FudoTwin17: Hello, my wonderful, little reviewers!

Cat: But some of them don't review.

FudoTwin17: Readers, then.

Dog # 1: That fits better.

FudoTwin17: Anyway, it's been a while. So I'm going to thank you for staying with this story and do the disclaimer so you can read the story.

Cat: Yeah.

FudoTwin17: I don't own YJ or anything else mentioned in this.

Chapter 2

"Yes." Barbara started to laugh. "Yes! Oh, yes!"

Dick smiled, joy evident in his bright smile as he slid the ring on her finger and stood only to be knocked to the ground by his bride as she laughed, arms tight around him. "Aw"s and sighs, as annoying as they were, didn't seem to bother her right then.

They didn't then either. She and Nightwing were running over the tall skyscrapers, waiting and watching for trouble. She could take anything on with Nightwing, her Nightwing (It sounded so great to say!), by her side.

She listened closely, eyes wandering and searching Gotham for her nightly games of crime and disaster. However, this time she saw none. None at all. It was as if the overpopulated city were giving her an engagement present, letting her spend more time with Nightwing. Nightwing, her Nightwing. It was perfect to say.

"I don't think we're finding anything." Nightwing said.

"You're right." Batgirl replied as they jumped across a gap onto another building, rolling to lessen the impact.

"One more round before we call it a night?" He asked, smiling a brilliant smile that, if she could have seen his eyes, would have made her dizzy enough to fall off of the giant building. But he would have caught her. He always caught her when she fell. Always.

"Sure." She replied, looking forward and seeing a great light in front of her. She frowned. "I think we finally found something."

"Yeah." He agreed, staring at it.

It turned out to be a great fire. A huge apartment complex was burning slowly to the ground. The two bats might have left it to the firefighters, but the loud screams weren't just coming from outside the building. There were still people inside.

So the two did the most stupid thing in the world. They busted open a window and started searching for people. After a few minutes and only finding a cat, that Nightwing saved by the way, they went to the next level. However, they found much more on this floor than they would have expected.

There was a man in a completely black suit and a strange mask-like face-

"Black Mask." Batgirl growled.

"Yep. And he's not too happy." Added a familiar voice from right next to Nightwing. Of course, it was that little Robin. He was number three, Tim, but it didn't matter. He was Robin in his own right and his costume had it's alterations. "We were fighting and he kinda blew the place."

Nightwing rose an eyebrow under his mask. "Come on, Black Mask! You set the place on fire just to play with Robin? Well, I guess you got more than you bargained for."

Black Mask smiled. "Well, at least the job I started will be finished."

Batgirl stared, then realized what he meant. A beam just above Robin that had been set aflame was starting to fall. She didn't have time to yell, to warn the boy before it began to fall.

But it didn't hit him.

Seeing the falling debris, Nightwing had just tackled him out of the way when it fell. But he let out a gasp of pain as the burning beam landed. When the dust cleared, Nightwing was grounded, the beam pinning his leg under the beam. Sweat built itself up at his forehead where a look of extreme pain had plastered itself where there was once joy.

"Nightwing!" Tim exclaimed, collapsing next to his older brother, eyes wide with fear.

Barbara collapsed next to the burning beam, working to ignore how her eyes had begun to tear up. The smoke and fumes were starting to get to her. She looked at Tim as she put her gloved hands under the beam and worked to pull it, push it, get it off of her Nightwing, her Nightwing. "Help me!"

Immediately, he crawled over, working to lift it off of the other boy, Black Mask forgotten.

"I suppose I'll let myself out then. I wouldn't want to be late." He laughed, fading into the darkness behind him. "Goodbye, Bird boy. Maybe I finally got one of you." He laughed again, this time his voice leaving with him.

Sweat dripped down Tim's face. "Crap." He gasped, loosing his hold and letting it crush down again on the older male's leg.

Nightwing bit his lip. When Batgirl let a look of fear cross her face, he smiled brightly at her as if to tell her he was fine and not injured and trapped underneath a burning piece of debris. She bit her lip, once again pulling up the beam with all the strength she had, coughing all the while.

Then the entire building collapsed.

Batgirl had no clue what had happened until she opened her eyes to the outside world. She was laying across Nightwing, who had fallen unconscious, with Robin laying down right next to them. The moon shown down on them brightly. She blinked getting up, looking at the roof that the three of them had been deposited on. She blinked. "What just happened?"

