The Hourglass
Chapter Five: Loving and Looking
April 18, 1904Roy poked his head in a room, hoping to see the dark-haired girl standing inside, hands on her hips, waiting for him.
Nothing.
He frowned and shut the door, returning to the hallway. Where was she? This was the right day, wasn't it? She didn't forget, did-
A hand shot out from a door to his right and pulled him inside by the collar. Green eyes gazed into blue, smiling. "Hello Roy."
A relived smiled formed on his face as he placed his hands on the wall, just above her shoulders and trapping her against it. "Where've you been? I've been looking for you all- "
A slim finger pressed against his lips, cutting off whatever else he had to say. "Talk later. Kiss now."
He took her hand in his, removing her finger, and pressed his lips to hers.
Roy liked Jade for many reasons, but one of the big ones was how she kissed. She wasn't shy about it, like others girls who would blush at even a kiss on the cheek, much less one on the mouth. No, Jade would be reckless when she showed affection, licking his lips and slipping her tongue into his mouth as she was doing now.
Her hands ran up his chest and one draped around his neck, the other running through his orange hair. He left her lips to kiss her neck softly, listening to her breathing deepen.
"Roy…" She sighed, feeling shivers of pleasure go up and down her spine. Another thing about her that Roy loved were the things she had taught him, mostly about kissing. If only Ollie could see him now.
Jade whispered into his ear something in his ear, making him moan softly in response. He had grown accustomed to her saying small phrases or words of endearment while caught up in the passion. He kissed her again, only to feel her grimace against his lips.
"What?" he asked, concerned.
She looked up at him, a tired, half-hearted smile on her face for his benefit. "Nothing. I've just been feeling a bit under the weather lately. I'm fine." Jade made a move to kiss him, but he moved his head back a little.
"No, I'm worried about you. This has been going on the last few days; what's wrong?"
She couldn't help but admire how cute he looked when he was anxious; his brows creased, that soft look his eyes held… He pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear that had been falling over her face.
She turned her head away. "Roy, I said that I was fine. Can't you leave it at that?"
A shadow crossed over his face, and as he was about to say something, a loud crash and other clamoring sounded from downstairs. His blue eyes glinted in the dim light. She could tell that he wasn't going to let it go.
"Come on. We should see what's going on," he muttered, turning and walking out quickly.
x------------
April 18, 2004Gar and Victor clutched at the sides of their seats. Victor's eyes darted over to Gar.
"Man, tell me again why I let her drive my car?"
Rachel, looking somewhat comical as she sat in the large bucket seat, was driving at what couldn't be a legal speed. Her brows were creased in concentration as she almost ran a red light, Xavier right behind them.
Gar managed to peel himself off the seat and leaned forward to talk to Rachel. "Mind telling where we're heading?"
Her eyes never left the road. That was a good thing, considering that if she did, she'd be likely to run something over. "Richard's house."
His expression quickly morphed into shock. They hadn't been there for almost eight years, having stopped their group visit long ago. It was their was of showing that they had let go. This made it clear that Kori had not.
"I- she- it- WHAT!?" he stammered in disbelief. "We haven't been there in years!"
"Kori has."
x------------
Rachel slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision with one of the trees in the surrounding forest. Xavier's black car almost rammed into the back of Vic's, making the driver lurch forward and hit his head on the wheel.
Cursing under his breath, he stepped out and looked around. What was this place? He strode over to Rachel quickly.
"Why are we here?" he asked Rachel as she climbed out. She shut the door, not looking at him as she hurried into the forest. Frowning, he turned coolly and faced Gar and Vic, who were climbing out of the car hastily to follow Rachel.
"What's with the haunted house?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder
Large green eyes turned sorrowfully on him. "This was our friend's old house. He was Kori's best friend."
Xavier looked slightly astonished, but he maintained his composure and crossed his arms over his chest. "Then what happened to him?"
