Yes, it is the epilogue...the end...the box is empty, so don't bother feeling around in the bottom. That is not to say that there won't be other boxes with different contents to snatch up...Yes I know I am incredibly strange.

Rinagurl13: -Blush- Thank you. I just want to say thanks so much for your time and your reviews...it has meant alot to me, and I hope I will continue to hear your feedback on future stories.

izzy6392: I'm glad you liked it, but it is definately over. I will write other stories, though...Feel free to check them out. LOL :)

Raving-Lunatic: LOL yes it was mean...I just love tugging your guys' strings...LOL not really. -Steps back respectfully- Although I have a somewhat first hand look at insanity, I don't pretend to be an expert, so you are probably right about Sir Slade...I agree that Slade is not your typical petty criminal...he is more what you would call a criminal mastermind really...Well, I'm glad that I did him justice. LOL! Robin: -sticks out tongue- Now snerk is one I have never heard before...interesting.

Furubafun24: I'm glad you liked it, I was hoping that the climax would be good. I did my best, and yeah I wanted to have a very emotional roller coaster feel to it, so I hope that is what I acheived. Thank you so much for all the reviews you have submitted to this story, they mean alot to me. Oh and I can't wait for Chapter 4 of Never Alone...I love that story!

raeandrob4eva: I know, I really like the song too...I thought it fit. -Blush- Yeah my friend has been reading the reviews for chapter 16 and giggling smuggly...LOL! Thanks for all your reviews, they have meant alot to me :)

CloudsHalo: -Blush- Did you sustain any injuries? Lol just teasing. Wow, thanks so much....I'm glad it was good. -Laughs nervously- Uh...I'm afraid...there is romance in this epilogue...sorry. I talk a bit about Slade in the epilogue, but not much. Since I promised to answer all questions, I will do so. What happened to Slade? I honestly don't know for sure...He could very well be dead, and very dead at that, but he could also have figured out some way to stay alive, being the cunning little devil that he is. I suppose that, some day, I might get up the energy to write a sequel, and if I do I will decide what happened to him. Those questions will be answered in just a bit...BB...he will probably have a hard time with Robin from now on...He still doesn't quite believe that Robin was being controlled and not just doing it of his own free will...This could come from the fact that BB is bitter about Raven and Robin to some extent. LOL Cyborg will NEVER like tofu! Yes I plan on writing more stories, and I would be glad to get your input on them when they come to me.

kiddette: Proposition? Ok, shoot.

jambey: sniggles Yeah...that was the effect I was aiming for. I'm glad you liked the Ray/Rob stuff...I don't usually like super gushy things, so I've tried to keep it to a fairly decent level...and not all at once, like you said. Yeah, I have made BB pretty mean in this...I was going off of the way he acted in the episodes "Haunted" and "Masks"...He seems to have some issues with Robin, but then again that's just my opinion. Yeah I felt kinda sorry for Starfire too, even though I don't like her very much. -Blush- Thank you! :)

Bobbiann116: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Chapter 16 wasn't "the end", technically. Sorry if you didn't like the way the chapter ended.

Fugitive: I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like the epilogue as well. I'm glad that Robin didn't die, too!

maroonedpirate11: Sorry for scaring you...but then again, that was the point...Hmm...Yeah, my good friend is a hero! Yay I like muffins :)

Unicorns-baby: Yeah, my friend is pretty darn awesome...Glad you liked it. Ok, your first question....She was shocked, and, even though it didn't seem like it, they only had about 5 seconds between when he threw it and when it detonated (like in Aftershock, pt 2), and what with her raging emotions, it was all she could do to keep the shield in tact; trying to extend her power or anything of that sort could have gotten them all killed. Next question: some of the memories were from that time, otherswere from days before the Titans,(I mean, we'd be crazy if we thought that Robin didn't get himself into trouble even back then) and some was just imagining what could be happening. He bashed into the door, still holding Robin, and fell to the ground, therefore, landing on top of him, since he was in his arms. would be a problem, since I can't email...Yes I will definately write more stories. Lol you will soon see :)

AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: -Bows- Thank you. Robin, at that moment, didn't really think that much of his life or himself, but giving it up was still hard. He cares about his friends, he cares about Raven, and that is why he gave his life. Um...Giving up your life for another could hardly be called inconsiderate...It was a split second decision, no time to tell anyone his plan, and Slade was standing right there. Besides, if he had told her, she wouldn't have put up the shield and they all probably would have died in the chaos. Uh...I don't think that giving up your life for people you care about makes you a jerk...Glad you liked the chapter in spite of your frustration lol. Yes he did give her quite a scare...I by no means meant to say that I didn't feel horrible that Raven had to go through that...it would suck beyond description.

chiclet2021: Thanks! :)

Lil' Snippet: Thanks :) You never had what? I am confused.

samisweet: Thanks, sami! You truly are sweet! LOL...forgive my corniness. I'm really glad that you liked it :)

nevermoretheraven: Yeah...

Umbro Draco: I felt like crying while I was writing it... I know what you mean about wanting to but it just not happening...it's kinda strange. Thank you :) I know what you mean, I am always super depressed after finishing a really good book :( kinda like leaving behind a best friend...I'm honored that you liked my story that much :) Epilogue is, sadly, notmuch longer thanmost of the chapters...I might write a sequel some day, but I don't have any ideas for one right off the top of my head, so I'll just have to see if any come to me. I would love to keep getting your input on my future stories! I'm really glad you liked it!

tinkerbellx2: Yeah...I'm glad I didn't kill him to. That's why I got stuck on...chapter 14 I think it was, I just didn't want to do that ending but couldn't think of any other. So yeah I was super happy when my friend helped me think up this one. Yeah, Robin is way cooler alive :) Don't worry about it, I understand school issues....ugh, right now we have science fair, 10 pg. research paper, poem for the Ed fair, and a talk in front of the entire school coming up!!! I am on the verge of an emotional break down, so if you dont' see any more writing from me for a while, that is why. When I do write, though, I am sure it will be ray/rob :)

Umbro Draco: It's cool...I understand computer issues, trust me :(

Dark-Angels-Tears: ::hugs back:: :) Glad you liked it! It's Yellowcard, like Only One and Ocean Avenue and Gifts and Curses...They rock!

frosty1567: Thanks, man! :)

SOVEREIGN LORD OF CHAOS: Yay! I'm glad you liked it :) Ok, I will forgive your chapter one, but when I read it it seemed just fine...OH yeah, I am gonna ROCK AND ROLL!!! ...er....sorry for that outburst.

DarkAngel2004: Yeah it was pretty sad...Here is the epilogue :) and yeah, YELLOWCARD ROCKS!!!

Niki Dee: Thanks...Somehow when I pictured Batman fightiing off an endless army of robots, he looked somewhat possessed lol. Yes, yes you do. Yes, I did stop at an odd spot...glad you liked it though. 'Tis a cool song...you will have to listen to it sometime. LOL yeah I was being mean...wanted to draw out the suspense and torture my readers :) -grows horns-. Yes, yes there shall be an epilogue. Nay, twas the friend that goes by Rusty.

Ok, so here it goes....the last leg...-breaks down in hysterical sobs- LOL j/k...but I do need to write another story...I feel sort of off if I'm not working on some story or other. For the last time (in this story) ON WITH THE STORY!!! (wow in one paragraph I said "story" 4 times...five! lol!)

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

-About one week later-

"Beast Boy?", asked Starfire timidly.

BB looked up from his tofu. "Yeah?"

"I was wondering if..." Star breathed in deeply. "We might engage in the boisterous Station Game? Conceivably, it could be enjoyable...I promise to pay detailed attention to the flashing lights and multicolored buttons!", she said, very fast.

Beast Boy blinked, trying to comprehend what Starfire had said. He stared straight ahead, a look of pain on his face...Then the light bulb clicked on. "Oh! You wanna play Game Station?"

Starfire smiled and nodded. She had been very lonely lately; losing a best friend, and perhaps more, was a foreign and painful experience for the young alien. She had given up on Robin, though she didn't like to admit it, and was now quite unsure of what to make of her life without him. Robin would not talk to her anymore, at least, not the way he talked to Raven... Star could see that there was...affection between Robin and her dark friend, and, because she cared aboutboth of them, she did her best to accept this fact with a smile. In all honesty, Robin was not the person she had loved so well. He was not the kind, protecting friend she had so oftenturned to in time of need...Not anymore.