"Uh," Tim began sheepishly, "well, when you lifted up the beam, Nightwing got his leg out from underneath it. You collapsed and I couldn't get up, so Nightwing slung you over his shoulder and grabbed me and somehow, he got us up here." The new Robin frowned, walking over to touch the place on Dick's leg where the costume had been burnt away.

Batgirl made her way over, touching it. It was burnt pretty badly, but the costume had taken the most of the damage. She quickly took away her hand when she heard spluttering. She was by Nightwing's side instantly.

He coughed, sitting up. "Okay, let's never do that again."

Robin laughed as he sat next to the older Robin and Batgirl touched the side of Nightwing's face. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He replied, standing and checking out the burn before moving back to standing absentmindedly.

"Fine?"

"Oh, fine. I think I'm bleeding internally. All my ribs are broken. My nose might be cracked. I think my wrists are broken. There's a possibility-" Before Dick could continue with more ridiculous statements, Batgirl interrupted him, drawing him close to her as she placed her arms around his neck.

"Need a kiss to make your bo-bo all better?" She asked, eyes glinting dangerously.

"I just might." He replied, leaning down as his hands slid around her waist.

Their lips had just brushed when-

"Ew!" Complained Robin. "You know, you can keep your slightly more than friend relationship to yourselves on patrol!"

Dick laughed, dropping down to little Robin's height and messing up Robin's hair. "Not any more." He stated.

Robin blinked. "Huh?"

"We're engaged." Batgirl stated, smirking at the look on her sort of little brother's face. It wasn't long before his smile became eccentric and he tackled Nightwing.

"Finally!" He exclaimed.

. . .

From his place behind the computer screen, the masked figure smiled. He had something to blackmail the man with, then. Sure, he could have used the brat or the bat, but the girl at that stage was so much more appealing to him. After all, in marriage, it's agreed that the man would die for her.

He would know. The figure had once been married, although the end result was painful and unforgiving, leaving him scarred for life and with only pain. But he would still die for her. What happened to them, well, he knew it well. It devoured him inside out until he was the man he was that very moment.

Nightwing was going to gain a new life for her.

After all, that couldn't have been any worse than loosing one's life. It was essentially the same thing. A caterpillar dies when it becomes a butterfly. Innocence dies when understanding hits. A child dies with age.

People died inside every day. He was only one excuse.

Nightwing, Dick Grayson, would be another.

After all, it wouldn't be the first time Dick took up another roll, died to rise again. That was his part in life. He was that of a small bird that would kill it's shell as it hatched and rose into a bright, red robin, only to pass on to a darkened spirit with a great blueness on his chest. Soon, even that role would be one that he would kill.

For a girl.

For the girl.

. . .

Wally groaned as Starfire stared him down. She wore a normal, modern dress that made her fit into the human population, sure, but she stuck out like a sore thumb in the loosely dressed population of those in the shady park next to the hot dog cart. She just wouldn't leave him alone!

No matter how many times that he told her that Nightwing-her Nightwing-was gone, she refused to hear it.

"Please," She begged, moving her vibrant red hair out of her eyes, "just tell me where he is! I know he can't have moved on already!"

"I'm sorry, Star, but he's not yours anymore." Wally tried to reason with her. "He's been with-"

"No!" She exclaimed. "He-He can't have moved on already! Please, Wally, just tell me where he is. Once we talk, he'll remember how he feels and we-"

"No, that won't happen." Interrupted a familiar voice. "Please, don't kid yourself." The two sitting there turned to watch Zatanna Zatarra approach them. She wore a simple pair of jeans and an undershirt, but she too seemed to stand out as she sat next to Wally, looking at Starfire.

"But-" Star tried again.

"No." Zatanna reached out and grabbed the alien's hand. "I know how you feel. Dick and I were together once, too, you know. I don't think anyone really forgets a guy like that, but you have to know that it was you who ended it. You have to let him be happy. Trust me."

Starfire pulled away her hand. "But it is different! You were together as-as children! Kids! And we were together older. We love each other! He proposed!"

"And you ended it." Wally interrupted gently.

"He's with Barbara now." Zatanna said gently, grasping the other woman's hand once again. She wasn't a bad girl in any means. Starfire just didn't want to loose him. She was in denial. She loved Dick a lot. And he had proposed, it was true, but after she left, he let her go. And Barbara was there for him. Barbara was his best friend. Barbara was the girl that he was with. They were happy together.

"No!" Exclaimed Starfire, standing. "He-He doesn't belong with her!"