Vic put a hand on Gar's shoulder and began leading them after the path Rachel had taken. He sighed. "It was only a little while after Kori had turned four… Everyone was over at Richard's house," he pointed over his shoulder at the "haunted house" and continued. "They were just playing, goofing off and all that stuff little kids do." Vic chuckled, remembering what a kick he had gotten out of teasing Richard about how much Kori "like-liked" him.
"Anyways, she was showing us this new locket that she got for her birthday, and I was trying to keep Gar from eating it so I didn't really see what happened, but next thing you know the little klepto has the locket and starts playing 'Keep-Away' with her."
Xavier raised an eyebrow, not at what Vic had said but at the little trinkets he kept stepping on in the grass.
"She started laughing and chasing him, and none of the adults tried to stop because they thought Richard and Kori were just playing tag and being cute. They were a little worried when they went into the trees, but Mr. Grayson thought that– "
"Wait, you mean the Mr. Grayson that died in that freak accident at Haley's Gym? He was Richard's dad?"
Vic nodded, looking at Gar, who had his hands in his coat pockets. The chilly wind made Vic hug his own large Jump City High hoodie around his body, zipping up the navy front. "Yep. His parents taught him gymnastics there, and when he was with us he would always be hanging upside down or doin' backfilps or something. That's why when Kori came out screaming that Richard fell into the water, everyone started worrying, 'cause he wouldn't loose his balance that easily.
"Mr. and Mrs. Grayson went in there first, right after they heard what Kori said. Then it was up to the rest of the parents to round up a search party by asking all the neighbors. A lot of them helped out, but no one could find him. We assumed he drowned in the water and was swept away, although we never found a body."
Xavier walked along, shoulders hunched. Kori had a best friend, and a boy no less, before he came? A frown creased his forehead as he continued alongside the other two. Opening his mouth, he almost slipped on something underfoot.
Catching his balance again, he bent down to pick up whatever he had stepped upon. A tattered driver's license with a faint footprint stared up at him. "'Michael Jon Carter'… Who's he?" Xavier looked up at the other boys, who came to look over his shoulder.
Gar shrugged. "I dunno; I was only three when this happened. I bet it's one of the neighbors', since a lot of people were in here and lost a bunch of stuff while they were looking. We would always find it when we played here. Of course, that wasn't often…" He trailed off, looking at Vic for clarification.
The older teen took the card and squinted at it. "Says he lives just down the road. You want to go give the old man his card back?"
Xavier took it and looked up at Vic. "Who says he's old?"
Taking the card, Vic showed Xavier the stats on it. "See? 'Age: 49; Expires: 2003.' That means he's probably in his sixties now. Pay attention to detail." He let go of the card and began walking away.
Xavier watched them go, then looked back at the card.
'Maybe he saw Kori yesterday… And if I find her myself…' A plan formed in his head.
"Okay, I'll meet you guys back by the cars."
x------------
They watched Xavier hurry off, turning their backs and going in their own direction. They were relatively quiet, both in their own thoughts, before Gar spoke up.
"Vic?"
"Mm?"
"What do you think happened to Kori?"
"… I honestly have no idea. Maybe she got lost or something."
Gar's eyes were filled with anxiety. "What if… What if she was kidnapped? Or…" He couldn't bring himself to name a fate worse than being kidnapped.
Vic frowned at him and then faced forward again. "She can take care of herself. 'Member the one time we saw Kori fight with Komi?"
A smile formed on Gar's face. "Man, that was awesome. But now that I think about it, it would've been cooler if they'd been in a mud pit." A dreamy look crossed his face, making Vic cuff him lightly with a smile on his face. He laughed quietly; Gar always knew how to lighten up the mood.
"How about you ask Rachel if she and Karen would fight in the middle of a mud pit? I'd watch that." They both chuckled, but it faded away as they came upon Rachel.
She was wandering slowly over the ground, looking around as if she was in a trance. The thunder overhead rumbled while the wind blew harder. Shivering slightly, she folded her arms tightly across her chest and turned to face the restless waters of the river.
Starting slightly as arms wrapped around her and a warm body was pressed against her back, Rachel turned her head to see Gar looking down at her, eyes full of concern.
"Cold?"
