Identity Crisis

Decisions

It was quiet; Tara would've thought she'd appreciate some quiet time with her thoughts after all this. But this wasn't the quiet she'd expected, it was eerie and, well mostly awkward.

"Gar?" she whispered to the giant green bird.

"Hmm?" he responded sleepily.

"They're making me uncomfortable are they making you uncomfortable cause they're making me uncomfortable!" she whispered, leaning forward.

Gar turned his giant bird head as far as it would go, "Who?"

Tara groaned, "Those two!" she hissed, pointing behind them at Vicky and Red X who sat back to back, staring off into the sky, "Vicky is never this quiet, that guy never seems to shut up and—" she ran her hands through her hair, "Look! Even the pug is quiet!"

Gar looked back to see where he was going, "Yeah," he sighed

Tara narrowed her eyes, "And now you too!" she huffed, "Did I say something?"

"No!" he exclaimed, "I was just... thinking."

"About?"

"About you," he said quietly.

She smiled, "Thanks."

"Tara," he sighed.

"Yeah?"

"What happens after this?" he asked without looking back at her, "I mean, what are you gonna do."

Tara frowned, "Well I guess I'll... I don't know," she shrugged, "What were you thinking?"

"Well what about school," he said, "And your friends, ad your life and... Sean."

Her eyes widened, "Sean?" she half laughed. Her eyebrows furrowed, "I guess I didn't think about that."

"I can't ask you to leave your whole life behind. And I wish you could choose both, but you can't," he said quietly, "That wouldn't be right."

"Gar," she said softly, running her hand through his feathers, "I'm not gonna lose you again, not ever."

"Thanks," he sighed, "But you have a choice, just promise me you'll think about it."

"Ok," she said quietly, "Ok, I will."

The breeze flipped through her hair as she joined the silence, becoming lost in her thoughts like the rest of the team.

                        _____________________________________

Raven sat on the couch next to Cyborg as Starfire walked in with Robin. "So, what's the big announcement?" asked Cyborg, raising his eyebrows.

Raven looked down, she thought she knew the answer, but she wasn't looking forward to hearing it. She had tried to reach Gar several times, but he'd blocked her from his mind. She watched as Star squeezed Robin's hand and turned to sit down with the rest of them.

Robin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "It's about Red X," he began, "We've- we've discovered that he has help. The girl from the phone this morning and—" he looked down.

Raven stood up, "Beast Boy!"

Robin nodded

"What?" Cyborg bolted up.

"What did he do?" Raven growled.

"Calm down!" Starfire stepped up and rested her hand on Robin's shoulder, "Allow Robin to talk!"

Raven and Cyborg frowned, but they sat back down to listen. "Thanks Star," Robin smiled at her before turning to face the other two, "It was Beast Boy," he continued, lowering his voice, "and Tara," Raven's eyes widened.

"No," she whispered, maybe it had been a mistake, asking Beast Boy to tell Tara who she was. Now she had turned and dragged Beast Boy down with her.

"I don't have all the details but," Robin looked down, "We can't underestimate Red X; we're going to have to take them in."

"No this can't be right," Cyborg stood up, shaking his head, "Gar's my best friend; he wouldn't do this."

"I know," Robin nodded, "But until we figure out what's going on, stick with the plan."

Raven stood, "Robin, you know we can't do that; Beast Boy's our friend—"

"Stick to the plan!" Robin interrupted her, "That's an order."

Raven went silent, her eyes wide as Robin stormed out of the room.

"Do you know," Star hissed sharply, "How hard it was for him to say that?"

"Yeah Star," Cyborg rolled his eyes, "We get it, but Gar—"

"No!" she interrupted as she towered over them, "I do not think you do get it."

"Calm down Star," Raven rested a hand on her shoulder.

Star pulled away, "No!" she yelled, "You do not understand! None of you do!" She turned away from them, "Every time Robin has been misled it has been our fault! He has always been there for us when we needed him! But where are we when he needs us!"

"Look, star," Cyborg stood up defensively, "We may not always see eye to eye with Robin, but the doesn't mean we don't care about him."

"Doesn't it?" she yelled. She hugged herself and floated downwards, "I am sorry," she said, "But you do not understand. Though Robin acts as though he is fine, he knows he needs us. He just... He does not know how to tell us that. But he wants a family; he has always wanted one; that is why he left Gotham, why he found us."

Raven looked down, "We're sorry Star," she said, "We'll go easier on him next time."

"But Beast Boys our friend," Cyborg said as a troubled look passed over his face.

"I know," Star whispered, "Robin will not hurt him. But he did not want to show that he was hurt."

"And that's why he was so stern," Cy finished her thought, "He's hard to figure out sometimes."

"I know," said Star, smiling a little as she flew to the door, "Just give him some time."

                             ______________________________

He had thought time might, help Robin in a way, and maybe it had. But he'd obviously grown farther away from Bruce.

Bruce sighed, maybe it was a good thing; after all he had grown closer to his new family, the Titans. But at the same time, he felt as though he'd failed somehow. Not failed at training Robin, it was obvious from the boy's talent that he had done a good job of that. No; he felt he had failed on a much higher level, at being what he had never had himself, a father

And now, maybe it was too late for that. Robin was happy, he had obviously moved on. Maybe Bruce just had to let him go, maybe they worked best as mentor and sidekick rather than father and son. Robin seemed to think so.

He had always thought he'd done a good job; that they'd been a team and a family. But Dick's words struck him hard and made it evident that this was not the case.

Still Bruce wanted to make things right. To make amends with his son. But if Robin didn't want to, then what was the point. Maybe it was time to let go, like a good teacher should.