Saving Grace

There are Only Nightmares

The couple woke up to sly smirks on their teammates faces. They had fallen asleep next to each other, Robin cuddled up to Star, his head tucked into the crook of her neck. He was dreading the teasing already.

"Well it's about freaking time!" Cyborg laughed.

"Yeah dude, took you long enough."

They were congratulating them? He was expecting, 'Aw look at Star being a momma bird for her little Robin,' and crap like that.

He took a fuming breath, "why you-" he couldn't finish because he was attacked by horrendous cough. He choked and brought his hand up to his mouth. Something was coming up, but it was painful. Starfire held a napkin out to him while he hacked over and over. Finally, his shoulders heaved and he tasted iron. After his fit, he looked at the blood soaked napkin and sighed. Raven took it from him and made it disintegrate. Star wiped his mouth clean.

"Looks like your body is starting to flush that stuff out."

He opened his mouth to reply, but another cough interrupted him. They got him a plastic bag this time, and was a good thing too, there was more blood this time. Starfire rubbed his back as he coughed it up.

"Okay, we get it. Don't talk."

"Star will answer for you." Cyborg smirked. "Won't ya Star?"

"If it prevents Robin from choking, I will be happy to oblige."

They smiled in triumph. "So what happened last night?" Beast Boy wagged his eyebrows.

She looked sidelong at Robin who was blushing. "Well, Slade appeared to Robin while I was getting dinner down the stairs. When I came back, he was gone, the window was open, and his grappling hook was wrapped around the middle bar of the window frame. So I flew out and looked for him. He had not gotten very far, but he looked determined to go somewhere. So I followed silently, making sure he didn't see me, but making sure he did not hurt himself."

"How was he getting around?" Raven questioned.

"He was using one of his bows as support." She continued. "He stopped a mugger in an alley way, and the victim thanked him and wanted to return the favor. Robin got in the man's car and they drove off together."

The team was listening intently now, Raven standing opposite of Star, Cyborg sitting in the chair Starfire had been occupying, and Beast Boy sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed.

"I followed him out to the cemetery, where he finally got out. The other man drove away. I followed overhead for awhile, until I lost him in the trees and fog. I landed and walked toward him, but he panicked and tried running away. Then he tripped and skidded across the cement. I worried that he hurt himself so I ran toward him. He screamed at me, and seemed to think that I was Slade. After he calmed down, I made my presence known and brought him back."

"Then what happened?" Cyborg's smirk grew.

"We talked."

"About what?" Beast Boy countered.

"What happened."

"Only that?"

"And some other things..."

"Like?"

"Robin doesn't want to tell you."

"You admitted how you felt about each other." Raven finished.

"What?! No we-" Robin tried to finish but the coughing took over.

"What he means to say is..." She put her hand on his shoulder, telling him it would be okay. "He told me about his time with Slade."