She shook her head and turned it back, seeming to stare at nothing. "No," she said softly. "Not anymore."
He hummed in acknowledgement, still watching her out of the corner of his eye. "So, find anything?"
Turning out of his embrace, she watched Vic study the strange tree in the middle. It was the only thing that supported Kori's hysterical explanation. She shook her head, the wind whipping her hair around her face.
"Nothing." She sighed and looked down. "I don't even know why I thought of looking here. I mean, what would she be doing here?" Gar shifted beside her, and her gaze flicked to the river.
"You don't think…" She trailed off, looking up at Gar for reassurance. He shook his head vehemently, gripping her hand.
"She's stronger than that," he murmured, recalling his own doubt. It was just hard not to imagine the worst; was she out there somewhere, lost, hurt, or even dead? Shuddering slightly, he shook those thoughts away as Vic approached them.
"No sign of her." He scratched his head and looked at Rachel. "What'd you expect to find here, anyways?" His tone was merely curious, as Gar's had been.
"I don't know. I just thought…" Rachel let out a breath and began to walk back. "Never mind. Let's just check her car and then go back to the house. It's almost two."
x-------------
Gar pressed his face up to the window. "How're we gonna get in?" Stepping back, he let Vic begin to try the doors.
Each one was locked, staying put even as he strained. All his muscles from football did nothing to help him, and he finally gave up after a minute. "No use; it's locked. Kori's the only one with keys, so- "
A sudden beep from the car startled them both. Looking behind them, they saw Rachel dangle a key with a smirk on her face. Gar let out an inward sigh of relief at seeing her smirk; it meant she was feeling a little bit better.
"How about we try this instead of acting like cavemen?" Walking between them, she inserted the key into the small hole near the handle.
The car beeped once, then made a soft thunk as the locks popped up. Her slightly smug expression was reflected in the window as she pulled the door open, sliding inside and began looking through the car. "That's strange…"
Gar poked his head in while Vic went around and sat in the passenger seat. "What?"
Rachel's brows creased and she pointed to the clock set into the dashboard. "This clock says it's five to twelve, but that's not even close to the right time."
Vic leaned over and began to inspect the dashboard. "Hmm. Well, maybe she came in here, wanted to pay a little visit to the spot where he died, and didn't think it would take that long and left the car running. She disappears, leaving the car running, and the battery dies."
"But there was no key in here, remember?" Rachel put her key in the ignition and turned it.
The car roared to life, surprising Gar and making him almost drop Kori's purse, which he had been shifting through. The items spilled out onto the ground and Gar bent down to retrieve them.
Pulling out the key, Rachel sat back in the seat and frowned. This didn't make sense; why would the clock freeze, but the battery still be charged. She rubbed her forehead, trying to think. It's like it froze there…
"Hey guys, check this out!"
Gar's voice intruded on her thoughts, making her snap her eyes open and glance sideways at him. "What?"
He joined them in the car, causing Rachel to scoot over to make room.
Holding out his closed fist, he opened it to reveal the cell phone in the palm of his hand. The small display on the front showed the time, which had also stuck at five to twelve. Rachel took the phone from him, staring at it.
"Weird. It's still working. See?" Pressing a few buttons to get to voicemail, they listened to Rachel's message play back. Rachel caught the look on Gar's face, raising an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?"
Gar massaged his head and closed his eyes. "Wait; I'm trying to figure out when all this happened."
Vic chuckled. "What, too much thinking hurt that little brain of yours?" he teased.
Gar couldn't stop from retaliating. "My brain isn't little! I had a 3.0 on the last report card so HA!" Grinning triumphantly, he looked over at Rachel. Instead of siding with one of the boys, her own eyes had closed and she was muttering calculations under her breath.
"Okay, I think I've worked out a rough timeline of things. School ended at four, and let's say Xavier talking to her took up ten minutes. She leaves, take about twenty minutes to get here, so that'd make it about half past four.
"Then she spends around a half hour here, and whatever happened to her happens. That mean's whatever did happen took place between five and midnight, since she didn't get my call and that's after the time everything froze at, and we can't really report her as a missing person since said person hasn't been even missing for a day yet. That just means we'll have to look for her ourselves." She looked over at Vic and Gar.
