Hard to Say Goodbye
When the Titans discover that a dear friend has died, can Robin help a grief-stricken Starfire come to terms with the loss of a loved one?
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, nor do I own anything that is even remotely related to them.
Author's Note: This fic takes place shortly after the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil.
It had been four months since the Teen Titans had returned to Jump City from their gruelling battle with the Brotherhood of Evil. After the initial celebrations commemorating the Titans' victory had ceased, the city was restored to its original state of hustle and bustle, with the occasional outburst of criminal activity. Everyone was once again happy.
Then came the discovery.
"What's wrong?" a green furred teenager asked his solemn-looking cybernetic friend as he came into the kitchen.
Cyborg turned to face the changeling, his expression sombre.
"It's Silkie," he replied, sighing. "I found him this morning in the common room behind the couch."
"So what's wrong with him?" Beast Boy queried.
The cybernetic teen shifted his weight and stared at the ground. "Man, I don't know how to break this to you." He paused, unsure of how to continue. "Beast Boy, Silkie's dead." He squeezed his friend's shoulder, his heart heavy with sympathy for the changeling's loss. "Are you gonna be alright?"
Beast Boy cleared his throat and nodded. "I'll be okay. It's just so...you know." He sighed. "Besides, I wasn't nearly as attached to him as Starfire was."
The two teens stared at each other, realization dawning on them. "Starfire..."
"Good morning, Friends!" Their thoughts were interrupted by their alien friend's cheerful exclamation. "I am most excited to partake in the eating of the 'brunch' of which you informed me yesterday!"
Starfire paused, noticing her friends' solemn expressions. "What is wrong? Did I miss the consumption of this meal while I was slumbering?"
Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged awkward glances, neither having the heart to tell her the truth.
The stunning alien looked from one friend to the other, an expression of uncertainty spreading across her beautiful face. "Cyborg, Beast Boy, please tell me what is the troubling you." She pleaded. "I am your friend and I wish to be of assistance in easing any of the heartache you may be feeling."
"Star," Beast Boy began, shuffling his feet and avoiding her gaze. "I'm afraid we have some bad news."
Cyborg put his arm around her shoulder, and guided her towards the bench in the kitchen. "You might want to sit down for this," he told her.
"We hate to be the ones to tell you this, Star." Beast Boy sighed. "We just found out that Silkie died."
Starfire blinked. "I do not understand. I saw him the night of last!"
"I found him this morning," Cyborg explained. "I think he died sometime last night after we all went to bed."
The alien pulled away, her lower lip trembling. "But why has this happened? Surely he was not feeling the sick, was he not?"
"We don't know, Star," the changeling murmured, his eyes full of sympathy for his friend. "I'm sorry."
The Tamaranian stood up, her emerald eyes filling with tears. "Please, show me where he is," she said, stifling a sob.
The two boys exchanged looks. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Star," Cyborg reasoned.
Star shook her head. "Please, Friends. I wish to say goodbye." Cyborg nodded, and led her back to his room.
"I didn't want to leave him where I found him," he explained as he keyed in the code to his room, "so I put him in here." He picked up the box containing Silkie's body and handed it to the heartbroken Tamaranian. "I am so sorry, Star."
Starfire took the box delicately, and cradled it against her thin body. "Goodbye, my little bumgorf," she whispered, tears cascading silently down her cheeks. She glanced back up at her cybernetic companion. "I wish to thank you, Cyborg, for telling me." Lowering her gaze, Starfire turned to leave the room.
"Hey Star, are you gonna be okay?" Cyborg asked, his voice filled with concern for the well-being of his surrogate sister.
"I will be the fine, Friend Cyborg," Starfire replied without turning around. "Do not concern yourself with me." With that, the grief-stricken Titan left the room, the door swishing shut behind her.
Cyborg sighed as he listened to the sound of her footsteps moving down the hall towards her own bedroom. He knew in his heart that it would be quite some time before his friend returned to her former state of cheerfulness. "I just wish there was something we could do to help you, Star," he murmured to himself.