"I'm sorry, Star." Wally said. "But they're together now." He sighed, scratching the back of his head as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't decide whether or not to.

"Wally?" Zatanna questioned.

He looked at her.

"What are you keeping from us?" Starfire asked, anger making her voice tremble.

"It's not my place to tell you. Dick will tell you when he's ready." Wally stated. Starfire stared at him.

"Not if you won't tell me where he is!" She exclaimed.

"Star-"

"Just tell her." Zatanna said, staring down Wally.

"I-I-"

Zatanna just suddenly felt tired. She had a long day as well as Wally and Dick and Starfire. She didn't want to sit through this while Wally knew what was going on and Dick wasn't telling. Her eyes narrowed. "Llet su ruoy terces won." She commanded.

"Dick pr-pr-pr-" He looked like he was struggling with his own tongue as the spell forced him to say it. "Dick proposed!"

Starfire paled, and that was saying a lot with her beautiful tan skin. Anger seemed to take it's course. Her eyes glowed an unearthly green. "Fine! I'll find him myself! He's obviously with Barbara anyway!" She exclaimed hysterically, running away so she could find a convenient place to change and fly off to Gotham.

Wally glared at Zatanna. "Thanks for the help."

Zatanna made a face. "Sorry. Bad day?"

Wally sighed. "You're forgiven."

Zatanna sighed a breath of relief, slightly upset at what she had done.

"But you still have to talk to Dick."

Zatanna paled. She had a large apology to give. She hoped that somehow it would be easy enough for him to forgive her. No, she didn't just hope, she prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

. . .

Starfire wouldn't admit it, but as she flew, hot tears picked at her green eyes. Was it true? Why didn't Dick tell her? Or face her? Why didn't he let her apologize in time? One hot tear slid down her face.

It was so upsetting. She just wanted to die. It was horrible. But maybe she could fix it. She could fix everything and her and Dick would have that happily ever after that he used to tell her about when he explained stories to her.

She could clearly remember that moment. It had been perfect.

. . .

Robin laughed at Starfire as she stared at him incredulously. "Star, not all stories are true."

Starfire had frowned at that sentence. She didn't understand. They all sounded perfectly plausible. They could happen, couldn't they? Millions of things like that happened all the time. So why would someone tell a story that wasn't true when there were so many crazy things happening each day? "I do not understand, Robin." She said.

He smiled, sitting down next to her on her bed. "Well, some people just don't like reality. It doesn't always end well. So people make stories up with happy endings that they can imagine. They sort of make themselves become the characters so they can have a happy ending."

"But surely everything has some sort of good result." Starfire said.

"Not always. Not everyone can really look at the positive side very easily." Robin replied. "But some people can learn. Some people can dream. That's what brings back their hope. Hope is the one thing they really get out of happy endings. Hope that tomorrow could be better." Seeing her slowly beginning to understand, he used an example. "You know, like Cinderella."

Starfire blinked. "Who is this Cinderella?"

Robin blinked, realizing that she hadn't known who Cinderella was since it was an Earthen story. "Well, it goes that there was this girl, Eleanor. She had a happy life with her parents in a huge house. One day, though, her mother died."

Starfire gasped. "Oh, no!"

"Yeah." Robin replied. "So, thinking that his daughter needed a mother figure, he found a new wife with two daughters and married her, but he soon got sick and passed on."

"So, this stepmother. She is the new light, the hope that this story shows." Starfire figured, trying to figure it out.

"Oh, no." Robin replied shaking his head as he leaned closer to her to tell the story. "No, with her father out of the way, they revealed that they were wicked. The stepmother gave everything to her two daughters, pampering them with fine dresses, good food, and warm beds. But Eleanor was given dirty servant clothes, forced to eat the scraps they threw her, and had to do all the work around the house. And since they didn't give her a bed, she slept next the fire each night, with only the cinders and embers of the fire to keep her company. Her stepsisters were ruthless, too. They laughed and scoffed at her, giving her extra work and making fun of her."

Starfire gasped. "That's horrible!"

Robin nodded. "Since she always was forced to tend to the cinders, they began to call her Cinderella, a complete mockery. But Cinderella did her best. She was kind and sweet-hearted."

Starfire frowned. "That's the message of hope?"

Robin laughed. "No, no. You're impatient. Here, I'll skip a bit ahead. You see, there was this ball coming up. The prince of the lands, he wanted to find a bride, so he held a ball. Every girl who wasn't married and able was to come. So, Cinderella worked and worked, helping her stepsisters with their dresses under the promise of her stepmother that she would be able to go."