"Got that?"
Gar shook his head slowly. "Um… not really."
She sighed and moved over his lap to get out of the car. "You're lucky you're cute, Gar."
As the boys exited the car as well, Gar with a pleased little smile on his face, Xavier came up to them with a troubled look on his own face.
The small trio watched him walk up to his car, apparently deep enough in thought that he forgot that the others were there. Vic strode over to the boy as he was about to start the car.
"Uh, Xavier?"
The teenager looked up, seemingly coming out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, hey."
Vic gave him a wary look. "You okay there? You seem kind of out of it."
Xavier shook his head. "I'm fine; I just had a little trouble with that guy. It's fine now though. Sorry to bail out on you guys so suddenly, but I have to go do some stuff. I'll see you around."
They watched the black car peel out, then race down the dirt road. After wondering what could make him change his plans that fast, they headed back to Vic's car to go figure out what to do about Galfore.
------------x
April 18, 1904Bruce raised an eyebrow, looking at Kori, who was at the moment hiding behind Richard. He cleared his throat. "Miss Anders?"
Her attention snapped to him, instantly knowing that he was head of the house. "Yes, that is me," she said quietly. She felt Richard reach behind his back to grip her hand and tug it gently for her to stand beside him. As she did so, Bruce looked her over.
"You're the Princess of Tamaran?"
She dipped her head. "Princess Koriand'r. I believe I am the… delegate, yes?"
Bruce looked mildly surprised. "I didn't know that they were sending a delegate."
"I suppose that our message did not come through as soon as we had hoped. I was sent, for we assumed that it would reach you before I did. Apparently, it did not." Her hands twisted together nervously behind her back, before she brought them in front of her and clasped them. "My apologies. I did not intend to intrude."
He waved her apology away and stepped closer. "Hmm… Getha'r…" He paused, trying to remember the correct translations. "…Est try'sta, serata kanta?"
A relieved look crossed her face before she rearranged it into one suited for her status. "Teka. Kryl'a beta est, trak refta het." A small, welcoming smile appeared on Bruce's face and he took her hand.
"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Miss Anders." He kissed the back of her hand politely, then turned to Alfred.
"Alfred, please show our guest to her room."
Kori curtsied. "My thanks to you, Mr. Wayne."
The butler nodded to Bruce and led her off, beginning to chat quietly to her. The rest of the crowd had dispersed, leaving Richard and Bruce alone in the hallway.
Richard turned, ready to bolt, when Bruce called him back.
"Richard."
Mentally heaving a resigned sigh, he faced Bruce, knowing what was coming.
"My office. Now."
------------x
Richard took a seat in the large chair, ready for interrogation. His mind spun, trying to get a story in order while Bruce took a seat in his own black leather chair. It made no squeak as he shifted it to face Richard. His fingertips pressed together.
"What was that all about?" he asked sharply
"Well… Wally and Jennifer had just dropped by earlier, and I was standing near the door when Wally opened it to let her in."
"She was the one who yelled "let us in" and made Ace bark like mad?" He sounded skeptical. Richard fought the urge to rub his neck; any signs that he was uncomfortable and Bruce would suspect something.
"Wally was the once who yelled, and I did let him in, but when she came to the door only moments after them, that's when Ace barked."
Bruce raised his eyebrows. "So you're saying that Wally and Jennifer were just seconds ahead of her? Then why didn't you see her and keep the door open?"
His son shrugged. "I didn't see her; they were right in front of her, like I said."
Bruce leaned back, still not taking his gaze off Richard. "Alright then. So she had your head in her lap because…" He left it open for Richard to finish.
"Wally opened the door too quickly and it hit me. She just wanted to see if I was okay."
Bruce's brows drew together, working it out. Richard waited anxiously for the verdict.
"It's a stretch…" Richard's hopes were dashed, until Bruce spoke again. "But I'll believe it. For now. Any other unannounced visitors will not be allowed to stay. Miss Anders is an exception because she is royalty, although I have no idea why we didn't receive the telegram before her arrival."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door, a younger butler opening the door.
