This chapter was really hard to write... probably because somehow it got into super depressing land... oh well. next chapter will be more fun.

ENJOY :D

Ch 16

"And last stop on our tour, the big top." Miranda pulled back the tent flaps to reveal the main tent, three of five titans gasping in shock and awe, most of all Starfire.

"It is like walking inside of a different world!" The Tamaranian announced, delighted. Miranda and Dick laughed in response.

"I suppose it is like that, Starfire. That's part of the magic of the circus," Robin explained, "– it's so unlike reality, that it's magical… like a dream, off in its own existance." Raven smiled at the mental picture, until he added, "Of course, if you grow up here, after a while the magic fades, since you see how everything's done."

"I was gonna say, Dickie, if that mush is what you were thinking, you're either super homesick or need to share whatever good stuff you're smoking." At the look of unease that crossed Raven and Cyborg's faces, Miranda rolled her eyes. "I was kidding! Don't tell me you actually believe that everyone in the circus gets high all the time!"

"We don't," Raven assured, "It's just so… different here, it's hard to distinguish fact from fiction."

"Which is why townies like you all love the circus so much – what's an illusion, and what's real magic? It gets hard to tell if you don't know the difference."

"Real magic? Are you sayin' that some of the tricks really aren't tricks? That people here are Meta's or something?" Cyborg asked, scratching his head.

A sly grin was on Miranda's face as she answered, "You never know. I mean, I've heard people say I can hypnotize animals. I've also heard folks talking about how they swear Dickie can really fly, up on the bars. Speaking of – Dick, Pop Haley told me he set the rigging up for you, if you wanna give it a go."

"Seriously," The boy wonder asked, incredulous. "I mean, I haven't done it in a while…"

"You're always flying around in the training room, though," Beastboy pointed out. "You like, live on the gymnastics stuff, dude. Well, when you're not killing the punching bag… again…"

His resolve was weakening. "I… I don't know… I haven't been up in the air… well, like that, since that night…"

"I could get one of the Wallenda's to catch you, if you want," Miranda offered, "They've been touring with us for the season."

"They're here? I'll have to find them and say hi…" Robin muttered to himself.

"Come on man, show us whatcha got! What could go wrong? Rae, BB and Star can all fly, which'd stop any problems with the rigging or-ow!" Cyborg was interrupted by painful jabs to the side, courtesy of Miranda.

"I… uh… I just remembered, I gotta go say hi to Jessie and Megan… uh… I'll be back… soon-ish." With that, Dick raced out of the tent.

"She goes by Meg now…" Miranda weakly called to him, acting 'helpful,' before turning back to Cyborg, unhooking her whip from her belt buckle.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't use this to call in Dolly and Polly to smash your face in."

""Cause I don't know what I did to make him go all vampire pale and run from the tent." With a sigh, she put her whip down, and settled for punching him. Hard.

"You stupid person! Do you know what you just did?"

"Uh…"

"Thanks to that little comment, he's gonna be REAL paranoid for a while, and might never come back to the circus ever again. Thanks for scaring him off."

"But what'd I say that-"

"-Set him off? Oh, I'll tell you," she began to rant, "First count – you brought up the rigging."

"What about the-"

"That's how his parents were murdered. Creep screwed with the rigging! And guess what today is?" Not waiting for a response, she continued, "The anniversary of Mary and John's…" she took a deep breath. "You brought up the rigging. Stupid! And then to top it off, you had… you had the nerve to ask him what could go wrong? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"It was just a question!" Cyborg defended.

"But to ask him 'what could go wrong?' That's like… that's like put an Atheist and an Ultra Orthodox in the same room stupid. Letting really opinionated people debate politics stupid! Hell… that's telling a Holocaust survivor that the Nazi's were just 'following orders,' kind of a dumb ass move on your part!"

"I think you're overreacting…" Cyborg said, hands up.

"Over-? Like hell I am! You don't know the half of what he's been through! Maybe you know some of his hero escapades, but… damn. Even before all that crap!"

"Please, friends," Starfire spoke up, not wanting any more conflict to arise, "might I suggest you both take the calming breaths, and possibly start from the beginning?" sighing, both complied, as they sat down in the ring.