Starfire smiled.

"But that night, her stepmother told her to go get one of her dresses, but Cinderella didn't have any dresses. She asked to borrow one of her sister's, but they said no and that if she didn't have any dresses that she couldn't go and they left her crying by the fire."

Starfire frowned. "That's awful!"

"Yeah." Robin agreed. "Anyway, Cinderella was crying and begging the empty room for a miracle when in the room suddenly appeared a fairy. Uh, you know, a chick with wings and magic." Starfire nodded to show she understood. "She said she was Cinderella's fairy god mother and that she was there to grant her wish." Robin smiled. "And she conjured up seven horses, a footman, a carriage driver, and a carriage. Then, she made Cinderella so beautiful that no one would recognize her she was so clean and in such fancy clothes."

Starfire squealed in delight. Robin smiled.

"But the fairy warned her that she had to be back at midnight, because the spell would fail and leave her with her old rags and her things gone. So, Cinderella appeared at the ball and she was so beautiful that her sisters didn't even recognize her. She was thought to be a foreign princess and the prince fell in love with her, dancing with her all night long and never once dancing with another girl."

Starfire laughed.

"But, as they were dancing, the clock struck, reminding her that it was almost midnight and she ran from the prince and the ball. However, the prince was persistent and chased her until he could no longer see her as she had run to her carriage. But in her rush she had left a single glass slipper." Robin said. "When the sisters returned home, they were angry that their chance with the prince had been ruined and complained to Cinderella about the girl. Cinderella had made it home just as the clock struck twelve, but even as her clothes were replaced with rags, her glass slipper didn't disappear."

"Why not?" Starfire asked.

Robin shrugged. "Magic."

Starfire smiled at his goofy expression.

"Anyways, the next day, the prince searched all the lands. He came to every door, letting every girl try on the slipper, claiming that the one that fit would become his bride. Of course, by then, the stepmother became worried. She feared that it might turn out that Cinderella may have fit the shoe, even though she had no clue Cinderella was that beautiful maiden and locked her in a storage room where lots of old stuff was."

Starfire gasped.

Robin nodded. "Then the prince arrived. With him was the shoe and they walked to the house where the first sister tried to fit into the shoe. When it didn't fit, the prince asked if there was anyone else that it might fit and the second sister tried it on. However it didn't fit, so he asked if there was any other girl in the home that it might fit. The stepmother said there wasn't."

"That blorthog!" Exclaimed Starfire. "She-"

"Oh, but there's more." Robin interrupted. When she was quiet he continued. "You see, hearing everything Cinderella banged on the door, screamed, begged, and even cried. The door was locked and she couldn't get out. Now, the prince had a bad feeling and asked again if there was anyone else, not hearing Cinderella. At this point, Cinderella had all but given up. But the stepmother made a mistake. She said no one but the servants. So, the prince asked her to call the servants."

Starfire smiled.

"But Cinderella was still stuck in the room. All the servants in the house filed in front of him and he found that none of the women fit the shoe. So he asked if there was anyone else, and they said that Cinderella hadn't tried it." Robin said. "So, one of them led the prince to Cinderella. When she tried on the shoe, not only did it fit perfectly, but she was transformed into the girl she had been that night. The prince was overjoyed and the two got married that very week. They lived happily ever after. The end." Robin finished.

"That's a good ending." Starfire said.

Robin smiled. "That's how people find the hope in the stories. The characters go through so much, but find that in the end, they win. It gives people hope and it inspires them. That's what fairy tales do."

Starfire had smiled, "I see."

She hadn't realized she was so close to Robin until that point when her hand slid into his. She leaned forward on impulse, and, for some reason, so did he. Their lips had touched and she remembered all that Cinderella went through.

She had her prince.

. . .

That moment was more than perfect. It was precious. She remembered it and would always remember it for the rest of her life. Before that, she hadn't really understood it. Why people need stories for them to find hope, but now she understood.

She was going through a rough time. She had lost her prince. She was scared.

She didn't know what she was going to.

But she had to do something.

So Starfire was going to speak with him. She was going to at least get a few questions answered. She wanted him back. She wanted so much.

Starfire wanted her prince back.

Cinderella got her prince.

FudoTwin17: Yay! Okay, I like it. ^^

Dog # 1: I see.

FudoTwin17: Yeah. Okay, guys, R&R!