick smiled too, and rested his cheek against Kory's. "You're amazing, you know that?" he whispered into her ear. "Do you ever think of yourself?" "Often", Kory smiled. "Like right now. I don't want to be chosen because I put you on the spot. I want to feel secure in you having chosen me because you wanted me, not because I pressured you." Dick chuckled softly, and caressed Kory's cheeks. "I had forgotten how easy it was to be around you." "The past hour hasn't been easy", Kory purred softly at the touch. "I think it'll get easier", Dick smiled. "You mean --?" Kory beamed. "I love you", Dick whispered, and leaned his lips closer to Kory's. The impact of ferociously passionate Kory-kiss almost knocked Dick unconscious. *** From: Nightwing To: Oracle Subject: Re: That list you wanted... Thanks! > When are you planning on getting these girls? Hopefully starting next week. I'll let you know. I...should tell you something. I'm...back with Kory again. -- Titans Team Leader | nightwing@titans.org | www.titans.org/nightwing -----------------------Titans together!----------------------------- Barbara Gordon grimaced and pushed herself away from the computer. She went to the living room, and opened the minibar she tended to use more for emergency disinfection than actual drinking. She stared at the bottles, some clear, some bright colorful. Eyeing them with a vaguely smoldering expression, her hand rose slightly, inching towards the bottles. Then, suddenly, it lashed back like a snake striking. She didn't bother to hold back. POW! "Ungh!" Barbara heard behind her, and then a heavy thud of a form crashing to the floor. She turned around, not even bothering to check her angry expression until she saw it was the Batman. "Whoops", she raised the hand she had struck him with to her mouth. "Sorry, Bruce." "We've got to stop meeting like this, Barbara", Batman sighed, raising a hand to his bleeding nose as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Ice pack's in the usual place", Barbara waved off his comment, not particularly feeling like coddling a grown man, especially considering whom he reminded her of. "It can wait", Batman answered, pulling back his cowl to reveal his face, and took a few steps towards Barbara. He raised one eyebrow slightly. "I take it you heard." He smiled faintly. "More power than usually." "That's not cheering me up", Barbara rolled her eyes, pushing herself away from Bruce, seemingly to go and pick out a CD from her tower, but it was just fake browsing to put some distance between the two of them. She stayed quiet for a while, but in the end, there were few people who could out-quiet the Batman. Barbara wasn't even trying to be one of them. "Figures you'd be here already. Figures he'd let you know first", she said, laconically. "I'm surprised he told me first", Bruce answered. "Maybe we don't know him as well as we thought", Barbara shrugged. "'We'?" Bruce lifted an eyebrow, and shook his head a little. A drawn-out silence, and he shrugged a little before he was the one to break it. "You had to know this would happen from the moment you found out they'd both be on the same team again." "Did you?" "I suspected it." "But you didn't *know*", Barbara spat out. "Excuse me for not having known either. Excuse me for having -- for --" She almost said it out to Bruce, but caught herself an instant before. "Nevermind", she shrugged. "The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?" Bruce shrugged silently. As much as he wanted to say or do something that would make Barbara better, that wasn't exactly his forte' -- and even if it were...he wasn't sure if he wanted to. This wasn't exactly an easy topic for him either. In some ways, wasn't it better like this? His logical mind couldn't deny some of the obvious advantages. And ultimately, even after all other concerns, there was the fact that to him...well...*nobody* was good enough for Dick. He couldn't just jump headlong to empathically comfort Barbara. "Is there anything I can do?" was pretty much all he could manage. Barbara stared into her lap for a long while. Then, she shook her head. "You've done all you can." She continued staring into her lap for long minutes, knowing he was already gone. Then she went back to the minibar. Picking up a bottle of vodka, she threw it against a wall as hard as she could. It shattered in shrapnel of glass, the contents spilling to the floor. Barbara turned around, and went back to work. *** "Tell me you haven't been walking around the hallways like that", Donna raised an eyebrow as a nude Roy Harper opened the door to her quarters, stepped in, and locked the door behind him. "What if someone saw you?" "Argent didn't seem to mind", Roy shrugged, and admired the view before him. Donna was still dressed up in the black lace underwear and fishnets she had used to play with Dick's head. Convince him of who he wanted. She was lying in her bed, on her left side -- left hand propping up her head, and right hand lightly stroking up and down the curve of her right hip, in an enticing manner. She could see Roy appreciated it. "Mission accomplished", Roy smiled broadly. Donna raised an inquisitive eyebrow, hoping for some details. "It worked, then?" Roy nodded. "Everyone hates me now." "Everyone hated you before", Donna smiled. "No big difference. You know what I'm talking about." "Oh, them?" Roy teased. "Trust me, if Dick can still push her away after that scene, I swear I will personally give him a lobotomy. He thinks way too much. He needs to be able to just look at a girl's tits and melt." "Thank you, Roy", Donna beamed with a thrilled wide smile. "Do I get my reward?" Roy grinned, stepping closer. Donna blushed a little. "Come and get it..." "I got a boo-boo right here..." *** END ***