"Star? Which game do you want to play? Super Smash Brothers or Soul Calibur II?", Beast Boy asked kindly, not too blind to see the pain in her emerald eyes.

Star snapped out of her trance. Taking acautious look at the covers of the games, she picked the one that looked less sinister.

BB shrugged in acceptance, and popped the disc into the gaming system, handing Star her paddle. "Now, for simple punch and kick attacks, use the "A" button, right there. And for special attacks, use your "C" stick, the yellow..."

Beast Boy went on like that for quite a while, and Starfire did her best to listen and comprehend his instructions, but her mind wandered...She knew that her heart would never truly leave Robin. She would never stop loving, never stop waiting...She would always be there. Always. All he had to do was call.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The steady beep of the heart moniter, the gentle rise and fall of his chest...

Raven sighed contentedly, watching Robin sleep. She had been doing that alot lately; somehow, she felt a constant need to be near him, to make sure he was all right, even to protect him. As long as she could see him breathing, everything stayed together. If the events of the past month had taught her anything, it was just how much she needed him. Without him, she was broken, empty, a shadow of herself... "I love him", she thought, gently stroking his hand. Why had she been so afraid to admit it?

She snapped out of her daze as Robin's hand moved under hers. He was mumbling in his sleep, turning his head from side to side as his heartrate increased. Raven frowned, worry darkening her purple eyes. Robin was no longer under Slade's control, thanks to Batman's discovery of the nanoscopic probes that had taken up residence in his bloodstream, not to mention the chemicals...Yet, Robin's nightmares were just as bad as before, if not worse. Once, out of curiousity and an overpowering desire to help him, she had entered his mind during one of his many nightmares, wondering what horrors were conjured up to torture him during the rare moments when his defenses were down...and she had thought that her mind was troubled! Robin's had been a world of puzzles and mysteries, but some things were evident at all turns...Pain. Loss. Hatred. Revenge. Self-Loathing. Raven shuddered at the thought...The things she had seen....What would she do if she was forced to watch that every night? One thing she knew for certain: she would never repeat that experience. She could help him as much as he would let her from the outside, but the internal battle could only be fought by Robin.

"No...no...Slade, stop...leave her..." Robin's heartrate sped up, making the moniter beep franticly. Raven leaned over him, laying a hand on his forehead...

The second Robin had woken up, just under four days ago, he had interrogated all of them about Slade and what had happened. The Titans had searched the remains of the warehouse for hours after the bomb was detonated, but all they ever found was the shards of Slade's black and bronze mask. Despite this fact, they had all tried to convince Robin that Slade was finally dead, but Raven knew he didn't believe it. Slade could never be dead enough to compensate for all the pain and destruction he had caused. Those things would never just go away, they would always be there to haunt him, try as he might to escape.

"Robin? Robin, wake up!" She shook his shoulder gently, careful not to hurt him.

Robin woke with a gasp, reaching out and grabbing Raven's wrist in an iron grip. "SLADE! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF...." His voice died away as the room came into focus. He relaxed his grip on her hand, falling back on the pillow and breathing hard. There was an awkward silence, both of them avoiding each other's eyes.

"So...do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps...", Raven suggested cautiously.

Robin shuddered involuntarily, looking at Raven but not really seeing her. "I can't do it."

The empty sound in his voice made Raven look searchingly at him, though she couldn't gather much from his masked eyes. "You can't do what?", she asked gently.

"I can't...I can't be what y-- what this team needs. Not anymore." Robin averted his eyes, fidgeting with the stiff, white hospital sheet.

Raven frowned. She had been expecting, dreading, this. "What are you talking about?"

"I failed you, I failed the team. I'm no leader. I'm a coward, a loser. That's why I'm leaving", Robin continued, in that same emotionally dead tone.

Raven was shocked. Robin? Leaving? Robin was the thing that kept this team together! "No, Robin. You didn't fail us. Slade is the one to blame, not you. You didn't know what you were doing."