--
Robin heaved an exasperated sigh as he read through one of many reports that littered his desk, all of which had yet to be filed. I never should have agreed to go on vacation after we defeated the Brotherhood, he inwardly chastised himself. Now I have a solid month's work of paperwork to do just to catch up. I don't know what the hell ever prompted me to even go along with them in the first place.
The boy wonder paused. What had made him decide to go on vacation with the Titans? His thoughts traveled back to the day when the team had convinced him to let them go on a two week vacation to celebrate their victory over the Brotherhood of Evil. Cyborg and Beast Boy had pushed particularly hard, arguing that Jump City had already gone more than ten months without the protection of the Titans, and that two more weeks wouldn't make much more of a difference. Robin had been firm in his decision to say no, until Starfire had joined in. She had never pitched an argument, but had merely looked at him with an optimistic hope in her dazzling eyes and said "please". His once unwavering refusal began to falter, and he had found himself giving in.
Robin sighed, smiling slightly at the memory of her joy when he'd agreed to the vacation. He was beginning to find that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to refuse his best friend anything.
His thoughts of the Tamaranian were soon interrupted by a knock on the door to his office.
"Who is it?" he asked, his voice a bit gruffer than he had intended.
"Man, it's Cyborg. There's something I think you should know about."
Robin emitted an audible growl. "Can't this wait until later? I'm up to my neck in reports, Cy."
"It's important, Rob," Cyborg stated, his voice firm.
The boy wonder rolled his eyes as he pushed his chair away from the desk and stood up to open the door.
"What the hell could possibly be so important the you needed to interrupt me while I was in the middle of – "
"Silkie's dead. Starfire just found out," was the solemn reply.
Robin stopped in his tracks. Suddenly the mountain of paperwork awaiting him in his office didn't seem nearly as important anymore.
--
Starfire lay curled up on her bed, still clutching the box containing her friend. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she made no attempt to wipe them away. Her heart was officially broken. Not even the knock on her door stirred her from her despair.
"Star?" Robin's voice was full of concern for the well-being of his best friend.
The inconsolable Tamaranian merely blinked as a fresh wave of tears began to form in her once vibrant eyes.
"Starfire, please...I know you're there. Are you alright?" The silence that followed the boy wonder's question was unnerving to him. Making up his mind, he keyed in the override to her code and let himself into the room. Starfire finally moved, turning to look at her best friend as he sat down beside her on the bed. A quick glance at her tear-stricken face told Robin that the Tamaranian had been crying for quite some time. He moved towards her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. After a moment's hesitation, Starfire buried her face into his chest and let out a heartfelt sob.
"Oh, Star," Robin murmured, gently stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry." The boy wonder held his friend tighter, whispering hushed words of sympathy in an attempt to soothe her broken heart as she continued to sob her eyes out. They remained this way for several minutes, until Star's sobs began to subside.
Pulling slightly out of his grasp, she gazed up at him, her emerald eyes pooling with unshed tears. "Oh Robin, is it my fault that Silkie has done the dying?" She sniffled, as tears threatened to once again spill down her cheeks.
Robin felt his heart break with the earnestness of Starfire's question. "Star, why would you ever think that?"
Starfire looked away, unable to bear the gaze of her best friend upon that of her own. "I am fearful that I was not an adequate knofka."
The boy wonder was once again shocked by the alien's response. How could she possibly blame herself for something that was beyond her control?
Cupping her chin in his hand, he gently tilted her head up to look in her eyes.
"Starfire, what happened to Silkie is in no way your fault. You were an amazing knorfka, and Silkie was able to leave this world knowing that he had been loved and well cared for." He brushed away the tears that had resumed their path down her grief-stricken face. "Never forget that," he reminded her, and softly kissed her forehead before once again gathering her in his arms.
The Tamaranian princess sunk into the embrace and closed her eyes, exhausted from crying. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she could feel the remains of a shattered heart begin to softly beat.
So, I'm a wee bit nervous, considering that this is my first ever fanfic. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome!