Disclaimer: Weeellll…. No. I don't. I never have, and by the look of all those nasty credits, I never will.

This is an experiment-do not complain about the "pairing". Why? Because it could change, and if I'm ticked off enough I might just be spiteful and swing it the other way.I don't mind if you flame, but there has to be a good excuse and not just because Raven's married to Robin. Stupid ones go to lining my imaginary kitty's litter box.The whole story is about the conflict, so learn to deal. Thanks to all you guys with open minds-you'll never know how much I appreciate it.

Cookie Dough-Chapter 1: From Whence She Came

Pressing a button, Starfire kept watching the screen's vitals. After twenty years of war, twenty years of miscommunication, she was finally doing it.

She was going home.

With a surge of emotion she remembered her friends. Beast Boy, Cyborg, Terra, Raven and… Robin. Her boy.

As Earth came into view, Starfire smiled. She would finally see Robin, and everything would be as it was before.

Yes, she thought happily. Everything would be the same.

TTT

Raven tucked the blankets around her daughter tighter, something like a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It had been years since she had fought crime, years since Slade had dropped off the radar and became a law-abiding citizen, and everything felt… right.

It was summer, so Raven left the windows open to allow the breeze to waft through. Treeflower was two now, and everyday Raven worried about what would happen to the small girl. With weak lungs, Treeflower had to be careful in her activities, the slightest hint of being over-exhausted a dangerous sign. She was naturally quiet, like her mother, and normally levitated by her window, watching the world from her white-curtained porthole.

Picking up a fluffy white bunny-doll with a cute pink nose and a silver tiara nestled between its ears, Raven traced its smiling mouth. It had been a present from 'Uncle' Cy, whom the little girl adored like the sun. Good old Cyborg had his own family, having married ten years before, and always found the time to come over and play with Treeflower, despite his nine-year old son's demands. His wife, a friendly Afro-American by the name of Lola had fit right in with the group, and when she had found out about Treeflower's condition, offered all sorts of help, from diaper change to performing the operation herself.

"Raven?" Came a hushed voice from the door of the nursery. Raven turned and smiled at the figure in the doorway. "Richard, how was you're day?"

"Fine" The man she had once known as Robin sighed. Moving over to her, he kissed her cheek and went to Treeflower's cot. "How was Flower?"

Raven came up behind him and placed a pale hand on his own. "Good. She did everything she was told, had her nap, had her bath. I never have any trouble with her" She hesitated for a moment, on the verge to tell him what had happened, but decided against it. He'll find out soon enough, She thought bitterly.

Her grip on Robin's hand tightened.

"Raven?" He asked, surprised. After all his years of knowing her, his wife was still not fond of displaying affection. Only around Treeflower did he really see her soft side. Looking up at him with the same violet eyes that had first shown him how much she cared, Raven simply said, "Do you miss her?"

Robin's eyes, a startling blue, widened. He knew who she was hinting at.

Starfire.

"You asked me that the day we were married, Rae" He pointed out. Raven looked down at the powder blue carpet. "What did I say then?"

"You said that you did, but that was in the past" Still, the woman felt uneasy. As Robin glazed down at his small daughter's face, she added, "It's just… I've been having dreams. And I think something is going to happen that will… change you. Change us"

She moved from foot to foot, uneasy as Robin watched her, alarmed. Cursing herself for her stupidity, Raven said nothing. It had been years since she had felt this insecure, but after this afternoon… all her old fears were coming back.

Then without a word, her husband swept her up in a warm hug. Hesitantly, she wrapped her own arms around him, wondering how he would try to soothe the biggest regret in her heart.

Them.

"Raven, nothing will happen to any of us" With a firm voice, Robin pressed her closer. "I love you, what could change that?"

Ghosts, thought the indigo haired woman. Old ghosts that refuse to die.

And for a moment, all Raven could see was the terrifying vision of Robin with someone else.

TTT

Starfire smiled at the boy who had helped her with her bags. "Thank-you, boy of baggage. Your help has been most appreciated!"

The teenager, who had never been thanked for something that he had been paid to do, just looked at the bubbly alien woman strangely. Picking at a pimple the size of Mount Everest on the side of his nose, he grunted, "Yea' wotever" Then he hopped back on the train.

Starfire looked around her, her confidence fading now that she was actually here.

Would Robin recognize her? Would he still be the boy she knew? Somewhere in the depths of her heart, the answer was yes, but her mind was winning over.

"Star?" Called a shocked voice. Searching the crowd for a familiar face, Starfire grinned when she saw who it was. "Beast Boy! Oh, how wonderful it is to see you well!"

The green man stood there, still looking like he had seen a ghost. "It's really you? I mean… we all thought… She said…" Shaking his head Beast Boy's furry face broke into a huge smile. "When Terra and me got your phone call, I was, 'NO WAY!' Then you explained everything, and I couldn't believe it! Wow, Star…" He shook his head again. "Did you call Cy?"

Starfire nodded, happy that her friend was well. "Yes. And I was most surprised to learn that he had married! When did the joyous occasion happen? Why was I not notified?"

Beast Boy's happy glow faded, and he became more awkward. "Uh… Star… I don't know how to say this…"

He took a deep breath, then tried again. "Star, you-"

"DADDY!"

A small, green blur ran up to Beast Boy, and fastened itself to his leg.

"Daddy!" It squealed, "Daddy, Joan is trying to scare me!"

Giving an apologetic smile to Starfire, Beast Boy turned his attention to the burr on his leg. "Hannah, it's alright. Joan is just a big bully who's going to be GROUNDED when he GETS HOME" Raising his voice suggestively, Beast Boy glared at a near-by pot plant.

With a loud POP, the pot plant vanished, leaving behind a tallish boy with green hair and blue eyes. "Sorry Dad" He mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"I bet you are" Rolling his eyes, Beast Boy gently nudged Hannah off him. "Honey, can you and Joan go to the car? I'll meet you there in a tick" His daughter peered up at him with watery eyes and a trembling lip, but when her trick didn't work she turned to Joan and stuck out her tongue, making him growl. "Hannah…" With a quick glance to his father, who wasn't paying attention, the boy lunged at her, making Hannah squeal and bolt for the car, Joan close behind.

Looking at the floor in the same style as his son, Beast Boy started, "Star, when you left, we all thought that you had gone for good"

Starfire beamed, glad that this was all her friend had wanted to say. "But now everything will be alright! I am back!"

He sighed, and glanced up at her with sad green eyes. "No Star, you don't understand"

Something in his voice made the smile on her face disappear, and the bubbly feeling that welled up inside burst. "Is, is something wrong?" She stammered, her voice raising a few octaves. "Has something befallen Robin?"

Beast Boy gave another tired sigh. "You died" He said quietly. "One of your people contacted us saying that your ship had crashed and you had been killed"

Starfire's eyes were wide, but she said nothing. So this explained Raven's shock at seeing her.

They had thought her dead.

"Is Robin…?"

"He was a wreck, Star." Beast Boy tried to explain, but it was becoming difficult, his green eyes darting around to anything that could be an distraction. "For weeks, months, he did nothing. It was like he wasn't even there

"Then one day, a few years after, I think, he just snapped out of it. He said that he couldn't let your… your death drag him down. So he left. Cy took over command, and we kept going for a few months before the group went Spiltsville. I got married to Terra, Cyborg got married to Lola, and Raven… and Raven got married to Robin"

The world stopped spinning and Starfire's mind went numb. Raven, her best friend, the only one of whom she had told that she liked their fearless leader, had gone behind her back and married him.

Raven had married Robin. She had married Starfire's boy.

"No!" Upset, Star's eyes began to glow. "No, I will not believe it!"

Nervously, Beast Boy picked up her bags and gently pulled her to the car. "Come on, I'll take you to Cy's"

Starfire gave a small hiccup of protest, but let him lead her to his vehicle. "I really am sorry Star" He offered quietly before opening the car door.

Starfire only nodded, defeated.