The Promise

Starfire questioned the presence of the two men who were across from her. "Recruits?" she asked. "We didn't send for back- up BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT YOU BACK!" Beastboy yelled. "Excuse me but if we hadn't of came along, your team would be worth crap!" Adonis complained.

"That's enough out of both of you!" Nightwing growled out. "Whatever" Beastboy muttered. "Ahh not to worry Star, the little elf was only angry that Raven seemed to take a liking to me." Adonis said. "Yeah, and you forgot she was spoken for! And you don't call Starfire by Star!" Beastboy growled.

"That's enough!" Nightwing growled out once again. "Quit it" Xavier simply told Adonis. "Hi, it's nice to meet you." Starfire finally spoke. "Hello" Adonis hummed out, while taking her hand. "It's very nice to finally meet the exotic beauty whom I've seen in so many pictures around here." Adonis said. Xavier then shoved him out of the way before taking her hand.

"Hello miss, you look very beautiful today." Xavier said as he kissed her hand. "Thank you" Starfire smiled at his compliment. Nightwing cleared his throat. "Well, it was nice meeting you" Starfire said as he retreated from her.

Starfire went back to searching for a pot behind the counters. "Don't you dweeb brothers have something better to do?" Raven's annoyed tone was hard to miss. "Yeah sure... anyway, when you want a proper greeting, just come by my room." Xavier smirked as he left. Nightwing couldn't help but growl. "The nerve of them, you know that guy should have blown them up." Beastboy called out as he took his spot next to Raven as she was too busy reading.

Starfire smiled as she was given her plate already fixed by Nightwing and his heart beat faster. She took her seat next to Nightwing as they ate. "So what do we have planned for today?" she asked. "Titans East are visiting today." Cyborg said. "Why?" Starfire asked.

"They want to come over and welcome you back!" Cyborg replied, happily taking a seat on her other side. "Well then I'm sure they'll have a lot to say." Starfire replied as she continued picking at her food. "What's wrong?" Cyborg asked. "What? Nothing! I'm just thinking!" she said reassuringly. "About?" Beastboy chimed in. "Nothing important! Really!" she said as she began to eat to try to reassure them.

Once they seemed to drop the situation, she stood up to take her dish to the sink. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room." Starfire said as she began to walk back. "For what?" Beastboy asked. "I need to unpack a few more things." she answered as she walked out of the room. "What's up with her?" Cyborg asked. "I'll go talk to her." Nightwing said as he followed after her.

XXXX

Starfire remained staring up at her ceiling. "Star?" Nightwing's muffled voice rung from the other side of the door. She turned on her side, away from the door, her sight trailing off to nothing as her mind began to think. She didn't hear his voice anymore, she was merely thinking. She didn't hear him pick at her sliding door, nor did she hear the door slide open. She kept thinking.

"Starfire?" he asked. She sat upright. "What?... didn't I lock that door?" she asked. "Nope, now what's wrong?" he repeated. She sighed as she knew she couldn't keep anything from her former best friend. "Nothing Nightwing. I was just thinking about... home." she answered. "What about home?" he asked. "It's just... a part of me was thinking about... going back." she answered after a long pause.

"You can go back and visit anytime." he answered, trying to reassure her. She sighed as she laid back down. "I mean go back... go back." she answered. "What?" he asked. She hinted at the bit of anger at his voice. "And you weren't going to tell us?" he asked in anger. She sat back up. "Of course I was, but Nightwing... it's my home." she answered.

"Yes I know, but I had a home too and I didn't go back because I knew I had a responsibility here." he said. "So what, now I'm irresponsible for wanting to go back?" she answered. "Gee what do you think?" he answered. He immediatley regretted what he said as she hung her head. "Star I didn't-" "Just get out" she whispered. "Star I'm sorry it just came out." he answered.

"No it didn't you said what you mean so just get out before you make it worse." she said as her forest green eyes stared at him. "Star I mean it." he said. She sighed. "You don't get it... Nightwing. You really don't understand." she said. "Starfire, I can't understand if you won't tell me." he answered.

"Then it's better left unsaid." she answered. "I want to understand... I want to understand why you'd want to go back." he said. She seemed to hestitate to say anything. "When I was a little girl with my planet and people, I would watch my older sister grow to become the future princess.

But when all of a sudden, my mother placed a crown on my head and she asked me if I swore to protect my people, would I stay forever... I said yes. Then when the kingdom went under attack, they found my father dead as well as my mother. When I was taken, I felt I didn't need to keep any promises. I was so angry at the universe for taking what was mine, my dear father and mother.

But as I came here, I began to make promises and I was able to keep them. Everynight I would think about what I swore to her, and as Galfore told me what he had to do to lead Tamaran, I finally saw how he was aging. How tired he was... how he couldn't be there forever... I would want to be beside the man who I had pictured as a father." she said, leaving a baffled Nightwing.

"And you think I don't understand? I had always pictured Bruce as a father and when my parents passed away I wanted to be by his side. But I knew I had my place here, so I stayed. And when you came along with everyone else, I knew we'd make a new start here." he said.

"You didn't have a planet with your people as a target of the universe.", "I know I don't but I have the responsibility of the city. But I would never go back because I would think about the people who would need me here in the tower." he said. She continued to avoid his stare. "I know..." she replied.