The young Irish gentleman tipped his dark-haired head respectfully before addressing Bruce. "Master Bruce, Mr. Gordon and his daughter are here to see you."
Bruce nodded. "Tell them I'll be down in a moment."
"Aye, sir." With that, he left them be, shutting the door behind him.
Bruce stood and walked out from behind the desk. Richard got up as well, taking it as a sign that this was over. Just as he reached the knob, he felt Bruce grip his shoulder and turn him around.
"Just remember this Richard: Barbara is here now, and I don't want her getting any ideas about you and Miss Anders. But," he sighed and ran a hand though his dark hair. "I'm going to have to have you show her around. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble, and show her the best of America."
Richard nodded, but still had something as he stepped out. "I didn't know you spoke Tamerainian."
Bruce stepped into the hall. "I dabble."
------------x
"Ah, Bruce, nice to see you again."
Bruce shook hands with the middle-aged man. "Jim, how are you?"
The man, James "Jim" Gordon, scratched his dark hair that had a few streaks of gray in it. Some of them were from the steadily increasing stress of his new promotion to Police Commissioner, but a good amount were from age. The blue eyes were still sharp as a hawk behind the glasses.
"I'm holding up." Smiling, he shook hands with Richard as well. "How are you, m'boy?" Letting Jim pump his arm up and down, Richard offered a smile.
"I'm well." At the look Bruce gave him, he continued. "Is Barbara here, sir?"
Jim nodded and turned around. "Yes, she was just saying hello to Wallace and Jennifer is all. Barbara! Richard's here today."
A girl, talking quietly with her fellow redhead, looked up, a smile appearing on her face at the sight of Richard. "Richard!" She was by her father's side in an instant. "Where were you yesterday? I missed you," she told him.
He gave her the same smile. "I was a bit busy, I'm afraid."
She crossed over to him, bright blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Looping her arm though his, she smiled up at him. "You're always busy."
"Well, now that I've got time, would you like to take a walk?"
Their fathers watched from a small distance, giving the couple their space.
Barbara nodded her head. "I'd love to."
As they walked off and Jim turned around to follow Bruce into his office, Richard turned around and shot his father a pleading look. Bruce shrugged, giving him a look that said 'You should be doing this anyway' back.
Richard turned around, mentally sighing. How was he going to get to Kori now?
"Richard, is everything alright? You look a bit stressed…"
He snapped out of his thoughts as Barbara spoke up. "No, I'm fine. This week off should do me good."
She leaned into his side as they exited into the garden behind the house.
------------x
"My thanks to you once again; this room is very beautiful."
The butler nodded with a small smile. "It's quite alright, Miss Anders. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask." He bowed respectfully and exited the room. "Please enjoy your stay in the Americas."
She nodded, smiling weakly, and fell backwards onto the bed once he was gone.
X'hal… How did I get into this mess? Oh, right, that tree…
Suddenly she remembered her key. Her hand flew to her neck, feeling nothing. That was odd; where did it go?
As a matter of fact, what happened to everything else? There were some things in my jacket as well….
Standing up, she walked over to the door and peeped outside. Nothing but a few maids and the odd butler walking across the hall.
Stepping outside, she tapped a dark haired maid on the shoulder, surprised when she turned with a somewhat irritated expression on her face.
"Yes?" she asked curtly. A bit taken back, Kori gathered her courage.
"Um, could you please direct me to Richard? I seem to have misplace what little belongings I have brought…" She felt like shrinking under the annoyed stare of the maid, but eventually the deep green eyes took their stare off her and she sighed, lighter and less annoyed this time.
"Fine." She crossed the hall and pointed out the window. Kori followed and saw the two figures strolling along a path. Richard and… some girl.
A small frown of confusion appeared on her face, but she turned to her right to thank the maid. "Thank– huh?"
Looking around, the teenager was nowhere to be found.
After a few moments, Kori scurried down the hallway, attempting to make her way outside.
------------x
Jade glared at Roy. "I was busy."