"What could go wrong… the phrase is taboo now. Especially in regards to Dick. When we were little…. 'What could go wrong,' was letting the bears out of their cages, or riding Zitka to town, or sneaking out past curfew to hang out. When we got a little older though… 'what could go wrong?' What could go wrong, if we didn't tell our parents or Pop Haley… God…

"The circus isn't all fun and games, you know. It's just like the real world – there are bad people out there. I know circus folk and gypsies and travelers have a bad name… but not everyone's bad. The few that are though…

"There was a guy… Marko… hated us, with all his heart I swear he hated us… put us through hell. Just us. At first it started with the names… me and Dick were only six when it started… getting ready for shows, while we were in costume… he'd come up to me, calling me a slut. He told me that I was a worthless little ho, and that that is all I'd ever be. But he threatened to hurt Dick if I told… I kept quiet. Apparently, he had the same deal going for Dick, too, but he got the worse end. I was the little skank. He was the… Marko called him a lot worse, in regards to his… appearance. But it got worse for him.

"Marko knew Dick was half and half – his dad's a Romany Gypsy. Mary, his mom? All American girl. He'd call Dick Poshrat, or Didikai, and other terrible things. It all meant half-breed. He called Dick other things too, but I didn't speak Romany, Dick's first language."

"He mentioned not knowing English before…" Raven mumbled, and Miranda nodded.

"We both know Romanian, which is how we communicated. His mom and I both tried to help him with English. So I don't even understand half of what was said to him… frankly I don't want to know.

"After all the name calling, and threats, Marko changed. Or so we thought. Suddenly, he was very nice to us, always patting us on the head, or congratulating us on our performances. He left me alone, after a while. Not Dick though. Of course, he didn't tell me until things had gotten… worse.

"Suddenly Marko wasn't too interested in being nice to Richard. More interested in… other aspects of Richard. His body, anyway. He started watching him practice, and then would tell him…. Tell him about how good his body looked in his uniform, and how he was so damn flexible…

"He was scared as hell. He started faking sickness, and getting himself hurt to prevent from practicing. His parents thought he just needed a break. They were too nice. Never would've suspected…

"Dick never told me until one night at dinner. We snuck out of the tent, and he told me about what was going on. He said Marko wanted him to meet him late that night. Dick didn't want to, but Marko threatened to kill his parents and me. Showed him the gun and everything… God, we were only seven by then…" Miranda took a shaky breath.

"Right then is when he asked me: 'Mandy, what could go wrong?'" She clenched her eyes shut, "What could go wrong? I didn't buy it. I heard him screaming… I ended up getting his parents and Mr. Haley. They… they got there before it was too late.

"I was so stupid! If I had just said something sooner… none of that would've happened. He wouldn't have gone to that stupid meeting, and none of it would've happened! He was so ashamed in himself. When I-we found him… he was a mess. He was begging for Marko to leave him alone. What could go wrong?

"Here, in the big top… that's where we found him, all tied up. That's where his parents died, in the center of the ring. So to ask him 'What could go wrong?'" Miranda sighed again in defeat.

"I'll go talk to him," Cyborg said. "Apologize."

"No!" Miranda shouted, "He'd kill me if he knew I told you all. And even if you tell him you know, I know him. He'd rather die then have people pitying him. It'd be better if he didn't know you know."

"Know what?" Robin asked, as he walked back into the tent, now followed by two young girls around the age of.

"Oh, hey Meg, Jessie," Miranda said with a wave, avoiding the question.

Robin motioned to the Titans, and started signing and speaking in French, "Ce sont mes amis, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire et Beast Boy. Ils sont super héros aussi. " he then turned to the his friends and explained, "They only speak French. And Meg is deaf."

"Dude, they speak French? Sweet! Je parle français aussi! Que des choses du cirque ne vous les gars faire?" he said, as the Titans stared back blankly, as Jessie translated for her sister.

"Beastboy just told them that he knows French, and asked them what act they're in.

"Nous sommes acrobates," Jessie answered. "We… are… acrobats," she attempted to say in English, to benefit the others. She turned back to Richard, "Et vous êtes un flyer, non? Un peu Robin?" Beastboy laughed at their question, as did Robin and Miranda, who also knew some French.

"Oui, je suis un flyer. mais on savait que, alors pourquoi demander?" Robin asked back, hands flying.

Jess got quiet, and started to blush. Meg tapped Robin on the shoulder, and started signing to him, "Will you fly for us?" Signed the ten year old twin.

With a sigh, Robin looked up first at the high wire, and then lowered his gaze to the trapeze, determination in his eyes. "Okay. I'll fly."

I warned ya it'd get depressing... but all of yalls pretty please let me know what you're thinking! :D