Flying or Falling |Titans|

|VII|

"We are going to see the two of them out of all people? Did you forget, that one of them totally hates you?" Kiara pointed out and Dick sighed a little bit at her words, nodding slightly with an look of admittance on his face.

"You're right... but, I don't know where else to go and I can't go back to Gotham. Not this time." He said, as she looks back at Rachel in the restaurant, and she nodded quick. "Star City is too far away." He said quietly.

"I get it, Dick. But I can't expect any other things from my team, not like that. They may think that they are all ready for this shit, but... we trained for years to do this. I didn't have time to go through everything that we did... Star City was that bad and I just could, not do it alone." She said very quietly, as the two of them looked back, to see Malia, Hannah and Shyanna all eager to talk to Rachel.

"They're still kids in this life. Still finding their footing, figuring out what they're good at. I absolutely, I can't lose them. Not after everything else, that I've lost." She whispered and he looked at her with a sigh, as he just held out his arms, and she leaned into the familiar hug without hesitation.

"I'll help you. It will be a good crash course in teaching for us and then, for them, it will be a good or a great heck of a learning experience. We learned from two of the best. And you learned from many more. If anyone can teach them anything, it would be us." He said and she sighed, nodding quickly.

"Yeah, good point. But... I'm still the better fighter." She said and he shakes his head, gently shoving her a little bit and she laughed. "You know that it's true." She said and he looks at her, as he rolled his eyes.

"We are equals. You know that, Kia and so does everybody else here. I'm not even going to poke that bear right now." He said and she punched him in the ribs hard, causing him to cough as she walked back into the diner.

"I'm driving this time. I need a break from the Porsche." She said and they'd all looked at each other then back and forth between her and Dick, both real quickly.

"They are at it again." Dick said quietly as Kiara walked past him and let out a slight grunt, as she nods, and was back in the van.

She drove off after the Porsche and the others all were talking over one another to try to ask her questions, all of them about the status of her and the only guy stuck in their group.

"Shut up Hannah!" Shyanna began shouting, as she was recognizing the warning signs of an seriously angry Kiara Lincoln.

"Look. Dick and I? We are not a fucking item! Get over it already, or I'll set the van on autopilot and send it back to Star City with all of you in it! I am pissed enough as it is, and I am really not in the mood for any of your bullshit, all right?!" She shouted and a deafening silence settled over the car.

|Washington, District of Columbia|

Dick pulled the Porsche out up front and Kiara parked the mini-van across the street.

He tossed Kiara's bag to her, as she crossed the street and caught it quick as she slung it over her shoulders. She looked like she was gonna be sick and he raised his eyebrows at her. "I am fine." She mumbled, and although he clearly didn't believe her for a second of time, he nodded.

The team walked after them and Dawn Granger opened the door and her eyes were surprised, when she'd spot Dick and Kiara at the door.

"Hey." Dick said awkwardly and Kiara's face was emotionless, as she walked into the apartment at Dawn's motion, and jumped onto the nearest of the three couches, at once.

"When we were kids, relatively speaking. It was being only a few years ago." Kiara said from Rachel's doorway, and Dick looks over at her.

"I keep up with my friends, D. I was ready to kill anyone who tried to hurt any of you." She said, and she looks at Rachel, who looked slightly scared. "It includes you too now kiddo. If anyone tries anything on you, I will kick their sorry asses." She said as Rachel looked at her, before jumpin' up and hugging her tightly. "Oof." She murmured, and a chuckle came from Dick.

"Get some rest." Dick said and they both walked out of her room, shutting the door behind them. "I think I found a new name for you." He said, and she looked over at him. "How do you feel about... Gray Wolf?" He asked and she smiles a little. "You're loyal, protective and one hell of a badass." He points at her and she sighed.

"The Gray Wolf. It does have a nice ring to it, I'll admit." She murmured and dropped onto the couch, her eyes closing and she fell asleep at once.

She opened her eyes and through sleepy eyes, she saw Dick with his cell phone pressed to his ear. "Dick?" She mumbled sleepily and he looked over at her.

"We're okay. I just got a call from someone who got the wrong number, I'm good." Dick said and Kiara was so tired, that she didn't even pick up on a tone that she recognized as him lying, before she was snoring again.