Roy returned the look. "You were dusting. That hardly qualifies as– "
"Can you just get to the point?" she interrupted, already aggravated.
Roy sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "All week, you've been getting sick. I want you to see a doctor," he ordered firmly.
She looked confused and angry at the same time. Roy restrained himself from forgetting the conversation and just kissing her.
"Roy, it's just a bug or something. Things spread quickly here," she told him.
He gave her a look that told her he wasn't buying it. "Bruce keeps good working conditions around here. That's not it." He held her shoulders gently, not wanting to argue. "Please… do it for me?"
She looked down. "What will Mr. Wayne think when you take one of his maids for an appointment?"
Roy hadn't thought of that. "Well… I'll just ask if I can borrow you for a few hours, just like I did when I brought you to my home."
"Do you use that excuse for all the maids you bring home?" she asked, suddenly moody.
"What? I– no, I don't! I wouldn't bring someone home just to sle– "
Jade stopped him, just as she had earlier. "I understand. I'll go, okay? For you."
Roy looked relieved, glad she had complied so quickly. "Thank you. I'm promise, you'll be feeling better in no time."
A booming voice came from downstairs, calling Roy's name. The redhead made a face. "I've got to go, but I'll be back for the ball tonight. I promise." Kissing her lips chastely, he whispered, "I love you" and quickly exited and made his way down the hall.
Making sure Roy was out of sight, Jade ran down the hall and into the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet, she retched into it.
------------x
The two men settled into chairs, Jim folding his hands and looking over at Bruce.
"So… You wanted to ask me for something?" He watched Bruce nod, the other man's eyes serious.
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about an engagement."
Jim looked confused. "Between our children?"
"Mm-hmm. I wanted to ask for permission for Richard to marry Barbara."
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, or… any other pop culture icons mentioned it this chapter.
Authoress' Note: -dramatic music plays-
That last bit with Jim and Bruce wasn't something that I had in mind when I started it, but then I was thinking of Strat's friend Helen (or whatever) from Both Sides of Time and her engagement to that gross dude and I thought it'd be yet another twist. How will Richard get out of it? I don't know. (No, seriously, I haven't thought of it yet. ; )
There is something VERY IMPORTANT in this chapter, which was Michael Jon Carter. That's Booster Gold's alias. I would've used Skeets', because he's the one who actually did something to a crucial (I won't name who because that would explain the secret of the hourglass on the tree) person in this story, but Skeets is just… Skeets. OO
Bruce talking in Tamerainian… he was just seeing if Kori was telling the truth. Basically he was asking how the weather was on her trip. nn;
Xavier's encounter with the "Carter" is going to be in the next chapter; hint-y stuff next time. AND, how he becomes Red X and other cool stuff…
How long ago did I say there was going to be a ball…? A while ago, I guess. It might be in the next chapter; I start typing and things end up getting longer than intended and I put if off… It'll probably be next chapter or the one after that. I KINDASORTA promise.
Hmm, been a long time since I've updated. Now I'm on summer break (and I got contacts ) and I've got band camp for the next week and a half, and some summer reading project to do, so the next time I get to posting the next chapter will be… a while from now. Dx Sorry.
Let's see, I think I've covered everything… Oh, wait. Can anyone guess what's wrong with Jade? It's kind of obvious, if you know what happened between her and Roy in the comics. xDD I just gave it away, didn't I?
And thanks to all who reviewed! ;D You guys are awesome. -hands out Batcookies to reviewers-
Up next chapter: Kori and Barbara meet each other, and Richard is unaware of the arrangements between he and Barbara. Roy sets up a doctor appointment while the rest of the house is decorating. Xavier thinks about his meeting with Carter and formulates a plan, which involves investigating the Grayson's house and tries a "chemical supplement" that will help him in the athletic department and starts down a long, twisted road to Kori. Later that night, Galfore is told Kori is missing and the three friends try to calm him down.
No Babs bashing please, I rather like her. I'm slowly warming to Batgirl/Robin, but I still like Rob/Star too, don't worry. nn
- Christine