Robin cringed at the sound of Slade's name, and his mouth twisted in a grimace. As much as he wanted to believe her, he couldn't. "I couldn't stop him. I...I wasn't good enough. I'll never be good enough. I'm weak." His voice broke, shaking with disgustas he clenched his fists and stared up at the ceiling.

Was that really what he thought? Robin, Boy Wonder, fearless leader of the Teen Titans, was suffering from self doubt! It never ceased to amaze her, just how much he could conceal from the world behind that blank white stare. They had gone about their lives, never knowing, never stopping to ask why, and he had let them continue in their ignorance, keeping all the words he couldn't say bottled up behind that mask. But such a life has its flaws. The dam can only take so much pressure, and when it has reached its limit, the boundary will burst, spilling the secret thoughts and feelings, doubts and fears, love and hate, for all to see. Raven had seen the dam break. "What are you so afraid of, Robin?", Raven asked, gentle but firm.

The question took him by surprise. "I'm afraid of losing y-" Robin stopped, horrified. "Losing. I'm afraid of losing." No one would argue with that statement...hopefully.

Raven's eyebrow shot up. "What was that?"

Robin turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. "I..."

"You were going to say something else. What was it? Don't make me read your mind", Raven persisted, a tiny smile on her pale lips.

Robin couldn't seem to find a safe place to look. Raven's face was everywhere, lips quirked playfully. She wanted him to tell her, but what would she say if he did? "I...I was going to say that..." He gulped, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes?"

Robintook a deep breath. He remembered the horrible pang of regret and loss that filled him when he thought there was no time left...What good would that realization be if he never learned from it? It was now or never. "I'm afraid of...losing you", Robin whispered, looking down at his hands, cheeks burning. "Back at the warehouse, I thought...I couldn't bear to see you...when I thought of what Slade..." He fell silent, looking away and blinking rapidly. "I can't lose you, Raven."

Raven blinked once, twice, three times. She wanted to say something, but it seemed she had lost the power of speech. "But...Starfire...", she choked out.

"What? What about Star?"

"Well...I thought..."

"No, Raven. You." Robin avoided her eyes, unsure of how she would react. He couldn't recall a time when he had felt more things all at once then he did now.

"I...I don't know what to say. So, all along...?" Raven was fighting to grasp this strange new piece in the Robin puzzle. She knew that she had feelings for him, but she had never dared to hope that they were mutual.

"Yeah...All along...", Robin mumbled. Suddenly, his courage evaporated, disappearing faster than a popsicle on the Fourth of July. "I'm sorry, it was stupid, just...forget i said anything." "You idiot! She could never feel that way about you!"

"No, I...I'm glad that you...What I mean is...I feel the same." Color flooded Raven's normally pale cheeks. What now?

Robin stared at her, struck dumb. "She...does? How could she feel the same..." But his pointless questions couldn't keep the wave of happiness back for long. He laughed nervously, not knowing what else to do. "Uh...well, now that we have that worked out..."

Raven laughed quietly, happy to see him smile again; she was beginning to wonder if she ever would. But still, something was gnawing on her heart...She wanted him to trust her, she needed him to trust her. "Robin?"

"Yeah?" There was a slightly apprehensive tone in his voice. His momentary happiness deflated, replaced with a sense of dread. He had a feeling that things were about to get messy and uncomfortable.

"What really happened? Why wouldn't you talk to me? Why wouldn't you let me help you? Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Frustration leaked out in her voice, try as she might to suppress it. Robin had not been the easiest person to deal with lately.

Robin sighed, lifting his good arm and rubbing his forehead. "Those questions are all attached to very long, complicated answers. I'm not even sure if I know some of them." He paused, studying her expression, which told him nothing. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Raven couldn't stop her eyes from rolling in exasperation. She was reminded of one of Beast Boy's favorite words, "duh". It would have fit perfectly in this situation. "Yes, Robin. I'm sure."

Robin smiled. Now that was more like Raven. "No need to get hostile." His smile widened.

"Don't push your luck, Wonder Boy." Raven glared, but she really wasn't angry at all.