Just as they were about to continue their conversation, the alarm rang. "Let's go" Nightwing said as they left her room. She ignored the new thought in her head and was actually excited that she was about to fight crime along her friends again. "What's the rush cutie?" a voice asked her. She almost twitched when she heard his voice. "Trouble" she said. "Chances are, we won't make it to the scene quick enough." he said in a calm manner.

Starfire stared at him for a moment longer before she followed Nightwing to find the location. "Who's attacking?" she asked. "... Don't know but we have to go find out, whatever it is, it's doing serious damage to the city." Cyborg replied as he began to type on the computers to find the area.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Beastboy said as he ran towards the door. "Finally! I've been waiting to see how well you've gotten in crime fighting." Cyborg said. Starfire smiled as they excited and she took flight alongside Raven. Raven however, did not have such a good felling about this.

XXXX

When they arrived at the scene, the criminal was already being taken away by the cops. When the Titans looked around to find answers, they happened to find the Titans East instead. Nightwings eyes were concentrated on his ex-wife.

"Well, look who finally showed up." Aqualad began to joke. He smiled at his friends as Cyborg went over to BumbleBee and gave her a quick kiss. Starfire couldn't help but smile at the scene. "Starfire?" Mas and Menos asked at the same time. They had gotten taller, but their suits were the same.

Starfire waved at them, but her smile faded once she saw Babs looking at Nightwing and he was looking at her. Speedy was right next to her, staring at him as well. She coultdn't help but notice that Babs seemed unfazed of seeing him and Speedy just looked like he was having an awkward moment.

Nightwing made his way over to them and Starfire remained behind. "What are you doing here?" Babs asked. "Does it matter?" Nightwing's reply was cold and if it wasn't for his mask, he would have collected much more fear out of her than this.

"Leave her alone." Speedy's deep voice rang in his ears like a headache. "Whatever" Nightwing's icy tone never faltered. "Just because you are going over, it doesn't mean I want you there. Cy wants you two to greet Starfire and you'll do so." Nightwing ordered. "You think we're still taking orders from you?" Speedy's mask moved as he squinted his eyes at Nightwing in anger.

XXXX

While they were at the Tower, the Titans East had greeted Starfire warmly and were trying to talk with one another, and they all tried their best to keep Nightwing away from his ex wife and her current lover. "I can't believe he even has the balls to give me his crappy attitude." Nightwing growled. "Maybe you should talk to them." Starfire said.

"Right, and tell them what? Get out because I can't stand the sight of the two of you in here?" he asked. She sighed, "Why don't you try telling them how you feel?" she asked. It amazed Nightwing how innocent she still was about relationships, and he was grateful.

"How about we go to the roof?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. She smiled and nodded as they stood up and left the room to the rest of the Titans. They didn't notice that Xavier had followed.

Once they were on the roof, they took a seat next to eachother. "So, why don't you want to talk to them?" Starfire began to ask. "Star, I already told you why." Nightwing said as they looked towards the city how lovely it looked with the sun shining on the buildings.

"I never knew you could hold grudges." Starfire mumbled as she smiled and lied on the floor, staring up at the sky. "Well, when it's my ex-wife I think I can!" Nightwing said as he lied down next to her. "What if it wasn't her fault?" Starfire asked. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, since she's still with Speedy, maybe she didn't do it on purpose. Maybe she just fell in love." she replied. "And that makes it okay? Starifire, we were supposed to be together and she screwed it up!" he said angrily. "And you're still mad?" she asked. "Well... I want to be, but I'm not." , "And why not?" she asked.

"Because it took her cheating for me to realize that we were never supposed to work it out." he said. Starfire didn't answer, she merely continued to look up at the sky. "Are you glad it's over?" she asked. "... Yes" he answered after a pause, but she was afraid to ask why.

"Nightwing?" she asked after a while. "Hm?", "... When I was away from here, I thought about what to do once I came back." she said. "And what would that be?" he asked curiously. "Nightwing, I want to concentrate more on our friends and becoming even closer." she replied. "Now I know you haven't changed at all from personality." Nightwing chuckled.

"Haha very funny but seriously. I want to make sure that we'll stay together forever!" she said happily. Nightwing was shocked at how she could become the old Starfire in the blink of an eye. "Well, we can do it together." he said. She smiled warmly at this comment.

"Star?", "Yeah?" she asked as she closed her eyes. "Can I ask you something?" he asked. She nodded. "Are you happy with us?" he asked. "You guys are everything to me Nightwing, you know that." she replied. "Then you have to promise me something." he said. "What?" she asked.

"... You have to promise me that you'll never leave again." his voice made sure to sound as serious as possible. Starfire pondered this for a while and Nightwing grew more and more fearful of her reply. "I promise" she said as she finally made up her mind.

While they continued to talk, they had no idea that Xavier was listening to their conversation. He found the redhead very interesting as he listened to her melodic voice. A part of him actually wanted to conversate with her and as he thought of this, he couldn't help but smirk as he plotted to get under his leader's skin. His main subject? Starfire.

To be Continued: Next Chapter: Where it All Unfolds (Pt.1)