He held up his hand in a "white flag" gesture. "Ok, ok. What happened? I'm sure you know a lot more about that than I do. What I do know has been cobbled together from what...Slade told me and the bits and pieces that Beast Boy let slip." He paused, twisting the sheet around his finger with a pained expression. "I guess you were...pretty freaked out, right?"

Raven weighed the possible answers carefully before responding. "I was " She frowned as she remembered sending Robin to the asylum...and the way he had yelled at her... "I just wanted to get you the help you needed. I never meant--"

Robin reached out and took her hand, stopping her. "I know. I...I'm sorry for anything I said." It was horrible, wondering what he had said and done, what memories were causing Raven such obvious pain...for him, it was all a blur. "It wasn't your fault. You were trying to help, and I spit in your face." A look of disgust wrinkled his brow. After a long pause, he said, "Why didn't I just talk to you? I thought I could handle it myself. There was no reason to involve you or anyone else in my problems. I wouldn't admit that I...needed help. It had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me." He fell silent, wondering why he was telling her all this. He couldn't remember the last time he had talked this much to someone else. Something about Raven made him want to confide in her, to trust her. Somehow he knew that she would listen. He knew that she cared. "The answer to your next question is just about the same." Robin suddenly laughed quietly. "Why am I so stubborn? You'd have to ask Batman about that."

Raven smiled. "Oh, sure. Blame it on your mentor."

Robin laughed, but quickly sobered again. "There's...a lot that I haven't told you. There's a lot that I haven't told anyone, except Br-Batman." He hurried on to cover up his slip. "Do you remember when...Slade called me Dick?"

Raven nodded. She hadn't been able to forget it. "Is that your-?"

"Not exactly. My name's Richard." Robin grimaced. "Richard Grayson...I prefer Dick."

"Hmm...I would've never thought of you as a Richard. It's sort of arrogant and stuffy..."

Robin pulled a face. "Yeah, yeah I know. So why don't you just call me Robin, just like before, ok?"

"All right, except on special occasions", Raven teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.Her playfullness diedwhen she saw the look on Robin's face. She watched him silently, knowing there was more.

"When I was eight, my parents....they were killed." "Why am I telling her this? I can just shut up right now..." "I...I couldn't save them...I tried...I think in some ways I'm still trying." Robin choked, fighting to maintain control. "Mom used to call me Robin...that's why..." His voice was shaking too much for speech. Why was he torturing himself? Why did he have to break open old wounds?

Raven was speechless. The pain was so strong, so forceful, its taint running deeper than even she could know. How could he keep it inside, letting it eat him away until there was nothing left... She wiped a tear from her cheek as he did the same. Without thinking, she leaned forward, brushing a stray lock of black hair off his forehead and slowly bringing her face toward his. She suddenly had a strong desire to see his eyes, rather than the intimidating white of his mask. Before he could protest, it was off and carelessly dropped to the floor. His clear hazel eyes widened in surprise, but then they met Raven's royal purple ones...

Her eyes told of courage, love, and bravery...but there was also weakness, fear, loneliness...Robin couldn't bear to see the pain reflected in her eyes; he would chase it away, comfort her, make sure she was never alone again...

Raven inwardly flinched. His eyes were cold, empty, as though they had seen too much for their youthful age. There was a child-like fear there too, barely detectable, buried by more powerful emotions: hate, anger, vengeance; a cold fire burning in the blues, greens, and grays... Raven frowned, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek tenderly... He smiled, and the change in his eyes was miraculous: the fire was suppressed until it was barely noticable, the cold fear was chased away as warm affection breached it, a beacon in the dark of night. She was that beacon. His eyes promised her protection, love, trust...They said that he would always be there.

Robin leaned forward, closing the distance between them in a gentle kiss, his hand stroking her cheek tenderly...They were gone from the cold, heartless room, gone from the tower, gone from cruel reality...In a place where there was only two...Heaven... Bliss...

In time, all wounds heal. All hearts can be mended. It is never too late.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The End! Hope you liked it...if not, well, I'm sorry you wasted your time. It is goodbye for now, but I hope to see some, or all, of you when I right my next story! Until then, I remain.... -Dusty